Characterization of the breakpoint of a t(14;14)(q11.2;q32) from the leukemic cells of a patient with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia

The complex translocation (9;14;14) involving IGH and CEBPE genes suggests a new subgroup in B-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Many subtypes of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) are associated with specific chromosomal rearrangements. The complex translocation t(9;14;14), a variant of the translocation (14;14)(q11;q32), is a rare but recurrent chromosomal abnormality involving the immunoglobulin heavy-chain (IGH) and CCAAT enhancer-binding protein (CEBPE) genes in B-lineage ALL (B-ALL) and may represent a new B-ALL subgroup. We report here the case of a 5-year-old girl with B-ALL, positive for CD19, CD38 and HLA-DR. A direct technique and G-banding were used for chromosomal analysis and fluorescentin situ hybridization (FISH) with BAC probes was used to investigate a possible rearrangement of the IGH andCEBPE genes. The karyotype exhibit the chromosomal aberration 46,XX,del(9)(p21),t(14;14)(q11;q32). FISH with dual-color break-apartIGH-specific and CEPBE-specific bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) probes showed a complex t(9;14;14) associated with a deletion of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2A (CDKN2A) and paired box gene 5 (PAX5) at 9p21-13 and duplication of the fusion gene IGH-CEBPE.

Breakpoint sites disclose the role of the V(D)J recombination machinery in the formation of T-cell receptor (TCR) and non-TCR associated aberrations in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Aberrant recombination between T-cell receptor genes and oncogenes gives rise to chromosomal translocations that are genetic hallmarks in several subsets of human T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemias. The V(D)J recombination machinery has been shown to play a role in the formation of these T-cell receptor translocations. Other, non-T-cell receptor chromosomal aberrations, such as SIL-TAL1 deletions, have likewise been recognized as V(D)J recombination associated aberrations. Despite the postulated role of V(D)J recombination, the extent of the V(D)J recombination machinery involvement in the formation of T-cell receptor and non-T-cell receptor aberrations in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia is still poorly understood. We performed a comprehensive in silico and ex vivo evaluation of 117 breakpoint sites from 22 different T-cell receptor translocation partners as well as 118 breakpoint sites from non-T-cell receptor chromosomal aberrations. Based on this extensive set of breakpoint data, we provide a comprehensive overview of T-cell receptor and oncogene involvement in T-ALL. Moreover, we assessed the role of the V(D)J recombination machinery in the formation of chromosomal aberrations, and propose an up-dated mechanistic classification on how the V(D)J recombination machinery contributes to the formation of T-cell receptor and non-T-cell receptor aberrations in human T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Essential role of AKT-1/protein kinase B alpha in PTEN-controlled tumorigenesis

PTEN is mutated at high frequency in many primary human cancers and several familial cancer predisposition disorders. Activation of AKT is a common event in tumors in which the PTEN gene has been inactivated. We previously showed that deletion of the murine Pten gene in embryonic stem (ES) cells led to increased phosphatidylinositol triphosphate (PIP(3)) accumulation, enhanced entry into S phase, and better cell survival. Since PIP(3) controls multiple signaling molecules, it was not clear to what degree the observed phenotypes were due to deregulated AKT activity. In this study, we mutated Akt-1 in Pten(-/-) ES cells to directly assess the role of AKT-1 in PTEN-controlled cellular processes, such as cell proliferation, cell survival, and tumorigenesis in nude mice. We showed that AKT-1 is one of the major downstream effectors of PTEN in ES cells and that activation of AKT-1 is required for both the cell survival and cell proliferation phenotypes observed in Pten(-/-) ES cells. Deletion of Akt-1 partially reverses the aggressive growth of Pten(-/-) ES cells in vivo, suggesting that AKT-1 plays an essential role in PTEN-controlled tumorigenesis.

Expression of TCL1 in hematologic disorders

OBJECTIVE

TCL1, MTCP1 and TCL1b are three members of a new family of oncogenes that are expressed in T cell leukemias of ataxia telangiectasia patients (T-PLL, T-CLL). TCL1 is located at 14q32.1 and activated by juxtaposition to the alpha/delta-locus at 14q11 or beta-locus at 7q35 of the T cell receptor during the reciprocal translocations t(14;14)(q11;q32), t(7;14)(q35;q32), or inversion inv(14)(q11;q32). TCL1 encodes a predominantly cytoplasmic protein of 114 aa (14 kD) of unknown function. Recent studies suggest that TCL1 promotes cell survival rather than stimulating cell proliferation, as previously proposed.

