Gain-of-Function SHP2 E76Q Mutant Rescuing Autoinhibition Mechanism Associated with Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukemia

Juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML) is an invasive myeloproliferative neoplasm and is a childhood disease with very high clinical lethality. The SHP2 is encoded by the PTPN11 gene, which is a nonreceptor (pY)-phosphatase and mutation causes JMML. The structural hierarchy of SHP2 includes protein tyrosine phosphatase domain (PTP) and Src-homology 2 domain (N-SH2 and C-SH2). Somatic mutation (E76Q) in the interface of SH2-PTP domain is the most commonly identified mutation found in up to 35% of patients with JMML. The mechanism of this mutant associated with JMML is poorly understood. Here, molecular dynamics simulation was performed on wild-type and mutant (E76Q) of SHP2 to explore the precise impact of gain-of-function on PTP’s activity. Consequently, such impact rescues the SHP2 protein from autoinhibition state through losing the interface interactions of Q256/F7 and S502/Q76 or weakening interactions of Q256/R4, Q510/G60, and Q506/A72 between N-SH2 and PTP domains. The consequences of these interactions further relieve the D′E loop away from the PTP catalytic site. The following study would provide a mechanistic insight for better understanding of how individual SHP2 mutations alter the PTP’s activity at the atomic level.