RESUMO
Double plant homeodomain finger 2 (DPF2) is a highly evolutionarily conserved member of the d4 protein family that is ubiquitously expressed in human tissues and was recently shown to inhibit the myeloid differentiation of hematopoietic stem/progenitor and acute myelogenous leukemia cells. Here, we present the crystal structure of the tandem plant homeodomain finger domain of human DPF2 at 1.6-Å resolution. We show that DPF2 interacts with the acetylated tails of both histones 3 and 4 via bipartite binding pockets on the DPF2 surface. Blocking these interactions through targeted mutagenesis of DPF2 abolishes its recruitment to target chromatin regions as well as its ability to prevent myeloid differentiation in vivo. Our findings suggest that the histone binding of DPF2 plays an important regulatory role in the transcriptional program that drives myeloid differentiation.
Assuntos
Proteínas de Ligação a DNA/química , Proteínas de Ligação a DNA/metabolismo , Histonas/química , Histonas/metabolismo , Células Mieloides/citologia , Células Mieloides/metabolismo , Acetilação , Diferenciação Celular/fisiologia , Cromatina/química , Cromatina/metabolismo , Cristalografia por Raios X , Hematopoese/fisiologia , Humanos , Modelos Moleculares , Ligação Proteica , Domínios Proteicos , Fatores de TranscriçãoRESUMO
AML1-ETO (AE), a fusion oncoprotein generated by t(8;21), can trigger acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in collaboration with mutations including c-Kit, ASXL1/2, FLT3, N-RAS, and K-RAS. Caspase-3, a key executor among its family, plays multiple roles in cellular processes, including hematopoietic development and leukemia progression. Caspase-3 was revealed to directly cleave AE in vitro, suggesting that AE may accumulate in a Caspase-3-compromised background and thereby accelerate leukemogenesis. Therefore, we developed a Caspase-3 knockout genetic mouse model of AML and found that loss of Caspase-3 actually delayed AML1-ETO9a (AE9a)-driven leukemogenesis, indicating that Caspase-3 may play distinct roles in the initiation and/or progression of AML. We report here that loss of Caspase-3 triggers a conserved, adaptive mechanism, namely autophagy (or macroautophagy), which acts to limit AE9a-driven leukemia. Furthermore, we identify ULK1 as a novel substrate of Caspase-3 and show that upregulation of ULK1 drives autophagy initiation in leukemia cells and that inhibition of ULK1 can rescue the phenotype induced by Caspase-3 deletion in vitro and in vivo. Collectively, these data highlight Caspase-3 as an important regulator of autophagy in AML and demonstrate that the balance and selectivity between its substrates can dictate the pace of disease.
Assuntos
Proteína Homóloga à Proteína-1 Relacionada à Autofagia/metabolismo , Autofagia , Carcinogênese/patologia , Caspase 3/metabolismo , Leucemia/metabolismo , Leucemia/patologia , Proteínas de Fusão Oncogênica/metabolismo , Animais , Antígenos CD34/metabolismo , Proteína Homóloga à Proteína-1 Relacionada à Autofagia/antagonistas & inibidores , Autorrenovação Celular , Modelos Animais de Doenças , Feto/patologia , Deleção de Genes , Técnicas de Silenciamento de Genes , Humanos , Transplante de Fígado , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , Camundongos Knockout , Células-Tronco Neoplásicas/metabolismo , Células-Tronco Neoplásicas/patologia , Fenótipo , Especificidade por SubstratoRESUMO
FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3)-mutant acute myeloid leukemia (AML) portends a poor prognosis, and ineffective targeting of the leukemic stem cell (LSC) population remains one of several obstacles in treating this disease. All-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) has been used in several clinical trials for the treatment of nonpromyelocytic AML with limited clinical activity observed. FLT3 tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) used as monotherapy also achieve limited clinical responses and are thus far unable to affect cure rates in AML patients. We explored the efficacy of combining ATRA and FLT3 TKIs to eliminate FLT3/internal tandem duplication (ITD)(+) LSCs. Our studies reveal highly synergistic drug activity, preferentially inducing apoptosis in FLT3/ITD(+) cell lines and patient samples. Colony-forming unit assays further demonstrate decreased clonogenicity of FLT3/ITD(+) cells upon treatment with ATRA and TKI. Most importantly, the drug combination depletes FLT3/ITD(+) LSCs in a genetic mouse model of AML, and prolongs survival of leukemic mice. Furthermore, engraftment of primary FLT3/ITD(+) patient samples is reduced in mice following treatment with FLT3 TKI and ATRA in combination, with evidence of cellular differentiation occurring in vivo. Mechanistically, we provide evidence that the synergism of ATRA and FLT3 TKIs is at least in part due to the observation that FLT3 TKI treatment upregulates the antiapoptotic protein Bcl6, limiting the drug's apoptotic effect. However, cotreatment with ATRA reduces Bcl6 expression to baseline levels through suppression of interleukin-6 receptor signaling. These studies provide evidence of the potential of this drug combination to eliminate FLT3/ITD(+) LSCs and reduce the rate of relapse in AML patients with FLT3 mutations.
