Targeting of the AXL receptor tyrosine kinase by small molecule inhibitor leads to AXL cell surface accumulation by impairing the ubiquitin-dependent receptor degradation

Background Overexpression of AXL receptor tyrosine kinase (AXL) in various human cancers correlates with reduced patients overall survival and resistance to first line therapies. Therefore, several AXL tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are currently under clinical evaluation. Results AXL TKI BMS777607 treatment increased AXL protein levels after 24 h as observed by Western blot and flow cytometry analysis. Mechanistically, this inhibition-induced AXL cell surface accumulation was neither associated with epigenetic modifications, nor altered transcriptional and translational regulation. Further, we saw no impact on glycosylation and receptor shedding by α-secretases. However, we observed that BMS777607 increased the glycosylated 140 kDa AXL protein abundance, which was impaired in the kinase dead mutant AXL (K567R). We demonstrated that AXL kinase activity and subsequent kinase phosphorylation is necessary for GAS6-dependent receptor internalization and degradation. Blocking of kinase function by BMS777607 resulted in ubiquitination prohibition, impaired internalization and subsequent cell surface accumulation. Subsequently, AXL cell surface accumulation was accompanied by increased proliferation of 3D-Speroids induced by low μM levels of BMS777607 treatment. Conclusion Our data suggest a re-evaluation of anti-AXL clinical protocols due to possible feedback loops and resistance formation to targeted AXL therapy. An alternative strategy to circumvent feedback loops for AXL targeting therapies may exist in linkage of AXL TKIs to a degradation machinery recruiting unit, as already demonstrated with PROTACs for EGFR, HER2, and c-Met. This might result in a sustained inhibition and depletion of the AXL from tumor cell surface and enhance the efficacy of targeted anti-AXL therapies in the clinic.