Abstract LB191: A genome-wide CRISPR-based functional screen uncovers the KLF4-Survivin/BIRC5 signaling pathways as a key regulator of cell fate following endoplasmic reticulum stress: Implications for tumor growth and therapeutic targeting
Authors: Leli Nektaria M. , Liu Hengxi , Dey Souvik , Brady Lauren , Salinas Carlo Salas , Wu Victoria , Tastsoglou Spiros , Skoufos Giorgos , Verginadis Ioannis , Karagounis Ilias , Hatzigeorgiou Artemis G. , Koumenis Constantinos 
Published: April 2024

The growth and spread of tumors involve intricate interactions with the surrounding tissue microenvironment. As a tumor develops, it faces various stresses from its microenvironment, including hypoxia, nutrient deficiency, and acidosis. In response to these challenges, cancer cells can hijack existing cytoprotective mechanisms, such as the Unfolded Protein Response (UPR). The UPR activates signaling pathways at the translational and later transcriptional levels to alleviate cellular stress and prevent cell death. However, under unresolved or chronic endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, the UPR may paradoxically promote cell death. The precise mechanisms through which the UPR influences cellular fate during ER stress remain poorly understood. To address this knowledge gap, we employed a functional CRISPR-based genetic knockout screen to identify novel regulators of the UPR. Using a lentiviral genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 knockout library, we identified over-represented sgRNAs (associated with pro-apoptotic genes) and underrepresented sgRNAs (associated with pro-survival genes) following ER stress induced by thapsigargin and tunicamycin. One of the top candidates identified was Survivin/BIRC5, a protein with anti-apoptotic and cell cycle regulatory activities and which is overexpressed in tumor cells compared to healthy tissues. Functional studies revealed that genetic or pharmacological inhibition of Survivin expression enhanced ER stress-induced apoptosis, but not apoptosis in response to other forms of stress. These findings were validated in multiple cancer cell lines, ruling out off-target effects. Mechanistically, ER stress led to PERK-dependent downregulation of Survivin, and overexpression of Survivin blocked Thapsigargin-induced apoptosis. In vivo xenograft models showed that combining Survivin ablation with PERK inhibition significantly delayed tumor growth and improved overall survival. Through a combination of bioinformatics analysis and loss-of-function studies, we identified the transcription factor KLF4 as a mediator of PERK-dependent effects on Survivin repression. Notably, CRISPR-mediated KLF4 knockout successfully rescued Survivin levels post-ER stress. Additionally, an analysis of TCGA data across various tumor types provided supporting evidence of a negative correlation between KLF4 and Survivin expression. In summary, this study unveils a novel regulatory axis, PERK-KLF4-Survivin, as a key determinant of cell fate in the cellular responses to ER stress. Targeting Survivin in conjunction with PERK inhibition showed promising antitumor effects in vivo.

Citation Format: Nektaria M. Leli, Hengxi Liu, Souvik Dey, Lauren Brady, Carlo Salas Salinas, Victoria Wu, Spiros Tastsoglou, Giorgos Skoufos, Ioannis Verginadis, Ilias Karagounis, Artemis G. Hatzigeorgiou, Constantinos Koumenis. A genome-wide CRISPR-based functional screen uncovers the KLF4-Survivin/BIRC5 signaling pathways as a key regulator of cell fate following endoplasmic reticulum stress: Implications for tumor growth and therapeutic targeting [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 LB191.