Project description:Transcriptome analysis by single cell sequencing provides valuable information on intratumor heterogeneity and developmental stages of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) as well as interactions of tumor cells with the microenvironment. However, it has been hardly applied to the subgroup of cases with translocations of the mixed lineage leukemia (MLL) gene for which the enhancer of mRNA decapping 4 (EDC4) gene was recently identified as a novel fusion partner (MLL-EDC4). Here, we compared different MLL translocation by single cell RNA sequencing of cells derived from peripheral blood. The AML MLL-EDC4 patient almost exclusively showed a transcriptional profile of hematopoietic progenitor cells while leukemic cells while the MLLT3-MLL and MLL-ELL fusions exhibited a more differentiated phenotype. The MLL-EDC4 progenitor state was characterized by the upregulation of key transcriptional regulators in AML (RUNX1, SOX4, HOPX), target genes of MYC and interferon signaling as well as other genes known to play a critical role in hematopoiesis or leukemic stem cell activation (CDK6, FLT3, NPM1). In addition, we detected an enrichment of a normal and putatively immunosuppressive monocyte population in the patient with MLL-EDC4. Thus, the MLL-EDC4 translocation was associated with unique transcriptional and microenvironmental features.
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.
Project description:MLL-AF9 expression in normal human umbilical cord blood CD34+ cells leads to long-term proliferation of a myeloid progenitor cell with leukemogenic potential. Expression of a Core Binding Factor leukemia fusion (AML1-ETO or CBFbeta-SMMHC) in human CD34+ cells results in self-renewal of primitive progenitor cells with multilineage potential and stem cell ability, but these cells do not induce leukemia in immunodeficient mice. This comparative microarray study was initiated to determine how faithful these cell cultures are to the transcriptome of patient samples expressing each of these different fusion proteins, and to analyze the signaling pathways that are unique to CBF cultures and MLL-fusion cultures, with the hope of determining why the MLL-fusion cells are leukemogenic while the CBF cells are not. Keywords: Disease state analysis; comparison of leukemia fusion gene expression in normal human hematopoietic progenitor cells
Project description:Fusion of the N-terminus of the mixed-lineage-leukemia (MLL) gene with various partner genes drives acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Despite the fusion proteins sharing some common attributes, transcriptome heterogeneity of MLL-fusion ALL is observed and the underlying mechanism and biological consequences are unknown. We compared the genome-wide occupancy of MLL-Af4 and MLL-AF9 in human ALL cells expressing FLAG-tagged fusion proteins. Although both oncoproteins retain the same MLL N-terminal domains that mediate chromatin binding, the two fusion proteins displayed largely non-overlapping binding profiles, with MLL-AF9 showing preferential binding at repetitive elements. The binding specificity of each fusion protein was associated with differential global gene activation distinguishing the two ALLs. A subset of prednisolone response genes were among the differentially regulated targets, and the resistance related genes were specifically upregulated in MLL-Af4/AF4 cells. These studies provide evidence that distinct chromatin occupancy of different MLL-fusion proteins is one driving force for transcriptome heterogeneity of MLL-fusion ALL, which could potentially result in the disparate therapeutic outcome of the disease.
Project description:To explore oncogene addiction programs in a genetically defined leukemia context we developed an AML mouse model driven by a conditional MLL-AF9 allele together with oncogenic Ras, which enabled us to examine the consequences of MLL-AF9 inhibition in established disease. In order to produce a tightly regulated system that was easy to monitor, we constructed two retroviral vectors containing dsRed-linked MLL-AF9 under control of a tetracycline response element promoter, and KrasG12D or NrasG12D linked to the “Tet-off” tet-transactivator, which activates TRE expression in a doxycycline repressible manner. Leukemias were generated by retroviral cotransduction of both vectors into hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells, which were transplanted into syngeneic mice. Cells harboring both constructs induced aggressive myelomonocytic leukemia. Five independent primary leukemia cell lines were established from bone marrow of terminal mice. Treatment of these lines with doxycycline rapidly turned off MLL-AF9 expression, and induced terminal myeloid differentiation and complete disease remission in vivo. To identify molecular mechanisms underlying addiction to MLL-AF9, we analyzed global gene expression changes following doxycycline-induced suppression of MLL-AF9. Independent primary acute myeloid leukemia lines induced by cotransduction of Tet-off MLL-AF9 together with either KrasG12D or NrasG12D were grown in culture and treated with doxycycline for 6 days to inactivate MLL-AF9 expression. In addition, primary acute myeloid leukemia lines with constitutive MLL-AF9 and KrasG12D were included to control for the effects of doxycycline. Untreated and treated cells were harvested for RNA extraction and hybridization to Affymetrix arrays.
