Beyond chaperoning: HSPA8 modulates alternative splicing of PPP2R2D to drive apoptotic evasion and macrophage-associated immune microenvironment remodeling in triple-negative breast cancer
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Introduction The molecular chaperone HSPA8 is classically recognized for its role in protein homeostasis, and while its upregulation correlates with poor prognosis in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), whether HSPA8 exerts non-canonical functions beyond chaperoning remains unknown. Methods Through integrative transcriptomic profiling, RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP), isoform-specific rescue experiments, and in vivo xenograft models, we investigated the functional and mechanistic role of HSPA8 in TNBC pathogenesis. Results We unveil a paradigm-shifting function for HSPA8 as a modulator of alternative splicing of the PP2A regulatory subunit gene PPP2R2D, promoting exon 2 retention to favor the full-length PPP2R2D-2 isoform over the truncated PPP2R2D-1. These two isoforms exhibit functionally distinct roles: only PPP2R2D-2 possesses pro-survival activity, whereas PPP2R2D-1 lacks this function. Specifically, PPP2R2D-2 rescues HSPA8 depletion-induced apoptosis by modulating the mitochondrial pathway (BAX/BCL-2/cleaved Caspase-3) and restores in vivo tumor growth. Strikingly, this splicing axis also correlates with an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, characterized by altered M1/M2 macrophage marker abundance. Discussion These findings uncover a dual mechanism that simultaneously drives intrinsic survival signaling and is associated with alterations in the tumor immune microenvironment. They transcend the classical chaperone paradigm by establishing HSPA8 as a non-canonical splicing modulator, and the HSPA8-PPP2R2D-2 axis emerges as a critical vulnerability in TNBC, offering a novel therapeutic angle that concurrently targets tumor cell survival and microenvironmental immunosuppression.
Source: Frontiers in Oncology
Institution: Xinjiang Medical University
Language: English
Topic: RNA Research and Splicing
Subfield: Molecular Biology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,801
OpenAlex ID: W7219804706