Cyclin C is a haploinsufficient tumour suppressor

Cyclin C was cloned as a growth-promoting G1 cyclin, and was also shown to regulate gene transcription. Here we report that in vivo cyclin C acts as a haploinsufficient tumour suppressor, by controlling Notch1 oncogene levels. Cyclin C activates an 'orphan' CDK19 kinase, as well as CDK8 and CDK3. These cyclin-C-CDK complexes phosphorylate the Notch1 intracellular domain (ICN1) and promote ICN1 degradation. Genetic ablation of cyclin C blocks ICN1 phosphorylation in vivo, thereby elevating ICN1 levels in cyclin-C-knockout mice. Cyclin C ablation or heterozygosity collaborates with other oncogenic lesions and accelerates development of T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (T-ALL). Furthermore, the cyclin C encoding gene CCNC is heterozygously deleted in a significant fraction of human T-ALLs, and these tumours express reduced cyclin C levels. We also describe point mutations in human T-ALL that render cyclin-C-CDK unable to phosphorylate ICN1. Hence, tumour cells may develop different strategies to evade inhibition by cyclin C.

18

Li N, Fassl A, Chick J, Inuzuka H, Li X, Mansour MR, Liu L, Wang H, King B, Shaik S, Gutierrez A, Ordureau A, Otto T, Kreslavsky T, Baitsch L, Bury L, Meyer CA, Ke N, Mulry KA, Kluk MJ, Roy M, Kim S, Zhang X, Geng Y, Zagozdzon A, Jenkinson S, Gale RE, Linch DC, Zhao JJ, Mullighan CG, Harper JW, Aster JC, Aifantis I, von Boehmer H, Gygi SP, Wei W, Look AT, Sicinski P