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B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas (B-NHLs) are often characterized by the development of resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs and/or relapse. During drug-induced apoptosis, Yin Yang 1 (<i>YY1</i>) transcription factor might modulate the expression of apoptotic regulators genes. The present study was aimed to: (1) examine the potential oncogenic role of <i>YY1</i> in reversing drug resistance in B-NHLs; and (2) identify <i>YY1</i> transcriptional target(s) that regulate the apoptotic pathway in B-NHLs. Predictive analyses coupled with database-deposited data suggested that <i>YY1</i> binds the promoter of the <i>BIRC5</i>/survivin anti-apoptotic gene. Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) analyses of several B-NHL repositories revealed a conserved positive correlation between <i>YY1</i> and survivin, both highly expressed, especially in aggressive B-NHLs. Further validation experiments performed in Raji Burkitt’s lymphomas cells, demonstrated that <i>YY1</i> silencing was associated with survivin downregulation and sensitized the cells to apoptosis. Overall, our results revealed that: (1) <i>YY1</i> and survivin are positively correlated and overexpressed in B-NHLs, especially in BLs; (2) <i>YY1</i> strongly binds to the survivin promoter, hence survivin may be suggested as <i>YY1</i> transcriptional target; (3) <i>YY1</i> silencing sensitizes Raji cells to drug-induced apoptosis via downregulation of survivin; (4) both <i>YY1</i> and survivin are potential diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets for the treatment of resistant/relapsed B-NHLs.