Project description:The post-transcriptional control of mRNA stability plays a critical role in numerous biological functions, including the immune response, cell cycle regulation and DNA damage response. HNRNPA0, which encodes an RNA-binding protein shown to regulate transcript stability via binding to the AU-rich elements (AREs) of mRNAs, is located within the commonly deleted segment of 5q31.2 in therapy-related myeloid neoplasms (t-MNs) with a del(5q). We hypothesized that loss of HNRNPA0 leads to alterations in hematopoietic differentiation due to changes in the expression of its target AU-rich transcripts. Using RNAi interference to model Hnrnpa0 loss in primary murine cells and an experimental cell system, we found that reduced Hnrnpa0 expression leads to a shift from monocytic towards granulocytic differentiation. Microarray-based global expression profiling revealed that Hnrnpa0 knockdown disproportionally impacts ARE-containing transcripts and alters expression of myeloid specification genes. The biological importance of ARE-containing genes in myeloid neoplasms is further supported by changes in gene expression of ARE-mRNAs in t-MN del(5q) patients, predicted by pathway analysis to activate tumor growth. Together, our findings suggest that alterations in ARE-containing genes can positively regulate the cellular proliferation of del(5q) cells and implicate haploinsufficiency of HNRNPA0 as one of the key initiation mutations in the pathogenesis of t-MN. Gene expression profiling was performed on 38 single t-MN tumor samples. No control or reference samples were included.
Project description:The post-transcriptional control of mRNA stability plays a critical role in numerous biological functions, including the immune response, cell cycle regulation and DNA damage response. HNRNPA0, which encodes an RNA-binding protein shown to regulate transcript stability via binding to the AU-rich elements (AREs) of mRNAs, is located within the commonly deleted segment of 5q31.2 in therapy-related myeloid neoplasms (t-MNs) with a del(5q). We hypothesized that loss of HNRNPA0 leads to alterations in hematopoietic differentiation due to changes in the expression of its target AU-rich transcripts. Using RNAi interference to model Hnrnpa0 loss in primary murine cells and an experimental cell system, we found that reduced Hnrnpa0 expression leads to a shift from monocytic towards granulocytic differentiation. Microarray-based global expression profiling revealed that Hnrnpa0 knockdown disproportionally impacts ARE-containing transcripts and alters expression of myeloid specification genes. The biological importance of ARE-containing genes in myeloid neoplasms is further supported by changes in gene expression of ARE-mRNAs in t-MN del(5q) patients, predicted by pathway analysis to activate tumor growth. Together, our findings suggest that alterations in ARE-containing genes can positively regulate the cellular proliferation of del(5q) cells and implicate haploinsufficiency of HNRNPA0 as one of the key initiation mutations in the pathogenesis of t-MN.
Project description:Therapy-related myeloid neoplasms (t-MNs) comprise therapy-related acute myeloid leukemia (t-AML) and myelodysplastic syndrome (t-MDS), and are a late complication of cytotoxic therapy — chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy — used in the treatment of both malignant and non-malignant diseases. The genetic profile of t-MN is markedly skewed towards high-risk cytogenetic and molecular abnormalities, and complex karyotypes with a del(5q), and TP53 mutation/loss are profoundly over-represented in t-MN as compared with de novo counterparts. To model this genetic subset, we showed that concurrent haploinsufficient expression of the del(5q) tumor suppressor genes, early growth response 1 (EGR1) and adenomatous polyposis coli (APC), cooperate with TP53 (p53) loss to induce myeloid leukemia in mice. The frequency of disease increased upon exposure to the alkylating agent, N-ethyl-N-nitrosurea (ENU) . In the context of alkylating agent therapy, cell intrinsic loss of the Egr1 and Apc del(5q) genes was sufficient to promote the development of MDS, but concurrent loss of Trp53 (p53) was required to drive AML development. We examined RNA expression in 1) LSK (Lin-, Sca1+, Kit+) hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells isolated from mice with Trp53 knockdown or without, prior to myeloid disease development, 2) bone marrow cells isolated from mice with MDS (no Trp53 knockdown) or AML (Trp53 knockdown), and 3) early passage mesenchymal stromal cells isolated from mice injected i.p. with 10% ethanol (mock) or ENU (100 mg/kg).
Project description:Chromosome 5q deletions (del(5q)) are common in high-risk (HR) Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS) and Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML); however, the gene regulatory networks that sustain these aggressive diseases are unknown. Reduced miR-146a expression in del(5q) HR-MDS/AML and miR-146a-/- hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPC) results in TRAF6/NF-κΒ activation. Increased survival and proliferation of HSPC from miR-146alow HR-MDS/AML is sustained by a neighboring haploid gene, SQSTM1 (p62), expressed from the intact 5q allele. Overexpression of p62 from the intact allele occurs through NF-κB-dependent feedforward signaling mediated by miR-146a deficiency. p62 is necessary for TRAF6-mediated NF-κB signaling, as disrupting the p62-TRAF6 signaling complex results in cell cycle arrest and apoptosis of MDS/AML cells. Thus, del(5q) HR-MDS/AML employs an intrachromosomal gene network involving loss of miR-146a and haploid overexpression of p62 via NF-κB to sustain TRAF6/NF-κB signaling for cell survival and proliferation. Interfering with the p62-TRAF6 signaling complex represents a therapeutic option in miR-146a-deficient and aggressive del(5q) MDS/AML.
