The efflux pump ABCC1/MRP1 constitutively restricts PROTAC sensitivity in cancer cells

Abstract

Proteolysis targeting chimeras (PROTACs) are bifunctional molecules that induce selective protein degradation by linking an E3 ubiquitin ligase enzyme to a target protein. This approach allows scope for targeting "undruggable" proteins, and several PROTACs have reached the stage of clinical candidates. However, the roles of cellular transmembrane transporters in PROTAC uptake and efflux remain underexplored. Here, we utilized transporter-focused genetic screens to identify the ATP-binding cassette transporter ABCC1/MRP1 as a key PROTAC resistance factor. Unlike the previously identified inducible PROTAC exporter ABCB1/MDR1, ABCC1 is highly expressed among cancers of various origins and constitutively restricts PROTAC bioavailability. Moreover, in a genome-wide PROTAC resistance screen, we identified candidates involved in processes such as ubiquitination, mTOR signaling, and apoptosis as genetic factors involved in PROTAC resistance. In summary, our findings reveal ABCC1 as a crucial constitutively active efflux pump limiting PROTAC efficacy in various cancer cells, offering insights for overcoming drug resistance.

Keywords: ABCC1; CRISPR/Cas9; MRP1; PROTACs; drug transport; genetic screening; solute carriers (SLCs).