The RasGEF MoCdc25 regulates vegetative growth, conidiation and appressorium-mediated infection in the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae.

Ras guanine nucleotide exchange factors (RasGEFs) can trigger Ras GTPase activities and play important roles in controlling various cellular processes in eukaryotes. Recently, it has been exhibited that RasGEF Cdc25 regulates morphological differentiation and pathogenicity in several plant pathogenic fungi. However, the role of RasGEFs in Magnaporthe oryzae is largely unknown. In this study, we identified and functionally characterized a RasGEF gene MoCDC25 in M. oryzae, which is orthologous to Saccharomyces cerevisiae CDC25. Targeted gene deletion mutants (ΔMocdc25) were completely nonpathogenic and were severely impaired in hyphal growth, conidiation and appressorium formation. The mutants exhibited highly sensitive response to osmotic, cell wall integrity or oxidative stresses. MoCdc25 physically interacts with the MAPK scaffold Mst50 and the putative Cdc42GEF MoScd1 in yeast two-hybrid assays. Moreover, we found that MoCdc25 was involved in regulating the phosphorylation of the MAP kinases (Pmk1, Mps1, and Osm1). In addition, the intracellular cAMP content in hyphae of the ΔMocdc25 mutants was significantly reduced compared to the parent strain Ku80 and the defect of appressorium formation of the mutants could be partially restored by the supplement of exogenous cAMP. Taken together, we conclude that the RasGEF MoCdc25 regulates vegetative growth, conidiation, appressorium formation and pathogenicity via MAPK and cAMP response pathways in M. oryzae.

Mutant NPM1 maintains RASGRP3 protein stability via interaction with MID1 to promote acute myeloid leukemia cell proliferation and autophagy.

Acute myeloid leukemia is a heterogeneous hematologic malignancy with high mortality in the world. NPM1 gene mutations are a frequent occurrence in acute myeloid leukemia, leading to abnormal autophagy, while the mechanism of NPM1 mutation-driven acute myeloid leukemia pathogenesis remains to be fully elucidated. GEO microarrays were used to screen for dysregulated autophagy-related genes in NPM1-mutant acute myeloid leukemia and analysis of RASGRP3 expression and prognosis. Next, we explored the potential molecular mechanisms relationship between RASGRP3 and NPM1 through utilizing immunoprecipitation, Western blot, and cycloheximide assay. Further, CCK8, EdU staining, immunofluorescence, and Western blot were performed to explore the effect of RASGRP3 on cell proliferation and apoptosis in NPM1-mutated acute myeloid leukemia. Finally, Western blot was used to study the mechanism of action of RASGRP3. RASGRP3 expression was upregulated in NPM1-mutated acute myeloid leukemia. Mislocalized NPM1-mA in the cytoplasm could bind to E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase MID1 to block degradation of the RASGRP3 protein. RASGRP3 could also activate the EGFR-STAT3 axis to promote proliferation and autophagy in acute myeloid leukemia. In conclusion, our results identified RASGRP3 as a proto-oncogene in NPM1-mutated acute myeloid leukemia. The RASGRP3-EGFR/STAT3 axis may be a promising therapeutic target for this unique leukemic subtype.

Ras guanine nucleotide-releasing protein-4 promotes renal inflammatory injury in type 2 diabetes mellitus.