Assuntos
Leucemia Mieloide Aguda/genética , Leucemia Mieloide Aguda/patologia , Niacinamida/análogos & derivados , Compostos de Fenilureia/farmacologia , Inibidores de Proteínas Quinases/farmacologia , Tretinoína/farmacologia , Tirosina Quinase 3 Semelhante a fms/genética , Animais , Morte Celular/efeitos dos fármacos , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Resistencia a Medicamentos Antineoplásicos/efeitos dos fármacos , Resistencia a Medicamentos Antineoplásicos/genética , Sinergismo Farmacológico , Duplicação Gênica , Humanos , Camundongos , Proteínas Mutantes/antagonistas & inibidores , Proteínas Mutantes/genética , Proteínas Mutantes/metabolismo , Niacinamida/farmacologia , Sorafenibe , Sequências de Repetição em Tandem , Ensaios Antitumorais Modelo de Xenoenxerto , Tirosina Quinase 3 Semelhante a fms/antagonistas & inibidores , Tirosina Quinase 3 Semelhante a fms/metabolismoRESUMO
The RUNX family of transcription factors plays important roles in tissue-specific gene expression. Many of their functions depend on specific post-translational modifications (PTMs), and in this review, we describe how PTMs govern RUNX DNA binding, transcriptional activity, protein stability, cellular localization, and protein-protein interactions. We also report how these processes can be disrupted in disease settings. Finally, we describe how alterations of RUNX1, or the enzymes that catalyze its post-translational modifications, contribute to hematopoietic malignancies.
Assuntos
Subunidades alfa de Fatores de Ligação ao Core/genética , Subunidades alfa de Fatores de Ligação ao Core/metabolismo , Animais , Proteínas de Ligação a DNA/genética , Proteínas de Ligação a DNA/metabolismo , Humanos , Mapas de Interação de Proteínas/genética , Processamento de Proteína Pós-Traducional/genética , Fatores de Transcrição/genética , Fatores de Transcrição/metabolismo , Transcrição Gênica/genéticaRESUMO
More than 35% of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients harbor a constitutively activating mutation in FMS-like tyrosine kinase-3 (FLT3). The most common type, internal tandem duplication (ITD), confers poor prognosis. We report for the first time on TTT-3002, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) that is one of the most potent FLT3 inhibitors discovered to date. Studies using human FLT3/ITD mutant leukemia cell lines revealed the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) for inhibiting FLT3 autophosphorylation is from 100 to 250 pM. The proliferation IC50 for TTT-3002 in these same cells was from 490 to 920 pM. TTT-3002 also showed potent activity when tested against the most frequently occurring FLT3-activating point mutation, FLT3/D835Y, against which many current TKIs are ineffective. These findings were validated in vivo by using mouse models of FLT3-associated AML. Survival and tumor burden of mice in several FLT3/ITD transplantation models is significantly improved by administration of TTT-3002 via oral dosing. Finally, we demonstrated that TTT-3002 is cytotoxic to leukemic blasts isolated from FLT3/ITD-expressing AML patients, while displaying minimal toxicity to normal hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells from healthy blood and bone marrow donors. Therefore, TTT-3002 has demonstrated preclinical potential as a promising new FLT3 TKI in the treatment of FLT3-mutant AML.
