BATF condensation drives gastric cancer metastasis via chromatin association and transcriptional regulation
Abstract
While liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) is understood to be relevant with various types of cancers, the relationship between LLPS and gastric cancer (GC) remains ambiguous. In this study, we demonstrate that the basic leucine zipper ATF-like transcription factor (BATF) shows increased DNA-binding activity and expression in GC tissues and cell lines, based on assay for transposase-accessible chromatin sequencing (ATAC-seq) and RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analyses. Additionally, in GC cells, BATF forms droplet-like nuclear condensates. Using combined approaches of chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq), ATAC-seq, and RNA-seq, we find that BATF condensation promotes its binding to the TM4SF1 promoter and enhancer regions, thereby regulating TM4SF1 transcription and prompting the TM4SF1-driven formation of focal adhesions and GC metastasis. Thus, we unveil a role for BATF LLPS in GC metastasis through its modulation of chromatin association and transcriptional regulation, highlighting the relevance of LLPS to GC progression and potential treatment approaches.
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BibTeX
@article{feng2026batf,
title = {{BATF condensation drives gastric cancer metastasis via chromatin association and transcriptional regulation}},
author = {Tong Feng and Zhaomin Deng and Kai Deng and Lijun Zhang and Li Yang and Yanrong Lu and Haiyang Chen and David J. Kerr and Xuebiao Yao and Jinlin Yang and Hao Jiang},
journal = {Cell Reports},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1016/j.celrep.2026.118169},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2026.118169},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - BATF condensation drives gastric cancer metastasis via chromatin association and transcriptional regulation
AU - Tong Feng
AU - Zhaomin Deng
AU - Kai Deng
AU - Lijun Zhang
AU - Li Yang
AU - Yanrong Lu
AU - Haiyang Chen
AU - David J. Kerr
AU - Xuebiao Yao
AU - Jinlin Yang
AU - Hao Jiang
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/30
JO - Cell Reports
DO - 10.1016/j.celrep.2026.118169
UR - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2026.118169
AB - While liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) is understood to be relevant with various types of cancers, the relationship between LLPS and gastric cancer (GC) remains ambiguous. In this study, we demonstrate that the basic leucine zipper ATF-like transcription factor (BATF) shows increased DNA-binding activity and expression in GC tissues and cell lines, based on assay for transposase-accessible chromatin sequencing (ATAC-seq) and RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analyses. Additionally, in GC cells, BATF forms droplet-like nuclear condensates. Using combined approaches of chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq), ATAC-seq, and RNA-seq, we find that BATF condensation promotes its binding to the TM4SF1 promoter and enhancer regions, thereby regulating TM4SF1 transcription and prompting the TM4SF1-driven formation of focal adhesions and GC metastasis. Thus, we unveil a role for BATF LLPS in GC metastasis through its modulation of chromatin association and transcriptional regulation, highlighting the relevance of LLPS to GC progression and potential treatment approaches.
SN - 2211-1247
ER -