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Sergio I, Varricchio C, Patel SK, Del Gaizo M, Russo E, Orlando A, Peruzzi G, Ferrandino F, Tsaouli G, Coni S, Peluso D, Besharat ZM, Campolo F, Venneri MA, Del Bufalo D, Lai S, Indraccolo S, Minuzzo S, La Starza R, Bernardini G, Screpanti I, Campese AF, Felli MP. Notch3-regulated microRNAs impair CXCR4-dependent maturation of thymocytes allowing maintenance and progression of T-ALL. Oncogene 2024; 43:2535-2547. [PMID: 38907003 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-024-03079-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/23/2024]
Abstract
Malignant transformation of T-cell progenitors causes T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL), an aggressive childhood lymphoproliferative disorder. Activating mutations of Notch, Notch1 and Notch3, have been detected in T-ALL patients. In this study, we aimed to deeply characterize hyperactive Notch3-related pathways involved in T-cell dynamics within the thymus and bone marrow to propose these processes as an important step in facilitating the progression of T-ALL. We previously generated a transgenic T-ALL mouse model (N3-ICtg) demonstrating that aberrant Notch3 signaling affects early thymocyte maturation programs and leads to bone marrow infiltration by CD4+CD8+ (DP) T cells that are notably, Notch3highCXCR4high. Newly, our in vivo results suggest that an anomalous immature thymocyte subpopulation, such as CD4-CD8- (DN) over-expressing CD3ɛ, but with low CXCR4 expression, dominates N3-ICtg thymus-resident DN subset in T-ALL progression. MicroRNAs might be of significance in T-ALL pathobiology, however, whether required for leukemia maintenance is not fully understood. The selection of specific DN subsets demonstrates the inverse correlation between CXCR4 expression and a panel of Notch3-deregulated miRNAs. Interestingly, we found that within DN thymocyte subset hyperactive Notch3 inhibits CXCR4 expression through the cooperative effects of miR-139-5p and miR-150-5p, thus impinging on thymocyte differentiation with accumulation of DNCD3ɛ+CXCR4- cells. These data point out that deregulation of Notch3 in T-ALL, besides its role in sustaining dissemination of abnormal DP T cells, as we previously demonstrated, could play a role in selecting specific DN immature T cells within the thymus, thus impeding T cell development, to facilitate T-ALL progression inside the bone marrow.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilaria Sergio
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Claudia Varricchio
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Martina Del Gaizo
- Department of Translational and Precision Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Eleonora Russo
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Orlando
- Division of Hematology & Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York NY, USA
| | | | | | - Georgia Tsaouli
- Department of Medical-Surgical Science and Translational Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Sonia Coni
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Daniele Peluso
- Ph.D School of Applied Medical-Surgical Sciences, Department of Biology, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy
| | | | - Federica Campolo
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Mary Anna Venneri
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Donatella Del Bufalo
- Preclinical Models and New Therapeutic Agents Unit, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Silvia Lai
- Department of Translational and Precision Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Stefano Indraccolo
- Department of Surgery Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
- Basic and Translational Oncology Unit, Istituto Oncologico Veneto IOV-IRCCS, Padua, Italy
| | - Sonia Minuzzo
- Department of Surgery Oncology and Gastroenterology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Roberta La Starza
- Hematology Section, Department of Medicine and Surgery, and S. Maria Della Misericordia Hospital Perugia, CREO, Perugia, Italy
| | | | - Isabella Screpanti
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Maria Pia Felli
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
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Parriott G, Hegermiller E, Morman RE, Frank C, Saygin C, Stock W, Bartom ET, Kee BL. Loss of thymocyte competition underlies the tumor suppressive functions of the E2a transcription factor in T-ALL. Leukemia 2024; 38:491-501. [PMID: 38155245 DOI: 10.1038/s41375-023-02123-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Revised: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023]
Abstract
T lymphocyte acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is frequently associated with increased expression of the E protein transcription factor inhibitors TAL1 and LYL1. In mouse models, ectopic expression of TAL1 or LYL1 in T cell progenitors, or inactivation of E2A, is sufficient to predispose mice to develop T-ALL. How E2A suppresses thymocyte transformation is currently unknown. Here, we show that early deletion of E2a, prior to the DN3 stage, was required for robust leukemogenesis and was associated with alterations in thymus cellularity, T cell differentiation, and gene expression in immature CD4+CD8+ thymocytes. Introduction of wild-type thymocytes into mice with early deletion of E2a prevented leukemogenesis, or delayed disease onset, and impacted the expression of multiple genes associated with transformation and genome instability. Our data indicate that E2A suppresses leukemogenesis by promoting T cell development and enforcing inter-thymocyte competition, a mechanism that is emerging as a safeguard against thymocyte transformation. These studies have implications for understanding how multiple essential regulators of T cell development suppress T-ALL and support the hypothesis that thymocyte competition suppresses leukemogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geoffrey Parriott
- Committee on Immunology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Emma Hegermiller
- Department of Pathology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Rosemary E Morman
- Committee on Immunology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Cameron Frank
- Department of Pathology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Caner Saygin
- Section of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60657, USA
| | - Wendy Stock
- Section of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60657, USA
| | - Elizabeth T Bartom
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Barbara L Kee
- Committee on Immunology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA.
- Department of Pathology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA.
- Section of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60657, USA.