INTRODUCTION: Ras guanine nucleotide-releasing protein-4 (RasGRP4) is an activator of Ras protein, which plays significant roles in both the inflammatory response and immune activation. This study determined the role of RasGRP4 in diabetic kidney disease (DKD) progression. METHODS: CRISPR/Cas9 technology was used to establish RasGRP4 knockout (KO) mice. Diabetes was induced by a high-fat diet combined with five consecutive daily intraperitoneal injections of streptozotocin (60 mg/kg) in C57BL/6J wild-type (WT) mice and RasGRP4 KO mice. Hematoxylin and eosin, periodic acid-Schiff, and Masson's trichrome staining were used to observe the histology of pathological injury. Immunohistochemical staining was used to analyze inflammatory cell infiltration. Quantitative PCR and Western blotting were used to detect the expression of inflammatory mediators and the activation of signaling pathways in renal tissues. In vitro cell co-culture experiments were performed to explore the interactions between peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and glomerular endothelial cells (GEnCs). RESULTS: RasGRP4 KO mice developed less severe diabetic kidney injury compared to WT mice, exhibiting lower proteinuria, reduced CD3+ T lymphocyte and F4/80+ macrophage infiltration, less inflammatory mediator expression including interleukin 6, tumor necrosis alpha, intercellular adhesion molecule-1, and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, and lower expression levels of critical signal transduction molecules in the NLR family pyrin domain-containing 3 inflammasome and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathways in the diabetic kidney. In vitro experiments showed that the adhesion function of PBMCs of RasGRP4 KO mice was reduced compared to that of WT mice. Moreover, the expression of adhesion molecules and critical signal transduction molecules in the NLRP3 inflammasome and MAPK/NF-κB signaling pathways in GEnCs was stimulated by the supernatant of PBMCs, which were derived from RasGRP4 KO mice treated with high glucose and were also significantly reduced compared to those derived from WT mice. CONCLUSION: RasGRP4 promotes the inflammatory injury mediated by PBMCs in diabetes, probably by regulating the interaction between PBMCs and GEnCs and further activating the NLRP3 inflammasome and MAPK/NF-κB signaling pathways.

Regulation of Leukaemia Associated Rho GEF (LARG/ARHGEF12).

The Ras homologous (Rho) protein family of GTPases (RhoA, RhoB and RhoC) are the members of the Ras superfamily and regulate cellular processes such as cell migration, proliferation, polarization, adhesion, gene transcription and cytoskeletal structure. Rho GTPases function as molecular switches that cycle between GTP-bound (active state) and GDP-bound (inactive state) forms. Leukaemia-associated RhoGEF (LARG) is a guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) that activates RhoA subfamily GTPases by promoting the exchange of GDP for GTP. LARG is selective for RhoA subfamily GTPases and is an essential regulator of cell migration and invasion. Here, we describe the mechanisms by which LARG is regulated to facilitate the understanding of how LARG mediates functions like cell motility and to provide insight for better therapeutic targeting of these functions.

RASGRF2 gene fusions identified in a variety of melanocytic lesions with distinct morphological features.

The WHO classification identifies nine classes of melanocytic proliferations according to location, UV exposure, histological, and genetic features. Only a minority of lesions remain unclassified. We describe five cases that harbored either an ERBIN-RASGRF2 or an ATP2B4-RASGRF2 in-frame fusion transcript. These lesions were collected from different studies, unified only by the lack of identifiable known mutations, with a highly variable phenotype. One case was a large abdominal congenital nevus, three were slowly growing pigmented nodules, and the last was an ulcerated nodule arising on the site of a preexisting small nevus, known since childhood. The latter was diagnosed as a 4 mm thick melanoma with loss of BAP1 expression. The four other cases were compound, melanocytic proliferations with an unusual deep pattern of small dense nests of bland melanocytes encased in a fibrous background. The RASGRF2 fusion was confirmed by a break-apart FISH technique. Array CGH performed in three cases found non-recurrent secondary copy number alterations. Follow-up was uneventful. In silico analysis identified a single RASGRF2 fusion in the TCGA pan-cancer database, whereas RASGRF2 variants were stochastically distributed in all cancer subtypes.

Ras GEF Mouse Models for the Analysis of Ras Biology and Signaling.

