Deubiquitinase USP35 restrains STING-mediated interferon signaling in ovarian cancer

Cell Death Differ. 2021 Jan;28(1):139-155. doi: 10.1038/s41418-020-0588-y. Epub 2020 Jul 16.

Abstract

Ovarian cancer is the most lethal malignant tumor of female reproductive system. It is well-known that induction of STING-mediated type I interferons can enhance the resultant antitumor activity. However, STING pathway is usually inactivated in cancer cells at multiple levels. Here, we identified deubiquitinase USP35 is upregulated in ovarian cancer tissues. High level of USP35 was correlated with diminished CD8+ T cell infiltration and poor prognosis in ovarian cancer patients. Mechanistically, we found that silencing USP35 reinforces the activation of STING-TBK1-IRF3 pathway and promotes the expression of type I interferons. Our data further showed that USP35 can directly deubiquitinate and inactivate STING. Interestingly, activation of STING promotes its binding to USP35 in a STING phosphorylation-dependent manner. Functionally, we found that knockdown of USP35 sensitizes ovarian cancer cells to the DNA-damage chemotherapeutic drug cisplatin. Overall, our study indicates that upregulation of USP35 may be a mechanism of the restricted STING activity in cancer cells, and highlights the significance of USP35 as a potential therapeutic target for ovarian cancer.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Agents / therapeutic use
  • Cisplatin / therapeutic use
  • DNA Damage / drug effects
  • Endopeptidases / genetics
  • Endopeptidases / metabolism*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Interferon Regulatory Factor-3 / metabolism
  • Interferon Type I / metabolism*
  • Membrane Proteins / metabolism
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Ovarian Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Ovarian Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Ovarian Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Ovarian Neoplasms / pathology
  • Phosphorylation
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects*
  • Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • IRF3 protein, human
  • Interferon Regulatory Factor-3
  • Interferon Type I
  • Membrane Proteins
  • STING1 protein, human
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases
  • TBK1 protein, human
  • Endopeptidases
  • USP35 protein, human
  • Cisplatin