Targeting PKC: A Novel Role for beta-catenin in ER stress and Apoptotic Signaling

Targeting protein kinase C (PKC) isoforms by the small molecule inhibitor enzastaurin has shown promising pre-clinical activity in a wide range of tumor cells. In this study, we further delineated its mechanism of action in multiple myeloma (MM) cells and found a novel role of b-catenin in regulating growth and survival of tumor cells. Specifically, inhibition of PKC leads to rapid accumulation of b-catenin by preventing the phosphorylation required for its proteasomal degradation. Microarray analysis and siRNA-mediated gene silencing in MM cells revealed that accumulated b-catenin activates early ER stress signaling via eIF2a, CHOP and p21, leading to immediate growth inhibition. Furthermore, accumulated b-catenin contributes to enzastaurin-induced cell death. Both sequential knock-down of b-catenin, c-Jun, and p73, as well as overexpression of b-catenin or p73 confirmed that accumulated b-catenin triggers c-Jun-dependent induction of p73, thereby conferring MM cell apoptosis. In summary, our data reveal a novel role of b-catenin in ER stress-mediated growth inhibition, and a new pro-apoptotic mechanism triggered by b-catenin upon inhibition of PKC isoforms. Moreover, we identify p73 as a potential novel therapeutic target in MM. Based on these and previous data, enzastaurin is currently under clinical investigation in a variety of hematologic malignancies including MM.

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Raab MS, Breitkreutz I, Tonon G, Zhang J, Hayden PJ, Nguyen T, Fruehauf JH, Lin BK, Chauhan D, Hideshima T, Munshi NC, Anderson KC, Podar K