Spt5 interacts genetically with Myc and is limiting for brain tumor growth in Drosophila

• Published in: Life science alliance Vol. 7; no. 1; p. e202302130
• Main Authors: Hofstetter, Julia, Ogunleye, Ayoola, Kutschke, André, Buchholz, Lisa Marie, Wolf, Elmar, Raabe, Thomas, Gallant, Peter
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Life Science Alliance LLC 2024
• Subjects: Animals; Brain - metabolism; Brain Neoplasms - genetics; Drosophila - genetics; Drosophila - metabolism; Humans; Nuclear Proteins - genetics; Nuclear Proteins - metabolism; Transcriptional Elongation Factors - metabolism
• ISSN: 2575-1077; 2575-1077
• DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202302130

The transcription factor SPT5 physically interacts with MYC oncoproteins and is essential for efficient transcriptional activation of MYC targets in cultured cells. Here, we use to address the relevance of this interaction in a living organism. Spt5 displays moderate synergy with Myc in fast proliferating young imaginal disc cells. During later development, Spt5-knockdown has no detectable consequences on its own, but strongly enhances eye defects caused by Myc overexpression. Similarly, Spt5-knockdown in larval type 2 neuroblasts has only mild effects on brain development and survival of control flies, but dramatically shrinks the volumes of experimentally induced neuroblast tumors and significantly extends the lifespan of tumor-bearing animals. This beneficial effect is still observed when Spt5 is knocked down systemically and after tumor initiation, highlighting SPT5 as a potential drug target in human oncology.