The ZZ Domain of Sequestosome-1/p62 Plays An Important Role In Stromal Cell Support of Myeloma Cell Growth and Osteoclast Formation

Abstract 128

The marrow microenvironment provides a critical supportive role in myeloma (MM) and enhances both tumor growth and bone destruction through activation of multiple signaling pathways in stromal cells. We reported that sequestosome 1 (p62) plays a key role in the formation of signaling complexes that result in NF-kB, p38 MAPK, and PI3K activation in the marrow microenvironment of patients with MM. These results suggest that p62 is a potential therapeutic target for blocking the supportive effects of the marrow microenvironment in MM. The goal of this study was to identify the domains of p62 responsible for increased MM cell growth and osteoclast (OCL) formation mediated by NF-kB and p38 MAPK signaling, as a means to develop inhibitory peptides/molecules as potential therapeutic agents for MM. To pursue this objective, we generated deletion constructs of p62 that lacked specific p62 domains: ΔSH2, ΔPB1, ΔZZ, Δp38, ΔTBS and ΔUBA domains. We then transfected these constructs into a p62-knockout (KO) stromal cell-line we established from p62-KO mice and examined their RANKL, IL-6, and VCAM-1 expression induced by TNF-a. GFP-labeled MM1.S myeloma cells or normal CFU-GM, a source of OCL precursors, were then co-cultured with the p62-KO cells transduced with the different p62 deletion constructs and compared to wild type (WT) stromal cells. IL-6 production and VCAM-1 expression induced by TNF-a was 50% lower in non-transduced p62-KO stromal cells compared to WT stromal cells. Further, in contrast to WT cells, RANKL was not induced by TNF-a in the p62-KO stromal cell-line, and OCL formation in co-cultures of p62-KO stromal cells with CFU-GM was very low. Transduction of p62-KO stromal cells with the ΔSH2, ΔPB1, Δp38 and ΔUBA constructs restored stromal cell support of MM growth, VCAM-1 and IL-6 production. However, p62-KO stromal cells transduced with the ΔZZ construct did not increase MM cell growth, or increase IL-6 and VCAM-1 expression, or fully restore the capacity of the p62-KO stromal cells to support OCL formation. These results demonstrate that the ZZ domain of p62 is required for stromal cell support of MM cell growth, increased IL-6 and VCAM-1 expression, and OCL formation. These results suggest that dominant negative constructs or small molecules that target the ZZ domain of p62 should block p62 function and inhibit support of MM cells and OCL formation by the marrow microenvironment.