Genomic Aberrations in Crizotinib Resistant Lung Adenocarcinoma Samples Identified by Transcriptome Sequencing

PLoS One. 2016 Apr 5;11(4):e0153065. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0153065. eCollection 2016.

Abstract

ALK-break positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients initially respond to crizotinib, but resistance occurs inevitably. In this study we aimed to identify fusion genes in crizotinib resistant tumor samples. Re-biopsies of three patients were subjected to paired-end RNA sequencing to identify fusion genes using deFuse and EricScript. The IGV browser was used to determine presence of known resistance-associated mutations. Sanger sequencing was used to validate fusion genes and digital droplet PCR to validate mutations. ALK fusion genes were detected in all three patients with EML4 being the fusion partner. One patient had no additional fusion genes. Another patient had one additional fusion gene, but without a predicted open reading frame (ORF). The third patient had three additional fusion genes, of which two were derived from the same chromosomal region as the EML4-ALK. A predicted ORF was identified only in the CLIP4-VSNL1 fusion product. The fusion genes validated in the post-treatment sample were also present in the biopsy before crizotinib. ALK mutations (p.C1156Y and p.G1269A) detected in the re-biopsies of two patients, were not detected in pre-treatment biopsies. In conclusion, fusion genes identified in our study are unlikely to be involved in crizotinib resistance based on presence in pre-treatment biopsies. The detection of ALK mutations in post-treatment tumor samples of two patients underlines their role in crizotinib resistance.

Publication types

  • Validation Study

MeSH terms

  • Adenocarcinoma / drug therapy
  • Adenocarcinoma / genetics*
  • Adult
  • Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase
  • Carrier Proteins / genetics
  • Cell Cycle Proteins / genetics
  • Crizotinib
  • Humans
  • Lung Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Lung Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Microtubule-Associated Proteins / genetics
  • Middle Aged
  • Mutation*
  • Neurocalcin / genetics
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / therapeutic use*
  • Pyrazoles / therapeutic use*
  • Pyridines / therapeutic use*
  • Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / genetics
  • Serine Endopeptidases / genetics
  • Transcriptome*

Substances

  • CLIP4 protein, human
  • Carrier Proteins
  • Cell Cycle Proteins
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Microtubule-Associated Proteins
  • Neurocalcin
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors
  • Pyrazoles
  • Pyridines
  • VSNL1 protein, human
  • Crizotinib
  • ALK protein, human
  • Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase
  • Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases
  • EML4 protein, human
  • Serine Endopeptidases

Grants and funding

The authors received no specific funding for this work.