EZH2 and BCL6 Cooperate to Assemble CBX8-BCOR Complex to Repress Bivalent Promoters, Mediate Germinal Center Formation and Lymphomagenesis

Cancer Cell. 2016 Aug 8;30(2):197-213. doi: 10.1016/j.ccell.2016.07.006.

Abstract

The EZH2 histone methyltransferase mediates the humoral immune response and drives lymphomagenesis through formation of bivalent chromatin domains at critical germinal center (GC) B cell promoters. Herein we show that the actions of EZH2 in driving GC formation and lymphoma precursor lesions require site-specific binding by the BCL6 transcriptional repressor and the presence of a non-canonical PRC1-BCOR-CBX8 complex. The chromodomain protein CBX8 is induced in GC B cells, binds to H3K27me3 at bivalent promoters, and is required for stable association of the complex and the resulting histone modifications. Moreover, oncogenic BCL6 and EZH2 cooperate to accelerate diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) development and combinatorial targeting of these repressors results in enhanced anti-lymphoma activity in DLBCLs.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Enhancer of Zeste Homolog 2 Protein / metabolism*
  • Germinal Center / metabolism*
  • Germinal Center / pathology
  • Humans
  • Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse / genetics
  • Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse / metabolism*
  • Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse / pathology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Mitochondrial Membrane Transport Proteins
  • Polycomb Repressive Complex 1 / metabolism*
  • Polycomb-Group Proteins / metabolism
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins / metabolism
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-6 / metabolism*
  • Repressor Proteins / metabolism*
  • Transcription, Genetic

Substances

  • BCL6 protein, human
  • BCOR protein, human
  • Bcl6 protein, mouse
  • Bcor protein, mouse
  • CBX8 protein, human
  • Mitochondrial Membrane Transport Proteins
  • Polycomb-Group Proteins
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-6
  • Repressor Proteins
  • EZH2 protein, human
  • Enhancer of Zeste Homolog 2 Protein
  • Ezh2 protein, mouse
  • Cbx8 protein, mouse
  • Polycomb Repressive Complex 1