Reciprocal inhibition of PIN1 and APC/C(CDH1) controls timely G1/S transition and creates therapeutic vulnerability

Cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) mediated phosphorylation inactivates the anaphase-promoting complex (APC/C(CDH1)), an E3 ubiquitin ligase that contains the co-activator CDH1, to promote G1/S transition. PIN1 is a phosphorylation-directed proline isomerase and a master cancer signaling regulator. However, little are known about APC/C(CDH1) regulation after phosphorylation and about PIN1 ubiquitin ligases. Here we uncover a domain-oriented reciprocal inhibition that controls the timely G1/S transition: The non-phosphorylated APC/C(CDH1) E3 ligase targets PIN1 for degradation in G1 phase, restraining G1/S transition; APC/C(CDH1) itself, after phosphorylation by CDKs, is inactivated by PIN1-catalyzed isomerization, promoting G1/S transition. In cancer, PIN1 overexpression and APC/C(CDH1) inactivation reinforce each other to promote uncontrolled proliferation and tumorigenesis. Importantly, combined PIN1- and CDK4/6-inhibition reactivates APC/C(CDH1) resulting in PIN1 degradation and an insurmountable G1 arrest that translates into synergistic anti-tumor activity against triple-negative breast cancer in vivo. Reciprocal inhibition of PIN1 and APC/C(CDH1) is a novel mechanism to control timely G1/S transition that can be harnessed for synergistic anti-cancer therapy.