DENR controls JAK2 translation to induce PD-L1 expression for tumor immune evasion.

Baiwen Chen, Jiajia Hu, Xianting Hu, Huifang Chen, Rujuan Bao, Yatao Zhou, Youqiong Ye, Meixiao Zhan, Wei Cai, Huabin Li, Hua-Bing Li

Nature communications 2022 Apr 19

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RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) can recognize thousands of RNAs that help to maintain cell homeostasis, and RBP dysfunction is frequently observed in various cancers. However, whether specific RBPs are involved in tumor immune evasion by regulating programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) is unclear. Here, we perform targeted RBP CRISPR/Cas9 screening and identify density regulated re-initiation and release factor (DENR) as a PD-L1 regulator. DENR-depleted cancer cells exhibit reduced PD-L1 expression in vitro and in vivo. DENR depletion significantly suppresses tumor growth and enhances the tumor-killing activity of CD8+ T cells. Mechanistically, DENR antagonizes the translational repression of three consecutive upstream open reading frames (uORFs) upstream of Janus kinase 2 (Jak2); thus, DENR deficiency impairs JAK2 translation and the IFNγ-JAK-STAT signaling pathway, resulting in reduced PD-L1 expression in tumors. Overall, we discover an RBP DENR that could regulate PD-L1 expression for tumor immune evasion, and highlight the potential of DENR as a therapeutic target for immunotherapy. © 2022. The Author(s).

Citation

Baiwen Chen, Jiajia Hu, Xianting Hu, Huifang Chen, Rujuan Bao, Yatao Zhou, Youqiong Ye, Meixiao Zhan, Wei Cai, Huabin Li, Hua-Bing Li. DENR controls JAK2 translation to induce PD-L1 expression for tumor immune evasion. Nature communications. 2022 Apr 19;13(1):2059