SDCBP promotes pancreatic cancer progression by preventing YAP1 from β-TrCP-mediated proteasomal degradation

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly lethal tumour with limited treatment options. Here, we identified syndecan binding protein (SDCBP), also known as syntenin1, as a novel targetable factor in promoting PDAC tumour progression. We also explored a therapeutic strategy for suppressing SDCBP expression.

We used samples from patients with PDAC, human organoid models, LSL-KrasG12D/+mice, LSL-Trp53R172H/+ and Pdx1-Cre (KPC) mouse models, and PDX mouse models. Immunostaining, colony formation assay, ethynyl-2-deoxyuridine incorporation assay, real-time cell analysis, cell apoptosis assay, automated cell tracking, invadopodia detection and gelatin degradation assays, coimmunoprecipitation, and pull-down assays were performed in this study.

The median overall survival and recurrence-free survival rates in the high-SDCBP group were significantly shorter than those in the low-SDCBP group. In vitro and in vivo studies have demonstrated that SDCBP promotes PDAC proliferation and metastasis. Mechanically, SDCBP inhibits CK1δ/ε-mediated YAP-S384/S387 phosphorylation, which further suppresses β-TrCP-mediated YAP1 ubiquitination and proteasome degradation by directly interacting with YAP1. SDCBP interacts with the TAD domain of YAP1, mainly through its PDZ1 domain. Preclinical KPC mouse cohorts demonstrated that zinc pyrithione (ZnPT) suppresses PDAC tumour progression by suppressing SDCBP.

SDCBP promotes the proliferation and metastasis of PDAC by preventing YAP1 from β-TrCP-mediated proteasomal degradation. Therefore, ZnPT could be a promising therapeutic strategy to inhibit PDAC progression by suppressing SDCBP.