Alternative isoforms of KDM2A and KDM2B lysine demethylases negatively regulate canonical Wnt signaling

PLoS One. 2020 Oct 26;15(10):e0236612. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0236612. eCollection 2020.

Abstract

A precisely balanced activity of canonical Wnt signaling is essential for a number of biological processes and its perturbation leads to developmental defects or diseases. Here, we demonstrate that alternative isoforms of the KDM2A and KDM2B lysine demethylases have the ability to negatively regulate canonical Wnt signaling. These KDM2A and KDM2B isoforms (KDM2A-SF and KDM2B-SF) lack the N-terminal demethylase domain, but they still have the ability to bind to CpG islands in promoters and to interact with their protein partners via their other functional domains. We have observed that KDM2A-SF and KDM2B-SF bind to the promoters of axin 2 and cyclin D1, two canonical Wnt signaling target genes, and repress their activity. Moreover, KDM2A-SF and KDM2B-SF are both able to strongly repress a Wnt-responsive luciferase reporter. The transcriptional repression mediated by KDM2A-SF and KDM2B-SF, but also by KDM2A-LF, is dependent on their DNA binding domain, while the N-terminal demethylase domain is dispensable for this process. Surprisingly, KDM2B-LF is unable to repress both the endogenous promoters and the luciferase reporter. Finally, we show that both KDM2A-SF and KDM2B-SF are able to interact with TCF7L1, one of the transcriptional mediators of canonical Wnt signaling. KDM2A-SF and KDM2B-SF are thus likely to negatively affect the transcription of canonical Wnt signaling target genes by binding to their promoters and by interacting with TCF7L1 and other co-repressors.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • CpG Islands
  • Cyclin D1 / genetics
  • Cyclin D1 / metabolism*
  • F-Box Proteins / genetics
  • F-Box Proteins / metabolism*
  • Gene Expression Regulation*
  • HEK293 Cells
  • Humans
  • Jumonji Domain-Containing Histone Demethylases / genetics
  • Jumonji Domain-Containing Histone Demethylases / metabolism*
  • Lysine / genetics
  • Lysine / metabolism
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic*
  • Protein Isoforms
  • Transcription Factor 7-Like 1 Protein / genetics
  • Transcription Factor 7-Like 1 Protein / metabolism*
  • Wnt Signaling Pathway*

Substances

  • CCND1 protein, human
  • F-Box Proteins
  • Protein Isoforms
  • TCF7L1 protein, human
  • Transcription Factor 7-Like 1 Protein
  • Cyclin D1
  • Jumonji Domain-Containing Histone Demethylases
  • KDM2A protein, human
  • Lysine

Grants and funding

YES: This work was supported by the Grant Agency of Czech Republic (19-19779S, 17-07164S) and the project of Charles University (Progres Q28).