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McCormack MP, Young LF, Vasudevan S, de Graaf CA, Codrington R, Rabbitts TH, Jane SM, Curtis DJ. The Lmo2 oncogene initiates leukemia in mice by inducing thymocyte self-renewal. Science 2010; 327:879-83. [PMID: 20093438 DOI: 10.1126/science.1182378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 188] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
The LMO2 oncogene causes a subset of human T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemias (T-ALL), including four cases that arose as adverse events in gene therapy trials. To investigate the cellular origin of LMO2-induced leukemia, we used cell fate mapping to study mice in which the Lmo2 gene was constitutively expressed in the thymus. Lmo2 induced self-renewal of committed T cells in the mice more than 8 months before the development of overt T-ALL. These self-renewing cells retained the capacity for T cell differentiation but expressed several genes typical of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), suggesting that Lmo2 might reactivate an HSC-specific transcriptional program. Forced expression of one such gene, Hhex, was sufficient to initiate self-renewal of thymocytes in vivo. Thus, Lmo2 promotes the self-renewal of preleukemic thymocytes, providing a mechanism by which committed T cells can then accumulate additional genetic mutations required for leukemic transformation.
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't |
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Alves D, Li H, Codrington R, Orte A, Ren X, Klenerman D, Balasubramanian S. Single-molecule analysis of human telomerase monomer. Nat Chem Biol 2008; 4:287-9. [DOI: 10.1038/nchembio.82] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2007] [Accepted: 02/29/2008] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Codrington R, Pannell R, Forster A, Drynan LF, Daser A, Lobato N, Metzler M, Rabbitts TH. The Ews-ERG fusion protein can initiate neoplasia from lineage-committed haematopoietic cells. PLoS Biol 2005; 3:e242. [PMID: 15974803 PMCID: PMC1159166 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.0030242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2004] [Accepted: 05/09/2005] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The EWS-ERG fusion protein is found in human sarcomas with the chromosomal translocation t(21;22)(q22;q12), where the translocation is considered to be an initiating event in sarcoma formation within uncommitted mesenchymal cells, probably long-lived progenitors capable of self renewal. The fusion protein may not therefore have an oncogenic capability beyond these progenitors. To assess whether EWS-ERG can be a tumour initiator in cells other than mesenchymal cells, we have analysed Ews-ERG fusion protein function in a cellular environment not typical of that found in human cancers, namely, committed lymphoid cells. We have used Ews-ERG invertor mice having an inverted ERG cDNA cassette flanked by loxP sites knocked in the Ews intron 8, crossed with mice expressing Cre recombinase under the control of the Rag1 gene to give conditional, lymphoid-specific expression of the fusion protein. Clonal T cell neoplasias arose in these mice. This conditional Ews gene fusion model of tumourigenesis shows that Ews-ERG can cause haematopoietic tumours and the precursor cells are committed cells. Thus, Ews-ERG can function in cells that do not have to be pluripotent progenitors or mesenchymal cells. Using a mouse model, these authors study the potential of a known cancer-related gene to cause tumors in cells committed to different lineages.
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't |
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Forster A, Pannell R, Drynan LF, Codrington R, Daser A, Metzler M, Lobato MN, Rabbitts TH. The invertor knock-in conditional chromosomal translocation mimic. Nat Methods 2004; 2:27-30. [PMID: 15782166 DOI: 10.1038/nmeth727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2004] [Accepted: 11/15/2004] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Knock-in models of tumor-specific chromosomal translocations can generate lethal mutations. To circumvent this, a new conditional gene fusion model has been developed (invertor mice) and exemplified with the Ews-ERG fusion oncogene. An ERG segment, flanked by loxP sites, was knocked in to an intron of the Ews gene but in an inverted transcription orientation and lineage-specific Ews-ERG fusion created by Cre-mediated inversion. This invertor method is a completely conditional approach, applicable to any gene fusion, to emulate effects of translocations found in human cancers.
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Forster A, Pannell R, Drynan L, Cano F, Chan N, Codrington R, Daser A, Lobato N, Metzler M, Nam CH, Rodriguez S, Tanaka T, Rabbitts T. Chromosomal translocation engineering to recapitulate primary events of human cancer. COLD SPRING HARBOR SYMPOSIA ON QUANTITATIVE BIOLOGY 2005; 70:275-82. [PMID: 16869763 DOI: 10.1101/sqb.2005.70.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Mouse models of human cancers are important for understanding determinants of overt disease and for "preclinical" development of rational therapeutic strategies; for instance, based on macrodrugs. Chromosomal translocations underlie many human leukemias, sarcomas, and epithelial tumors. We have developed three technologies based on homologous recombination in mouse ES cells to mimic human chromosome translocations. The first, called the knockin method, allows creation of fusion genes like those typical of translocations of human leukemias and sarcomas. Two new conditional chromosomal translocation mimics have been developed. The first is a method for generating reciprocal chromosomal translocations de novo using Cre-loxP recombination (translocator mice). In some cases, there is incompatible gene orientation and the translocator model cannot be applied. We have developed a different model (invertor mice) for these situations. This method consists of introducing an inverted cDNA cassette into the intron of a target gene and bringing the cassette into the correct transcriptional orientation by Cre-loxP recombination. We describe experiments using the translocator model to generate MLL-mediated neoplasias and the invertor method to generate EWS-ERG-mediated cancer. These methods mimic the situation found in human chromosome translocations and provide the framework for design and study of human chromosomal translocations in mice.
