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Mulet-Lazaro R, Delwel R. Oncogenic Enhancers in Leukemia. Blood Cancer Discov 2024; 5:303-317. [PMID: 39093124 PMCID: PMC11369600 DOI: 10.1158/2643-3230.bcd-23-0211] [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: 03/01/2024] [Revised: 06/06/2024] [Accepted: 07/17/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Although the study of leukemogenesis has traditionally focused on protein-coding genes, the role of enhancer dysregulation is becoming increasingly recognized. The advent of high-throughput sequencing, together with a better understanding of enhancer biology, has revealed how various genetic and epigenetic lesions produce oncogenic enhancers that drive transformation. These aberrations include translocations that lead to enhancer hijacking, point mutations that modulate enhancer activity, and copy number alterations that modify enhancer dosage. In this review, we describe these mechanisms in the context of leukemia and discuss potential therapeutic avenues to target these regulatory elements. Significance: Large-scale sequencing projects have uncovered recurrent gene mutations in leukemia, but the picture remains incomplete: some patients harbor no such aberrations, whereas others carry only a few that are insufficient to bring about transformation on their own. One of the missing pieces is enhancer dysfunction, which only recently has emerged as a critical driver of leukemogenesis. Knowledge of the various mechanisms of enhancer dysregulation is thus key for a complete understanding of leukemia and its causes, as well as the development of targeted therapies in the era of precision medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roger Mulet-Lazaro
- Department of Hematology, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
| | - Ruud Delwel
- Department of Hematology, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
- Oncode Institute, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
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2
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Corleone G, Sorino C, Caforio M, Di Giovenale S, De Nicola F, Goeman F, Bertaina V, Pitisci A, Cortile C, Locatelli F, Folgiero V, Fanciulli M. Enhancer engagement sustains oncogenic transformation and progression of B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2024; 43:179. [PMID: 38926853 PMCID: PMC11210131 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-024-03075-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 05/18/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Enhancer reprogramming plays a significant role in the heterogeneity of cancer. However, we have limited knowledge about the impact of chromatin remodeling in B-Cell Precursor Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (BCP-ALL) patients, and how it affects tumorigenesis and drug response. Our research focuses on investigating the role of enhancers in sustaining oncogenic transformation in children with BCP-ALL. METHODS We used ATAC-seq to study the accessibility of chromatin in pediatric BCP-ALL at three different stages-onset, remission, and relapse. Using a combination of computational and experimental methods, we were able to analyze the accessibility landscape and focus on the most significant cis-regulatory sites. These sites were then functionally validated through the use of Promoter capture Hi-C in a primary cell line model called LAL-B, followed by RNA-seq and genomic deletion of target sites using CRISPR-Cas9 editing. RESULTS We found that enhancer activity changes during cancer progression and is mediated by the production of enhancer RNAs (eRNAs). CRISPR-Cas9-mediated validation of previously unknown eRNA productive enhancers demonstrated their capability to control the oncogenic activities of the MYB and DCTD genes. CONCLUSIONS Our findings directly support the notion that productive enhancer engagement is a crucial determinant of the BCP-ALL and highlight the potential of enhancers as therapeutic targets in pediatric BCP-ALL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giacomo Corleone
- IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via Chianesi 53, Rome, 00144, Italy
| | - Cristina Sorino
- IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via Chianesi 53, Rome, 00144, Italy
| | - Matteo Caforio
- Department of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology and Cell and Gene Therapy, IRCCS Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, Viale Di San Paolo 12, Rome, 00146, Italy
| | - Stefano Di Giovenale
- IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via Chianesi 53, Rome, 00144, Italy
- Department of Computer, Control, and Management, Engineering Antonio Ruberti, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, 00161, Italy
| | - Francesca De Nicola
- IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via Chianesi 53, Rome, 00144, Italy
| | - Frauke Goeman
- IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via Chianesi 53, Rome, 00144, Italy
| | - Valentina Bertaina
- Department of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology and Cell and Gene Therapy, IRCCS Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, Viale Di San Paolo 12, Rome, 00146, Italy
| | - Angela Pitisci
- Department of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology and Cell and Gene Therapy, IRCCS Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, Viale Di San Paolo 12, Rome, 00146, Italy
| | - Clelia Cortile
- IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via Chianesi 53, Rome, 00144, Italy
| | - Franco Locatelli
- Department of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology and Cell and Gene Therapy, IRCCS Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, Viale Di San Paolo 12, Rome, 00146, Italy
- Department of Life Sciences and Public Health, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy
| | - Valentina Folgiero
- Department of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology and Cell and Gene Therapy, IRCCS Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, Viale Di San Paolo 12, Rome, 00146, Italy.
| | - Maurizio Fanciulli
- IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via Chianesi 53, Rome, 00144, Italy.
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3
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Barnett KR, Mobley RJ, Diedrich JD, Bergeron BP, Bhattarai KR, Monovich AC, Narina S, Yang W, Crews KR, Manring CS, Jabbour E, Paietta E, Litzow MR, Kornblau SM, Stock W, Inaba H, Jeha S, Pui CH, Mullighan CG, Relling MV, Pruett-Miller SM, Ryan RJH, Yang JJ, Evans WE, Savic D. Epigenomic mapping reveals distinct B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia chromatin architectures and regulators. CELL GENOMICS 2023; 3:100442. [PMID: 38116118 PMCID: PMC10726428 DOI: 10.1016/j.xgen.2023.100442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
B cell lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) is composed of diverse molecular subtypes, and while transcriptional and DNA methylation profiling has been extensively examined, the chromatin landscape is not well characterized for many subtypes. We therefore mapped chromatin accessibility using ATAC-seq in primary B-ALL cells from 156 patients spanning ten molecular subtypes and present this dataset as a resource. Differential chromatin accessibility and transcription factor (TF) footprint profiling were employed and identified B-ALL cell of origin, TF-target gene interactions enriched in B-ALL, and key TFs associated with accessible chromatin sites preferentially active in B-ALL. We further identified over 20% of accessible chromatin sites exhibiting strong subtype enrichment and candidate TFs that maintain subtype-specific chromatin architectures. Over 9,000 genetic variants were uncovered, contributing to variability in chromatin accessibility among patient samples. Our data suggest that distinct chromatin architectures are driven by diverse TFs and inherited genetic variants that promote unique gene-regulatory networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly R Barnett
- Hematological Malignancies Program, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA; Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Robert J Mobley
- Hematological Malignancies Program, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA; Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Jonathan D Diedrich
- Hematological Malignancies Program, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA; Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Brennan P Bergeron
- Hematological Malignancies Program, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA; Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA; Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Kashi Raj Bhattarai
- Hematological Malignancies Program, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA; Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Alexander C Monovich
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Rogel Cancer Center, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Shilpa Narina
- Center for Advanced Genome Engineering, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Wenjian Yang
- Hematological Malignancies Program, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA; Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Kristine R Crews
- Hematological Malignancies Program, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA; Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Christopher S Manring
- Alliance Hematologic Malignancy Biorepository, Clara D. Bloomfield Center for Leukemia Outcomes Research, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Elias Jabbour
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Elisabeth Paietta
- Department of Oncology, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY 10467, USA
| | - Mark R Litzow
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Steven M Kornblau
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Wendy Stock
- University of Chicago Comprehensive Cancer Center, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Hiroto Inaba
- Hematological Malignancies Program, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA; Department of Oncology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Sima Jeha
- Hematological Malignancies Program, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA; Department of Oncology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Ching-Hon Pui
- Hematological Malignancies Program, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA; Department of Oncology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Charles G Mullighan
- Hematological Malignancies Program, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA; Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Mary V Relling
- Hematological Malignancies Program, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA; Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Shondra M Pruett-Miller
- Center for Advanced Genome Engineering, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA; Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Russell J H Ryan
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Rogel Cancer Center, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Jun J Yang
- Hematological Malignancies Program, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA; Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA; Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA; Integrated Biomedical Sciences Program, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - William E Evans
- Hematological Malignancies Program, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA; Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Daniel Savic
- Hematological Malignancies Program, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA; Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA; Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA; Integrated Biomedical Sciences Program, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38105, USA.
