The dysregulation of transcription factors is widely associated with tumorigenesis. As the most well-defined transcription factor in multiple types of cancer, c-Myc can transform cells by transactivating various downstream genes. Given that there is no effective way to directly inhibit c-Myc, c-Myc targeting strategies hold great potential for cancer therapy. In this study, we found that WSB1, which has a highly positive correlation with c-Myc in 10 cancer cell lines and clinical samples, is a direct target gene of c-Myc, and can positively regulate c-Myc expression, which forms a feedforward circuit promoting cancer development. RNA sequencing results from Bel-7402?cells confirmed that WSB1 promoted c-Myc exp... More
The dysregulation of transcription factors is widely associated with tumorigenesis. As the most well-defined transcription factor in multiple types of cancer, c-Myc can transform cells by transactivating various downstream genes. Given that there is no effective way to directly inhibit c-Myc, c-Myc targeting strategies hold great potential for cancer therapy. In this study, we found that WSB1, which has a highly positive correlation with c-Myc in 10 cancer cell lines and clinical samples, is a direct target gene of c-Myc, and can positively regulate c-Myc expression, which forms a feedforward circuit promoting cancer development. RNA sequencing results from Bel-7402?cells confirmed that WSB1 promoted c-Myc expression through the -catenin pathway. Mechanistically, WSB1 affected -catenin destruction complex-PPP2CA assembly and E3 ubiquitin ligase adaptor -TRCP recruitment, which inhibited the ubiquitination of -catenin and transactivated c-Myc. Of interest, the effect of WSB1 on c-Myc was independent of its E3 ligase activity. Moreover, overexpressing WSB1 in the Bel-7402 xenograft model could further strengthen the tumor-driven effect of c-Myc overexpression. Thus, our findings revealed a novel mechanism involved in tumorigenesis in which the WSB1/c-Myc feedforward circuit played an essential role, highlighting a potential c-Myc intervention strategy in cancer treatment.
ATM, serine-protein kinase ATM, CHIP, chromatin immunoprecipitation, CK1, casein kinase 1, Cancer treatment, EBP2, probable rRNA-processing protein EBP2, ESC complex, elongin B/C-cullin 2/5-SOCS box containing ubiquitin ligase protein complex, Feedback loop, GSK3β, glycogen synthase kinase 3β, HCC, hepatocellular carcinoma, HIF1-α, hypoxia induced factor 1-alpha, IHC, immunohistochemistry, PLK1, serine/threonine-protein kinase PLK1, PP2A, serine/threonine protein phosphatase 2A, PROTAC, proteolysis targeting chimaera, RhoGDI2, Rho GDP dissociation inhibitor 2, TFs, transcription factors, Transcription factors, Tumorigenesis, Ubiquitination-proteasome pathway, WSB1, WSB1, WD repeat and SOCS box containing 1, c-Myc, c-Myc, proto-oncogene c-Myc, eIF4F, eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4F, β-Catenin destruction complex