Cohesin core complex gene dosage contributes to germinal center derived lymphoma phenotypes and outcomes [bulk RNA-seq]
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ABSTRACT: The cohesin complex plays critical roles in genomic stability and gene expression through effects on 3D architecture. Cohesin core subunit genes are mutated across a wide cross-section of cancers, but not in germinal center (GC) derived lymphomas. In spite of this, haploinsufficiency of cohesin ATPase subunit Smc3 was shown to contribute to malignant transformation of GC B-cells in mice. Herein we explored potential mechanisms and clinical relevance of Smc3 deficiency in GC lymphomagenesis. Transcriptional profiling of Smc3 deficient murine lymphomas revealed downregulation of genes repressed by loss of epigenetic tumor suppressors Tet2 and Kmt2d. Profiling 3D chromosomal interactions in lymphomas revealed impaired enhancer-promoter interactions affecting genes like Tet2, which was aberrantly downregulated in Smc3 deficient lymphomas. Tet2 plays important roles in B-cell exit from the GC reaction, and single cell RNA-seq profiles and phenotypic trajectory analysis in Smc3 mutant mice revealed a specific defect in commitment to the final steps of plasma cell differentiation. Although Smc3 deficiency resulted in structural abnormalities in GC B-cells, there was no increase of somatic mutations or structural variants in Smc3 haploinsufficient lymphomas, suggesting that cohesin deficiency largely induces lymphomas through disruption of enhancer-promoter interactions of terminal differentiation and tumor suppressor genes. Strikingly, the presence of the Smc3 deficient GC B-cell transcriptional signature in human patients with GC-derived diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) was linked to inferior clinical outcome and low expression of cohesin core subunits. Reciprocally, reduced expression of cohesin subunits was an independent risk factor for worse survival int DLBCL patient cohorts. Collectively, the data suggest that Smc3 functions as a bona fide tumor suppressor for lymphomas through non-genetic mechanisms, and drives disease by disrupting the commitment of GC B-cells to the plasma cell fate.
Project description:The cohesin complex plays critical roles in genomic stability and gene expression through effects on 3D architecture. Cohesin core subunit genes are mutated across a wide cross-section of cancers, but not in germinal center (GC) derived lymphomas. In spite of this, haploinsufficiency of cohesin ATPase subunit Smc3 was shown to contribute to malignant transformation of GC B-cells in mice. Herein we explored potential mechanisms and clinical relevance of Smc3 deficiency in GC lymphomagenesis. Transcriptional profiling of Smc3 deficient murine lymphomas revealed downregulation of genes repressed by loss of epigenetic tumor suppressors Tet2 and Kmt2d. Profiling 3D chromosomal interactions in lymphomas revealed impaired enhancer-promoter interactions affecting genes like Tet2, which was aberrantly downregulated in Smc3 deficient lymphomas. Tet2 plays important roles in B-cell exit from the GC reaction, and single cell RNA-seq profiles and phenotypic trajectory analysis in Smc3 mutant mice revealed a specific defect in commitment to the final steps of plasma cell differentiation. Although Smc3 deficiency resulted in structural abnormalities in GC B-cells, there was no increase of somatic mutations or structural variants in Smc3 haploinsufficient lymphomas, suggesting that cohesin deficiency largely induces lymphomas through disruption of enhancer-promoter interactions of terminal differentiation and tumor suppressor genes. Strikingly, the presence of the Smc3 deficient GC B-cell transcriptional signature in human patients with GC-derived diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) was linked to inferior clinical outcome and low expression of cohesin core subunits. Reciprocally, reduced expression of cohesin subunits was an independent risk factor for worse survival int DLBCL patient cohorts. Collectively, the data suggest that Smc3 functions as a bona fide tumor suppressor for lymphomas through non-genetic mechanisms, and drives disease by disrupting the commitment of GC B-cells to the plasma cell fate.
Project description:The cohesin complex plays critical roles in genomic stability and gene expression through effects on 3D architecture. Cohesin core subunit genes are mutated across a wide cross-section of cancers, but not in germinal center (GC) derived lymphomas. In spite of this, haploinsufficiency of cohesin ATPase subunit Smc3 was shown to contribute to malignant transformation of GC B-cells in mice. Herein we explored potential mechanisms and clinical relevance of Smc3 deficiency in GC lymphomagenesis. Transcriptional profiling of Smc3 deficient murine lymphomas revealed downregulation of genes repressed by loss of epigenetic tumor suppressors Tet2 and Kmt2d. Profiling 3D chromosomal interactions in lymphomas revealed impaired enhancer-promoter interactions affecting genes like Tet2, which was aberrantly downregulated in Smc3 deficient lymphomas. Tet2 plays important roles in B-cell exit from the GC reaction, and single cell RNA-seq profiles and phenotypic trajectory analysis in Smc3 mutant mice revealed a specific defect in commitment to the final steps of plasma cell differentiation. Although Smc3 deficiency resulted in structural abnormalities in GC B-cells, there was no increase of somatic mutations or structural variants in Smc3 haploinsufficient lymphomas, suggesting that cohesin deficiency largely induces lymphomas through disruption of enhancer-promoter interactions of terminal differentiation and tumor suppressor genes. Strikingly, the presence of the Smc3 deficient GC B-cell transcriptional signature in human patients with GC-derived diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) was linked to inferior clinical outcome and low expression of cohesin core subunits. Reciprocally, reduced expression of cohesin subunits was an independent risk factor for worse survival int DLBCL patient cohorts. Collectively, the data suggest that Smc3 functions as a bona fide tumor suppressor for lymphomas through non-genetic mechanisms, and drives disease by disrupting the commitment of GC B-cells to the plasma cell fate.