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4
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Zhao J, Faryabi RB. Spatial promoter-enhancer hubs in cancer: organization, regulation, and function. Trends Cancer 2023; 9:1069-1084. [PMID: 37599153 PMCID: PMC10840977 DOI: 10.1016/j.trecan.2023.07.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Revised: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023]
Abstract
Transcriptional dysregulation is a hallmark of cancer and can be driven by altered enhancer landscapes. Recent studies in genome organization have revealed that multiple enhancers and promoters can spatially coalesce to form dynamic topological assemblies, known as promoter-enhancer hubs, which strongly correlate with elevated gene expression. In this review, we discuss the structure and complexity of promoter-enhancer hubs recently identified in multiple cancer types. We further discuss underlying mechanisms driving dysregulation of promoter-enhancer hubs and speculate on their functional role in pathogenesis. Understanding the role of promoter-enhancer hubs in transcriptional dysregulation can provide insight into new therapeutic approaches to target these complex features of genome organization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingru Zhao
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Penn Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Robert B Faryabi
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Penn Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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5
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Asai-Nishishita A, Kawahara M, Tatsumi G, Iwasa M, Fujishiro A, Nishimura R, Minamiguchi H, Kito K, Murata M, Andoh A. FUS-ERG induces late-onset azacitidine resistance in acute myeloid leukaemia cells. Sci Rep 2023; 13:14454. [PMID: 37660196 PMCID: PMC10475016 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-41230-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/04/2023] Open
Abstract
FUS-ERG is a chimeric gene with a poor prognosis, found in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). It remains unclear whether DNA hypomethylating agents, including azacitidine (Aza), are effective in FUS-ERG-harbouring AML and how FUS-ERG induces chemoresistance. Stable Ba/F3 transfectants with FUS-ERG were repeatedly exposed to Aza for 7 days of treatment and at 21-day intervals to investigate Aza sensitivity. Stable FUS-ERG transfectants acquired resistance acquired resistance after three courses of Aza exposure. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) was performed when Aza susceptibility began to change; genes with altered expression or transcript variants were identified. Molecular signatures of these genes were analysed using gene ontology. RNA-seq analyses identified 74 upregulated and 320 downregulated genes involved in cell motility, cytokine production, and kinase activity. Additionally, 1321 genes with altered transcript variants were identified, revealing their involvement in chromatin organisation. In a clinical case of AML with FUS-ERG, we compared whole-genome alterations between the initial MDS diagnosis and AML recurrence after Aza treatment. Genes with non-synonymous or near mutations in transcription regulatory areas (TRAs), additionally detected in AML recurrence, were collated with the gene list from RNA-seq to identify genes involved in acquiring Aza resistance in the presence of FUS-ERG. Whole-genome sequencing of clinical specimens identified 29 genes with non-synonymous mutations, including BCOR, and 48 genes located within 20 kb of 54 TRA mutations in AML recurrence. These genes were involved in chromatin organisation and included NCOR2 as an overlapping gene with RNA-seq data. Transcription regulators involved in mutated TRAs were skewed and included RCOR1 in AML recurrence. We tested the efficacy of BH3 mimetics, including venetoclax and S63845, in primary Aza-resistant AML cells treated with FUS-ERG. Primary FUS-ERG-harbouring AML cells acquiring Aza resistance affected the myeloid cell leukaemia-1 (MCL1) inhibitor S63845 but not while using venetoclax, despite no mutations in BCL2. FUS-ERG promoted Aza resistance after several treatments. The disturbance of chromatin organisation might induce this by co-repressors, including BCOR, NCOR2, and RCOR1. MCL1 inhibition could partially overcome Aza resistance in FUS-ERG-harbouring AML cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ai Asai-Nishishita
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Shiga University of Medical Science, Seta-Tsukinowa, Otsu, Shiga, 520-2192, Japan
| | - Masahiro Kawahara
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Shiga University of Medical Science, Seta-Tsukinowa, Otsu, Shiga, 520-2192, Japan.
| | - Goichi Tatsumi
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, 54 Shogoin-Kawahara-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8397, Japan
| | - Masaki Iwasa
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Shiga University of Medical Science, Seta-Tsukinowa, Otsu, Shiga, 520-2192, Japan
| | - Aya Fujishiro
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Shiga University of Medical Science, Seta-Tsukinowa, Otsu, Shiga, 520-2192, Japan
| | - Rie Nishimura
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Shiga University of Medical Science, Seta-Tsukinowa, Otsu, Shiga, 520-2192, Japan
| | - Hitoshi Minamiguchi
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Shiga University of Medical Science, Seta-Tsukinowa, Otsu, Shiga, 520-2192, Japan
| | - Katsuyuki Kito
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Shiga University of Medical Science, Seta-Tsukinowa, Otsu, Shiga, 520-2192, Japan
| | - Makoto Murata
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Shiga University of Medical Science, Seta-Tsukinowa, Otsu, Shiga, 520-2192, Japan
| | - Akira Andoh
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Shiga University of Medical Science, Seta-Tsukinowa, Otsu, Shiga, 520-2192, Japan.
