Recruitment of KMT2C/MLL3 to DNA Damage Sites Mediates DNA Damage Responses and Regulates PARP Inhibitor Sensitivity in Cancer

When recruited to promoters, histone 3 lysine 4 (H3K4) methyltransferases KMT2 (KMT2A-D) activate transcription by opening chromatin through H3K4 methylation. Here, we report that mutations occur frequently in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and are associated with high mutation loads and poor survival. KMT2C regulated DNA damage responses (DDR) through direct recruitment to DNA damage sites by Ago2 and small noncoding DNA damage response RNA, where it mediates H3K4 methylation, chromatin relaxation, secondary recruitment of DDR factors, and amplification of DDR signals along chromatin. Furthermore, by disrupting homologous recombination (HR)-mediated DNA repair, mutations sensitized NSCLC to Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors (PARPi), whose efficacy is unclear in NSCLC due to low mutation rates. These results demonstrate a novel, transcription-independent role of KMT2C in DDR and identify high-frequency mutations as much-needed biomarkers for PARPi therapies in NSCLC and other cancers with infrequent mutations. SIGNIFICANCE: This study uncovers a critical role for KMT2C in DDR via direct recruitment to DNA damage sites, identifying high-frequency mutations as biomarkers for response to PARP inhibition in cancer.