Transcription profiling of mouse hematopoietic cells (GMP, CMP, CLP and HSC), FACS sorted from wild type and Mll-AF9 knock-ins
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: The pathways by which oncogenes, such as MLL-AF9, initiate transformation and leukemia in humans and mice are incompletely defined. In a study of target cells and oncogene dosage, we found that Mll-AF9, when under endogenous regulatory control, efficiently transformed LSK (Lin- Sca1+ c-kit+) stem cells while committed granulocyte-monocyte progenitors (GMPs) were transformation-resistant and did not cause leukemia. Mll-AF9 was expressed at higher levels in hematopoietic stem (HSC) than GMP cells. Mll- AF9 gene dosage effects were directly shown in experiments where GMPs were efficiently transformed by the high dosage of Mll-AF9 resulting from retroviral transduction. Mll-AF9 up-regulated expression of 196 genes in both LSK and progenitor cells, but to higher levels in LSKs than in committed myeloid progenitors. Experiment Overall Design: Comparison of gene expression profiles among four types of hematopoietic cells (GMP, CMP, CLP and HSC), FACS sorted from wild type and Mll-AF9 knock-in mice. The goal was to identify genes differentially expressed in each Mll-AF9 cell type compared to the corresponding wild type cells.
Project description:The pathways by which oncogenes, such as MLL-AF9, initiate transformation and leukemia in humans and mice are incompletely defined. In a study of target cells and oncogene dosage, we found that Mll-AF9, when under endogenous regulatory control, efficiently transformed LSK (Lin- Sca1+ c-kit+) stem cells while committed granulocyte-monocyte progenitors (GMPs) were transformation-resistant and did not cause leukemia. Mll-AF9 was expressed at higher levels in hematopoietic stem (HSC) than GMP cells. Mll- AF9 gene dosage effects were directly shown in experiments where GMPs were efficiently transformed by the high dosage of Mll-AF9 resulting from retroviral transduction. Mll-AF9 up-regulated expression of 196 genes in both LSK and progenitor cells, but to higher levels in LSKs than in committed myeloid progenitors. Keywords: mutant hematopoietic cells
Project description:Leukemia initiating cells (LICs) of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) may arise from self-renewing hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and from committed progenitors. However, it remains unclear how leukemia-associated oncogenes instruct LIC formation from cells of different origins and if differentiation along the normal hematopoietic hierarchy is involved. Here, using murine models with the driver mutations MLL-AF9 or MOZ-TIF2, we found that regardless of the transformed cell types, myelomonocytic differentiation to the granulocyte macrophage progenitor (GMP) stage is critical for LIC generation. Blocking myeloid differentiation through disrupting the lineage-restricted transcription factor C/EBPa eliminates GMPs, blocks normal granulopoiesis, and prevents AML development. In contrast, restoring myeloid differentiation through inflammatory cytokines “rescues” AML transformation. Our findings identify myeloid differentiation as a critical step in LIC formation and AML development, thus guiding new therapeutic approaches. Primary KSL, CMP, and GMP cells from wildtype controls and C/Ebpa knockouts were used for RNA extraction and hybridization on Affymetrix microarrays. We also compared the microarray samples of leukemic granulocyte macrophage progenitor compartments (L-GMPs) from MLL-AF9 transformed control or cytokine rescued C/EBPa KO leukemic mouse bone marrow and their secondary recipients with those non-Leukemia KSLs and CMPs from MLL-AF9 transduecd KO recipients with no leukemia development.
Project description:Leukemia initiating cells (LICs) of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) may arise from self-renewing hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and from committed progenitors. However, it remains unclear how leukemia-associated oncogenes instruct LIC formation from cells of different origins and if differentiation along the normal hematopoietic hierarchy is involved. Here, using murine models with the driver mutations MLL-AF9 or MOZ-TIF2, we found that regardless of the transformed cell types, myelomonocytic differentiation to the granulocyte macrophage progenitor (GMP) stage is critical for LIC generation. Blocking myeloid differentiation through disrupting the lineage-restricted transcription factor C/EBPa eliminates GMPs, blocks normal granulopoiesis, and prevents AML development. In contrast, restoring myeloid differentiation through inflammatory cytokines “rescues” AML transformation. Our findings identify myeloid differentiation as a critical step in LIC formation and AML development, thus guiding new therapeutic approaches. Primary KSL, CMP, and GMP cells from wildtype controls and C/Ebpa knockouts were used for RNA extraction and hybridization on Affymetrix microarrays. We also compared the microarray samples of leukemic granulocyte macrophage progenitor compartments (L-GMPs) from MLL-AF9 transformed control or cytokine rescued C/EBPa KO leukemic mouse bone marrow and their secondary recipients with those non-Leukemia KSLs and CMPs from MLL-AF9 transduecd KO recipients with no leukemia development.
Project description:We generated MLL-AF9 mediated murine leukemias that originate either from hematopoietic stem or committed progenitors cells. The luekemia stem cell fraction in these two type of leukemias shared exactly the same immunophenotype but their genetic programs differ. Total RNA from HSC(KLS), CMP, MEP, and GMP, and from leukemia stem cells (LGMP) was isolated and hybridized to Affymetrix expresison microarrays.