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6
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Barnett KR, Mobley RJ, Diedrich JD, Bergeron BP, Bhattarai KR, Yang W, Crews KR, Manring CS, Jabbour E, Paietta E, Litzow MR, Kornblau SM, Stock W, Inaba H, Jeha S, Pui CH, Mullighan CG, Relling MV, Yang JJ, Evans WE, Savic D. Epigenomic mapping in B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia identifies transcriptional regulators and noncoding variants promoting distinct chromatin architectures. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.14.528493. [PMID: 36824825 PMCID: PMC9949063 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.14.528493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
Abstract
B-cell lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) is comprised of diverse molecular subtypes and while transcriptional and DNA methylation profiling of B-ALL subtypes has been extensively examined, the accompanying chromatin landscape is not well characterized for many subtypes. We therefore mapped chromatin accessibility using ATAC-seq for 10 B-ALL molecular subtypes in primary ALL cells from 154 patients. Comparisons with B-cell progenitors identified candidate B-ALL cell-of-origin and AP-1-associated cis-regulatory rewiring in B-ALL. Cis-regulatory rewiring promoted B-ALL-specific gene regulatory networks impacting oncogenic signaling pathways that perturb normal B-cell development. We also identified that over 20% of B-ALL accessible chromatin sites exhibit strong subtype enrichment, with transcription factor (TF) footprint profiling identifying candidate TFs that maintain subtype-specific chromatin architectures. Over 9000 inherited genetic variants were further uncovered that contribute to variability in chromatin accessibility among individual patient samples. Overall, our data suggest that distinct chromatin architectures are driven by diverse TFs and inherited genetic variants which promote unique gene regulatory networks that contribute to transcriptional differences among B-ALL subtypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly R. Barnett
- Hematological Malignancies Program, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Robert J. Mobley
- Hematological Malignancies Program, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Jonathan D. Diedrich
- Hematological Malignancies Program, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Brennan P. Bergeron
- Hematological Malignancies Program, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Kashi Raj Bhattarai
- Hematological Malignancies Program, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Wenjian Yang
- Hematological Malignancies Program, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Kristine R. Crews
- Hematological Malignancies Program, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Christopher S. Manring
- Alliance Hematologic Malignancy Biorepository; Clara D. Bloomfield Center for Leukemia Outcomes Research, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Elias Jabbour
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Elisabeth Paietta
- Department of Oncology, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY 10467, USA
| | - Mark R. Litzow
- Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Steven M. Kornblau
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Wendy Stock
- University of Chicago Comprehensive Cancer Center, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Hiroto Inaba
- Hematological Malignancies Program, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
- Department of Oncology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Sima Jeha
- Hematological Malignancies Program, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
- Department of Oncology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Ching-Hon Pui
- Hematological Malignancies Program, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
- Department of Oncology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Charles G. Mullighan
- Hematological Malignancies Program, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
- Department of Pathology, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Mary V. Relling
- Hematological Malignancies Program, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Jun J. Yang
- Hematological Malignancies Program, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
- Integrated Biomedical Sciences Program, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - William E. Evans
- Hematological Malignancies Program, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Daniel Savic
- Hematological Malignancies Program, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
- Integrated Biomedical Sciences Program, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
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7
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Yashar WM, Curtiss BM, Coleman DJ, VanCampen J, Kong G, Macaraeg J, Estabrook J, Demir E, Long N, Bottomly D, McWeeney SK, Tyner JW, Druker BJ, Maxson JE, Braun TP. Disruption of the MYC Superenhancer Complex by Dual Targeting of FLT3 and LSD1 in Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Mol Cancer Res 2023; 21:631-647. [PMID: 36976323 PMCID: PMC10330306 DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-22-0745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Revised: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
Mutations in Fms-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3) are common drivers in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) yet FLT3 inhibitors only provide modest clinical benefit. Prior work has shown that inhibitors of lysine-specific demethylase 1 (LSD1) enhance kinase inhibitor activity in AML. Here we show that combined LSD1 and FLT3 inhibition induces synergistic cell death in FLT3-mutant AML. Multi-omic profiling revealed that the drug combination disrupts STAT5, LSD1, and GFI1 binding at the MYC blood superenhancer, suppressing superenhancer accessibility as well as MYC expression and activity. The drug combination simultaneously results in the accumulation of repressive H3K9me1 methylation, an LSD1 substrate, at MYC target genes. We validated these findings in 72 primary AML samples with the nearly every sample demonstrating synergistic responses to the drug combination. Collectively, these studies reveal how epigenetic therapies augment the activity of kinase inhibitors in FLT3-ITD (internal tandem duplication) AML. IMPLICATIONS This work establishes the synergistic efficacy of combined FLT3 and LSD1 inhibition in FLT3-ITD AML by disrupting STAT5 and GFI1 binding at the MYC blood-specific superenhancer complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- William M. Yashar
- Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University; Portland, OR, 97239, USA
- Division of Oncologic Sciences, Department of Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University; Portland, OR, 97239, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Oregon Health & Science University; Portland, OR, 97239, USA
- These authors contributed equally to this work
| | - Brittany M. Curtiss
- Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University; Portland, OR, 97239, USA
- Division of Oncologic Sciences, Department of Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University; Portland, OR, 97239, USA
- These authors contributed equally to this work
| | - Daniel J. Coleman
- Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University; Portland, OR, 97239, USA
| | - Jake VanCampen
- Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University; Portland, OR, 97239, USA
- Division of Oncologic Sciences, Department of Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University; Portland, OR, 97239, USA
| | - Garth Kong
- Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University; Portland, OR, 97239, USA
- Division of Oncologic Sciences, Department of Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University; Portland, OR, 97239, USA
| | - Jommel Macaraeg
- Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University; Portland, OR, 97239, USA
- Division of Oncologic Sciences, Department of Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University; Portland, OR, 97239, USA
| | - Joseph Estabrook
- Cancer Early Detection Advanced Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University; Portland, OR, 97239, USA
| | - Emek Demir
- Division of Oncologic Sciences, Department of Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University; Portland, OR, 97239, USA
- Department of Molecular and Medical Genetics, Oregon Health and Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd; Portland, OR 97239, USA
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratories; Richland, WA 99354, USA
| | - Nicola Long
- Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University; Portland, OR, 97239, USA
- Division of Hematology & Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University; Portland, OR, 97239, USA
| | - Daniel Bottomly
- Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University; Portland, OR, 97239, USA
- Division of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Department of Medical Informatics and Clinical Epidemiology, Oregon Health & Science University; Portland, OR, 97239, USA
| | - Shannon K. McWeeney
- Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University; Portland, OR, 97239, USA
- Division of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Department of Medical Informatics and Clinical Epidemiology, Oregon Health & Science University; Portland, OR, 97239, USA
| | - Jeffrey W. Tyner
- Division of Oncologic Sciences, Department of Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University; Portland, OR, 97239, USA
- Department of Cell, Developmental & Cancer Biology, Oregon Health & Science University; Portland, OR, 97239, USA
| | - Brian J. Druker
- Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University; Portland, OR, 97239, USA
- Division of Oncologic Sciences, Department of Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University; Portland, OR, 97239, USA
