Biology subjects

Hoey, E.

Publications and source records attributed to Hoey, E..

2 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Phenotype-dependent subtyping exposes high MYC activity as a targetable dependency in LuAd

C-MYC (MYC) occupies a critical nexus of oncogenic signalling and deregulated expression of MYC is widespread across most human cancer types, suggesting that MYC should be an attractive target for therapeutic intervention. Although 30-40% of human Non-Small Cell lung cancers show low level amplification of c-MYC and genetic evidence has shown that c-Myc is a key downstream effector of KRas-driven lung tumourigenesis in mouse models, the functional contribution of MYC to human lung cancer remains unclear. We applied a phenotype-based classifier to the TCGA Lung Adenocarcinoma (LuAd) cohort and found that high MYC transcriptional activity identifies a subset of LuAd with significantly reduced survival. Application of the same methodology to a panel of genetically engineered mouse models identified multiple genotypes that give rise to the high MYC activity phenotype, disease positioning such models as reflective of a distinct subset of human LuAd. We show that high MYC activity predicts sensitivity to a small molecule dual-inhibitor of the MYC co-factors, EZH2 and G9A, HKMTi-1-005, and that treatment with HKMTi-1-005 strongly reduced MYC protein expression, induced B cell-mediated immune surveillance and suppressed growth of autochthonous KRasG12D-driven lung tumours. Statement of significanceThis work establishes the principle of indirectly targeting MYC in LuAd, via inhibition of associated enzymatic cofactors, EZH2 and G9A, and identifies a large subset of aggressive human LuAd with a high MYC activity signature that may benefit from this approach.

cancer biology↗

bioRxiv2025

Rational design of tertiary coordination sphere of a heme-based sensor for two-orders enhanced oxygen affinity

Biological O2 sensing is crucial for diverse physiological functions across all forms of life. Heme-containing proteins achieve this by binding O2 to their iron center and have been found to display O2 affinities spanning several orders of magnitude. Despite decades of investigation into the structure and function of heme-based O2 sensors, the molecular mechanisms that enable the tuning of O2 affinity to match specific physiological roles remain unclear. Here, we utilize the O2 sensing mycobacterial DosS protein as a model system to explore the role of heme irons tertiary coordination sphere in controlling its O2 affinity. By rationally and systematically modifying the tertiary coordination sphere to promote the formation of a Trp-Tyr-Asn H-bond triad within the hemes distal pocket, we have enhanced the O2 affinity of WT DosS by over 150-fold. The rationally designed DosS exhibited a Kd value of 3 {+/-} 1 nM, compared to 460 {+/-} 80 nM for WT DosS. Employing a combination of structural, biochemical, spectroscopic, and computational studies, our analysis of WT and designed DosS variants highlights how the interplay between distal H-bond networks and heme-pocket electrostatics drives large differences in their O2 sensing capabilities. Ultimately, our work shows how metalloenzymes can dramatically alter their sensitivity to diatomic signaling molecules by tuning the tertiary coordination sphere, broadly impacting how we understand related biological sensing and signaling.

biochemistry↗