NFATc3 enhances DREAM complex-driven tumorigenesis

Abstract

The nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) transcription factors, activated by calcium-calcineurin signaling, regulate various cellular processes, including cell differentiation, angiogenesis, and immune cell activation. Nonetheless, their roles in tumor cells remain largely undefined. The dimerization partner, RB-like, E2F, and multi-vulval class B (DREAM) complex orchestrates cell quiescence and proliferation. Pharmacological mimicry of DREAM-activated transcriptional signatures identified two calcium signaling inhibitors that suppressed lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) cell proliferation. Among the five NFAT members, NFATc3/NFAT4 was predominantly expressed in LUAD cells and required for both LUAD cell proliferation and DREAM target gene transactivation. NFATc3 was enriched at DREAM target promoters and associated with the DREAM complex, possibly via LIN9, a scaffolding protein of the Multi-Vulva class B (MuvB) core proteins. These findings reveal an unexpected role for NFATc3 in promoting DREAM target gene transactivation and suggest the calcium-NFATc3 axis as a molecular target in LUAD, enriched by DREAM complex activation.