Project description:The tumorigenesis capacity of MLL-AF4 alone is insufficient for causing leukemia. Based on the finding that an Flt3 gene mutation in the tyrosine kinase domain (TKD) was observed in approximately 15% of MLL leukemia, we investigated synergistic leukemogenesis effects of the two genes in vitro. In a mouse IL3-dependent cell line, 32Dc, the expression of MLL-AF4 and Flt3 TKD was induced using a lentiviral vector. We performed gene expression profiling in the MLL-AF4 and the Flt3 TKD+MLL-AF4 expressing 32Dc cells. The enhancement of Hox genes expression was not identified. However, instead, the expression of S100A6, which was involved in the control of cell proliferation, was synergistically enhanced in the presence of both MLL-AF4 and Flt3 TKD genes. We performed gene expression profiling: 32Dc vs. MLL-AF4 expressing 32Dc, 32Dc vs. Flt3 TKD+MLL-AF4 expressing 32Dc, and MLL-AF4 expressing 32Dc vs. Flt3 TKD+MLL-AF4 expressing 32Dc. A single sample for each expressing cells was analyzed.
Project description:The tumorigenesis capacity of MLL-AF4 alone is insufficient for causing leukemia. Based on the finding that an Flt3 gene mutation in the tyrosine kinase domain (TKD) was observed in approximately 15% of MLL leukemia, we investigated synergistic leukemogenesis effects of the two genes in vitro. In a mouse IL3-dependent cell line, 32Dc, the expression of MLL-AF4 and Flt3 TKD was induced using a lentiviral vector. We performed gene expression profiling in the MLL-AF4 and the Flt3 TKD+MLL-AF4 expressing 32Dc cells. The enhancement of Hox genes expression was not identified. However, instead, the expression of S100A6, which was involved in the control of cell proliferation, was synergistically enhanced in the presence of both MLL-AF4 and Flt3 TKD genes.
Project description:MLL-AF4 is a hallmark genomic aberration which arises prenatally in high-risk infant acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). In human embryonic stem cells (hESCs), MLL-AF4 skewed hemato-endothelial specification but was not sufficient for transformation. Additional cooperating genetic insults seem required for MLL-AF4-mediated leukemogenesis. FLT3 is highly expressed in MLL-AF4+ ALL through activating mutations (FLT3-TKD or FLT3-ITD) or increased transcriptional expression, being therefore considered a potential cooperating event in MLL-AF4+ ALL. Here, we explored the developmental impact of FLT3 activation on its own or in cooperation with MLL-AF4 in the hematopoietic fate of hESCs. FLT3 activation did not impact specification of CD45-CD31+ hemogenic precursors but significantly enhanced the formation of CD45+CD34+ and CD45+ blood cells and blood progenitors with clonogenic potential. Importantly, FLT3 activation through FLT3 mutations or FLT3-WT overexpression completely abrogated hematopoietic differentiation from MLL-AF4-expressing hESCs, indicating that FLT3 activation cooperates with MLL-AF4 to inhibit human embryonic hematopoiesis. Cell cycle/apoptosis analyses suggest that FLT3 activation directly impacts hESC specification rather than selective proliferation/survival of hESC-emerging hematopoietic derivatives. Transcriptional profiling supported the limited impact of FLT3 activation on hESC specification towards CD45-hemogenic precursors and the enhanced hematopoiesis upon FLT3 activation, and inhibited hematopoiesis upon MLL-AF4 expression in FLT3-activated hESCs which was associated to large transcriptional changes and regulation of master early hematopoietic genes. Also, although FLT3 activation and MLL-AF4 cooperate to inhibit embryonic hematopoiesis the underlying molecular/genetic mechanisms differ depending on how FLT3 activation is achieved. Finally, FLT3 activation did not cooperate with MLL-AF4 to immortalize/transform hESC-derived hematopoietic cells. 18 samples were analyzed. CD45- hemogenic precursors EV, 2 biological rep CD45- hemogenic precursors FLT3-TKD, 2 biological rep CD45- hemogenic precursors FLT3-WT, 2 biological rep CD45- hemogenic precursors FLT3-TKD/MLLAF4, 2 biological rep CD45- hemogenic precursors FLT3-WT/MLLAF4, 2 biological rep CD45+ blood cells EV, 1 biological rep CD45+ blood cells FLT3-TKD, 2 biological rep CD45+ blood cells FLT3-WT, 2 biological rep CD45+ blood cells FLT3-TKD/MLLAF4, 2 biological rep CD45+ blood cells FLT3-WT/MLLAF4, 1 biological rep
