Opioid receptor signaling suppresses leukemia by inducing TET-dependent DNA demethylation
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a type of heterogeneous and fatal hematopoietic malignancy. The ten-eleven translocation (TET) mediated DNA demethylation is known to be critically associated with AML pathogenesis. Through chemical compound screening, we found that the opioid receptor agonist, loperamide hydrochloride (OPA1), significantly suppresses AML cell viability. The potential therapeutic effects of opioid receptor agonists, especially OPA1, were then verified in AML cells in vitro, and t(11q23) and t(8;21) AML mouse models in vivo. OPA1-induced activation of OPRM1 enhanced the transcription of TET2, increased DNA 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) modification, and in turn, activated NFκB signaling. Notably, AML with TET2 mutations or chemotherapy resistance were highly sensitive to OPA1. Our results reveal a previously unknown OPRM1-TET2-5hmC-TRAF2 regulatory axis in AML, and suggest that opioid agonists, particularly OPA1, an FDA-approved antidiarrheal drug, have therapeutic potential in AML, especially in TET2 mutated and chemotherapy-resistant AML, which have a poor prognosis.
Project description:Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a group of heterogeneous diseases with high malignancy. The ten-eleven translocation (TET) mediated DNA demethylation was known to be critically associated with AML pathogenesis. Through chemical compound screening, we found an opioid receptor agonist, namely loperamide hydrochloride (OPA1), most significantly suppressed AML cell viability. The potential therapeutic effects of opioid receptor agonists, especially OPA1, were then verified in AML cells in vitro, and AML mouse models carrying t(11q23) and t(8;21) in vivo. OPA1-induced activation of OPRM1 enhanced the transcription of TET2, increased DNA 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) modification, and in turn, activated NFκB signaling. Notably, AML with TET2 mutations or chemotherapy resistance were sensitive to OPA1. Our results unveiled the previously unappreciated OPRM1-TET2-5hmC-TRAF2 regulatory axis in AML, and highlighted the therapeutic potential of opioid agonists, particularly OPA1, a FDA-approved antidiarrheal drug, in treating AML, especially TET2 mutated AML and chemotherapy-resistant AML, which were known to have poor prognosis.
Project description:Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a group of heterogeneous diseases with high malignancy. The ten-eleven translocation (TET) mediated DNA demethylation was known to be critically associated with AML pathogenesis. Through chemical compound screening, we found an opioid receptor agonist, namely loperamide hydrochloride (OPA1), most significantly suppressed AML cell viability. The potential therapeutic effects of opioid receptor agonists, especially OPA1, were then verified in AML cells in vitro, and AML mouse models carrying t(11q23) and t(8;21) in vivo. OPA1-induced activation of OPRM1 enhanced the transcription of TET2, increased DNA 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) modification, and in turn, activated NFκB signaling. Notably, AML with TET2 mutations or chemotherapy resistance were sensitive to OPA1. Our results unveiled the previously unappreciated OPRM1-TET2-5hmC-TRAF2 regulatory axis in AML, and highlighted the therapeutic potential of opioid agonists, particularly OPA1, a FDA-approved antidiarrheal drug, in treating AML, especially TET2 mutated AML and chemotherapy-resistant AML, which were known to have poor prognosis.
Project description:Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a type of heterogeneous and fatal hematopoietic malignancy. The ten-eleven translocation (TET) mediated DNA demethylation is known to be critically associated with AML pathogenesis. Through chemical compound screening, we found that the opioid receptor agonist, loperamide hydrochloride (OPA1), significantly suppresses AML cell viability. The potential therapeutic effects of opioid receptor agonists, especially OPA1, were then verified in AML cells in vitro, and t(11q23) and t(8;21) AML mouse models in vivo. OPA1-induced activation of OPRM1 enhanced the transcription of TET2, increased DNA 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) modification, and in turn, activated NFκB signaling. Notably, AML with TET2 mutations or chemotherapy resistance were highly sensitive to OPA1. Our results reveal a previously unknown OPRM1-TET2-5hmC-TRAF2 regulatory axis in AML, and suggest that opioid agonists, particularly OPA1, an FDA-approved antidiarrheal drug, have therapeutic potential in AML, especially in TET2 mutated and chemotherapy-resistant AML, which have a poor prognosis.
