A stem cell model identifies two alternative cell fates in CBFA2T3::GLIS2-driven acute megakaryoblastic leukemia initiation (Multiome scRNA-seq/scATAC-seq)
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ABSTRACT:
ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens
PROVIDER: GSE278751 | GEO | 2025/08/15
REPOSITORIES: GEO
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Project description:CBFA2T3::GLIS2 (CG) is an oncogenic fusion protein found in high-risk pediatric acute megakaryoblastic leukemia (AMKL). To gain insight into its leukemogenic mechanism, we developed a disease model based on genetically modified human induced pluripotent stem cells. We found that in this model CG expression disrupts myeloid differentiation via two alternate paths: either by delaying differentiation of aberrant megakaryocytes (aMK) or by locking aberrant megakaryocyte progenitors (aMKP) in a proliferative state akin to AMKL tumor cells. We defined the gene-regulatory networks characterizing both cell states by single-cell transcriptome and epigenome analysis and observed that CG sustains aMKP self-renewal along with cooperators like GATA2 and ERG, while repressing differentiation factors such as SPI1, CEBPA, NFE2, and LYL1. In contrast, in aMKs, CG downregulated drivers of self-renewal and upregulated most but not all lineage-specific differentiation factors. Our findings may contribute to strategies selectively targeting the aMKP state in CG-AMKL patients.
2025-08-15 | GSE277468 | GEO
Project description:CBFA2T3::GLIS2 (CG) is an oncogenic fusion protein found in high-risk pediatric acute megakaryoblastic leukemia (AMKL). To gain insight into its leukemogenic mechanism, we developed a disease model based on genetically modified human induced pluripotent stem cells. We found that in this model CG expression disrupts myeloid differentiation via two alternate paths: either by delaying differentiation of aberrant megakaryocytes (aMK) or by locking aberrant megakaryocyte progenitors (aMKP) in a proliferative state akin to AMKL tumor cells. We defined the gene-regulatory networks characterizing both cell states by single-cell transcriptome and epigenome analysis and observed that CG sustains aMKP self-renewal along with cooperators like GATA2 and ERG, while repressing differentiation factors such as SPI1, CEBPA, NFE2, and LYL1. In contrast, in aMKs, CG downregulated drivers of self-renewal and upregulated most but not all lineage-specific differentiation factors. Our findings may contribute to strategies selectively targeting the aMKP state in CG-AMKL patients.
2025-08-15 | GSE276998 | GEO
Project description:CBFA2T3::GLIS2 (CG) is an oncogenic fusion protein found in high-risk pediatric acute megakaryoblastic leukemia (AMKL). To gain insight into its leukemogenic mechanism, we developed a disease model based on genetically modified human induced pluripotent stem cells. We found that in this model CG expression disrupts myeloid differentiation via two alternate paths: either by delaying differentiation of aberrant megakaryocytes (aMK) or by locking aberrant megakaryocyte progenitors (aMKP) in a proliferative state akin to AMKL tumor cells. We defined the gene-regulatory networks characterizing both cell states by single-cell transcriptome and epigenome analysis and observed that CG sustains aMKP self-renewal along with cooperators like GATA2 and ERG, while repressing differentiation factors such as SPI1, CEBPA, NFE2, and LYL1. In contrast, in aMKs, CG downregulated drivers of self-renewal and upregulated most but not all lineage-specific differentiation factors. Our findings may contribute to strategies selectively targeting the aMKP state in CG-AMKL patients.
2025-08-15 | GSE276996 | GEO
Project description:CBFA2T3::GLIS2 (CG) is an oncogenic fusion protein found in high-risk pediatric acute megakaryoblastic leukemia (AMKL). To gain insight into its leukemogenic mechanism, we developed a disease model based on genetically modified human induced pluripotent stem cells. We found that CG expression disrupts myeloid differentiation in this model via two alternate paths: either by delaying differentiation of aberrant megakaryocytes (aMK) or by locking aberrant megakaryocyte progenitors (aMKP) in a proliferative state akin to AMKL tumor cells. We characterized the gene-regulatory networks characterizing both cell states by single-cell and epigenome analysis, and observed that CG sustains aMKPs along with cooperators GATA2 and ERG, while repressing differentiation factors like CEBPA, LYL1, and NFE2. In contrast, aMKs maintained many differentiation factors and did not up-regulate regulators of self-renewal. In future, our findings may contribute to improved diagnostic and therapeutic procedures aimed at interconverting cell states in CG-positive patients.