Project description:MLL-AF4 is a hallmark genomic aberration which arises prenatally in high-risk infant acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). In human embryonic stem cells (hESCs), MLL-AF4 skewed hemato-endothelial specification but was not sufficient for transformation. Additional cooperating genetic insults seem required for MLL-AF4-mediated leukemogenesis. FLT3 is highly expressed in MLL-AF4+ ALL through activating mutations (FLT3-TKD or FLT3-ITD) or increased transcriptional expression, being therefore considered a potential cooperating event in MLL-AF4+ ALL. Here, we explored the developmental impact of FLT3 activation on its own or in cooperation with MLL-AF4 in the hematopoietic fate of hESCs. FLT3 activation did not impact specification of CD45-CD31+ hemogenic precursors but significantly enhanced the formation of CD45+CD34+ and CD45+ blood cells and blood progenitors with clonogenic potential. Importantly, FLT3 activation through FLT3 mutations or FLT3-WT overexpression completely abrogated hematopoietic differentiation from MLL-AF4-expressing hESCs, indicating that FLT3 activation cooperates with MLL-AF4 to inhibit human embryonic hematopoiesis. Cell cycle/apoptosis analyses suggest that FLT3 activation directly impacts hESC specification rather than selective proliferation/survival of hESC-emerging hematopoietic derivatives. Transcriptional profiling supported the limited impact of FLT3 activation on hESC specification towards CD45-hemogenic precursors and the enhanced hematopoiesis upon FLT3 activation, and inhibited hematopoiesis upon MLL-AF4 expression in FLT3-activated hESCs which was associated to large transcriptional changes and regulation of master early hematopoietic genes. Also, although FLT3 activation and MLL-AF4 cooperate to inhibit embryonic hematopoiesis the underlying molecular/genetic mechanisms differ depending on how FLT3 activation is achieved. Finally, FLT3 activation did not cooperate with MLL-AF4 to immortalize/transform hESC-derived hematopoietic cells.
Project description:The interaction of Menin (MEN1) and MLL (MLL1, KMT2A) is a dependency and potential therapeutic opportunity against NPM1 mutant (NPM1mut) and MLL-rearranged (MLL-r) leukemias. Concomitant activating driver mutations in the gene encoding the tyrosine kinase FLT3 occur in both leukemias and are particularly common in the NPM1mut subtype. Transcriptional profiling upon pharmacological inhibition of the Menin-MLL complex revealed specific changes in gene expression with downregulation of the MEIS1 transcription factor and its transcriptional target gene FLT3 being most pronounced. Combining Menin-MLL inhibition with specific small molecule kinase inhibitors of FLT3 phosphorylation resulted in a significantly superior reduction of phosphorylated FLT3 and transcriptional suppression of genes downstream to FLT3 signaling. The drug combination induced synergistic inhibition of proliferation as well as enhanced apoptosis and differentiation compared to single-drug treatment in models of human and murine NPM1mut and MLL-r leukemias harboring an FLT3 mutation. Primary AML cells harvested from patients with NPM1mut FLT3mut AML showed significantly better responses to combined Menin and FLT3 inhibition than to single-drug or vehicle control treatment, while AML cells with wildtype NPM1, MLL, and FLT3 were not affected by any of the two drugs. In vivo treatment of leukemic animals with MLL-r FLT3mut leukemia reduced leukemia burden significantly and prolonged survival compared to the single-drug and vehicle control groups. Our data suggest that combined Menin-MLL and FLT3 inhibition represents a novel and promising therapeutic strategy for patients with NPM1mut or MLL-r leukemia and concurrent FLT3 mutation.
Project description:In leukemogenesis Notch signaling can be up- and down-regulated in a context-dependent manner. Here we report that deletion of hairy and enhancer of split-1 (Hes1) promotes acute myeloid leukemia (AML) development induced by the MLL-AF9 fusion protein. Subsequently, the FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3) was up-regulated in mouse cells of a Hes1- or RBP-J-null background. MLL-AF9-expressing Hes1-null AML cells showed enhanced proliferation and ERK phosphorylation following FLT3 ligand stimulation. FLT3 inhibition efficiently abrogated proliferation of MLL-AF9-induced Hes1-null AML cells. Furthermore, an agonistic anti-Notch2 antibody induced apoptosis of MLL-AF9-induced AML cells in a Hes1-wild type but not a Hes1-null background. These observations demonstrate that Hes1 mediates tumor suppressive roles of Notch signaling in AML development by down-regulating FLT3 expression. 4 samples are analyzed, two pairs of MLL-AF9/Hes1-/- and MLL-AF9/Hes1+/+ leukemic bone marrows.
