Mutant Nrf2E79Q enhances the promotion and progression of a subset of oncogenic Ras keratinocytes and skin tumors

Squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs), including lung, head & neck, bladder, and skin SCCs often display constitutive activation of the KEAP1-NRF2 pathway. Constitutive activation is achieved through multiple mechanisms, including activating mutations in NFE2L2 (NRF2). To determine the functional consequences of Nrf2 activation on skin SCC development, we assessed the effects of mutant Nrf2E79Q expression, one of the most common activating mutations in human SCCs, on tumor promotion and progression in the mouse skin multistage carcinogenesis model using a DMBA-initiation/TPA-promotion protocol where the Hras A->T mutation (Q61L) is the canonical driver mutation. Nrf2E79Q expression was temporally and conditionally activated in the epidermis at two stages of tumor development: 1) after DMBA initiation in the epidermis but before cutaneous tumor development and 2) in pre-existing DMBA-initiated/TPA-promoted squamous papillomas. Expression of Nrf2E79Q in the epidermis after DMBA initiation but before tumor occurrence inhibited the development/promotion of 70% of squamous papillomas. However, the remaining papillomas often displayed non-canonical Hras and Kras mutations and enhanced progression to SCCs compared to control mice expressing wildtype Nrf2. Nrf2E79Q expression in pre-existing tumors caused rapid regression of 60% of papillomas. The remaining papillomas displayed the expected canonical Hras A->T mutation (Q61L) and enhanced progression to SCCs. These results demonstrate that mutant Nrf2E79Q enhances the promotion and progression of a subset of skin tumors and alters the frequency and diversity of oncogenic Ras mutations when expressed early after initiation.