Project description:Pre-leukemic mutations are thought to promote clonal expansion of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) by increasing self-renewal and competitiveness. However, mutations that increase HSC proliferation tend to reduce competitiveness and self-renewal potential, raising the question of how a mutant HSC can sustainably outcompete wild-type HSCs. Activating mutations in NRAS are prevalent in human myeloproliferative disease and leukemia. Here we show that a single allele of oncogenic NrasG12D increases HSC proliferation but also increases reconstituting and self-renewal potential upon serial transplantation in irradiated mice, all without immortalizing HSCs or causing leukemia in our experiments. NrasG12D also confers long-term self-renewal potential upon multipotent progenitors. To explore the mechanism by which NrasG12D promotes HSC proliferation and self-renewal we assessed HSC cell cycle kinetics using H2B-GFP label retention. We found that NrasG12D had a bimodal effect on HSCs, increasing the proliferation of some HSCs while increasing the quiescence and competitiveness of other HSCs. One signal can therefore increase HSC proliferation, competitiveness, and self-renewal through a bimodal effect that promotes proliferation in some HSCs and quiescence in others. 12 RNA samples from mouse bone marrows were analyzed. There are three biological replicates for each subtype.
Project description:Pre-leukemic mutations are thought to promote clonal expansion of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) by increasing self-renewal and competitiveness. However, mutations that increase HSC proliferation tend to reduce competitiveness and self-renewal potential, raising the question of how a mutant HSC can sustainably outcompete wild-type HSCs. Activating mutations in NRAS are prevalent in human myeloproliferative disease and leukemia. Here we show that a single allele of oncogenic NrasG12D increases HSC proliferation but also increases reconstituting and self-renewal potential upon serial transplantation in irradiated mice, all without immortalizing HSCs or causing leukemia in our experiments. NrasG12D also confers long-term self-renewal potential upon multipotent progenitors. To explore the mechanism by which NrasG12D promotes HSC proliferation and self-renewal we assessed HSC cell cycle kinetics using H2B-GFP label retention. We found that NrasG12D had a bimodal effect on HSCs, increasing the proliferation of some HSCs while increasing the quiescence and competitiveness of other HSCs. One signal can therefore increase HSC proliferation, competitiveness, and self-renewal through a bimodal effect that promotes proliferation in some HSCs and quiescence in others.
Project description:Oncogenic NRAS mutations are frequently identified in human myeloid leukemias. In mice, expression of endogenous oncogenic Nras (NrasG12D/+) in hematopoietic cells leads to expansion of myeloid progenitors, increased long-term reconstitution of bone marrow cells, and a chronic myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN). However, acute expression of NrasG12D/+ in a pure C57BL/6 background does not induce hyperactivated GM-CSF signaling or increased proliferation in myeloid progenitors. It is thus unclear how NrasG12D/+ signaling promotes leukemogenesis. Here we show that hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) expressing NrasG12D/+ serve as MPN initiating cells. They undergo moderate hyperproliferation with increased self-renewal. The aberrant NrasG12D/+ HSC function is associated with hyperactivation of ERK1/2 in HSCs. Conversely, downregulation of MEK/ERK by pharmacological and genetic approaches attenuates the cycling of NrasG12D/+ HSCs and prevents the expansion of NrasG12D/+ HSCs and myeloid progenitors. Our data delineate critical mechanisms of oncogenic Nras signaling in HSC function and leukemogenesis. three NrasG12D/G12D HSCs samples, three NrasG12D/+ HSCs samples, two Nras+/+ HSCs control samples.
Project description:Oncogenic NRAS mutations are frequently identified in human myeloid leukemias. In mice, expression of endogenous oncogenic Nras (NrasG12D/+) in hematopoietic cells leads to expansion of myeloid progenitors, increased long-term reconstitution of bone marrow cells, and a chronic myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN). However, acute expression of NrasG12D/+ in a pure C57BL/6 background does not induce hyperactivated GM-CSF signaling or increased proliferation in myeloid progenitors. It is thus unclear how NrasG12D/+ signaling promotes leukemogenesis. Here we show that hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) expressing NrasG12D/+ serve as MPN initiating cells. They undergo moderate hyperproliferation with increased self-renewal. The aberrant NrasG12D/+ HSC function is associated with hyperactivation of ERK1/2 in HSCs. Conversely, downregulation of MEK/ERK by pharmacological and genetic approaches attenuates the cycling of NrasG12D/+ HSCs and prevents the expansion of NrasG12D/+ HSCs and myeloid progenitors. Our data delineate critical mechanisms of oncogenic Nras signaling in HSC function and leukemogenesis.
