Therapeutic targeting Tudor domains in leukemia via CRISPR-Scan Assisted Drug Discovery.

Epigenetic dysregulation has been reported in multiple cancers including leukemias. Nonetheless, the roles of the epigenetic reader Tudor domains in leukemia progression and therapy remain unexplored. Here, we conducted a Tudor domain-focused CRISPR screen and identified SGF29, a component of SAGA/ATAC acetyltransferase complexes, as a crucial factor for H3K9 acetylation, ribosomal gene expression, and leukemogenesis. To facilitate drug development, we integrated the CRISPR tiling scan with compound docking and molecular dynamics simulation, presenting a generally applicable strategy called CRISPR-Scan Assisted Drug Discovery (CRISPR-SADD). Using this approach, we identified a lead inhibitor that selectively targets SGF29's Tudor domain and demonstrates efficacy against leukemia. Furthermore, we propose that the structural genetics approach used in our study can be widely applied to diverse fields for de novo drug discovery.

Unlocking the therapeutic potential of targeting MALT1 in B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Not available.

Epigenetic Control of Translation Checkpoint and Tumor Progression via RUVBL1-EEF1A1 Axis.

Epigenetic dysregulation is reported in multiple cancers including Ewing sarcoma (EwS). However, the epigenetic networks underlying the maintenance of oncogenic signaling and therapeutic response remain unclear. Using a series of epigenetics- and complex-focused CRISPR screens, RUVBL1, the ATPase component of NuA4 histone acetyltransferase complex, is identified to be essential for EwS tumor progression. Suppression of RUVBL1 leads to attenuated tumor growth, loss of histone H4 acetylation, and ablated MYC signaling. Mechanistically, RUVBL1 controls MYC chromatin binding and modulates the MYC-driven EEF1A1 expression and thus protein synthesis. High-density CRISPR gene body scan pinpoints the critical MYC interacting residue in RUVBL1. Finally, this study reveals the synergism between RUVBL1 suppression and pharmacological inhibition of MYC in EwS xenografts and patient-derived samples. These results indicate that the dynamic interplay between chromatin remodelers, oncogenic transcription factors, and protein translation machinery can provide novel opportunities for combination cancer therapy.

Dynamic phosphatase-recruitment controls B-cell selection and oncogenic signaling.

Initiation of B-cell receptor (BCR) 1 signaling, and subsequent antigen-encounter in germinal centers 2,3 represent milestones of B-lymphocyte development that are both marked by sharp increases of CD25 surface-expression. Oncogenic signaling in B-cell leukemia (B-ALL) 4 and lymphoma 5 also induced CD25-surface expression. While CD25 is known as an IL2-receptor chain on T- and NK-cells 6-9 , the significance of its expression on B-cells was unclear. Our experiments based on genetic mouse models and engineered patient-derived xenografts revealed that, rather than functioning as an IL2-receptor chain, CD25 expressed on B-cells assembled an inhibitory complex including PKCδ and SHIP1 and SHP1 phosphatases for feedback control of BCR-signaling or its oncogenic mimics. Recapitulating phenotypes of genetic ablation of PKCδ 10 - 12 , SHIP1 13,14 and SHP1 14, 15,16 , conditional CD25-deletion decimated early B-cell subsets but expanded mature B-cell populations and induced autoimmunity. In B-cell malignancies arising from early (B-ALL) and late (lymphoma) stages of B-cell development, CD25-loss induced cell death in the former and accelerated proliferation in the latter. Clinical outcome annotations mirrored opposite effects of CD25-deletion: high CD25 expression levels predicted poor clinical outcomes for patients with B-ALL, in contrast to favorable outcomes for lymphoma-patients. Biochemical and interactome studies revealed a critical role of CD25 in BCR-feedback regulation: BCR-signaling induced PKCδ-mediated phosphorylation of CD25 on its cytoplasmic tail (S 268 ). Genetic rescue experiments identified CD25-S 268 tail-phosphorylation as central structural requirement to recruit SHIP1 and SHP1 phosphatases to curb BCR-signaling. A single point mutation CD25 S268A abolished recruitment and activation of SHIP1 and SHP1 to limit duration and strength of BCR-signaling. Loss of phosphatase-function, autonomous BCR-signaling and Ca 2+ -oscillations induced anergy and negative selection during early B-cell development, as opposed to excessive proliferation and autoantibody production in mature B-cells. These findings highlight the previously unrecognized role of CD25 in assembling inhibitory phosphatases to control oncogenic signaling in B-cell malignancies and negative selection to prevent autoimmune disease.

