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Camiolo G, Mullen CG, Ottersbach K. Mechanistic insights into the developmental origin of pediatric hematologic disorders. Exp Hematol 2024; 136:104583. [PMID: 39059457 DOI: 10.1016/j.exphem.2024.104583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2024] [Revised: 07/18/2024] [Accepted: 07/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024]
Abstract
Embryonic and fetal hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells differ in some key properties from cells that are part of the adult hematopoietic system. These include higher proliferation and self-renewal capacity, different globin gene usage, and differing lineage biases. Although these evolved to cover specific requirements of embryonic development, they can have serious consequences for the pathogenesis of hematologic malignancies that initiate prebirth in fetal blood cells and may result in a particularly aggressive disease that does not respond well to treatments that have been designed for adult leukemias. This indicates that these infant/pediatric leukemias should be considered developmental diseases, where a thorough understanding of their unique biology is essential for designing more effective therapies. In this review, we will highlight some of these unique fetal properties and detail the underlying molecular drivers of these phenotypes. We specifically focus on those that are pertinent to disease pathogenesis and that may therefore reveal disease vulnerabilities. We have also included an extensive description of the origins, phenotypes, and key molecular drivers of the main infant and pediatric leukemias that have a known prenatal origin. Importantly, successes in recent years in generating faithful models of these malignancies in which cellular origins, key drivers, and potential vulnerabilities can be investigated have resulted in uncovering potential, new therapeutic avenues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppina Camiolo
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Regeneration and Repair, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Christopher G Mullen
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Regeneration and Repair, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Katrin Ottersbach
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Regeneration and Repair, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
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2
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Sparavier A, Di Croce L. Polycomb complexes in MLL-AF9-related leukemias. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2022; 75:101920. [PMID: 35609423 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2022.101920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Revised: 04/17/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
t(9;11)-Induced leukemia is present both in children and adults, and depending on age, can cause predominantly acute lymphoblastic (ALL) or acute myeloid leukemia (AML), respectively. In general, in infants, it is characterized by poor (ALL) or intermediate (AML) prognosis, whereas in adults, it is classified as being of intermediate-high risk [15,24,31]. Its hallmark is the chromosomal translocation between chromosomes 9 and 11, leading to the formation of the MLL-AF9 fusion gene. The expressed chimeric protein was shown to be crucial for leukemia progression. MLL-AF9 recruits - among other factors - the super elongation complex (SEC), leading to aberrant activation of target genes [4,5,9,17,24]. The Polycomb group of proteins plays crucial roles in many processes, such as embryogenesis, differentiation, and maintaining cell homeostasis, and recently reports linking it to MLL-AF9 have emerged. This review will focus on its role in t(9;11)-related leukemia, highlighting the possible therapeutic-targeting strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra Sparavier
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Dr. Aiguader 88, Barcelona 08003, Spain; CNAG-CRG, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Baldiri Reixac 4, Barcelona 08028, Spain. https://twitter.com/ASparavier
| | - Luciano Di Croce
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Dr. Aiguader 88, Barcelona 08003, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; ICREA, Pg. Lluis Companys 23, Barcelona 08010, Spain. https://twitter.com/ludicroce
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3
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Symeonidou V, Jakobczyk H, Bashanfer S, Malouf C, Fotopoulou F, Kotecha RS, Anderson RA, Finch AJ, Ottersbach K. Defining the fetal origin of MLL-AF4 infant leukemia highlights specific fatty acid requirements. Cell Rep 2021; 37:109900. [PMID: 34706236 PMCID: PMC8567312 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Revised: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Infant MLL-AF4-driven acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a devastating disease with dismal prognosis. A lack of understanding of the unique biology of this disease, particularly its prenatal origin, has hindered improvement of survival. We perform multiple RNA sequencing experiments on fetal, neonatal, and adult hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells from human and mouse. This allows definition of a conserved fetal transcriptional signature characterized by a prominent proliferative and oncogenic nature that persists in infant ALL blasts. From this signature, we identify a number of genes in functional validation studies that are critical for survival of MLL-AF4+ ALL cells. Of particular interest are PLK1 because of the readily available inhibitor and ELOVL1, which highlights altered fatty acid metabolism as a feature of infant ALL. We identify which aspects of the disease are residues of its fetal origin and potential disease vulnerabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vasiliki Symeonidou
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4UU, UK
| | - Hélène Jakobczyk
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4UU, UK
| | - Salem Bashanfer
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4UU, UK
| | - Camille Malouf
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4UU, UK
| | - Foteini Fotopoulou
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4UU, UK
| | - Rishi S Kotecha
- Leukaemia Translational Research Laboratory, Telethon Kids Cancer Centre, Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Richard A Anderson
- MRC Centre for Reproductive Health, The Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, UK
| | - Andrew J Finch
- Cancer Research UK Edinburgh Centre, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Katrin Ottersbach
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4UU, UK.