Animal models have become in recent years a crucial tool to understand the physiological and pathological roles of many cellular proteins. They allow analysis of the functional consequences of [1] complete or partial (time- or organ-limited) removal of specific proteins (knockout animals), [2] the exchange of a wild-type allele for a mutant or truncated version found in human illnesses (knock-in), or [3] the effect of overexpression of a given protein in the whole body or in specific organs (transgenic mice). In this regard, the study of phenotypes in Ras GEF animal models has allowed researchers to find specific functions for otherwise very similar proteins, uncovering their role in physiological contexts such as memory formation, lymphopoiesis, photoreception, or body homeostasis. In addition, mouse models have been used to unveil the functional role of Ras GEFs under pathological conditions, including Noonan syndrome, skin tumorigenesis, inflammatory diseases, diabetes, or ischemia among others. In the following sections, we will describe the methodological approaches employed for Ras GEF animal model analyses, as well as the main discoveries made.

High expression of Ras-specific guanine nucleotide-releasing factor 2 (RasGRF2) in lung adenocarcinoma is associated with tumor invasion and poor prognosis.

The expression of Ras-specific guanine nucleotide-releasing factor 2 (RasGRF2) in lung adenocarcinomas was examined using immunohistochemistry in relation to clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis. In comparison to low expression, high expression of RasGRF2 was more closely associated with poor prognosis. Interestingly, expression of phosphorylated epithelial cell transforming 2 (pECT2), which - like RasGRF2 - is also a guanine-nucleotide exchange factor, was also associated with prognosis, and patients with high expression of both RasGRF2 and pECT2 had a much poorer outcome than those who were negative for both.

Toll-like Receptor (TLR)-induced Rasgef1b expression in macrophages is regulated by NF-κB through its proximal promoter.

Ras Guanine Exchange Factor (RasGEF) domain family member 1b is encoded by a Toll-like receptor (TLR)-inducible gene expressed in macrophages, but transcriptional mechanisms that govern its expression are still unknown. Here, we have functionally characterized the 5' flanking Rasgef1b sequence and analyzed its transcriptional activation. We have identified that the inflammation-responsive promoter is contained within a short sequence (-183 to +119) surrounding the transcriptional start site. The promoter sequence is evolutionarily conserved and harbors a cluster of five NF-κB binding sites. Luciferase reporter gene assay showed that the promoter is responsive to TLR activation and RelA or cRel, but not RelB, transcription factors. Besides, site-directed mutagenesis showed that the κB binding sites are required for maximal promoter activation induced by LPS. Analysis by Assay for Transposase-Accessible Chromatin using sequencing (ATAC-seq) revealed that the promoter is located in an accessible chromatin region. More important, Chromatin Immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq) showed that RelA is recruited to the promoter region upon LPS stimulation of bone marrow-derived macrophages. Finally, studies with Rela-deficient macrophages or pharmacological inhibition by Bay11-7082 showed that NF-κB is required for optimal Rasgef1b expression induced by TLR agonists. Our data provide evidence of the regulatory mechanism mediated by NF-κB that facilitates Rasgef1b expression after TLR activation in macrophages.

A nonsense variant in Rap Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factor 5 (RAPGEF5) is associated with equine familial isolated hypoparathyroidism in Thoroughbred foals.

Idiopathic hypocalcemia in Thoroughbred (TB) foals causes tetany and seizures and is invariably fatal. Based upon the similarity of this disease with human familial hypoparathyroidism and occurrence only in the TB breed, we conducted a genetic investigation on two affected TB foals. Familial hypoparathyroidism was identified, and pedigree analysis suggested an autosomal recessive (AR) mode of inheritance. We performed whole-genome sequencing of the two foals, their unaffected dams and four unaffected, unrelated TB horses. Both homozygosity mapping and an association analysis were used to prioritize potential genetic variants. Of the 2,808 variants that significantly associated with the phenotype using an AR mode of inheritance (P<0.02) and located within a region of homozygosity, 1,507 (54%) were located in a 9.7 Mb region on chr4 (44.9-54.6 Mb). Within this region, a nonsense variant (RAPGEF5 c.2624C>A,p.Ser875*) was significantly associated with the hypoparathyroid phenotype (Pallelic = 0.008). Affected foals were homozygous for the variant, with two additional affected foals subsequently confirmed in 2019. Necropsies of all affected foals failed to identify any histologically normal parathyroid glands. Because the nonsense mutation in RAPGEF5 was near the C-terminal end of the protein, the impact on protein function was unclear. Therefore, we tested the variant in our Xenopus overexpression model and demonstrated RAPGEF5 loss-of-function. This RAPGEF5 variant represents the first genetic variant for hypoparathyroidism identified in any domestic animal species.

The RasGEF FgCdc25 regulates fungal development and virulence in Fusarium graminearum via cAMP and MAPK signalling pathways.

Ras GTPases act as molecular switches to control various cellular processes by coupling integrated signals in eukaryotes. Activities of Ras GTPases are triggered by Ras GTPase guanine nucleotide exchange factors (RasGEFs) in general, whereas the role of RasGEF in plant pathogenic fungi is largely unknown. In this study, we characterized the only RasGEF protein in Fusarium graminearum, FgCdc25, by combining genetic, cytological and phenotypic strategies. FgCdc25 directly interacted with RasGTPase FgRas2, but not FgRas1, to regulate growth and sexual reproduction. Mutation of the FgCDC25 gene resulted in decreased toxisome formation and deoxynivalenol (DON) production, which was largely depended on cAMP signalling. In addition, FgCdc25 indirectly interacted with FgSte11 in FgSte11-Ste7-Gpmk1 cascade, and the ΔFgcdc25 strain totally abolished the formation of infection structures and was nonpathogenic in planta, which was partially recovered by addition of exogenous cAMP. In contrast, FgCdc25 directly interplayed with FgBck1 in FgBck1-MKK1-Mgv1 cascade to negatively control cell wall integrity. Collectively, these results suggest that FgCdc25 modulates cAMP and MAPK signalling pathways and further regulates fungal development, DON production and plant infection in F. graminearum.

Reciprocal expression of Annexin A6 and RasGRF2 discriminates rapidly growing from invasive triple negative breast cancer subsets.

Actively growing tumors are often histologically associated with Ki67 positivity, while the detection of invasiveness relies on non-quantitative pathologic evaluation of mostly advanced tumors. We recently reported that reduced expression of the Ca2+-dependent membrane-binding annexin A6 (AnxA6) is associated with increased expression of the Ca2+ activated RasGRF2 (GRF2), and that the expression status of these proteins inversely influence the growth and motility of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells. Here, we establish that the reciprocal expression of AnxA6 and GRF2 is at least in part, dependent on inhibition of non-selective Ca2+ channels in AnxA6-low but not AnxA6-high TNBC cells. Immunohistochemical staining of breast cancer tissues revealed that compared to non-TNBC tumors, TNBC tumors express lower levels of AnxA6 and higher Ki67 expression. GRF2 expression levels strongly correlated with high Ki67 in pretreatment biopsies from patients with residual disease and with residual tumor size following chemotherapy. Elevated AnxA6 expression more reliably identified patients who responded to chemotherapy, while low AnxA6 levels were significantly associated with shorter distant relapse-free survival. Finally, the reciprocal expression of AnxA6 and GRF2 can delineate GRF2-low/AnxA6-high invasive from GRF2-high/AnxA6-low rapidly growing TNBCs. These data suggest that AnxA6 may be a reliable biomarker for distant relapse-free survival and response of TNBC patients to chemotherapy, and that the reciprocal expression of AnxA6 and GRF2 can reliably delineate TNBCs into rapidly growing and invasive subsets which may be more relevant for subset-specific therapeutic interventions.

