The CTCF Paralog BORIS Contributes to the Ovarian Cancer Transcriptional Program by Relaxing CTCF-mediated 3D Genome Organization

Abstract

Disruption of three-dimensional genome architecture is a major driver of cancer initiation and progression, frequently arising from genetic and epigenetic alterations at CTCF- and cohesin-bound chromatin anchors. These same chromatin loop anchors can also be occupied by the germ cell-specific CTCF paralog CTCFL (BORIS), which is aberrantly activated in multiple malignancies. Here, we show that in ovarian cancer cells, BORIS activation establishes a distinct transcriptional program that collapses following loss of BORIS chromatin binding and is accompanied by widespread changes in CTCF and cohesin occupancy, histone modifications, and chromatin accessibility. These BORIS-dependent transcriptional alterations occur in long-range genomic clusters, resulting in the coordinated activation or repression of neighboring genes, including hormonally regulated gene families. BORIS loss also increases topologically associating domain (TAD) insulation, strengthens A/B compartment segregation and chromatin loop interactions, and results in a more compact and constrained chromatin architecture. Together, our findings suggest that aberrant BORIS activation promotes transcriptional reprogramming by weakening CTCF-mediated chromatin insulation and relaxing three-dimensional genome organization in ovarian cancer. SignificanceHigh-grade serous ovarian carcinoma, the most common subtype of ovarian cancer, remains one of the deadliest gynecological malignancies because of its late diagnosis, extensive genomic instability, and frequent therapeutic resistance. The lack of reliable biomarkers for early detection underscores the need to identify new molecular drivers of disease initiation and progression. Here, we show that the germline-specific gene CTCFL (BORIS) is aberrantly activated in high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma, where it remodels transcriptional, epigenetic, and three-dimensional genome organization by occupying CTCF-bound chromatin loop anchors and weakening CTCF-mediated chromatin insulation. These findings identify BORIS as a key regulator of transcriptional reprogramming in ovarian cancer and support its further investigation as both a prognostic biomarker and a potential therapeutic target.