MATR3 promotes liver cancer progression by suppressing DHX58–mediated type I interferon response

Abstract

MATR3 is a nuclear matrix protein implicated in various cancers; however, its specific role in tumor progression remains unclear. The study utilized the TCGA database to reveal that MATR3 expression is upregulated in liver cancer and is correlated with poor prognosis. Functionally, MATR3 promoted liver cancer cell proliferation and metastasis. Comprehensive RNA sequencing analysis showed that MATR3 significantly affected the type I IFN signaling pathway and DHX58 is a downstream target of MATR3. Further experiments showed that MATR3 bound to DHX58 mRNA through its RRM structural domain and recruited YTHDF2, an m⁶A reader, leading to degradation of DHX58 mRNA and suppression of the type I IFN signaling pathway. The knockout of MATR3 in liver cancer cells triggered a natural immune response that stimulated CD8⁺ T cells to eliminate liver cancer cells. This study demonstrated that MATR3 downregulates type I IFN signaling in liver cancer cells through m⁶A modification and inhibits immune cell infiltration within tumors. These findings expand our understanding of the role of MATR3 in liver cancer.