Cdc73 protects Notch-induced T-cell leukemia cells from DNA damage and mitochondrial stress [Bru-seq and BruUV-seq]
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: Activated Notch signaling is highly prevalent in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL). But in clinical trials, pan-Notch inhibitors caused excessive toxicity. To find alternative ways to target Notch signals, we investigated Cell division cycle 73 (Cdc73), which is a component of the RNA polymerase-associated transcriptional machinery and has been previously described as a Notch cofactor. Emerging evidence also suggests that transcriptional machinery might be an attractive vulnerability in T-ALL. In this setting, we show that CDC73 co-binds a subset of Notch-occupied regulatory elements in an ETS1-dependent context. In mouse models, Cdc73 is important for Notch-induced T-cell development and maintenance of Notch-induced T-ALL. Mechanistically, Cdc73, Ets1, and Notch activate genes that promote DNA repair and oxidative phosphorylation. Cdc73 induces these pathways through canonical functions in mRNA synthesis rather than non-canonical functions in enhancer activation. Our study suggests that Cdc73 acts through context-dependent mechanisms to promote a gene expression program that mitigates the genotoxic and metabolic stress of supraphysiological Notch signaling. We also provide mechanistic support for testing inhibitors of DNA repair, oxidative phosphorylation, and transcriptional machinery as anti-leukemic therapy while highlighting strategies that disable pathways that intersect with Notch at chromatin to target Notch signals without directly targeting the Notch complex.
Project description:Activated Notch signaling is highly prevalent in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL). But in clinical trials, pan-Notch inhibitors caused excessive toxicity. To find alternative ways to target Notch signals, we investigated Cell division cycle 73 (Cdc73), which is a component of the RNA polymerase-associated transcriptional machinery and has been previously described as a Notch cofactor. Emerging evidence also suggests that transcriptional machinery might be an attractive vulnerability in T-ALL. In this setting, we show that CDC73 co-binds a subset of Notch-occupied regulatory elements in an ETS1-dependent context. In mouse models, Cdc73 is important for Notch-induced T-cell development and maintenance of Notch-induced T-ALL. Mechanistically, Cdc73, Ets1, and Notch activate genes that promote DNA repair and oxidative phosphorylation. Cdc73 induces these pathways through canonical functions in mRNA synthesis rather than non-canonical functions in enhancer activation. Our study suggests that Cdc73 acts through context-dependent mechanisms to promote a gene expression program that mitigates the genotoxic and metabolic stress of supraphysiological Notch signaling. We also provide mechanistic support for testing inhibitors of DNA repair, oxidative phosphorylation, and transcriptional machinery as anti-leukemic therapy while highlighting strategies that disable pathways that intersect with Notch at chromatin to target Notch signals without directly targeting the Notch complex.
Project description:Investigation of whole genome gene expression level changes in zebrafish TIF1g-deficient, cdc73 deficient and double-deficient embryos, compared to the wild-type ebryos. A twelve-chip study using total RNA isolated from gata1-GFP positive cells (sorted by FACS) from 12 somite-stage wild type embryos, TIF1g morholino injected, Cdc73 morpholino injected and double morpholino injected embryos.
Project description:In order to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying the regulatory activities of UBR5 and CDC73 in dovitinib-induced apoptosis in 4T1 tumor cells that were Dox-silenced for the expression of Ubr5, Cdc73, or both and treated with dovitinib.
