The pRb/RBL2-E2F1/4-GCN5 axis regulates cancer stem cell formation and G0 phase entry/exit by paracrine mechanisms

Nat Commun. 2024 Apr 27;15(1):3580. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-47680-z.

Abstract

The lethality, chemoresistance and metastatic characteristics of cancers are associated with phenotypically plastic cancer stem cells (CSCs). How the non-cell autonomous signalling pathways and cell-autonomous transcriptional machinery orchestrate the stem cell-like characteristics of CSCs is still poorly understood. Here we use a quantitative proteomic approach for identifying secreted proteins of CSCs in pancreatic cancer. We uncover that the cell-autonomous E2F1/4-pRb/RBL2 axis balances non-cell-autonomous signalling in healthy ductal cells but becomes deregulated upon KRAS mutation. E2F1 and E2F4 induce whereas pRb/RBL2 reduce WNT ligand expression (e.g. WNT7A, WNT7B, WNT10A, WNT4) thereby regulating self-renewal, chemoresistance and invasiveness of CSCs in both PDAC and breast cancer, and fibroblast proliferation. Screening for epigenetic enzymes identifies GCN5 as a regulator of CSCs that deposits H3K9ac onto WNT promoters and enhancers. Collectively, paracrine signalling pathways are controlled by the E2F-GCN5-RB axis in diverse cancers and this could be a therapeutic target for eliminating CSCs.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Breast Neoplasms / genetics
  • Breast Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Breast Neoplasms / pathology
  • Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal / genetics
  • Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal / metabolism
  • Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal / pathology
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Drug Resistance, Neoplasm / genetics
  • E2F1 Transcription Factor* / genetics
  • E2F1 Transcription Factor* / metabolism
  • E2F4 Transcription Factor* / genetics
  • E2F4 Transcription Factor* / metabolism
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Neoplastic Stem Cells* / metabolism
  • Neoplastic Stem Cells* / pathology
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms* / genetics
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms* / metabolism
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms* / pathology
  • Paracrine Communication*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras) / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras) / metabolism
  • Retinoblastoma Protein / genetics
  • Retinoblastoma Protein / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction
  • Wnt Proteins / genetics
  • Wnt Proteins / metabolism
  • p300-CBP Transcription Factors / genetics
  • p300-CBP Transcription Factors / metabolism

Substances

  • E2F1 Transcription Factor
  • E2F4 Transcription Factor
  • E2F1 protein, human
  • E2F4 protein, human
  • Wnt Proteins
  • Retinoblastoma Protein
  • p300-CBP Transcription Factors
  • WNT7B protein, human
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras)
  • KRAS protein, human