Project description:Clinical GATA2 deficiency syndromes arise from germline haploinsufficiency inducing mutations in GATA2, resulting in immunodeficiency that evolves to myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS)/acute myeloid leukemia (AML). How GATA2 haploinsufficiency disrupts the function and transcriptional network of hematopoietic stem/progenitors (HSCs/HSPCs) to facilitate the shift from immunodeficiency sequalae to pre-leukemia is poorly characterised. Using a conditional mouse model harboring a single allele deletion of Gata2 when HSCs emerge in utero, we identify pervasive defects in HSPC differentiation from young adult Gata2 haploinsufficient mice during B-cell maturation, early erythroid specification, megakaryocyte maturation to platelets and inflammatory cell generation. Gata2 haploinsufficiency abolishes HSC self-renewal and multi-lineage differentiation capacity following transplantation. These alterations closely associate with deregulated DNA damage responses and inflammatory signalling conveyed from Gata2 haploinsufficient HSCs. We also identify functional interplay between Gata2 and Asxl1, a driver of DNA damage and inflammation and, notably, a recurrent secondary mutation found in GATA2 haploinsufficiency disease progression to MDS/AML. shRNA mediated knockdown of Asxl1 in Gata2 haploinsufficient HSPCs led to a differentiation block in committed progenitor formation beyond that in Gata2 haploinsufficient HSPCs. By analysis of HSCs from young adult compound Gata2/Asxl1 haploinsufficient mice, we discover hyperproliferation of double haploinsufficent HSCs, which are also functionally compromised in transplantation compared to their single haploinsufficient counterparts. Through both Gata2/Asxl1 dependent and unique transcriptional programs, HSCs from young adult compound Gata2/Asxl1 haploinsufficient mice fortify deregulated DNA damage responses and inflammatory signalling in HSCs initiated in Gata2 haploinsufficient mice and establish a broad pre-leukemic program. Our data reveal how Gata2 haploinsufficiency initially drives deregulation of HSC genome integrity and suggest the mechanisms of how secondary mutations like ASXL1 take advantage of HSC genomic instability to nurture a pre-leukemic state in GATA2 haploinsufficiency syndromes.
Project description:Clinical GATA2 deficiency syndromes arise from germline haploinsufficiency inducing mutations in GATA2, resulting in immunodeficiency that evolves to myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS)/acute myeloid leukemia (AML). How GATA2 haploinsufficiency disrupts the function and transcriptional network of hematopoietic stem/progenitors (HSCs/HSPCs) to facilitate the shift from immunodeficiency sequalae to pre-leukemia is poorly characterised. Using a conditional mouse model harboring a single allele deletion of Gata2 when HSCs emerge in utero, we identify pervasive defects in HSPC differentiation from young adult Gata2 haploinsufficient mice during B-cell maturation, early erythroid specification, megakaryocyte maturation to platelets and inflammatory cell generation. Gata2 haploinsufficiency abolishes HSC self-renewal and multi-lineage differentiation capacity following transplantation. These alterations closely associate with deregulated DNA damage responses and inflammatory signalling conveyed from Gata2 haploinsufficient HSCs. We also identify functional interplay between Gata2 and Asxl1, a driver of DNA damage and inflammation and, notably, a recurrent secondary mutation found in GATA2 haploinsufficiency disease progression to MDS/AML. shRNA mediated knockdown of Asxl1 in Gata2 haploinsufficient HSPCs led to a differentiation block in committed progenitor formation beyond that in Gata2 haploinsufficient HSPCs. By analysis of HSCs from young adult compound Gata2/Asxl1 haploinsufficient mice, we discover hyperproliferation of double haploinsufficent HSCs, which are also functionally compromised in transplantation compared to their single haploinsufficient counterparts. Through both Gata2/Asxl1 dependent and unique transcriptional programs, HSCs from young adult compound Gata2/Asxl1 haploinsufficient mice fortify deregulated DNA damage responses and inflammatory signalling in HSCs initiated in Gata2 haploinsufficient mice and establish a broad pre-leukemic program. Our data reveal how Gata2 haploinsufficiency initially drives deregulation of HSC genome integrity and suggest the mechanisms of how secondary mutations like ASXL1 take advantage of HSC genomic instability to nurture a pre-leukemic state in GATA2 haploinsufficiency syndromes.