Assuntos
Carbazóis/farmacologia , Indóis/farmacologia , Leucemia/metabolismo , Inibidores de Proteínas Quinases/farmacologia , Tirosina Quinase 3 Semelhante a fms/antagonistas & inibidores , Tirosina Quinase 3 Semelhante a fms/metabolismo , Adulto , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Animais , Carbazóis/administração & dosagem , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Proliferação de Células/efeitos dos fármacos , Modelos Animais de Doenças , Feminino , Duplicação Gênica , Humanos , Indóis/administração & dosagem , Concentração Inibidora 50 , Leucemia/tratamento farmacológico , Leucemia/genética , Leucemia/mortalidade , Leucemia/patologia , Leucemia Mieloide Aguda/tratamento farmacológico , Leucemia Mieloide Aguda/metabolismo , Masculino , Camundongos , Camundongos Transgênicos , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Domínios e Motivos de Interação entre Proteínas/genética , Inibidores de Proteínas Quinases/administração & dosagem , Sequências de Repetição em Tandem , Carga Tumoral/efeitos dos fármacos , Ensaios Antitumorais Modelo de Xenoenxerto , Tirosina Quinase 3 Semelhante a fms/química , Tirosina Quinase 3 Semelhante a fms/genéticaRESUMO
Constitutive activation of FLT3 by internal tandem duplication (ITD) is one of the most common molecular alterations in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). FLT3/ITD mutations have also been observed in myelodysplastic syndrome patients both before and during progression to AML. Previous work has shown that insertion of an FLT3/ITD mutation into the murine Flt3 gene induces a myeloproliferative neoplasm, but not progression to acute leukemia, suggesting that additional cooperating events are required. We therefore combined the FLT3/ITD mutation with a model of myelodysplastic syndrome involving transgenic expression of the Nup98-HoxD13 (NHD13) fusion gene. Mice expressing both the FLT3/ITD and NHD13 transgene developed AML with 100% penetrance and short latency. These leukemias were driven by mutant FLT3 expression and were susceptible to treatment with FLT3 tyrosine kinase inhibitors. We also observed a spontaneous loss of the wild-type Flt3 allele in these AMLs, further modeling the loss of the heterozygosity phenomenon that is seen in human AML with FLT3-activating mutations. Because resistance to FLT3 inhibitors remains an important clinical issue, this model may help identify new molecular targets in collaborative signaling pathways.
Assuntos
Modelos Animais de Doenças , Proteínas de Homeodomínio/genética , Leucemia Mieloide Aguda/genética , Complexo de Proteínas Formadoras de Poros Nucleares/genética , Proteínas de Fusão Oncogênica/genética , Tirosina Quinase 3 Semelhante a fms/genética , Animais , Western Blotting , Citometria de Fluxo , Técnicas de Introdução de Genes , Humanos , Camundongos , Camundongos Transgênicos , Mutação , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase em Tempo Real , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase Via Transcriptase ReversaRESUMO
An important epigenetic component of tyrosine kinase signaling is the phosphorylation of histones, and epigenetic readers, writers, and erasers. Phosphorylation of protein arginine methyltransferases (PRMTs), have been shown to enhance and impair their enzymatic activity. In this study, we show that the hyperactivation of Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) by the V617F mutation phosphorylates tyrosine residues (Y149 and Y334) in coactivator-associated arginine methyltransferase 1 (CARM1), an important target in hematologic malignancies, increasing its methyltransferase activity and altering its target specificity. While non-phosphorylatable CARM1 methylates some established substrates (e.g. BAF155 and PABP1), only phospho-CARM1 methylates the RUNX1 transcription factor, on R223 and R319. Furthermore, cells expressing non-phosphorylatable CARM1 have impaired cell-cycle progression and increased apoptosis, compared to cells expressing phosphorylatable, wild-type CARM1, with reduced expression of genes associated with G2/M cell cycle progression and anti-apoptosis. The presence of the JAK2-V617F mutant kinase renders acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells less sensitive to CARM1 inhibition, and we show that the dual targeting of JAK2 and CARM1 is more effective than monotherapy in AML cells expressing phospho-CARM1. Thus, the phosphorylation of CARM1 by hyperactivated JAK2 regulates its methyltransferase activity, helps select its substrates, and is required for the maximal proliferation of malignant myeloid cells.