Project description:Hierarchical maintenance of MLL myeloid leukemia stem cells employs a transcriptional program shared with embryonic rather than adult stem cells The genetic programs that promote retention of self-renewing leukemia stem cells (LSCs) at the apex of cellular hierarchies in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) are not known. In a mouse model of human AML, LSCs exhibit variable frequencies that correlate with the initiating MLL oncogene and are maintained in a self-renewing state by a transcriptional sub-program more akin to that of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) than adult stem cells. The transcription/chromatin regulatory factors Myb, Hmgb3 and Cbx5 are critical components of the program and suffice for Hoxa/Meis-independent immortalization of myeloid progenitors when co-expressed, establishing the cooperative and essential role of an ESC-like LSC maintenance program ancillary to the leukemia initiating MLL/Hox/Meis program. Enriched expression of LSC maintenance and ESC-like program genes in normal myeloid progenitors and poor prognosis human malignancies links the frequency of aberrantly self-renewing progenitor-like cancer stem cells to prognosis in human cancer. This SuperSeries is composed of the SubSeries listed below.
Project description:Hierarchical maintenance of MLL myeloid leukemia stem cells employs a transcriptional program shared with embryonic rather than adult stem cells; The genetic programs that promote retention of self-renewing leukemia stem cells (LSCs) at the apex of cellular hierarchies in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) are not known. In a mouse model of human AML, LSCs exhibit variable frequencies that correlate with the initiating MLL oncogene and are maintained in a self-renewing state by a transcriptional sub-program more akin to that of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) than adult stem cells. The transcription/chromatin regulatory factors Myb, Hmgb3 and Cbx5 are critical components of the program and suffice for Hoxa/Meis-independent immortalization of myeloid progenitors when co-expressed, establishing the cooperative and essential role of an ESC-like LSC maintenance program ancillary to the leukemia initiating MLL/Hox/Meis program. Enriched expression of LSC maintenance and ESC-like program genes in normal myeloid progenitors and poor prognosis human malignancies links the frequency of aberrantly self-renewing progenitor-like cancer stem cells to prognosis in human cancer. Experiment Overall Design: Refer to individual Series Experiment Overall Design: This SuperSeries is composed of the following subset Series: Experiment Overall Design: GSE13690: Gene expression profiling of murine MLL leukemias (whole BM) Experiment Overall Design: GSE13692: Expression profiling of MLL-AF10 myeloid leukemia cellular subsets Experiment Overall Design: GSE13693: Gene expression profiling of normal mouse myeloid cell populations
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. 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. Functional investigation of 128 conserved MLL-fusion-interactors identified a specific role for the lysine methyltransferase SETD2 in MLL-leukemia. SETD2 loss caused growth arrest and differentiation of AML cells, and led to increased DNA damage. In addition to its role in H3K36 tri-methylation, SETD2 was required to maintain high H3K79 di-methylation and MLL-AF9 binding to critical target genes, such as Hoxa9. SETD2 loss synergized with pharmacologic inhibition of the H3K79 methyltransferase DOT1L to induce DNA damage, growth arrest, differentiation and apoptosis. These results uncover a dependency for SETD2 during MLL-leukemogenesis, revealing a novel actionable vulnerability in this disease.
Project description:ZNF521 is a multiple zinc finger transcription factor previously identified because abundantly and selectively expressed in normal CD34+ hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells. From microarray datasets, aberrant expression of ZNF521 has been reported in both pediatric and adult acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients with MLL gene rearrangements. However, a proper validation of microarray data is lacking, likewise ZNF521 contribution in MLL-rearranged AML is still uncertain. In this study, we show that ZNF521 is significantly upregulated in MLL translocated AML patients from a large pediatric cohort, regardless of the type of MLL translocations such as MLL-AF9, MLL-ENL, MLL-AF10 and MLL-AF6 fusion genes. Our in vitro functional studies demonstrate that ZNF521 play a critical role in the maintenance of the undifferentiated state of MLL-rearranged cells. Furthermore, analysis of the ZNF521 gene promoter region shows that ZNF521 is a direct downstream target of both MLL-AF9 and MLL-ENL fusion proteins. Gene expression profiling of MLL-AF9-rearranged THP-1 cells after depletion of ZNF521 reveals correlation with several expression signatures including stem cell-like and MLL fusion dependent programs. These data suggest that MLL fusion proteins activate ZNF521 expression to maintain the undifferentiated state and contribute to leukemogenesis. ZNF521 is required to block differentiation in MLL-rearranged AML cells