RESUMO
The histone acetyl reader bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4) is an important regulator of chromatin structure and transcription, yet factors modulating its activity have remained elusive. Here we describe two complementary screens for genetic and physical interactors of BRD4, which converge on the folate pathway enzyme MTHFD1 (methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase, cyclohydrolase and formyltetrahydrofolate synthetase 1). We show that a fraction of MTHFD1 resides in the nucleus, where it is recruited to distinct genomic loci by direct interaction with BRD4. Inhibition of either BRD4 or MTHFD1 results in similar changes in nuclear metabolite composition and gene expression; pharmacological inhibitors of the two pathways synergize to impair cancer cell viability in vitro and in vivo. Our finding that MTHFD1 and other metabolic enzymes are chromatin associated suggests a direct role for nuclear metabolism in the control of gene expression.
Assuntos
Ácido Fólico/metabolismo , Regulação da Expressão Gênica , Metilenotetra-Hidrofolato Desidrogenase (NADP)/metabolismo , Antígenos de Histocompatibilidade Menor/metabolismo , Proteínas Nucleares/metabolismo , Fatores de Transcrição/metabolismo , Proteínas de Ciclo Celular , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Núcleo Celular/metabolismo , Cromatina/genética , Técnicas de Inativação de Genes , Humanos , Mutação com Perda de Função , Ligação Proteica , Mapeamento de Interação de Proteínas , Mapas de Interação de Proteínas , Transporte Proteico , Transdução de Sinais , Transcrição GênicaRESUMO
The Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor ibrutinib has substantially improved therapeutic options for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Although ibrutinib is not curative, it has a profound effect on CLL cells and may create new pharmacologically exploitable vulnerabilities. To identify such vulnerabilities, we developed a systematic approach that combines epigenome profiling (charting the gene-regulatory basis of cell state) with single-cell chemosensitivity profiling (quantifying cell-type-specific drug response) and bioinformatic data integration. By applying our method to a cohort of matched patient samples collected before and during ibrutinib therapy, we identified characteristic ibrutinib-induced changes that provide a starting point for the rational design of ibrutinib combination therapies. Specifically, we observed and validated preferential sensitivity to proteasome, PLK1, and mTOR inhibitors during ibrutinib treatment. More generally, our study establishes a broadly applicable method for investigating treatment-specific vulnerabilities by integrating the complementary perspectives of epigenetic cell states and phenotypic drug responses in primary patient samples.