SMARCA5 reprograms AKR1B1-mediated fructose metabolism to control leukemogenesis.

A significant variation in chromatin accessibility is an epigenetic feature of leukemia. The cause of this variation in leukemia, however, remains elusive. Here, we identify SMARCA5, a core ATPase of the imitation switch (ISWI) chromatin remodeling complex, as being responsible for aberrant chromatin accessibility in leukemia cells. We find that SMARCA5 is required to maintain aberrant chromatin accessibility for leukemogenesis and then promotes transcriptional activation of AKR1B1, an aldo/keto reductase, by recruiting transcription co-activator DDX5 and transcription factor SP1. Higher levels of AKR1B1 are associated with a poor prognosis in leukemia patients and promote leukemogenesis by reprogramming fructose metabolism. Moreover, pharmacological inhibition of AKR1B1 has been shown to have significant therapeutic effects in leukemia mice and leukemia patient cells. Thus, our findings link the aberrant chromatin state mediated by SMARCA5 to AKR1B1-mediated endogenous fructose metabolism reprogramming and shed light on the essential role of AKR1B1 in leukemogenesis, which may provide therapeutic strategies for leukemia.

ROBO1 deficiency impairs HSPC homeostasis and erythropoiesis via CDC42 and predicts poor prognosis in MDS.

Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) is a group of clonal hematopoietic neoplasms originating from hematopoietic stem progenitor cells (HSPCs). We previously identified frequent roundabout guidance receptor 1 (ROBO1) mutations in patients with MDS, while the exact role of ROBO1 in hematopoiesis remains poorly delineated. Here, we report that ROBO1 deficiency confers MDS-like disease with anemia and multilineage dysplasia in mice and predicts poor prognosis in patients with MDS. More specifically, Robo1 deficiency impairs HSPC homeostasis and disrupts HSPC pool, especially the reduction of megakaryocyte erythroid progenitors, which causes a blockage in the early stages of erythropoiesis in mice. Mechanistically, transcriptional profiling indicates that Cdc42, a member of the Rho-guanosine triphosphatase family, acts as a downstream target gene for Robo1 in HSPCs. Overexpression of Cdc42 partially restores the self-renewal and erythropoiesis of HSPCs in Robo1-deficient mice. Collectively, our result implicates the essential role of ROBO1 in maintaining HSPC homeostasis and erythropoiesis via CDC42.

The non-cell-autonomous function of ID1 promotes AML progression via ANGPTL7 from the microenvironment.

The bone marrow microenvironment (BMM) can regulate leukemia stem cells (LSCs) via secreted factors. Increasing evidence suggests that dissecting the mechanisms by which the BMM maintains LSCs may lead to the development of effective therapies for the eradication of leukemia. Inhibitor of DNA binding 1 (ID1), a key transcriptional regulator in LSCs, previously identified by us, controls cytokine production in the BMM, but the role of ID1 in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) BMM remains obscure. Here, we report that ID1 is highly expressed in the BMM of patients with AML, especially in BM mesenchymal stem cells, and that the high expression of ID1 in the AML BMM is induced by BMP6, secreted from AML cells. Knocking out ID1 in mesenchymal cells significantly suppresses the proliferation of cocultured AML cells. Loss of Id1 in the BMM results in impaired AML progression in AML mouse models. Mechanistically, we found that Id1 deficiency significantly reduces SP1 protein levels in mesenchymal cells cocultured with AML cells. Using ID1-interactome analysis, we found that ID1 interacts with RNF4, an E3 ubiquitin ligase, and causes a decrease in SP1 ubiquitination. Disrupting the ID1-RNF4 interaction via truncation in mesenchymal cells significantly reduces SP1 protein levels and delays AML cell proliferation. We identify that the target of Sp1, Angptl7, is the primary differentially expression protein factor in Id1-deficient BM supernatant fluid to regulate AML progression in mice. Our study highlights the critical role of ID1 in the AML BMM and aids the development of therapeutic strategies for AML.

Targeting UHRF1-SAP30-MXD4 axis for leukemia initiating cell eradication in myeloid leukemia.

