RESUMO
Changes in the enzymatic activity of protein arginine methyltransferase (PRMT) 5 have been associated with cancer; however, the protein's role in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has not been fully evaluated. Here, we show that increased PRMT5 activity enhanced AML growth in vitro and in vivo while PRMT5 downregulation reduced it. In AML cells, PRMT5 interacted with Sp1 in a transcription repressor complex and silenced miR-29b preferentially via dimethylation of histone 4 arginine residue H4R3. As Sp1 is also a bona fide target of miR-29b, the miR silencing resulted in increased Sp1. This event in turn led to transcription activation of FLT3, a gene that encodes a receptor tyrosine kinase. Inhibition of PRMT5 via sh/siRNA or a first-in-class small-molecule inhibitor (HLCL-61) resulted in significantly increased expression of miR-29b and consequent suppression of Sp1 and FLT3 in AML cells. As a result, significant antileukemic activity was achieved. Collectively, our data support a novel leukemogenic mechanism in AML where PRMT5 mediates both silencing and transcription of genes that participate in a 'yin-yang' functional network supporting leukemia growth. As FLT3 is often mutated in AML and pharmacologic inhibition of PRMT5 appears feasible, the PRMT5-miR-29b-FLT3 network should be further explored as a novel therapeutic target for AML.
Assuntos
Arginina/química , Metilação de DNA , Epigênese Genética/genética , Epigenômica , Histonas/química , Leucemia Mieloide Aguda/genética , MicroRNAs/genética , Proteína-Arginina N-Metiltransferases/genética , Animais , Apoptose , Western Blotting , Proliferação de Células , Imunoprecipitação da Cromatina , Regulação para Baixo , Citometria de Fluxo , Regulação Leucêmica da Expressão Gênica , Humanos , Técnicas Imunoenzimáticas , Leucemia Mieloide Aguda/patologia , Camundongos , Camundongos Endogâmicos NOD , Camundongos SCID , Proteína-Arginina N-Metiltransferases/antagonistas & inibidores , RNA Mensageiro/genética , RNA Interferente Pequeno/genética , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase em Tempo Real , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase Via Transcriptase Reversa , Ativação Transcricional , Células Tumorais Cultivadas , Ensaios Antitumorais Modelo de XenoenxertoRESUMO
DNMT3B encodes a DNA methyltransferase implicated in aberrant epigenetic changes contributing to leukemogenesis. We tested whether DNMT3B expression, measured by NanoString nCounter assay, associates with outcome, gene and microRNA expression and DNA methylation profiles in 210 older (⩾60 years) adults with primary, cytogenetically normal acute myeloid leukemia (CN-AML). Patients were dichotomized into high versus low expressers using median cut. Outcomes were assessed in the context of known CN-AML prognosticators. Gene and microRNA expression, and DNA methylation profiles were analyzed using microarrays and MethylCap-sequencing, respectively. High DNMT3B expressers had fewer complete remissions (CR; P=0.002) and shorter disease-free (DFS; P=0.02) and overall (OS; P<0.001) survival. In multivariable analyses, high DNMT3B expression remained an independent predictor of lower CR rates (P=0.04) and shorter DFS (P=0.04) and OS (P=0.001). High DNMT3B expression associated with a gene expression profile comprising 363 genes involved in differentiation, proliferation and survival pathways, but with only four differentially expressed microRNAs (miR-133b, miR-148a, miR-122, miR-409-3p) and no differential DNA methylation regions. We conclude that high DNMT3B expression independently associates with adverse outcome in older CN-AML patients. Gene expression analyses suggest that DNMT3B is involved in the modulation of several genes, although the regulatory mechanisms remain to be investigated to devise therapeutic approaches specific for these patients.