The MDS and EVI1 complex locus (MECOM) isoforms regulate their own transcription and have different roles in the transformation of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells.

Transcriptional activation of the EVI1 oncogene (3q26) leads to aggressive forms of human acute myeloid leukemia (AML). However, the mechanism of EVI1-mediated leukemogenesis has not been fully elucidated. Previously, by characterizing the EVI1 promoter, we have shown that RUNX1 and ELK1 directly regulate EVI1 transcription. Intriguingly, bioinformatic analysis of the EVI1 promoter region identified the presence of several EVI1 potential binding sites. Thus, we hypothesized that EVI1 could bind to these sites regulating its own transcription. In this study, we show that there is a functional interaction between EVI1 and its promoter, and that the different EVI1 isoforms (EVI1-145kDa, EVI1-Δ324 and MDS1-EVI1) regulate the transcription of EVI1 transcripts through distinct promoter regions. Moreover, we determine that the EVI1-145kDa isoform activates EVI1 transcription, whereas EVI1-Δ324 and MDS1-EVI1 act as repressors. Finally, we demonstrate that these EVI1 isoforms are involved in cell transformation; functional experiments show that EVI1-145kDa prolongs the maintenance of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells; conversely, MDS1-EVI1 repressed hematopoietic stem and progenitor colony replating capacity. We demonstrate for the first time that EVI1 acts as a regulator of its own expression, highlighting the complex regulation of EVI1, and open new directions to better understand the mechanisms of EVI1 overexpressing leukemias.

Overexpression of SET is a recurrent event associated with poor outcome and contributes to protein phosphatase 2A inhibition in acute myeloid leukemia.

BACKGROUND: Protein phosphatase 2A is a novel potential therapeutic target in several types of chronic and acute leukemia, and its inhibition is a common event in acute myeloid leukemia. Upregulation of SET is essential to inhibit protein phosphatase 2A in chronic myeloid leukemia, but its importance in acute myeloid leukemia has not yet been explored. DESIGN AND METHODS: We quantified SET expression by real time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction in 214 acute myeloid leukemia patients at diagnosis. Western blot was performed in acute myeloid leukemia cell lines and in 16 patients' samples. We studied the effect of SET using cell viability assays. Bioinformatics analysis of the SET promoter, chromatin immunoprecipitation, and luciferase assays were performed to evaluate the transcriptional regulation of SET. RESULTS: SET overexpression was found in 60/214 patients, for a prevalence of 28%. Patients with SET overexpression had worse overall survival (P<0.01) and event-free survival (P<0.01). Deregulation of SET was confirmed by western blot in both cell lines and patients' samples. Functional analysis showed that SET promotes proliferation, and restores cell viability after protein phosphatase 2A overexpression. We identified EVI1 overexpression as a mechanism involved in SET deregulation in acute myeloid leukemia cells. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that SET overexpression is a key mechanism in the inhibition of PP2A in acute myeloid leukemia, and that EVI1 overexpression contributes to the deregulation of SET. Furthermore, SET overexpression is associated with a poor outcome in acute myeloid leukemia, and it can be used to identify a subgroup of patients who could benefit from future treatments based on PP2A activators.

The role of the GATA2 transcription factor in normal and malignant hematopoiesis.

Hematopoiesis involves an elaborate regulatory network of transcription factors that coordinates the expression of multiple downstream genes, and maintains homeostasis within the hematopoietic system through the accurate orchestration of cellular proliferation, differentiation and survival. As a result, defects in the expression levels or the activity of these transcription factors are intimately linked to hematopoietic disorders, including leukemia. The GATA family of nuclear regulatory proteins serves as a prototype for the action of lineage-restricted transcription factors. GATA1 and GATA2 are expressed principally in hematopoietic lineages, and have essential roles in the development of multiple hematopoietic cells, including erythrocytes and megakaryocytes. Moreover, GATA2 is crucial for the proliferation and maintenance of hematopoietic stem cells and multipotential progenitors. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge regarding the biological properties and functions of the GATA2 transcription factor in normal and malignant hematopoiesis.

A gene coding for ornithine decarboxylase (odcA) is differentially expressed during the Mucor circinelloides yeast-to-hypha transition.

The differential display technique was used to identify genes from Mucor circinelloides involved in the yeast-to-hypha transition. Using a limited set of primer combinations, cDNA fragments corresponding to mRNAs differentially expressed during the dimorphic transition were isolated. Northern analyses showed that the accumulation of the transcript detected by hybridisation with one of the cDNA fragments increased during the transition and was undetectable at the mycelial stage. Sequence analysis and database searches of this fragment revealed high similarity to ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) encoding genes. The odcA gene of M. circinelloides was isolated from genomic and cDNA libraries and characterised. Electrophoretic karyotyping and hybridisations showed that the odcA gene is single-copy and linked to the leuA and rDNA genes. The single transcript detected (2.1 kb), was considerably longer than the deduced ORF. Through non-radioactive primer extension analysis four transcription initiation sites were mapped to positions -61, -167, -239 and -436 from the start codon. The ODC mRNA levels increased during the yeast-to-hypha transition, reaching a maximum at 120 min, which was accompanied by a rise in ODC enzymatic activity. The expression pattern of the odcA gene showed that in M. circinelloides the ODC levels are transcriptionally regulated, in contrast with other dimorphic fungi in which a post-transcriptional regulation has been proposed.