Targeted engagement of ß-catenin-Ikaros complexes in refractory B-cell malignancies.

In most cell types, nuclear ß-catenin functions as prominent oncogenic driver and pairs with TCF7-family factors for transcriptional activation of MYC. Surprisingly, B-lymphoid malignancies not only lacked expression and activating lesions of ß-catenin but critically depended on GSK3ß for effective ß-catenin degradation. Our interactome studies in B-lymphoid tumors revealed that ß-catenin formed repressive complexes with lymphoid-specific Ikaros factors at the expense of TCF7. Instead of MYC-activation, ß-catenin was essential to enable Ikaros-mediated recruitment of nucleosome remodeling and deacetylation (NuRD) complexes for transcriptional repression of MYC. To leverage this previously unrecognized vulnerability of B-cell-specific repressive ß-catenin-Ikaros-complexes in refractory B-cell malignancies, we examined GSK3ß small molecule inhibitors to subvert ß-catenin degradation. Clinically approved GSK3ß-inhibitors that achieved favorable safety prof les at micromolar concentrations in clinical trials for neurological disorders and solid tumors were effective at low nanomolar concentrations in B-cell malignancies, induced massive accumulation of ß-catenin, repression of MYC and acute cell death. Preclinical in vivo treatment experiments in patient-derived xenografts validated small molecule GSK3ß-inhibitors for targeted engagement of lymphoid-specific ß-catenin-Ikaros complexes as a novel strategy to overcome conventional mechanisms of drug-resistance in refractory malignancies. HIGHLIGHTS: Unlike other cell lineages, B-cells express nuclear ß-catenin protein at low baseline levels and depend on GSK3ß for its degradation.In B-cells, ß-catenin forms unique complexes with lymphoid-specific Ikaros factors and is required for Ikaros-mediated tumor suppression and assembly of repressive NuRD complexes. CRISPR-based knockin mutation of a single Ikaros-binding motif in a lymphoid MYC superenhancer region reversed ß-catenin-dependent Myc repression and induction of cell death. The discovery of GSK3ß-dependent degradation of ß-catenin as unique B-lymphoid vulnerability provides a rationale to repurpose clinically approved GSK3ß-inhibitors for the treatment of refractory B-cell malignancies. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT: Abundant nuclear ß-cateninß-catenin pairs with TCF7 factors for transcriptional activation of MYCB-cells rely on efficient degradation of ß-catenin by GSK3ßB-cell-specific expression of Ikaros factors Unique vulnerability in B-cell tumors: GSK3ß-inhibitors induce nuclear accumulation of ß-catenin.ß-catenin pairs with B-cell-specific Ikaros factors for transcriptional repression of MYC.

SYK and ZAP70 kinases in autoimmunity and lymphoid malignancies.

SYK and ZAP70 nonreceptor tyrosine kinases serve essential roles in initiating B-cell receptor (BCR) and T-cell receptor (TCR) signaling in B- and T-lymphocytes, respectively. Despite their structural and functional similarity, expression of SYK and ZAP70 is strictly separated during B- and T-lymphocyte development, the reason for which was not known. Aberrant co-expression of ZAP70 with SYK was first identified in B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and is considered a biomarker of aggressive disease and poor clinical outcomes. We recently found that aberrant ZAP70 co-expression not only functions as an oncogenic driver in CLL but also in various other B-cell malignancies, including acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) and mantle cell lymphoma. Thereby, aberrantly expressed ZAP70 redirects SYK and BCR-downstream signaling from NFAT towards activation of the PI3K-pathway. In the sole presence of SYK, pathological BCR-signaling in autoreactive or premalignant cells induces NFAT-activation and NFAT-dependent anergy and negative selection. In contrast, negative selection of pathological B-cells is subverted when ZAP70 diverts SYK from activation of NFAT towards tonic PI3K-signaling, which promotes survival instead of cell death. We discuss here how both B-cell malignancies and autoimmune diseases frequently evolve to harness this mechanism, highlighting the importance of developmental separation of the two kinases as an essential safeguard.

