HDAC1-induced epigenetic silencing of ASPP2 promotes cell motility, tumour growth and drug resistance in renal cell carcinoma

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is highly resistant to chemotherapies. The lack of efficacious treatment for metastatic RCC has led to a poor 5-year survival rate. Here, we found that Apoptosis-stimulating protein of p53-2(ASPP2) was frequently decreased in primary RCC tissues in comparison with non-tumoural kidney controls. Decreased ASPP2 was correlated with high grades and poor outcomes of RCC. Further studies revealed that ASPP2 downregulation promoted EMT and increased resistance to 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU)-induced apoptosis. To this end, the regulatory mechanisms of ASPP2 were further explored. Our data revealed that ASPP2 was inhibited by histone deacetylatlase 1 (HDAC1), which acted by preventing the binding between transcription factor (E2F1) and the ASPP2 promoter. Of particular importance, HDAC1 inhibitor vorinostat restored ASPP2 transcription and produced a synergistic effect with 5-FU in elevating ASPP2, promoting apoptosis and inhibiting EMT in both in vitro and in vivo RCC models. In summary, our data not only highlight an important role of ASPP2 in RCC progression and drug resistance, but also reveal new regulatory mechanisms of ASPP2, which provides important insights into novel treatment strategies by targeting ASPP2 dysregulation in RCC. •Decreased ASPP2 confers resistance to chemotherapeutic drug 5-FU in RCC.•ASPP2 is repressed by HDAC1-mediated histone deacetylation.•HDAC1 prevents E2F1 association with ASPP2 promoter.•Vorinostat synergizes 5-FU-induced apoptosis by promoting ASPP2 expression.