ALKBH5 Facilitates Hypoxia-Induced Paraspeckle Assembly and IL8 Secretion to Generate an Immunosuppressive Tumor Microenvironment

The dynamic changes of RNA N6-methyl-adenosine (m(6)A) during cancer progression contribute to quick adaption to micro-environmental changes. Here, we profiled the cancer cell m(6)A dynamics in the hypoxic tumor niche and its pathological consequences in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). The m(6)A demethylase ALKBH5 was induced in GBM models under hypoxic conditions and was associated with a hypoxic gene signature in GBM patient samples. Depletion or inactivation of ALKBH5 in GBM cells significantly suppressed hypoxia-induced tumor-associated macrophage (TAM) recruitment and immunosuppression in allograft tumors. Expression and secretion of CXCL8/IL8 were significantly suppressed in ALKBH5-deficient tumors. However, ALKBH5 did not regulate CXCL8 m(6)A directly. Instead, hypoxia-induced ALKBH5 erased m(6)A deposition from the lncRNA NEAT1, stabilizing the transcript and facilitating NEAT1-mediated paraspeckle assembly, which led to relocation of the transcriptional repressor SFPQ from the CXCL8 promoter to paraspeckles and, ultimately, upregulation of CXCL8/IL8 expression. Accordingly, ectopic expression of CXCL8 in ALKBH5-deficient GBM cells partially restored TAM recruitment and tumor progression. Together, this study links hypoxia-induced epitranscriptomic changes to the emergence of an immunosuppressive microenvironment facilitating tumor evasion. Significance: Hypoxia induces tumor immune microenvironment remodeling through an ALKBH5-mediated epigenetic and epitranscriptomic mechanism, providing potential immunotherapeutic strategies for treating glioblastoma.

Automated summary

This study reveals that hypoxia-induced upregulation of m(6)A demethylase ALKBH5 leads to the formation of NEAT1-mediated paraspeckles, resulting in increased CXCL8/IL8 expression and enhanced TAM recruitment and tumor progression in GBM. The findings provide evidence for the link between hypoxia-induced epitranscriptomic changes and the formation of an immunosuppressive microenvironment.