An RNA-binding switch drives ribosome biogenesis and tumorigenesis downstream of RAS oncogene

Abstract

Oncogenic RAS signaling reprograms gene expression through both transcriptional and post-transcriptional mechanisms. While transcriptional regulation downstream of RAS is relatively well characterized, how RAS post-transcriptionally modulates gene expression to promote malignancy is largely unclear. Using quantitative RNA Interactome Capture analysis, we reveal that oncogenic RAS signaling reshapes the RNA-bound proteomic landscape of cancer cells, with a network of nuclear proteins centered around Nucleolin displaying enhanced RNA-binding activity. We show that Nucleolin is phosphorylated downstream of RAS, which increases its binding to pre-ribosomal-RNA (rRNA), boosts rRNA production, and promotes ribosome biogenesis. This Nucleolin-dependent enhancement of ribosome biogenesis is crucial for RAS-induced cancer cell proliferation, and can be targeted therapeutically to inhibit tumor growth. Our results reveal that oncogenic RAS signaling drives ribosome biogenesis by regulating the RNA-binding activity of Nucleolin, and highlight the crucial role of this process in RAS-mediated tumorigenesis.