N(6)-methyladenosine modification of CENPK mRNA by ZC3H13 promotes cervical cancer stemness and chemoresistance

BACKGROUND: Stemness and chemoresistance contribute to cervical cancer recurrence and metastasis. In the current study, we determined the relevant players and role of N(6)-methyladenine (m(6)A) RNA methylation in cervical cancer progression. METHODS: The roles of m(6)A RNA methylation and centromere protein K (CENPK) in cervical cancer were analyzed using bioinformatics analysis. Methylated RNA immunoprecipitation was adopted to detect m(6)A modification of CENPK mRNA. Human cervical cancer clinical samples, cell lines, and xenografts were used for analyzing gene expression and function. Immunofluorescence staining and the tumorsphere formation, clonogenic, MTT, and EdU assays were performed to determine cell stemness, chemoresistance, migration, invasion, and proliferation in HeLa and SiHa cells, respectively. Western blot analysis, co-immunoprecipitation, chromatin immunoprecipitation, and luciferase reporter, cycloheximide chase, and cell fractionation assays were performed to elucidate the underlying mechanism. RESULTS: Bioinformatics analysis of public cancer datasets revealed firm links between m(6)A modification patterns and cervical cancer prognosis, especially through ZC3H13-mediated m(6)A modification of CENPK mRNA. CENPK expression was elevated in cervical cancer, associated with cancer recurrence, and independently predicts poor patient prognosis [hazard ratio = 1.413, 95% confidence interval = 1.078 − 1.853, P = 0.012]. Silencing of CENPK prolonged the overall survival time of cervical cancer-bearing mice and improved the response of cervical cancer tumors to chemotherapy in vivo (P < 0.001). We also showed that CENPK was directly bound to SOX6 and disrupted the interactions of CENPK with β-catenin, which promoted β-catenin expression and nuclear translocation, facilitated p53 ubiquitination, and led to activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling, but suppression of the p53 pathway. This dysregulation ultimately enhanced the tumorigenic pathways required for cell stemness, DNA damage repair pathways necessary for cisplatin/carboplatin resistance, epithelial-mesenchymal transition involved in metastasis, and DNA replication that drove tumor cell proliferation. CONCLUSIONS: CENPK was shown to have an oncogenic role in cervical cancer and can thus serve as a prognostic indicator and novel target for cervical cancer treatment. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40779-022-00378-z.