Project description:During the germinal center (GC) reaction, B-cells undergo extensive redistribution of cohesin complex and 3D re-organization of their genomes. Yet, the significance of cohesin and architectural programming in the humoral immune response is unknown. Herein we report that conditional homozygous deletion of cohesin subunit Smc3 abrogated GC formation, yet in marked contrast, Smc3 haploinsufficiency induced GC hyperplasia, skewing of GC polarity and impaired plasma cell differentiation. Transcriptional and architectural profiling revealed defects in GC terminal differentiation programs controlled by lymphoma epigenetic tumor suppressors Tet2 and Kmt2d, and failure of Smc3+/- GC B-cells to switch from B-cell to plasma cell lineage factors. There was also impaired connectivity of gene regulatory elements controlling tumor suppressor genes, and accordingly Smc3 haploinsufficiency accelerated lymphomagenesis in mice with constitutive Bcl6 expression. Collectively, our data indicate a dose dependent function for cohesin in humoral immunity to facilitate the B-cell to plasma cell lineage switch, while restricting their malignant transformation.
Project description:During the germinal center (GC) reaction, B-cells undergo extensive redistribution of cohesin complex and 3D re-organization of their genomes. Yet, the significance of cohesin and architectural programming in the humoral immune response is unknown. Herein we report that conditional homozygous deletion of cohesin subunit Smc3 abrogated GC formation, yet in marked contrast, Smc3 haploinsufficiency induced GC hyperplasia, skewing of GC polarity and impaired plasma cell differentiation. Transcriptional and architectural profiling revealed defects in GC terminal differentiation programs controlled by lymphoma epigenetic tumor suppressors Tet2 and Kmt2d, and failure of Smc3+/- GC B-cells to switch from B-cell to plasma cell lineage factors. There was also impaired connectivity of gene regulatory elements controlling tumor suppressor genes, and accordingly Smc3 haploinsufficiency accelerated lymphomagenesis in mice with constitutive Bcl6 expression. Collectively, our data indicate a dose dependent function for cohesin in humoral immunity to facilitate the B-cell to plasma cell lineage switch, while restricting their malignant transformation.
Project description:During the germinal center (GC) reaction, B-cells undergo extensive redistribution of cohesin complex and 3D re-organization of their genomes. Yet, the significance of cohesin and architectural programming in the humoral immune response is unknown. Herein we report that conditional homozygous deletion of cohesin subunit Smc3 abrogated GC formation, yet in marked contrast, Smc3 haploinsufficiency induced GC hyperplasia, skewing of GC polarity and impaired plasma cell differentiation. Transcriptional and architectural profiling revealed defects in GC terminal differentiation programs controlled by lymphoma epigenetic tumor suppressors Tet2 and Kmt2d, and failure of Smc3+/- GC B-cells to switch from B-cell to plasma cell lineage factors. There was also impaired connectivity of gene regulatory elements controlling tumor suppressor genes, and accordingly Smc3 haploinsufficiency accelerated lymphomagenesis in mice with constitutive Bcl6 expression. Collectively, our data indicate a dose dependent function for cohesin in humoral immunity to facilitate the B-cell to plasma cell lineage switch, while restricting their malignant transformation.
Project description:During the germinal center (GC) reaction, B-cells undergo extensive redistribution of cohesin complex and 3D re-organization of their genomes. Yet, the significance of cohesin and architectural programming in the humoral immune response is unknown. Herein we report that conditional homozygous deletion of cohesin subunit Smc3 abrogated GC formation, yet in marked contrast, Smc3 haploinsufficiency induced GC hyperplasia, skewing of GC polarity and impaired plasma cell differentiation. Transcriptional and architectural profiling revealed defects in GC terminal differentiation programs controlled by lymphoma epigenetic tumor suppressors Tet2 and Kmt2d, and failure of Smc3+/- GC B-cells to switch from B-cell to plasma cell lineage factors. There was also impaired connectivity of gene regulatory elements controlling tumor suppressor genes, and accordingly Smc3 haploinsufficiency accelerated lymphomagenesis in mice with constitutive Bcl6 expression. Collectively, our data indicate a dose dependent function for cohesin in humoral immunity to facilitate the B-cell to plasma cell lineage switch, while restricting their malignant transformation.
