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Zhan L, Zhang J, Zhang JH, Liu XJ, Guo B, Chen JH, Tang ZH, Wang WY, Wang QY, Wei B, Cao YX. METTL3 facilitates immunosurveillance by inhibiting YTHDF2-mediated NLRC5 mRNA degradation in endometrial cancer. Biomark Res 2023; 11:43. [PMID: 37085864 PMCID: PMC10122371 DOI: 10.1186/s40364-023-00479-4] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 04/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND N6-methyladenosine (m6A) methylation is the most abundant chemical posttranscriptional modification of mRNA, and it is associated with the regulation of the immune response to tumors. However, the function of m6A modification in the immune response to endometrial cancer (EC) remains unknown. Our study investigated the immunological role of methyltransferase-like 3 (METTL3) in EC and the underlying molecular mechanism. METHODS We investigated the correlation between the expression of METTL3 and CD8 by using an endometrial tissue microarray cohort. Next, we investigated the role and mechanism of METTL3 in the immune response to EC using a mouse tumor model and a CD8+ T cell-EC cell coculture system after METTL3 overexpression or depletion. Additionally, RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP), methylated RIP, and RNA stability experiments were used to investigate the mechanism underlying the function of METTL3 in immunosurveillance of EC. RESULTS METTL3 levels were downregulated in EC patients, low levels of METTL3 were correlated with poor prognosis in EC patients. There was a positive correlation between METTL3 expression and CD8 expression. Overexpression of METTL3 in the EC cell and CD8+ T cell coculture system inhibited EC cell proliferation, migration, and promoted CD8+ T-cell proliferation, and in vivo, METTL3 overexpression increased CD8+ T cell proportions and inhibited EC progression; however, genetic depletion of METTL3 exerted the opposite effects. NLR family CARD domain-containing 5 (NLRC5) was identified as a target of METTL3-mediated m6A modification. The degradation of NLRC5 was increased by YTH domain-containing family 2 (YTHDF2). CONCLUSIONS Overall, METTL3, YTHDF2, and NLRC5 have potential to be the diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for EC. METTL3 facilitated the m6A modifications of NLRC5 and inhibited its degradation through a YTHDF2-dependent mechanism in EC. Genetic overexpression of METTL3 attenuated the immune evasion of EC by promoting NLRC5-mediated immunosurveillance, suggesting that the METTL3/YTHDF2/NLRC5 axis is a promising target of immunotherapy in EC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Zhan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, No 218 Jixi Road, Hefei, 230022, Anhui, China
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, No 678 Furong Road, Hefei, 230601, Anhui, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Study on Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract, Anhui Medical University), No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health and Genetics, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
- Anhui Provincial Engineering Research Center of Biopreservation and Artificial Organs, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
- Anhui Provincial Institute of Translational Medicine, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Jing Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, No 678 Furong Road, Hefei, 230601, Anhui, China
| | - Jun-Hui Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, No 218 Jixi Road, Hefei, 230022, Anhui, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Study on Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract, Anhui Medical University), No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health and Genetics, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
- Anhui Provincial Engineering Research Center of Biopreservation and Artificial Organs, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
- Anhui Provincial Institute of Translational Medicine, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Xiao-Jing Liu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, No 678 Furong Road, Hefei, 230601, Anhui, China
| | - Bao Guo
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, No 678 Furong Road, Hefei, 230601, Anhui, China
| | - Jia-Hua Chen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, No 678 Furong Road, Hefei, 230601, Anhui, China
| | - Zhen-Hai Tang
- Center for Scientific Research of Anhui Medical University, No 218 Jixi Road, Hefei, 230022, Anhui, China
| | - Wen-Yan Wang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, No 678 Furong Road, Hefei, 230601, Anhui, China
| | - Qing-Yuan Wang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, No 678 Furong Road, Hefei, 230601, Anhui, China
| | - Bing Wei
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, No 678 Furong Road, Hefei, 230601, Anhui, China.
| | - Yun-Xia Cao
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, No 218 Jixi Road, Hefei, 230022, Anhui, China.
- NHC Key Laboratory of Study on Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract, Anhui Medical University), No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China.
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China.
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health and Genetics, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China.
- Anhui Provincial Engineering Research Center of Biopreservation and Artificial Organs, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China.
- Anhui Provincial Institute of Translational Medicine, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China.
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