Project description:Activation or maintenance of a leukemia stem cell self-renewal pathway in downstream myeloid cells is an important component of AML development We generated either MLL-AF9 mediated murine leukemias that originate from committed progenitor (GMP) cells or Hoxa9/Meis1a mediated murine leukemias that originate from hematopoietic stem cells (HSC). The leukemia stem cell fraction in these two type of leukemias shared a common self-renewal pathway with normal hematopoietic stem cells. Keywords: Cell type comparison Total RNA from HSC (KLS), CMP, and GMP, and from leukemia stem cells (LGMP) was isolated and hybridized to Affymetrix expresison microarrays.
Project description:Activation or maintenance of a leukemia stem cell self-renewal pathway in downstream myeloid cells is an important component of AML development We generated either MLL-AF9 mediated murine leukemias that originate from committed progenitor (GMP) cells or Hoxa9/Meis1a mediated murine leukemias that originate from hematopoietic stem cells (HSC). The leukemia stem cell fraction in these two type of leukemias shared a common self-renewal pathway with normal hematopoietic stem cells. Keywords: Cell type comparison
Project description:We report the genome wide distribution of the three states of H3K79 methylation (H3K79me1/me2/me3) and H3K27me3 in mouse lineage negative Sca-1 positive Kit positive cells (LSKs), granulocyte macrophage progenitors (GMPs) and LSK derived MLL-AF9 leukemias in the presence or absence of the Af10 OM-LZ domain. Legend- MIT:MSCV-IRES-tdTomato (Empty vector control) and CRE (MIT vector with the Cre recombinase). We examined the H3K79 me1,me2,me3 and H3K27me3 profiles by ChIP-seq in lineage negative Sca-1 positive, Kit positive (LSK) cells, granulocyte macrophage progenitors (GMPs) and bone marrow cells from sacrificed terminally ill secondary MLL-AF9 positive leukemic mice. In case of the MLL-AF9 leukemias, the ChIP-seq experiments were performed in 2 conditions in the presence or absence of the Dot1l interacing octapeptide-motif leucine zipper (OM-LZ) domain of Af10. For the leukemia experiments, leukemias derived from the Af10 OM-LZ homozygous floxed background were transduced with MSCV-IRES-tdTomato control vector (MIT) or its Cre-recombinase expressing counterparts (CRE). Subsequently, we sorted tdTomato positive cells and injected them into sub-lethally irradiated syngenic secondary recipient mice. Seconday leukemias obtained from these MIT or CRE expressing cells were used for ChIP -seq studies.
Project description:Leukemias and other cancers possess a rare population of cells capable of self-renewal, and eradication of these cancer stem cells is likely necessary for long-term cancer-free survival. Given that both normal and cancer stem cells are capable of self-renewal the extent to which cancer stem cells resemble normal tissue stem cells is a critical issue if targeted therapies are to be developed. We introduced the MLL-AF9 fusion protein encoded by the t(9;11)(p22;q23) found in human acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) into murine committed granulocyte-macrophage progenitors (GMP). The resultant leukemias contained cells with an immunophenotype similar to normal GMP that were highly enriched for leukemia stem cells (LSC). Detailed gene expression comparisons between normal hematopoietic stem cells (HSC), committed progenitors, and the LSC population demonstrated the LSC were globally more similar to the normal GMP than any other population. However, a subset of genes highly expressed in normal stem cells was re-activated in the LSC. These data demonstrate LSC can be generated from committed progenitors without widespread reprogramming of gene expression, and a leukemia self-renewal associated signature is activated in the process. Our findings define progression from normal hematopoietic progenitor to leukemia stem cell, and suggest that targeting a self-renewal program expressed in an abnormal context may be possible. Experiment Overall Design: isolated granulocyte macrophage progenitors were incubated with a retrovirus that expressed either GFP or MLL-AF9 and GFP. Forty hours later, the GFP positive cells were isolated and RNA was hybrided to Affymetrix microarrays. The experiment was repeated three times.
Project description:MLL-fusion proteins can induce acute myeloid leukemias (AML) from either hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) or granulocyte macrophage progenitors (GMP), but it remains unclear if the cell of origin influences the biology of the resultant leukemia. MLL-AF9 transduced single HSC or GMP could be continuously replated, but HSC-derived clones were more likely than GMP-derived clones to initiate AML in mice. Leukemia stem cells derived from either HSC or GMP had a similar immunophenotype consistent with a maturing myeloid cell (LGMP). Gene expression analyses demonstrated that LGMP inherited gene expression programs from the cell of origin including high-level Evi-1 expression in HSC derived LGMP. The gene expression signature of LGMP derived from HSC was enriched in poor prognosis human MLL-rearranged AML in three independent data sets. Moreover, global 5’-mC levels were elevated in HSC-derived leukemias as compared to GMP-derived leukemias. This mirrored a difference seen in 5-mC between MLL-rearranged human leukemias that are either EVI1-positive or EVI1-negative. Finally, HSC derived leukemias were more resistant to chemotherapy than GMP-derived leukemias. These data demonstrate that the cell of origin influences the gene expression profile, the epigenetic state, and the drug response in AML, and that these differences can account for clinical heterogeneity within a molecularly defined group of leukemias. Differential DNA methylation between of LSC isolated from murine HSC and GMP derived AMLs
Project description:HOXA9 and MEIS1 are essential downstream effectors of the MLL-AF9 oncoprotein during leukaemia induction. Leukaemia derived from MLL-AF9-transduced LSK cells has a more aggressive phenotype than that derived from HOXA9/MEIS1-transduced LSK cells. To determine differential gene expression that contributes to increased aggressiveness in MLL-AF9-induced leukaemia, microarray was performed on LSK cells transduced with MLL-AF9 versus HOXA/MEIS1 oncogenes.