FOXA1 antagonizes EZH2-mediated CDKN2A repression in carcinogenesis

CDKN2A (p16(INK4a)) is a crucial tumor suppressor involved in many cancers. Our recent investigations revealed that FOXA1 as a forkhead transcription factor mediates CDKN2A activation in cellular senescence. However, the contribution of this axis in carcinogenesis remains unclear. Here, using a comprehensive collection of cancer microarray data, we found FOXA1 is down-regulated in many cancers compared to their normal counterparts and the positive correlation between FOXA1 and CDKN2A could be observed in prostate and breast cancers with lower EZH2 (epigenetic repressor for CDKN2A) expression. Experimentally, epistasis analysis in prostate and breast cancer cells indicated that higher expression of FOXA1 opposes EZH2-mediated CDKN2A repression, as further depletion of FOXA1 reverts the de-silencing of CDKN2A caused by EZH2 inhibition. Concomitantly, EZH2-depletion suppresses cancer cell cycle progression and this regulation is optimized in the presence of FOXA1 and CDKN2A. A further oncogenic transformation assay suggested that overexpression of EZH2 is insufficient to block RAS-induced CDKN2A activation and loss of FOXA1 is mandatory to potentiate EZH2-mediated CDKN2A silencing and to bypass the senescence barrier. Importantly, using an in vitro histone methyltransferase (HMTase) system, we found FOXA1 directly inhibits EZH2's histone methyltransferase activity through its C-terminal histone binding motif. These data support that positive regulation of CDKN2A by FOXA1 counteracts its tumorigenic repression of by EZH2 in cancers.