Publications
Cell reportsNov 2025 |
44
(
11
),
116572
DOI:
10.1016/j.celrep.2025.116572

Structural basis of DNA-dependent coactivator recruitment by the tuft cell master regulator POU2F3

Alpsoy, Aktan; Ipsaro, Jonathan J; Skopelitis, Damianos; Pal, Sujay; Chung, Frank S; Carpenter, Shannon; Desmarais, John J; Wu, Xiaoli S; Chang, Kenneth; DiMare, Matthew T; Harten, Erin; Bergman, Staci; Kinney, Justin B; Engelman, Jeffrey A; Bhang, Hyo-Eun C; Joshua-Tor, Leemor; Vakoc, Christopher R
Product Used
Variant Libraries
Abstract
The transcription factor POU2F3 defines the identity of tuft cells and underlies a distinct molecular subtype of small cell lung cancer (SCLC). Although POU2F3 is considered undruggable, its activity critically depends on the coactivators OCA-T1 and OCA-T2. Here, we demonstrate that acute suppression of either POU2F3 or OCA-T1 induces regression of tuft cell-like SCLC xenografts in vivo. To explore the structural basis and druggability of this dependency, we determine crystal structures of POU2F3 bound to OCA-T1 or OCA-T2 in complex with DNA, revealing a tripartite, DNA-dependent interface. We further employ deep mutational scanning to assess the functional impact of 4,218 missense variants in POU2F3 and OCA-T1, uncovering both mutation-sensitive hotspots and structurally constrained regions critical for tumor cell fitness. These findings define a transcriptional complex that integrates DNA recognition with coactivator recruitment and nominate POU2F3-OCA-T as a structurally tractable vulnerability in tuft cell-like carcinomas.
Product Used
Variant Libraries

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