Assuntos
Apoptose , Subunidade alfa 2 de Fator de Ligação ao Core , Janus Quinase 2 , Proteína-Arginina N-Metiltransferases , Tirosina , Humanos , Fosforilação , Janus Quinase 2/metabolismo , Janus Quinase 2/genética , Proteína-Arginina N-Metiltransferases/metabolismo , Proteína-Arginina N-Metiltransferases/genética , Subunidade alfa 2 de Fator de Ligação ao Core/metabolismo , Subunidade alfa 2 de Fator de Ligação ao Core/genética , Tirosina/metabolismo , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Leucemia Mieloide Aguda/metabolismo , Leucemia Mieloide Aguda/genética , Leucemia Mieloide Aguda/patologia , Metilação , Especificidade por Substrato , Células HEK293 , Ciclo Celular , MutaçãoRESUMO
Clinical evidence has shown that FLT3 internal tandem duplication (ITD) mutation confers poor prognosis in acute myeloid leukemia. Loss of the FLT3 wild-type (WT) allele is associated with even worse prognosis. We have previously reported that heterozygous FLT3(wt/ITD) "knockin" mice develop a slowly fatal myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN). To study the roles of the WT FLT3 and ITD alleles in the development of MPNs, we generated FLT3/ITD homozygous (FLT3(ITD/ITD)) and hemizygous (FLT3(-/ITD)) mice. FLT3(-/ITD) mice, with the loss of WT allele, display a more severe MPN, as evidenced by even larger spleen, higher white blood cell counts, and shorter survival, compared with FLT3(wt/ITD) mice. Reintroduction of the WT FLT3 allele into FLT3(-/ITD) BM slowed the progression of MPN in recipient mice. FLT3(ITD/ITD) mice had an even severe MPN compared with the FLT3(-/ITD) and FLT3(wt/ITD) mice. Spontaneous leukemia developed in a small fraction of the FLT3(ITD/ITD) mice but was never observed in the FLT3(-/ITD) and FLT3(wt/ITD) mice. Our results suggest that loss of the WT allele contributes to the development of a more severe phenotype. Thus, the WT FLT3 allele seemingly functions as a tumor suppressor, attenuating the function of the FLT3/ITD allele in leukemia harboring FLT3/ITD mutations.
Assuntos
Proliferação de Células , Leucemia Mieloide Aguda/genética , Leucemia Mieloide Aguda/patologia , Células Mieloides/fisiologia , Tirosina Quinase 3 Semelhante a fms/genética , Alelos , Animais , Progressão da Doença , Técnicas de Introdução de Genes , Genes Supressores de Tumor/fisiologia , Perda de Heterozigosidade/fisiologia , Camundongos , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , Camundongos Knockout , Células Mieloides/metabolismo , Invasividade Neoplásica , Sequências de Repetição em Tandem/genética , Sequências de Repetição em Tandem/fisiologia , Tirosina Quinase 3 Semelhante a fms/química , Tirosina Quinase 3 Semelhante a fms/metabolismo , Tirosina Quinase 3 Semelhante a fms/fisiologiaRESUMO
LONP1 is an AAA+ protease that maintains mitochondrial homeostasis by removing damaged or misfolded proteins. Elevated activity and expression of LONP1 promotes cancer cell proliferation and resistance to apoptosis-inducing reagents. Despite the importance of LONP1 in human biology and disease, very few LONP1 inhibitors have been described in the literature. Herein, we report the development of selective boronic acid-based LONP1 inhibitors using structure-based drug design as well as the first structures of human LONP1 bound to various inhibitors. Our efforts led to several nanomolar LONP1 inhibitors with little to no activity against the 20S proteasome that serve as tool compounds to investigate LONP1 biology.