Deciphering intratumoral heterogeneity using integrated clonal tracking and single-cell transcriptome analyses.

Cellular heterogeneity is a major cause of treatment resistance in cancer. Despite recent advances in single-cell genomic and transcriptomic sequencing, it remains difficult to relate measured molecular profiles to the cellular activities underlying cancer. Here, we present an integrated experimental system that connects single cell gene expression to heterogeneous cancer cell growth, metastasis, and treatment response. Our system integrates single cell transcriptome profiling with DNA barcode based clonal tracking in patient-derived xenograft models. We show that leukemia cells exhibiting unique gene expression respond to different chemotherapies in distinct but consistent manners across multiple mice. In addition, we uncover a form of leukemia expansion that is spatially confined to the bone marrow of single anatomical sites and driven by cells with distinct gene expression. Our integrated experimental system can interrogate the molecular and cellular basis of the intratumoral heterogeneity underlying disease progression and treatment resistance.

Metabolic determinants of B-cell selection.

B-cells are antibody-producing cells of the adaptive immune system. Approximately 75% of all newly generated B-cells in the bone marrow are autoreactive and express potentially harmful autoantibodies. To prevent autoimmune disease, the immune system has evolved a powerful mechanism to eliminate autoreactive B-cells, termed negative B-cell selection. While designed to remove autoreactive clones during early B-cell development, our laboratory recently discovered that transformed B-cells in leukemia and lymphoma are also subject to negative selection. Indeed, besides the risk of developing autoimmune disease, B-cells are inherently prone to malignant transformation: to produce high-affinity antibodies, B-cells undergo multiple rounds of somatic immunoglobulin gene recombination and hypermutation. Reflecting high frequencies of DNA-breaks, adaptive immune protection by B-cells comes with a dramatically increased risk of development of leukemia and lymphoma. Of note, B-cells exist under conditions of chronic restriction of energy metabolism. Here we discuss how these metabolic gatekeeper functions during B-cell development provide a common mechanism for the removal of autoreactive and premalignant B-cells to safeguard against both autoimmune diseases and B-cell malignancies.

PON2 subverts metabolic gatekeeper functions in B cells to promote leukemogenesis.

Unlike other cell types, developing B cells undergo multiple rounds of somatic recombination and hypermutation to evolve high-affinity antibodies. Reflecting the high frequency of DNA double-strand breaks, adaptive immune protection by B cells comes with an increased risk of malignant transformation. B lymphoid transcription factors (e.g., IKZF1 and PAX5) serve as metabolic gatekeepers by limiting glucose to levels insufficient to fuel transformation. We here identified aberrant expression of the lactonase PON2 in B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) as a mechanism to bypass metabolic gatekeeper functions. Compared to normal pre-B cells, PON2 expression was elevated in patient-derived B-ALL samples and correlated with poor clinical outcomes in pediatric and adult cohorts. Genetic deletion of Pon2 had no measurable impact on normal B cell development. However, in mouse models for BCR-ABL1 and NRASG12D-driven B-ALL, deletion of Pon2 compromised proliferation, colony formation, and leukemia initiation in transplant recipient mice. Compromised leukemogenesis resulted from defective glucose uptake and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production in PON2-deficient murine and human B-ALL cells. Mechanistically, PON2 enabled glucose uptake by releasing the glucose-transporter GLUT1 from its inhibitor stomatin (STOM) and genetic deletion of STOM largely rescued PON2 deficiency. While not required for glucose transport, the PON2 lactonase moiety hydrolyzes the lactone-prodrug 3OC12 to form a cytotoxic intermediate. Mirroring PON2 expression levels in B-ALL, 3OC12 selectively killed patient-derived B-ALL cells but was well tolerated in transplant recipient mice. Hence, while B-ALL cells critically depend on aberrant PON2 expression to evade metabolic gatekeeper functions, PON2 lactonase activity can be leveraged as synthetic lethality to overcome drug resistance in refractory B-ALL.

R-2-hydroxyglutarate attenuates aerobic glycolysis in leukemia by targeting the FTO/m6A/PFKP/LDHB axis.

R-2-hydroxyglutarate (R-2HG), a metabolite produced by mutant isocitrate dehydrogenases (IDHs), was recently reported to exhibit anti-tumor activity. However, its effect on cancer metabolism remains largely elusive. Here we show that R-2HG effectively attenuates aerobic glycolysis, a hallmark of cancer metabolism, in (R-2HG-sensitive) leukemia cells. Mechanistically, R-2HG abrogates fat-mass- and obesity-associated protein (FTO)/N6-methyladenosine (m6A)/YTH N6-methyladenosine RNA binding protein 2 (YTHDF2)-mediated post-transcriptional upregulation of phosphofructokinase platelet (PFKP) and lactate dehydrogenase B (LDHB) (two critical glycolytic genes) expression and thereby suppresses aerobic glycolysis. Knockdown of FTO, PFKP, or LDHB recapitulates R-2HG-induced glycolytic inhibition in (R-2HG-sensitive) leukemia cells, but not in normal CD34+ hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells, and inhibits leukemogenesis in vivo; conversely, their overexpression reverses R-2HG-induced effects. R-2HG also suppresses glycolysis and downregulates FTO/PFKP/LDHB expression in human primary IDH-wild-type acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells, demonstrating the clinical relevance. Collectively, our study reveals previously unrecognized effects of R-2HG and RNA modification on aerobic glycolysis in leukemia, highlighting the therapeutic potential of targeting cancer epitranscriptomics and metabolism.

Metabolic Gatekeepers of Pathological B Cell Activation.

Unlike other cell types, B cells undergo multiple rounds of V(D)J recombination and hypermutation to evolve high-affinity antibodies. Reflecting high frequencies of DNA double-strand breaks, adaptive immune protection by B cells comes with an increased risk of malignant transformation. In addition, the vast majority of newly generated B cells express an autoreactive B cell receptor (BCR). Thus, B cells are under intense selective pressure to remove autoreactive and premalignant clones. Despite stringent negative selection, B cells frequently give rise to autoimmune disease and B cell malignancies. In this review, we discuss mechanisms that we term metabolic gatekeepers to eliminate pathogenic B cell clones on the basis of energy depletion. Chronic activation signals from autoreactive BCRs or transforming oncogenes increase energy demands in autoreactive and premalignant B cells. Thus, metabolic gatekeepers limit energy supply to levels that are insufficient to fuel either a transforming oncogene or hyperactive signaling from an autoreactive BCR.

IFITM3 functions as a PIP3 scaffold to amplify PI3K signalling in B cells.

Interferon-induced transmembrane protein 3 (IFITM3) has previously been identified as an endosomal protein that blocks viral infection1-3. Here we studied clinical cohorts of patients with B cell leukaemia and lymphoma, and identified IFITM3 as a strong predictor of poor outcome. In normal resting B cells, IFITM3 was minimally expressed and mainly localized in endosomes. However, engagement of the B cell receptor (BCR) induced both expression of IFITM3 and phosphorylation of this protein at Tyr20, which resulted in the accumulation of IFITM3 at the cell surface. In B cell leukaemia, oncogenic kinases phosphorylate IFITM3 at Tyr20, which causes constitutive localization of this protein at the plasma membrane. In a mouse model, Ifitm3-/- naive B cells developed in normal numbers; however, the formation of germinal centres and the production of antigen-specific antibodies were compromised. Oncogenes that induce the development of leukaemia and lymphoma did not transform Ifitm3-/- B cells. Conversely, the phosphomimetic IFITM3(Y20E) mutant induced oncogenic PI3K signalling and initiated the transformation of premalignant B cells. Mechanistic experiments revealed that IFITM3 functions as a PIP3 scaffold and central amplifier of PI3K signalling. The amplification of PI3K signals depends on IFITM3 using two lysine residues (Lys83 and Lys104) in its conserved intracellular loop as a scaffold for the accumulation of PIP3. In Ifitm3-/- B cells, lipid rafts were depleted of PIP3, which resulted in the defective expression of over 60 lipid-raft-associated surface receptors, and impaired BCR signalling and cellular adhesion. We conclude that the phosphorylation of IFITM3 that occurs after B cells encounter antigen induces a dynamic switch from antiviral effector functions in endosomes to a PI3K amplification loop at the cell surface. IFITM3-dependent amplification of PI3K signalling, which in part acts downstream of the BCR, is critical for the rapid expansion of B cells with high affinity to antigen. In addition, multiple oncogenes depend on IFITM3 to assemble PIP3-dependent signalling complexes and amplify PI3K signalling for malignant transformation.

Signalling input from divergent pathways subverts B cell transformation.

Malignant transformation of cells typically involves several genetic lesions, whose combined activity gives rise to cancer1. Here we analyse 1,148 patient-derived B-cell leukaemia (B-ALL) samples, and find that individual mutations do not promote leukaemogenesis unless they converge on one single oncogenic pathway that is characteristic of the differentiation stage of transformed B cells. Mutations that are not aligned with this central oncogenic driver activate divergent pathways and subvert transformation. Oncogenic lesions in B-ALL frequently mimic signalling through cytokine receptors at the pro-B-cell stage (via activation of the signal-transduction protein STAT5)2-4 or pre-B-cell receptors in more mature cells (via activation of the protein kinase ERK)5-8. STAT5- and ERK-activating lesions are found frequently, but occur together in only around 3% of cases (P = 2.2 × 10-16). Single-cell mutation and phospho-protein analyses reveal the segregation of oncogenic STAT5 and ERK activation to competing clones. STAT5 and ERK engage opposing biochemical and transcriptional programs that are orchestrated by the transcription factors MYC and BCL6, respectively. Genetic reactivation of the divergent (suppressed) pathway comes at the expense of the principal oncogenic driver and reverses transformation. Conversely, deletion of divergent pathway components accelerates leukaemogenesis. Thus, persistence of divergent signalling pathways represents a powerful barrier to transformation, while convergence on one principal driver defines a central event in leukaemia initiation. Pharmacological reactivation of suppressed divergent circuits synergizes strongly with inhibition of the principal oncogenic driver. Hence, reactivation of divergent pathways can be leveraged as a previously unrecognized strategy to enhance treatment responses.

