Coronin1A regulates tumor microenvironment in colitis-associated colorectal cancer in a SUMO-dependent way

ABSTRACT Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), comprising Crohn’s disease and Ulcerative colitis, is a group of multifactorial illnesses with persistent gastrointestinal inflammation and a series of undesirable consequences. IBD patients have a three times higher risk of developing colitis-associated colorectal cancer (CAC). A higher mutational burden due to persistent inflammation acts as a driver of dysplasia and even tumorigenesis. While the pathological sequence is known, the molecular mechanisms underlying the transition from chronic inflammation to CAC remain largely elusive. Post-translational modification- SUMOylation plays an integral role in shaping gut inflammation as well as several forms of cancers, including sporadic colorectal cancer. In this study, the contribution of SUMOylation to CAC pathogenesis was characterized. In the AOM-DSS CAC mice model and human IBD patient specimens, SENP5, but not other deSUMOylases, shows an altered expression. Notably, both SENP5 expression dynamics and alterations in the SUMOylome occur in chronically inflamed and neoplastic colon tissues. SENP5 interactome analysis identified Coronin1A (Coro1A), an actin-binding protein predominantly expressed in immune cells. Coro1A also shows a state-specific, distinct expression pattern in the colon. Interestingly, in contrast to wild-type mice, Coro 1A knockout mice were resistant to polyp formation, with reduced cell proliferation, oncogene expression, and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) gene activation, and reduced extracellular matrix (ECM) development and fibrosis, suggesting its integral role in tumorigenesis. WT mice with chronically inflamed colons and polyps have a higher number of M2-like macrophages, with increased abundance of Coro1A, suggesting a role of Coro1A in modulating the tissue microenvironment toward a pro-tumorigenic state. Mechanistically, Coro1A physically interacts with TGF-β RI and regulates TGF-β-TGF-β RI signalling endosome stability, thereby controlling TGF-β-mediated macrophage polarization. Detailed in vitro experiments revealed stabilization of Coro 1A through its interaction with SUMOylated Raftlin protein. Overall, Coro 1A is necessary and sufficient for TGF-β signalling, macrophage polarization, and tumorigenesis in CAC.