Assuntos
Proteases Dependentes de ATP/antagonistas & inibidores , Desenho de Fármacos , Proteínas Mitocondriais/antagonistas & inibidores , Inibidores de Proteases/química , Proteases Dependentes de ATP/metabolismo , Sítios de Ligação , Ácidos Borônicos/química , Ácidos Borônicos/metabolismo , Ácidos Borônicos/farmacologia , Bortezomib/química , Bortezomib/metabolismo , Linhagem Celular , Sobrevivência Celular/efeitos dos fármacos , Humanos , Proteínas Mitocondriais/metabolismo , Simulação de Acoplamento Molecular , Inibidores de Proteases/metabolismo , Inibidores de Proteases/farmacologia , Complexo de Endopeptidases do Proteassoma/química , Complexo de Endopeptidases do Proteassoma/metabolismo , Subunidades Proteicas/antagonistas & inibidores , Subunidades Proteicas/metabolismo , Relação Estrutura-AtividadeRESUMO
AML1-ETO (AE) is a fusion transcription factor, generated by the t(8;21) translocation, that functions as a leukemia promoting oncogene. Here, we demonstrate that TATA-Box Binding Protein Associated Factor 1 (TAF1) associates with K43 acetylated AE and this association plays a pivotal role in the proliferation of AE-expressing acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells. ChIP-sequencing indicates significant overlap of the TAF1 and AE binding sites. Knockdown of TAF1 alters the association of AE with chromatin, affecting of the expression of genes that are activated or repressed by AE. Furthermore, TAF1 is required for leukemic cell self-renewal and its reduction promotes the differentiation and apoptosis of AE+ AML cells, thereby impairing AE driven leukemogenesis. Together, our findings reveal a role of TAF1 in leukemogenesis and identify TAF1 as a potential therapeutic target for AE-expressing leukemia.
Assuntos
Carcinogênese/patologia , Subunidade alfa 2 de Fator de Ligação ao Core/metabolismo , Histona Acetiltransferases/metabolismo , Leucemia Mieloide Aguda/genética , Leucemia Mieloide Aguda/patologia , Proteínas de Fusão Oncogênica/metabolismo , Proteína 1 Parceira de Translocação de RUNX1/metabolismo , Fatores Associados à Proteína de Ligação a TATA/metabolismo , Fator de Transcrição TFIID/metabolismo , Acetilação , Animais , Diferenciação Celular , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Proliferação de Células , Autorrenovação Celular , Cromatina/metabolismo , Regulação Leucêmica da Expressão Gênica , Histona Acetiltransferases/química , Humanos , Lisina/metabolismo , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , Células Mieloides/patologia , Ligação Proteica , Domínios Proteicos , Fatores Associados à Proteína de Ligação a TATA/química , Fator de Transcrição TFIID/químicaRESUMO
Protein arginine methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5) is overexpressed in many cancer types and is a promising therapeutic target for several of them, including leukemia and lymphoma. However, we and others have reported that PRMT5 is essential for normal physiology. This dependence may become dose limiting in a therapeutic setting, warranting the search for combinatorial approaches. Here, we report that PRMT5 depletion or inhibition impairs homologous recombination (HR) DNA repair, leading to DNA-damage accumulation, p53 activation, cell-cycle arrest, and cell death. PRMT5 symmetrically dimethylates histone and non-histone substrates, including several components of the RNA splicing machinery. We find that PRMT5 depletion or inhibition induces aberrant splicing of the multifunctional histone-modifying and DNA-repair factor TIP60/KAT5, which selectively affects its lysine acetyltransferase activity and leads to impaired HR. As HR deficiency sensitizes cells to PARP inhibitors, we demonstrate here that PRMT5 and PARP inhibitors have synergistic effects on acute myeloid leukemia cells.
