MER-ERK信号通路调控H3K27me3甲基化酶和去甲基化酶基因表达的研究

在人的某些癌症细胞中,组蛋白H3K27me3甲基化酶EZH2基因存在过表达的现象,很多研究已经证明,这可能是受MEK ERK信号通路调控的.为了确定这种调控模式在小鼠细胞系中是否同样存在,以及MEK ERK信号通路是否同时调控H3K27me3甲基化酶EZH1基因和去甲基化酶UTX、JMJD3基因的表达,用RT PCR和Western印迹方法检测不同浓度的MEK ERK抑制剂U0126（0、10、20、40 μmol/L）对C2C12、C127、NIH3T3三种小鼠细胞系处理后,EZH1、EZH2基因和UTX、JMJD3基因表达变化.结果显示：MEK-ERK抑制剂处理后,3种细胞中EZH1和EZH2基因的表达与对照相比都有不同程度的降低,其中EZH2基因表达变化在C2C12、NIH3T3两种细胞达到显著水平(P<0.05). H3K27me3去甲基化酶UTX、JMJD3基因在3种细胞中表达均有升高,JMJD3升高达到显著水平（P<0.05).因此,在小鼠细胞系MEK ERK信号通路可能参与调控EZH2、JMJD3基因的表达,但对EZH1、UTX基因的表达调控作用不明显.
关键词MEK ERK信号通路;     

The polycomb group protein EZH2 inhibits lung cancer cell growth by repressing the transcription factor Nrf2

EZH2 is a key component of the polycomb PRC2 complex and functions as a histone H3 Lys27 (H3K27) trimethyltransferase. Here we show that EZH2 is down-regulated in human non-small cell lung cancer and low EZH2 expression predicts poor survival. Further we demonstrate that EZH2 inhibits lung cancer cell proliferation and colony formation in vitro and growth in vivo. We found that EZH2 binds to the promoter of Nrf2, where it increases H3K27me3 and represses Nrf2 expression. Finally, Nrf2 seems to be essential for the hyper proliferation of lung cancer cells in the absence of EZH2.     

EZH2-Mediated H3K27me3 Is Involved in Epigenetic Repression of Deleted in Liver Cancer 1 in Human Cancers

Enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2), the histone methyltransferase of the Polycomb Repressive complex 2 catalyzing histone H3 lysine 27 tri-methylation (H3K27me3), is frequently up-regulated in human cancers. In this study, we identified the tumor suppressor Deleted in liver cancer 1 (DLC1) as a target of repression by EZH2-mediated H3K27me3. DLC1 is a GTPase-activating protein for Rho family proteins. Inactivation of DLC1 results in hyper-activated Rho/ROCK signaling and is implicated in actin cytoskeleton reorganization to promote cancer metastasis. By chromatin immunoprecipitation assay, we demonstrated that H3K27me3 was significantly enriched at the DLC1 promoter region of a DLC1-nonexpressing HCC cell line, MHCC97L. Depletion of EZH2 in MHCC97L by shRNA reduced H3K27me3 level at DLC1 promoter and induced DLC1 gene re-expression. Conversely, transient overexpression of GFP-EZH2 in DLC1-expressing Huh7 cells reduced DLC1 mRNA level with a concomitant enrichment of EZH2 on DLC1 promoter. An inverse relation between EZH2 and DLC1 expression was observed in the liver, lung, breast, prostate, and ovarian cancer tissues. Treating cancer cells with the EZH2 small molecular inhibitor, 3-Deazaneplanocin A (DZNep), restored DLC1 expression in different cancer cell lines, indicating that EZH2-mediated H3K27me3 epigenetic regulation of DLC1 was a common mechanism in human cancers. Importantly, we found that DZNep treatment inhibited HCC cell migration through disrupting actin cytoskeleton network, suggesting the therapeutic potential of DZNep in targeting cancer metastasis. Taken together, our study has shed mechanistic insight into EZH2-H3K27me3 epigenetic repression of DLC1 and advocated the significant pro-metastatic role of EZH2 via repressing tumor and metastasis suppressors.     

