Activation and acetylation of tumor-intrinsic PD-L1 via HBXIP accelerates breast cancer growth

Programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) is a well-known transmembrane protein, which antibodies present effective clinical therapy in multiple human cancers. However, the function of tumor cell-intrinsic PD-L1 and its related mechanism in breast cancer remains incompletely studied. Programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) on the membrane of tumor cells strengthens tumor immune escape. Tumor cell-intrinsic PD-L1 is also involved in tumorigenesis and development, but the mechanism in regulating PD-L1 expression remains incompletely studied. Here, we report a novel mechanism for PD-L1 that can be induced by hepatitis B X-interacting protein (HBXIP), an oncogenic transcriptional coactivator, promoting breast cancer growth. Overexpression of PD-L1 increases breast cancer proliferation in vitro and in vivo. Transcriptomic analysis also reveals that PD-L1 plays a critical role in cancer development. Furthermore, we find that the expression of PD-L1 is positively associated with HBXIP in breast cancer clinical tissues as well as in cell lines, PD-L1 and HBXIP expression have higher levels in tumor. Mechanistically, HBXIP predominantly stimulates the promoter activity of PD-L1 through coactivating transcription factor ETS2. Especially, HBXIP induced PD-L1 acetylation with the acetyltransferase p300 at lysine 270 (K270), enhancing PD-L1 protein stability. Functionally, depletion of HBXIP markedly attenuates PD-L1-induced breast tumor growth in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, aspirin decreased breast cancer growth via targeting PD-L1 and HBXIP. Taken together, our results extend a new mechanism of PD-L1 functions, expound non-immune effects of PD-L1 and imply broader uses for PD-L1 as a target in breast cancer therapy. Overall design: Examination of PD-L1 overexpression functions in breast cancer cells.