2025-08-15 | GSE277485 | GEO
Project description:The RBM15-MKL1 (RM) fusion protein causes acute megakaryoblastic leukemia (AMKL) primarily in infants. RBM15 recruits the m6A writer complex and is essential for determining the m6A epitranscriptome. MKL1 is a transcriptional cofactor important to megakaryopoiesis. Although the functions of the component proteins are well described, the mechanism whereby the RM fusion protein induces AMKL is unknown. We performed a high-resolution multi-omics analysis to identify the direct transcriptional, RNA-binding, and epitranscriptional targets of RM compared to RBM15. While RM maintains the RNA-binding and m6A modification capabilities of wildtype RBM15, it also has distinct RNA targets, many of which are upregulated and stabilized in RM-expressing cells. Among the top targets that are differentially bound, m6A modified, and upregulated by RM are the Frizzled genes, which encode receptors for the Wnt signalling pathway. To assess the role of RM-mediated m6A modifications in a physiologically relevant model, we treated two murine AMKL cell lines with STM3675, a novel METTL3 inhibitor. In vitro, METTL3 inhibition causes murine AMKL cells to undergo differentiation and apoptosis. In vivo treatment with METTL3 inhibitor prolongs survival of mice transplanted with murine AMKL cells. We additionally show that treatment with STM3675 decreases expression of key RM target genes, including Frizzled genes. Knockdown of Frizzled genes in RM-driven murine AMKL cells decreases their growth and survival, suggesting that RM-specific binding, m6A modification, and aberrant upregulation of the Wnt signaling pathway contribute to leukemogenesis and may represent targetable therapeutic pathways for treatment of children with RM-AMKL.
2025-05-16 | GSE275299 | GEO
Project description:Individuals with Down syndrome (DS) are predisposed to develop acute megakaryoblastic leukemia (AMKL), characterized by expression of truncated GATA1 transcription factor protein (GATA1s) due to somatic mutation. The treatment outcome for DS-AMKL is more favorable than for AMKL in non-DS patients. To gain insight into gene expression differences in AMKL, we compared 24 DS and 39 non-DS AMKL samples. We found that non-DS-AMKL samples cluster in two groups, characterized by differences in expression of HOX/TALE family members. Both of these groups are distinct from DS-AMKL, independent of chromosome 21 gene expression. To explore alterations of the GATA1 transcriptome, we used cross-species comparison with genes regulated by GATA1 expression in murine erythroid precursors. Genes repressed after GATA1 induction in the murine system, most notably GATA-2, MYC, and KIT, show increased expression in DS-AMKL, suggesting that GATA1s fail to repress this class of genes. Only a subset of genes that are up-regulated upon GATA1 induction in the murine system show increased expression in DS-AMKL, including GATA1 and BACH1, a probable negative regulator of megakaryocytic differentiation located on chromosome 21. Surprisingly, expression of the chromosome 21 gene RUNX1, a known regulator of megakaryopoiesis, was not elevated in DS-AMKL. Our results identify relevant signatures for distinct AMKL entities and provide insight into gene expression changes associated with these related leukemias.
2016-06-17 | GSE83449 | GEO
Project description:A high incidence of acute megakaryoblastic leukemia (AMKL) in Down syndrome patients implies that chromosome 21 genes have a pivotal role in AMKL development, but the functional contribution of individual genes remains elusive. Here, we report that SON, a chromosome 21-encoded DNA- and RNA-binding protein, inhibits megakaryocytic differentiation by suppressing RUNX1 and the megakaryocytic gene expression program. As megakaryocytic progenitors differentiate, SON expression is drastically reduced, with mature megakaryocytes having the lowest levels. In contrast, AMKL cells express an aberrantly high level of SON, and knockdown of SON induced the onset of megakaryocytic differentiation in AMKL cell lines. Genome-wide transcriptome analyses revealed that SON knockdown turns on the expression of pro-megakaryocytic genes while reducing erythroid gene expression. Mechanistically, SON represses RUNX1 expression by directly binding to the proximal promoter and two enhancer regions, the known +23 kb enhancer and the novel +139 kb enhancer, at the RUNX1 locus to suppress H3K4 methylation. In addition, SON represses the expression of the AP-1 complex subunits JUN, JUNB and FOSB which are required for late megakaryocytic gene expression. Our findings define SON as a negative regulator of RUNX1 and megakaryocytic differentiation, implicating SON overexpression in impaired differentiation during AMKL development.
