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Methylation-induced suppression of YAP/TAZ confers sensitivity to HDAC inhibitors in high-grade IDH mutant gliomas
Thomas K. Sears, Matthew McCord, Wenxia Wang, Alicia Steffens, Kathleen McCortney, Rahul Chaliparambil, Jann N. Sarkaria, Craig M. Horbinski
Thomas K. Sears, Matthew McCord, Wenxia Wang, Alicia Steffens, Kathleen McCortney, Rahul Chaliparambil, Jann N. Sarkaria, Craig M. Horbinski
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Research Article Cell biology Oncology

Methylation-induced suppression of YAP/TAZ confers sensitivity to HDAC inhibitors in high-grade IDH mutant gliomas

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Abstract

IDH1/2 mutations (IDHmut) increase methylation of DNA and histones in gliomas. IDHmut inhibitors are effective against low-grade IDHmut gliomas, but new strategies against high-grade IDHmut gliomas are needed. Although histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) are ineffective against IDHwt glioblastoma (GBM), their potential in IDHmut gliomas has not been extensively studied. We previously established that IDHmut gliomas are more sensitive to HDACi than IDHwt GBM. Here we show that IDHmut is associated with greater sensitivity to HDACi only in glioma, not in IDHmut chondrosarcoma or cholangiocarcinoma. While HDACi induced more histone acetylation and gene regulation in IDHmut glioma than in IDHwt GBM, such acetylation was mostly within gene deserts, whereas IDHmut glioma promoters paradoxically lost histone acetylation. Two mediators of HDACi resistance, YAP and TAZ, were methylated and suppressed in IDHmut gliomas but not in other IDHmut cancers. Inducing YAP or TAZ expression in IDHmut gliomas conferred resistance to HDACi. Finally, belinostat extended in vivo survival only in IDHmut glioma models, not in IDHmut GBM models. Our findings provide a mechanistic rationale for further studies of HDACi in patients with IDHmut glioma, as well as the potential use of YAP/TAZ as a biomarker of HDACi sensitivity in cancers.

Authors

Thomas K. Sears, Matthew McCord, Wenxia Wang, Alicia Steffens, Kathleen McCortney, Rahul Chaliparambil, Jann N. Sarkaria, Craig M. Horbinski

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Figure 6

YAP or TAZ expression induces an HDACi resistance gene signature in IDHmut gliomas.

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YAP or TAZ expression induces an HDACi resistance gene signature in IDHm...
(A and B) Heatmap of overlapping genes identified in A that are associated with an HDACi resistance signature in 905 (A) and TS603 (B). (C and D) RNA-Seq was performed on our IDHwt and IDHmut parental cultures, genes filtered based on statistical significance and Log2FC > 1; then, heatmaps were produced of those gene associated with an HDACi resistance signature (C) or a YAP/TAZ gene target signature (D). (E–G) GSEA for an HDAC Resistance and an HDAC Sensitivity Gene Signature were performed on YAP 5SA– and TAZ 4SA–overexpressing 0905 (E), TS603 (F), and baseline parental cultures (G).

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