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Codrington R, O'Connor HE, Jalali GR, Carrara P, Papaioannou M, Hart SM, Hoffbrand AV, Potter M, Prentice HG, Harrison CJ, Foroni L. Analysis of ETV6/AML1 abnormalities in acute lymphoblastic leukaemia: incidence, alternative spliced forms and minimal residual disease value. Br J Haematol 2000; 111:1071-9. [PMID: 11167742 DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2141.2000.02464.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The t(12;21)(p13;q22) translocation, resulting in the fusion of the ETV6 and AML1 genes, occurs in 20-25% of paediatric B-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukaemias (ALL). The identification of the fusion product has important prognostic and therapeutic implications as the translocation has been associated with a favourable clinical outcome. The aim of this study was threefold: (i) to assess the frequency and clinical association of the fusion gene in patients with and without a cytogenetically detectable chromosome 12 and/or 21 abnormality or failed cytogenetic results, (ii) to characterize alternative forms of ETV6/AML1 transcripts, and (iii) to use ETV6/AML1 as a molecular marker for the investigation of minimal residual disease (MRD). ETV6/AML1 fusion was detected in 22 (39%) of 56 cases studied by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). ETV6/AML1 fusion was found in nine out of 16 (56%) cases with a cytogenetically visible chromosome 12 abnormality, but also in nine out of 29 patients (31%) without a chromosome 12 abnormality or patients with failed cytogenetics (four out of 11 patients, 36%), making this the most common cytogenetic abnormality in childhood ALL. Alternatively spliced ETV6/AML1 forms were investigated in 14 of the positive patients. Exon 5 of ETV6 was fused in frame to all AML1 exons, except exon 4. Fusion to exon 6 of AML1 resulted in one amino acid change. The presence of ETV6/AML1 was associated with a lower white blood cell count (Student's t-test; P = 0.009) and common (c)ALL phenotype (chi(2) test; P > 0.001), but no better disease-free survival. Our study shows that (i) RT-PCR is the most effective approach for the detection of t(12;21) in childhood ALL, (ii) the association of ETV6/AML1 and chromosome 12 and/or 21, seen in 56% of our cases, further confirms existing data, (iii) overall survival of patients with t(12;21) was not better than other cytogenetics groups, and (d) MRD analysis using ETV6/AML1 fusion is specific, but not sensitive enough to avoid false negative results.
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Shafi S, Codrington R, Gidden LM, Ferns GAA. Increased expression of phosphorylated forms of heat-shock protein-27 and p38MAPK in macrophage-rich regions of fibro-fatty atherosclerotic lesions in the rabbit. Int J Exp Pathol 2016; 97:56-65. [PMID: 26853073 DOI: 10.1111/iep.12167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2015] [Accepted: 12/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
We aimed to assess the expression and distribution of Hsp27, pHsp27 (Ser82), p38MAPK and p-p38MAPK in fibro-fatty atherosclerotic lesions and the myocardium of hypercholesterolaemic rabbits. Male New Zealand white rabbits were fed a high-cholesterol diet for 18 weeks, maintaining serum cholesterol at approximately 20 mmol/l over this period. Aortic arch and myocardial tissues were analysed by Western blot, immunohistochemistry and double immunofluorescence. Plasma Hsp27 levels were measured by ELISA. There was a significant increase in the expression of monomeric and dimeric forms of Hsp27, together with pHsp27 (Ser82), p38MAPK and p-p38MAPK in the fibro-fatty atherosclerotic lesions (P < 0.01; P < 0.05; P < 0.001; and P < 0.001, respectively) and the myocardial tissues (P < 0.001) from the cholesterol-fed rabbits compared with equivalent tissues from controls when the plasma concentration was low. Immunohistochemical analysis of the fibro-fatty lesions showed marked increases in Hsp27 and pHsp27 (Ser82) immunoreactivity. Double immunostaining showed intense expression of pHsp27 and p-p38MAPK in regions that were rich in macrophages, suggesting a close association with these inflammatory cells, whereas, in regions rich in smooth muscle cells, only p-p38MAPK was found to be strongly expressed. An increased expression of pHsp27 (Ser82) was spatially associated with increased p-p38MAPK within fibro-fatty atherosclerotic lesions and was colocalized to regions rich in macrophages. The initial increase in plasma Hsp27 levels may reflect the increase in systemic inflammation and oxidative stress in the early phases of disease. The falling concentrations subsequently may be coincident with the development of the advanced atherosclerotic lesions.
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Ruggero K, Al-Assar O, Chambers JS, Codrington R, Brend T, Rabbitts TH. LMO2 and IL2RG synergize in thymocytes to mimic the evolution of SCID-X1 gene therapy-associated T-cell leukaemia. Leukemia 2016; 30:1959-62. [PMID: 27256700 PMCID: PMC5227057 DOI: 10.1038/leu.2016.116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. |
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Codrington R, O'connor HE, Jalali GR, Carrara P, Papaioannou M, Hart SM, Hoffbrand AV, Potter M, Prentice HG, Harrison CJ, Foroni L. Analysis of ETV6/AML1
abnormalities in acute lymphoblastic leukaemia: incidence, alternative spliced forms and minimal residual disease value. Br J Haematol 2000. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2141.2000.02464.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Alves D, Li H, Codrington R, Orte A, Ren X, Klenerman D, Balasubramanian S. Erratum: Single-molecule analysis of human telomerase monomer. Nat Chem Biol 2008. [DOI: 10.1038/nchembio0608-379a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Shafi S, Codrington R, Gideon L, Ferns G. Increased expression of phosphorylated forms of heat shock protein-27 and p38MAPK in macrophages within rabbit advanced atherosclerotic lesions. Atherosclerosis 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2015.04.288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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