The WWP1–JARID1B axis sustains acute myeloid leukemia chemoresistance

C Claudia Fierro (Department of Experimental Medicine, Tor Vergata Oncoscience Research, University of Rome Tor Vergata) S Sara Giovannini (Department of Experimental Medicine, Tor Vergata Oncoscience Research, University of Rome Tor Vergata) V Valeria Moriconi (Department of Experimental Medicine, Tor Vergata Oncoscience Research, University of Rome Tor Vergata) C Claudia Fiorilli (Department of Experimental Medicine, Tor Vergata Oncoscience Research, University of Rome Tor Vergata) E Emanuele Panatta (Department of Experimental Medicine, Tor Vergata Oncoscience Research, University of Rome Tor Vergata) V Valentina Frezza (Department of Experimental Medicine, Tor Vergata Oncoscience Research, University of Rome Tor Vergata) F Federica Corigliano (Department of Experimental Medicine, Tor Vergata Oncoscience Research, University of Rome Tor Vergata) R Rosalba Pecorari (Department of Experimental Medicine, Tor Vergata Oncoscience Research, University of Rome Tor Vergata) Y Yanan Li (NHC Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Microbial Drugs) J Ji Zhou V Vincenza Simona Delvecchio (Department of Experimental Medicine, Tor Vergata Oncoscience Research, University of Rome Tor Vergata) A Artem Smirnov (Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”) J Jose Manuel Garcia Manteiga (Center for Omics Sciences, Istituti di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, San Raffaele Scientific Institute) A Andrea Brendolan (Lymphoid stromal cell biology Unit, Division of Experimental Oncology, Istituti di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, San Raffaele Scientific Institute) J Jinping Zhang (The Centre of Nanoscale Science and Technology and Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials, Institute of Polymer Chemistry, College of Chemistry) Y Yufang Shi (The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Institutes for Translational Medicine of Soochow University) I Ivano Amelio E Eleonora Candi (Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”) G Gerry Melino (Department of Experimental Medicine, TOR, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”) F Francesca Bernassola (Department of Experimental Medicine, Tor Vergata Oncoscience Research, University of Rome Tor Vergata)

Abstract

To uncover substrates mediating the oncogenic activity of WWP1 in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), we performed a proteomic analysis that identified the histone demethylase KDM5B /JARID1B as a candidate target. Of note, JARID1B is indispensable for efficient recruitment of several DNA damage repair factors and for damage resolution, thus negatively influencing the sensitivity of cancer cells to chemo- and radiation therapies. Validation of JARID1B as a substrate of WWP1 revealed a positive regulation of JARID1B half-life by WWP1 through the establishment of K63-linked polyubiquitin chains. As a result, downregulation of JARID1B rising from WWP1 inactivation was associated with higher H3K4me3 enrichment at JARID1B target genes in WWP1-depleted relatively to control AML cells. Integration of RNA-seq and H3K4me3 ChIP-seq data uncovered a highly significant overlap between upregulated gene expression and enriched H3K4me3 peaks after shWWP1 inactivation. We confirmed transcriptional activation of JARID1B targets in WWP1-depleted cells, supporting a role for WWP1 in regulating JARID1B activity. Coherently, upon WWP1 inactivation, we observed a defective recruitment of repair proteins after DNA damage, with subsequent reduced DNA damage repair efficiency and enhanced sensitization of AML cells to the cytotoxic activity of chemotherapeutic drugs. All together, these data identify JARID1B as a bona fide target of WWP1 and imply that WWP1-mediated regulation of JARID1B impacts its ability to modify chromatin and to recruit DNA damage repair factors, thus ultimately affecting chemosensitivity of AML cells.

Article Details

Volume / Issue Vol. 122, Issue 28
Published July 15, 2025
ISSN 0027-8424
Publisher National Academy of Sciences

Authors (20)

C

Claudia Fierro

Department of Experimental Medicine, Tor Vergata Oncoscience Research, University of Rome Tor Vergata

S

Sara Giovannini

Department of Experimental Medicine, Tor Vergata Oncoscience Research, University of Rome Tor Vergata

V

Valeria Moriconi

Department of Experimental Medicine, Tor Vergata Oncoscience Research, University of Rome Tor Vergata

C

Claudia Fiorilli

Department of Experimental Medicine, Tor Vergata Oncoscience Research, University of Rome Tor Vergata

E

Emanuele Panatta

Department of Experimental Medicine, Tor Vergata Oncoscience Research, University of Rome Tor Vergata

V

Valentina Frezza

Department of Experimental Medicine, Tor Vergata Oncoscience Research, University of Rome Tor Vergata

F

Federica Corigliano

Department of Experimental Medicine, Tor Vergata Oncoscience Research, University of Rome Tor Vergata

R

Rosalba Pecorari

Department of Experimental Medicine, Tor Vergata Oncoscience Research, University of Rome Tor Vergata

Y

Yanan Li

NHC Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Microbial Drugs

J

Ji Zhou

V

Vincenza Simona Delvecchio

Department of Experimental Medicine, Tor Vergata Oncoscience Research, University of Rome Tor Vergata

A

Artem Smirnov

Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”

J

Jose Manuel Garcia Manteiga

Center for Omics Sciences, Istituti di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, San Raffaele Scientific Institute

A

Andrea Brendolan

Lymphoid stromal cell biology Unit, Division of Experimental Oncology, Istituti di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, San Raffaele Scientific Institute

J

Jinping Zhang

The Centre of Nanoscale Science and Technology and Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials, Institute of Polymer Chemistry, College of Chemistry

Y

Yufang Shi

The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Institutes for Translational Medicine of Soochow University

I

Ivano Amelio

E

Eleonora Candi

Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”

G

Gerry Melino

Department of Experimental Medicine, TOR, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”

F

Francesca Bernassola

Department of Experimental Medicine, Tor Vergata Oncoscience Research, University of Rome Tor Vergata