Project description:DNA methylation is tightly regulated throughout mammalian development and altered methylation patterns are a hallmark of cancer. The methylcytosine dioxygenase TET2 is frequently mutated in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and has been suggested to protect CpG islands and promoters from aberrant methylation. By generating a novel mouse model of Tet2-deficient AML we show that loss of Tet2 in hematopoietic cells leads to progressive hypermethylation of active enhancer elements and altered expression of genes implicated in tumorigenesis. In contrast, CpG island and promoter methylation does not change in a Tet2-dependent manner. Furthermore, we confirm this specific enhancer hypermethylation phenotype in human AML patients. Thus, we propose that TET2 prevents leukemic transformation of hematopoietic cells by protecting enhancers from aberrant DNA methylation. 5hmC-DIP-seq analysis for distribution of 5hmC in in vitro-grown hematopoietic cells transduced with AML1-ETO
Project description:TET2 is a close relative of TET1, an enzyme that converts 5-methylcytosine (5mC) to 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) in DNA. The gene encoding TET2 resides at chromosome 4q24, in a region showing recurrent microdeletions and copy-neutral loss of heterozygosity (CN-LOH) in patients with diverse myeloid malignancies. Somatic TET2 mutations are frequently observed in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN), MDS/MPN overlap syndromes including chronic myelomonocytic leukaemia (CMML), acute myeloid leukaemias (AML) and secondary AML (sAML). We show here that TET2 mutations associated with myeloid malignancies compromise catalytic activity. Bone marrow samples from patients with TET2 mutations displayed uniformly low levels of 5hmC in genomic DNA compared to bone marrow samples from healthy controls. Moreover, small hairpin RNA (shRNA)-mediated depletion of Tet2 in mouse haematopoietic precursors skewed their differentiation towards monocyte/macrophage lineages in culture. There was no significant difference in DNA methylation between bone marrow samples from patients with high 5hmC versus healthy controls, but samples from patients with low 5hmC showed hypomethylation relative to controls at the majority of differentially methylated CpG sites. Our results demonstrate that Tet2 is important for normal myelopoiesis, and suggest that disruption of TET2 enzymatic activity favours myeloid tumorigenesis. Measurement of 5hmC levels in myeloid malignancies may prove valuable as a diagnostic and prognostic tool, to tailor therapies and assess responses to anticancer drugs. Genome wide DNA methylation profiling of patients samples with various myeloid malignancies and diffrential levels of 5hmC.The Illumina Infinium 27k Human DNA methylation Beadchip v1.2 was used to obtain DNA methylation profiles across approximately 27,000 CpGs in bone marrow samples and occasionally peripheral blood samples. Samples included 28 control healthy bone marrows, 29 patients samples with low 5hmC levels (7 patients with wild-type TET2 and 22 mutant TET2) and 24 with high levels of 5hmC (22 with wild-type TET2 and 2 mutant TET2). Bisulphite converted DNA from 81 samples was hybridised to the Illumina Infinium 27k Human Methylation Beadchip v1.2
Project description:The TET proteins TET1, TET2 and TET3 constitute a new family of dioxygenases that utilize molecular oxygen and the cofactors Fe(II) and 2-oxoglutarate to convert 5-methylcytosine (5mC) to 5-hydroxy-methylcytosine (5hmC) and further oxidation products in DNA1-5. Here we show that Tet1 and Tet2 have distinct roles in regulating 5hmC deposition and gene expression in mouse embryonic stem cells (mESC). Tet1 depletion in mESC primarily diminishes 5hmC levels at transcription start sites (TSS), whereas Tet2 depletion is mostly associated with decreased 5hmC in gene bodies relative to TSS. 5hmC is enriched at exon start and end sites, especially in exons that are highly expressed, and is significantly decreased upon Tet2 knockdown at the boundaries of high-expressed exons that are selectively regulated by Tet2. In differentiating murine B cells, Tet2 deficiency is associated with selective exon exclusion in the gene encoding the transmembrane phosphatase CD45. Tet2 depletion is associated with increased 5hmC and decreased 5mC at promoters/ TSS regions, possibly because of the redundant activity of Tet1. Together, these data indicate a complex interplay between Tet1 and Tet2 in mESC, and show that loss-of-function of a single TET protein does not necessarily lead to loss of 5hmC and a corresponding gain of 5mC, as generally assumed. The relation between Tet2 loss-of-function and selective changes in exon expression could potentially explain the frequent occurrence of both TET2 loss-of-function mutations and mutations in proteins involved in pre-mRNA splicing in myeloid malignancies in humans. Gene and exon expression analysis in mESC, Tet1 knockdown mESC, and Tet2 knockdown mESC by RNA-sequencing. Mapping of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine in mESC, Tet1 knockdown mESC, and Tet2 knockdown mESC by anti-CMS-seq. Mapping of methylcytosine in mESC, and Tet2 kd mESC by MeDIP-seq.
