Epigenome editing by a CRISPR-Cas9-based acetyltransferase activates the ZNF334 gene to inhibit the growth of colorectal cancer

Abstract

Although therapeutic targets for colorectal cancer (CRC) treatment have been developed, the treatment outcomes are not ideal and survival rates for CRC patients remain low. It is critical to identify a specific target and develop an effective CRC treatment system. The ZNF334 gene is a newly identified member of Zinc-finger proteins (ZNFs), which is essential for key biological processes associated with tumorigenesis. Abnormal epigenetic reprogramming of the ZNF334 gene promoter region decreases its expression in CRC and further induces the occurrence of CRC. Here, we clarified that P300 in CRC can regulate the H3K9/27 ac in the ZNF334 promoter. Furthermore, histone acetylation of the ZNF334 promoter region was increased by dCas9-P300 to normalize the deficiency of ZNF334 expression, thereby inhibiting the growth of CRC. Collectively, our findings enable a facile way to affect gene expression using CRISPR/Cas9-based epigenome editing and further determine the causal link between histone acetylation and gene activation, providing a promising gene therapy strategy for the CRC treatment.