PAF remodels the DREAM complex to bypass cell quiescence and promote lung tumorigenesis

Moon Jong Kim, Christopher Cervantes, Youn Sang Jung, Xiaoshan Zhang, Jie Zhang, Sung Ho Lee, Sohee Jun, Larisa Litovchick, Wenqi Wang, Junjie Chen, Bingliang Fang, Jae Il Park

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

29 Scopus citations

Abstract

The DREAM complex orchestrates cell quiescence and the cell cycle. However, how the DREAM complex is deregulated in cancer remains elusive. Here, we report that PAF (PCLAF/KIAA0101) drives cell quiescence exit to promote lung tumorigenesis by remodeling the DREAM complex. PAF is highly expressed in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and is associated with poor prognosis. Importantly, Paf knockout markedly suppressed LUAD development in mouse models. PAF depletion induced LUAD cell quiescence and growth arrest. PAF is required for the global expression of cell-cycle genes controlled by the repressive DREAM complex. Mechanistically, PAF inhibits DREAM complex formation by binding to RBBP4, a core DREAM subunit, leading to transactivation of DREAM target genes. Furthermore, pharmacological mimicking of PAF-depleted transcriptomes inhibited LUAD tumor growth. Our results unveil how the PAF-remodeled DREAM complex bypasses cell quiescence to promote lung tumorigenesis and suggest that the PAF-DREAM axis may be a therapeutic vulnerability in lung cancer.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1698-1714.e6
JournalMolecular cell
Volume81
Issue number8
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 15 2021

Keywords

  • Cell Cycle
  • DREAM complex
  • KIAA0101
  • KRAS
  • PAF
  • PCLAF
  • PCNA
  • RBBP4
  • cell quiescence
  • lung cancer

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Molecular Biology
  • Cell Biology

MD Anderson CCSG core facilities

  • Research Animal Support Facility
  • Tissue Biospecimen and Pathology Resource
  • Clinical Trials Office
  • Genetically Engineered Mouse Facility
  • Functional Genomics Core
  • Small Animal Imaging Facility

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