Assuntos
Proteína-Arginina N-Metiltransferases/metabolismo , Processamento Alternativo/genética , Processamento Alternativo/fisiologia , Pontos de Checagem do Ciclo Celular/genética , Pontos de Checagem do Ciclo Celular/fisiologia , Morte Celular , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Reparo do DNA/genética , Reparo do DNA/fisiologia , Código das Histonas/genética , Código das Histonas/fisiologia , Histonas/metabolismo , Humanos , Lisina Acetiltransferase 5/genética , Lisina Acetiltransferase 5/metabolismo , Lisina Acetiltransferases/genética , Lisina Acetiltransferases/metabolismo , Proteína-Arginina N-Metiltransferases/genéticaRESUMO
As a dioxygenase, Ten-Eleven Translocation 2 (TET2) catalyzes subsequent steps of 5-methylcytosine (5mC) oxidation. TET2 plays a critical role in the self-renewal, proliferation, and differentiation of hematopoietic stem cells, but its impact on mature hematopoietic cells is not well-characterized. Here we show that Tet2 plays an essential role in osteoclastogenesis. Deletion of Tet2 impairs the differentiation of osteoclast precursor cells (macrophages) and their maturation into bone-resorbing osteoclasts in vitro. Furthermore, Tet2-/- mice exhibit mild osteopetrosis, accompanied by decreased number of osteoclasts in vivo. Tet2 loss in macrophages results in the altered expression of a set of genes implicated in osteoclast differentiation, such as Cebpa, Mafb, and Nfkbiz. Tet2 deletion also leads to a genome-wide alteration in the level of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) and altered expression of a specific subset of macrophage genes associated with osteoclast differentiation. Furthermore, Tet2 interacts with Runx1 and negatively modulates its transcriptional activity. Our studies demonstrate a novel molecular mechanism controlling osteoclast differentiation and function by Tet2, that is, through interactions with Runx1 and the maintenance of genomic 5hmC. Targeting Tet2 and its pathway could be a potential therapeutic strategy for the prevention and treatment of abnormal bone mass caused by the deregulation of osteoclast activities.
Assuntos
5-Metilcitosina/análogos & derivados , Diferenciação Celular , Subunidade alfa 2 de Fator de Ligação ao Core/metabolismo , Proteínas de Ligação a DNA/fisiologia , Genoma , Osteoclastos/citologia , Proteínas Proto-Oncogênicas/fisiologia , 5-Metilcitosina/química , 5-Metilcitosina/metabolismo , Animais , Células Cultivadas , Subunidade alfa 2 de Fator de Ligação ao Core/genética , Dioxigenases , Genômica , Camundongos , Camundongos Knockout , Osteoclastos/metabolismoRESUMO
Chromatin-modifying enzymes, and specifically the protein arginine methyltransferases (PRMTs), have emerged as important targets in cancer. Here, we investigated the role of CARM1 in normal and malignant hematopoiesis. Using conditional knockout mice, we show that loss of CARM1 has little effect on normal hematopoiesis. Strikingly, knockout of Carm1 abrogates both the initiation and maintenance of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) driven by oncogenic transcription factors. We show that CARM1 knockdown impairs cell-cycle progression, promotes myeloid differentiation, and ultimately induces apoptosis. Finally, we utilize a selective, small-molecule inhibitor of CARM1 to validate the efficacy of CARM1 inhibition in leukemia cells in vitro and in vivo. Collectively, this work suggests that targeting CARM1 may be an effective therapeutic strategy for AML.
Assuntos
Regulação Leucêmica da Expressão Gênica , Hematopoese/genética , Leucemia Mieloide/genética , Proteína-Arginina N-Metiltransferases/genética , Doença Aguda , Animais , Apoptose/genética , Ciclo Celular/genética , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Perfilação da Expressão Gênica , Humanos , Estimativa de Kaplan-Meier , Leucemia Mieloide/metabolismo , Leucemia Mieloide/patologia , Camundongos Endogâmicos NOD , Camundongos Knockout , Camundongos SCID , Camundongos Transgênicos , Proteína-Arginina N-Metiltransferases/metabolismoRESUMO
ASXL2 is frequently mutated in acute myeloid leukaemia patients with t(8;21). However, the roles of ASXL2 in normal haematopoiesis and the pathogenesis of myeloid malignancies remain unknown. Here we show that deletion of Asxl2 in mice leads to the development of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS)-like disease. Asxl2-/- mice have an increased bone marrow (BM) long-term haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and granulocyte-macrophage progenitors compared with wild-type controls. Recipients transplanted with Asxl2-/- and Asxl2+/- BM cells have shortened lifespan due to the development of MDS-like disease or myeloid leukaemia. Paired daughter cell assays demonstrate that Asxl2 loss enhances the self-renewal of HSCs. Deletion of Asxl2 alters the expression of genes critical for HSC self-renewal, differentiation and apoptosis in Lin-cKit+ cells. The altered gene expression is associated with dysregulated H3K27ac and H3K4me1/2. Our study demonstrates that ASXL2 functions as a tumour suppressor to maintain normal HSC function.
