CSIG-27. PRC2-INDEPENDENT FUNCTION OF EZH2/HP1BP3 COMPLEX IN GLIOMA STEM CELLS

Abstract

Abstract Glioblastoma (GBM) displays cellular and genetical heterogeneity harboring a subpopulation of glioma stem cells (GSCs). Enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2), a histone lysine methyltransferase, is the core subunit of the polycomb repressor 2 (PRC2) complex, mediates gene transcriptional repression in both normal and tumor stem cells. An oncogenic role of EZH2 as a PRC2-dependent transcriptional silencer is well established; however, non-canonical functions of EZH2 are incompletely understood. Here we found a novel oncogenic mechanism for EZH2 in a PRC2-indenpend way in GSCs. Using HPLC-MS/MS and IP assay, EZH2 bound to HP1BP3 (heterochromatin protein 1 binding protein 3), a heterochromatin-related protein, with its pre-SET domain. Overexpression of H1P3B3 enhanced the proliferation, self-renewal and temozolomide (TMZ) resistance of GBM cells. Intriguingly, H1PBP3 was up-regulated in high grade gliomas with proneural (PN) subtypes and had a high predictive value on prognosis in patients with PN gliomas. Furthermore, EZH2 and HP1BP3 co-activated the expression of WNT7B by blocking the methylation of H3K9, thereby increasing TMZ resistance and tumorigenicity of glioblastoma cells. Interestingly, inhibition of WNT7B autocrine via LGK974, a specific porcupine inhibitor, effectively reversed the TMZ resistance of both GSCs and GBM glioma cells expressing HP1BP3. Hence, targeting the PRC2-independent function of EZH2 is an effective approach to enhance the efficacy of treating GBM.