Aberrant self-renewal of leukemia initiation cells (LICs) drives aggressive acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Here, we report that UHRF1, an epigenetic regulator that recruits DNMT1 to methylate DNA, is highly expressed in AML and predicts poor prognosis. UHRF1 is required for myeloid leukemogenesis by maintaining self-renewal of LICs. Mechanistically, UHRF1 directly interacts with Sin3A-associated protein 30 (SAP30) through two critical amino acids, G572 and F573 in its SRA domain, to repress gene expression. Depletion of UHRF1 or SAP30 derepresses an important target gene, MXD4, which encodes a MYC antagonist, and leads to suppression of leukemogenesis. Further knockdown of MXD4 can rescue the leukemogenesis by activating the MYC pathway. Lastly, we identified a UHRF1 inhibitor, UF146, and demonstrated its significant therapeutic efficacy in the myeloid leukemia PDX model. Taken together, our study reveals the mechanisms for altered epigenetic programs in AML and provides a promising targeted therapeutic strategy against AML.

Highly sensitive serological approaches for Pepino mosaic virus detection.

Pepino mosaic virus (PepMV) causes severe disease in tomato and other Solanaceous crops around globe. To effectively study and manage this viral disease, researchers need new, sensitive, and high-throughput approaches for viral detection. In this study, we purified PepMV particles from the infected Nicotiana benthamiana plants and used virions to immunize BALB/c mice to prepare hybridomas secreting anti-PepMV monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). A panel of highly specific and sensitive murine mAbs (15B2, 8H6, 23D11, 20D9, 3A6, and 8E3) could be produced through cell fusion, antibody selection, and cell cloning. Using the mAbs as the detection antibodies, we established double antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (DAS-ELISA), Dot-ELISA, and Tissue print-ELISA for detecting PepMV infection in tomato plants. Resulting data on sensitivity analysis assays showed that both DAS-ELISA and Dot-ELISA can efficiently monitor the virus in PepMV-infected tissue crude extracts when diluted at 1:1 310 720 and 1:20 480 (weight/volume ratio (w/v), g/mL), respectively. Among the three methods developed, the Tissue print-ELISA was found to be the most practical detection technique. Survey results from field samples by the established serological approaches were verified by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and DNA sequencing, demonstrating all three serological methods are reliable and effective for monitoring PepMV. Anti-PepMV mAbs and the newly developed DAS-ELISA, Dot-ELISA, and Tissue print-ELISA can benefit PepMV detection and field epidemiological study, and management of this viral disease, which is already widespread in tomato plants in Yunnan Province of China.

Resveratrol alleviate the injury of mice liver induced by cadmium sulfide nanoparticles.

Cadmium sulfide nanoparticle (Nano-CdS) is a kind of important semiconductor material with special photochemistry property. With the Nano-CdS being widely used, the security problems it caused have been catching more and more attention. This study aims to explore the possible mechanism of liver injury induced by Nano-CdS and whether resveratrol can reduce the damage. In this study, male BALB/C mice were treated with Nano-CdS with a diameter of 20 to 30 nm and a length of 80 to 100 nm. It turned out that the mice liver inflammatory cells infiltrated, the liver tissue and the ultrastructure changed; The activities of T-AOC and GSH were suppressed (n = 6, P < 0.05) and the content of lipid peroxide (MDA) increased (n = 6, P < 0.05). Besides, Nano-CdS decreased the mRNA expression level of Sirt1 and FoxO1 genes in liver tissue (n = 3, P < 0.05). All the changes in the index were reversed by resveratrol. The mRNA expression level of FoxO3a showed no significant difference between the control group and the Nano-CdS group. But under the protection of resveratrol, the mRNA expression level of FoxO3a was higher than that in the control and Nano-CdS groups (n = 3, P < 0.05). Results suggest that Nano-CdS can cause oxidative damages to liver tissues in mice, in which process that the Sirt1 and FoxO1 genes may participate, and the damage can be reversed by resveratrol which may be a potential cure for oxidative damage to nanomaterials.