Act1 drives chemoresistance via regulation of antioxidant RNA metabolism and redox homeostasis

Abstract

The IL-17 receptor adaptor molecule Act1, an RNA-binding protein, plays a critical role in IL-17–mediated cancer progression. Here, we report a novel mechanism of how IL-17/Act1 induces chemoresistance by modulating redox homeostasis through epitranscriptomic regulation of antioxidant RNA metabolism. Transcriptome-wide mapping of direct Act1–RNA interactions revealed that Act1 binds to the 5′UTR of antioxidant mRNAs and Wilms’ tumor 1–associating protein (WTAP), a key regulator in m6A methyltransferase complex. Strikingly, Act1’s binding sites are located in proximity to m6A modification sites, which allows Act1 to promote the recruitment of elF3G for cap-independent translation. Loss of Act1’s RNA binding activity or Wtap knockdown abolished IL-17–induced m6A modification and translation of Wtap and antioxidant mRNAs, indicating a feedforward mechanism of the Act1–WTAP loop. We then developed antisense oligonucleotides (Wtap ASO) that specifically disrupt Act1’s binding to Wtap mRNA, abolishing IL-17/Act1-WTAP-mediated antioxidant protein production during chemotherapy. Wtap ASO substantially increased the antitumor efficacy of cisplatin, demonstrating a potential therapeutic strategy for chemoresistance.