Abstract LB051: Protein kinase C beta 1 (PKCβ1) is allosterically inhibited and paradoxically translocated to the membrane by z-endoxifen
Authors: Bhattacharya Sayantani Sarkar , Huynh Huy V. , Farmakes Jasmin K. , Witter Taylor L. , Bruinsma Elizabeth S. , Jayaraman Swaathi , Cong Anh T. , Hawse John R. , Goetz Matthew P. , Schellenberg Matthew J. 
Published: April 2024

The protein kinase C (PKC) family of enzymes are indispensable serine-threonine kinases involved in signal pathways implicated in many different cellular processes. Dysregulation of PKC isoforms may contribute to the development and progression of breast cancer. Z-Endoxifen (Z-ENDX), the active metabolite of tamoxifen (TAM) and a selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) exhibited potent antitumor activity in endocrine-resistant hormone receptor-positive breast and other gynecologic cancers. Mechanistically, we discovered that ENDX inhibits PKCβI and downstream AKT signaling. Based on insights from our recently determined crystal structure of PKCβI, we investigated the effects of ENDX on PKCβI in estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer. In vitro FRET-based biochemical assays revealed that ENDX inhibits the kinase activity of conventional (PKCβI) as well as a novel (PKC;) PKC isoform with a similar IC50. However, the PKCβI catalytic domain was found to be less sensitive to ENDX compared to full-length PKCβI. We identified a multi-domain mechanism of PKC inhibition through an allosteric inhibitory model using X-ray crystallography. Since the spatial assembly of PKC is crucial for its kinase activity, we assessed the effects of ENDX on the intracellular localization of PKCβI using live cell confocal imaging. Sub-cellular tracking of YFP-tagged PKCβI in ER+ MCF7 cells paradoxically revealed that ENDX promoted the translocation of PKCβI to the plasma membrane in both a dose and time-dependent manner. Furthermore, co-treatment with inhibitors of PHLPP phosphatases, which regulate PKC, alleviated this translocation. Based on our prior data demonstrating greater antitumor activity of the Z vs E isomer of ENDX, we discovered that Z-ENDX inhibits PKCβI kinase activity more effectively than its E-isomer using in vitro kinase assays. Further, E-ENDX failed to promote PKCβI translocation to the membrane.Taken together, these results suggest that allosteric effects of Z-ENDX trigger PKCβI recruitment to the plasma membrane where it is normally active yet suppresses its kinase activity. These findings indicate that Z-ENDX induces a non-productive structure of the enzyme and "breaks" the well-known mechanism of PKC activation upon binding to the cell membrane. Moreover, Z-ENDX likely triggers PHLPP-mediated PKCβI dephosphorylation, and ultimately PKCβI degradation, suggesting that Z-ENDX represents a new mechanistic basis for targeting and downregulating PKCβI, and potentially other PKC family members, in cancer cells. This newly discovered function of Z-ENDX likely contributes to its superior anti-cancer effects when compared to TAM and other endocrine therapies.

Citation Format: Sayantani Sarkar Bhattacharya, Huy V. Huynh, Jasmin K. Farmakes, Taylor L. Witter, Elizabeth S. Bruinsma, Swaathi Jayaraman, Anh T. Cong, John R. Hawse, Matthew P. Goetz, Matthew J. Schellenberg. Protein kinase C beta 1 (PKCβ1) is allosterically inhibited and paradoxically translocated to the membrane by z-endoxifen [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 2 (Late-Breaking, Clinical Trial, and Invited Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(7_Suppl):Abstract nr LB051.