Oncogenic hijacking of a developmental transcription factor evokes vulnerability toward oxidative stress in Ewing sarcoma

Nat Commun. 2020 May 15;11(1):2423. doi: 10.1038/s41467-020-16244-2.

Abstract

Ewing sarcoma (EwS) is an aggressive childhood cancer likely originating from mesenchymal stem cells or osteo-chondrogenic progenitors. It is characterized by fusion oncoproteins involving EWSR1 and variable members of the ETS-family of transcription factors (in 85% FLI1). EWSR1-FLI1 can induce target genes by using GGAA-microsatellites as enhancers.Here, we show that EWSR1-FLI1 hijacks the developmental transcription factor SOX6 - a physiological driver of proliferation of osteo-chondrogenic progenitors - by binding to an intronic GGAA-microsatellite, which promotes EwS growth in vitro and in vivo. Through integration of transcriptome-profiling, published drug-screening data, and functional in vitro and in vivo experiments including 3D and PDX models, we discover that constitutively high SOX6 expression promotes elevated levels of oxidative stress that create a therapeutic vulnerability toward the oxidative stress-inducing drug Elesclomol.Collectively, our results exemplify how aberrant activation of a developmental transcription factor by a dominant oncogene can promote malignancy, but provide opportunities for targeted therapy.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Animals
  • Bone Neoplasms / pathology
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Child
  • Chondrocytes / metabolism
  • DNA Methylation
  • Enhancer Elements, Genetic
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic*
  • HEK293 Cells
  • Humans
  • Hydrazines / chemistry
  • Mesenchymal Stem Cells / metabolism
  • Mice
  • Microsatellite Repeats
  • Mitochondria / metabolism
  • Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis
  • Oncogene Proteins, Fusion / metabolism*
  • Oncogenes
  • Oxidative Stress*
  • RNA Interference
  • SOXD Transcription Factors / metabolism
  • Sarcoma / genetics
  • Sarcoma, Ewing / pathology*

Substances

  • EWSR1-FLI1 fusion protein, human
  • Hydrazines
  • Oncogene Proteins, Fusion
  • SOX6 protein, human
  • SOXD Transcription Factors
  • elesclomol