Unraveling the Activation Mechanism of Taspase1 which Controls the Oncogenic AF4-MLL Fusion Protein.

ABSTRACT: We have recently demonstrated that Taspase1-mediated cleavage of the AF4-MLL oncoprotein results in the formation of a stable multiprotein complex which forms the key event for the onset of acute proB leukemia in mice. Therefore, Taspase1 represents a conditional oncoprotein in the context of t(4;11) leukemia. In this report, we used site-directed mutagenesis to unravel the molecular events by which Taspase1 becomes sequentially activated. Monomeric pro-enzymes form dimers which are autocatalytically processed into the enzymatically active form of Taspase1 (αββα). The active enzyme cleaves only very few target proteins, e.g., MLL, MLL4 and TFIIA at their corresponding consensus cleavage sites (CSTasp1) as well as AF4-MLL in the case of leukemogenic translocation. This knowledge was transla

SUBMITTER: Sabiani S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4486195 | biostudies-literature | 2015 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature