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Unnikrishnan A, Vo ANQ, Pickford R, Raftery MJ, Nunez AC, Verma A, Hesson LB, Pimanda JE. AZA-MS: a novel multiparameter mass spectrometry method to determine the intracellular dynamics of azacitidine therapy in vivo. Leukemia 2017; 32:900-910. [PMID: 29249821 PMCID: PMC5886051 DOI: 10.1038/leu.2017.340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2017] [Revised: 11/19/2017] [Accepted: 11/23/2017] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
The cytidine analogue, 5-azacytidine (AZA; 5-AZA-cR), is the primary treatment for myelodysplastic syndrome and chronic myelomonocytic leukaemia. However, only ~50% of treated patients will respond to AZA and the drivers of AZA resistance in vivo are poorly understood. To better understand the intracellular dynamics of AZA upon therapy and decipher the molecular basis for AZA resistance, we have developed a novel, multiparameter, quantitative mass spectrometry method (AZA-MS). Using AZA-MS, we have accurately quantified the abundance of the ribonucleoside (5-AZA-cR) and deoxyribonucleoside (5-AZA-CdR) forms of AZA in RNA, DNA and the cytoplasm within the same sample using nanogram quantities of input material. We report that although AZA induces DNA demethylation in a dose-dependent manner, it has no corresponding effect on RNA methylation. By applying AZA-MS to primary bone marrow samples from patients undergoing AZA therapy, we have identified that responders accumulate more 5-AZA-CdR in their DNA compared with nonresponders. AZA resistance was not a result of impaired AZA metabolism or intracellular accumulation. Furthermore, AZA-MS has helped to uncover different modes of AZA resistance. Whereas some nonresponders fail to incorporate sufficient 5-AZA-CdR into DNA, others incorporate 5-AZA-CdR and effect DNA demethylation like AZA responders, but show no clinical benefit.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Unnikrishnan
- Adult Cancer Program, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Prince of Wales Clinical School, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - A N Q Vo
- Adult Cancer Program, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Prince of Wales Clinical School, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - R Pickford
- Bioanalytical Mass Spectrometry Facility, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - M J Raftery
- Bioanalytical Mass Spectrometry Facility, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - A C Nunez
- Adult Cancer Program, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Prince of Wales Clinical School, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - A Verma
- Climate Change Cluster, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - L B Hesson
- Adult Cancer Program, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Prince of Wales Clinical School, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - J E Pimanda
- Adult Cancer Program, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Prince of Wales Clinical School, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Department of Pathology, School of Medical Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Haematology Department, Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia
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Huang Y, Thoms JAI, Tursky ML, Knezevic K, Beck D, Chandrakanthan V, Suryani S, Olivier J, Boulton A, Glaros EN, Thomas SR, Lock RB, MacKenzie KL, Bushweller JH, Wong JWH, Pimanda JE. MAPK/ERK2 phosphorylates ERG at serine 283 in leukemic cells and promotes stem cell signatures and cell proliferation. Leukemia 2016; 30:1552-61. [PMID: 27055868 DOI: 10.1038/leu.2016.55] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2015] [Revised: 12/23/2015] [Accepted: 02/02/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Aberrant ERG (v-ets avian erythroblastosis virus E26 oncogene homolog) expression drives leukemic transformation in mice and high expression is associated with poor patient outcomes in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and T-acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL). Protein phosphorylation regulates the activity of many ETS factors but little is known about ERG in leukemic cells. To characterize ERG phosphorylation in leukemic cells, we applied liquid chromatography coupled tandem mass spectrometry and identified five phosphorylated serines on endogenous ERG in T-ALL and AML cells. S283 was distinct as it was abundantly phosphorylated in leukemic cells but not in healthy hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs). Overexpression of a phosphoactive mutant (S283D) increased expansion and clonogenicity of primary HSPCs over and above wild-type ERG. Using a custom antibody, we screened a panel of primary leukemic xenografts and showed that ERG S283 phosphorylation was mediated by mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (MAPK/ERK) signaling and in turn regulated expression of components of this pathway. S283 phosphorylation facilitates ERG enrichment and transactivation at the ERG +85 HSPC enhancer that is active in AML and T-ALL with poor prognosis. Taken together, we have identified a specific post-translational modification in leukemic cells that promotes progenitor proliferation and is a potential target to modulate ERG-driven transcriptional programs in leukemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Huang
- Adult Cancer Program, Prince of Wales Clinical School, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - J A I Thoms
- Adult Cancer Program, Prince of Wales Clinical School, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - M L Tursky
- Adult Cancer Program, Prince of Wales Clinical School, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Children's Cancer Institute Australia, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - K Knezevic
- Adult Cancer Program, Prince of Wales Clinical School, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - D Beck
- Adult Cancer Program, Prince of Wales Clinical School, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - V Chandrakanthan
- Adult Cancer Program, Prince of Wales Clinical School, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - S Suryani
- Children's Cancer Institute Australia, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - J Olivier
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, UNSW Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - A Boulton
- Department of Chemistry, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - E N Glaros
- School of Medical Sciences, UNSW Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - S R Thomas
- School of Medical Sciences, UNSW Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - R B Lock
- Children's Cancer Institute Australia, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - K L MacKenzie
- Children's Cancer Institute Australia, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - J H Bushweller
- Department of Chemistry, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - J W H Wong
