Josephin Domain Containing 2 (JOSD2) inhibition as Pan-KRAS-mutation-targeting strategy for colorectal cancer

Tao Yuan, Yue Liu, Ruilin Wu, Meijia Qian, Weihua Wang, Yonghao Li, Hongdao Zhu, Jia’er Wang, Fujing Ge, Chenming Zeng, Xiaoyang Dai, Ronggui Hu, Tianhua Zhou, Qiaojun He, Hong Zhu () and Bo Yang ()
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Tao Yuan: Zhejiang University
Yue Liu: Zhejiang University
Ruilin Wu: Zhejiang University
Meijia Qian: Zhejiang University
Weihua Wang: Zhejiang University
Yonghao Li: Zhejiang University
Hongdao Zhu: Zhejiang University
Jia’er Wang: Zhejiang University
Fujing Ge: Zhejiang University
Chenming Zeng: Zhejiang University
Xiaoyang Dai: Center for Drug Safety Evaluation and Research of Zhejiang University
Ronggui Hu: Zhejiang University School of Medicine
Tianhua Zhou: Zhejiang University School of Medicine
Qiaojun He: Zhejiang University
Hong Zhu: Zhejiang University
Bo Yang: Zhejiang University

Nature Communications, 2025, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-19

Abstract: Abstract KRAS is the most common mutated oncogenes in colorectal cancer (CRC), yet effective therapeutic strategies for targeting multiple KRAS mutations remained challenging. The prolonged protein stability of KRAS mutants contribute to their robust tumor-promoting effects, but the underlying mechanism is elusive. Herein by screening deubiquitinases (DUBs) siRNA library, we identify Josephin domain containing 2 (JOSD2) functions as a potent DUB that regulates the protein stability of KRAS mutants. Mechanistically, JOSD2 directly interacts with and stabilizes KRAS variants across different mutants, by reverting their proteolytic ubiquitination; while KRAS mutants reciprocally inhibit the catalytic activity of CHIP, a bona fide E3 ubiquitin ligase for JOSD2, thus forming a JOSD2/KRAS positive feedback circuit that significantly accelerates KRAS-mutant CRC growth. Inhibition of JOSD2 by RNA interference or its pharmacological inhibitor promotes the polyubiquitination and proteasomal degradation of KRAS mutants, and preferentially impede the growth of KRAS-mutant CRC including patient-derived cells/xenografts/organoids (PDCs/PDXs/PDOs) over that harboring wild-type KRAS. Collectively, this study not only reveals the crucial roles of JOSD2/KRAS positive feedback circuit in KRAS-mutant CRC, but also provides a rationale to target JOSD2 as the promising pan-KRAS-mutation-targeting strategy for the treatment of a broad population of CRC patients with KRAS variant across different mutant types.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-58923-y

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