Integrin alpha 6 signaling induces STAT3-TET3-mediated hydroxymethylation of genes critical for maintenance of glioma stem cells ONCOGENE Herrmann, A., Lahtz, C., Song, J., Aftabizadeh, M., Cherryholmes, G. A., Xin, H., Adamus, T., Lee, H., Grunert, D., Armstrong, B., Chu, P., Brown, C., Lim, M., Forman, S., Yu, H. 2020; 39 (10): 2156–69

Abstract

Both the extracellular matrix (ECM) and DNA epigenetic regulation are critical for maintaining stem cell phenotype and cancer progression. Whether and how ECM regulates epigenetic alterations to influence cancer stem cells (CSCs) remain to be explored. Here we report that ECM through laminin-integrin a6 upregulates ten-eleven translocation enzyme 3 (TET3) dioxygenase. TET3 in turn mediates DNA cytosine 5'-hydroxymethylation (5hmC) and upregulates genes critical for maintenance of glioma stem cells (GSCs). Activating integrin a6-FAK pathway increases STAT3 activity, TET3 expression and 5hmC levels in GSCs. Moreover, targeting STAT3 disrupts integrin a6-FAK signaling and inhibits TET3+ GSC maturation in vivo. STAT3 directly regulates TET3 expression and the two proteins are co-localized with 5hmC in GSC clusters. 5hmC is upregulated by STAT3 at the promoters of several tumorigenic genes, including c-Myc, known to be critical for GSCs. In vivo silencing of TET3 in GSC-enriched tumors reduces 5hmC accumulation and expression of the GSC critical genes, leading to tumor growth inhibition. TET3 expression and 5hmC accumulation also co-segregate with integrin a6 in patient malignant glioma. Thus, ECM- integrin a6-STAT3-TET3 axis regulates hydroxymethylation of genes important for GSCs, thereby increasing GSC tumorigenicity and resistance to therapies.

View details for DOI 10.1038/s41388-019-1134-6

View details for Web of Science ID 000518584000010

View details for PubMedID 31819166

View details for PubMedCentralID PMC7060098