Abstract

5-Methylcytosine (m5C) is a common RNA modification that modulates gene expression at the posttranscriptional level, but the crosstalk between m5C RNA modification and biomolecule condensation, as well as transcription factor-mediated transcriptional regulation, in ovarian cancer, is poorly understood. In this study, we revealed that the RNA methyltransferase NSUN2 facilitates mRNA m5C modification and forms a positive feedback regulatory loop with the transcription factor E2F1 in ovarian cancer. Specifically, NSUN2 promotes m5C modification of E2F1 mRNA and increases its stability, and E2F1 binds to the NSUN2 promoter, subsequently reciprocally activating NSUN2 transcription. The RNA binding protein YBX1 functions as the m5C reader and is involved in NSUN2-mediated E2F1 regulation. m5C modification promotes YBX1 phase separation, which upregulates E2F1 expression. In ovarian cancer, NSUN2 and YBX1 are amplified and upregulated, and higher expression of NSUN2 and YBX1 predicts a worse prognosis for ovarian cancer patients. Moreover, E2F1 transcriptionally regulates the expression of the oncogenes MYBL2 and RAD54L, driving ovarian cancer progression. Thus, our study delineates a NSUN2-E2F1-NSUN2 loop regulated by m5C modification in a manner dependent on YBX1 phase separation, and this previously unidentified pathway could be a promising target for ovarian cancer treatment.

m5C modification: a new pathway in ovarian cancer treatment

Ovarian cancer is the most lethal women’s reproductive system cancer globally, largely due to the absence of early detection techniques. Scientists have discovered that a gene named NSUN2, often found in excess in ovarian cancer, is vital for the cancer’s growth. The research, led by P.Y. and T.L., revealed that NSUN2 encourages the expansion and spread of ovarian cancer cells. They also found that NSUN2 controls the activity of another gene, E2F1, through a method called m5C modification (a process that alters gene expression). This method is essential for E2F1’s RNA stability, a significant factor in cancer growth. The study indicates that focusing on NSUN2 and E2F1 could be a potential treatment approach for ovarian cancer. This summary was initially drafted using artificial intelligence, then revised and fact-checked by the author.

Details

Title
RNA m5C modification upregulates E2F1 expression in a manner dependent on YBX1 phase separation and promotes tumor progression in ovarian cancer
Author
Liu, Xiaoyi 1 ; Wei, Qinglv 2 ; Yang, Chenyue 1 ; Zhao, Hongyan 1 ; Xu, Jie 1 ; Mobet, Youchaou 1 ; Luo, Qingya 3 ; Yang, Dan 1 ; Zuo, Xinzhao 1 ; Chen, Ningxuan 1 ; Yang, Yu 1 ; Li, Li 4 ; Wang, Wei 5 ; Yu, Jianhua 6 ; Xu, Jing 1 ; Liu, Tao 1 ; Yi, Ping 1 

 The Third Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Chongqing, China (GRID:grid.203458.8) (ISNI:0000 0000 8653 0555) 
 The Third Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Chongqing, China (GRID:grid.203458.8) (ISNI:0000 0000 8653 0555); Children’s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Child Infection and Immunity, Chongqing, China (GRID:grid.488412.3) 
 Army Medical University, Department of Pathology, Southwest Hospital, Chongqing, China (GRID:grid.410570.7) (ISNI:0000 0004 1760 6682) 
 Army Medical University, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Daping Hospital, Chongqing, China (GRID:grid.410570.7) (ISNI:0000 0004 1760 6682) 
 Chongqing Medical University, Institute of Life Sciences, Chongqing, China (GRID:grid.203458.8) (ISNI:0000 0000 8653 0555) 
 City of Hope National Medical Center, Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Duarte, USA (GRID:grid.410425.6) (ISNI:0000 0004 0421 8357) 
Pages
600-615
Publication year
2024
Publication date
Mar 2024
Publisher
Springer Nature B.V.
ISSN
12263613
e-ISSN
20926413
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
3028036544
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2024. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.