Project description:Ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) kinase plays a central role in maintaining genomic integrity. In both humans and mice, ATM deficiency is associated with an increased incidence of lymphoid cancers that are primarily T cell in origin. We demonstrate here that when T cells are removed as targets for lymphomagenesis and as mediators of immune surveillance, ATM-deficient mice exclusively develop early onset IgM+ B cell lymphomas that by histology and gene expression profiling resemble the activated B cell-like (ABC) subset of human diffuse large B cell lymphomas (DLBCL). These ATM-deficient B cell tumors show considerable chromosomal instability and a recurrent genomic amplification of a 4.48 Mb region on chromosome 18 that contains Malt1 and is orthologous to a region similarly amplified in human ABC-DLBCL. Further, the amplification of Malt1 in these lymphomas correlates with their dependence on NF-kB, MALT1, and BCR signaling for survival, paralleling human ABC-DLBCL. This study reveals that ATM protects against development of B cell lymphomas that model human ABC-DLBCL and identifies a role for T cells in preventing the emergence of these tumors. We performed gene expression profiling on nine ATMKO.CD3epsilonKO lymphoma cell lines (n=12, 3 technical repeats). We analyzed gene expression of anti-IgM stimulated primary B cells from both ATMKO.CD3epsilonKO (n=7, 5 technical repeats) and ATMWT.CD3epsilonKO mice (n=2), and GC B cells isolated from SRBC-immunized ATMWT mice (n=3, 1 biological repeat and 2 technical repeats). We analyzed gene expression following treatment of two ATMKO.CD3epsilonKO lymphoma cell lines with the BTK inhibitor, PCI-32765, at time points (1, 3, 6, and 24 hours) as compared to time points with vehicle (DMSO) (n=8).
Project description:Ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) kinase plays a central role in maintaining genomic integrity. In both humans and mice, ATM deficiency is associated with an increased incidence of lymphoid cancers that are primarily T cell in origin. We demonstrate here that when T cells are removed as targets for lymphomagenesis and as mediators of immune surveillance, ATM-deficient mice exclusively develop early onset IgM+ B cell lymphomas that by histology and gene expression profiling resemble the activated B cell-like (ABC) subset of human diffuse large B cell lymphomas (DLBCL). These ATM-deficient B cell tumors show considerable chromosomal instability and a recurrent genomic amplification of a 4.48 Mb region on chromosome 18 that contains Malt1 and is orthologous to a region similarly amplified in human ABC-DLBCL. Further, the amplification of Malt1 in these lymphomas correlates with their dependence on NF-kB, MALT1, and BCR signaling for survival, paralleling human ABC-DLBCL. This study reveals that ATM protects against development of B cell lymphomas that model human ABC-DLBCL and identifies a role for T cells in preventing the emergence of these tumors.
Project description:Cohesin complex members have recently been identified as putative tumor suppressors in hematologic and epithelial malignancies. The cohesin complex guides chromosome segregation, however cohesin-mutant leukemias do not show genomic instability. We hypothesized reduced cohesin function alters chromatin structure and disrupts cis-regulatory architecture of hematopoietic progenitors. We investigated the consequences of Smc3 deletion in normal and malignant hematopoiesis. Bi-allelic Smc3 loss induced bone marrow aplasia with premature sister chromatid separation, and revealed an absolute requirement for cohesin in hematopoietic stem cell function. In contrast, Smc3 haploinsufficiency increased self-renewal in vitro and in vivo including competitive transplantation. Smc3 haploinsufficiency reduced coordinated transcriptional output, including reduced expression of transcription factors and other genes associated with lineage commitment. Smc3 haploinsufficiency cooperated with Flt3-ITD to induce acute leukemia in vivo, with potentiated Stat5 signaling and altered nucleolar topology. These data establish a dose-dependency for cohesin in regulating chromatin structure and hematopoietic stem cell function. ATAC-seq in murine c-kit+ cells for the following genotypes: Smc3 fl/+, Smc3 del/+, Flt3-ITD, Smc3 fl/del Flt3-ITD
Project description:LMO2 regulates gene expression facilitating the formation of multipartite DNA-binding complexes. In B cells, LMO2 is specifically up-regulated in the Germinal Center (GC) reaction and is expressed in GC-derived non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas. LMO2 is one of the most powerful prognostic indicators in DLBCL patients. However, its function in GC B cells and DLBCL is currently unknown. In the present study we characterized the LMO2 transcriptome and interactome in DLBCL cells. LMO2 regulates genes implicated in kinetochore function, chromosome assembly and mitosis. Overexpression of LMO2 in DLBCL cell lines results in centrosome amplification. In DLBCL, the LMO2 complex contains some of the traditional partners such as LDB1, E2A, HEB, Lyl1, ETO2 and SP1, but not TAL1 or GATA proteins. Furthermore, we identified novel LMO2 interacting partners: ELK1, NFATc1 and LEF-1 proteins. Reporter assays revealed that LMO2 increases transcriptional activity of NFATc1 and decreases transcriptional activity of LEF-1 proteins. Overall, our studies identified a novel LMO2 transcriptome and interactome in DLBCL and provide a platform for future elucidation of LMO2 function in GC B-cells and DLBCL pathogenesis. RCK8 DLBCL cell lines were stably transfected with control plasmid or plasmid+LMO2