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Zhuo B, Zhang Q, Xie T, Wang Y, Chen Z, Zuo D, Guo B. Integrative epigenetic analysis reveals AP-1 promotes activation of tumor-infiltrating regulatory T cells in HCC. Cell Mol Life Sci 2023; 80:103. [PMID: 36941472 PMCID: PMC11071886 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-023-04746-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023]
Abstract
Regulatory T (Treg) cells that infiltrate human tumors exhibit stronger immunosuppressive activity compared to peripheral blood Treg cells (PBTRs), thus hindering the induction of effective antitumor immunity. Previous transcriptome studies have identified a set of genes that are conserved in tumor-infiltrating Treg cells (TITRs). However, epigenetic profiles of TITRs have not yet been completely deciphered. Here, we employed ATAC-seq and CUT&Tag assays to integrate transcriptome profiles and identify functional regulatory elements in TITRs. We observed a global difference in chromatin accessibility and enhancer landscapes between TITRs and PBTRs. We identified two types of active enhancer formation in TITRs. The H3K4me1-predetermined enhancers are poised to be activated in response to tumor microenvironmental stimuli. We found that AP-1 family motifs are enriched at the enhancer regions of TITRs. Finally, we validated that c-Jun binds at regulatory regions to regulate signature genes of TITRs and AP-1 is required for Treg cells activation in vitro. High c-Jun expression is correlated with poor survival in human HCC. Overall, our results provide insights into the mechanism of AP-1-mediated activation of TITRs and can hopefully be used to develop new therapeutic strategies targeting TITRs in liver cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baowen Zhuo
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, Guangdong, China
- Medical Research Institute, Shenzhen Baoan Women's and Children's Hospital, Jinan University, Shenzhen, 518102, Guangdong, China
| | - Qifan Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, Division of Hepatobiliopancreatic Surgery, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, Guangdong, China
| | - Tingyan Xie
- Medical Research Institute, Shenzhen Baoan Women's and Children's Hospital, Jinan University, Shenzhen, 518102, Guangdong, China
| | - Yidan Wang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Shenzhen Baoan Women's and Children's Hospital, Jinan University, Shenzhen, 518102, Guangdong, China
| | - Zhengliang Chen
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, Guangdong, China.
| | - Daming Zuo
- Department of Medical Laboratory, School of Laboratory Medicine and Biotechnology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, Guangdong, China.
| | - Bo Guo
- Medical Research Institute, Shenzhen Baoan Women's and Children's Hospital, Jinan University, Shenzhen, 518102, Guangdong, China.
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