Project description:Ubash3b, also known as suppressor of T-cell receptor signaling or Sts-1, is an ill-studied atypical tyrosine phosphatase with ubiquitin binding ability. In our previous study, we hypothesized that Ubash3b plays an inhibitory role in BCR-ABL signaling through binding and dephosphorylating BCR-ABL and its interactors. The Hantschel lab recently solved the crystal structures of the p210 PH and DH domains, which are absent in the p190 variant, and demonstrated that loss-of-function mutations in the PH domain altered BCR-ABL localization, thereby reducing the interaction between Ubash3b and p2104. Taken together, this suggests differential subcellular localization of Ubash3b as a mechanism by which it interacts more strongly with p201 as compared to p190. To better understand the global impact Ubash3b has on p210, its direct kinase substrates and proteins in its phosphotyrosine signaling network, we have taken an integrative approach by combining global phosphotyrosine profiling, proximity-dependent biotinylation (BioID) and total protein analysis to investigate p210 signaling upon Ubash3b knockdown (KD). The BioID system was used to characterize Ubash3b function in p210 signaling by examining its interactome. Importantly, in all of our BioID experiments, we employed a newly technique that we have recently developed, Biotinylation Site Identification Technology (BioSITe), which directly identifies biotinylated peptides thereby increasing the reliability of the identified interactors. Here, we additionally used short hairpin RNA (shRNA) interference and generated Ubash3b knock-down (KD) and non-targeting control shRNA lines in Ba/F3 BirA*-p210 cells. Ubash3b expression was reduced >90 % in the KD cells and had a substantial effect on global tyrosine phosphorylation and on the interactome of p210. Of the 1,421 unique tyrosine phosphorylation sites identified from 830 proteins, 379 sites (from 286 proteins) exhibited a substantial increase (≥2-fold) in tyrosine phosphorylation upon Ubash3b KD cells compared to control cells. To date, the interactome of Ubash3b has not been extensively investigated, however, some examination of Ubash3b in the context p210 signaling has been undertaken. We designed constructs of C-terminal BirA* tagged full length Ubash3b and a deletion mutant lacking the UBA and SH3 domains leaving only the phosphatase domain tethered to BirA*. A comparative analysis of the core interactors of p210 from previous studies and Ubash3b interactome from the current study revealed 36 proteins that interact with both p210 and Ubash3b.
Project description:Leukemic splenocytes from these commercial transgenic mice that developed fatal leukemia with massive splenomegaly were isolated at the time of the necropsy and subjected to gene expression profiling and phosphoprotein profiling in side by side comparison with CD22DE12-Tg BPL or CD22DE12_BCR-ABL double transgenic cells.
Project description:Using quantitative mass spectrometry approaches, we have interrogated the differences in p190BCR-ABL and p210BCR-ABL signaling. By integrating protein interaction data generated by the in vivo labeling technique of BioID with tyrosine phosphorylation profiling, we identified a set of molecules that are differentially regulated between to the two forms of BCR-ABL.
Project description:CDKN3 (cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 3), a dual specificity protein phosphatase, dephosphorylates cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) and thus functions as a key negative regulator of cell cycle progression. Deregulation or mutations of CDNK3 have been implicated in various cancers. However, the role of CDKN3 in Bcr-Abl-mediated chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) remains unknown. Here we found that CDKN3 acts as a tumor suppressor in Bcr-Abl-mediated leukemogenesis. Overexpression of CDKN3 sensitized the K562 leukemic cells to imanitib-induced apoptosis and dramatically inhibited K562 xenografted tumor growth in nude mouse model. Ectopic expression of CDKN3 significantly reduced the efficiency of Bcr-Abl-mediated transformation of FDCP1 cells to growth factor independence. In contrast, depletion of CDKN3 expression conferred resistance to imatinib-induced apoptosis in the leukemic cells and accelerated the growth of xenograph leukemia in mice. In addition, we found that CDKN3 mutant (CDKN3-C140S) devoid of the phosphatase activity failed to affect the K562 leukemic cell survival and xenografted tumor growth, suggesting that the phosphatase of CDKN3 was required for its tumor suppressor function. Furthermore, we observed that overexpression of CDKN3 reduced the leukemic cell survival by dephosphorylating CDK2, thereby inhibiting CDK2-dependent XIAP expression. Moreover, overexpression of CDKN3 delayed G1/S transition in K562 leukemic cells. Our results highlight the importance of CDKN3 in Bcr-Abl-mediated leukemogenesis, and provide new insights into diagnostics and therapeutics of the leukemia.
