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Published on: October 27, 2020
TBKBP1 and TBK1 form a growth factor signalling axis mediating immunosuppression and tumourigenesis
Lele Zhu1, Yanchuan Li1, Xiaoping Xie1
1Department of Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Abstract:
TANK-binding kinase 1 (TBK1) responds to microbial stimuli and mediates the induction of type I interferon (IFN). Here, we show that TBK1 is also a central mediator of growth factor signalling; this function of TBK1 relies on a specific adaptor-TBK-binding protein 1 (TBKBP1). TBKBP1 recruits TBK1 to protein kinase C-theta (PKCθ) through a scaffold protein, CARD10. This enables PKCθ to phosphorylate TBK1 at Ser 716, a crucial step for TBK1 activation by growth factors but not by innate immune stimuli. Although the TBK1-TBKBP1 signalling axis is not required for the induction of type I IFN, it mediates mTORC1 activation and oncogenesis. Conditional deletion of either TBK1 or TBKBP1 in lung epithelial cells inhibits tumourigenesis in a mouse model of lung cancer. In addition to promoting tumour growth, the TBK1-TBKBP1 axis facilitates tumour-mediated immunosuppression through a mechanism that involves induction of the checkpoint molecule PD-L1 and stimulation of glycolysis. These findings suggest a PKCθ-TBKBP1-TBK1 growth factor signalling axis that mediates both tumour growth and immunosuppression.
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