Fig 2: GNAQ T96S promotes phosphorylation of annexin A2 (ANXA2) by recruiting Src in natural killer cells. (A) GNAQ recruits Src and ANXA2 in the same complex as shown by immunoprecipitation (IP) assay. (B) Src inhibitor abrogates the elevated phosphorylation of ANXA2 at Y24 by GNAQ T96S. The experiment was independently repeated three times

Fig 3: GNAQ T96S peptide and Src inhibitor suppresses the growth of natural killer (NK) cell xenograft tumors in vivo. (A–C) GNAQ T96S peptide significantly suppresses tumor growth in an NK cell xenograft tumor model. *p < 0.05 (GNAQ T96S plus peptide group vs. GNAQ T96S group) indicates statistical significance. (A) Quantitative assay for tumor volume. (B) Representative images of tumors in different groups. (C) Quantitative assay for tumor weight. (D, E) Src inhibitor saracatinib significantly suppresses tumor growth in the GNAQ T96S NK cell xenograft tumor model. (D) Representative images of tumors in different groups. (E) Quantitative assay for tumor weight

Fig 4: GNAQ T96S mutations predict a worse prognosis in NKTCL. a, b Progression-free survival (a) and overall survival (b) of NKTCL patients with GNAQ T96S mutations (n = 9) or wild-type (WT, n = 90). c, d Progression-free survival (c) and overall survival (d) of patients according to the mutation status of DDX3X, GNAQ, and TP53. Patients were divided into four groups: those with GNAQ T96S mutations (n = 9), DDX3X mutations (n = 15), or TP53 mutations (n = 3) and those without mutations in any of these three genes (WT, n = 72). Two individuals with both DDX3X and TP53 mutations were grouped into the DDX3X cohort. One individual with both GNAQ T96S and TP53 mutations was grouped into the GNAQ T96S cohort. Survival curves were estimated with the Kaplan–Meier method and compared using a two-sided log-rank test

Fig 5: Tumor-suppressive role of Gaq in NKTCL. a GNAQ mRNA expression in normal NK cells, neoplastic NK cells, and tumor samples. The GNAQ expression values were obtained from previously published data and our RNA sequencing data and normalized to GAPDH. Resting NK: >95% CD56+CD3- NK cells isolated from peripheral blood lymphocytes. PBNK48h: 48-h IL-2-activated NK cells. PMIG_NK92 and PRDM1_NK92: NK92 cells transduced with PMIG and PRDM1, respectively. b GNAQ protein expression in normal and neoplastic NK cells. c Forced expression of Gaq suppressed cell viability in YT (left) and NKYS (right) cells. YT and NKYS cells were stably transfected with vector control or wild-type GNAQ, and cell viability was assessed using a CCK-8 assay. Cell viability is presented by the absorbance value at OD 450 nm, which was measured with a Multiskan FC microplate reader (Thermo Scientific, Waltham, MA, USA). The value is directly proportional to the number of viable cells in the culture medium. Data are representative of three independent experiments. d Overexpression of Gaq significantly enhanced cell apoptosis but had little effect on NK cell proliferation. Cell apoptosis and cell proliferation were assessed by Annexin V staining (upper panel) and EdU incorporation assay (lower panel), respectively. Data are representative of at least three independent experiments. e NOD/SCID mice were inoculated subcutaneously with YT cells stably transfected with vector control or wild-type Gaq (n = 5 in each group). The tumor burden was monitored by utilizing the IVIS Spectrum system (Perkin Elmer, Beaconsfield, UK) after 6 weeks. Representative images and quantitative data for each group are shown in the upper panel. Representative images of xenograft tumors and tumor weights for each group are shown in the lower panel. f Representative images (left) and quantitative data (right) (n = 5 in each group) for TUNEL staining of the xenograft tumor tissues. Scale bars, 50 µm. All data are expressed as the mean ± s.e.m.; NS, not significant. *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001, unpaired two-tailed Student’s t-test. Source data are provided as a Source Data file