The goals of this proposal are to examine the events and genetic defects that underlie melanoma formation. Melanoma is the most aggressive and lethal form of skin cancer. Most benign nevi and melanomas have mutations activating the BRAF serine/threonine kinase, suggesting that BRAF activation is an important but insufficient step in tumorigenesis. p53 pathway alterations are also implicated in melanoma formation. While many functions have been ascribed to BRAF and p53, little is known about which if any of these functions is important in transforming normal melanocytes into melanoma cells. Furthermore, additional genetic defects that contribute this process have yet to be defined. Zebrafish strains that express human oncogenic BRAF and are mutant for p53 have been created. These strains reliably develop melanomas that are histopathologically similar to those in humans. Preliminary results indicate that binucleate, polyploid melanocytes in these mutants may give rise to tumors.
In Aim 1, the events of melanoma formation will be examined. Transgenic approaches in zebrafish and long-term imaging of mammalian cells in culture will be used to determine the mechanism by which BRAF causes binuclearity. Cell sorting coupled with transplantation will be employed to determine whether binucleate cells can give rise to melanomas.
In Aim 2, genetic defects that contribute to melanoma formation will be identified and characterized. In preliminary studies, the Kit receptor tyrosine kinase was identified as a suppressor of melanoma onset and invasion. Activities of Kit required for its melanoma suppression will be assessed. To identify additional melanoma genetic defects, array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) will be used to characterize recurrent chromosomal gains and losses in these tumors. aCGH data from human and zebrafish melanomas will be used to identify candidate oncogenes that will be tested in a novel, high-throughput assay for contribution to melanoma formation. These studies may identify diagnostic and prognostic indicators of disease as well as therapeutic targets for cancer treatment.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)
Type
Research Transition Award (R00)
Project #
4R00AR056899-02
Application #
8044356
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (NSS)
Program Officer
Baker, Carl
Project Start
2010-08-01
Project End
2013-06-30
Budget Start
2010-08-01
Budget End
2011-06-30
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
2010
Total Cost
$248,811
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Massachusetts Medical School Worcester
Department
Other Basic Sciences
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
603847393
City
Worcester
State
MA
Country
United States
Zip Code
01655
Neiswender, James V; Kortum, Robert L; Bourque, Caitlin et al. (2017) KIT Suppresses BRAFV600E-Mutant Melanoma by Attenuating Oncogenic RAS/MAPK Signaling. Cancer Res 77:5820-5830
Painter, Corrie A; Ceol, Craig J (2014) Zebrafish as a platform to study tumor progression. Methods Mol Biol 1176:143-55
Iyengar, Sharanya; Houvras, Yariv; Ceol, Craig J (2012) Screening for melanoma modifiers using a zebrafish autochthonous tumor model. J Vis Exp :e50086
Ceol, Craig J; Houvras, Yariv; Jane-Valbuena, Judit et al. (2011) The histone methyltransferase SETDB1 is recurrently amplified in melanoma and accelerates its onset. Nature 471:513-7