2020-09-01 | GSE157178 | GEO
Project description:Transcriptome Sequence Analysis of Pediatric Acute Megakaryoblastic Leukemia Identifies An Inv(16)(p13.3;q24.3)-Encoded CBFA2T3-GLIS2 Fusion Protein As a Recurrent Lesion in 39% of Non-Infant Cases: A Report From the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital – Washington University Pediatric Cancer Genome Project. Acute Megakaryoblastic Leukemia (AMKL) accounts for ~10% of childhood acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Although AMKL patients with down syndrome (DS-AMKL) have an excellent 5 year event-free survival (EFS), non-DS-AMKL patients have an extremely poor outcome with a 3 year EFS of less than 40%. With the exception of the t(1;22) translocation seen in infant non-DS-AMKL, little is known about the molecular genetic lesions that underlie this leukemia subtype. To define the landscape of mutations that occur in non-DS-AMKL, we performed transcriptome sequencing on diagnostic blasts from 14 cases (discovery cohort) using the illumina platform. Our results identified chromosomal rearrangements resulting in the expression of novel fusion transcripts in 12/14 cases. Remarkably, in 7/14 cases we detected an inversion on chromosome 16 [inv(16)(p13.3;q24.3)] that resulted in the juxtaposition of the CBFA2T3, a member of the ETO family of transcription factors, next to GLIS2 resulting in a CBFA2T3-GLIS2 chimeric gene encoding an in frame fusion protein. 6 cases in the discovery cohort fused exon 10 of CBFA2T3 to exon 3 of GLIS2, while 1 case carried a larger product that fused exon 11 of CBFA2T3 to exon 1 of GLIS2. Both products retain the 3 CBFA2T3 N-terminal nervy homology regions that mediate protein interactions, and the 5 GLIS2 C-terminal zinc finger domains that bind the Glis DNA consensus sequence, along with one of its N-terminal transcriptional regulatory domains. GLIS2 is a member of the GLI super family of transcription factors and has been demonstrated to play a role in regulating expression of GLI target genes as well as inhibiting WNT signaling through the binding of beta catenin. Although GLIS2 is not normally expressed in hematopoietic cells, the translocation results in high level expression of the CBFA2T3-GLIS2 fusion protein. In addition to CBFA2T3-GLIS2, chimeric transcripts were detected in 6/7 cases that lacked evidence of the inv(16)(p13.3;q24.3). Specifically, we detected GATA2-HOXA9, MN1-FLI1, NIPBL-HOXB9, NUP98-KDM5A, GRB10-SDK1 and C8orf76-HOXA11AS, each in an individual case. Importantly, several of the genes involved in these translocations either play a direct role in normal megakaryocytic differentiation (GATA2 and FLI1), or have been previously shown to be involved in leukemogenesis (HOXA9, MN1, HOXB9). Evaluation of a recurrency cohort of 42 samples including 14 additional pediatric cases and 28 adult cases by RT-PCR revealed 4 additional pediatric samples carrying CBFA2T3-GLIS2 for an overall frequency of 39% in pediatric AMKL. In addition to these somatic structural variations, we also identified mutations in genes previously shown to play a role in megakaryoblastic leukemia including activating mutations in JAK2 and MPL (36%). To gain insight into the mechanism whereby CBFA2T3-GLIS2 promotes leukemogenesis, we introduced the fusion into murine hematopoietic cells and assessed its effect on in vitro colony replating as a surrogate measure of self-renewal. Hematopoietic cells transduced with a mCherry expressing retroviral vector failed to form colonies after the second replating. By contrast, expression of either wild-type GLIS2 or the CBFA2T3-GLIS2 fusion resulted in a marked increase in the self-renewal capacity, with colony formation persisting through eight replatings. Immunophenotypic analysis of the CBFA2T3-GLIS2 expressing colonies revealed evidence of megakaryocytic differentiation. Importantly, the CBFA2T3-GLIS2 cells remained growth factor dependent suggesting that cooperating mutations in growth factor signaling pathways are required for full leukemic transformation. Taken together these data identify a novel cryptic inv(16)-encoded CBFA2T3-GLIS2 fusion protein as a recurrent driver mutation in approximately 40% of non-infant pediatric non-DS-AMKLs. Moreover, the majority of pediatric cases that lacked this lesion were shown by transcriptome sequence analysis to contain other chromosomal rearrangements that encoded fusion proteins that directly alter megakaryocytic differentiation and/or myeloid cell growth. The alteration of a key transcriptional regulator within the hedgehog signaling pathways in a substantial percentage of pediatric AMKL raises the possibility that inhibition of this pathway may have a therapeutic benefit in this aggressive form of AML. Gene expression profiling was performed on 14 single diagnosis tumor samples