Project description:The MLL-AF4 fusion gene is a hallmark genomic aberration in high-risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia in infants. Although it is well-established that MLL-AF4 arises pre-natally during human development, its effects on hematopoietic development in utero remains unexplored. We have created a human-specific in vitro system to study early hemato-endothelial development in MLL-AF4-expressing human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). Differentiation and functional studies as well as clonal analyses and gene expression profiling reveal that expression of MLL-AF4 in hESCs has a phenotypic, functional and gene expression impact. It enhances the specification of hemogenic precursors from hESCs and impairs further hematopoietic commitment of these precursors in favour of the endothelial cell fate. Similar to that reported in cord blood CD34+ hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs), MLL-AF4 expression is not sufficient to transform hESC-derived hematopoietic cells in vitro or in vivo, indicating that additional events may be required to initiate leukemogenesis or that embryonic hematopoiesis is not the appropriate human cellular target for MLL-AF4-mediated leukemogenesis. This work illustrates how hESCs can provide unique insights into human development and further our understanding of how leukemic fusion genes known to arise pre-natally regulate human embryonic hematopoietic specification. MLL is involved in transcriptional regulation and most MLL translocations appear to result in increased expression of Hox genes and hematopoietic genes. We therefore assessed the impact of MLL-AF4 expression on the transcriptome of hESCs. Gene expression profiling performed in MLL-AF4 hESCs revealed that MLL-AF4 preferentially activates transcription. 1826 out of the 3001 genes (61%) expressed were up-regulated in MLL-AF4 hESCs. Human ESC samples were collected during the exponential cell growth phase and stabilized in RNA later. 500 ng of each total RNA sample was labelled with Cy3 using the Quick-Amp Labelling kit and hybridized with the Gene Expression Hybridization kit to a Whole Human Genome Oligo Microarray (Agilent Technologies) following the Manufacturer’s instructions. Each cell line was analyzed as independent duplicates. NEO-expressing (empty lentivector) hESC line was used as the baseline.
Project description:Homeobox (HOX) proteins and the receptor tyrosine kinase FLT3 are frequently highly expressed and mutated in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Aberrant HOX expression is found in nearly all AMLs that harbor a mutation in the Nucleophosmin (NPM1) gene, and FLT3 is concomitantly mutated in approximately 60% of these cases. Little is known how mutant NPM1 (NPM1mut) cells maintain aberrant gene expression. Here, we demonstrate that the histone modifiers MLL1 and DOT1L control HOX and FLT3 expression and differentiation in NPM1mut AML. Using a CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing domain screen, we show NPM1mut AML to be exceptionally dependent on the menin binding site in MLL1. Pharmacological small-molecule inhibition of the menin-MLL protein interaction had profound anti-leukemic activity in human and murine models of NPM1mut AML in vitro and in vivo. Combined pharmacological inhibition of menin-MLL and DOT1L resulted in dramatic suppression of HOX and FLT3 expression, induction of differentiation, and superior activity against NPM1mut leukemia. Together, MLL1 and DOT1L are chromatin regulators that control HOX, MEIS1 and FLT3 expression and are therapeutic targets in NPM1mut AML. Combinatorial small-molecule inhibition has synergistic on target activity and constitutes a novel therapeutic concept for this common AML subtype. RNA sequencing data of the human AML cell lines OCI-AML2 and OCI-AML3 comparing EPZ004777 [10µM] drug treatment versus DMSO vehicle control; experiments performed in biological triplicates.
Project description:In leukemogenesis Notch signaling can be up- and down-regulated in a context-dependent manner. Here we report that deletion of hairy and enhancer of split-1 (Hes1) promotes acute myeloid leukemia (AML) development induced by the MLL-AF9 fusion protein. Subsequently, the FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3) was up-regulated in mouse cells of a Hes1- or RBP-J-null background. MLL-AF9-expressing Hes1-null AML cells showed enhanced proliferation and ERK phosphorylation following FLT3 ligand stimulation. FLT3 inhibition efficiently abrogated proliferation of MLL-AF9-induced Hes1-null AML cells. Furthermore, an agonistic anti-Notch2 antibody induced apoptosis of MLL-AF9-induced AML cells in a Hes1-wild type but not a Hes1-null background. These observations demonstrate that Hes1 mediates tumor suppressive roles of Notch signaling in AML development by down-regulating FLT3 expression.
Project description:MLL-fusions represent a large group of leukemia drivers, whose diversity originates from the vast molecular heterogeneity of C-terminal fusion partners of MLL protein. While studies of selected MLL-fusions have revealed critical molecular pathways, unifying mechanisms across all MLL-fusions remain poorly understood. We present the first comprehensive survey of protein-protein interactions of seven distantly related MLL-fusion proteins: MLL-AF1p, MLL-AF4, MLL-AF9, MLL-CBP, MLL-EEN, MLL-ENL and MLL-GAS7.