Atypical KRASG12R Mutant Is Impaired in PI3K Signaling and Macropinocytosis in Pancreatic Cancer.

Publication Type:

Journal Article

Source:

Cancer Discov (2019)

Abstract:

<p>Allele-specific signaling by different KRAS alleles remains poorly understood. The KRASG12R mutation displays uneven prevalence among cancers that harbor the highest occurrence of KRAS mutations: it is rare in lung and colorectal cancers (~1%), yet relatively common (~20%) in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), suggesting context-specific properties. We evaluated whether KRASG12R is functionally distinct from the more common KRASG12D or KRASG12V mutant proteins (KRASG12D/V). We found that KRASG12D/V but not KRASG12R drives macropinocytosis and that MYC is essential for macropinocytosis in KRASG12D/V but not KRASG12R-mutant PDAC. Surprisingly, we found that KRASG12R is defective for interaction with a key effector, p110a phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3Ka, due to structural perturbations in switch II. Instead, upregulated KRAS-independent PI3Kg activity was able to support macropinocytosis in KRASG12R-mutant PDAC. Finally, we determined that KRASG12R-mutant PDAC displayed a distinct drug sensitivity profile compared with KRASG12D-mutant PDAC but is still responsive to the combined inhibition of ERK and autophagy.</p>

PDB: 
6CU6
Detector: 
EIGER
Beamline: 
24-ID-E