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
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Kimura S, Polonen P, Montefiori L, Park CS, Iacobucci I, Yeoh AE, Attarbaschi A, Moore AS, Brown A, Manabe A, Buldini B, Freeman BB, Chen C, Cheng C, Kean Hui C, Li CK, Pui CH, Qu C, Tomizawa D, Teachey DT, Varotto E, Paietta EM, Arnold ED, Locatelli F, Escherich G, Elisa Muhle H, Marquart HV, de Groot-Kruseman HA, Rowe JM, Stary J, Trka J, Choi JK, Meijerink JPP, Yang JJ, Takita J, Pawinska-Wasikowska K, Roberts KG, Han K, Caldwell KJ, Schmiegelow K, Crews KR, Eguchi M, Schrappe M, Zimmerman M, Takagi M, Maybury M, Svaton M, Reiterova M, Kicinski M, Prater MS, Kato M, Reyes N, Spinelli O, Thomas P, Mazilier P, Gao Q, Masetti R, Kotecha RS, Pieters R, Elitzur S, Luger SM, Mitchell S, Pruett-Miller SM, Shen S, Jeha S, Köhrer S, Kornblau SM, Skoczeń S, Miyamura T, Vincent TL, Imamura T, Conter V, Tang Y, Liu YC, Chang Y, Gu Z, Cheng Z, Yinmei Z, Inaba H, Mullighan CG. Biologic and clinical features of childhood gamma delta T-ALL: identification of STAG2/LMO2 γδ T-ALL as an extremely high risk leukemia in the very young. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2023:2023.11.06.23298028. [PMID: 37986997 PMCID: PMC10659466 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.06.23298028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Gamma delta T-cell receptor-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (γδ T-ALL) is a high-risk but poorly characterized disease. METHODS We studied clinical features of 200 pediatric γδ T-ALL, and compared the prognosis of 93 cases to 1,067 protocol-matched non-γδ T-ALL. Genomic features were defined by transcriptome and genome sequencing. Experimental modeling was used to examine the mechanistic impacts of genomic alterations. Therapeutic vulnerabilities were identified by high throughput drug screening of cell lines and xenografts. RESULTS γδ T-ALL in children under three was extremely high-risk with 5-year event-free survival (33% v. 70% [age 3-<10] and 73% [age ≥10], P =9.5 x 10 -5 ) and 5-year overall survival (49% v. 78% [age 3-<10] and 81% [age ≥10], P =0.002), differences not observed in non-γδ T-ALL. γδ T-ALL in this age group was enriched for genomic alterations activating LMO2 activation and inactivating STAG2 inactivation ( STAG2/LMO2 ). Mechanistically, we show that inactivation of STAG2 profoundly perturbs chromatin organization by altering enhancer-promoter looping resulting in deregulation of gene expression associated with T-cell differentiation. Drug screening showed resistance to prednisolone, consistent with clinical slow treatment response, but identified a vulnerability in DNA repair pathways arising from STAG2 inactivation, which was efficaciously targeted by Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibition, with synergism with HDAC inhibitors. Ex-vivo drug screening on PDX cells validated the efficacy of PARP inhibitors as well as other potential targets including nelarabine. CONCLUSION γδ T-ALL in children under the age of three is extremely high-risk and enriched for STAG2/LMO2 ALL. STAG2 loss perturbs chromatin conformation and differentiation, and STAG2/LMO2 ALL is sensitive to PARP inhibition. These data provide a diagnostic and therapeutic framework for pediatric γδ T-ALL. SUPPORT The authors are supported by the American and Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities of St Jude Children's Research Hospital, NCI grants R35 CA197695, P50 CA021765 (C.G.M.), the Henry Schueler 41&9 Foundation (C.G.M.), and a St. Baldrick's Foundation Robert J. Arceci Innovation Award (C.G.M.), Gabriella Miller Kids First X01HD100702 (D.T.T and C.G.M.) and R03CA256550 (D.T.T. and C.G.M.), F32 5F32CA254140 (L.M.), and a Garwood Postdoctoral Fellowship of the Hematological Malignancies Program of the St Jude Children's Research Hospital Comprehensive Cancer Center (S.K.). This project was supported by the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health under the following award numbers: U10CA180820, UG1CA189859, U24CA114766, U10CA180899, U10CA180866 and U24CA196173. DISCLAIMER The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. The funding agencies were not directly involved in the design of the study, gathering, analysis and interpretation of the data, writing of the manuscript, or decision to submit the manuscript for publication.
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Parriott G, Hegermiller E, Morman RE, Frank C, Saygin C, Stock W, Bartom ET, Kee BL. Loss of thymocyte competition underlies the tumor suppressive functions of the E2a transcription factor in T lymphocyte acute lymphoblastic leukemia. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.04.23.537993. [PMID: 37163059 PMCID: PMC10168235 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.23.537993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
T lymphocyte acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is frequently associated with increased expression of the E protein transcription factor inhibitors TAL1 and LYL1. In mouse models, ectopic expression of Tal1 or Lyl1 in T cell progenitors or inactivation of E2a, is sufficient to predispose mice to develop T-ALL. How E2a suppresses thymocyte transformation is currently unknown. Here, we show that early deletion of E2a , prior to the DN3 stage, was required for robust leukemogenesis and was associated with alterations in thymus cellularity, T cell differentiation, and gene expression in immature CD4+CD8+ thymocytes. Introduction of wild-type thymocytes into mice with early deletion of E2a prevented leukemogenesis, or delayed disease onset, and impacted the expression of multiple genes associated with transformation and genome instability. Our data indicate that E2a suppresses leukemogenesis by promoting T cell development and enforcing inter-thymocyte competition, a mechanism that is emerging as a safeguard against thymocyte transformation. These studies have implications for understanding how multiple essential regulators of T cell development suppress T-ALL and support the hypothesis that thymus cellularity is a determinant of leukemogenesis.
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