Assuntos
Leucemia Mieloide Aguda/metabolismo , Leucemia Mieloide Aguda/patologia , Síndromes Mielodisplásicas/patologia , Células Mieloides/metabolismo , Proteínas Repressoras/deficiência , Animais , Linhagem da Célula , Autorrenovação Celular , Progressão da Doença , Deleção de Genes , Regulação Leucêmica da Expressão Gênica , Hematopoese/genética , Células-Tronco Hematopoéticas/metabolismo , Histonas/metabolismo , Leucemia Mieloide Aguda/genética , Lisina/metabolismo , Camundongos , Síndromes Mielodisplásicas/genética , Células Mieloides/patologia , Processamento de Proteína Pós-Traducional , Proteínas Repressoras/metabolismo , Transcrição GênicaRESUMO
Arginine methylation is an abundant covalent modification that regulates diverse cellular processes, including transcription, translation, DNA repair, and RNA processing. The enzymes that catalyze these marks are known as the protein arginine methyltransferases (PRMTs), and they can generate asymmetric dimethyl arginine (type I arginine methyltransferases), symmetric dimethylarginine (type II arginine methyltransferases), or monomethyarginine (type III arginine methyltransferases). The PRMTs are capable of modifying diverse substrates, from histone components to specific nuclear and cytoplasmic proteins. Additionally, the PRMTs can orchestrate chromatin remodeling by blocking the docking of other epigenetic modifying enzymes or by recruiting them to specific gene loci. In the hematopoietic system, PRMTs can regulate cell behavior, including the critical balance between stem cell self-renewal and differentiation, in at least two critical ways, via (i) the covalent modification of transcription factors and (ii) the regulation of histone modifications at promoters critical to cell fate determination. Given these important functions, it is not surprising that these processes are altered in hematopoietic malignancies, such as acute myeloid leukemia, where they promote increased self-renewal and impair hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell differentiation.
Assuntos
Neoplasias Hematológicas/genética , Neoplasias Hematológicas/metabolismo , Hematopoese , Peptídeos e Proteínas de Sinalização Intracelular/genética , Peptídeos e Proteínas de Sinalização Intracelular/metabolismo , Proteína-Arginina N-Metiltransferases/genética , Proteína-Arginina N-Metiltransferases/metabolismo , Animais , Células Sanguíneas/metabolismo , Diferenciação Celular , Autorrenovação Celular , Reparo do DNA , Expressão Gênica , Neoplasias Hematológicas/sangue , Hematopoese/genética , Células-Tronco Hematopoéticas/citologia , Células-Tronco Hematopoéticas/metabolismo , Humanos , Metilação , Isoformas de Proteínas , Transdução de SinaisRESUMO
Epigenetic regulators play critical roles in normal hematopoiesis, and the activity of these enzymes is frequently altered in hematopoietic cancers. The major type II protein arginine methyltransferase PRMT5 catalyzes the formation of symmetric dimethyl arginine and has been implicated in various cellular processes, including pluripotency and tumorigenesis. Here, we generated Prmt5 conditional KO mice to evaluate the contribution of PRMT5 to adult hematopoiesis. Loss of PRMT5 triggered an initial but transient expansion of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs); however, Prmt5 deletion resulted in a concurrent loss of hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs), leading to fatal BM aplasia. PRMT5-specific effects on hematopoiesis were cell intrinsic and depended on PRMT5 methyltransferase activity. We found that PRMT5-deficient hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells exhibited severely impaired cytokine signaling as well as upregulation of p53 and expression of its downstream targets. Together, our results demonstrate that PRMT5 plays distinct roles in the behavior of HSCs compared with HPCs and is essential for the maintenance of adult hematopoietic cells.
