PHF20 collaborates with PARP1 to promote stemness and aggressiveness of neuroblastoma cells through activation of SOX2 and OCT4.

ABSTRACT: The differentiation status of neuroblastoma (NB) strongly correlates with its clinical outcomes; however, the molecular mechanisms driving maintenance of stemness and differentiation remain poorly understood. Here, we show that plant homeodomain finger-containing protein 20 (PHF20) functions as a critical epigenetic regulator in sustaining stem cell-like phenotype of NB by using CRISPR/Cas9-based targeted knockout (KO) for high-throughput screening of gene function in NB cell differentiation. The expression of PHF20 in NB was significantly associated with high aggressiveness of the tumor and poor outcomes for NB patients. Deletion of PHF20 inhibited NB cell proliferation, invasive migration, and stem cell-like traits. Mechanistically, PHF20 interacts with poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PAR

SUBMITTER: Long W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5951121 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature