Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41083534›Full record

ArticleNature communications2025

Munc13-4 mediates tumor immune evasion by regulating the sorting and secretion of PD-L1 via exosomes.

Chuqi Liu, Dexiang Liu, Xiang Zheng, Jiali Guan, Xinyan Zhou, Haikun Zhang, Shen Wang, Qiubai Li, Gan Lu, Jun He and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
10citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

10 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Chuqi Liu *Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0924-981X
Dexiang Liu *Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0008-1904-4325
Xiang Zheng *Key Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0005-4472-5059
Jiali GuanState Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, GIBH-CUHK Joint Research Laboratory on Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Center for Biomedical Digital Science, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0002-3528-7593
Xinyan ZhouKey Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
Haikun ZhangKey Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
Shen WangKey Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5013-1039
Qiubai LiDepartment of Rheumatology and Immunology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7884-0745
Gan LuKey Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
Jun HeState Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, GIBH-CUHK Joint Research Laboratory on Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Center for Biomedical Digital Science, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China. he_jun@gibh.ac.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0270-9729
Cong MaKey Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China. cong.ma@hust.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7814-0500

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China) 32225024; 32421003; 92254302; 32401035National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China) 32241021, 3231163669National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China) 32401035
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Tumor-derived exosomes carry programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), which binds programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) on T cells, suppressing immune responses locally and systemically. However, the mechanisms governing exosomal PD-L1 sorting and secretion remain elusive. Here, we identify Munc13-4 as a crucial regulator of this process. Deletion of Munc13-4 in breast tumors enhances T cell-mediated anti-tumor immunity, suppresses tumor growth, and improves the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors. Mechanistically, Munc13-4 collaborates with hepatocyte growth factor-regulated tyrosine kinase substrate (HRS), Rab27, and SNAREs to facilitate PD-L1 sorting and secretion via exosomes. Cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) analysis of the Munc13-4-Rab27a complex provide structural insights into exosome secretion. Importantly, PD-L1 sorting relies on a ternary complex composed of Munc13-4, PD-L1 and HRS, which is regulated by interferon gamma (IFNγ) signaling. A designed peptide that disrupts Munc13-4-PD-L1 interaction impedes PD-L1 sorting, enhances antitumor immunity, and suppresses tumor growth, highlighting the therapeutic potential of targeting this pathway.

Indexed as

B7-H1 AntigenBreast NeoplasmsExosomesMembrane ProteinsTumor EscapeAnimalsCell Line, TumorCryoelectron MicroscopyFemaleHumansInterferon-gammaMiceMice, Inbred C57BLMice, KnockoutProtein Transportrab27 GTP-Binding ProteinsB7-H1 AntigenCD274 protein, humanInterferon-gammaMembrane Proteinsrab27 GTP-Binding ProteinsSNARE ProteinsUNC13D protein, human

Identifiers

PMID41083534
PMCPMC12518824

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.