SWI/SNF-mutant cancers depend on catalytic and non-catalytic activity of EZH2

Nat Med. 2015 Dec;21(12):1491-6. doi: 10.1038/nm.3968. Epub 2015 Nov 9.

Abstract

Human cancer genome sequencing has recently revealed that genes that encode subunits of SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complexes are frequently mutated across a wide variety of cancers, and several subunits of the complex have been shown to have bona fide tumor suppressor activity. However, whether mutations in SWI/SNF subunits result in shared dependencies is unknown. Here we show that EZH2, a catalytic subunit of the polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2), is essential in all tested cancer cell lines and xenografts harboring mutations of the SWI/SNF subunits ARID1A, PBRM1, and SMARCA4, which are several of the most frequently mutated SWI/SNF subunits in human cancer, but that co-occurrence of a Ras pathway mutation is correlated with abrogation of this dependence. Notably, we demonstrate that SWI/SNF-mutant cancer cells are primarily dependent on a non-catalytic role of EZH2 in the stabilization of the PRC2 complex, and that they are only partially dependent on EZH2 histone methyltransferase activity. These results not only reveal a shared dependency of cancers with genetic alterations in SWI/SNF subunits, but also suggest that EZH2 enzymatic inhibitors now in clinical development may not fully suppress the oncogenic activity of EZH2.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acetylation / drug effects
  • Animals
  • Catalysis / drug effects
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone / genetics*
  • Drug Resistance, Neoplasm / drug effects
  • Enhancer of Zeste Homolog 2 Protein
  • Enzyme Inhibitors / pharmacology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Indoles / pharmacology
  • Methylation / drug effects
  • Mice, Nude
  • Mutation / genetics*
  • Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Phosphorylation / drug effects
  • Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 / metabolism*
  • Pyridones / pharmacology
  • RNA, Small Interfering / metabolism
  • Transcription Factors / genetics*
  • Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

Substances

  • Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone
  • Enzyme Inhibitors
  • GSK-2816126
  • Indoles
  • Pyridones
  • RNA, Small Interfering
  • SWI-SNF-B chromatin-remodeling complex
  • Transcription Factors
  • EZH2 protein, human
  • Enhancer of Zeste Homolog 2 Protein
  • Polycomb Repressive Complex 2