LKB1 drives stasis and C/EBP-mediated reprogramming to an alveolar type II fate in lung cancer [XTR Bulk RNA-seq]

Background: LKB1 is among the most frequently altered tumor suppressors in lung adenocarcinoma. Inactivation of Lkb1 accelerates the growth and progression of oncogenic KRAS-driven lung tumors in mouse models. However, the molecular mechanisms by which LKB1 constrains lung tumorigenesis and whether the aggressive cancer state that stems from Lkb1 deficiency can be reverted remains unknown.Purpose: To assess the acute transcriptional response to Lkb1 restoration within established lung tumors in a genetically engineered mouse model of oncogenic KRAS-driven lung adenocarcinoma. Approach: To control LKB1 function in vivo, we generated an Lkb1XTR allele, which enables Cre-mediated disruption of Lkb1 expression during tumor development and subsequent FLPo-ERT2-mediated reactivation of Lkb1 within established tumors. Lung tumors were initiated in KrasLSL-G12D/+;R26LSL-tdTomato (KT; Lkb1 wild-type), KT;Lkb1XTR/XTR (non-restorable), and KT;Lkb1XTR/XTR;FLPo-ERT2 (restorable) mice with Lenti-Cre. Prior isolating neoplastic cells by FACS for gene expression profiling by RNA-seq, lung tumor-bearing were treated with either corn oil vehicle or tamoxifen for two weeks following tumor development. Results: Lkb1 restoration resulted in higher expression of markers of alveolar type II epithelial cells as well as gene sets relating to immunomodulation and lipid metabolism export, which are important functions of mature alveolar type II epithelial cells. Conclusions: LKB1 promotes the expression of C/EBP target genes and consequently drives features of alveolar type II epithelial cell differentiation. Lung tumors were initiated in KrasLSL-G12D/+;R26LSL-tdTomato (KT; Lkb1 wild-type), KT;Lkb1XTR/XTR (non-restorable), and KT;Lkb1XTR/XTR;FLPo-ERT2 (restorable) mice with Lenti-Cre. Following tumor development and two weeks of treatment with either corn oil vehicle or tamoxifen, neoplastic cells were FACS-isolated from lung tumors and subjected to bulk RNA-seq.