RESUMO
RUNX1/CBFß (core binding factor [CBF]) is a heterodimeric transcription factor complex that is frequently involved in chromosomal translocations, point mutations, or deletions in acute leukemia. The mixed lineage leukemia (MLL) gene is also frequently involved in chromosomal translocations or partial tandem duplication in acute leukemia. The MLL protein interacts with RUNX1 and prevents RUNX1 from ubiquitin-mediated degradation. RUNX1/CBFß recruits MLL to regulate downstream target genes. However, the functional consequence of MLL fusions on RUNX1/CBFß activity has not been fully understood. In this report, we show that MLL fusion proteins and the N-terminal MLL portion of MLL fusions downregulate RUNX1 and CBFß protein expression via the MLL CXXC domain and flanking regions. We confirmed this finding in Mll-Af9 knock-in mice and human M4/M5 acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cell lines, with or without MLL translocations, showing that MLL translocations cause a hypomorph phenotype of RUNX1/CBFß. Overexpression of RUNX1 inhibits the development of AML in Mll-Af9 knock-in mice; conversely, further reducing Runx1/Cbfß levels accelerates MLL-AF9-mediated AML in bone marrow transplantation assays. These data reveal a newly defined negative regulation of RUNX1/CBFß by MLL fusion proteins and suggest that targeting RUNX1/CBFß levels may be a potential therapy for MLLs.
Assuntos
Subunidade alfa 2 de Fator de Ligação ao Core/metabolismo , Subunidade beta de Fator de Ligação ao Core/metabolismo , Células-Tronco Hematopoéticas/patologia , Leucemia Mieloide Aguda/patologia , Proteína de Leucina Linfoide-Mieloide/metabolismo , Proteínas de Fusão Oncogênica/metabolismo , Proteínas de Fusão Oncogênica/fisiologia , Animais , Western Blotting , Transplante de Medula Óssea , Subunidade alfa 2 de Fator de Ligação ao Core/genética , Subunidade beta de Fator de Ligação ao Core/genética , Citometria de Fluxo , Células-Tronco Hematopoéticas/metabolismo , Humanos , Leucemia Mieloide Aguda/genética , Leucemia Mieloide Aguda/metabolismo , Camundongos , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , Proteína de Leucina Linfoide-Mieloide/genética , Proteínas de Fusão Oncogênica/genética , Fenótipo , RNA Mensageiro/genética , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase em Tempo Real , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase Via Transcriptase Reversa , Translocação GenéticaRESUMO
One mechanism for disrupting the MLL gene in myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is through partial tandem duplication (MLL-PTD); however, the mechanism by which MLL-PTD contributes to MDS and AML development and maintenance is currently unknown. Herein, we investigated hematopoietic stem/progenitor cell (HSPC) phenotypes of Mll-PTD knock-in mice. Although HSPCs (Lin(-)Sca1(+)Kit(+) (LSK)/SLAM(+) and LSK) in Mll(PTD/WT) mice are reduced in absolute number in steady state because of increased apoptosis, they have a proliferative advantage in colony replating assays, CFU-spleen assays, and competitive transplantation assays over wild-type HSPCs. The Mll(PTD/WT)-derived phenotypic short-term (ST)-HSCs/multipotent progenitors and granulocyte/macrophage progenitors have self-renewal capability, rescuing hematopoiesis by giving rise to long-term repopulating cells in recipient mice with an unexpected myeloid differentiation blockade and lymphoid-lineage bias. However, Mll(PTD/WT) HSPCs never develop leukemia in primary or recipient mice, suggesting that additional genetic and/or epigenetic defects are necessary for full leukemogenic transformation. Thus, the Mll-PTD aberrantly alters HSPCs, enhances self-renewal, causes lineage bias, and blocks myeloid differentiation. These findings provide a framework by which we can ascertain the underlying pathogenic role of MLL-PTD in the clonal evolution of human leukemia, which should facilitate improved therapies and patient outcomes.