Project description:Treatment of BCR-ABL+ human leukemia has been significantly improved by ABL tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), but they are not curative for most patients and relapses are frequently associated with BCR-ABL mutations, warranting new targets for improved treatments. We have now demonstrated that protein expression of human estrogen receptor alpha 36 (ERα36), an alternative splicing variant of human estrogen receptor alpha 66 (ERα66), is highly increased in TKI-insensitive CD34+ chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) cells and BCR-ABL-T315I mutant cells, and is abnormally localized in plasma membrane and cytoplasm. Interestingly, new pre-clinically-validated analogs of Icaritin (SNG162 and SNG1153), which target abnormal ERα36 activity, inhibit cell growth and induce apoptosis of BCR-ABL+ leukemic cells, particularly BCR-ABL-T315I mutant cells. A combination of SNG inhibitors and TKI selectively eliminates treatment-naïve TKI-insensitive stem/progenitor cells while sparing healthy counterparts. Oral TKI dasatinib combined with potent SNG1153 inhibitor effectively eliminates infiltrated BCR-ABL+ blast cells and enhances survival of mice. Importantly, a unique mechanism of SNG inhibition was uncovered by demonstrating a marked interruption of the BCR-ABLTyr177-GRB2 interaction, leading to inhibition of the downstream RAS/MAPK pathway. This new combination therapy may lead to more effective disease eradication, especially in patients at high risk of TKI resistance and disease progression.
Project description:Despite the success of imatinib mesylate (IM) in the early chronic phase of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), patients are resistant to IM and other kinase inhibitors in the later stages of CML. Our findings indicate that inhibition of Janus kinase 2 (Jak2) in Bcr-Abl+ cells overcomes IM resistance although the precise mechanism of Jak2 action is unknown. Knocking down Jak2 in Bcr-Abl+ cells reduced levels of the Bcr-Abl protein and also the phosphorylation of Tyr177 of Bcr-Abl, and Jak2 overexpression rescued these knockdown effects. Treatment of Bcr-Abl+ cells with Jak2 inhibitors for 4-6?h but not with IM also reduced Bcr-Abl protein and pTyr177 levels. In vitro kinase experiments performed with recombinant Jak2 showed that Jak2 readily phosphorylated Tyr177 of Bcr-Abl (a Jak2 consensus site, YvnV) whereas c-Abl did not. Importantly, Jak2 inhibition decreased pTyr177 Bcr-Abl in immune complexes but did not reduce levels of Bcr-Abl, suggesting that the reduction of Bcr-Abl by Jak2 inhibition is a separate event from phosphorylation of Tyr177. Jak2 inhibition by chemical inhibitors (TG101209/WP1193) and Jak2 knockdown diminished the activation of Ras, PI-3 kinase pathways and reduced levels of pTyrSTAT5. These findings suggest that Bcr-Abl stability and oncogenic signaling in CML cells are under the control of Jak2.
Project description:In this study, we examined the antileukemic effects of pterostilbene, a natural methylated polyphenol analog of resveratrol that is predominantly found in berries and nuts, using various human and murine leukemic cells, as well as bone marrow samples obtained from patients with leukemia. Pterostilbene administration significantly induced apoptosis of leukemic cells, but not of non-malignant hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells. Interestingly, pterostilbene was highly effective in inducing apoptosis of leukemic cells harboring the BCR/ABL fusion gene, including ABL tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI)-resistant cells with the T315I mutation. In BCR/ABL+ leukemic cells, pterostilbene decreased the BCR/ABL fusion protein levels and suppressed AKT and NF-κB activation. We further demonstrated that pterostilbene along with U0126, an inhibitor of the MEK/ERK signaling pathway, synergistically induced apoptosis of BCR/ABL+ cells. Our results further suggest that pterostilbene-promoted downregulation of BCR/ABL involves caspase activation triggered by proteasome inhibition-induced endoplasmic reticulum stress. Moreover, oral administration of pterostilbene significantly suppressed tumor growth in mice transplanted with BCR/ABL+ leukemic cells. Taken together, these results suggest that pterostilbene may hold potential for the treatment of BCR/ABL+ leukemia, in particular for those showing ABL-dependent TKI resistance.
