KAT2A Deficiency Suppresses Lung Cancer Progression by Downregulating MYC Through Decreasing MYC Succinylation

Abstract

Succinylation has been shown to promote lung cancer development, but its mechanism remains incompletely understood. KAT2A, a succinyltransferase, acts as an oncogene in multiple cancers, but its role in mediating lung cancer progression is unclear. This study aimed to investigate the mechanism by which KAT2A regulates lung cancer progression via succinylation. KAT2A expression was analyzed using UALCAN, GEPIA, and Kaplan–Meier Plotter databases, and validated in lung cancer cell lines and patient-derived tissues. Quantitative real-time PCR, Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), EdU staining, and flow cytometry were performed to assess KAT2A's role in lung cancer cell proliferation and apoptosis. KAT2A's target proteins were predicted using LinkedOmics and STRING databases. Additionally, in vivo xenograft models were established to evaluate the effect of KAT2A knockdown on tumor growth. Results indicated that KAT2A expression was significantly elevated in lung cancer cells and tissues and was associated with poor prognosis. KAT2A knockdown inhibited proliferation and promoted apoptosis in lung cancer cells, whereas MYC overexpression reversed these effects. Mechanistically, KAT2A knockdown downregulated MYC by reducing succinylation at K370 and K386 residues. Mutation of these sites abrogated the proliferative effect of MYC overexpression and restored apoptotic activity. Furthermore, in vivo experiments demonstrated that KAT2A knockdown inhibited tumor growth and reduced MYC succinylation. Our findings demonstrate that KAT2A functions as an oncogene in lung cancer by enhancing MYC succinylation. This study identifies KAT2A as a promising therapeutic target for lung cancer.