Assuntos
Hematopoese/fisiologia , Células-Tronco Hematopoéticas/enzimologia , Proteínas Metiltransferases/metabolismo , Transdução de Sinais/fisiologia , Animais , Células-Tronco Hematopoéticas/citologia , Camundongos , Camundongos Knockout , Proteínas Metiltransferases/genética , Proteína-Arginina N-Metiltransferases , Proteína Supressora de Tumor p53/genética , Proteína Supressora de Tumor p53/metabolismo , Regulação para Cima/fisiologiaRESUMO
Cytoplasmic nucleophosmin (NPMc(+)) mutations and FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3) internal tandem duplication (ITD) mutations are two of the most common known molecular alterations in acute myeloid leukemia (AML); they frequently occur together, suggesting cooperative leukemogenesis. To explore the specific relationship between NPMc+ and FLT3/ITD in vivo, we crossed Flt3/ITD knock-in mice with transgenic NPMc+ mice. Mice with both mutations develop a transplantable leukemia of either myeloid or lymphoid lineage, definitively demonstrating cooperation between Flt3/ITD and NPMc+. In mice with myeloid leukemia, functionally significant loss of heterozygosity of the wild-type Flt3 allele is common, similar to what is observed in human FLT3/ITD+ AML, providing further in vivo evidence of the importance of loss of wild-type FLT3 in leukemic initiation and progression. Additionally, in vitro clonogenic assays reveal that the combination of Flt3/ITD and NPMc+ mutations causes a profound monocytic expansion, in excess of that seen with either mutation alone consistent with the predominance of myelomonocytic phenotype in human FLT3/ITD+/NPMc+ AML. This in vivo model of Flt3/ITD+/NPMc+ leukemia closely recapitulates human disease and will therefore serve as a tool for the investigation of the biology of this common disease entity.
Assuntos
Citoplasma/metabolismo , Leucemia Mieloide Aguda/genética , Mutação , Proteínas Nucleares/genética , Tirosina Quinase 3 Semelhante a fms/genética , Alelos , Animais , Duplicação Gênica , Perda de Heterozigosidade , Camundongos , Camundongos Transgênicos , Proteínas Nucleares/metabolismo , Nucleofosmina , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase Via Transcriptase ReversaRESUMO
Many of the mutations contributing to leukemogenesis in acute myeloid leukemia have been identified. A common activating mutation is an internal tandem duplication (ITD) mutation in the FLT3 gene that is found in approximately 25% of patients and confers a poor prognosis. FLT3 inhibitors have been developed and have some efficacy, but patients often relapse. Levels of FLT3 ligand (FL) are significantly elevated in patients during chemotherapy and may be an important component contributing to relapse. We used a mouse model to investigate the possible effect of FL expression on leukemogenesis involving FLT3-ITD mutations in an in vivo system. FLT3(ITD/ITD) FL(-/-) (knockout) mice had a statistically significant increase in survival compared with FLT3(ITD/ITD) FL(+/+) (wildtype) mice, most of which developed a fatal myeloproliferative neoplasm. These findings suggest that FL levels may have prognostic significance in human patients. We also studied the effect of FL expression on survival in a FLT3-ITD NUP98-HOX13 (NHD13) fusion mouse model. These mice develop an aggressive leukemia with short latency. We asked whether FL expression played a similar role in this context. The NUP98-HOX13 FLT3(ITD/wt) FL(-/-) mice did not have a survival advantage, compared with NUP98-HOX13 FLT3(ITD/wt) FL(+/+) mice (normal FL levels). The loss of the survival advantage of the FL knockout group in the NUP98-HOX13 model suggests that adding a second mutation changes the effect of FL expression in the context of more aggressive disease.