Setd2 inactivation sensitizes lung adenocarcinoma to inhibitors of oxidative respiration and mTORC1 signaling.

SETD2 is a tumor suppressor that is frequently inactivated in several cancer types. The mechanisms through which SETD2 inactivation promotes cancer are unclear, and whether targetable vulnerabilities exist in these tumors is unknown. Here we identify heightened mTORC1-associated gene expression programs and functionally higher levels of oxidative metabolism and protein synthesis as prominent consequences of Setd2 inactivation in KRAS-driven mouse models of lung adenocarcinoma.

Copper is an essential regulator of the autophagic kinases ULK1/2 to drive lung adenocarcinoma.

Although the transition metal copper (Cu) is an essential nutrient that is conventionally viewed as a static cofactor within enzyme active sites, a non-traditional role for Cu as a modulator of kinase signalling is emerging. Here, we found that Cu is required for the activity of the autophagic kinases ULK1 and ULK2 (ULK1/2) through a direct Cu-ULK1/2 interaction. Genetic loss of the Cu transporter Ctr1 or mutations in ULK1 that disrupt the binding of Cu reduced ULK1/2-dependent signalling and the formation of autophagosome complexes.

Blocking EGFR palmitoylation suppresses PI3K signaling and mutant KRAS lung tumorigenesis.

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is often characterized by mutually exclusive mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) or the guanosine triphosphatase KRAS. We hypothesized that blocking EGFR palmitoylation, previously shown to inhibit EGFR activity, might alter downstream signaling in the KRAS-mutant setting. Here, we found that blocking EGFR palmitoylation, by either knocking down the palmitoyltransferase DHHC20 or expressing a palmitoylation-resistant EGFR mutant, reduced activation of the kinase PI3K, the abundance of the transcription factor MYC, and the proliferation of cells in culture, as well as reduced tumor growth in a mouse model of KRAS-mutant lung adenocarcinoma.

RB constrains lineage fidelity and multiple stages of tumour progression and metastasis.

Mutations in the retinoblastoma (RB) tumour suppressor pathway are a hallmark of cancer and a prevalent feature of lung adenocarcinoma. Although RB was the first tumour suppressor to be identified, the molecular and cellular basis that underlies selection for persistent RB loss in cancer remains unclear. Methods that reactivate the RB pathway using inhibitors of cyclin-dependent kinases CDK4 and CDK6 are effective in some cancer types and are currently under evaluation for the treatment of lung adenocarcinoma.

Context-Dependent Effects of Amplified MAPK Signaling during Lung Adenocarcinoma Initiation and Progression.

Expression of oncogenic Kras initiates lung adenomas in a mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signal-dependent manner from only a subset of cell types in the adult mouse lung. Amplification of MAPK signaling is associated with progression to malignant adenocarcinomas, but whether this is a cause or a consequence of disease progression is not known. To better understand the effects of MAPK signaling downstream of Kras expression, we capitalized on the ability of Braf inhibition to selectively amplify MAPK pathway signaling in Kras-expressing epithelial cells.