Project description:Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) requires the BCR/ABL tyrosine kinase for disease onset and maintenance. As a result, CML can be successfully treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) such as imatinib. Most patients are maintained in a disease-suppressed state on daily TKI therapy for several years and in many cases this treatment prevents progression to the blast phase. If the TKI is discontinued, CML redevelops in 95% of patients as a result of persisting leukemia initiating cells (LICs). There are several hypotheses that describe the potential mechanism(s) responsible for LIC persistence in CML, but supporting evidence is limited. Furthermore, of the few patients who discontinue TKI therapy and are "cured" (i.e., in treatment-free remission), most have residual BCR/ABL-expressing cells in their hematopoietic tissues. There are also healthy individuals without a CML diagnosis who express the BCR/ABL mutation in a fraction of their hematopoietic cells. Finally, mice that express BCR/ABL from the Bcr locus as a knockin mutation do not develop CML. These mice have lower BCR/ABL levels than retroviral or transgenic models of BCR/ABL that do develop CML. Understanding why mice with BCR/ABL expressed from the Bcr locus and some people that express BCR/ABL are not afflicted with CML will provide insights into therapies to prevent or cure this disease.
Project description:Mutation in the ABL kinase domain is the principal mechanism of imatinib resistance in patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia. Many mutations favor active kinase conformations that preclude imatinib binding. Because the active forms of ABL and SRC resemble one another, we tested two dual SRC-ABL kinase inhibitors, AP23464 and PD166326, against 58 imatinib-resistant (IM(R)) BCR/ABL kinase variants. Both compounds potently inhibit most IM(R) variants, and in vitro drug selection demonstrates that active (AP23464) and open (PD166326) conformation-specific compounds are less susceptible to resistance than imatinib. Combinations of inhibitors suppressed essentially all resistance mutations, with the notable exception of T315I. Guided by mutagenesis studies and molecular modeling, we designed a series of AP23464 analogues to target T315I. The analogue AP23846 inhibited both native and T315I variants of BCR/ABL with submicromolar potency but showed nonspecific cellular toxicity. Our data illustrate how conformational dynamics of the ABL kinase accounts for the activity of dual SRC-ABL inhibitors against IM(R)-mutants and provides a rationale for combining conformation specific inhibitors to suppress resistance.
Project description:Interferon (IFN) signaling induces the expression of interferon-responsive genes and leads to the activation of pathways that are involved in the innate immune response. Ubp43 is an ISG15-specific isopeptidase, the expression of which is activated by IFN. Ubp43 knock-out mice are hypersensitive to IFN-alpha/beta and have enhanced resistance to lethal viral and bacterial infections. Here we show that in addition to protection against foreign pathogens, Ubp43 deficiency increases the resistance to oncogenic transformation by BCR-ABL. BCR-ABL viral transduction/transplantation of wild-type bone marrow cells results in the rapid development of a chronic myeloid leukemia (CML)-like myeloproliferative disease; in contrast, a significantly increased latency of disease development is observed following BCR-ABL viral transduction/transplantation of Ubp43-deficient bone marrow cells. This resistance to leukemic development is dependent on type 1 IFN (IFN-alpha/beta) signaling in Ubp43-deficient cells. Increased levels of type 1 IFN are also detected in the serum of CML mice. These results suggest that inhibition of Ubp43-negative effect on IFN signaling can potentiate the response to increased endogenous IFN levels in innate immune responses against cancer development, indicating that pharmacological inhibition of Ubp43 may be of benefit in cancers and others diseases in which interferon is currently prescribed.