The long-term objectives of this application are to understand the normal function of the Thod gene and to assess its potential suitability as a molecular target for cancer therapy and prognosis. Thod encodes a protein (pThocI) that has recently been identified as a component of the evolutionarily conserved TREX complex. TREX is required for the efficient transcriptional elongation of a subset of genes, and it physically couples elongation to the processes of RNA processing and nuclear export. The yeast orthologue of Thod is not essential for viability, but loss of this gene causes reduced cellular lifespan, reduced growth rate, and increased sensitivity to DNA damage. Similarly, human cancer cells depleted of pThod exhibit reduced growth, viability, and resistance to genotoxic chemotherapeutics. In contrast, normal differentiated cells are relatively unaffected by loss of pThod. The physiological requirements for Thod in normal development and cancer have yet to be assessed in vivo in a multicellular organism. We hypothesize that cancer cells are uniquely dependent on Thod expression for growth and viability, particularly in the presence of DNA damage. The general experimental approach proposed for testing the hypothesis is to measure the effects of pThod loss on normal development and malignant transformation using genetically engineered Thod alleles and autochthonous mouse models of breast cancer.
Four specific aims are proposed: 1) Test whether pThod depletion inhibits malignant transformation in vitro. 2) Determine if pThod depletion affects normal mammary gland development. 3) Ascertain whether pThod depletion inhibits breast carcinogenesis in vivo. 4) Assess whether pThod levels influence the response of breast cancer to genotoxic therapy. Cancer cells accumulate genetic and epigenetic alterations that endow them with unwanted proliferative potential, but also burden them with unique vulnerabilities. Thus it is possible to identify genes that are required for. the viability of cancer cells, but not normal cells. Such synthetic lethal genetic interactions identify potential molecular targets for therapy that promise to yield greater specificity for cancer cells. Successful completion of the proposed study will provide proof of principle that Thod is such a molecular target. Since pThod is a component of the newly discovered TREX complex, it functions with a novel mechanism of action. Therapies and diagnostics based on targeting pThod are expected to yield novel clinical responses, opportunities for novel combination therapies, and prognostic information potentially independent of currently used criteria. The proposed research is highly relevant to human health because new molecularly targeted therapies with greater specificity for cancer cells are clearly needed. The experiments proposed will determine whether pThod is a promising target for the development of new therapies and prognostic tests.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01CA125665-02
Application #
7332285
Study Section
Cancer Molecular Pathobiology Study Section (CAMP)
Program Officer
Spalholz, Barbara A
Project Start
2007-01-01
Project End
2011-12-31
Budget Start
2008-01-01
Budget End
2008-12-31
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
2008
Total Cost
$357,658
Indirect Cost
Name
Roswell Park Cancer Institute Corp
Department
Type
DUNS #
824771034
City
Buffalo
State
NY
Country
United States
Zip Code
14263
Chinnam, Meenalakshmi; Wang, Xiaoling; Zhang, Xiaojing et al. (2016) Evaluating Effects of Hypomorphic Thoc1 Alleles on Embryonic Development in Rb1 Null Mice. Mol Cell Biol 36:1621-7
Song, Fei; Fan, Chuandong; Wang, Xinjiang et al. (2013) The Thoc1 encoded ribonucleoprotein is a substrate for the NEDD4-1 E3 ubiquitin protein ligase. PLoS One 8:e57995
Pitzonka, Laura; Wang, Xiaoling; Ullas, Sumana et al. (2013) The THO ribonucleoprotein complex is required for stem cell homeostasis in the adult mouse small intestine. Mol Cell Biol 33:3505-14
Xiao, Hai; Zhang, Xiaojing; Goodrich, David W (2010) Construction of a dual affinity tagged allele of the Rb1 tumor suppressor gene in the mouse. Genesis 48:121-6
Wang, Xiaoling; Chinnam, Meenalakshmi; Wang, Jianmin et al. (2009) Thoc1 deficiency compromises gene expression necessary for normal testis development in the mouse. Mol Cell Biol 29:2794-803
Yang, Jun; Li, Yanping; Khoury, Thaer et al. (2008) Relationships of hHpr1/p84/Thoc1 expression to clinicopathologic characteristics and prognosis in non-small cell lung cancer. Ann Clin Lab Sci 38:105-12
Li, Yanping; Lin, Athena W; Zhang, Xiaojing et al. (2007) Cancer cells and normal cells differ in their requirements for Thoc1. Cancer Res 67:6657-64
Wang, Xiaoling; Li, Yanping; Zhang, Xiaojing et al. (2007) An allelic series for studying the mouse Thoc1 gene. Genesis 45:32-7