KLHL29-mediated DDX3X degradation promotes chemosensitivity by abrogating cell cycle checkpoint in triple-negative breast cancer

Abstract Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a heterogeneous breast cancer subtype and accounts for approximately 15–20% of breast cancer cases. In this study, we identified KLHL29, which is an understudied member of the Kelch-like gene family, as a crucial tumor suppressor that regulates chemosensitivity in TNBC. KLHL29 expression was significantly downregulated in breast cancer tissues compared with adjacent normal tissues, and low levels of KLHL29 were associated with unfavorable prognoses. Ectopic KLHL29 suppressed, while depleting KLHL29 promoted, the growth, proliferation, migration, and invasion of TNBC. Mechanistically, KLHL29 recruited the CUL3 E3-ligase to the RNA-binding protein DDX3X, leading to the proteasomal degradation of the latter. This downregulation of DDX3X resulted in the destabilization of CCND1 mRNA and the consequent cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 phase. Remarkably, the DDX3X inhibitor RK33 combined with platinum-based chemotherapy can synergistically suppress TNBC that usually expresses low levels of KLHL29 and high levels of DDX3X using cancer cell-derived xenograft and patient-derived organoids models. Altogether, we uncovered the potential role for the KLHL29-DDX3X signaling cascade in the regulation of TNBC progression, thus providing a promising combination strategy for overcoming TNBC chemoresistance.