Glycolysis involved in transcription dysregulation through histone lactylation in T-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Tumor cells are known for excessive lactate production, due to Warburg effect, and transcriptional dysregulation. However, how lactate influences the epigenetic modifications at a genome-wide level and its impact on gene transcription in tumor cell remains unclear. Addressing this gap, we analyzed genome-wide modification of H3K18 lactylation (H3K18la) in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL). Integrated analysis with histone modifications with established functions show the H3K18la is mainly involved in active regulation of gene transcription. We report increased lactate and H3K18la modification levels in T-ALL as compared to normal T cells. We observe clusters of H3K18la modifications in patterns reminiscent of super-enhancers. We show a notable shift of genome-wide H3K18la modification from T cell immunity in normal T cells to leukemogenesis in T-ALL, correlating with altered gene transcription profiles. By disrupting H3K18la modification, we uncover both synergetic and divergent changes between H3K18la and H3K27ac modifications, suggesting the H3K18la and H3K27ac modifications may have specific regulation mechanisms correspondingly. These findings expand our understanding of metabolic disruptions involvement in transcription dysregulation through epigenetic changes in T-ALL, and emphasize the collective importance of histone modifications in maintaining oncogenic epigenetic stability.