Deciphering the function of intrinsic and genomics-driven epigenetic heterogeneity in head and neck cancer progression with single-nucleus CUT&RUN

Abstract

Interrogating regulatory epigenetic alterations during tumor progression at the resolution of single cells has remained an understudied area of research. Here we developed a highly sensitive single-nucleus CUT&RUN (snCUT&RUN) assay to profile histone modifications in isogenic primary, metastatic, and cisplatin-resistant head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patient-derived tumor cell lines. We find that the epigenome can be involved in diverse modes to contribute towards HNSCC progression. First, we demonstrate that gene expression changes during HNSCC progression can be co-modulated by alterations in both copy number and chromatin activity, driving epigenetic rewiring of cell-states. Furthermore, intratumour epigenetic heterogeneity (ITeH) may predispose sub-clonal populations within the primary tumour to adapt to selective pressures and foster the acquisition of malignant characteristics. In conclusion, snCUT&RUN serves as a valuable addition to the existing toolkit of single-cell epigenomic assays and can be used to dissect the functionality of the epigenome during cancer progression.