Frequent SOCS3 and 3OST2 promoter methylation and their epigenetic regulation in endometrial carcinoma

DNA methylation has been considered as an important means of early diagnosis of cancer, which cooperates with histone modifications, playing a crucial role in silencing tumor suppressor genes (TSGs). However, how TSGs are regulated by these epigenetic mechanisms in cancer remains unknown. In this study, we first evaluated 7 TSGs methylation in the early diagnosis of endometrial carcinoma (EC), and then explored the epigenetic mechanisms of their transcriptional regulation. The results showed that SOCS3 and 3OST2 were the most frequently methylated genes in EC (88.3% and 78.3%, respectively), and 3OST2 was correlated with younger patients (< 57 years, P = 0.030) and well-differentiated EC (P = 0.026). Unlike 3OST2, SOCS3 methylation occurred even in complex hyperplasia (53.3%) and atypical hyperplasia (54.2%). 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-Aza-CdR) or trichostatin A (TSA) alone could partially reverse SOCS3 and 3OST2 methylation, and their combination completely reversed the methylation of both genes. In addition, UHRF1 and methylated H3R8 were enriched on both hypermethylated SOCS3 and 3OST2 promoters, but after 5-Aza-CdR or TSA treatment, the UHRF1 and H3R8me2s enrichment was decreased while H3R8me2a enrichment was increased. In conclusion, we demonstrate for the first time that SOCS3 and 3OST2 methylation plays an important role in endometrial carcinogenesis, and could be directly regulated by UHRF1. Moreover, H3R8me2s acts as a repressive mark, while H3R8me2a was correlated with transcriptional activity in EC.