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Atsaves V, Zhang R, Ruder D, Pan Y, Leventaki V, Rassidakis GZ, Claret FX. Constitutive control of AKT1 gene expression by JUNB/CJUN in ALK+ anaplastic large-cell lymphoma: a novel crosstalk mechanism. Leukemia 2015; 29:2162-72. [PMID: 25987255 PMCID: PMC4633353 DOI: 10.1038/leu.2015.127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2015] [Revised: 05/05/2015] [Accepted: 05/07/2015] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Anaplastic lymphoma kinase-positive (ALK+) anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (ALCL) is an aggressive T-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma characterized by the t(2;5), resulting in the overexpression of nucleophosmin (NPM)-ALK, which is known to activate the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway, resulting in cell cycle and apoptosis deregulation. ALK+ ALCL is also characterized by strong activator protein-1 (AP-1) activity and overexpression of two AP-1 transcription factors, CJUN and JUNB. Here, we hypothesized that a biologic link between AP-1 and AKT kinase may exist, thus contributing to ALCL oncogenesis. We show that JUNB and CJUN bind directly to the AKT1 promoter, inducing AKT1 transcription in ALK+ ALCL. Knockdown of JUNB and CJUN in ALK+ ALCL cell lines downregulated AKT1 mRNA and promoter activity and was associated with lower AKT1 protein expression and activation. We provide evidence that this is a transcriptional control mechanism shared by other cell types even though it may operate in a way that is cell context-specific. In addition, STAT3 (signal transducer and activator of transcription 3)-induced control of AKT1 transcription was functional in ALK+ ALCL and blocking of STAT3 and AP-1 signaling synergistically affected cell proliferation and colony formation. Our findings uncover a novel transcriptional crosstalk mechanism that links AP-1 and AKT kinase, which coordinate uncontrolled cell proliferation and survival in ALK+ ALCL.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Atsaves
- Department of Systems Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.,GP Livanos and M Simou Laboratories, First Department of Critical Care Medicine and Pulmonary Services, Medical School of Athens University, 'Evangelismos' Hospital, Athens, Greece
| | - R Zhang
- Department of Systems Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - D Ruder
- Department of Systems Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Y Pan
- Department of Systems Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.,Wuxi Medical School and Affiliated Hospital, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
| | - V Leventaki
- Department of Pathology, Saint Jude Children's Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - G Z Rassidakis
- Department of Hematopathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.,Department of Pathology and Cytology, Karolinska University Hospital and Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - F X Claret
- Department of Systems Biology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.,Experimental Therapeutics Academic Program and Cancer Biology Program, The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
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Webb TR, Slavish J, George RE, Look AT, Xue L, Jiang Q, Cui X, Rentrop WB, Morris SW. Anaplastic lymphoma kinase: role in cancer pathogenesis and small-molecule inhibitor development for therapy. Expert Rev Anticancer Ther 2009; 9:331-56. [PMID: 19275511 DOI: 10.1586/14737140.9.3.331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 176] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK), a receptor tyrosine kinase in the insulin receptor superfamily, was initially identified in constitutively activated oncogenic fusion forms - the most common being nucleophosmin-ALK - in anaplastic large-cell lymphomas, and subsequent studies have identified ALK fusions in diffuse large B-cell lymphomas, systemic histiocytosis, inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors, esophageal squamous cell carcinomas and non-small-cell lung carcinomas. More recently, genomic DNA amplification and protein overexpression, as well as activating point mutations, of ALK have been described in neuroblastomas. In addition to those cancers for which a causative role for aberrant ALK activity is well validated, more circumstantial links implicate the full-length, normal ALK receptor in the genesis of other malignancies - including glioblastoma and breast cancer - via a mechanism of receptor activation involving autocrine and/or paracrine growth loops with the reported ALK ligands, pleiotrophin and midkine. This review summarizes normal ALK biology, the confirmed and putative roles of ALK in the development of human cancers and efforts to target ALK using small-molecule kinase inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas R Webb
- Department of Chemical Biology and Therapeutics, St Jude Children's Research Hospital, 332 North Lauderdale Street, Mail Stop 1000, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
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