VHL synthetic lethality screens uncover CBF-beta as a negative regulator of STING

Abstract

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) represents the most common form of kidney cancer and is typified by biallelic inactivation of the von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) tumour suppressor gene. Here, we undertake genome-wide CRISPR/Cas9 screening to reveal synthetic lethal interactors of VHL, and uncover that loss of Core Binding Factor {beta} (CBF-{beta}) causes cell death in VHL-null ccRCC cell lines and impairs tumour establishment and growth in vivo. This synthetic relationship is independent of the elevated activity of hypoxia inducible factors (HIFs) in VHL-null cells, but does involve the RUNX transcription factors that are known binding partners of CBF-{beta}. Mechanistically, CBF-{beta} loss leads to upregulation of type I interferon signalling, and we uncover a direct inhibitory role for CBF-{beta} at the STING locus controlling Interferon Stimulated Gene expression. Targeting CBF-{beta} in kidney cancer both selectively induces tumour cell lethality and promotes activation of type I interferon signalling.