METHODS

In an attempt to clarify the contexts in which TCL1 is expressed, we investigated TCL1 expression in 114 lymphoma and leukemia patients by Northern blot, RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS

TCL1 expression is restricted to lymphoid cells, and is found in neoplastic (T and B cell neoplasms, and Hodgkin's disease) and nonneoplastic proliferations (reactive lesions). Out of 114 cases, 18 neoplasms of myeloid and 4 cases of epithelial origin were TCL1-negative. In lesions of the lymphoid system, both low- and high-grade lymphomas were found to express TCL1.

CONCLUSIONS

We propose that TCL1 expression especially in high-grade B cell non-Hodgkin's lymphomas might interfere with B cell differentiation and promote the transition from low- to high-grade lymphoma.

SHIP inhibits Akt activation in B cells through regulation of Akt membrane localization

Activation of the serine/threonine kinase Akt and the regulation of its activation are recognized as critical in controlling proliferative/survival signals via many hematopoietic receptors. In B lymphocytes, the B-cell receptor (BCR)-mediated activation of Akt is attenuated by co–cross-linking of BCR with the inhibitory receptor FcγRIIB1, and the binding of the SH2 domain-containing inositol phosphatase, SHIP, to FcγRIIB1. Because SHIP dephosphorylates phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate (PIP3) and activation of Akt requires PIP3, the destruction of this phospholipid has been proposed as the mechanism for Akt inhibition. However, upstream kinases that activate Akt, such as PDK1, also require PIP3 for activation. In this report, we addressed whether SHIP inhibits Akt directly at the level of Akt recruitment to the membrane, indirectly through PDK recruitment/phosphorylation of Akt, or both. We generated stable B-cell lines expressing a regulatable, but constitutively membrane-bound Akt that still required PDK-dependent phosphorylation for activation. Several lines of evidence suggested that activation of this membrane-targeted Akt is not inhibited by FcγRIIB1/SHIP and that PDK is not a target for SHIP-mediated inhibition. These data demonstrate that SHIP inhibits Akt primarily through regulation of Akt membrane localization. We also observed during these studies that FcγRIIB1/SHIP does not inhibit p70S6k activation, even though several other PIP3-dependent events were down-regulated. Because the enhanced activation of Akt in the absence of SHIP correlates with hyperproliferation in the myeloid lineage, our data have implications for SHIP and Akt-dependent regulation of proliferation in the hematopoietic lineage.

SHIP inhibits Akt activation in B cells through regulation of Akt membrane localization

Activation of the serine/threonine kinase Akt and the regulation of its activation are recognized as critical in controlling proliferative/survival signals via many hematopoietic receptors. In B lymphocytes, the B-cell receptor (BCR)-mediated activation of Akt is attenuated by co–cross-linking of BCR with the inhibitory receptor FcγRIIB1, and the binding of the SH2 domain-containing inositol phosphatase, SHIP, to FcγRIIB1. Because SHIP dephosphorylates phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate (PIP3) and activation of Akt requires PIP3, the destruction of this phospholipid has been proposed as the mechanism for Akt inhibition. However, upstream kinases that activate Akt, such as PDK1, also require PIP3 for activation. In this report, we addressed whether SHIP inhibits Akt directly at the level of Akt recruitment to the membrane, indirectly through PDK recruitment/phosphorylation of Akt, or both. We generated stable B-cell lines expressing a regulatable, but constitutively membrane-bound Akt that still required PDK-dependent phosphorylation for activation. Several lines of evidence suggested that activation of this membrane-targeted Akt is not inhibited by FcγRIIB1/SHIP and that PDK is not a target for SHIP-mediated inhibition. These data demonstrate that SHIP inhibits Akt primarily through regulation of Akt membrane localization. We also observed during these studies that FcγRIIB1/SHIP does not inhibit p70S6k activation, even though several other PIP3-dependent events were down-regulated. Because the enhanced activation of Akt in the absence of SHIP correlates with hyperproliferation in the myeloid lineage, our data have implications for SHIP and Akt-dependent regulation of proliferation in the hematopoietic lineage.

