Citation

  • Authors: Cheong, J. K., Zhang, F., Chua, P. J., Bay, B. H., Thorburn, A., Virshup, D. M.
  • Year: 2015
  • Journal: J Clin Invest 125 1401-18
  • Applications: in vitro / DNA / jetPRIME
  • Cell type: Human foreskin fibroblasts

Abstract

Activating mutations in the RAS oncogene are common in cancer but are difficult to therapeutically target. RAS activation promotes autophagy, a highly regulated catabolic process that metabolically buffers cells in response to diverse stresses. Here we report that casein kinase 1alpha (CK1alpha), a ubiquitously expressed serine/threonine kinase, is a key negative regulator of oncogenic RAS-induced autophagy. Depletion or pharmacologic inhibition of CK1alpha enhanced autophagic flux in oncogenic RAS-driven human fibroblasts and multiple cancer cell lines. FOXO3A, a master longevity mediator that transcriptionally regulates diverse autophagy genes, was a critical target of CK1alpha, as depletion of CK1alpha reduced levels of phosphorylated FOXO3A and increased expression of FOXO3A-responsive genes. Oncogenic RAS increased CK1alpha protein abundance via activation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. In turn, elevated levels of CK1alpha increased phosphorylation of nuclear FOXO3A, thereby inhibiting transactivation of genes critical for RAS-induced autophagy. In both RAS-driven cancer cells and murine xenograft models, pharmacologic CK1alpha inactivation synergized with lysosomotropic agents to inhibit growth and promote tumor cell death. Together, our results identify a kinase feedback loop that influences RAS-dependent autophagy and suggest that targeting CK1alpha-regulated autophagy offers a potential therapeutic opportunity to treat oncogenic RAS-driven cancers.

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