Project description:While del(5q) MDS patients comprise a well-defined hematological subgroup, the molecular basis underlying its origin and the reason behind the relapse to lenalidomide remains unknown. Using scRNAseq on CD34+ progenitor cells from patients with del(5q) MDS we were able to identify cells harboring the deletion, enabling us to deeply characterize the transcriptional impact of this genetic insult on disease pathogenesis and treatment response. We found, across all patients, an enrichment of del(5q) cells in GMP and megakaryocyte-erythroid progenitors not described to date. Interestingly, both del(5q) and non-del(5q) cells presented similar transcriptional lesions when compared to progenitors from healthy individuals, indicating that all cells, and not only those harboring the deletion, are altered in these patients and may contribute to aberrant hematopoietic differentiation. However, GRN analysis revealed a group of regulons with aberrant activity in del(5q) cells that could be responsible for triggering altered hematopoiesis, pointing to a more prominent role of these cells in the phenotype of these patients. An analysis of del(5q) MDS patients achieving hematological response upon lenalidomide treatment showed that the drug reverted several transcriptional alterations in both del(5q) and non-del(5q) cells, but other lesions remained, which may be responsible for potential future relapses. Moreover, lack of hematological response was associated with the inability of lenalidomide to reverse transcriptional alterations. Collectively, this study provides a deep characterization of del(5q) and non-del(5q) cells at single-cell resolution, revealing previously unknown transcriptional alterations that could contribute to disease pathogenesis, or lack of responsiveness to lenalidomide.
Project description:Chromosome 5q deletions (del(5q)) are common in high-risk (HR) Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS) and Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML); however, the gene regulatory networks that sustain these aggressive diseases are unknown. Reduced miR-146a expression in del(5q) HR-MDS/AML and miR-146a-/- hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPC) results in TRAF6/NF-M-NM-:M-NM-^R activation. Increased survival and proliferation of HSPC from miR-146alow HR-MDS/AML is sustained by a neighboring haploid gene, SQSTM1 (p62), expressed from the intact 5q allele. Overexpression of p62 from the intact allele occurs through NF-M-NM-:B-dependent feedforward signaling mediated by miR-146a deficiency. p62 is necessary for TRAF6-mediated NF-M-NM-:B signaling, as disrupting the p62-TRAF6 signaling complex results in cell cycle arrest and apoptosis of MDS/AML cells. Thus, del(5q) HR-MDS/AML employs an intrachromosomal gene network involving loss of miR-146a and haploid overexpression of p62 via NF-M-NM-:B to sustain TRAF6/NF-M-NM-:B signaling for cell survival and proliferation. Interfering with the p62-TRAF6 signaling complex represents a therapeutic option in miR-146a-deficient and aggressive del(5q) MDS/AML. Four del(5q) MDS/AML patients with low miR-146a expression (5284, 8839, 8285, 4233) and 5 with high miR-146a expression (7957, 5534, 4688, 4982, 8412) were selected for microarray assay. RNA was reverse transcribed and labeled, and hybridized onto the GeneChip Human Gene 1.0 ST Array. A total of nine samples were included, and two groups are assigned based on miR-146a expression. Comparison comprises mRNA expression profile of low miR-146a group v.s. high miR-146a group.
Project description:Despite the high response rates of individuals with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) with deletion of chromosome 5q (del(5q)) to treatment with lenalidomide (LEN) and the recent identification of cereblon (CRBN) as the molecular target of LEN, the cellular mechanism by which LEN eliminates MDS clones remains elusive. Here we performed an RNA interference screen to delineate gene regulatory networks that mediate LEN responsiveness in an MDS cell line, MDSL. We identified GPR68, which encodes a G-protein-coupled receptor that has been implicated in calcium metabolism, as the top candidate gene for modulating sensitivity to LEN. LEN induced GPR68 expression via IKAROS family zinc finger 1 (IKZF1), resulting in increased cytosolic calcium levels and activation of a calcium-dependent calpain, CAPN1, which were requisite steps for induction of apoptosis in MDS cells and in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells. In contrast, deletion of GPR68 or inhibition of calcium and calpain activation suppressed LEN-induced cytotoxicity. Moreover, expression of calpastatin (CAST), an endogenous CAPN1 inhibitor that is encoded by a gene (CAST) deleted in del(5q) MDS, correlated with LEN responsiveness in patients with del(5q) MDS. Depletion of CAST restored responsiveness of LEN-resistant non-del(5q) MDS cells and AML cells, providing an explanation for the superior responses of patients with del(5q) MDS to LEN treatment. Our study describes a cellular mechanism by which LEN, acting through CRBN and IKZF1, has cytotoxic effects in MDS and AML that depend on a calcium- and calpain-dependent pathway.
Project description:Cellular binary fate decisions require the progeny to silence genes associated with the alternative fate. The major subsets of alpha:beta T cells have been extensively studied as a model system for fate decisions. While the transcription factor RUNX3 is required for the initiation of Cd4 silencing in CD8 T cell progenitors, it is not required to maintain the silencing of Cd4 and other helper T lineage genes. The other runt domain containing protein, RUNX1, silences Cd4 in an earlier T cell progenitor, but this silencing is reversed whereas the gene silencing after RUNX3 expression is not reverse. Therefore, we hypothesized that RUNX3 and not RUNX1 recruits other factors that maintains the silencing of helper T lineage genes in CD8 T cells. To this end, we performed a proteomics screen of RUNX1 and RUNX3 to determine candidate silencing factors.