The critical role of RasGRP4 in the growth of diffuse large B cell lymphoma.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to confirm that blocking RasGRP4 can effectively slow down the growth of DLBCL both in vitro and in vivo and ascertain the role of RasGRP4 in the prognosis of DLBCL clinically. METHODS: RasGRP4 expression levels were examined in benign tissues and lymphomas. In order to verify somatic mutation in RasGRP4 gene, cDNA sequencing was performed in DLBCL patients. RasGRP4-dependent cell proliferation, mitochondrial membrane potential, oxidative stress levels and signaling pathway changes were measured by knockdown of RasGRP4. Tumor growth was monitored in xenografted lymphoma model. Clinical data were collected to confirm the role of RasGRP4 in DLBCL. RESULTS: RasGRP4 expression was significantly elevated in DLBCL while no somatic mutations were detected of this gene in DLBCL patients. Decreased RasGRP4 significantly inhibited cell proliferation by simultaneously reducing mitosis and promoting apoptosis and increased the oxidative stress levels. Mechanistically, reduced expression of RasGRP4 decreased ERK while increased JNK expression in SUDHL-4 cells. Knockdown of RasGRP4 also significantly inhibited tumor formation in vivo. Furthermore, RasGRP4 expression levels were significantly higher in patients with larger DLBCL lesions (P = 0.0004), high-risk international prognostic index score groups (P = 0.0042), and its expression was positively correlated with maximum standardized uptake value in DLBCL (P = 0.0004). CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate the oncogenic role of RasGRP4 in DLBCL, suggesting it as a prognostic biomarker and potential therapeutic target in DLBCL.

Structural basis of the atypical activation mechanism of KRASV14I.

RAS regulation and signaling are largely accomplished by direct protein-protein interactions, making RAS protein dynamics a critical determinant of RAS function. Here, we report a crystal structure of GDP-bound KRASV14I, a mutated KRAS variant associated with the developmental RASopathy disorder Noonan syndrome (NS), at 1.5-1.6 Å resolution. The structure is notable for revealing a marked extension of switch 1 away from the G-domain and nucleotide-binding site of the KRAS protein. We found that this extension is associated with a loss of the magnesium ion and a tilt in the position of the guanine base because of the additional carbon introduced by the isoleucine substitution. Hydrogen-deuterium exchange MS analysis confirmed that this conformation occurs in solution, but also disclosed a difference in kinetics when compared with KRASA146T, another RAS mutant that displays a nearly identical conformation in previously reported crystal structures. This conformational change contributed to a high rate of guanine nucleotide-exchange factor (GEF)-dependent and -independent nucleotide exchange and to an increase in affinity for SOS Ras/Rac GEF 1 (SOS1), which appears to be the major mode of activation for this RAS variant. These results highlight a mechanistic connection between KRASA146T and KRASV14I that may have implications for the regulation of these variants and for the development of therapeutic strategies to manage KRAS variant-associated disorders.

Expression of the guanine nucleotide exchange factor, RAPGEF5, during mouse and human embryogenesis.

Rap GTPases mediate fundamental cellular processes, including cell adhesion, migration and intracellular signal transduction. The subcellular activity of these GTPases is regulated by dedicated activators (guanine nucleotide exchange factors, GEFs) and deactivators (GTPase-activating proteins, GAPs). RAPGEF5 is a potent activator of Rap proteins and mutations in RAPGEF5 have been linked to both neurological disorders and congenital heart disease. In the frog model, Xenopus tropicalis, Rapgef5 is a critical regulator of the canonical Wnt signalling pathway and is required for normal gastrulation and correct establishment of the left-right body axis. However, requirements for RAPGEF5 in other developmental contexts, and in mammalian embryogenesis in particular, remain undefined. Here, we describe RAPGEF5 mRNA expression patterns during mouse (E9.5 - E16.5) and human (Carnegie stage 21) development, as an initial step towards better understanding its developmental functions.

CRACR2a is a calcium-activated dynein adaptor protein that regulates endocytic traffic.

