FBXW7/hCDC4 is a general tumor suppressor in human cancer

• Published in: Cancer research (Chicago, Ill.) Vol. 67; no. 19; pp. 9006 - 9012
• Main Authors: AKHOONDI, Shahab, DAHUI SUN, MUELLER-HOLZNER, Elisabeth, CORCORAN, Martin, DAGNELL, Markus, SEPIDEH ZABIHI NEJAD, BABAK NOORI NAYER, MOHAMMAD REZA ZALI, HANSSON, Johan, EGYHAZI, Susanne, PETERSSON, Fredrik, SANGFELT, Per, VON DER LEHR, Natalie, NORDGREN, Hans, GRANDER, Dan, REED, Steven I, WIDSCHWENDTER, Martin, SANGFELT, Olle, SPRUCK, Charles, APOSTOLIDOU, Sophia, KLOTZ, Kathleen, MALJUKOVA, Alena, CEPEDA, Diana, FIEGL, Heidi, DOFOU, Dimitra, MARTH, Christian
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Philadelphia, PA American Association for Cancer Research 01.10.2007
• Subjects: 5-Methylcytosine - metabolism; Amination; Antineoplastic agents; Biological and medical sciences; Cell Cycle Proteins - genetics; Cell Cycle Proteins - metabolism; Cell Cycle Proteins/genetics/metabolism; Dinucleotide Repeats; DNA Methylation; F-Box Proteins - genetics; F-Box Proteins - metabolism; F-Box Proteins/genetics/metabolism; F-Box-WD Repeat-Containing Protein 7; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Gene Silencing; Genes, Tumor Suppressor; Humans; Medical sciences; MEDICIN; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; MEDICINE; Models, Molecular; Mutation; Neoplasms - genetics; Neoplasms - metabolism; Neoplasms/genetics/metabolism; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Protein Isoforms; Substrate Specificity; Tumors; Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases - genetics; Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases - metabolism; Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases/genetics/metabolism; Human; Malignant tumor; Tumor suppressor gene; Cancer; Models; Neoplastic; Molecular; Genes; Gene Expression Regulation; Tumor Suppressor
• ISSN: 0008-5472; 1538-7445; 1538-7445
• DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-07-1320

The ubiquitin-proteasome system is a major regulatory pathway of protein degradation and plays an important role in cellular division. Fbxw7 (or hCdc4), a member of the F-box family of proteins, which are substrate recognition components of the multisubunit ubiquitin ligase SCF (Skp1-Cdc53/Cullin-F-box-protein), has been shown to mediate the ubiquitin-dependent proteolysis of several oncoproteins including cyclin E1, c-Myc, c-Jun, and Notch. The oncogenic potential of Fbxw7 substrates, frequent allelic loss in human cancers, and demonstration that mutation of FBXW7 cooperates with p53 in mouse tumorigenesis have suggested that Fbxw7 could function as a tumor suppressor in human cancer. Here, we carry out an extensive genetic screen of primary tumors to evaluate the role of FBXW7 as a tumor suppressor in human tumorigenesis. Our results indicate that FBXW7 is inactivated by mutation in diverse human cancer types with an overall mutation frequency of approximately 6%. The highest mutation frequencies were found in tumors of the bile duct (cholangiocarcinomas, 35%), blood (T-cell acute lymphocytic leukemia, 31%), endometrium (9%), colon (9%), and stomach (6%). Approximately 43% of all mutations occur at two mutational "hotspots," which alter Arg residues (Arg465 and Arg479) that are critical for substrate recognition. Furthermore, we show that Fbxw7Arg465 hotspot mutant can abrogate wild-type Fbxw7 function through a dominant negative mechanism. Our study is the first comprehensive screen of FBXW7 mutations in various human malignancies and shows that FBXW7 is a general tumor suppressor in human cancer.