- Division of Hematology & Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University; Portland, OR, 97239, USA
| | - Julia E. Maxson
- Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University; Portland, OR, 97239, USA
- Division of Oncologic Sciences, Department of Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University; Portland, OR, 97239, USA
| | - Theodore P. Braun
- Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University; Portland, OR, 97239, USA
- Division of Oncologic Sciences, Department of Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University; Portland, OR, 97239, USA
- Division of Hematology & Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University; Portland, OR, 97239, USA
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8
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Pan F, Iwasaki M, Wu W, Jiang Y, Yang X, Zhu L, Zhao Z, Cleary ML. Enhancer remodeling drives MLL oncogene-dependent transcriptional dysregulation in leukemia stem cells. Blood Adv 2023; 7:2504-2519. [PMID: 36705973 PMCID: PMC10248086 DOI: 10.1182/bloodadvances.2022008787] [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: 08/19/2022] [Revised: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with mixed-lineage leukemia (MLL) gene rearrangement (MLLr) comprises a cellular hierarchy in which a subpopulation of cells serves as functional leukemia stem cells (LSCs). They are maintained by a unique gene expression program and chromatin states, which are thought to reflect the actions of enhancers. Here, we delineate the active enhancer landscape and observe pervasive enhancer malfunction in LSCs. Reconstruction of regulatory networks revealed a master set of hematopoietic transcription factors. We show that EP300 is an essential transcriptional coregulator for maintaining LSC oncogenic potential because it controls essential gene expression through modulation of H3K27 acetylation and assessments of transcription factor dependencies. Moreover, the EP300 inhibitor A-485 affects LSC growth by targeting enhancer activity via histone acetyltransferase domain inhibition. Together, these data implicate a perturbed MLLr-specific enhancer accessibility landscape, suggesting the possibility for disruption of the LSC enhancer regulatory axis as a promising therapeutic strategy in AML.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Pan
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
| | - Masayuki Iwasaki
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
- Department of Advanced Health Science, Institute of Laboratory Animals, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Wenqi Wu
- Department of Hematology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yanan Jiang
- Department of Hematology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xin Yang
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
| | - Li Zhu
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
| | - Zhigang Zhao
- Department of Hematology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, People’s Republic of China
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9
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Zhou J, Toh SHM, Tan TK, Balan K, Lim JQ, Tan TZ, Xiong S, Jia Y, Ng SB, Peng Y, Jeyasekharan AD, Fan S, Lim ST, Ong CAJ, Ong CK, Sanda T, Chng WJ. Super-enhancer-driven TOX2 mediates oncogenesis in Natural Killer/T Cell Lymphoma. Mol Cancer 2023; 22:69. [PMID: 37032358 PMCID: PMC10084643 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-023-01767-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma (NKTL) is an aggressive type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma with dismal outcome. A better understanding of disease biology and key oncogenic process is necessary for the development of targeted therapy. Super-enhancers (SEs) have been shown to drive pivotal oncogenes in various malignancies. However, the landscape of SEs and SE-associated oncogenes remain elusive in NKTL. METHODS We used Nano-ChIP-seq of the active enhancer marker histone H3 lysine 27 acetylation (H3K27ac) to profile unique SEs NKTL primary tumor samples. Integrative analysis of RNA-seq and survival data further pinned down high value, novel SE oncogenes. We utilized shRNA knockdown, CRISPR-dCas9, luciferase reporter assay, ChIP-PCR to investigate the regulation of transcription factor (TF) on SE oncogenes. Multi-color immunofluorescence (mIF) staining was performed on an independent cohort of clinical samples. Various function experiments were performed to evaluate the effects of TOX2 on the malignancy of NKTL in vitro and in vivo. RESULTS SE landscape was substantially different in NKTL samples in comparison with normal tonsils. Several SEs at key transcriptional factor (TF) genes, including TOX2, TBX21(T-bet), EOMES, RUNX2, and ID2, were identified. We confirmed that TOX2 was aberrantly overexpressed in NKTL relative to normal NK cells and high expression of TOX2 was associated with worse survival. Modulation of TOX2 expression by shRNA, CRISPR-dCas9 interference of SE function impacted on cell proliferation, survival and colony formation ability of NKTL cells. Mechanistically, we found that RUNX3 regulates TOX2 transcription by binding to the active elements of its SE. Silencing TOX2 also impaired tumor formation of NKTL cells in vivo. Metastasis-associated phosphatase PRL-3 has been identified and validated as a key downstream effector of TOX2-mediated oncogenesis. CONCLUSIONS Our integrative SE profiling strategy revealed the landscape of SEs, novel targets and insights into molecular pathogenesis of NKTL. The RUNX3-TOX2-SE-TOX2-PRL-3 regulatory pathway may represent a hallmark of NKTL biology. Targeting TOX2 could be a valuable therapeutic intervene for NKTL patients and warrants further study in clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianbiao Zhou
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, 14 Medical Drive, Centre for Translational Medicine, Singapore, 117599, Singapore
- Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117597, Singapore
- NUS Centre for Cancer Research (N2CR), 14 Medical Drive, Centre for Translational Medicine, Singapore, 117599, Singapore
| | - Sabrina Hui-Min Toh
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, 14 Medical Drive, Centre for Translational Medicine, Singapore, 117599, Singapore
| | - Tze King Tan
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, 14 Medical Drive, Centre for Translational Medicine, Singapore, 117599, Singapore
| | - Kalpnaa Balan
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, 14 Medical Drive, Centre for Translational Medicine, Singapore, 117599, Singapore
| | - Jing Quan Lim
- Division of Cellular and Molecular Research, Lymphoma Genomic Translational Research Laboratory, National Cancer Centre Singapore, 11 Hospital Drive, Singapore, 169610, Singapore
- Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, 169857, Singapore
| | - Tuan Zea Tan
- Genomics and Data Analytics Core (GeDaC), Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, 14 Medical Drive, Singapore, 117599, Singapore
| | - Sinan Xiong
- Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117597, Singapore
| | - Yunlu Jia
- Department of Medical Oncology, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Siok-Bian Ng
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, 14 Medical Drive, Centre for Translational Medicine, Singapore, 117599, Singapore
- Department of Pathology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 119074, Singapore
| | - Yanfen Peng
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, 14 Medical Drive, Centre for Translational Medicine, Singapore, 117599, Singapore
| | - Anand D Jeyasekharan
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, 14 Medical Drive, Centre for Translational Medicine, Singapore, 117599, Singapore
- Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117597, Singapore
- NUS Centre for Cancer Research (N2CR), 14 Medical Drive, Centre for Translational Medicine, Singapore, 117599, Singapore
| | - Shuangyi Fan
- Department of Pathology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 119074, Singapore
| | - Soon Thye Lim
- Director's office, National Cancer Centre, Singapore, 168583, Singapore
- Office of Education, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, 169857, Singapore
| | - Chin-Ann Johnny Ong
- Department of Sarcoma, Peritoneal and Rare Tumours (SPRinT), Division of Surgery and Surgical Oncology, National Cancer Centre, Singapore, 168583, Singapore
- Department of Sarcoma, Peritoneal and Rare Tumours (SPRinT), Division of Surgery and Surgical Oncology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore, 168583, Singapore
- Laboratory of Applied Human Genetics, Division of Medical Sciences, National Cancer Centre, Singapore, 168583, Singapore
- SingHealth Duke-NUS Oncology Academic Clinical Program, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, 169857, Singapore
- SingHealth Duke-NUS Surgery Academic Clinical Program, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, 169857, Singapore
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, A*STAR Research Entities, Singapore, 138673, Singapore
| | - Choon Kiat Ong
- Division of Cellular and Molecular Research, Lymphoma Genomic Translational Research Laboratory, National Cancer Centre Singapore, 11 Hospital Drive, Singapore, 169610, Singapore.
- Cancer and Stem Cell Biology, Duke-NUS Medical School, 8 College Road, Singapore, 169857, Singapore.
| | - Takaomi Sanda
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, 14 Medical Drive, Centre for Translational Medicine, Singapore, 117599, Singapore.
- Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117597, Singapore.
| | - Wee-Joo Chng
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, 14 Medical Drive, Centre for Translational Medicine, Singapore, 117599, Singapore.
- Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117597, Singapore.
- NUS Centre for Cancer Research (N2CR), 14 Medical Drive, Centre for Translational Medicine, Singapore, 117599, Singapore.
- Department of Hematology-Oncology, National University Cancer Institute of Singapore (NCIS), National University Health System (NUHS), 1E, Kent Ridge Road, Singapore, 119228, Singapore.
