SRCAP complex promotes lung cancer progression by reprograming the oncogenic transcription of Hippo-YAP/TAZ signaling pathway

Abstract

The activation of YAP/TAZ, a pair of paralogs of transcriptional coactivators, initiates a dysregulated transcription program, which is a key feature of human cancer cells. However, it is not fully understood how YAP/TAZ promote dysregulated transcription for tumor progression. In this study, we employed the BioID method to identify the interactome of YAP/TAZ and discovered that YAP/TAZ interact with multiple components of SRCAP complex, a finding that was further validated through endogenous and exogenous co-immunoprecipitation, as well as immunofluorescence experiments. CUT&Tag analysis revealed that SRCAP complex facilitates the deposition of histone variant H2A.Z at target promoters. The depletion of SRCAP complex resulted in a decrease in H2A.Z occupancy and the oncogenic transcription of YAP/TAZ target genes. Additionally, the blockade of SRCAP complex suppressed YAP-driven tumor growth. In a genetically engineered lung adenocarcinoma mouse model and non-small cell lung cancer patients, SRCAP complex and H2A.Z deposition were found to be upregulated. This upregulation was statistically correlated with YAP expression, pathological stages, and poor survival in lung cancer patients. Together, our study uncovers that SRCAP complex plays a critical role in YAP/TAZ oncogenic transcription by coordinating H2A.Z deposition during cancer progression, providing potential targets for cancer diagnosis and prevention.

Keywords: Hippo pathway; Lung cancer; Oncogenic transcription; SRCAP; YAP/TAZ.