Overexpression of MYC and EZH2 cooperates to epigenetically silence MST1 expression

Hippo-like MST1 protein kinase regulates cell growth, organ size, and carcinogenesis. Reduction or loss of MST1 expression is implicated in poor cancer prognosis. However, the mechanism leading to MST1 silencing remains elusive. Here, we report that both MYC and EZH2 function as potent suppressors of MST1 expression in human prostate cancer cells. We demonstrated that concurrent overexpression of MYC and EZH2 correlated with the reduction or loss of MST1 expression, as shown by RT-qPCR and immunoblotting. Methylation sensitive PCR and bisulfite genomic DNA sequencing showed that DNA methylation caused MST1 silencing. Pharmacologic and RNAi experiments revealed that MYC and EZH2 silenced MST1 expression by inhibiting its promoter activity, and that EZH2 was a mediator of the MYC-induced silencing of MST1. In addition, MYC contributed to MST1 silencing by partly inhibiting the expression of microRNA-26a/b, a negative regulator of EZH2. As shown by ChIP assays, EZH2-induced DNA methylation and H3K27me3 modification, which was accompanied by a reduced H3K4me3 mark and RNA polymerase II occupancy on the MST1 promoter CpG region, were the underlying cause of MST1 silencing. Moreover, potent pharmacologic inhibitors of MYC or EZH2 suppressed prostate cancer cell growth in vitro, and the knockdown of MST1 caused cells’ resistance to MYC and EZH2 inhibitor-induced growth retardation. These findings indicate that MYC, in concert with EZH2, epigenetically attenuates MST1 expression and suggest that the loss of MST1/Hippo functions is critical for the MYC or EZH2 mediation of cancer cell survival.     

Overexpression of MYC and EZH2 cooperates to epigenetically silence MST1 expression

Hippo-like MST1 protein kinase regulates cell growth, organ size, and carcinogenesis. Reduction or loss of MST1 expression is implicated in poor cancer prognosis. However, the mechanism leading to MST1 silencing remains elusive. Here, we report that both MYC and EZH2 function as potent suppressors of MST1 expression in human prostate cancer cells. We demonstrated that concurrent overexpression of MYC and EZH2 correlated with the reduction or loss of MST1 expression, as shown by RT-qPCR and immunoblotting. Methylation sensitive PCR and bisulfite genomic DNA sequencing showed that DNA methylation caused MST1 silencing. Pharmacologic and RNAi experiments revealed that MYC and EZH2 silenced MST1 expression by inhibiting its promoter activity, and that EZH2 was a mediator of the MYC-induced silencing of MST1. In addition, MYC contributed to MST1 silencing by partly inhibiting the expression of microRNA-26a/b, a negative regulator of EZH2. As shown by ChIP assays, EZH2-induced DNA methylation and H3K27me3 modification, which was accompanied by a reduced H3K4me3 mark and RNA polymerase II occupancy on the MST1 promoter CpG region, were the underlying cause of MST1 silencing. Moreover, potent pharmacologic inhibitors of MYC or EZH2 suppressed prostate cancer cell growth in vitro, and the knockdown of MST1 caused cells’ resistance to MYC and EZH2 inhibitor-induced growth retardation. These findings indicate that MYC, in concert with EZH2, epigenetically attenuates MST1 expression and suggest that the loss of MST1/Hippo functions is critical for the MYC or EZH2 mediation of cancer cell survival.     

Phosphorylation of EZH2 by CDK1 and CDK2

Histone H3 lysine 27 trimethylation (H3K27me3) catalyzed by the enzymatic subunit EZH2 in the Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) is essential for cells to ‘memorize’ gene expression patterns through cell divisions and plays an important role in establishing and maintaining cell identity during development. However, how the epigenetic mark is inherited through cell generations remains poorly understood. Recently, we and others demonstrate that CDK1 and CDK2 phosphorylate EZH2 at threonine 350 (T350) and that T350 phosphorylation is important for the binding of EZH2 to PRC2 recruiters, such as noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) HOTAIR and XIST, and for the effective recruitment of PRC2 to EZH2 target loci in cells. These findings imply that phosphorylation of EZH2 by CDK1 and CDK2 may provide cells a mechanism that enhances EZH2 function during S and G2 phases of the cell cycle, thereby ensuring K27me3 on de novo synthesized H3 incorporated in nascent nucleosomes before sister chromosomes are divided into two daughter cells. Additionally, a potential role of T350 phosphorylation of EZH2 in differing EZH2 from its homolog EZH1 in catalyzing H3K27me3 as well as the interplay between phosphorylation at T350 and other residues (e.g. phosphorylation by p38 at threonine 372 (T372)) in governing EZH2 activity in proliferating versus non-dividing cells are also discussed. Together, CDK phosphorylation of EZH2 at T350 may represent a key regulatory mechanism of EZH2 function that is essential for the maintenance of H3K27me3 marks through cell divisions.     

