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  2. Histone N-terminal acetyltransferase NAA40 links one-carbon metabolism to chemoresistance

Histone N-terminal acetyltransferase NAA40 links one-carbon metabolism to chemoresistance

  • Oncogene. 2022 Jan;41(4):571-585. doi: 10.1038/s41388-021-02113-9.
Christina Demetriadou 1 Anastasia Raoukka 1 Evelina Charidemou 1 Constantine Mylonas 2 Christina Michael 3 Swati Parekh 2 Costas Koufaris 1 Paris Skourides 1 Panagiotis Papageorgis 3 Peter Tessarz 2 4 Antonis Kirmizis 5
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cyprus, 2109, Nicosia, Cyprus.
  • 2 Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing, Cologne, Germany.
  • 3 Department of Life Sciences, European University Cyprus, 2404, Nicosia, Cyprus.
  • 4 Cologne Excellence Cluster on Stress Responses in ageing-associated Diseases (CECAD), Joseph-Stelzmann-Str. 26, 50931, Cologne, Germany.
  • 5 Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cyprus, 2109, Nicosia, Cyprus. kirmizis@ucy.ac.cy.
Abstract

Aberrant function of epigenetic modifiers plays an important role not only in the progression of Cancer but also the development of drug resistance. N-alpha-acetyltransferase 40 (NAA40) is a highly specific epigenetic Enzyme catalyzing the transfer of an acetyl moiety at the N-terminal end of histones H4 and H2A. Recent studies have illustrated the essential oncogenic role of NAA40 in various Cancer types but its role in chemoresistance remains unclear. Here, using transcriptomic followed by metabolomic analysis in colorectal Cancer (CRC) cells, we demonstrate that NAA40 controls key one-carbon metabolic genes and corresponding metabolites. In particular, through its acetyltransferase activity NAA40 regulates the methionine cycle thereby affecting global histone methylation and CRC cell survival. Importantly, NAA40-mediated metabolic rewiring promotes resistance of CRC cells to antimetabolite chemotherapy in vitro and in xenograft models. Specifically, NAA40 stimulates transcription of the one-carbon metabolic gene Thymidylate Synthase (TYMS), whose product is targeted by 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and accordingly in primary CRC tumours NAA40 expression associates with TYMS levels and poorer 5-FU response. Mechanistically, NAA40 activates TYMS by preventing enrichment of repressive H2A/H4S1ph at the nuclear periphery. Overall, these findings define a novel regulatory link between Epigenetics and cellular metabolism mediated by NAA40, which is harnessed by Cancer cells to evade chemotherapy.

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