Project description:Background: The transcription factor EVI1 regulates cellular proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis, and contributes to an aggressive course of disease in myeloid leukemias and other malignancies. Notwithstanding, knowledge about the target genes mediating its biological and pathological functions remains limited. We therefore aimed to identify and characterize novel EVI1 target genes in human myeloid cells. Methods: U937T_EVI1, a previously established human myeloid cell line expressing EVI1 in a tetracycline regulable manner, was subjected to genome wide gene expression microarray analysis. qRT-PCR was used to confirm the regulation of MS4A3 by EVI1. Reporter constructs containing various parts of the MS4A3 upstream region were employed in luciferase assays, and direct binding of EVI1 to the MS4A3 promoter was investigated by chromatin immunoprecipitation. U937 derivative cell lines experimentally expressing EVI1 and/or MS4A3 were generated by retroviral transduction, and tested for their tumorigenicity by subcutaneous injection into severe combined immunodeficient mice. Experimental results were tested for statistical significance using ANOVA and Student's t-test (two-tailed). Results: Gene expression microarray analysis identified 27 unique genes that were up-regulated and 29 that were down-regulated in response to EVI1 induction in the human myeloid cell line, U937. The most strongly repressed gene was membrane-spanning-4-domains subfamily-A member-3 (MS4A3), and its down-regulation by EVI1 was confirmed by qRT-PCR in additional, independent experimental model systems. Reporter gene assays and chromatin immunoprecipitation showed that EVI1 regulated MS4A3 via direct binding to a promoter proximal region. Experimental re-expression of MS4A3 in an EVI1 overexpressing cell line counteracted the tumor promoting effect of EVI1 in a murine xenograft model. Conclusions: Our data reveal MS4A3 as a novel direct target of EVI1 in human myeloid cells, and show that its repression plays a role in EVI1 mediated tumor aggressiveness. Time course of 2 biological replicates, plus 2 control samples; 20 arrays in total
Project description:Background: The transcription factor EVI1 regulates cellular proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis, and contributes to an aggressive course of disease in myeloid leukemias and other malignancies. Notwithstanding, knowledge about the target genes mediating its biological and pathological functions remains limited. We therefore aimed to identify and characterize novel EVI1 target genes in human myeloid cells. Methods: U937T_EVI1, a previously established human myeloid cell line expressing EVI1 in a tetracycline regulable manner, was subjected to genome wide gene expression microarray analysis. qRT-PCR was used to confirm the regulation of MS4A3 by EVI1. Reporter constructs containing various parts of the MS4A3 upstream region were employed in luciferase assays, and direct binding of EVI1 to the MS4A3 promoter was investigated by chromatin immunoprecipitation. U937 derivative cell lines experimentally expressing EVI1 and/or MS4A3 were generated by retroviral transduction, and tested for their tumorigenicity by subcutaneous injection into severe combined immunodeficient mice. Experimental results were tested for statistical significance using ANOVA and Student's t-test (two-tailed). Results: Gene expression microarray analysis identified 27 unique genes that were up-regulated and 29 that were down-regulated in response to EVI1 induction in the human myeloid cell line, U937. The most strongly repressed gene was membrane-spanning-4-domains subfamily-A member-3 (MS4A3), and its down-regulation by EVI1 was confirmed by qRT-PCR in additional, independent experimental model systems. Reporter gene assays and chromatin immunoprecipitation showed that EVI1 regulated MS4A3 via direct binding to a promoter proximal region. Experimental re-expression of MS4A3 in an EVI1 overexpressing cell line counteracted the tumor promoting effect of EVI1 in a murine xenograft model. Conclusions: Our data reveal MS4A3 as a novel direct target of EVI1 in human myeloid cells, and show that its repression plays a role in EVI1 mediated tumor aggressiveness.
Project description:The EVI1 gene codes for a transcription factor with important roles in development and leukemogenesis. Overexpression of EVI1 in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is one of the worst prognostic factors in patients with and without 3q26 rearrangements. Evi1 acts in several pathways through the interaction with proteins with important functions in hematopoiesis; however, the role of Evi1 as a transcription factor is not well known, and only some Evi1 target genes have been identified in mice. Our aim was to investigate the pathways and direct target genes of EVI1. Differential expression profiles after EVI1 knockdown allowed us to identify 125 genes involved in cell growth, differentiation and signal transduction that could be related to EVI1. Moreover, we looked for potential EVI1 binding sites within the region 1000 bp upstream of the transcription start sites of all human genes. We selected a total of 70 genes from the bioinformatics search, genes related to EVI1 by literature, and genes differentially expressed in the expression array. ChIP in the TF1 and HEL cell lines with two EVI1 antibodies demonstrated that EVI1 binds to the proximal promoter regions of 18 of these genes, most of them involved in important differentiation and proliferation pathways, confirming the important role of EVI1. Interestingly, EVI1 binds to the proximal region of its promoter, suggesting that it could be regulating its own transcription. Further functional studies are in progress. These data provide a starting point for further studies aimed at uncovering the mechanism for EVI1-induced transformation leukemias. Keywords: Gene expression analysis after transient knockdown of EVI1. 12 samples. Three replicates per experimental condition. Two cell lines (HTB-58, TF-1). Transient EVI1 knockdown using anti-EVI1 siRNA molecules vs. control siRNA.