Project description:Ionizing radiation (IR) has long been associated with reduced hematopoietic function and increased malignancies, although the mechanisms behind this relationship remain poorly understood. The carcinogenic effect of IR has been commonly attributed to the direct induction of DNA damage. We demonstrate that IR exposure results in long-term, somatically heritable, cell-intrinsic reductions in HSC self-renewal that is mediated by C/EBP? and reversed by Notch, both of which are associated with human leukemias. Remarkably, restoration of HSC self-renewal prevents selection for C/EBP? loss of function in previously irradiated HSC pools. We propose that environmental insults prompt HSC to initiate a program limiting their self-renewal to prevent damaged HSC from contributing to hematopoiesis. This "programmed mediocrity" is advantageous for the localized insults animals have evolved to deal with, but becomes tumor promoting when the entire HSC compartment is damaged, such as during total body irradiation, by increasing selective pressure for adaptive oncogenic mutations Examination of mRNA levels in in vitro and in vivo Hematopoietic Stem Cell that exposed to IR Ionizing radiation (IR) or control. Each group has three replicates.
Project description:DNA Methyltransferase 3A (DNMT3A) is frequently mutated in various hematopoietic malignancies; however, the underlying oncogenic mechanisms remain elusive. Here, we report that DNMT3A mutational âhotspotâ at Arg882 (DNMT3A-R882H) cooperates with constitutively activated RAS in transforming murine hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs) ex vivo and inducing acute leukemias in vivo. DNMT3A-R882H potentiates aberrant transactivation of âstemnessâ gene expression programs, notably transcription factors Meis1, Hox-A, Mn1 and Mycn. Mechanistically, R882-mutated DNMT3A directly binds to cis-regulatory elements of these genes and induces focal CpG hypomethylation reminiscent of what was seen in human leukemias bearing DNMT3A R882 mutation. Furthermore, DNMT3A-R882H induced DNA hypomethylation facilitates gene enhancer/promoter activation and recruitment of Dot1l-associated transcription elongation machineries. Inactivation of Dot1l represses DNMT3AR882H-mediated stem cell gene dysregulation and acute leukemogenicity. In this dataset, we provided enhanced Reduced Representation Bisulfite Sequencing (eRRBS) DNA methylome profiling data showing effect of DNMT3A R882H mutation or WT expression on hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells with NRAS G12D co-transduction. eRRBBs DNA methylome analysis of Lin- enriched hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells with retroviral infection of NRAS G12D alone (EV-RAS), DNMT3A R882H with NRAS G12D (RH-RAS) or DNMT3A WT with NRAS G12D (WT-RAS) at day 16 post-transduction.
Project description:DNA Methyltransferase 3A (DNMT3A) is frequently mutated in various hematopoietic malignancies; however, the underlying oncogenic mechanisms remain elusive. Here, we report that DNMT3A mutational âhotspotâ at Arg882 (DNMT3A-R882H) cooperates with constitutively activated RAS in transforming murine hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs) ex vivo and inducing acute leukemias in vivo. DNMT3A-R882H potentiates aberrant transactivation of âstemnessâ gene expression programs, notably transcription factors Meis1, Hox-A, Mn1 and Mycn. Mechanistically, R882-mutated DNMT3A directly binds to cis-regulatory elements of these genes and induces focal CpG hypomethylation reminiscent of what was seen in human leukemias bearing DNMT3A R882 mutation. Furthermore, DNMT3A-R882H induced DNA hypomethylation facilitates gene enhancer/promoter activation and recruitment of Dot1l-associated transcription elongation machineries. Inactivation of Dot1l represses DNMT3AR882H-mediated stem cell gene dysregulation and acute leukemogenicity. In this dataset, we provided H3K4me1, H3K27ac and H3K79me2 ChIP-seq profiling data showing effect of DNMT3A R882H mutation or WT expression on epigenetic landscapes of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells with NRAS G12D co-transduction. ChIP-seq analysis of Lin- enriched hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells with retroviral infection of NRAS G12D alone (EV-RAS), DNMT3A R882H with NRAS G12D (RH-RAS) or DNMT3A WT with NRAS G12D (WT-RAS) 3 weeks post-transduction. Antibodies of H3K4me1, H3K27ac and H3K79me2 were used.
Project description:High-resolution proteomic analysis of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) stem cells identified phospholipase C- and Ca++-signaling pathways to be differentially regulated in AML1-ETO (AE) driven leukemia. Phospholipase C gamma 1 (Plcg1) could be identified as a direct target of the AE fusion. Genetic Plcg1 inactivation abrogated disease initiation by AE, reduced intracellular Ca++-release and inhibited AE-driven self-renewal programs. In AE-induced leukemia, Plcg1 deletion significantly reduced disease penetrance, number of leukemia stem cells and abrogated leukemia development in secondary recipient hosts. In human AE-positive leukemic cells inactivation of Plcg1 reduced colony formation and AML development in vivo. In contrast, Plcg1 was dispensable for maintenance of murine and human hematopoietic stem- and progenitor cells (HSPCs). Pharmacologic inhibition of Ca++-signaling downstream of Plcg1 resulted in impaired proliferation and self-renewal capacity in AE-driven AML. Thus, the Plcg1 pathway represents a novel specific vulnerability of AE-driven leukemia and poses an important new therapeutic target.