Cell Reports (Apr 2020)

Loss of Thymine DNA Glycosylase Causes Dysregulation of Bile Acid Homeostasis and Hepatocellular Carcinoma

  • Haider M. Hassan,
  • Majdina Isovic,
  • Bart Kolendowski,
  • Natasha Bauer-Maison,
  • Oladapo Onabote,
  • Matthew Cecchini,
  • Aaron Haig,
  • Saman Maleki Vareki,
  • T. Michael Underhill,
  • Joseph Torchia

Journal volume & issue
Vol. 31, no. 1

Abstract

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Summary: Thymine DNA glycosylase (TDG) is a nuclear receptor coactivator that plays an essential role in the maintenance of epigenetic stability in cells. Here, we demonstrate that the conditional deletion of TDG in adult mice results in a male-predominant onset of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). TDG loss leads to a prediabetic state, as well as bile acid (BA) accumulation in the liver and serum of male mice. Consistent with these data, TDG deletion led to dysregulation of the farnesoid X receptor (FXR) and small heterodimer partner (SHP) regulatory cascade in the liver. FXR and SHP are tumor suppressors of HCC and play an essential role in BA and glucose homeostasis. These results indicate that TDG functions as a tumor suppressor of HCC by regulating a transcriptional program that protects against the development of glucose intolerance and BA accumulation in the liver. : TDG is a base excision repair protein that is essential for embryonic development. Hassan et al. show that the conditional deletion of TDG in adult mice causes dysregulation of FXR signaling and a loss of glucose and bile acid homeostasis. This leads to a late-onset development of hepatocellular carcinoma. Keywords: thymine DNA glycosylase, active DNA demethylation, TET, hepatocellular carcinoma, FXR, bile acids, insulin resistance, conditional deletion, hepatoblastoma