Functional Roles of Bromodomain Proteins in Cancer

Simple Summary This review provides an in depth analysis of the role of bromodomain-containing proteins in cancer development. As readers of acetylated lysine on nucleosomal histones, bromodomain proteins are poised to activate gene expression, and often promote cancer progression. We examined changes in gene expression patterns that are observed in bromodomain-containing proteins and associated with specific cancer types. We also mapped the protein-protein interaction network for the human bromodomain-containing proteins, discuss the cellular roles of these epigenetic regulators as part of nine different functional groups, and identify bromodomain-specific mechanisms in cancer development. Lastly, we summarize emerging strategies to target bromodomain proteins in cancer therapy, including those that may be essential for overcoming resistance. Overall, this review provides a timely discussion of the different mechanisms of bromodomain-containing proteins in cancer, and an updated assessment of their utility as a therapeutic target for a variety of cancer subtypes. Histone acetylation is generally associated with an open chromatin configuration that facilitates many cellular processes including gene transcription, DNA repair, and DNA replication. Aberrant levels of histone lysine acetylation are associated with the development of cancer. Bromodomains represent a family of structurally well-characterized effector domains that recognize acetylated lysines in chromatin. As part of their fundamental reader activity, bromodomain-containing proteins play versatile roles in epigenetic regulation, and additional functional modules are often present in the same protein, or through the assembly of larger enzymatic complexes. Dysregulated gene expression, chromosomal translocations, and/or mutations in bromodomain-containing proteins have been correlated with poor patient outcomes in cancer. Thus, bromodomains have emerged as a highly tractable class of epigenetic targets due to their well-defined structural domains, and the increasing ease of designing or screening for molecules that modulate the reading process. Recent developments in pharmacological agents that target specific bromodomains has helped to understand the diverse mechanisms that bromodomains play with their interaction partners in a variety of chromatin processes, and provide the promise of applying bromodomain inhibitors into the clinical field of cancer treatment. In this review, we explore the expression and protein interactome profiles of bromodomain-containing proteins and discuss them in terms of functional groups. Furthermore, we highlight our current understanding of the roles of bromodomain-containing proteins in cancer, as well as emerging strategies to specifically target bromodomains, including combination therapies using bromodomain inhibitors alongside traditional therapeutic approaches designed to re-program tumorigenesis and metastasis.