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4
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Tejedor JR, Bueno C, Vinyoles M, Petazzi P, Agraz-Doblas A, Cobo I, Torres-Ruiz R, Bayón GF, Pérez RF, López-Tamargo S, Gutierrez-Agüera F, Santamarina-Ojeda P, Ramírez-Orellana M, Bardini M, Cazzaniga G, Ballerini P, Schneider P, Stam RW, Varela I, Fraga MF, Fernández AF, Menéndez P. Integrative methylome-transcriptome analysis unravels cancer cell vulnerabilities in infant MLL-rearranged B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. J Clin Invest 2021; 131:138833. [PMID: 33983906 DOI: 10.1172/jci138833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) is the most common childhood cancer. As predicted by its prenatal origin, infant B-ALL (iB-ALL) shows an exceptionally silent DNA mutational landscape, suggesting that alternative epigenetic mechanisms may substantially contribute to its leukemogenesis. Here, we have integrated genome-wide DNA methylome and transcriptome data from 69 patients with de novo MLL-rearranged leukemia (MLLr) and non-MLLr iB-ALL leukemia uniformly treated according to the Interfant-99/06 protocol. iB-ALL methylome signatures display a plethora of common and specific alterations associated with chromatin states related to enhancer and transcriptional control in normal hematopoietic cells. DNA methylation, gene expression, and gene coexpression network analyses segregated MLLr away from non-MLLr iB-ALL and identified a coordinated and enriched expression of the AP-1 complex members FOS and JUN and RUNX factors in MLLr iB-ALL, consistent with the significant enrichment of hypomethylated CpGs in these genes. Integrative methylome-transcriptome analysis identified consistent cancer cell vulnerabilities, revealed a robust iB-ALL-specific gene expression-correlating dmCpG signature, and confirmed an epigenetic control of AP-1 and RUNX members in reshaping the molecular network of MLLr iB-ALL. Finally, pharmacological inhibition or functional ablation of AP-1 dramatically impaired MLLr-leukemic growth in vitro and in vivo using MLLr-iB-ALL patient-derived xenografts, providing rationale for new therapeutic avenues in MLLr-iB-ALL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Ramón Tejedor
- Fundación para la Investigación Biosanitaria de Asturias (FINBA), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), Instituto Universitario de Oncología de Asturias (IUOPA), Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias (HUCA), Universidad de Oviedo, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), ISCIII, Asturias, Spain.,Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology Research Center (CINN-CSIC), Universidad de Oviedo, Asturias, Spain
| | - Clara Bueno
- Josep Carreras Leukemia Research Institute-Campus Clinic, Department of Biomedicine, School of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC) and.,RICORS-TERAV Network, ISCIII, Madrid, Spain
| | - Meritxell Vinyoles
- Josep Carreras Leukemia Research Institute-Campus Clinic, Department of Biomedicine, School of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC) and
| | - Paolo Petazzi
- Josep Carreras Leukemia Research Institute-Campus Clinic, Department of Biomedicine, School of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC) and
| | - Antonio Agraz-Doblas
- Josep Carreras Leukemia Research Institute-Campus Clinic, Department of Biomedicine, School of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria (IBBTEC), Universidad de Cantabria-CSIC, Santander, Spain
| | - Isabel Cobo
- Fundación para la Investigación Biosanitaria de Asturias (FINBA), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), Instituto Universitario de Oncología de Asturias (IUOPA), Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias (HUCA), Universidad de Oviedo, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), ISCIII, Asturias, Spain.,Josep Carreras Leukemia Research Institute-Campus Clinic, Department of Biomedicine, School of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Raúl Torres-Ruiz
- Josep Carreras Leukemia Research Institute-Campus Clinic, Department of Biomedicine, School of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,RICORS-TERAV Network, ISCIII, Madrid, Spain.,Molecular Cytogenetics Group, Human Cancer Genetics Program, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), Madrid, Spain
| | - Gustavo F Bayón
- Fundación para la Investigación Biosanitaria de Asturias (FINBA), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), Instituto Universitario de Oncología de Asturias (IUOPA), Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias (HUCA), Universidad de Oviedo, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), ISCIII, Asturias, Spain
