Sumoylation of Pyruvate Kinase M2 Inhibits Myeloid Differentiation in Hematopoietic Cells

Abstract The pyruvate kinase (PK) is a rate-limiting glycolytic enzyme catalyzing the dephosphorylation of phosphoenolpyruvate to pyruvate. M2 form of PK (PKM2) is expressed during embryogenesis and is the predominant form in tumors of different types. In contrast to the essential role of PKM2 in solid tumors, much less is known about the effects of PKM2 in hematopoietic cells and the development of leukemia. Here we found that PKM2 is modified by small ubiquitin-like modifier 1(SUMO1), which can be reduced by a SUMO1-specific protease SENP1 in hematopoietic cells. SUMOylation induced nuclear localization and conformation change from tetramer to dimer of PKM2. Importantly, SUMOylation of PKM2 is prevalent in a variety of leukemic cell lines as well as primary samples from patients with hematologic malignancies. In consistency, predominant nuclear localization and dimeric forms of PKM2 in leukemic cells were observed. Using in vitro SUMOylation reaction-coupled liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), we identified K270 lysine residue of PKM2 as the SUMOylation target. Replacement of endogenous PKM2 with mutant PKM2K270 showed a significant shift of PKM2 from tetramer to dimer. To investigate the potential leukemogenic effect of PKM2 SUMOylation, murine hematopoietic progenitor 32D clone 3 (32Dcl3) transfectants expressing wild type(WT) or mutant PKM2K270 were generated and G-CSF-induced differentiation was evaluated by morphology appearance and expression of myeloid associated surface markers CD11b and Gr-1. The results showed that expression of WT PKM2 but not mutant PKM2K270 significantly blocked myeloid differentiation. Further investigations revealed that SUMO1 modification of PKM2 at K270 is essential in mediating the interaction between PKM2 and Runt-related transcription factor 1(RUNX1), a master transcriptional factor implicated in the differentiation of hematopoietic cells. This interaction led to a downregulation of RUNX1 during G-CSF-induced myeloid differentiation of 32D cells, which could be abrogated by expression of mutant PKM2K270. Collectively, these data indicated that SUMOylated PKM2 blocks myeloid differentiation through suppressing RUNX1. These findings reveal a novel nonmetabolic function of PKM2 in modulating myeloid differentiation and highlight the critical role of SUMOylation in leukemogenesis. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

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A Critical Role of Mir-9 in Myelopoesis and EVI1-Induced Leukemogenesis.

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v120.21.2332.2332 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 120 (21) ◽

pp. 2332-2332

Author(s):

Vitalyi Senyuk ◽

Yunyuan Zhang ◽

Yang Liu ◽

Ming Ming ◽

Jianjun Chen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cell Transformation ◽

Conflicts Of Interest ◽

Critical Role ◽

Ectopic Expression ◽

Myeloid Differentiation ◽

Dna Hypermethylation ◽

Hematopoietic Stem

Abstract Abstract 2332 MicroRNA-9 (miR-9) is required for normal neurogenesis and organ development. The expression of miR-9 is altered in several types of solid tumors suggesting that it may have a function in cell transformation. However the role of this miR in normal hematopoiesis and leukemogenesis is unknown. Here we show that miR-9 is expressed at low levels in hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSCs/HPCs), and that it is upregulated during hematopoietic differentiation. Ectopic expression of miR-9 strongly accelerates terminal myelopoiesis, while promoting apoptosis in vitro and in vivo. In addition, the inhibition of miR-9 in HPC with a miRNA sponge blocks myelopoiesis. EVI1, required for normal embryogenesis, and is considered an oncogene because inappropriate upregulation induces malignant transformation in solid and hematopoietic cancers. In vitro, EVI1 severely affects myeloid differentiation. Here we show that EVI1 binds to the promoter of miR-9–3 leading to DNA hypermethylation of the promoter as well as repression of miR-9. We also show that ectopic miR-9 reverses the myeloid differentiation block that is induced by EVI1. Our findings suggest that inappropriately expressed EVI1 delays or blocks myeloid differentiation, at least in part by DNA hypermethylation and downregulation of miR-9. It was previously reported that FoxOs genes inhibit myeloid differentiation and prevent differentiation of leukemia initiating cells. Here we identify FoxO3 and FoxO1 as new direct targets of miR-9 in hematopoietic cells, and we find that upregulation of FoxO3 in miR-9-positive cells reduces the acceleration of myelopoiesis. These results reveal a novel role of miR-9 in myelopoiesis and in the pathogenesis of EVI1-induced myeloid neoplasms. They also provide new insights on the potential chromatin-modifying role of oncogenes in epigenetic changes in cancer cells. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

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Flt3/ITD Blocks Myeloid Differentiation Of Hematopoietic Cells By Up-Regulating Runx1

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v122.21.3808.3808 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 122 (21) ◽

pp. 3808-3808

Author(s):

Tomohiro Hirade ◽

Mariko Abe ◽

Chie Onishi ◽

Seiji Yamaguchi ◽

Seiji Fukuda

Keyword(s):