Protein kinase B (c-Akt): a multifunctional mediator of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase activation

While a plethora of extracellular molecules exist that modulate cellular functions via binding to membrane receptors inside the cell, their actions are mediated by relatively few signalling mechanisms. One of these is activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI-3K), which results in the generation of a membrane-restricted second messenger, polyphosphatidylinositides containing a 3'-phosphate. How these molecules transduced the effects of agonists of PI-3K was unclear until the recent discovery that several protein kinases become activated upon exposure to 3'-phosphorylated inositol lipids. These enzymes include protein kinase B (PKB)/AKT and PtdIns(3,4, 5)P3-dependent kinases 1 and 2, the first two of which interact with 3'-phosphorylated phosphoinositides via pleckstrin homology domains. Once targeted to the membrane by this motif, PKB becomes phosphorylated at two residues, which relieves intermolecular inhibition, allowing the activated complex to dissociate and modify its targets. Identification of these substrates is the subject of intensive research, since at least one must play a key role in suppressing apoptosis, as demonstrated by expression of activated alleles of PKB. The generation of effective transdominant mutants, coupled with genetic analysis of the protein kinase in simpler organisms, should help in elucidating outstanding questions in the functions, targets and regulation of this important mediator of PI-3K signalling.

Crystal structure of p14TCL1, an oncogene product involved in T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia, reveals a novel beta-barrel topology

BACKGROUND

Chromosome rearrangements are frequently involved in the generation of hematopoietic tumors. One type of T-cell leukemia, T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia, is consistently associated with chromosome rearrangements characterized by the juxtaposition of the TCRA locus on chromosome 14q11 and either the TCL1 gene on 14q32.1 or the MTCP1 gene on Xq28. The TCL1 gene is preferentially expressed in cells of early lymphoid lineage; its product is a 14 kDa protein (p14TCL1), expressed in the cytoplasm. p14TCL1 has strong sequence similarity with one product of the MTCP1 gene, p13MTCP1 (41% identical and 61% similar). The functions of the TCL1 and MTCP1 genes are not known yet. They have no sequence similarity to any other published sequence, including those of well-documented oncogene families responsible for leukemia. In order to gain a more fundamental insight into the role of this particular class of oncogenes, we have determined the three-dimensional structure of p14TCL1.

RESULTS

The crystal structure of p14TCL1 has been determined at 2.5 A resolution. The structure was solved by molecular replacement using the solution structure of p13MTCP1, revealing p14TCL1 to be an all-beta protein consisting of an eight-stranded antiparallel beta barrel with a novel topology. The barrel consists of two four-stranded beta-meander motifs, related by a twofold axis and connected by a long loop. This internal pseudo-twofold symmetry was not expected on basis of the sequence alone, but structure-based sequence analysis of the two motifs shows that they are related. The structures of p13MTCP1 and p14TCL1 are very similar, diverging only in regions that are either flexible and/or involved in crystal packing. p14TCL1 forms a tight crystallographic dimer, probably corresponding to the 28 kDa species identified in solution by gel filtration experiments.

CONCLUSIONS

Structural similarities between p14TCL1 and p13MTCP1 suggest that their (unknown) function may be analogous. This is confirmed by the fact that these proteins are implicated in analogous diseases. Their structure does not show similarity to other oncoproteins of known structure, confirming their classification as a novel class of oncoproteins.

Cytogenetic and molecular studies of siblings with ataxia telangiectasia followed for 7 years

We present cytogenetic, immunologic, and molecular data obtained over 7 years from a family with ataxia telangiectasia (AT) including 2 affected children and their unaffected sibling, and their obligate heterozygous parents. In a period of 3 years, the T lymphocytes from both AT patients showed clonal rearrangements of chromosomes 7 and 14 at specific bands (7p13, 7q35, 14q12, and 14q32), where loci for the Ig and TCH genes are located. A molecular study was carried out on peripheral blood and bone marrow samples from both patients using Southern blot and PCR for Ig and TCR genes. A monoclonal population for TCR gamma was observed in one of the two affected children, but only in peripheral blood.

