Novel EPHB4 Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Mutations and Kinomic Pathway Analysis in Lung Cancer

Sci Rep. 2015 Jun 15:5:10641. doi: 10.1038/srep10641.

Abstract

Lung cancer outcomes remain poor despite the identification of several potential therapeutic targets. The EPHB4 receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) has recently emerged as an oncogenic factor in many cancers, including lung cancer. Mutations of EPHB4 in lung cancers have previously been identified, though their significance remains unknown. Here, we report the identification of novel EPHB4 mutations that lead to putative structural alterations as well as increased cellular proliferation and motility. We also conducted a bioinformatic analysis of these mutations to demonstrate that they are mutually exclusive from other common RTK variants in lung cancer, that they correspond to analogous sites of other RTKs' variations in cancers, and that they are predicted to be oncogenic based on biochemical, evolutionary, and domain-function constraints. Finally, we show that EPHB4 mutations can induce broad changes in the kinome signature of lung cancer cells. Taken together, these data illuminate the role of EPHB4 in lung cancer and further identify EPHB4 as a potentially important therapeutic target.

MeSH terms

  • Adenocarcinoma / genetics*
  • Adenocarcinoma / metabolism
  • Adenocarcinoma / pathology
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / genetics*
  • Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / metabolism
  • Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / pathology
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Movement
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Computational Biology
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic*
  • Humans
  • Lung Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Lung Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Lung Neoplasms / pathology
  • Mesothelioma / genetics*
  • Mesothelioma / metabolism
  • Mesothelioma / pathology
  • Models, Molecular
  • Molecular Sequence Annotation
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Mutation*
  • Phosphorylation
  • Protein Structure, Tertiary
  • RNA, Small Interfering / genetics
  • RNA, Small Interfering / metabolism
  • Receptor, EphB4 / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Receptor, EphB4 / genetics*
  • Receptor, EphB4 / metabolism
  • Sequence Alignment
  • Signal Transduction
  • Small Cell Lung Carcinoma / genetics*
  • Small Cell Lung Carcinoma / metabolism
  • Small Cell Lung Carcinoma / pathology

Substances

  • RNA, Small Interfering
  • Receptor, EphB4