STT3-dependent PD-L1 accumulation on cancer stem cells promotes immune evasion

Nat Commun. 2018 May 15;9(1):1908. doi: 10.1038/s41467-018-04313-6.

Abstract

Enriched PD-L1 expression in cancer stem-like cells (CSCs) contributes to CSC immune evasion. However, the mechanisms underlying PD-L1 enrichment in CSCs remain unclear. Here, we demonstrate that epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) enriches PD-L1 in CSCs by the EMT/β-catenin/STT3/PD-L1 signaling axis, in which EMT transcriptionally induces N-glycosyltransferase STT3 through β-catenin, and subsequent STT3-dependent PD-L1 N-glycosylation stabilizes and upregulates PD-L1. The axis is also utilized by the general cancer cell population, but it has much more profound effect on CSCs as EMT induces more STT3 in CSCs than in non-CSCs. We further identify a non-canonical mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET) activity of etoposide, which suppresses the EMT/β-catenin/STT3/PD-L1 axis through TOP2B degradation-dependent nuclear β-catenin reduction, leading to PD-L1 downregulation of CSCs and non-CSCs and sensitization of cancer cells to anti-Tim-3 therapy. Together, our results link MET to PD-L1 stabilization through glycosylation regulation and reveal it as a potential strategy to enhance cancer immunotherapy efficacy.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • B7-H1 Antigen / genetics
  • B7-H1 Antigen / immunology*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • DNA Topoisomerases, Type II / genetics
  • DNA Topoisomerases, Type II / immunology
  • Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
  • Hexosyltransferases / genetics
  • Hexosyltransferases / immunology*
  • Humans
  • Immune Evasion*
  • Membrane Proteins / genetics
  • Membrane Proteins / immunology*
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Neoplasms / genetics
  • Neoplasms / immunology*
  • Neoplasms / physiopathology
  • Neoplastic Stem Cells / cytology
  • Neoplastic Stem Cells / immunology*
  • Poly-ADP-Ribose Binding Proteins / genetics
  • Poly-ADP-Ribose Binding Proteins / immunology
  • beta Catenin / genetics
  • beta Catenin / immunology

Substances

  • B7-H1 Antigen
  • Cd274 protein, mouse
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Poly-ADP-Ribose Binding Proteins
  • STT3-A protein, mouse
  • beta Catenin
  • Hexosyltransferases
  • Stt3b protein, mouse
  • DNA Topoisomerases, Type II
  • Top2b protein, mouse