Identification of the TCL1 gene involved in T-cell malignancies

The TCL1 locus on chromosome 14q32.1 is frequently involved in chromosomal translocations and inversions with one of the T-cell receptor loci in human T-cell leukemias and lymphomas. The chromosome 14 region translocated or rearranged involves approximately 350 kb of DNA at chromosome band 14q32.1. Within this region we have identified a gene coding for a 1.3-kb transcript, expressed only in restricted subsets of cells within the lymphoid lineage and expressed at high levels in leukemic cells carrying a t(14;14)(q11;q32) chromosome translocation or a inv(14)(q11;q32) chromosome inversion. The cognate cDNA sequence reveals an open reading frame of 342 nt encoding a protein of 14 kDa. The TCL1 gene sequence, which, to our knowledge, shows no sequence homology with other human genes, is preferentially expressed early in T- and B-lymphocyte differentiation.

Chromosome walking on the TCL1 locus involved in T-cell neoplasia

The TCL1 locus on chromosome 14 band q32.1 is frequently involved in the chromosomal translocations and inversions with the T-cell receptor genes observed in several T-cell tumors, including T-prolymphocytic leukemias, acute and chronic leukemias associated with the immunodeficiency syndrome ataxia-telangiectasia, and adult T-cell leukemia. All breakpoints cloned in this area have been mapped to 14q32.1, an area distant approximately 10,000 kb from the immunoglobulin heavy-chain gene locus on chromosome 14q band 32.3. Except for two cases of inversion, no physical linkage of the cloned breakpoints has been reported, nor has a gene been identified in this region. Taking advantage of chromosome-walking techniques and of the P1 phage, we cloned and characterized 450 kb of the germ-line TCL1 locus, starting from the breakpoints of two independent T-cell leukemias. We show that all molecular rearrangements characterized so far map to these clones, indicating not only that this region is the target of chromosomal rearrangements occurring in this area but also that both inversion and translocations occur within a 300-kb region in the T-cell leukemias. In the attempt to identify a candidate oncogene responsible for the malignant transformation, a CpG island centromeric to the inversions and to the translocations has been identified. Two probes near the CpG island have detected sequences conserved among species, as well as two transcripts in the K562 human erythroleukemia cell line. On the basis of these data, a model of activation of the putative TCL1 oncogene is suggested.

Immunoglobulin VH-T cell receptor C alpha fusion mRNA resulting from chromosome inversion include the T cell-associated 5' exon ET

A human T cell lymphoma has been described in which an inversion of chromosome 14 results in fusion of an immunoglobulin heavy chain VH with a T cell receptor J alpha segment, potentially resulting in a chimeric protein with immunoglobulin VH region recognition plus T cell receptor effector functions. Examination of the mRNA species expressed from the IgT gene in this lymphoma shows a variety of forms but all IgT mRNA include the T cell-specific exon, ET, previously located in the distal part of the VH locus. In such mRNA species, the normal leader exon of the Ig VH segment, which encodes most of the hydrophobic signal peptide, is replaced by the short ET exon encoding mainly non-hydrophobic residues. Two forms of this mRNA exist which lack the Ig VH leader sequence and thus potentially yield non-membrane proteins in the T cell lymphoma.

A retroviral oncogene, akt, encoding a serine-threonine kinase containing an SH2-like region

The v-akt oncogene codes for a 105-kilodalton fusion phosphoprotein containing Gag sequences at its amino terminus. Sequence analysis of v-akt and biochemical characterization of its product revealed that it codes for a protein kinase C-related serine-threonine kinase whose cellular homolog is expressed in most tissues, with the highest amount found in thymus. Although Akt is a serine-threonine kinase, part of its regulatory region is similar to the Src homology-2 domain, a structural motif characteristic of cytoplasmic tyrosine kinases that functions in protein-protein interactions. This suggests that Akt may form a functional link between tyrosine and serine-threonine phosphorylation pathways.

A retroviral oncogene, akt, encoding a serine-threonine kinase containing an SH2-like region

The v-akt oncogene codes for a 105-kilodalton fusion phosphoprotein containing Gag sequences at its amino terminus. Sequence analysis of v-akt and biochemical characterization of its product revealed that it codes for a protein kinase C-related serine-threonine kinase whose cellular homolog is expressed in most tissues, with the highest amount found in thymus. Although Akt is a serine-threonine kinase, part of its regulatory region is similar to the Src homology-2 domain, a structural motif characteristic of cytoplasmic tyrosine kinases that functions in protein-protein interactions. This suggests that Akt may form a functional link between tyrosine and serine-threonine phosphorylation pathways.