Type Iγ phosphatidylinositol phosphate kinase regulates PD-L1 expression by activating NF-κB

The programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), by binding to PD-1 on the surface of immune cells, activates a major immune checkpoint pathway. Elevated expression of PD-L1 in tumor cells mediates tumor-induced T-cell exhaustion and immune suppression; therefore protect the survival of tumor cells. Although blockade of the PD-1/PD-L1 axis exhibits great potential in cancer treatment, mechanisms driving the up-regulation of PD-L1 in tumor cells remain not fully understood. Here we found that type Iγ phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate (PtdIns(4)P) 5-kinase (PIPKIγ) is required for PD-L1 expression in triple negative breast cancer cells. Depletion of PIPKIγ inhibits both intrinsic and induced PD-L1 expression. Results from further analyses suggest that PIPKIγ promotes the transcription of the PD-L1 gene by activating the NF-κB pathway in these cells. These results demonstrate that PIPKIγ-dependent expression of PD-L1 is likely important for the progression of triple negative breast cancer.