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Translational Therapeutics

Targeting the untargetable: RB1-deficient tumours are vulnerable to Skp2 ubiquitin ligase inhibition

British Journal of Cancer volume 127, pages 969–975 (2022)Cite this article

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Abstract

Proteins that regulate the cell cycle are accumulated and degraded in a coordinated manner during the transition from one cell cycle phase to the next. The rapid loss of a critical protein, for example, to allow the cell to move from G1/G0 to S phase, is often regulated by its ubiquitination and subsequent proteasomal degradation. Protein ubiquitination is mediated by a series of three ligases, of which the E3 ligases provide the specificity for a particular protein substrate. One such E3 ligase is SCFSkp1/Cks1, which has a substrate recruiting subunit called S-phase kinase-associated protein 2 (Skp2). Skp2 regulates cell proliferation, apoptosis, and differentiation, can act as an oncogene, and is overexpressed in human cancer. A primary target of Skp2 is the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p27 (CDKN1b) that regulates the cell cycle at several points. The RB1 tumour suppressor gene regulates Skp2 activity by two mechanisms: by controlling its mRNA expression, and by an effect on Skp2’s enzymatic activity. For the latter, the RB1 protein (pRb) directly binds to the substrate-binding site on Skp2, preventing protein substrates from being ubiquitinated and degraded. Inactivating mutations in RB1 are common in human cancer, becoming more frequent in aggressive, metastatic, and drug-resistant tumours. Hence, RB1 mutation leads to the loss of pRb, an unrestrained increase in Skp2 activity, the unregulated decrease in p27, and the loss of cell cycle control. Because RB1 mutations lead to the loss of a functional protein, its direct targeting is not possible. This perspective will discuss evidence validating Skp2 as a therapeutic target in RB1-deficient cancer.

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Fig. 1: Schematic of the SCF E3 ligase Skp2.

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Funding

This work was supported by NIH/NCI grants RO1 CA230032, RO1 CA201458, RO1 CA255643, and an AACR-Bayer Innovation and Discovery grant.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA

    Pranav Gupta & Hongling Zhao

  2. Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA

    Bang Hoang

  3. Department of Oncology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA

    Edward L. Schwartz

  4. Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA

    Edward L. Schwartz

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  1. Pranav Gupta
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  2. Hongling Zhao
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  3. Bang Hoang
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  4. Edward L. Schwartz
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PG, BH and ELS wrote the manuscript; PG, HZ and ELS edited the manuscript. Revising it critically: all. Final approval of the version to be published: all.

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Correspondence to Edward L. Schwartz.

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Gupta, P., Zhao, H., Hoang, B. et al. Targeting the untargetable: RB1-deficient tumours are vulnerable to Skp2 ubiquitin ligase inhibition. Br J Cancer 127, 969–975 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41416-022-01898-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41416-022-01898-0

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