IGF2BP3 knockout alters mRNA expression in lymph node T cells of hepatocellular carcinoma
IGF2BP3 is an RNA binding protein that controls mRNA stability and gene expression, but its role in lymph node T cells during liver cancer is still unclear. We specifically knocked out IGF2BP3 in T cells within the lymph nodes of hepatocellular carcinoma mice. We then performed transcriptome sequencing to compare mRNA expression between knockout and control T cells. We found that IGF2BP3 knockout broadly changes the T cell transcriptome. Genes controlling T cell migration, effector function, and survival are most affected. Transcripts such as S1PR1 show markedly reduced expression after IGF2BP3 loss. These results show that IGF2BP3 shapes the gene expression program of T cells in tumor-draining lymph nodes. Loss of IGF2BP3 disrupts T cell function through altered mRNA expression.