| | - Raúl F Pérez
- Fundación para la Investigación Biosanitaria de Asturias (FINBA), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), Instituto Universitario de Oncología de Asturias (IUOPA), Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias (HUCA), Universidad de Oviedo, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), ISCIII, Asturias, Spain.,Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology Research Center (CINN-CSIC), Universidad de Oviedo, Asturias, Spain
| | - Sara López-Tamargo
- Fundación para la Investigación Biosanitaria de Asturias (FINBA), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), Instituto Universitario de Oncología de Asturias (IUOPA), Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias (HUCA), Universidad de Oviedo, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), ISCIII, Asturias, Spain
| | - Francisco Gutierrez-Agüera
- Josep Carreras Leukemia Research Institute-Campus Clinic, Department of Biomedicine, School of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,RICORS-TERAV Network, ISCIII, Madrid, Spain
| | - Pablo Santamarina-Ojeda
- Fundación para la Investigación Biosanitaria de Asturias (FINBA), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), Instituto Universitario de Oncología de Asturias (IUOPA), Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias (HUCA), Universidad de Oviedo, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), ISCIII, Asturias, Spain
| | - Manuel Ramírez-Orellana
- RICORS-TERAV Network, ISCIII, Madrid, Spain.,Hematology Diagnostic Laboratory, Hospital Universitario Niño Jesús, Madrid, Spain
| | - Michela Bardini
- Centro Ricerca Tettamanti, Department of Paediatrics, University of Milano Bicocca, Fondazione MBBM, Monza, Italy
| | - Giovanni Cazzaniga
- Centro Ricerca Tettamanti, Department of Paediatrics, University of Milano Bicocca, Fondazione MBBM, Monza, Italy
| | - Paola Ballerini
- Pediatric Hematology, Armand Trousseau Hospital, Paris, France
| | - Pauline Schneider
- Princess Maxima Center for Paediatric Oncology, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Ronald W Stam
- Princess Maxima Center for Paediatric Oncology, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Ignacio Varela
- Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria (IBBTEC), Universidad de Cantabria-CSIC, Santander, Spain
| | - Mario F Fraga
- Fundación para la Investigación Biosanitaria de Asturias (FINBA), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), Instituto Universitario de Oncología de Asturias (IUOPA), Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias (HUCA), Universidad de Oviedo, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), ISCIII, Asturias, Spain.,Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology Research Center (CINN-CSIC), Universidad de Oviedo, Asturias, Spain
| | - Agustín F Fernández
- Fundación para la Investigación Biosanitaria de Asturias (FINBA), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), Instituto Universitario de Oncología de Asturias (IUOPA), Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias (HUCA), Universidad de Oviedo, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), ISCIII, Asturias, Spain.,Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology Research Center (CINN-CSIC), Universidad de Oviedo, Asturias, Spain
| | - Pablo Menéndez
- Josep Carreras Leukemia Research Institute-Campus Clinic, Department of Biomedicine, School of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC) and.,RICORS-TERAV Network, ISCIII, Madrid, Spain.,Instituciò Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain
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5
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Abstract
Mouse models of human myeloid malignancies support the detailed and focused investigation of selected driver mutations and represent powerful tools in the study of these diseases. Carefully developed murine models can closely recapitulate human myeloid malignancies in vivo, enabling the interrogation of a number of aspects of these diseases including their preclinical course, interactions with the microenvironment, effects of pharmacological agents, and the role of non-cell-autonomous factors, as well as the synergy between co-occurring mutations. Importantly, advances in gene-editing technologies, particularly CRISPR-Cas9, have opened new avenues for the development and study of genetically modified mice and also enable the direct modification of mouse and human hematopoietic cells. In this review we provide a concise overview of some of the important mouse models that have advanced our understanding of myeloid leukemogenesis with an emphasis on models relevant to clonal hematopoiesis, myelodysplastic syndromes, and acute myeloid leukemia with a normal karyotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faisal Basheer
- Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, Department of Haematology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AW, United Kingdom
- Haematological Cancer Genetics, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Cambridge CB10 1SA, United Kingdom
- Department of Haematology, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, United Kingdom
| | - George Vassiliou
- Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, Department of Haematology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AW, United Kingdom
- Haematological Cancer Genetics, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Cambridge CB10 1SA, United Kingdom
- Department of Haematology, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, United Kingdom
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6
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Ragusa D, Makarov EM, Britten O, Moralli D, Green CM, Tosi S. The RS4;11 cell line as a model for leukaemia with t(4;11)(q21;q23): Revised characterisation of cytogenetic features. Cancer Rep (Hoboken) 2019; 2:e1207. [PMID: 32721124 PMCID: PMC7941496 DOI: 10.1002/cnr2.1207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2019] [Revised: 06/03/2019] [Accepted: 06/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Haematological malignancies harbouring rearrangements of the KMT2A gene represent a unique subtype of leukaemia, with biphenotypic clinical manifestations, a rapid and aggressive onset, and a generally poor prognosis. Chromosomal translocations involving KMT2A often cause the formation of oncogenic fusion genes, such as the most common translocation t(4;11)(q21;q23) producing the KMT2A-AFF1 chimera. AIM The aim of this study was to confirm and review the cytogenetic and molecular features of the KMT2A-rearranged RS4;11 cell line and put those in context with other reports of cell lines also harbouring a t(4;11) rearrangement. METHODS AND RESULTS The main chromosomal rearrangements t(4;11)(q21;q23) and i(7q), described when the cell line was first established, were confirmed by fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) and 24-colour karyotyping by M-FISH. Additional cytogenetic abnormalities were investigated by further FISH experiments, including the presence of trisomy 18 as a clonal abnormality and the discovery of one chromosome 8 being an i(8q), which indicates a duplication of the oncogene MYC. A homozygous deletion of 9p21 containing the tumour-suppressor genes CDKN2A and CDKN2B was also revealed by FISH. The production of the fusion transcript KMT2A-AFF1 arising from the der(11)t(4;11) was confirmed by RT-PCR, but sequencing of the amplified fragment revealed the presence of multiple isoforms. Two transcript variants, resulting from alternative splicing, were identified differing in one glutamine residue in the translated protein. CONCLUSION As karyotype evolution is a common issue in cell lines, we highlight the need to monitor cell lines in order to re-confirm their characteristics over time. We also reviewed the literature to provide a comparison of key features of several cell lines harbouring a t(4;11). This would guide scientists in selecting the most suitable research model for this particular type of KMT2A-leukaemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denise Ragusa
- Division of Biosciences, College of Health and Life Sciences, Institute of Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, UK
| | - Evgeny M Makarov
- Division of Biosciences, College of Health and Life Sciences, Institute of Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, UK.,Genome Engineering and Maintenance Network, Institute of Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, UK
| | - Oliver Britten
- Division of Biosciences, College of Health and Life Sciences, Institute of Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, UK
| | - Daniela Moralli
- Chromosome Dynamics, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Catherine M Green
- Chromosome Dynamics, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Sabrina Tosi
- Division of Biosciences, College of Health and Life Sciences, Institute of Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, UK.,Genome Engineering and Maintenance Network, Institute of Environment, Health and Societies, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, UK