Cytoplasmic dynein is a minus end-directed microtubule motor that transports intracellular cargoes. Transport is initiated by coiled-coil adaptors that (a) join dynein and its cofactor dynactin into a motile complex and (b) interact with a cargo-bound receptor, which is frequently a Rab GTPase on an organelle. Here, we report two novel dynein adaptors, CRACR2a and Rab45, that have a coiled-coil adaptor domain, a pair of EF-hands, and a Rab GTPase fused into a single polypeptide. CRACR2a-mediated, but not Rab45-mediated, dynein motility is activated by calcium in vitro. In Jurkat T cells, elevation of intracellular calcium activates CRACR2a-mediated dynein transport. We further found that T cell receptor activation induces the formation of CRACR2a puncta at the plasma membrane, which initially associate with the actin cortex and subsequently detach and travel along microtubules, suggestive of an endocytic process. These results provide the first examples of Rab GTPases that directly act as dynein adaptors and implicate CRACR2a-dynein in calcium-regulated endocytic trafficking.

Role of RASEF hypermethylation in cigarette smoke-induced pulmonary arterial smooth muscle remodeling.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a progressive and fatal disease. While cigarette smoke can change DNA methylation status, the role of such molecular alterations in smoke-associated PH is unclear. METHODS: A PH rat model was developed by exposing animals to cigarette smoke for 3 months. Right ventricular systolic pressure was measured with a right heart catheter. Histological changes (right ventricular hypertrophy index, medial wall thickness in pulmonary arteries (PAs)) and DNMT1 protein levels in rat PAs or primary human PA smooth muscle cells (HPASMCs) exposed to cigarette smoke extract were assessed. Methylation sequencing and MassArray® were used to detect genomic and RASEF promoter methylation status, respectively. After DNMT1 knockdown and cigarette smoke extract exposure, HPASMCs behavior (proliferation, migration) and RASEF methylation status were examined; RASEF mRNA expression was evaluated by real-time-polymerase chain reaction. RASEF overexpression viral vectors were used to assess the impact of RASEF on rat PH and HPASMCs remodeling. RESULTS: Higher right ventricular systolic pressure, medial wall thickness, and right ventricular hypertrophy index values were observed in the smoking group rats. Smoke exposure increased DNMT1 expression and RASEF methylation levels in rat PAs and HPASMCs. Cigarette smoke extract induced HPASMCs behavioral changes and RASEF hypermethylation followed by silencing, while DNMT1 knockdown markedly inhibited these changes. RASEF overexpression distinctly inhibited PH and HPASMCs remodeling, possibly through phospho-AKT (Ser473), PCNA, and MMP9 downregulation. CONCLUSIONS: Cigarette smoke caused PA remodeling in PH rats related to RASEF hypermethylation. These results expand our understanding of key epigenetic mechanisms in cigarette smoke-associated PH and potentially provide a novel therapeutic target for PH.

Frontline Science: TNF-α and GM-CSF1 priming augments the role of SOS1/2 in driving activation of Ras, PI3K-γ, and neutrophil proinflammatory responses.

Circulating neutrophils are, by necessity, quiescent and relatively unresponsive to acute stimuli. In regions of inflammation, mediators can prime neutrophils to react to acute stimuli with stronger proinflammatory, pathogen-killing responses. In neutrophils G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR)-driven proinflammatory responses, such as reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation and accumulation of the key intracellular messenger phosphatidylinositol (3,4,5)-trisphosphate (PIP3 ), are highly dependent on PI3K-γ, a Ras-GTP, and Gßγ coincidence detector. In unprimed cells, the major GPCR-triggered activator of Ras is the Ras guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF), Ras guanine nucleotide releasing protein 4 (RasGRP4). Although priming is known to increase GPCR-PIP3 signaling, the mechanisms underlying this augmentation remain unclear. We used genetically modified mice to address the role of the 2 RasGEFs, RasGRP4 and son of sevenless (SOS)1/2, in neutrophil priming. We found that following GM-CSF/TNFα priming, RasGRP4 had only a minor role in the enhanced responses. In contrast, SOS1/2 acquired a substantial role in ROS formation, PIP3 accumulation, and ERK activation in primed cells. These results suggest that SOS1/2 signaling plays a key role in determining the responsiveness of neutrophils in regions of inflammation.

SH3-class Ras guanine nucleotide exchange factors are essential for Aspergillus fumigatus invasive growth.

