Recurrent mechanisms of biallelic epigenetic inactivation reveal new putative tumour suppressor genes in prostate cancer.

TitleRecurrent mechanisms of biallelic epigenetic inactivation reveal new putative tumour suppressor genes in prostate cancer.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2026
AuthorsKiriy D, Favero F, Gerhäuser C, Heilmann J, Lutsik P, Gonzalez FGerman Rod, Locallo A, Jespersen JSchmidt, Gruber AJ, Olsen AV, Hernando B, Cheng KCl, Pellegrina D, Macintyre G, G Bova S, Brewer DS, Bristow RG, Brook MN, Brors B, Butler A, Cancel-Tassin G, Corcoran NM, Cussenot O, Eeles RA, Gihawi A, Girma EG, Gnanapragasam VJ, Hamid A, Hayes VM, He HHansen, Hovens CM, Imada EL, G Jakobsdottir M, Jung C-H, Khani F, Kote-Jarai Z, Lamy PP, Leeman G, Loda M, Marchionni L, Molania R, Papenfuss AT, Pope B, Queiroz LR, Rausch T, Robinson B, Sahli A, Sørensen KD, Uhrig S, Wedge DC, Xu Y, Yamaguchi TN, Zanettini C, Cooper CS, Schlomm T, Reimand J, Weischenfeldt J
Corporate AuthorsPan Prostate Cancer Group(PPCG)
JournalNat Commun
Volume17
Issue1
Date Published2026 Sep 09
ISSN2041-1723
KeywordsAlleles, DNA Methylation, Epigenesis, Genetic, Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic, Gene Silencing, Genes, Tumor Suppressor, Homeodomain Proteins, Humans, Male, Promoter Regions, Genetic, Prostatic Neoplasms, Whole Genome Sequencing
Abstract

The inactivation of tumour suppressor genes is a key step in cancer development, and is usually achieved by homozygous loss. In prostate cancer, however, large genomic regions are often hemizygously lost, which complicates the identification of putative tumour suppressors in these regions. Here, we develop Epi2Hit, an integrative computational method that leverages whole genome sequencing, epigenomic profiling and gene expression to identify biallelic inactivation of tumour suppressor genes involving DNA methylation of promoter and enhancer regions of one allele and genomic loss of the other allele. We apply Epi2Hit to a cohort of 2,021 prostate cancers to discover tumour suppressor genes. In particular, we identify epigenetic biallelic inactivation of ZFHX3 at a recurrence level similar to TP53. Biallelic inactivation of ZFHX3, a transcriptional repressor, leads to upregulation of oncogenes, including MYC and a shorter time to metastasis. Finally, we provide evidence that epigenetic silencing as 2nd hit is particularly enriched in regions with nearby essential genes, precluding homozygous loss.

DOI10.1038/s41467-026-72182-5
Alternate JournalNat Commun
PubMed ID42716948
PubMed Central IDPMC13558581
Grant List#NNF200C0060141 / / Novo Nordisk Fonden (Novo Nordisk Foundation) /
#R147-A9843 / / Kræftens Bekæmpelse (Danish Cancer Society) /
R01 CA285772 / CA / NCI NIH HHS / United States
#8020-00282 / / Det Frie Forskningsråd (Danish Council for Independent Research) /
P01 CA265768 / CA / NCI NIH HHS / United States
P50 CA211024 / CA / NCI NIH HHS / United States
R01 CA259200 / CA / NCI NIH HHS / United States