Aberrant overexpression of EZH2 and H3K27me3 serves as poor prognostic biomarker for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients

It has been reported that the trimethylation of histone 3 on lysine 27 (H3K27me3) is required for enhancer of zeste homology 2 (EZH2)-mediated repression of various genes essential for tumorigenesis and tumor development. Here, we reported the expression of EZH2 and H3K27me3 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) specimens was higher than the pericarcinoma esophageal specimens. Their expression was positively associated with the poor prognosis of ESCC patients. EZH2 expression, histological grade and distant lymph node metastasis were all independent factors for poor prognosis of ESCC. In addition, enforced expression of EZH2 in esophageal cancer-derived cells could increase the overall H3K27me3 level. Our results suggested the expression of EZH2 and H3K27me3 could serve as biomarkers in the prediction of ESCC patients’ survival and ESCC metastasis.     

Design and synthesis of (E)-1,2-diphenylethene-based EZH2 inhibitors

Enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) serves as the catalytic subunit of the polycomb repression complex 2 (PRC2), which is implicated in cancer progression metastasis and poor prognosis. Based on our EZH2 inhibitor SKLB1049 with low nanomolar activity, we extended the “tail” region to get a series of (E)-1,2-diphenylethene derivatives as novel EZH2 inhibitors. SAR exploration and preliminary assessment led to the discovery of the potent novel EZH2 inhibitor 9b (EZH2^WT IC₅₀ = 22.0 nM). Compound 9b inhibited the proliferation of WSU-DLCL2 and SU-DHL-4 cell lines (IC₅₀ = 1.61 µM and 2.34 µM, respectively). The biological evaluation showed that 9b was a potent inhibitor for wild-type EZH2 and greatly reduced the overall levels of H3K27me3 in a concentration-dependent manner. Further study indicated that 9b could significantly induce apoptosis of SU-DHL-4 cells. These findings indicated that 9b would be an attractive lead compound for further optimization and evaluation.     

CPEB1, a histone-modified hypomethylated gene,is regulated by miR-101 and involved in cell senescence in glioma

Epigenetic mechanisms have important roles in carcinogenesis. We certified that the mRNA translation-related gene cytoplasmic polyadenylation element-binding protein 1 (CPEB1) is hypomethylated and overexpressed in glioma cells and tissues. The knockdown of CPEB1 reduced cell senescence by regulating the expression or distribution of p53 in glioma cells. CPEB1 is also regulated directly by the tumor suppressor miR-101, a potential marker of glioma. It is known that the histone methyltransferase enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) and embryonic ectoderm development (EED) are direct targets of miR-101. We demonstrated that miR-101 downregulated the expression of CPEB1 through reversing the methylation status of the CPEB1 promoter by regulating the presence on the promoter of the methylation-related histones H3K4me2, H3K27me3, H3K9me3 and H4K20me3. The epigenetic regulation of H3K27me3 on CPEB1 promoter is mediated by EZH2 and EED. EZH2 has a role in the regulation of H3K4me2. Furthermore, the downregulation of CPEB1 induced senescence in a p53-dependent manner.     

Synergistic chromatin repression of the tumor suppressor gene RARB in human prostate cancers

DNA methylation and polycomb proteins are well-known mediators of epigenetic silencing in mammalian cells. Usually described as mutually exclusive, this statement is today controversial and recent in vitro studies suggest the co-existence of both repressor systems. We addressed this issue in the study of Retinoic Acid Receptor β (RARβ), a tumor suppressor gene frequently silenced in prostate cancer. We found that the RARβ promoter is hypermethylated in all studied prostate tumors and methylation levels are positively correlated with H3K27me3 enrichments. Thus, by using bisulfite conversion and pyrosequencing of immunoprecipitated H3K27me3 chromatin, we demonstrated that DNA methylation and polycomb repression co-exist in vivo at this locus. We found this repressive association in 6/6 patient tumor samples of different Gleason score, suggesting a strong interplay of DNA methylation and EZH2 to silence RARβ during prostate tumorigenesis.     

Identification of PR-SET7 and EZH2 selective inhibitors inducing cell death in human leukemia U937 cells

Chemical manipulations undertaken on some bis(bromo- and dibromo-phenol) compounds previously reported by us as wide-spectrum epigenetic inhibitors let us to identify bis (bromo- and dibromo-methoxyphenyl) derivatives highly selective for PR-SET7 and EZH2 (compounds 4, 5, 9, and 10). Western blot analyses were carried out in U937 cells to determine the effects of such compounds on the methyl marks related to the tested enzymes (H3K4me1, H3K9me2, H4H20me1, and H3K27me3). The 1,5-bis(3-bromo-4-methoxyphenyl)penta-1,4-dien-3-one 4 (EC₅₀ vs EZH2 = 74.9 μM), tested in U937 cells at 50 μM, induced massive cell death and 28% of granulocytic differentiation, highlighting the potential use of EZH2 inhibitors in cancer.