Project description:Analysis of differential gene expression. The influence of a constitutively activated mutant Kit receptor on gene expression in fetal hematopoietic cells was analyzed. Results provide information of genes and cellular processes that are influenced by Kit signaling. Total RNA obtained from embryonic day E13.5 fetal liver of double transgenic R26-LSL-KITD816V:Vav-iCre mice compared to single transgenic controls. R26-LSL-KITD816V mice have been registered with the mouse genome database (MGI:5516508, allele named Gt(ROSA)26sorTM1(GFP-cKIT*)Hsc). Vav-iCre mice have been described by De Boer et al. in 2003.
Project description:In this experiment, we use RNA-seq to examine the differentially expressed genes in bone marrows from DKO (Cdk8 flox/flox Vav-iCre Cdk19null) or iVavCre control mice
Project description:Gata2, a zinc finger TF, is essential for the generation and survival of HSCs in the embryo and has been implicated in the pathogenesis of AML, yet the requirement for Gata2 in adult HSCs and LSCs remains unclear. Using a conditional mouse model where Gata2 was deleted specifically in hematopoietic cells, we show that knockout of Gata2 leads to a rapid and complete cell-autonomous loss of adult HSCs. We then performed RNA-seq in sorted HSCs (LSK CD48- CD150+) from control and Gata2+/fl;Vav-iCre+ 8-to-10-week old mice.
Project description:Somatic mutations of ASXL1 are frequently detected in age-related clonal hematopoiesis (CH). However, how ASXL1 mutations drive CH remains elusive. Using knockin (KI) mice expressing a C-terminally truncated form of ASXL1-mutant (ASXL1-MT), we examined the influence of ASXL1-MT on physiological aging in hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). HSCs expressing ASXL1-MT display competitive disadvantage after transplantation. Nevertheless, in genetic mosaic mouse model, they acquire clonal advantage during aging, recapitulating CH in humans. Mechanistically, ASXL1-MT cooperates with BAP1 to deubiquitinate and activate AKT. Overactive Akt/mTOR signaling induced by ASXL1-MT results in aberrant proliferation and dysfunction of HSCs associated with age-related accumulation of DNA damage. Treatment with an mTOR inhibitor rapamycin ameliorates aberrant expansion of the HSC compartment as well as dysregulated hematopoiesis in aged ASXL1-MT KI mice. Our findings suggest that ASXL1-MT provokes dysfunction of HSCs, whereas it confers clonal advantage on HSCs over time, leading to the development of CH.
Project description:Additional Sex Combs Like 1 (ASXL1) is frequently mutated in myeloid malignancies and clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP). Although loss of ASXL1 promotes hematopoietic transformation, there is growing evidence that ASXL1 mutations might confer an alteration of function. Here we identify that physiological expression of a C-terminal truncated Asxl1 mutant in vivo using conditional knock-in (KI) results in myeloid skewing, age-dependent anemia, thrombocytosis, and morphologic dysplasia. Although expression of mutant Asxl1 altered the functions of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), it maintained their survival in competitive transplantation assays and increased susceptibility to leukemic transformation by co-occurring RUNX1 mutation or viral insertional mutagenesis. KI mice displayed substantial reductions in H3K4me3 and H2AK119Ub without significant reductions in H3K27me3, distinct from the effects of Asxl1 loss. ChIP-seq analysis demonstrated opposing effects of wildtype and mutant Asxl1 on H3K4me3. These findings reveal that ASXL1 mutations confer HSCs with an altered epigenome and increase susceptibility for leukemic transformation, presenting a novel model for CHIP.
Project description:ASXL1 gene is one of the most frequently mutated genes in malignant myeloid diseases. In patients, ASXL1 mutations are usually heterozygous frameshift or non-sense mutations leading to C-terminal truncation. Here, we generated an endogenous C-terminal truncated Asxl1 mutant in zebrafish which is more comparable to human malignant leukemia patients. Our data showed that at embryonic stage, neutrophil differentiation was explicitly blocked in our mutant. To understand the basis for the impairment of neutrophil differentiation in zebrafish asxl1 mutants, we performed RNA-seq of asxl1 mutants at 3dpf and their littermate controls. Similar with the phenotype we observed, the expression of neutrophil markers were all included in down-regulated genes. Nonetheless, the expression of myeloid progenitor marker and macrophage marker were not impaired in asxl1 mutants. We also found inflammatory cytokine and matrix metalloproteinases were upregulated after mutated asxl1. It suggests that neutrophil deficiency may stimulate the expression of some inflammatory cytokines and enhances the inflammatory responds. Therefore, transcriptome analysis mainly represented the disruption of neutrophil development.
Project description:The scavenger receptor CD36 plays critical roles in lipid uptake and triggering of inflammatory response, via activation of guanine nucleotide exchange factor Vav. We used microarrays to detail the different up-regulated or down-regulate genes among three vav familymembers.