- Adult Cancer Program, Prince of Wales Clinical School, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - J E Pimanda
- Adult Cancer Program, Prince of Wales Clinical School, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Department of Hematology, Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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3
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Tursky ML, Beck D, Thoms JAI, Huang Y, Kumari A, Unnikrishnan A, Knezevic K, Evans K, Richards LA, Lee E, Morris J, Goldberg L, Izraeli S, Wong JWH, Olivier J, Lock RB, MacKenzie KL, Pimanda JE. Overexpression of ERG in cord blood progenitors promotes expansion and recapitulates molecular signatures of high ERG leukemias. Leukemia 2014; 29:819-27. [PMID: 25306899 DOI: 10.1038/leu.2014.299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2014] [Revised: 09/04/2014] [Accepted: 10/03/2014] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
High expression of the ETS family transcription factor ERG is associated with poor clinical outcome in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and acute T-cell lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL). In murine models, high ERG expression induces both T-ALL and AML. However, no study to date has defined the effect of high ERG expression on primary human hematopoietic cells. In the present study, human CD34+ cells were transduced with retroviral vectors to elevate ERG gene expression to levels detected in high ERG AML. RNA sequencing was performed on purified populations of transduced cells to define the effects of high ERG on gene expression in human CD34+ cells. Integration of the genome-wide expression data with other data sets revealed that high ERG drives an expression signature that shares features of normal hematopoietic stem cells, high ERG AMLs, early T-cell precursor-ALLs and leukemic stem cell signatures associated with poor clinical outcome. Functional assays linked this gene expression profile to enhanced progenitor cell expansion. These results support a model whereby a stem cell gene expression network driven by high ERG in human cells enhances the expansion of the progenitor pool, providing opportunity for the acquisition and propagation of mutations and the development of leukemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- M L Tursky
- 1] Adult Cancer Program, Prince of Wales Clinical School, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW, Sydney, Australia [2] Children's Cancer Institute Australia, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW, Sydney, Australia
| | - D Beck
- Adult Cancer Program, Prince of Wales Clinical School, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW, Sydney, Australia
| | - J A I Thoms
- Adult Cancer Program, Prince of Wales Clinical School, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW, Sydney, Australia
| | - Y Huang
- Adult Cancer Program, Prince of Wales Clinical School, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW, Sydney, Australia
| | - A Kumari
- Children's Cancer Institute Australia, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW, Sydney, Australia
| | - A Unnikrishnan
- Adult Cancer Program, Prince of Wales Clinical School, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW, Sydney, Australia
| | - K Knezevic
- Adult Cancer Program, Prince of Wales Clinical School, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW, Sydney, Australia
| | - K Evans
- Children's Cancer Institute Australia, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW, Sydney, Australia
| | - L A Richards
- Children's Cancer Institute Australia, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW, Sydney, Australia
| | - E Lee
- Children's Cancer Institute Australia, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW, Sydney, Australia
| | - J Morris
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Royal North Shore Hospital, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - L Goldberg
- 1] Cancer Research Center, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Ramat Gan, Israel [2] Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - S Izraeli
- 1] Cancer Research Center, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Ramat Gan, Israel [2] Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - J W H Wong
- Adult Cancer Program, Prince of Wales Clinical School, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW, Sydney, Australia
| | - J Olivier
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, UNSW, Sydney, Australia
| | - R B Lock
- Children's Cancer Institute Australia, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW, Sydney, Australia
| | - K L MacKenzie
- Children's Cancer Institute Australia, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW, Sydney, Australia
| | - J E Pimanda
- 1] Adult Cancer Program, Prince of Wales Clinical School, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW, Sydney, Australia [2] Department of Haematology, Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney, Australia
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Oram SH, Thoms J, Sive JI, Calero-Nieto FJ, Kinston SJ, Schütte J, Knezevic K, Lock RB, Pimanda JE, Göttgens B. Bivalent promoter marks and a latent enhancer may prime the leukaemia oncogene LMO1 for ectopic expression in T-cell leukaemia. Leukemia 2013; 27:1348-57. [PMID: 23302769 PMCID: PMC3677138 DOI: 10.1038/leu.2013.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
LMO1 is a transcriptional regulator and a T-acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (T-ALL) oncogene. Although first identified in association with a chromosomal translocation in T-ALL, the ectopic expression of LMO1 occurs far more frequently in the absence of any known mutation involving its locus. Given that LMO1 is barely expressed in any haematopoietic lineage, and activation of transcriptional drivers in leukaemic cells is not well described, we investigated the regulation of this gene in normal haematopoietic and leukaemic cells. We show that LMO1 has two promoters that drive reporter gene expression in transgenic mice to neural tissues known to express endogenous LMO1. The LMO1 promoters display bivalent histone marks in multiple blood lineages including T-cells, and a 3' flanking region at LMO1 +57 contains a transcriptional enhancer that is active in developing blood cells in transgenic mouse embryos. The LMO1 promoters become activated in T-ALL together with the 3' enhancer, which is bound in primary T-ALL cells by SCL/TAL1 and GATA3. Taken together, our results show that LMO1 is poised for expression in normal progenitors, where activation of SCL/TAL1 together with a breakdown of epigenetic repression of LMO1 regulatory elements induces ectopic LMO1 expression that contributes to the development and maintenance of T-ALL.
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Affiliation(s)
- S H Oram
- Department of Haematology, Cambridge Institute for Medical Research and Wellcome Trust and MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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