Project description:NUP98-fusion proteins cause acute myeloid leukemia via unknown molecular mechanisms. All NUP98-fusion proteins share an intrinsically disordered region (IDR) featuring >35 repeats of Phenylalanine-Glycine (FG) in the NUP98 N-terminus. Conversely, different C-terminal NUP98-fusion partners are often transcriptional and epigenetic regulators. Given these structural features we hypothesized that mechanisms of oncogenic transformation by NUP98-fusion proteins are hard-wired in their protein interactomes. Affinity purification coupled to mass spectrometry of five distinct NUP98-fusion proteins revealed a conserved set of interactors that was highly enriched for proteins involved in biomolecular condensation. We developed biotinylated isoxazole-mediated condensome mass spectrometry (biCon-MS) to show that NUP98-fusion proteins alter the global composition of biomolecular condensates. In addition, an artificial FG-repeat containing fusion protein was able to phenocopy the induction of leukemic gene expression as mediated by NUP98-KDM5A. Thus, we propose that IDR-containing fusion proteins have evolved to uniquely combine biomolecular condensation with gene control to induce cancer.
Project description:NUP98-fusion proteins cause leukemia via unknown molecular mechanisms. All NUP98-fusion proteins share an intrinsically disordered region (IDR) featuring >35 repeats of Phenylalanine-Glycine (FG) in the NUP98 N-terminus. Conversely, C-terminal NUP98-fusion partners often have critical functions in gene control. Given these structural features we hypothesized that mechanisms of oncogenic transformation by NUP98-fusion proteins are hard-wired in their protein interactomes. Affinity purification coupled to mass spectrometry and confocal imaging of five distinct NUP98-fusion proteins revealed that conserved interactors were enriched for proteins involved in biomolecular condensation and that they co-localized with NUP98-fusion proteins in nuclear puncta. We developed biotinylated isoxazole-mediated condensome mass spectrometry (biCon-MS) to show that NUP98-fusion proteins alter the global composition of biomolecular condensates. An artificial FG-repeat-containing fusion protein phenocopied the nuclear localization patterns of NUP98-fusion proteins and their capability to drive oncogenic gene expression programs. Thus, we propose that IDR-containing fusion proteins uniquely combine biomolecular condensation with transcriptional control to induce cancer.
Project description:We have cloned and characterized a fusion gene NUP98/HHEX1 resulting from t(7;10) from a patient with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). As NUP98/HHEX acts as an aberrant transcriptional activator, putative targets were searched upon transient expression of the fusion in primary murine bone marrow cells. Keywords: Comparative analysis of NUP98/HHEX, NUP98/HOX vs. MIG (empty virus) in primary bone marrow cells
Project description:Using mouse and human models of NUP98-rearrranged leukemia, we demonstrate that inhibition of MLL-Menin impairs leukemogenic gene expression and disrupts chromatin binding of MLL1 and NUP98 fusion proteins at a critical subset of genes that is essential for sustaining the undifferentiated leukemia phenotype.
Project description:Using mouse and human models of NUP98-rearrranged leukemia, we demonstrate that inhibition of MLL-Menin impairs leukemogenic gene expression and disrupts chromatin binding of MLL1 and NUP98 fusion proteins at a critical subset of genes that is essential for sustaining the undifferentiated leukemia phenotype.
Project description:Using mouse and human models of NUP98-rearrranged leukemia, we demonstrate that inhibition of MLL-Menin impairs leukemogenic gene expression and disrupts chromatin binding of MLL1 and NUP98 fusion proteins at a critical subset of genes that is essential for sustaining the undifferentiated leukemia phenotype.
Project description:We have cloned and characterized a fusion gene NUP98/HHEX1 resulting from t(7;10) from a patient with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). As NUP98/HHEX acts as an aberrant transcriptional activator, putative targets were searched upon transient expression of the fusion in primary murine bone marrow cells. Experiment Overall Design: Murine bone marrow cells were transduced with a retrovirus (MSCV-IRES-GFP, MIG) expressing either NUP98/HHEX or NUP98/HOXA9 (or the empty vector), mRNA was isolated after 72h. Each experiment was performed in triplicates.
Project description:Fusion proteins involving Nucleoporin 98 (NUP98) are recurrently found in Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) with poor prognosis. Lack of mechanistic insight into NUP98-fusion-dependent oncogenic transformation has precluded the identification of efficient targeting strategies. We reasoned that shared transcriptional programs of direct NUP98-fusion-protein-mediated gene control converge on actionable targets. To study the transcriptional regulation mediated by NUP98 fusion proteins we developed mouse models for regulatable expression of NUP98/NSD1, NUP98/JARID1A and NUP98/DDX10. Integration of transcriptional changes after oncogene shutdown in vivo with ChIP-seq data identified a common core of direct NUP98-fusion target genes in AML. Among the direct targets of all NUP98-fusions, the CDK6 (cyclin-dependent kinase 6) gene was highly expressed in mouse and human AML samples. CDK6 loss severely attenuated NUP98-fusion-driven leukemogenesis, and NUP98-fusion AML was hypersensitive to pharmacologic CDK6 inhibition in vitro and in vivo. These findings identify CDK6 as a conserved, critical direct target of NUP98-fusion proteins, proposing approved CDK4/CDK6 inhibitors as a rationale treatment option for AML patients with NUP98-fusions.