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10
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Poplineau M, Platet N, Mazuel A, Hérault L, N’Guyen L, Koide S, Nakajima-Takagi Y, Kuribayashi W, Carbuccia N, Haboub L, Vernerey J, Oshima M, Birnbaum D, Iwama A, Duprez E. Noncanonical EZH2 drives retinoic acid resistance of variant acute promyelocytic leukemias. Blood 2022; 140:2358-2370. [PMID: 35984905 PMCID: PMC10653050 DOI: 10.1182/blood.2022015668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 07/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer cell heterogeneity is a major driver of therapy resistance. To characterize resistant cells and their vulnerabilities, we studied the PLZF-RARA variant of acute promyelocytic leukemia, resistant to retinoic acid (RA), using single-cell multiomics. We uncovered transcriptional and chromatin heterogeneity in leukemia cells. We identified a subset of cells resistant to RA with proliferation, DNA replication, and repair signatures that depend on a fine-tuned E2F transcriptional network targeting the epigenetic regulator enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2). Epigenomic and functional analyses validated the driver role of EZH2 in RA resistance. Targeting pan-EZH2 activities (canonical/noncanonical) was necessary to eliminate leukemia relapse-initiating cells, which underlies a dependency of resistant cells on an EZH2 noncanonical activity and the necessity to degrade EZH2 to overcome resistance. Our study provides critical insights into the mechanisms of RA resistance that allow us to eliminate treatment-resistant leukemia cells by targeting EZH2, thus highlighting a potential targeted therapy approach. Beyond RA resistance and acute promyelocytic leukemia context, our study also demonstrates the power of single-cell multiomics to identify, characterize, and clear therapy-resistant cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathilde Poplineau
- Epigenetic Control of Normal and Malignant Hematopoiesis, CRCM, Aix Marseille University, CNRS UMR7258, INSERM U1068, Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Marseille, France
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
- Equipe Labellisée Ligue Nationale Contre le Cancer
| | - Nadine Platet
- Epigenetic Control of Normal and Malignant Hematopoiesis, CRCM, Aix Marseille University, CNRS UMR7258, INSERM U1068, Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Marseille, France
- Equipe Labellisée Ligue Nationale Contre le Cancer
| | - Adrien Mazuel
- Epigenetic Control of Normal and Malignant Hematopoiesis, CRCM, Aix Marseille University, CNRS UMR7258, INSERM U1068, Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Marseille, France
- Equipe Labellisée Ligue Nationale Contre le Cancer
| | - Léonard Hérault
- Epigenetic Control of Normal and Malignant Hematopoiesis, CRCM, Aix Marseille University, CNRS UMR7258, INSERM U1068, Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Marseille, France
- Equipe Labellisée Ligue Nationale Contre le Cancer
- MABioS, I2M, Aix Marseille University,CNRS UMR7373, Marseille, France
| | - Lia N’Guyen
- Epigenetic Control of Normal and Malignant Hematopoiesis, CRCM, Aix Marseille University, CNRS UMR7258, INSERM U1068, Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Marseille, France
- Equipe Labellisée Ligue Nationale Contre le Cancer
| | - Shuhei Koide
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
- Division of Stem Cell and Molecular Medicine, Center for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yaeko Nakajima-Takagi
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
- Division of Stem Cell and Molecular Medicine, Center for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Wakako Kuribayashi
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
- Division of Stem Cell and Molecular Medicine, Center for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Nadine Carbuccia
- Predictive Oncology Laboratory, CRCM, Aix Marseille University, CNRS UMR7258, INSERM 1068, Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Marseille, France
| | - Loreen Haboub
- Epigenetic Control of Normal and Malignant Hematopoiesis, CRCM, Aix Marseille University, CNRS UMR7258, INSERM U1068, Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Marseille, France
- Equipe Labellisée Ligue Nationale Contre le Cancer
| | - Julien Vernerey
- Epigenetic Control of Normal and Malignant Hematopoiesis, CRCM, Aix Marseille University, CNRS UMR7258, INSERM U1068, Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Marseille, France
| | - Motohiko Oshima
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
- Division of Stem Cell and Molecular Medicine, Center for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Daniel Birnbaum
- Predictive Oncology Laboratory, CRCM, Aix Marseille University, CNRS UMR7258, INSERM 1068, Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Marseille, France
| | - Atsushi Iwama
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
- Division of Stem Cell and Molecular Medicine, Center for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Estelle Duprez
- Epigenetic Control of Normal and Malignant Hematopoiesis, CRCM, Aix Marseille University, CNRS UMR7258, INSERM U1068, Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Marseille, France
- Equipe Labellisée Ligue Nationale Contre le Cancer
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11
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Cao Z, Shu Y, Wang J, Wang C, Feng T, Yang L, Shao J, Zou L. Super enhancers: Pathogenic roles and potential therapeutic targets for acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Genes Dis 2022; 9:1466-1477. [PMID: 36157504 PMCID: PMC9485276 DOI: 10.1016/j.gendis.2022.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Revised: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a malignant hematological tumor with disordered oncogenes/tumor suppressor genes and limited treatments. The potent anti-cancer effects of bromodomain and extra-terminal domain (BET) inhibitors, targeting the key component of super enhancers, in early clinical trials on AML patients, implies the critical role of super enhancers in AML. Here, we review the concept and characteristic of super enhancer, and then summarize the current researches about super enhancers in AML pathogenesis, diagnosis and classification, followed by illustrate the potential super enhancer-related targets and drugs, and propose the future directions of super enhancers in AML. This information provides integrated insight into the roles of super enhancers in this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziyang Cao
- Clinical Research Unit, Shanghai Children's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200062, PR China
- Institute of Pediatric Infection, Immunity, Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200062, PR China
| | - Yi Shu
- Center for Clinical Molecular Laboratory Medicine of Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400014, PR China
| | - Jinxia Wang
- Clinical Research Unit, Shanghai Children's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200062, PR China
- Institute of Pediatric Infection, Immunity, Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200062, PR China
| | - Chunxia Wang
- Clinical Research Unit, Shanghai Children's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200062, PR China
- Institute of Pediatric Infection, Immunity, Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200062, PR China
| | - Tienan Feng
- Clinical Research Unit, Shanghai Children's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200062, PR China
- Clinical Research Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, PR China
| | - Li Yang
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, PR China
| | - Jingbo Shao
- Department of Hematology/Oncology, Shanghai Children's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200062, PR China
| | - Lin Zou
- Clinical Research Unit, Shanghai Children's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200062, PR China
- Institute of Pediatric Infection, Immunity, Critical Care Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200062, PR China
- Center for Clinical Molecular Laboratory Medicine of Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400014, PR China
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12
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Cuartero S, Stik G, Stadhouders R. Three-dimensional genome organization in immune cell fate and function. Nat Rev Immunol 2022; 23:206-221. [PMID: 36127477 DOI: 10.1038/s41577-022-00774-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Immune cell development and activation demand the precise and coordinated control of transcriptional programmes. Three-dimensional (3D) organization of the genome has emerged as an important regulator of chromatin state, transcriptional activity and cell identity by facilitating or impeding long-range genomic interactions among regulatory elements and genes. Chromatin folding thus enables cell type-specific and stimulus-specific transcriptional responses to extracellular signals, which are essential for the control of immune cell fate, for inflammatory responses and for generating a diverse repertoire of antigen receptor specificities. Here, we review recent findings connecting 3D genome organization to the control of immune cell differentiation and function, and discuss how alterations in genome folding may lead to immune dysfunction and malignancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergi Cuartero
- Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute (IJC), Badalona, Spain. .,Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), Badalona, Spain.