Rationale for targeting BCL6 in MLL-rearranged acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Chromosomal rearrangements of the mixed lineage leukemia (MLL) gene occur in ∼10% of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) and define a group of patients with dismal outcomes. Immunohistochemical staining of bone marrow biopsies from most of these patients revealed aberrant expression of BCL6, a transcription factor that promotes oncogenic B-cell transformation and drug resistance in B-ALL. Our genetic and ChIP-seq (chromatin immunoprecipitation [ChIP] combined with high-throughput sequencing) analyses showed that MLL-AF4 and MLL-ENL fusions directly bound to the BCL6 promoter and up-regulated BCL6 expression. While oncogenic MLL fusions strongly induced aberrant BCL6 expression in B-ALL cells, germline MLL was required to up-regulate Bcl6 in response to physiological stimuli during normal B-cell development. Inducible expression of Bcl6 increased MLL mRNA levels, which was reversed by genetic deletion and pharmacological inhibition of Bcl6, suggesting a positive feedback loop between MLL and BCL6. Highlighting the central role of BCL6 in MLL-rearranged B-ALL, conditional deletion and pharmacological inhibition of BCL6 compromised leukemogenesis in transplant recipient mice and restored sensitivity to vincristine chemotherapy in MLL-rearranged B-ALL patient samples. Oncogenic MLL fusions strongly induced transcriptional activation of the proapoptotic BH3-only molecule BIM, while BCL6 was required to curb MLL-induced expression of BIM. Notably, peptide (RI-BPI) and small molecule (FX1) BCL6 inhibitors derepressed BIM and synergized with the BH3-mimetic ABT-199 in eradicating MLL-rearranged B-ALL cells. These findings uncover MLL-dependent transcriptional activation of BCL6 as a previously unrecognized requirement of malignant transformation by oncogenic MLL fusions and identified BCL6 as a novel target for the treatment of MLL-rearranged B-ALL.

Author Correction: Metabolic gatekeeper function of B-lymphoid transcription factors.

In Fig. 3c of this Letter, the the effects of CRISPR-Cas9-mediated deletion of NR3C1, TXNIP and CNR2 in patient-derived B-lineage leukaemia cells were shown. For curves depicting NR3C1 (left graph), data s for TXNIP (middle graph) were inadvertently plotted. This figure has been corrected online, and the original Fig. 3c is shown as Supplementary Information to this Amendment for transparency. The error does not affect the conclusions of the Letter. In addition, Source Data files have been added for the Figs. 1-4 and Extended Data Figs. 1-10 of the original Letter.

B-Cell-Specific Diversion of Glucose Carbon Utilization Reveals a Unique Vulnerability in B Cell Malignancies.

B cell activation during normal immune responses and oncogenic transformation impose increased metabolic demands on B cells and their ability to retain redox homeostasis. While the serine/threonine-protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) was identified as a tumor suppressor in multiple types of cancer, our genetic studies revealed an essential role of PP2A in B cell tumors. Thereby, PP2A redirects glucose carbon utilization from glycolysis to the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) to salvage oxidative stress. This unique vulnerability reflects constitutively low PPP activity in B cells and transcriptional repression of G6PD and other key PPP enzymes by the B cell transcription factors PAX5 and IKZF1. Reflecting B-cell-specific transcriptional PPP-repression, glucose carbon utilization in B cells is heavily skewed in favor of glycolysis resulting in lack of PPP-dependent antioxidant protection. These findings reveal a gatekeeper function of the PPP in a broad range of B cell malignancies that can be efficiently targeted by small molecule inhibition of PP2A and G6PD.

Loss of Pax5 Exploits Sca1-BCR-ABLp190 Susceptibility to Confer the Metabolic Shift Essential for pB-ALL.

Preleukemic clones carrying BCR-ABLp190 oncogenic lesions are found in neonatal cord blood, where the majority of preleukemic carriers do not convert into precursor B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (pB-ALL). However, the critical question of how these preleukemic cells transform into pB-ALL remains undefined. Here, we model a BCR-ABLp190 preleukemic state and show that limiting BCR-ABLp190 expression to hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HS/PC) in mice (Sca1-BCR-ABLp190) causes pB-ALL at low penetrance, which resembles the human disease. pB-ALL blast cells were BCR-ABL-negative and transcriptionally similar to pro-B/pre-B cells, suggesting disease onset upon reduced Pax5 functionality. Consistent with this, double Sca1-BCR-ABLp190+Pax5+/- mice developed pB-ALL with shorter latencies, 90% incidence, and accumulation of genomic alterations in the remaining wild-type Pax5 allele. Mechanistically, the Pax5-deficient leukemic pro-B cells exhibited a metabolic switch toward increased glucose utilization and energy metabolism. Transcriptome analysis revealed that metabolic genes (IDH1, G6PC3, GAPDH, PGK1, MYC, ENO1, ACO1) were upregulated in Pax5-deficient leukemic cells, and a similar metabolic signature could be observed in human leukemia. Our studies unveil the first in vivo evidence that the combination between Sca1-BCR-ABLp190 and metabolic reprogramming imposed by reduced Pax5 expression is sufficient for pB-ALL development. These findings might help to prevent conversion of BCR-ABLp190 preleukemic cells.Significance: Loss of Pax5 drives metabolic reprogramming, which together with Sca1-restricted BCR-ABL expression enables leukemic transformation. Cancer Res; 78(10); 2669-79. ©2018 AACR.

