C/EBP? enhances platinum resistance of ovarian cancer cells by reprogramming H3K79 methylation.

ABSTRACT: Chemoresistance is a major unmet clinical obstacle in ovarian cancer treatment. Epigenetics plays a pivotal role in regulating the malignant phenotype, and has the potential in developing therapeutically valuable targets that improve the dismal outcome of this disease. Here we show that a series of transcription factors, including C/EBP?, GCM1, and GATA1, could act as potential modulators of histone methylation in tumor cells. Of note, C/EBP?, an independent prognostic factor for patients with ovarian cancer, mediates an important mechanism through which epigenetic enzyme modifies groups of functionally related genes in a context-dependent manner. By recruiting the methyltransferase DOT1L, C/EBP? can maintain an open chromatin state by H3K79 methylation of multiple drug-resistance genes, thereby augmenting the chemoresistance of tumor cells. Therefore, we propose a new path against cancer epigenetics in which identifying and targeting the key regulators of epigenetics such as C/EBP? may provide more precise therapeutic options in ovarian cancer.

SUBMITTER: Liu D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5928165 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature