SET-mediated epigenetic dysregulation of p53 impairs trichloroethylene-induced DNA damage response

Trichloroethylene (TCE) was a widely used industrial solvent, and now has become a major environmental pollutant. Exposure to TCE has been found to result in significant damage to the liver, leading to hepatic toxicity. In our previous study, we discovered that a histone chaperon called SET plays a crucial role in mediating the DNA damage and apoptosis caused by TCE in hepatic cells. However, the precise function of SET in the response to DNA damage is still not fully understood. In this study, we evaluated TCE-induced DNA damage of hepatic L-02 cells with SET-knockdown, then analyzed alterations of H3K79me3 and p53 in hepatic cells and carcinogenic mice livers. Results suggested that SET interferes with DNA response via mediating down-regulation of p53 and partially suppressing H3K79me3 under treatment of TCE. To further verify the regulatory cascade, H3K79me3 was reduced and p53 was knocked down in L-02 cells respectively, and extent of DNA damage was evaluated. Reduced H3K79me3 was found leading to down-regulation of p53 which further exacerbated TCE-induced DNA injury. These findings demonstrated that SET-H3K79me3-p53 served as an epigenetic regulatory axis involved in TCE-induced DNA damage response. •SET partially mediates TCE-induced DNA damage in hepatic cells.•Histone H3K79me3 was suppressed by SET in hepatic L-02 cells under treatment of TCE.•The expression of DNA repair factor, p53 was partially regulated by SET-mediated reduced H3K79me3.•The epigenetic regulatory axis (SET-H3K79me3-p53) impairs TCE-induced DNA damage response.