Project description:EZH2 was inactivated by shRNA in the RAS-mutated HL-60 acute myeloid leukemia cell line. RNA-seq genome wide expression profiling was used to screen for genes deregulated by EZH2 inactivation within this setting.
Project description:Although Bcr-Abl kinase inhibitors have proven effective in the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), they generally fail to completely eradicate Bcr-Abl+ leukemia cells. To identify genes whose inhibition sensitizes Bcr-Abl+ leukemias to killing by Bcr-Abl inhibitors, we performed an RNAi-based synthetic lethal screen with imatinib in CML cells. This screen identified numerous components of a Wnt/Ca2+/NFAT signaling pathway. Antagonism of this pathway led to impaired NFAT activity, decreased cytokine production and enhanced sensitivity to Bcr-Abl inhibition. Furthermore, NFAT inhibition with cyclosporin A facilitated leukemia cell elimination by the Bcr-Abl inhibitor dasatinib and markedly improved survival in a mouse model of Bcr-Abl+ acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Targeting this pathway in combination with Bcr-Abl inhibition could improve treatment of Bcr-Abl+ leukemias. We utilized a genome-wide shRNA library in combination with microarray analysis to screen for gene targets in chronic myeloid leukemia cells that cooperate with imatinib.
Project description:Primary leukemia stem cells (LSCs) reside in an in vivo microenvironment that supports the growth and survival of malignant cells. We used an in vivo short hairpin RNA (shRNA) screening approach to identify novel genes that are essential for primary murine MLL-AF9 acute myeloid leukemia (AML). We found that Integrin Beta 3 (Itgb3) is selectively essential for murine leukemia cells in vivo, and for human leukemia cells in xenotransplantation studies. In leukemia cells, Itgb3 knockdown impaired homing, downregulated LSC transcriptional programs, and induced differentiation. In contrast, loss of Itgb3 in normal HSPCs did not affect engraftment, reconstitution, or differentiation in long term transplantation assays. We explored the signaling pathways downstream of Itgb3 using an additional in vivo shRNA screen and identified Syk as a critical mediator of Itgb3 activity in leukemia. Finally, we confirmed that Itgb3 is dispensable for normal hematopoiesis and required for leukemogenesis using the Itgb3 knockout mouse model. Our results establish the significance of the Itgb3 signaling pathway as a potential therapeutic target in AML, and demonstrate the utility of in vivo RNA interference screens. We examined the effect of Itgb3 knockdown by gene expression profiling in primary leukemia cells.
Project description:Background: The oncogenic protein HOXA9 plays a critical role in leukemia transformation and maintenance, and its aberrant expression is a hallmark of most aggressive acute leukemia. Although inhibiting the upstream regulators of HOXA9 has been proven as a significant therapeutic intervention, the comprehensive regulation network controlling HOXA9 expression in leukemia has not been systematically investigated. Results: Here, we perform genome-wide CRISPR/Cas9 screening in the HOXA9-driven reporter acute leukemia cells. We identify a poorly characterized RNA-binding protein, RBM5, as the top candidate gene required to maintain leukemia cell fitness. RBM5 is highly overexpressed in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients compared to healthy individuals. RBM5 loss triggered by CRISPR knockout and shRNA knockdown significantly impairs leukemia maintenance in vitro and in vivo. Through domain CRISPR screening, we reveal that RBM5 functions through a noncanonical transcriptional regulation circuitry rather than RNA splicing, such an effect depending on DNA-binding domains. By integrative analysis and functional assays, we identify HOXA9 as the downstream target of RBM5. Ectopic expression of HOXA9 rescues impaired leukemia cell proliferation upon RBM5 loss. Importantly, acute protein degradation of RBM5 through auxin-inducible degron system immediately reduces HOXA9 transcription. Conclusions: We identify RBM5 as a new upstream regulator of HOXA9 and reveal its essential role in controlling the survival of AML. These functional and molecular mechanisms further support RBM5 as a promising therapeutic target for myeloid leukemia treatment. Keywords: Acute myeloid leukemia; CRISPR screen; Genome editing; HOXA9; RBM5.
Project description:This SuperSeries is composed of the following subset Series: GSE30745: Expression data from murine acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells following shRNA-mediated suppression of Myb GSE30746: Expression data from murine Tet-off MLL-AF9/Ras acute myeloid leukemia cell lines following withdrawal of MLL-AF9 Refer to individual Series
Project description:It is well understood how proteins regulate cell fate, both in normal development and disease. However, a substantial fraction of the genome is transcribed in a cell type- specific manner, producing long non-coding RNAs (lncRNA) rather than protein- coding transcripts. Here we systematically characterize transcriptional dynamics (both mRNA and lncRNA) during hematopoiesis and in hematological malignancies. We present de novo assembled transcriptome models and expression values for hematopoietic lncRNAs. We found lncRNAs to be regulated during differentiation and misregulated in disease. We assessed lncRNA function via an in vivo RNAi screen in a model of acute myeloid leukemia. With this approach, we identified several lncRNAs essential for leukemia maintenance, and found that a number act by promoting leukemia stem cell signatures. Leukemia blasts show a myeloid differentiation phenotype when these lncRNAs were depleted, and our data indicates that this effect is mediated via effects on the c-MYC oncogene.
Project description:It is well understood how proteins regulate cell fate, both in normal development and disease. However, a substantial fraction of the genome is transcribed in a cell type- specific manner, producing long non-coding RNAs (lncRNA) rather than protein- coding transcripts. Here we systematically characterize transcriptional dynamics (both mRNA and lncRNA) during hematopoiesis and in hematological malignancies. We present de novo assembled transcriptome models and expression values for hematopoietic lncRNAs. We found lncRNAs to be regulated during differentiation and misregulated in disease. We assessed lncRNA function via an in vivo RNAi screen in a model of acute myeloid leukemia. With this approach, we identified several lncRNAs essential for leukemia maintenance, and found that a number act by promoting leukemia stem cell signatures. Leukemia blasts show a myeloid differentiation phenotype when these lncRNAs were depleted, and our data indicates that this effect is mediated via effects on the c-MYC oncogene.