Allosteric regulation of switch-II controls K-Ras oncogenicity

Abstract

Ras proteins are GTPases that regulate a wide range of cellular processes. The activity of Ras is dependent on its nucleotide-binding status, which is modulated by guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs) and GTPase-activating proteins (GAPs). Previously, we demonstrated that mutation of lysine 104 to glutamine (K104Q) attenuates the transforming capacity of oncogenic K-Ras by interrupting GEF induced nucleotide exchange. To assess the effect of this mutation in vivo, we used CRISPR/Cas9 to generate mouse models carrying the K104Q point mutation in wild-type and conditional K-RasLSL-G12D alleles. Consistent with our previous findings from in vitro studies, the oncogenic activity of K-RasG12D was significantly attenuated by mutation at K104 in vivo. These data demonstrate that lysine at position 104 is critical for the full oncogenic activity of mutant K-Ras and suggest that modification at K104, for example acetylation, may also regulate its activity. In addition, animals homozygous for K104Q were viable, fertile, and arose at Mendelian frequency, indicating that K104Q is not a complete loss of function mutation. Using biochemical and structural analysis, we found that the G12D and K104Q mutations cooperate to suppress GEF-mediated nucleotide exchange, explaining the preferential effect of K104Q on oncogenic K-Ras. Finally, we discovered an allosteric regulatory network consisting of K104 and residues including G75 on switch II (SWII) that is the key for regulating the stability of the helix on SWII. In this allosteric network, K104-G75 interaction might be primary for keeping stabilization of SWII. Given the high frequency of KRAS mutations in human cancers, modulation of this network may provide a unique therapeutic approach.