Histone methyltransferase MLL1 drives renal tubular cell apoptosis by p53-dependent repression of E-cadherin during cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury

Mixed lineage leukemia 1 (MLL1) is a histone H3 lysine 4 (H3K4) methyltransferase that interacts with WD repeat domain 5 (WDR5) to regulate cell survival, proliferation, and senescence. The role of MLL1 in the pathogenesis of acute kidney injury (AKI) is unknown. In this study, we demonstrate that MLL1, WDR5, and trimethylated H3K4 (H3K4me3) were upregulated in renal tubular cells of cisplatin-induced AKI in mice, along with increased phosphorylation of p53 and decreased expression of E-cadherin. Administration of MM102, a selective MLL1/WDR5 complex inhibitor, improved renal function and attenuated tubular injury and apoptosis, while repressing MLL1, WDR5, and H3K4me3, dephosphorylating p53 and preserving E-cadherin. In cultured mouse renal proximal tubular cells (RPTCs) exposed to cisplatin, treatment with MM102 or transfection with siRNAs for either MLL1 or WDR5 also inhibited apoptosis and p53 phosphorylation while preserving E-cadherin expression; p53 inhibition with Pifithrin-α lowered cisplatin-induced apoptosis without affecting expression of MLL1, WDR5, and H3K4me3. Interestingly, silencing of E-cadherin offset MM102’s cytoprotective effects, but had no effect on p53 phosphorylation. These findings suggest that MLL1/WDR5 activates p53, which, in turn, represses E-cadherin, leading to apoptosis during cisplatin-induced AKI. Further studies showed that MM102 effectively inhibited cisplatin-triggered DNA damage response (DDR), as indicated by dephosphorylation of ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) and ATM and Rad-3 related (ATR) proteins, dephosphorylation of checkpoint kinase 1 and 2 (Chk1 and Chk2); depression of γ-H2AX; and restrained cell cycle arrest, as evidenced by decreased expression of p21 and phospho-histone H3 at serine 10 in vitro and in vivo. Overall, we identify MLL1 as a novel DDR regulator that drives cisplatin-induced RPTC apoptosis and AKI by modulating the MLL1/WDR5-/ATR/ATM-Chk-p53-E-cadherin axis. Targeting the MLL1/WDR5 complex may have a therapeutic potential for the treatment of AKI.