| | - Grégoire Stik
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain. .,Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Ralph Stadhouders
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. .,Department of Cell Biology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
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13
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Binder M, Carr RM, Lasho TL, Finke CM, Mangaonkar AA, Pin CL, Berger KR, Mazzone A, Potluri S, Ordog T, Robertson KD, Marks DL, Fernandez-Zapico ME, Gaspar-Maia A, Patnaik MM. Oncogenic gene expression and epigenetic remodeling of cis-regulatory elements in ASXL1-mutant chronic myelomonocytic leukemia. Nat Commun 2022; 13:1434. [PMID: 35301312 PMCID: PMC8931048 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-29142-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Myeloid neoplasms are clonal hematopoietic stem cell disorders driven by the sequential acquisition of recurrent genetic lesions. Truncating mutations in the chromatin remodeler ASXL1 (ASXL1MT) are associated with a high-risk disease phenotype with increased proliferation, epigenetic therapeutic resistance, and poor survival outcomes. We performed a multi-omics interrogation to define gene expression and chromatin remodeling associated with ASXL1MT in chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML). ASXL1MT are associated with a loss of repressive histone methylation and increase in permissive histone methylation and acetylation in promoter regions. ASXL1MT are further associated with de novo accessibility of distal enhancers binding ETS transcription factors, targeting important leukemogenic driver genes. Chromatin remodeling of promoters and enhancers is strongly associated with gene expression and heterogenous among overexpressed genes. These results provide a comprehensive map of the transcriptome and chromatin landscape of ASXL1MT CMML, forming an important framework for the development of novel therapeutic strategies targeting oncogenic cis interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moritz Binder
- Division of Hematology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
- Epigenomics Program, Center for Individualized Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Ryan M Carr
- Division of Hematology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Terra L Lasho
- Division of Hematology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | | | | | - Christopher L Pin
- Lawson Health Research Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Kurt R Berger
- Lawson Health Research Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Amelia Mazzone
- Epigenomics Program, Center for Individualized Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Sandeep Potluri
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Tamas Ordog
- Epigenomics Program, Center for Individualized Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Keith D Robertson
- Epigenomics Program, Center for Individualized Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - David L Marks
- Schulze Center for Novel Therapeutics, Division of Oncology Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Martin E Fernandez-Zapico
- Schulze Center for Novel Therapeutics, Division of Oncology Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Alexandre Gaspar-Maia
- Epigenomics Program, Center for Individualized Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
| | - Mrinal M Patnaik
- Division of Hematology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
- Epigenomics Program, Center for Individualized Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
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14
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Allele-specific expression of GATA2 due to epigenetic dysregulation in CEBPA double-mutant AML. Blood 2021; 138:160-177. [PMID: 33831168 DOI: 10.1182/blood.2020009244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Transcriptional deregulation is a central event in the development of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). To identify potential disturbances in gene regulation, we conducted an unbiased screen of allele-specific expression (ASE) in 209 AML cases. The gene encoding GATA binding protein 2 (GATA2) displayed ASE more often than any other myeloid- or cancer-related gene. GATA2 ASE was strongly associated with CEBPA double mutations (DMs), with 95% of cases presenting GATA2 ASE. In CEBPA DM AML with GATA2 mutations, the mutated allele was preferentially expressed. We found that GATA2 ASE was a somatic event lost in complete remission, supporting the notion that it plays a role in CEBPA DM AML. Acquisition of GATA2 ASE involved silencing of 1 allele via promoter methylation and concurrent overactivation of the other allele, thereby preserving expression levels. Notably, promoter methylation was also lost in remission along with GATA2 ASE. In summary, we propose that GATA2 ASE is acquired by epigenetic mechanisms and is a prerequisite for the development of AML with CEBPA DMs. This finding constitutes a novel example of an epigenetic hit cooperating with a genetic hit in the pathogenesis of AML.
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15
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Enhancer-gene rewiring in the pathogenesis of Quebec platelet disorder. Blood 2021; 136:2679-2690. [PMID: 32663239 DOI: 10.1182/blood.2020005394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Quebec platelet disorder (QPD) is an autosomal dominant bleeding disorder with a unique, platelet-dependent, gain-of-function defect in fibrinolysis, without systemic fibrinolysis. The hallmark feature of QPD is a >100-fold overexpression of PLAU, specifically in megakaryocytes. This overexpression leads to a >100-fold increase in platelet stores of urokinase plasminogen activator (PLAU/uPA); subsequent plasmin-mediated degradation of diverse α-granule proteins; and platelet-dependent, accelerated fibrinolysis. The causative mutation is a 78-kb tandem duplication of PLAU. How this duplication causes megakaryocyte-specific PLAU overexpression is unknown. To investigate the mechanism that causes QPD, we used epigenomic profiling, comparative genomics, and chromatin conformation capture approaches to study PLAU regulation in cultured megakaryocytes from participants with QPD and unaffected controls. QPD duplication led to ectopic interactions between PLAU and a conserved megakaryocyte enhancer found within the same topologically associating domain (TAD). Our results support a unique disease mechanism whereby the reorganization of sub-TAD genome architecture results in a dramatic, cell-type-specific blood disorder phenotype.
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16
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A proof-of-concept study for the pathogenetic role of enhancer hypomethylation of MYBPHL in multiple myeloma. Sci Rep 2021; 11:7009. [PMID: 33772052 PMCID: PMC7997988 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-86473-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2020] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Enhancer DNA methylation and expression of MYBPHL was studied in multiple myeloma (MM). By bisulfite genomic sequencing, among the three CpGs inside the MYBPHL enhancer, CpG1 was significantly hypomethylated in MM cell lines (6.7–50.0%) than normal plasma cells (37.5–75.0%) (P = 0.007), which was negatively correlated with qPCR-measured MYBPHL expression. In RPMI-8226 and WL-2 cells, bearing the highest CpG1 methylation, 5-azadC caused enhancer demethylation and expression of MYBPHL. In primary samples, higher CpG1 methylation was associated with lower MYBPHL expression. By luciferase assay, luciferase activity was enhanced by MYBPHL enhancer compared with empty vector control, but reduced by site-directed mutagenesis of each CpG. RNA-seq data of newly diagnosed MM patients showed that MYBPHL expression was associated with t(11;14). MOLP-8 cells carrying t(11;14) express the highest levels of MYBPHL, and its knockdown reduced cellular proliferation and increased cell death. Herein, as a proof-of-concept, our data demonstrated that the MYBPHL enhancer, particularly CpG1, was hypomethylated and associated with increased MYBPHL expression in MM, which was implicated in myelomagenesis.
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Mechanistic basis and efficacy of targeting the β-catenin-TCF7L2-JMJD6-c-Myc axis to overcome resistance to BET inhibitors. Blood 2020; 135:1255-1269. [PMID: 32068780 DOI: 10.1182/blood.2019002922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2019] [Accepted: 01/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The promising activity of BET protein inhibitors (BETi's) is compromised by adaptive or innate resistance in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Here, modeling of BETi-persister/resistance (BETi-P/R) in human postmyeloproliferative neoplasm (post-MPN) secondary AML (sAML) cells demonstrated accessible and active chromatin in specific superenhancers/enhancers, which was associated with increased levels of nuclear β-catenin, TCF7L2, JMJD6, and c-Myc in BETi-P/R sAML cells. Following BETi treatment, c-Myc levels were rapidly restored in BETi-P/R sAML cells. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout of TCF7L2 or JMJD6 reversed BETi-P/R, whereas ectopic overexpression conferred BETi-P/R in sAML cells, confirming the mechanistic role of the β-catenin-TCF7L2-JMJD6-c-Myc axis in BETi resistance. Patient-derived, post-MPN, CD34+ sAML blasts exhibiting relative resistance to BETi, as compared with sensitive sAML blasts, displayed higher messenger RNA and protein expression of TCF7L2, JMJD6, and c-Myc and following BETi washout exhibited rapid restoration of c-Myc and JMJD6. CRISPR/Cas9 knockout of TCF7L2 and JMJD6 depleted their levels, inducing loss of viability of the sAML blasts. Disruption of colocalization of nuclear β-catenin with TBL1 and TCF7L2 by the small-molecule inhibitor BC2059 combined with depletion of BRD4 by BET proteolysis-targeting chimera reduced c-Myc levels and exerted synergistic lethality in BETi-P/R sAML cells. This combination also reduced leukemia burden and improved survival of mice engrafted with BETi-P/R sAML cells or patient-derived AML blasts innately resistant to BETi. Therefore, multitargeted disruption of the β-catenin-TCF7L2-JMJD6-c-Myc axis overcomes adaptive and innate BETi resistance, exhibiting preclinical efficacy against human post-MPN sAML cells.