2012-11-20 | E-GEOD-35202 | biostudies-arrayexpress
Project description:Transcriptome Sequence Analysis of Pediatric Acute Megakaryoblastic Leukemia Identifies An Inv(16)(p13.3;q24.3)-Encoded CBFA2T3-GLIS2 Fusion Protein As a Recurrent Lesion in 39% of Non-Infant Cases: A Report From the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital – Washington University Pediatric Cancer Genome Project. Acute Megakaryoblastic Leukemia (AMKL) accounts for ~10% of childhood acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Although AMKL patients with down syndrome (DS-AMKL) have an excellent 5 year event-free survival (EFS), non-DS-AMKL patients have an extremely poor outcome with a 3 year EFS of less than 40%. With the exception of the t(1;22) translocation seen in infant non-DS-AMKL, little is known about the molecular genetic lesions that underlie this leukemia subtype. To define the landscape of mutations that occur in non-DS-AMKL, we performed transcriptome sequencing on diagnostic blasts from 14 cases (discovery cohort) using the illumina platform. Our results identified chromosomal rearrangements resulting in the expression of novel fusion transcripts in 12/14 cases. Remarkably, in 7/14 cases we detected an inversion on chromosome 16 [inv(16)(p13.3;q24.3)] that resulted in the juxtaposition of the CBFA2T3, a member of the ETO family of transcription factors, next to GLIS2 resulting in a CBFA2T3-GLIS2 chimeric gene encoding an in frame fusion protein. 6 cases in the discovery cohort fused exon 10 of CBFA2T3 to exon 3 of GLIS2, while 1 case carried a larger product that fused exon 11 of CBFA2T3 to exon 1 of GLIS2. Both products retain the 3 CBFA2T3 N-terminal nervy homology regions that mediate protein interactions, and the 5 GLIS2 C-terminal zinc finger domains that bind the Glis DNA consensus sequence, along with one of its N-terminal transcriptional regulatory domains. GLIS2 is a member of the GLI super family of transcription factors and has been demonstrated to play a role in regulating expression of GLI target genes as well as inhibiting WNT signaling through the binding of beta catenin. Although GLIS2 is not normally expressed in hematopoietic cells, the translocation results in high level expression of the CBFA2T3-GLIS2 fusion protein. In addition to CBFA2T3-GLIS2, chimeric transcripts were detected in 6/7 cases that lacked evidence of the inv(16)(p13.3;q24.3). Specifically, we detected GATA2-HOXA9, MN1-FLI1, NIPBL-HOXB9, NUP98-KDM5A, GRB10-SDK1 and C8orf76-HOXA11AS, each in an individual case. Importantly, several of the genes involved in these translocations either play a direct role in normal megakaryocytic differentiation (GATA2 and FLI1), or have been previously shown to be involved in leukemogenesis (HOXA9, MN1, HOXB9). Evaluation of a recurrency cohort of 42 samples including 14 additional pediatric cases and 28 adult cases by RT-PCR revealed 4 additional pediatric samples carrying CBFA2T3-GLIS2 for an overall frequency of 39% in pediatric AMKL. In addition to these somatic structural variations, we also identified mutations in genes previously shown to play a role in megakaryoblastic leukemia including activating mutations in JAK2 and MPL (36%). To gain insight into the mechanism whereby CBFA2T3-GLIS2 promotes leukemogenesis, we introduced the fusion into murine hematopoietic cells and assessed its effect on in vitro colony replating as a surrogate measure of self-renewal. Hematopoietic cells transduced with a mCherry expressing retroviral vector failed to form colonies after the second replating. By contrast, expression of either wild-type GLIS2 or the CBFA2T3-GLIS2 fusion resulted in a marked increase in the self-renewal capacity, with colony formation persisting through eight replatings. Immunophenotypic analysis of the CBFA2T3-GLIS2 expressing colonies revealed evidence of megakaryocytic differentiation. Importantly, the CBFA2T3-GLIS2 cells remained growth factor dependent suggesting that cooperating mutations in growth factor signaling pathways are required for full leukemic transformation. Taken together these data identify a novel cryptic inv(16)-encoded CBFA2T3-GLIS2 fusion protein as a recurrent driver mutation in approximately 40% of non-infant pediatric non-DS-AMKLs. Moreover, the majority of pediatric cases that lacked this lesion were shown by transcriptome sequence analysis to contain other chromosomal rearrangements that encoded fusion proteins that directly alter megakaryocytic differentiation and/or myeloid cell growth. The alteration of a key transcriptional regulator within the hedgehog signaling pathways in a substantial percentage of pediatric AMKL raises the possibility that inhibition of this pathway may have a therapeutic benefit in this aggressive form of AML. Gene expression profiling was performed on 29 single diagnosis tumor samples