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7
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The Impact of PI3-kinase/RAS Pathway Cooperating Mutations in the Evolution of KMT2A-rearranged Leukemia. Hemasphere 2019; 3:e195. [PMID: 31723831 PMCID: PMC6746018 DOI: 10.1097/hs9.0000000000000195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2018] [Revised: 02/21/2019] [Accepted: 02/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Leukemia is an evolutionary disease and evolves by the accrual of mutations within a clone. Those mutations that are systematically found in all the patients affected by a certain leukemia are called "drivers" as they are necessary to drive the development of leukemia. Those ones that accumulate over time but are different from patient to patient and, therefore, are not essential for leukemia development are called "passengers." The first studies highlighting a potential cooperating role of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/RAS pathway mutations in the phenotype of KMT2A-rearranged leukemia was published 20 years ago. The recent development in more sensitive sequencing technologies has contributed to clarify the contribution of these mutations to the evolution of KMT2A-rearranged leukemia and suggested that these mutations might confer clonal fitness and enhance the evolvability of KMT2A-leukemic cells. This is of particular interest since this pathway can be targeted offering potential novel therapeutic strategies to KMT2A-leukemic patients. This review summarizes the recent progress on our understanding of the role of PI3K/RAS pathway mutations in initiation, maintenance, and relapse of KMT2A-rearranged leukemia.
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8
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Dal Molin A, Bresolin S, Gaffo E, Tretti C, Boldrin E, Meyer LH, Guglielmelli P, Vannucchi AM, te Kronnie G, Bortoluzzi S. CircRNAs Are Here to Stay: A Perspective on the MLL Recombinome. Front Genet 2019; 10:88. [PMID: 30815012 PMCID: PMC6382020 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2019.00088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2018] [Accepted: 01/29/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Chromosomal translocations harbored by cancer genomes are important oncogenic drivers. In MLL rearranged acute leukemia (MLLre) MLL/KMT2A fuses with over 90 partner genes. Mechanistic studies provided clues of MLL fusion protein leukemogenic potential, but models failed to fully recapitulate the disease. Recently, expression of oncogenic fusion circular RNAs (f-circ) by MLL-AF9 fusion was proven. This discovery, together with emerging data on the importance and diversity of circRNAs formed the incentive to study the circRNAs of the MLL recombinome. Through interactions with other RNAs, such as microRNAs, and with proteins, circRNAs regulate cellular processes also related to cancer development. CircRNAs can translate into functional peptides too. MLL and most of the 90 MLL translocation partners do express circRNAs and exploration of our RNA-seq dataset of sorted blood cell populations provided new data on alternative circular isoform generation and expression variability of circRNAs of the MLL recombinome. Further, we provided evidence that rearrangements of MLL and three of the main translocation partner genes can impact circRNA expression, supported also by preliminary observations in leukemic cells. The emerging picture underpins the view that circRNAs are worthwhile to be considered when studying MLLre leukemias and provides a new perspective on the impact of chromosomal translocations in cancer cells at large.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Dal Molin
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Silvia Bresolin
- Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Enrico Gaffo
- Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Caterina Tretti
- Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Elena Boldrin
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Lueder H. Meyer
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Paola Guglielmelli
- CRIMM, Center for Research and Innovation of Myeloproliferative Neoplasms, AOU Careggi, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Alessandro M. Vannucchi
- CRIMM, Center for Research and Innovation of Myeloproliferative Neoplasms, AOU Careggi, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
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