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Call SG, Duren RP, Panigrahi AK, Nguyen L, Freire PR, Grimm SL, Coarfa C, Conneely OM. Targeting Oncogenic Super Enhancers in MYC-Dependent AML Using a Small Molecule Activator of NR4A Nuclear Receptors. Sci Rep 2020; 10:2851. [PMID: 32071334 PMCID: PMC7029036 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-59469-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2019] [Accepted: 01/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic reprogramming in Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) leads to the aberrant activation of super enhancer (SE) landscapes that drive the expression of key oncogenes, including the oncogenic MYC pathway. These SEs have been identified as promising therapeutic targets, and have given rise to a new class of drugs, including BET protein inhibitors, which center on targeting SE activity. NR4A nuclear receptors are tumor suppressors of AML that function in part through transcriptional repression of the MYC-driven oncogenic program via mechanisms that remain unclear. Here we show that NR4A1, and the NR4A inducing drug dihydroergotamine (DHE), regulate overlapping gene expression programs in AML and repress transcription of a subset of SE-associated leukemic oncogenes, including MYC. NR4As interact with an AML-selective SE cluster that governs MYC transcription and decommissions its activation status by dismissing essential SE-bound coactivators including BRD4, Mediator and p300, leading to loss of p300-dependent H3K27 acetylation and Pol 2-dependent eRNA transcription. DHE shows similar efficacy to the BET inhibitor JQ1 at repressing SE-dependent MYC expression and AML growth in mouse xenografts. Thus, DHE induction of NR4As provides an alternative strategy to BET inhibitors to target MYC dependencies via suppression of the AML-selective SE governing MYC expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Greg Call
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.,Molecular and Cellular Biology PhD Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Ryan P Duren
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.,Integrative Molecular and Biomedical Sciences PhD Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Anil K Panigrahi
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Loc Nguyen
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Pablo R Freire
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.,Molecular and Cellular Biology PhD Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Sandra L Grimm
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.,Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.,Center for Precision Environmental Health, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Cristian Coarfa
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.,Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.,Center for Precision Environmental Health, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Orla M Conneely
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA. .,Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
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19
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Schütte J, Reusch J, Khandanpour C, Eisfeld C. Structural Variants as a Basis for Targeted Therapies in Hematological Malignancies. Front Oncol 2019; 9:839. [PMID: 31555592 PMCID: PMC6722867 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2019.00839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2019] [Accepted: 08/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Structural variants (SV) are changes in the genomic landscape that can alter gene expression levels and thus lead to disease development. The most common and best studied SVs in hematological malignancies are chromosomal translocations. Here, parts of two genes that are normally on different chromosomes come into close proximity due to a failure in DNA repair. As a consequence, fusion proteins which show a different function and/or cellular localization compared to the two original proteins are expressed, sometimes even at different levels. The identification of chromosomal translocations is often used to identify the specific disease a patient is suffering from. In addition, SVs such as deletions, duplications, inversions and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) can occur in hematopoietic cells and lead to their malignant transformations. Changes in the 3D genome structure have also recently been shown to impact disease development. In this review, we describe a variety of SVs occurring in different subtypes of hematological malignancies. Currently, most therapeutic approaches target fusion proteins which are the cellular product of chromosomal translocations. However, amplifications and SNPs also play a role in disease progression and can be targeted. We present some examples for different types of structural variants and how they are currently treated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith Schütte
- Department of Medicine A, Hematology, Oncology and Pneumology, University Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Julia Reusch
- Medizinische Fakultät, Universität Münster, Münster, Germany
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Ordoñez R, Martínez-Calle N, Agirre X, Prosper F. DNA Methylation of Enhancer Elements in Myeloid Neoplasms: Think Outside the Promoters? Cancers (Basel) 2019; 11:cancers11101424. [PMID: 31554341 PMCID: PMC6827153 DOI: 10.3390/cancers11101424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2019] [Revised: 09/15/2019] [Accepted: 09/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Gene regulation through DNA methylation is a well described phenomenon that has a prominent role in physiological and pathological cell-states. This epigenetic modification is usually grouped in regions denominated CpG islands, which frequently co-localize with gene promoters, silencing the transcription of those genes. Recent genome-wide DNA methylation studies have challenged this paradigm, demonstrating that DNA methylation of regulatory regions outside promoters is able to influence cell-type specific gene expression programs under physiologic or pathologic conditions. Coupling genome-wide DNA methylation assays with histone mark annotation has allowed for the identification of specific epigenomic changes that affect enhancer regulatory regions, revealing an additional layer of complexity to the epigenetic regulation of gene expression. In this review, we summarize the novel evidence for the molecular and biological regulation of DNA methylation in enhancer regions and the dynamism of these changes contributing to the fine-tuning of gene expression. We also analyze the contribution of enhancer DNA methylation on the expression of relevant genes in acute myeloid leukemia and chronic myeloproliferative neoplasms. The characterization of the aberrant enhancer DNA methylation provides not only a novel pathogenic mechanism for different tumors but also highlights novel potential therapeutic targets for myeloid derived neoplasms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel Ordoñez
- Área de Hemato-Oncología, Centro de Investigación Médica Aplicada, IDISNA, Universidad de Navarra, Avenida Pío XII-55, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Nicolás Martínez-Calle
- Área de Hemato-Oncología, Centro de Investigación Médica Aplicada, IDISNA, Universidad de Navarra, Avenida Pío XII-55, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Xabier Agirre
- Área de Hemato-Oncología, Centro de Investigación Médica Aplicada, IDISNA, Universidad de Navarra, Avenida Pío XII-55, 31008 Pamplona, Spain.
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), 28029 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Felipe Prosper
- Área de Hemato-Oncología, Centro de Investigación Médica Aplicada, IDISNA, Universidad de Navarra, Avenida Pío XII-55, 31008 Pamplona, Spain.
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), 28029 Madrid, Spain.
- Departamento de Hematología, Clínica Universidad de Navarra, Universidad de Navarra, Avenida Pío XII-36, 31008 Pamplona, Spain.
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Muddathir ARM, Abdallah EI, Khabour OF, Abdelgader RE, Elgari MM. Age- and gender-independent association of glutathione S-transferase null polymorphisms with chronic myeloid leukemia. Bosn J Basic Med Sci 2019; 19:350-354. [PMID: 30995900 DOI: 10.17305/bjbms.2019.4176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2019] [Accepted: 03/11/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The glutathione S-transferase (GST) genes encode enzymes that mediate the detoxification of xenobiotics by catalyzing the conjugation of glutathione (GSH) to xenobiotic substrates. The aim of the current study is to investigate the association between GSTT1 and GSTM1 polymorphisms and chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) among Sudanese patients. Patients with CML (n = 115) were recruited to the study from the Radiation and Isotope Centre Khartoum (RICK)-Sudan. Healthy individuals (n = 104) were included as controls. Genotyping of GSTT1 and GSTM1 polymorphisms was performed using multiplex PCR. Null deletions in the GSTT1 and GSTM1 genes are common in the Sudanese population (control group), with frequencies of 33.9% and 38.2%, respectively. The frequencies of GSTT1 (OR: 3.25, 95% CI: 1.87-5.65, p < 0.001) and GSTM1 (OR: 2.14, 95% CI: 1.25-3.67, p < 0.005) null genotypes were significantly higher in CML patients vs. controls. The distribution of GSTT1 and GSTM1 null polymorphisms was not different between male and female (p > 0.01) and young and old CML patients (p > 0.05). Hematological parameters were not affected by null polymorphisms in the patient group (p > 0.05). In addition, the frequency of GSTM1 null polymorphism was lower in advanced-phase CML patients compared to chronic-phase patients (p < 0.05). The GSTT1 and GSTM1 null polymorphisms are associated with CML among Sudanese patients, independently of their age and gender.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdel Rahim Mahmoud Muddathir
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Taibah University, Medina, Saudi Arabia; Department of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, Faculty of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Alzaeim Alazhari University, Khartoum, Sudan.
