The cytokine IFNγ differentially impacts on tumors upon immune checkpoint blockade (ICB). Despite our understanding of downstream signaling events, less is known about regulation of its receptor (IFNγ-R1). With an unbiased genome-wide CRISPR/Cas9 screen for critical regulators of IFNγ-R1 cell surface abundance, we identify STUB1 as an E3 ubiquitin ligase for IFNγ-R1 in complex with its signal-relaying kinase JAK1. STUB1 mediates ubiquitination-dependent proteasomal degradation of IFNγ-R1/JAK1 complex through IFNγ-R1K285 and JAK1K249. Conversely, STUB1 inactivation amplifies IFNγ signaling, sensitizing tumor cells to cytotoxic T cells in vitro. This is corroborated by an anticorrelation between STUB1 expression and IFNγ response in ICB-treated patients. Consistent with the context-dependent effects of IFNγ in vivo, anti-PD-1 response is increased in heterogenous tumors comprising both wildtype and STUB1-deficient cells, but not full STUB1 knockout tumors. These results uncover STUB1 as a critical regulator of IFNγ-R1, and highlight the context-dependency of STUB1-regulated IFNγ signaling for ICB outcome.
© 2022. The Author(s).