SETD2 Restricts Prostate Cancer Metastasis by Integrating EZH2 and AMPK Signaling Pathways

Cancer Cell. 2020 Sep 14;38(3):350-365.e7. doi: 10.1016/j.ccell.2020.05.022. Epub 2020 Jul 2.

Abstract

The level of SETD2-mediated H3K36me3 is inversely correlated with that of EZH2-catalyzed H3K27me3. Nevertheless, it remains unclear whether these two enzymatic activities are molecularly intertwined. Here, we report that SETD2 delays prostate cancer (PCa) metastasis via its substrate EZH2. We show that SETD2 methylates EZH2 which promotes EZH2 degradation. SETD2 deficiency induces a Polycomb-repressive chromatin state that enables cells to acquire metastatic traits. Conversely, mice harboring nonmethylated EZH2 mutant or SETD2 mutant defective in binding to EZH2 develop metastatic PCa. Furthermore, we identify that metformin-stimulated AMPK signaling converges at FOXO3 to stimulate SETD2 expression. Together, our results demonstrate that the SETD2-EZH2 axis integrates metabolic and epigenetic signaling to restrict PCa metastasis.

Keywords: AMPK; EZH2; SETD2; epigenetic and metabolic dysregulations; metformin; prostate cancer metastasis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • AMP-Activated Protein Kinases / genetics*
  • AMP-Activated Protein Kinases / metabolism
  • Animals
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Enhancer of Zeste Homolog 2 Protein / genetics*
  • Enhancer of Zeste Homolog 2 Protein / metabolism
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic*
  • Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase / genetics*
  • Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Kaplan-Meier Estimate
  • Male
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Inbred NOD
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Mice, Nude
  • Mice, SCID
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / pathology
  • Signal Transduction / genetics*
  • Transplantation, Heterologous

Substances

  • EZH2 protein, human
  • Enhancer of Zeste Homolog 2 Protein
  • Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase
  • SETD2 protein, human
  • AMP-Activated Protein Kinases