Abstract
The Nucleosome Remodeling and Deacetylase (NURD) complex is a key regulator of cell differentiation that has also been implicated in tumorigenesis. Loss of the NURD subunit Deleted in Oral Cancer 1 (DOC1) is associated with human oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCCs). Here, we show that restoration of DOC1 expression in OSCC cells leads to a reversal of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). This is caused by the DOC1-dependent targeting of NURD to repress key transcriptional regulators of EMT. NURD recruitment drives extensive epigenetic reprogramming, including eviction of the SWI/SNF remodeler, formation of inaccessible chromatin, H3K27 deacetylation, and binding of PRC2 and KDM1A, followed by H3K27 methylation and H3K4 demethylation. Strikingly, depletion of SWI/SNF mimics the effects of DOC1 re-expression. Our results suggest that SWI/SNF and NURD function antagonistically to control chromatin state and transcription. We propose that disturbance of this dynamic equilibrium may lead to defects in gene expression that promote oncogenesis.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 61-75 |
| Number of pages | 15 |
| Journal | Cell reports |
| Volume | 20 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 5 Jul 2017 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Acetylation
- Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/genetics
- Cell Line, Tumor
- Cells, Cultured
- Chromatin Assembly and Disassembly
- Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone/metabolism
- Epigenesis, Genetic
- Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition
- Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
- Histones/metabolism
- Humans
- Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins/metabolism
- Methylation
- Mi-2 Nucleosome Remodeling and Deacetylase Complex/metabolism
- Mouth Neoplasms/genetics
- Protein Processing, Post-Translational
- Transcription Factors/metabolism