The EMT transcription factor ZEB1 governs a fitness-promoting but vulnerable DNA replication stress response.
Cell Rep 2022;
41:111819. [PMID:
36516781 DOI:
10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111819]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2022] [Revised: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The DNA damage response (DDR) and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) are two crucial cellular programs in cancer biology. While the DDR orchestrates cell-cycle progression, DNA repair, and cell death, EMT promotes invasiveness, cellular plasticity, and intratumor heterogeneity. Therapeutic targeting of EMT transcription factors, such as ZEB1, remains challenging, but tumor-promoting DDR alterations elicit specific vulnerabilities. Using multi-omics, inhibitors, and high-content microscopy, we discover a chemoresistant ZEB1-high-expressing sub-population (ZEB1hi) with co-rewired cell-cycle progression and proficient DDR across tumor entities. ZEB1 stimulates accelerated S-phase entry via CDK6, inflicting endogenous DNA replication stress. However, DDR buildups involving constitutive MRE11-dependent fork resection allow homeostatic cycling and enrichment of ZEB1hi cells during transforming growth factor β (TGF-β)-induced EMT and chemotherapy. Thus, ZEB1 promotes G1/S transition to launch a progressive DDR benefitting stress tolerance, which concurrently manifests a targetable vulnerability in chemoresistant ZEB1hi cells. Our study thus highlights the translationally relevant intercept of the DDR and EMT.
Collapse