Atypical E2Fs either Counteract or Cooperate with RB during Tumorigenesis Depending on Tissue Context

• Main Authors: Eva Moreno, Shusil K. Pandit, Mathilda J. M. Toussaint, Laura Bongiovanni, Liesbeth Harkema, Saskia C. van Essen, Elsbeth A. van Liere, Bart Westendorp, Alain de Bruin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-04-01
• Series: Cancers
• Subjects: atypical E2Fs; Rb; interaction; tumorigenesis; transgenic mice
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6694/13/9/2033

E2F-transcription factors activate many genes involved in cell cycle progression, DNA repair, and apoptosis. Hence, E2F-dependent transcription must be tightly regulated to prevent tumorigenesis, and therefore metazoan cells possess multiple E2F regulation mechanisms. The best-known is the Retinoblastoma protein (RB), which is mutated in many cancers. Atypical E2Fs (E2F7 and −8) can repress E2F-target gene expression independently of RB and are rarely mutated in cancer. Therefore, they may act as emergency brakes in RB-mutated cells to suppress tumor growth. Currently, it is unknown if and how RB and atypical E2Fs functionally interact <i>in vivo</i>. Here, we demonstrate that mice with liver-specific combinatorial deletion of <i>Rb</i> and <i>E2f7/8</i> have reduced life-spans compared to <i>E2f7/8</i> or <i>Rb</i> deletion alone. This was associated with increased proliferation and enhanced malignant progression of liver tumors. Hence, atypical repressor E2Fs and RB cooperatively act as tumor suppressors in hepatocytes. In contrast, loss of either <i>E2f7</i> or <i>E2f8</i> largely prevented the formation of pituitary tumors in <i>Rb^+/−</i> mice. To test whether atypical E2Fs can also function as oncogenes independent of RB loss, we induced long-term overexpression of <i>E2f7</i> or <i>E2f8</i> in mice. E2F7 and −8 overexpression increased the incidence of tumors in the lungs, but not in other tissues. Collectively, these data show that atypical E2Fs can promote but also inhibit tumorigenesis depending on tissue type and RB status. We propose that the complex interactions between atypical E2Fs and RB on maintenance of genetic stability underlie this context-dependency.