Elevated H3K27me3 levels sensitize osteosarcoma to cisplatin

BACKGROUND: In osteosarcoma (OS), chemotherapy resistance has become one of the greatest issues leading to high mortality among patients. However, the mechanisms of drug resistance remain elusive, limiting therapeutic efficacy. Here, we set out to explore the relationship between dynamic histone changes and the efficacy of cisplatin against OS. RESULTS: First, we found two histone demethylases associated with histone H3 lysine 27 trimethylation (H3K27me3) demethylation, KDM6A, and KDM6B that were upregulated after cisplatin treatment. Consistent with the clinical data, cisplatin-resistant OS specimens showed lower H3K27me3 levels than sensitive specimens. Then, we evaluated the effects of H3K27me3 alteration on OS chemosensitivity. In vitro inhibition of the histone methyltransferase EZH2 in OS cells decreased H3K27me3 levels and led to cisplatin resistance. Conversely, inhibition of the demethylases KDM6A and KDM6B increased H3K27me3 levels in OS and reversed cisplatin resistance in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, with the help of RNA sequencing (RNAseq), we found that PRKCA and MCL1 directly participated in the process by altering H3K27me3 on their gene loci, ultimately inactivating RAF/ERK/MAPK cascades and decreasing phosphorylation of BCL2. CONCLUSIONS: Our study reveals a new epigenetic mechanism of OS resistance and indicates that elevated H3K27me3 levels can sensitize OS to cisplatin, suggesting a promising new strategy for the treatment of OS. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1186/s13148-018-0605-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.