Pygo2 functions as a prognostic factor for glioma due to its up-regulation of H3K4me3 and promotion of MLL1/MLL2 complex recruitment

Pygo2 has been discovered as an important Wnt signaling component contributing to the activation of Wnt-target gene transcription. In the present study, we discovered that Pygo2 mRNA and protein levels were up-regulated in the majority of (152/209) human brain glioma tissues and five glioma cell lines, and significantly correlated with the age, the WHO tumor classification and poor patient survival. The histone methyltransferase complex components (WDR5, Ash2, and menin, but not CXCC1 or NCOA6) were down-regulated at the promoter loci of Wnt target genes after Pygo2 knockdown, and this was accompanied by the down-regulation of Wnt/β-catenin pathway activity. Further, we demonstrated that the involvement of Pygo2 in the activation of the Wnt pathway in human glioma progression is through up-regulation of the H3K4me3 (but not H3K4me2) by promoting the recruitment of the histone methyltransferase MLL1/MLL2 complex to Wnt target gene promoters. Thus, our study provided evidence that Pygo2 functions as a novel prognostic marker and represents a potential therapeutic target.