Open AccessAbstract 3096: A novel ZIP4-NOTCH3-HDAC4 axis in ovarian cancer stem cells
Author(s) -
Yan Xu,
Qipeng Fan,
Robert E. Emerson
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
cancer research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Conference proceedings
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.055
H-Index - 84
eISSN - 1538-7445
pISSN - 0008-5472
DOI - 10.1158/1538-7445.am2021-3096
Subject(s) - cancer research , hdac4 , cancer stem cell , chemistry , cancer cell , gene knockdown , stem cell , carcinogenesis , in vivo , ovarian cancer , microbiology and biotechnology , histone deacetylase , cancer , biology , medicine , histone , biochemistry , apoptosis , gene
High grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) is one of the most deadly and heterogenic cancers. We have recently shown that ZIP4 (gene name SLC39A4), a zinc transporter, is a novel cancer stem cell (CSC) marker in HGSOC. 100-200 ZIP4+, but not ZIP4-, cells from both PE04 and PEA2 cells formed larger tumors than those from 100-200 ALDH+ cells in mice. Mechanistically, we found that ZIP4 was an upstream regulator of another CSC-marker, NOTCH3, in HGSOC cells. NOTCH3 was functionally involved in spheroid formation in vitro and tumorigenesis in vivo in HGSOC. Drug-resistance is one of the main characteristics of CSCs, While ZIP4 converts drug-resistance to cisplatin (CDDP) and doxorubicin (DOX) as we reported previously, we unexpectedly found that ZIP4 induced a sensitization of HGSOC cells to histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACis). In particular, only those HDACis against the Class IIa HDACs showed ZIP4-dependent sensitization. ZIP4 selectively up-regulated HDAC IIa HDACs, including HDAC4 and 5, with little or no effects to HDACs in other classes. ZIP4 knockout (KO) and HDAC4 knockdown (KD) increased cell resistance to LMK-235, a selective HDAC4/5 inhibitor. LMK-235 and HDAC4 knockdown (KD) inhibited spheroid formation in vitro and tumor development in vivo. Collectively, we revealed a novel ZIP4-NOTCH3-HDAC4 axis, which is functionally involved and important in CSC-related activities in vitro and tumorigenesis in vivo, and provide an innovative targeting strategy to CSC. Citation Format: Yan Xu, Qipeng Fan, Robert Emerson. A novel ZIP4-NOTCH3-HDAC4 axis in ovarian cancer stem cells [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021; 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr 3096.