EVI1 activates tumor-promoting transcriptional enhancers in pancreatic cancer [ChIP-seq].

Cancer cells utilize epigenetic alterations to acquire autonomous capabilities for tumor maintenance. Here, we show that pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) cells hijack super-enhancers (SEs) to activate the EVI1 gene with its tumor-intrinsic program. We demonstrate that SE is the vital cis-acting element to maintain aberrant EVI1 transcription in PDA cells. Related to disease progression and inferior survival outcomes in human PDA, functional experiments further show that EVI1 upregulation is the cause of aggressive tumor phenotypes. In particular, EVI1 mediates the resistance to anchorage-independent growth and enhanced motility in vitro, with efficient tumor propagation in vivo. EVI1-dependent activation of gene expression program attributes to these phenotypes, by which EVI1 drives the stepwise configuration of the active enhancer chromatin. In sum, our findings support the promise that EVI1 is a crucial driver of oncogenic transcription program in PDA cells. Further, we emphasize the instructive role of epigenetic aberrancy in establishing PDA tumorigenesis. Overall design: ChIP-seq of mouse PDA organoids or cells with EVI1 gain- or loss-of-function