Epigenetic modification of locus dictates immune recognition of nascent tumorigenic cells.

Weak immunogenicity of tumor cells is a root cause for the ultimate failure of immunosurveillance and immunotherapy. Although tumor evolution can be shaped by immunoediting toward a less immunogenic phenotype, mechanisms governing the initial immunogenicity of primordial tumor cells or original cancer stem cells remain obscure. Here, using a single tumor-repopulating cell (TRC) to form tumors in immunodeficient or immunocompetent mice, we demonstrated that immunogenic heterogeneity is an inherent trait of tumorigenic cells defined by the activation status of signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) protein in the absence of immune pressure. Subsequent investigation identified that the RNA binding protein cold shock domain-containing protein E1 (CSDE1) can promote STAT1 dephosphorylation by stabilizing T cell protein tyrosine phosphatase (TCPTP). A methyltransferase SET and MYN domain-containing 3 (SMYD3) was further identified to mediate H3K4 trimethylation of locus, which was under the regulation of mechanotransduction by cell-matrix and cell-cell contacts. Thus, owing to the differential epigenetic modification and subsequent differential expression of CSDE1, nascent tumorigenic cells may exhibit either a high or low immunogenicity. This identified SMYD3-CSDE1 pathway represents a potential prognostic marker for cancer immunotherapy effectiveness that requires further investigation.