Proper hyphal morphogenesis is essential for the establishment and progression of invasive disease caused by filamentous fungi. In the human pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus, signalling cascades driven by Ras and Ras-like proteins orchestrate a wide variety of cellular processes required for hyphal growth. For activation, these proteins require interactions with Ras-subfamily-specific guanine nucleotide exchange factors (RasGEFs). Although Ras-protein networks are essential for virulence in all pathogenic fungi, the importance of RasGEF proteins is largely unexplored. A. fumigatus encodes four putative RasGEFs that represent three separate classes of RasGEF proteins (SH3-, Ras guanyl nucleotide-releasing protein [RasGRP]-, and LTE-class), each with fungus-specific attributes. Here, we show that the SH3-class and RasGRP-class RasGEFs are required for properly timed polarity establishment during early growth and branch emergence as well as for cell wall stability. Further, we show that SH3-class RasGEF activity is essential for polarity establishment and maintenance, a phenotype that is, at least, partially independent of the major A. fumigatus Ras proteins, RasA and RasB. Finally, loss of both SH3-class RasGEFs resulted in avirulence in multiple models of invasive aspergillosis. Together, our findings suggest that RasGEF activity is essential for the integration of multiple signalling networks to drive invasive growth in A. fumigatus.

RasGRF2 promotes migration and invasion of colorectal cancer cells by modulating expression of MMP9 through Src/Akt/NF-κB pathway.

Ras-specific guanine nucleotide-releasing factor 2 (RasGRF2) is a member of the guanine nucleotide exchange factors family which is expressed in a variety of tissues and cancer. However, the role of RasGRF2 in cancer is less reported, especially in colorectal cancer(CRC). Hence, the present study aimed to investigated the function of RasGRF2 and ways in which it affects tumor progression in CRC samples and cell lines. We first measured RasGRF2 mRNA level in 26 paired tumor and nontumor colon tissues after colon cancer surgical resection, and determined RasGRF2 protein level in 97 paired paraffin-embedded colon cancer tissues, and found that levels of RasGRF2 mRNA and protein were increased in colorectal tumor tissues, compared with adjacent non-tumor tissues. We then examined the effects of RasGRF2 knockdown on proliferation, migration and invasion were analyzed in CRC cells (SW480, HCT116 and LS174T). HCT116 cells with RasGRF2 knockdown were injected into the tail vein in nude mice to yield metastatic model, and tumor metastasis was measured as well. We found that knockdown of RasGRF2 in CRC cells reduced their migration and invasion in vitro and metastasis in mice. Furthermore, we explored the underlying molecular mechanism for RasGRF2-mediated CRC migration and invasion. The results showed that knockdown of RasGRF2 in CRC cells impairing the expression of MMP9 and inhibiting the activation of Src/Akt and NF-κB signaling. We conclude that RasGRF2 plays a role in controlling migration and invasion of CRC and modulates the expression of MMP9 through Src/PI 3-kinase and the NF-κB pathways.

RET rearrangements are actionable alterations in breast cancer.

Fusions involving the oncogenic gene RET have been observed in thyroid and lung cancers. Here we report RET gene alterations, including amplification, missense mutations, known fusions, novel fusions, and rearrangements in breast cancer. Their frequency, oncogenic potential, and actionability in breast cancer are described. Two out of eight RET fusions (NCOA4-RET and a novel RASGEF1A-RET fusion) and RET amplification were functionally characterized and shown to activate RET kinase and drive signaling through MAPK and PI3K pathways. These fusions and RET amplification can induce transformation of non-tumorigenic cells, support xenograft tumor formation, and render sensitivity to RET inhibition. An index case of metastatic breast cancer progressing on HER2-targeted therapy was found to have the NCOA4-RET fusion. Subsequent treatment with the RET inhibitor cabozantinib led to a rapid clinical and radiographic response. RET alterations, identified by genomic profiling, are promising therapeutic targets and are present in a subset of breast cancers.