The RNA polymerase III repressor MAF1 is regulated by ubiquitin-dependent proteasome degradation and modulates cancer drug resistance and apoptosis.

MAF1 homolog, negative regulator of RNA polymerase III (MAF1) is a key repressor of RNA polymerase (pol) III-dependent transcription and functions as a tumor suppressor. Its expression is frequently down-regulated in primary human hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs). However, this reduction in MAF1 protein levels does not correlate with its transcript levels, indicating that MAF1 is regulated post-transcriptionally. Here, we demonstrate that MAF1 is a labile protein whose levels are regulated through the ubiquitin-dependent proteasome pathway. We found that MAF1 ubiquitination is enhanced upon mTOR complex 1 (TORC1)-mediated phosphorylation at Ser-75. Moreover, we observed that the E3 ubiquitin ligase cullin 2 (CUL2) critically regulates MAF1 ubiquitination and controls its stability and subsequent RNA pol III-dependent transcription. Analysis of the phenotypic consequences of modulating either CUL2 or MAF1 protein expression revealed changes in actin cytoskeleton reorganization and altered sensitivity to doxorubicin-induced apoptosis. Repression of RNA pol III-dependent transcription by chemical inhibition or knockdown of BRF1 RNA pol III transcription initiation factor subunit (BRF1) enhanced HCC cell sensitivity to doxorubicin, suggesting that MAF1 regulates doxorubicin resistance in HCC by controlling RNA pol III-dependent transcription. Together, our results identify the ubiquitin proteasome pathway and CUL2 as important regulators of MAF1 levels. They suggest that decreases in MAF1 protein underlie chemoresistance in HCC and perhaps other cancers and point to an important role for MAF1 and RNA pol III-mediated transcription in chemosensitivity and apoptosis.