2012-11-20 | E-GEOD-35201 | biostudies-arrayexpress
Project description:Transcriptome Sequence Analysis of Pediatric Acute Megakaryoblastic Leukemia Identifies An Inv(16)(p13.3;q24.3)-Encoded CBFA2T3-GLIS2 Fusion Protein As a Recurrent Lesion in 39% of Non-Infant Cases: A Report From the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital – Washington University Pediatric Cancer Genome Project. Acute Megakaryoblastic Leukemia (AMKL) accounts for ~10% of childhood acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Although AMKL patients with down syndrome (DS-AMKL) have an excellent 5 year event-free survival (EFS), non-DS-AMKL patients have an extremely poor outcome with a 3 year EFS of less than 40%. With the exception of the t(1;22) translocation seen in infant non-DS-AMKL, little is known about the molecular genetic lesions that underlie this leukemia subtype. To define the landscape of mutations that occur in non-DS-AMKL, we performed transcriptome sequencing on diagnostic blasts from 14 cases (discovery cohort) using the illumina platform. Our results identified chromosomal rearrangements resulting in the expression of novel fusion transcripts in 12/14 cases. Remarkably, in 7/14 cases we detected an inversion on chromosome 16 [inv(16)(p13.3;q24.3)] that resulted in the juxtaposition of the CBFA2T3, a member of the ETO family of transcription factors, next to GLIS2 resulting in a CBFA2T3-GLIS2 chimeric gene encoding an in frame fusion protein. 6 cases in the discovery cohort fused exon 10 of CBFA2T3 to exon 3 of GLIS2, while 1 case carried a larger product that fused exon 11 of CBFA2T3 to exon 1 of GLIS2. Both products retain the 3 CBFA2T3 N-terminal nervy homology regions that mediate protein interactions, and the 5 GLIS2 C-terminal zinc finger domains that bind the Glis DNA consensus sequence, along with one of its N-terminal transcriptional regulatory domains. GLIS2 is a member of the GLI super family of transcription factors and has been demonstrated to play a role in regulating expression of GLI target genes as well as inhibiting WNT signaling through the binding of beta catenin. Although GLIS2 is not normally expressed in hematopoietic cells, the translocation results in high level expression of the CBFA2T3-GLIS2 fusion protein. In addition to CBFA2T3-GLIS2, chimeric transcripts were detected in 6/7 cases that lacked evidence of the inv(16)(p13.3;q24.3). Specifically, we detected GATA2-HOXA9, MN1-FLI1, NIPBL-HOXB9, NUP98-KDM5A, GRB10-SDK1 and C8orf76-HOXA11AS, each in an individual case. Importantly, several of the genes involved in these translocations either play a direct role in normal megakaryocytic differentiation (GATA2 and FLI1), or have been previously shown to be involved in leukemogenesis (HOXA9, MN1, HOXB9). Evaluation of a recurrency cohort of 42 samples including 14 additional pediatric cases and 28 adult cases by RT-PCR revealed 4 additional pediatric samples carrying CBFA2T3-GLIS2 for an overall frequency of 39% in pediatric AMKL. In addition to these somatic structural variations, we also identified mutations in genes previously shown to play a role in megakaryoblastic leukemia including activating mutations in JAK2 and MPL (36%). To gain insight into the mechanism whereby CBFA2T3-GLIS2 promotes leukemogenesis, we introduced the fusion into murine hematopoietic cells and assessed its effect on in vitro colony replating as a surrogate measure of self-renewal. Hematopoietic cells transduced with a mCherry expressing retroviral vector failed to form colonies after the second replating. By contrast, expression of either wild-type GLIS2 or the CBFA2T3-GLIS2 fusion resulted in a marked increase in the self-renewal capacity, with colony formation persisting through eight replatings. Immunophenotypic analysis of the CBFA2T3-GLIS2 expressing colonies revealed evidence of megakaryocytic differentiation. Importantly, the CBFA2T3-GLIS2 cells remained growth factor dependent suggesting that cooperating mutations in growth factor signaling pathways are required for full leukemic transformation. Taken together these data identify a novel cryptic inv(16)-encoded CBFA2T3-GLIS2 fusion protein as a recurrent driver mutation in approximately 40% of non-infant pediatric non-DS-AMKLs. Moreover, the majority of pediatric cases that lacked this lesion were shown by transcriptome sequence analysis to contain other chromosomal rearrangements that encoded fusion proteins that directly alter megakaryocytic differentiation and/or myeloid cell growth. The alteration of a key transcriptional regulator within the hedgehog signaling pathways in a substantial percentage of pediatric AMKL raises the possibility that inhibition of this pathway may have a therapeutic benefit in this aggressive form of AML.
2012-11-20 | GSE35201 | GEO