Regulation of the Notch-ATM-abl axis by geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase inhibition

Notch proteins drive oncogenesis of many cancers, most prominently T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL). Because geranylgeranylated Rab proteins regulate Notch processing, we hypothesized that inhibition of geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase (GGDPS) would impair Notch processing and reduce viability of T-ALL cells that express Notch. Here, we show that GGDPS inhibition reduces Notch1 expression and impairs the proliferation of T-ALL cells. GGDPS inhibition also reduces Rab7 membrane association and depletes Notch1 mRNA. GGDPS inhibition increases phosphorylation of histone H2A.X, and inhibitors of ataxia telangiectasia-mutated kinase (ATM) mitigate GGDPS inhibitor-induced apoptosis. GGDPS inhibition also influences c-abl activity downstream of caspases, and inhibitors of these enzymes prevent GGDPS inhibitor-induced apoptosis. Surprisingly, induction of apoptosis by GGDPS inhibition is reduced by co-treatment with γ-secretase inhibitors. While inhibitors of γ-secretase deplete one specific form of the Notch1 intracellular domain (NICD), they also increase Notch1 mRNA expression and increase alternate forms of Notch1 protein expression in cells treated with a GGDPS inhibitor. Furthermore, inhibitors of γ-secretase and ATM increase Notch1 mRNA stability independent of GGDPS inhibition. These results provide a model by which T-ALL cells use Notch1 to avoid DNA-damage-induced apoptosis, and can be overcome by inhibition of GGDPS through effects on Notch1 expression and its subsequent response.