Polycomb repressive complexes (PRC) are frequently implicated in human cancer acting either as oncogenes or tumor suppressors. Here we show that PRC2 is a critical regulator of Kras-driven non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) progression. Modulation of PRC2 by either Ezh2 overexpression or Eed deletion enhances Kras-driven adenomagenesis and inflammation, respectively. Eed-loss-driven inflammation leads to massive macrophage recruitment and marked decline in tissue function. Additional Trp53 inactivation activates a cell autonomous epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) program leading to an invasive mucinous adenocarcinoma. A switch between methylated/acetylated chromatin underlies the tumor phenotypic evolution, prominently involving genes controlled by Hippo/Wnt-signaling. Our observations in the mouse models were conserved in human cells. Importantly, PRC2 inactivation results in context-dependent phenotypic alterations, with implications for its therapeutic application. SOURCE: Gaetano Gargiulo (g.gargiulo@nki.nl) -  Netherlands Cancer Institute

Pluto Bioinformatics

GSE61190: Epigenomic profiling of Non-small-cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) cells with or without Eed