Seth J. Field

Receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) signaling drives cancer and is a validated therapeutic target. Modulators of RTK signaling can reveal mechanisms of oncogenesis and offer new therapeutic targets. Golgi phosphoprotein 3 (GOLPH3) is a Golgi-localized oncoprotein that promotes signaling downstream of mTOR. Here, examination of RTK signaling indicated that GOLPH3 acted at the level of the RTK and increased all downstream signaling. We found that GOLPH3 enhanced the delivery of RTKs to the plasma membrane. This role was shared with its binding partner myosin 18A (MYO18A) and depended on the interaction of GOLPH3 with MYO18A. The GOLPH3-MYO18A complex at the Golgi apparatus was required and rate-limiting for RTK signaling across the cell types and receptors assessed. Our findings provide insight into the relationship between the function of GOLPH3 at the Golgi and its role as a cancer driver, highlighting its potential as a therapeutic target in cancer.

The Golgi organelle duplicates its protein and lipid content to segregate evenly between two daughter cells after mitosis. However, how Golgi biogenesis is regulated during interphase remains largely unknown. Here we show that messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of GOLPH3 and GOLGA2, two genes encoding Golgi proteins, is induced specifically in G1 phase, suggesting a link between cell cycle regulation and Golgi growth. We have examined the role of E2F transcription factors, critical regulators of G1 to S progression of the cell cycle, in the expression of Golgi proteins during interphase. We show that promoter activity for GOLPH3, a Golgi protein that is also oncogenic, is induced by E2F1-3 and repressed by E2F7. Mutation of the E2F motifs present in the GOLPH3 promoter region abrogates E2F1-mediated induction of a GOLPH3 luciferase reporter construct. Furthermore, we identify a critical CREB/ATF element in the GOLPH3 promoter that is required for its steady state and ATF2-induced expression. Interestingly, depletion of GOLPH3 with small interfering RNA (siRNA) delays the G1 to S transition in synchronized U2OS cells. Taken together, our results reveal a link between cell cycle regulation and Golgi function, and suggest that E2F-mediated regulation of Golgi genes is required for the timely progression of the cell cycle.

Using a novel chemistry-based assay for identifying electrophilic natural products from unprocessed extracts, we identified the PI3-kinase/mTOR dual inhibitor neolymphostin A from Salinispora arenicola CNY-486. The method further showed that the vinylogous ester substituent on the neolymphostin core was the exact site for enzyme conjugation. Tandem MS/MS experiments on PI3Kα treated with the inhibitor revealed that neolymphostin covalently modified Lys802 with a shift in mass of +306 amu, corresponding to addition of the inhibitor and elimination of methanol. The binding pose of the inhibitor bound to PI3Kα was modelled, and hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry experiments supported this model. Against a panel of kinases, neolymphostin showed good selectivity for PI3-kinase and mTOR. In addition, the natural product blocked AKT phosphorylation in live cells with an IC50 of ~3 nM. Taken together, neolymphostin is the first reported example of a covalent kinase inhibitor from the bacterial domain of life.