Cited by 77Pancreatic and Hepatic Oncology ResearchEpigenetics and DNA MethylationChromatin Remodeling and Cancer

HNF1A recruits KDM6A to activate differentiated acinar cell programs that suppress pancreatic cancer

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Kalisz, Mark, Bernardo, Edgar, Beucher, Anthony, Maestro, Miguel Angel, del Pozo, Natalia, Millán, Irene, Haeberle, Lena, Schlensog, Martin +11 more·2020·The EMBO Journal

Published version of a preprint

Abstract

Defects in transcriptional regulators of pancreatic exocrine differentiation have been implicated in pancreatic tumorigenesis, but the molecular mechanisms are poorly understood. The locus encoding the transcription factor HNF1A harbors susceptibility variants for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), while KDM6A , encoding Lysine‐specific demethylase 6A, carries somatic mutations in PDAC. Here, we show that pancreas‐specific Hnf1a null mutant transcriptomes phenocopy those of Kdm6a mutations, and both defects synergize with Kras G12D to cause PDAC with sarcomatoid features. We combine genetic, epigenomic, and biochemical studies to show that HNF1A recruits KDM6A to genomic binding sites in pancreatic acinar cells. This remodels the acinar enhancer landscape, activates differentiated acinar cell programs, and indirectly suppresses oncogenic and epithelial–mesenchymal transition genes. We also identify a subset of non‐classical PDAC samples that exhibit the HNF1A/KDM6A ‐deficient molecular phenotype. These findings provide direct genetic evidence that HNF1A deficiency promotes PDAC. They also connect the tumor‐suppressive role of KDM6A deficiency with a cell‐specific molecular mechanism that underlies PDAC subtype definition.

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  • Deletion of KDM6A in GEMMs results in accelerated tumorigenesis and acquisition of an aggressive transcriptional subtype.

    “deletion of KDM6A results in accelerated tumorigenesis and acquisition of an aggressive transcriptional subtype95–97.”

    From Pancreatic cancer: Advances and challenges (2023) · cites this paper as [95]

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Authors
Kalisz, M., Bernardo, E., Beucher, A., Maestro, M. A., del Pozo, N., Millán, I., Haeberle, L., Schlensog, M., Safi, S. A., Knoefel, W. T., Grau, V., de Vas, M., Shpargel, K. B., Vaquero, E., Magnuson, T., Ortega, S., Esposito, I., Real, F. X., & Ferrer, J.
Affiliations
  • Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (ES)
  • Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Diabetes y Enfermedades Metabólicas Asociadas (ES)
  • Imperial College London (GB)
  • Düsseldorf University Hospital (DE)
  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (US)
  • Hospital Clínic de Barcelona (ES)
  • Universitat Pompeu Fabra (ES)
Corresponding author
Ferrer, Jorge
Venue
The EMBO Journal
Published
2020-03-10
Volume
39
Issue
9
Pages
e102808-e102808
ISSN
  • 0261-4189 (ISSN-L)
  • 1460-2075
OpenAlex
W3010741834
Cited by
77
References
94
Citations by year
2026: 9 · 2025: 17 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 16 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 1
FWCI
3.79
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • The EMBO Journal (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) (acceptedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Repositori digital de la UPF (Universitat Pompeu Fabra) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • Spiral (Imperial College London) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • Spiral (Imperial College London) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Funders
  • Wellcome Trust (WT101033)
  • UK Research and Innovation|Medical Research Council (MR/L02036X/1)
  • European Research Council Advanced Grant (789055)
  • Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (BFU2014-54284-R, RTI2018-095666-B-I00, SAF2011-29530, SAF2015-70553-R)
  • MEC|Instituto de Salud Carlos III (RD12/0036/0034, RD12/0036/0050)
  • Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation United States of America (3-PDF-2014-192-A-N)
  • Fundación Bancaja (LCF/BQ/ES18/11670009)
  • CERCA Programme
  • Generalitat de Catalunya
  • Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (SEV-2012-0208, SEV-2016-0510)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Oncology › Pancreatic and Hepatic Oncology Research
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Epigenetics and DNA Methylation
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Chromatin Remodeling and Cancer
Keywords
HNF1A, KDM6A, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, pancreatic acinar cells, KRAS G12D, enhancer landscape, epigenetic regulation, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, sarcomatoid differentiation, tumor suppressor, transcriptional regulation
MeSH terms
Animals, Humans, Mutation, Organ Specificity, Pancreas, Pancreatic Neoplasms, Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic, Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal, Epigenesis, Genetic, Mice, Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 1-alpha, Gene Regulatory Networks, Histone Demethylases, Acinar Cells

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