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NF-κB c-REL-OTUD4 axis regulates B-cell receptor in B-cell lymphoma

Katab, E.; Kumar, A. J.; Steiger, K.; Mergner, J.; Azkargorta, M.; Yeroslaviz, A.; Elortza, F.; Fernandez-Saiz, V.

2023-05-08 cancer biology
10.1101/2023.05.06.539691 bioRxiv
Show abstract

The B-cell receptor (BCR) is essential for B-cell development and a crucial clinical target in immuno-oncology. However, therapeutic success against the BCR and downstream signaling pathways is hampered by enhanced NF-{kappa}B activation as a resistance mechanism. Using a multiomic approach, we discover the c-REL proto-oncogenic subunit of the NF-{kappa}B family as a key transcription factor regulating BCR subunit levels in B-cell lymphoma. Subsequent ChIP- seq, cell biology experiments, and patient data analysis reveal that OTUD4 is a critical deubiquitinase for inhibiting proteasomal degradation of c-REL and for stabilizing a multi-loop positive feedback of NF-{kappa}B to the BCR pathway. Remarkably, OTUD4 downregulation destabilizes c-REL and BCR levels and inhibits cell growth of B cell lymphoma. Thus, we shed light on the malignant potential of c-REL abundance, identify a positive feedback from c-REL to upstream BCR and present OTUD4 as a vulnerability to synergistically target NF-{kappa}B and BCR pathways in B-cell lymphoid malignancies.

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