Project description:The TET proteins TET1, TET2 and TET3 constitute a new family of dioxygenases that utilize molecular oxygen and the cofactors Fe(II) and 2-oxoglutarate to convert 5-methylcytosine (5mC) to 5-hydroxy-methylcytosine (5hmC) and further oxidation products in DNA1-5. Here we show that Tet1 and Tet2 have distinct roles in regulating 5hmC deposition and gene expression in mouse embryonic stem cells (mESC). Tet1 depletion in mESC primarily diminishes 5hmC levels at transcription start sites (TSS), whereas Tet2 depletion is mostly associated with decreased 5hmC in gene bodies relative to TSS. 5hmC is enriched at exon start and end sites, especially in exons that are highly expressed, and is significantly decreased upon Tet2 knockdown at the boundaries of high-expressed exons that are selectively regulated by Tet2. In differentiating murine B cells, Tet2 deficiency is associated with selective exon exclusion in the gene encoding the transmembrane phosphatase CD45. Tet2 depletion is associated with increased 5hmC and decreased 5mC at promoters/ TSS regions, possibly because of the redundant activity of Tet1. Together, these data indicate a complex interplay between Tet1 and Tet2 in mESC, and show that loss-of-function of a single TET protein does not necessarily lead to loss of 5hmC and a corresponding gain of 5mC, as generally assumed. The relation between Tet2 loss-of-function and selective changes in exon expression could potentially explain the frequent occurrence of both TET2 loss-of-function mutations and mutations in proteins involved in pre-mRNA splicing in myeloid malignancies in humans. Gene and exon expression analysis in mESC, Tet1 knockdown mESC, and Tet2 knockdown mESC by RNA-sequencing. Mapping of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine in mESC, Tet1 knockdown mESC, and Tet2 knockdown mESC by anti-CMS-seq. Mapping of methylcytosine in mESC, and Tet2 kd mESC by MeDIP-seq.
Project description:The TET proteins TET1, TET2 and TET3 constitute a new family of dioxygenases that utilize molecular oxygen and the cofactors Fe(II) and 2-oxoglutarate to convert 5-methylcytosine (5mC) to 5-hydroxy-methylcytosine (5hmC) and further oxidation products in DNA1-5. Here we show that Tet1 and Tet2 have distinct roles in regulating 5hmC deposition and gene expression in mouse embryonic stem cells (mESC). Tet1 depletion in mESC primarily diminishes 5hmC levels at transcription start sites (TSS), whereas Tet2 depletion is mostly associated with decreased 5hmC in gene bodies relative to TSS. 5hmC is enriched at exon start and end sites, especially in exons that are highly expressed, and is significantly decreased upon Tet2 knockdown at the boundaries of high-expressed exons that are selectively regulated by Tet2. In differentiating murine B cells, Tet2 deficiency is associated with selective exon exclusion in the gene encoding the transmembrane phosphatase CD45. Tet2 depletion is associated with increased 5hmC and decreased 5mC at promoters/ TSS regions, possibly because of the redundant activity of Tet1. Together, these data indicate a complex interplay between Tet1 and Tet2 in mESC, and show that loss-of-function of a single TET protein does not necessarily lead to loss of 5hmC and a corresponding gain of 5mC, as generally assumed. The relation between Tet2 loss-of-function and selective changes in exon expression could potentially explain the frequent occurrence of both TET2 loss-of-function mutations and mutations in proteins involved in pre-mRNA splicing in myeloid malignancies in humans. Gene and exon expression analysis in mESC, Tet1 knockdown mESC, and Tet2 knockdown mESC by RNA-sequencing. Mapping of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine in mESC, Tet1 knockdown mESC, and Tet2 knockdown mESC by anti-CMS-seq. Mapping of methylcytosine in mESC, and Tet2 kd mESC by MeDIP-seq.
Project description:TET2 is a close relative of TET1, an enzyme that converts 5-methylcytosine (5mC) to 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) in DNA. The gene encoding TET2 resides at chromosome 4q24, in a region showing recurrent microdeletions and copy-neutral loss of heterozygosity (CN-LOH) in patients with diverse myeloid malignancies. Somatic TET2 mutations are frequently observed in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN), MDS/MPN overlap syndromes including chronic myelomonocytic leukaemia (CMML), acute myeloid leukaemias (AML) and secondary AML (sAML). We show here that TET2 mutations associated with myeloid malignancies compromise catalytic activity. Bone marrow samples from patients with TET2 mutations displayed uniformly low levels of 5hmC in genomic DNA compared to bone marrow samples from healthy controls. Moreover, small hairpin RNA (shRNA)-mediated depletion of Tet2 in mouse haematopoietic precursors skewed their differentiation towards monocyte/macrophage lineages in culture. There was no significant difference in DNA methylation between bone marrow samples from patients with high 5hmC versus healthy controls, but samples from patients with low 5hmC showed hypomethylation relative to controls at the majority of differentially methylated CpG sites. Our results demonstrate that Tet2 is important for normal myelopoiesis, and suggest that disruption of TET2 enzymatic activity favours myeloid tumorigenesis. Measurement of 5hmC levels in myeloid malignancies may prove valuable as a diagnostic and prognostic tool, to tailor therapies and assess responses to anticancer drugs.