B-cell identity as a metabolic barrier against malignant transformation.

B-lineage and myeloid leukemia cells are often transformed by the same oncogenes, but have different biological and clinical characteristics. Although B-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) cells are characterized by a state of chronic energy deficit, myeloid leukemia cells show abundant energy reserve. Interestingly, fasting has been demonstrated to inhibit selectively the development of B-ALL but not myeloid leukemia, further suggesting that lineage identity may be linked to divergent metabolic states in hematopoietic malignancies. The B-lymphoid transcription factors IKZF1, EBF1, and PAX5 are essential for early B-cell development and commitment to B-cell identity. However, in >80% of human pre-B-ALL cases, the leukemic clones harbor genetic lesions of these transcription factors. The significance of these defects has only recently been investigated. Here, we discuss the unexpected function of a B-lymphoid transcriptional program as a metabolic barrier against malignant transformation of B-cell precursor cells. The metabolic gatekeeper function of B-lymphoid transcription factors may force silent preleukemic clones carrying potentially oncogenic lesions to remain in a latent state. In addition, this program sets the threshold for responses to glucocorticoids in pre-B-ALL. Finally, the link between the tumor-suppressor and metabolic functions of B-lymphoid transcription factors is matched by observations in clinical trials: obesity and hyperglycemia are associated with poor clinical outcome in patients with pre-B-ALL.

Metabolic gatekeeper function of B-lymphoid transcription factors.

B-lymphoid transcription factors, such as PAX5 and IKZF1, are critical for early B-cell development, yet lesions of the genes encoding these transcription factors occur in over 80% of cases of pre-B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). The importance of these lesions in ALL has, until now, remained unclear. Here, by combining studies using chromatin immunoprecipitation with sequencing and RNA sequencing, we identify a novel B-lymphoid program for transcriptional repression of glucose and energy supply. Our metabolic analyses revealed that PAX5 and IKZF1 enforce a state of chronic energy deprivation, resulting in constitutive activation of the energy-stress sensor AMPK. Dominant-negative mutants of PAX5 and IKZF1, however, relieved this glucose and energy restriction. In a transgenic pre-B ALL mouse model, the heterozygous deletion of Pax5 increased glucose uptake and ATP levels by more than 25-fold. Reconstitution of PAX5 and IKZF1 in samples from patients with pre-B ALL restored a non-permissive state and induced energy crisis and cell death. A CRISPR/Cas9-based screen of PAX5 and IKZF1 transcriptional targets identified the products of NR3C1 (encoding the glucocorticoid receptor), TXNIP (encoding a glucose-feedback sensor) and CNR2 (encoding a cannabinoid receptor) as central effectors of B-lymphoid restriction of glucose and energy supply. Notably, transport-independent lipophilic methyl-conjugates of pyruvate and tricarboxylic acid cycle metabolites bypassed the gatekeeper function of PAX5 and IKZF1 and readily enabled leukaemic transformation. Conversely, pharmacological TXNIP and CNR2 agonists and a small-molecule AMPK inhibitor strongly synergized with glucocorticoids, identifying TXNIP, CNR2 and AMPK as potential therapeutic targets. Furthermore, our results provide a mechanistic explanation for the empirical finding that glucocorticoids are effective in the treatment of B-lymphoid but not myeloid malignancies. Thus, B-lymphoid transcription factors function as metabolic gatekeepers by limiting the amount of cellular ATP to levels that are insufficient for malignant transformation.