PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Nuria Gutierrez-Prat
AU  - Hedwig L Zuberer
AU  - Luca Mangano
AU  - Zahra Karimaddini
AU  - Luise Wolf
AU  - Stefka Tyanova
AU  - Lisa C Wellinger
AU  - Daniel Marbach
AU  - Vera Griesser
AU  - Piergiorgio Pettazzoni
AU  - James R Bischoff
AU  - Daniel Rohle
AU  - Chiara Palladino
AU  - Igor Vivanco
TI  - DUSP4 protects BRAF- and NRAS-mutant melanoma from oncogene overdose through modulation of MITF
AID  - 10.26508/lsa.202101235
DP  - 2022 Sep 01
TA  - Life Science Alliance
PG  - e202101235
VI  - 5
IP  - 9
4099  - https://www.life-science-alliance.org/content/5/9/e202101235.short
4100  - https://www.life-science-alliance.org/content/5/9/e202101235.full
SO  - Life Sci. Alliance2022 Sep 01; 5
AB  - MAPK inhibitors (MAPKi) remain an important component of the standard of care for metastatic melanoma. However, acquired resistance to these drugs limits their therapeutic benefit. Tumor cells can become refractory to MAPKi by reactivation of ERK. When this happens, tumors often become sensitive to drug withdrawal. This drug addiction phenotype results from the hyperactivation of the oncogenic pathway, a phenomenon commonly referred to as oncogene overdose. Several feedback mechanisms are involved in regulating ERK signaling. However, the genes that serve as gatekeepers of oncogene overdose in mutant melanoma remain unknown. Here, we demonstrate that depletion of the ERK phosphatase, DUSP4, leads to toxic levels of MAPK activation in both drug-naive and drug-resistant mutant melanoma cells. Importantly, ERK hyperactivation is associated with down-regulation of lineage-defining genes including MITF. Our results offer an alternative therapeutic strategy to treat mutant melanoma patients with acquired MAPKi resistance and those unable to tolerate MAPKi.