The oncoprotein NUP98-HOXD13 (NHD13) induces thymocyte self-renewal via Lmo2/Lyl1

ABSTRACT: T-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (T-ALL) can be classified into a number of subfamilies, including those that overexpress TAL1/LMO, TLX1/3 and HOXA transcription factors. Whilst it has been previously shown in mouse models that TAL1/LMO transcription factors induce thymocyte self-renewal, whether this is the case for other transcription factor subclasses is currently unknown. To address this, we have studied vav-Nup98-HoxD13-transgenic (NHD13-Tg) mice, a model of HOXA-driven T-ALL, which overexpress HOXA transcription factors throughout haematopoiesis and display features of myelodysplastic syndrome in the bone marrow along with T-cell developmental abnormalities in the thymus and subsequent development of T-ALL in approximately 15% of mice. Thymocytes from preleukemic NHD13-Tg mice could engraft long-term in serial transplantation assays, demonstrating that NHD13-Tg thymocytes have acquired self-renewal capacity. Transcriptome analysis showed that NHD13-Tg thymocytes exhibited a Stem Cell like transcriptional program which closely resembled that of Lmo2 transgenic thymocytes, including Lmo2 itself and the critical Lmo2 cofactor Lyl1, suggesting a common mechanism of thymocyte self-renewal in these models. To determine whether Lmo2/Lyl1 are required for NHD13-induced thymocyte self-renewal, NHD13-Tg mice were crossed with Lyl1 knockout mice to generate NHD13-Tg mice lacking Lyl1. This showed that Lyl1 is essential for expression of the stem cell-like gene expression program in NHD13-Tg thymocytes and for thymocyte self-renewal. Surprisingly however, absence of Lyl1 accelerated the onset of T-ALL in NHD13-Tg mice. These studies demonstrate that Lyl1 is essential for self-renewal of NHD13-Tg thymocytes, suggesting that Lmo2 and Lyl1 may mediate thymocyte self-renewal induced by a variety of T-cell oncogenes. However, whilst Lyl1-induced thymocyte self-renewal is essential for Lmo2-driven T-cell leukemia, NHD13 can also promote T-ALL via an alternative pathway.

ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus

PROVIDER: GSE121641 | GEO | 2019/03/04

REPOSITORIES: GEO