Project description:Notch activation is highly prevalent in several cancers, including more than 60% of cases of T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL). However, the use of pan-Notch inhibitors to treat cancers has been hampered by excessive toxicities, particularly affecting intestinal health. In order to combat Notch-driven oncogenic signals with less toxicity, one strategy is to target the transcriptional cofactors that promote tissue-specific Notch activation. We previously showed that Zmiz1 is a direct Notch1 cofactor that selectively promotes T-cell development and leukemogenic functions of Notch1. Ets1 is an excellent candidate as a transcription factor (TF) that promotes Notch functions selectively in T-ALL since the scope of Ets1 expression is far more limited than Notch expression and since Ets1 co-occupies Notch-bound enhancers with high frequency. Here, we used comparative ChIP-Seq and gene expression methods to show that Ets1 withdrawal impaired Notch complex recruitment and H3K27 acetylation at co-bound enhancers and disabled shared oncogenic pathways. ChIP-Seq showed that Ets1 peaks overlapped with 73-76% of Zmiz1 peaks and 71-75% of Notch1 peaks. Ets1 knockdown reduced Notch1, Rbpj, and Zmiz1 occupancy at enhancers that regulate genes that drive T-cell differentiation and/or T-ALL proliferation. RNA-Seq showed that Ets1 coregulated ~22% of Notch target genes with induction of Myc as a dominant and functional contribution. Our data support an emerging model in which transcription factors like Ets1 assist Notch in activating a subset of enhancers with important functions for T-cell leukemogenesis and development. Strategies that exploit the context dependence of Notch might combat the Notch pathway in cancer cells with less toxicity than pan-Notch inhibitors.
Project description:Notch activation is highly prevalent in several cancers, including more than 60% of cases of T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL). However, the use of pan-Notch inhibitors to treat cancers has been hampered by excessive toxicities, particularly affecting intestinal health. In order to combat Notch-driven oncogenic signals with less toxicity, one strategy is to target the transcriptional cofactors that promote tissue-specific Notch activation. We previously showed that Zmiz1 is a direct Notch1 cofactor that selectively promotes T-cell development and leukemogenic functions of Notch1. Ets1 is an excellent candidate as a transcription factor (TF) that promotes Notch functions selectively in T-ALL since the scope of Ets1 expression is far more limited than Notch expression and since Ets1 co-occupies Notch-bound enhancers with high frequency. Here, we used comparative ChIP-Seq and gene expression methods to show that Ets1 withdrawal impaired Notch complex recruitment and H3K27 acetylation at co-bound enhancers and disabled shared oncogenic pathways. ChIP-Seq showed that Ets1 peaks overlapped with 73-76% of Zmiz1 peaks and 71-75% of Notch1 peaks. Ets1 knockdown reduced Notch1, Rbpj, and Zmiz1 occupancy at enhancers that regulate genes that drive T-cell differentiation and/or T-ALL proliferation. RNA-Seq showed that Ets1 coregulated ~22% of Notch target genes with induction of Myc as a dominant and functional contribution. Our data support an emerging model in which transcription factors like Ets1 assist Notch in activating a subset of enhancers with important functions for T-cell leukemogenesis and development. Strategies that exploit the context dependence of Notch might combat the Notch pathway in cancer cells with less toxicity than pan-Notch inhibitors.
Project description:Investigation of whole genome gene expression level changes in zebrafish TIF1g-deficient, cdc73 deficient and double-deficient embryos, compared to the wild-type ebryos.
Project description:The Polymerase Associated Factor (PAFc) complex is an epigenetic regulating complex that has been shown to to be important for Acute Myeloid Leukemias harboring an MLL chromosomal translocations, such as MLL-AF9 leukemias. This study describes the transcriptomic profiling of AML cells following genetic deletion of the PAFc subunit Cdc73.
Project description:The Paf1 complex (Paf1C) is a conserved transcription elongation factor that regulates transcription elongation efficiency, facilitates co-transcriptional histone modifications, and impacts molecular processes linked to RNA synthesis, such as polyA site selection. Coupling of the activities of Paf1C to transcription elongation requires its association with RNA polymerase II (Pol II). Mutational studies in yeast identified Paf1C subunits Cdc73 and Rtf1 as important mediators of Paf1C association with Pol II on active genes. While the interaction between Rtf1 and the general elongation factor Spt5 is relatively well-understood, the interactions involving Cdc73 have not been fully elucidated. Using a site-specific protein cross-linking strategy in yeast cells, we identified direct interactions between Cdc73 and two components of the Pol II elongation complex, the elongation factor Spt6 and the largest subunit of Pol II. Both of these interactions require the tandem SH2 domain of Spt6. We also show that Cdc73 and Spt6 can interact in vitro and that rapid depletion of Spt6 dissociates Paf1 from chromatin, altering patterns of Paf1C-dependent histone modifications genome-wide. These results reveal interactions between Cdc73 and the Pol II elongation complex and identify Spt6 as a key factor contributing to the occupancy of Paf1C at active genes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.