LIN28B alters ribosomal dynamics to promote metastasis in MYCN-driven malignancy (Polysome sequencing)

High expression of LIN28B is associated with aggressive malignancy and poor survival. Here, probing MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma as a model system, we show that LIN28B expression is associated with enhanced cell migration in vitro and invasive and metastatic behavior in murine xenografts. Sequence analysis of the polyribosome fraction of LIN28B-expressing neuroblastoma cells revealed let-7 independent enrichment of transcripts encoding components of the translational and ribosomal apparatus, particularly those with higher adenine/uridine (AU)-content, and depletion of transcripts of neuronal developmental programs. We further show that LIN28B utilizes both its cold shock and zinc finger RNA binding domains to preferentially interact with MYCN-induced transcripts of the ribosomal complex, enhancing their translation. These data demonstrate that LIN28B couples the MYCN-driven transcriptional program to enhanced ribosomal translation, thereby implicating LIN28B as a post-transcriptional driver of the metastatic phenotype. Overall design: Comparison of LIN28B WT BE2C versus LIN28B KO BE2C cells with polysome sequencing.