Project description:Earlier we have shown important roles of MYB in pancreatic tumor pathobiology. To better understand the role of MYB in the tumor microenvironment and identify MYB-associated secreted biomarker proteins, we conducted mass spectrometry analysis of the secretome from MYB-modulated and control pancreatic cancer cell lines. We also performed in silico analyses to determine MYB-associated biofunctions, gene networks and altered biological pathways. We further investigated the secreted proteins for their potential biomarker properties.
Project description:Most E2F-binding sites repress transcription through the recruitment of Retinoblasoma (RB) family members until the end of the G1 cell-cycle phase. Although the MYB promoter contains an E2F-binding site, its transcription is activated shortly after the exit from quiescence, before RB family members inactivation, by unknown mechanisms. We had previously uncovered a nuclear factor distinct from E2F, Myb-sp, whose DNA-binding site overlapped the E2F element and had hypothesized that this factor might overcome the transcriptional repression of MYB by E2F-RB family members. We have purified Myb-sp and discovered that Myc-associated zinc finger proteins (MAZ) are major components. We show that various MAZ isoforms are present in Myb-sp and activate transcription via the MYB-E2F element. Moreover, while forced RB or p130 expression repressed the activity of a luciferase reporter driven by the MYB-E2F element, co-expression of MAZ proteins not only reverted repression, but also activated transcription. Finally, we show that MAZ binds the MYB promoter in vivo, that its binding site is critical for MYB transactivation, and that MAZ knockdown inhibits MYB expression during the exit from quiescence. Together, these data indicate that MAZ is essential to bypass MYB promoter repression by RB family members and to induce MYB expression.
Project description:MYB plays a key role in gene regulation throughout the hematopoietic hierarchy and is critical for the maintenance of normal hematopoietic stem cells (HSC). Acquired genetic dysregulation of MYB is involved in the etiology of a number of leukemias, although inherited noncoding variants of the MYB gene are a susceptibility factor for many hematological conditions, including myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN). The mechanisms that connect variations in MYB levels to disease predisposition, especially concerning age dependency in disease initiation, are completely unknown. Here, we describe a model of Myb insufficiency in mice that leads to MPN, myelodysplasia, and leukemia in later life, mirroring the age profile of equivalent human diseases. We show that this age dependency is intrinsic to HSC, involving a combination of an initial defective cellular state resulting from small effects on the expression of multiple genes and a progressive accumulation of further subtle changes. Similar to previous studies showing the importance of proteostasis in HSC maintenance, we observed altered proteasomal activity and elevated proliferation indicators, followed by elevated ribosome activity in young Myb-insufficient mice. We propose that these alterations combine to cause an imbalance in proteostasis, potentially creating a cellular milieu favoring disease initiation.
Project description:Patients with NEUROGENIN3 mutations have enteric endocrinopathy and diabetes mellitus. We generated pluripotent stem cells from a patient’s fibroblasts to investigate if gene editing restores endocrine differentiation. Corrected cell lines differentiated into all pancreatic lineages while native cell lines failed to activate pancreatic progenitor and lineage determination genes, suggesting that the mutation disrupts pancreatic organogenesis and results in endocrine and exocrine dysfunction. Clinical testing revealed the patient has exocrine pancreatic insufficiency. These results expose a novel role for NEUROGENIN3 in human pancreatic differentiation and illustrates how patient-specific stem cells can be used to interrogate disease etiology and affect patient care.
Project description:Dysregulated gene expression is one of the most prevalent features in human cancers. Here, we show that most subtypes of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) depend on the aberrant assembly of the MYB transcriptional co-activator complex. By rapid and selective peptidomimetic interference with the binding of CBP/P300 to MYB, but not CREB or MLL1, we find that the leukemic functions of MYB are mediated by CBP/P300-mediated co-activation of a distinct set of transcriptional factor complexes that are aberrantly assembled with MYB in AML cells. This therapeutic remodeling is accompanied by dynamic redistribution of CBP/P300 complexes to genes that control cellular differentiation and growth. Thus, aberrantly organized transcription factor complexes control convergent gene expression programs in AML cells. These findings establish a compelling strategy for pharmacologic reprogramming of oncogenic gene expression that supports its targeting for leukemias and other human cancers caused by dysregulated gene control.
Project description:Recombinant adenovirus vectors were used to express wild type or domain swap mutants of A-Myb and c-Myb transcription factors in MCF-7 cells or pimary lung epithelial cells or fibroblasts. The results show that Myb proteins have extreme context specificity and identify sub-domains responsible for the activation of specific sets of target genes. Keywords = Myb proteins Keywords = oncogenes Keywords = transcription Keywords = gene activation Keywords: ordered
Project description:A-MYB (MYBL1) is a transcription factor with a role in meiosis in spermatocytes. The related B-MYB protein is a key proto-oncogene and a master regulator activating late cell cycle genes. To activate genes, B-MYB forms a complex with MuvB and is recruited indirectly to cell cycle genes homology region (CHR) promoter sites of target genes. Activation through the B-MYB-MuvB (MMB) complex is essential for successful mitosis. Here, we discover that A-MYB has a function in transcriptional regulation of the mitotic cell cycle and can substitute for B-MYB. Knockdown experiments in cells not related to spermatogenesis show that B-MYB loss alone only delays cell cycle progression. Only dual knockdown of B-MYB and A-MYB causes cell cycle arrest. A-MYB can substitute for B-MYB in binding to MuvB. The resulting A-MYB-MuvB complex activates genes through CHR sites. We find that A-MYB activates the same target genes as B-MYB. Many of the corresponding proteins are central regulators of the cell division cycle. In summary, we demonstrate that A-MYB is an activator of the mitotic cell cycle by activating late cell cycle genes.
Project description:The B-myb (MYBL2) gene is a member of the MYB family of transcription factors and is involved in cell cycle regulation, DNA replication and maintenance of genomic integrity. However, its function during adult development and hematopoiesis is unknown. We show here that conditional inactivation of B-myb in vivo results in depletion of the HSC pool, leading to profound reductions in mature lymphoid, erythroid and myeloid cells. This defect is autonomous to the bone marrow and is first evident in the HSCs, which accumulate in the S and G2/M phases. B-myb inactivation also causes defects in the myeloid progenitor compartment and results in an accumulation of GMPs. Microarray studies indicate that B-myb null LKS+ cells differentially express genes that direct myeloid lineage development and commitment, suggesting that B-myb is a key player in controlling cell fate. Collectively, these studies demonstrate that B-myb is essential for HSC and progenitor maintenance and survival during hematopoiesis. Total RNA was isolated from FACS purified LKS+ cells isolated from pIpC-treated control and B-myb floxed-MxCre mice. Each sample is derived from a pool of 3-5 mice. 2 samples were analyzed for each genotype.