FoxF1 and FoxF2 transcription factors synergistically promote Rhabdomyosarcoma carcinogenesis by repressing transcription of p21(Cip1) CDK inhibitor

The role of Forkhead Box F1 (FoxF1) transcription factor in carcinogenesis is not well characterized. Depending on tissue and histological type of cancer, FoxF1 was shown to be either oncogene or tumor suppressor. Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is the most aggressive pediatric soft tissue sarcoma. While FoxF1 is highly expressed in alveolar RMS, the functional role of FoxF1 in RMS is unknown. The present study demonstrates that expression of FoxF1 and its closely related transcription factor FoxF2 are essential for rhabdomyosarcoma tumor growth. Depletion of FoxF1 or FoxF2 in rhabdomyosarcoma cells decreased tumor growth in orthotopic mouse models of RMS. The decreased tumorigenesis was associated with the reduced tumor cell proliferation. Cell cycle regulatory proteins Cdk2, Cdk4/6, Cyclin D1 and Cyclin E2 were decreased in FoxF1- and FoxF2-deficient RMS tumors. Depletion of either FoxF1 or FoxF2 delayed G1-S cell cycle progression, decreased levels of phosphorylated Rb and increased protein levels of the CDK inhibitors, p21(Cip1) and p27(Kip1). Depletion of both FoxF1 and FoxF2 in tumor cells completely abrogated RMS tumor growth in mice. Overexpression of either FoxF1 or FoxF2 in tumor cells was sufficient to increase carcinogenesis in orthotopic RMS mouse model. FoxF1 and FoxF2 directly bound to and repressed transcriptional activity of p21(Cip1) promoter through −556/−545 bp region, but did not affect p27(Kip1) transcription. Knockdown of p21(Cip1) restored cell cycle progression in the FoxF1- or FoxF2-deficient tumor cells. Altogether, FoxF1 and FoxF2 promoted RMS tumorigenesis by inducing tumor cell proliferation via transcriptional repression of p21(Cip1) gene promoter. Due to robust oncogenic activity in RMS tumors, FoxF1 and FoxF2 may represent promising targets for anti-tumor therapy.