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22
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Fiskus W, Cai T, DiNardo CD, Kornblau SM, Borthakur G, Kadia TM, Pemmaraju N, Bose P, Masarova L, Rajapakshe K, Perera D, Coarfa C, Mill CP, Saenz DT, Saenz DN, Sun B, Khoury JD, Shen Y, Konopleva M, Bhalla KN. Superior efficacy of cotreatment with BET protein inhibitor and BCL2 or MCL1 inhibitor against AML blast progenitor cells. Blood Cancer J 2019; 9:4. [PMID: 30647404 PMCID: PMC6333829 DOI: 10.1038/s41408-018-0165-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2018] [Revised: 11/25/2018] [Accepted: 11/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
First-generation bromodomain extra-terminal protein (BETP) inhibitors (BETi) (e.g., OTX015) that disrupt binding of BETP BRD4 to chromatin transcriptionally attenuate AML-relevant progrowth and prosurvival oncoproteins. BETi treatment induces apoptosis of AML BPCs, reduces in vivo AML burden and induces clinical remissions in a minority of AML patients. Clinical efficacy of more potent BETis, e.g., ABBV-075 (AbbVie, Inc.), is being evaluated. Venetoclax and A-1210477 bind and inhibit the antiapoptotic activity of BCL2 and MCL1, respectively, lowering the threshold for apoptosis. BETi treatment is shown here to perturb accessible chromatin and activity of enhancers/promoters, attenuating MYC, CDK6, MCL1 and BCL2, while inducing BIM, HEXIM1, CDKN1A expressions and apoptosis of AML cells. Treatment with venetoclax increased MCL1 protein levels, but cotreatment with ABBV-075 reduced MCL1 and Bcl-xL levels. ABBV-075 cotreatment synergistically induced apoptosis with venetoclax or A-1210477 in patient-derived, CD34+ AML cells. Compared to treatment with either agent alone, cotreatment with ABBV-075 and venetoclax was significantly more effective in reducing AML cell-burden and improving survival, without inducing toxicity, in AML-engrafted immune-depleted mice. These findings highlight the basis of superior activity and support interrogation of clinical efficacy and safety of cotreatment with BETi and BCL2 or MCL1 inhibitor in AML.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology
- Binding Sites
- Biomarkers, Tumor
- Cell Line, Tumor
- Disease Models, Animal
- Drug Synergism
- Female
- Humans
- Indoles/pharmacology
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/drug therapy
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/metabolism
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/mortality
- Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/pathology
- Myeloid Cell Leukemia Sequence 1 Protein/antagonists & inhibitors
- Neoplastic Stem Cells/drug effects
- Neoplastic Stem Cells/metabolism
- Protein Binding
- Protein Kinase Inhibitors/pharmacology
- Proteins/antagonists & inhibitors
- Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2/antagonists & inhibitors
- Pyridones/pharmacology
- Sulfonamides/pharmacology
- Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
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Affiliation(s)
- Warren Fiskus
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Tianyu Cai
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Courtney D DiNardo
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Steven M Kornblau
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Gautam Borthakur
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Tapan M Kadia
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Naveen Pemmaraju
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Prithviraj Bose
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Lucia Masarova
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Kimal Rajapakshe
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Dimuthu Perera
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Cristian Coarfa
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Christopher P Mill
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Dyana T Saenz
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - David N Saenz
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Baohua Sun
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Joseph D Khoury
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Yu Shen
- AbbVie, Inc., North Chicago, IL, 60064, USA
| | - Marina Konopleva
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Kapil N Bhalla
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
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Antony JS, Haque AA, Lamsfus-Calle A, Daniel-Moreno A, Mezger M, Kormann MS. CRISPR/Cas9 system: A promising technology for the treatment of inherited and neoplastic hematological diseases. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/acg2.10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Justin S. Antony
- Department of Pediatrics I; Pediatric Infectiology and Immunology; Translational Genomics and Gene Therapy in Pediatrics; University of Tübingen; Tübingen Germany
- University Children's Hospital; Department of Paediatrics I, Hematology and Oncology; University of Tübingen; Tübingen Germany
- Department of Hematology, Oncology; Clinical Immunology; University of Tübingen; Tübingen Germany
| | - A.K.M. Ashiqul Haque
- Department of Pediatrics I; Pediatric Infectiology and Immunology; Translational Genomics and Gene Therapy in Pediatrics; University of Tübingen; Tübingen Germany
| | - Andrés Lamsfus-Calle
- University Children's Hospital; Department of Paediatrics I, Hematology and Oncology; University of Tübingen; Tübingen Germany
| | - Alberto Daniel-Moreno
- University Children's Hospital; Department of Paediatrics I, Hematology and Oncology; University of Tübingen; Tübingen Germany
| | - Markus Mezger
- University Children's Hospital; Department of Paediatrics I, Hematology and Oncology; University of Tübingen; Tübingen Germany
| | - Michael S.D. Kormann
- Department of Pediatrics I; Pediatric Infectiology and Immunology; Translational Genomics and Gene Therapy in Pediatrics; University of Tübingen; Tübingen Germany
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Targeting General Transcriptional Machinery as a Therapeutic Strategy for Adult T-Cell Leukemia. Molecules 2018; 23:molecules23051057. [PMID: 29724031 PMCID: PMC6099935 DOI: 10.3390/molecules23051057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2018] [Revised: 04/27/2018] [Accepted: 04/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer cells are highly reliant on certain molecular pathways, which support their survival and proliferation. The fundamental concept of molecularly targeted therapy is to target a protein that is specifically deregulated or overexpressed in cancer cells. However, drug resistance and tumor heterogeneity are major obstacles in the development of specific inhibitors. Additionally, many driver oncogenes exert their oncogenic property via abnormal expression without having genetic mutations. Interestingly, recent accumulating evidence has demonstrated that many critical cancer genes are driven by a unique class of enhancers termed super-enhancers. Genes associated with super-enhancers are relatively more susceptible to the inhibition of general transcriptional machinery compared with genes that are regulated by typical enhancers. Cancer cells are more sensitive to treatment with small-molecule inhibitors of CDK7 or BRD4 than non-transformed cells. These findings proposed a novel strategy to identify functionally important genes as well as novel therapeutic modalities in cancer. This approach would be particularly useful for genetically complicated cancers, such as adult T-cell leukemia (ATL), whereby a large mutational burden is present, but the functional consequences of each mutation have not been well-studied. In this review, we discuss recent findings on super-enhancers, underlying mechanisms, and the efficacy of small-molecule transcriptional inhibitors in ATL.
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