Conflicts Of Interest ◽

Hematopoietic Cells ◽

Cell Number ◽

Dominant Negative ◽

Leukemia Cells ◽

Myeloid Differentiation ◽

Differentiation And Proliferation ◽

Runx1 Expression ◽

Novel Therapeutic

Abstract Internal-Tandem-Duplication mutations in the FLT3 (FLT3/ITD) gene are detected in 30% of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and are associated with extremely poor prognoses. The lack of significant efficacy of FLT3/ITD inhibitors underscores the need to identify FLT3/ITD-specific signaling pathways that are distinct from those that occur in normal hematopoietic cells to develop novel therapeutic approaches. FLT3/ITD is classified as a “class I mutation” that drives the proliferation of leukemia cells. In addition to mutation of FLT3/ITD, a “class II mutation” that blocks differentiation of the pre-leukemic clone is generally required for the development of AML. For instance, dominant negative mutations of RUNX1 are occasionally found in patients with AML. These mutations of RUNX1 cause AML by blocking the differentiation of leukemia cells in combination with the mutation of FLT3/ITD. RUNX1 is a core-binding transcription factor and plays an important role in hematopoietic homeostasis, particularly differentiation and proliferation. Loss of RUNX1 blocks hematopoietic differentiation and is associated with the emergence of a primitive hematopoietic compartment, suggesting that RUNX1 generally induces differentiation of hematopoietic cells. However, the functional role of RUNX1 as a down-stream effector of FLT3/ITD has not been characterized. Herein, we investigated the role of Runx1 in aberrant proliferation and differentiation of hematopoietic cells induced by Flt3 /ITD. A comparison of RUNX1 expression levels in AML patients for whom information has been deposited in the public gene expression profile database (GSE1159) revealed that RUNX1 mRNA expression was significantly higher in FLT3/ITD+AML cells (N=78) than in FLT3/ITD-AML cells (N=190, P<0.05). The mRNA microarray analysis consistently demonstrated that Runx1 is up-regulated by Flt3/ITD in Ba/F3 cells. Up-regulation of Runx1 by Flt3/ITD was validated in Ba/F3 cells and 32D cells by quantitative RT-PCR. Incubation of control 32D cells with 20 ng/ml of G-CSF increased the number of Gr-1+/Mac-1+cells, whereas the induction of myeloid differentiation by G-CSF was abrogated by the overexpression of Flt3/ITD in 32D cells. By contrast, transduction of shRNA specific for Runx1 into Flt3/ITD+32D cells inhibited the expression of Runx1 mRNA by 60 % but increased the number and the proportion of Gr-1+/Mac-1+cells ; these effects were enhanced by incubation with G-CSF. These data indicate that Runx1 mediates the block of differentiation toward the myeloid lineage that is induced by Flt3/ITD. Moreover, the number of colony-forming units (CFU) over-expressing Flt3/ITD cultured in the absence of growth factors was reduced by Runx1-shRNA without affecting the total cell number in the suspension culture, as compared to Flt3/ITD+32D cells transduced with control-shRNA. This implies that antagonizing Runx1 facilitates the production of terminally differentiated cells that have lost colony-forming ability, thereby reducing the CFU number without altering the total number of cells. Finally, Runx1-shRNA inhibited the formation of secondary CFU colonies derived from the primary Flt3-ITD-over-expressing CFU colonies. Our results suggest that Flt3/ITD blocks myeloid differentiation of Flt3/ITD+cells by up-regulating Runx1 expression. The blocking of differentiation mediated by Runx1 in Flt3/ITD+cells is in contrast to the cell differentiation-inducing role of Runx1 in normal hematopoiesis, suggesting that the function of Runx1 in Flt3/ITD+cells may be distinct from that in normal cells. The reduction of secondary CFU colonies by Runx1-shRNA suggests that Runx1 may mediate self-renewal of Flt3/ITD+hematopoietic progenitor cells. These findings suggest that antagonizing RUNX1 may represent a novel therapeutic strategy to induce terminal differentiation of FLT3/ITD+AML cells in AML patients, in addition to inhibiting their aberrant proliferation. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

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Endothelial Cells Are Essential to Sense Lipopolysaccharide in a MYD88-Dependent Manner and to Subsequently Induce Emergency Myelopoiesis

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v120.21.641.641 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 120 (21) ◽

pp. 641-641

Author(s):

Steffen Boettcher ◽

Rahel Gerosa ◽

Ramin Radpour ◽

Markus G. Manz

Keyword(s):

Endothelial Cells ◽

Conflicts Of Interest ◽

Critical Role ◽

Hematopoietic Cells ◽

Clinical Signs ◽

Dependent Manner ◽

Perivascular Cells ◽

Hematopoietic Stem ◽

Emergency Myelopoiesis

Abstract Abstract 641 Severe systemic infections evoke a number of characteristic clinical signs such as fever, neutrophilia and the appearance of immature myeloid precursors in the circulation (left-shift). This reflects a well-regulated hematopoietic response program to enhance myeloid cell output during times of increased hematopoietic demand, a condition which is referred to as 'emergency myelopoiesis'. Important molecular components of the emergency myelopoiesis cascade, such as cytokines and transcription factors involved, have been elucidated. However, the initial steps of emergency myelopoiesis involving pathogen recognition and translation into accelerated bone marrow (BM) myelopoiesis have only been inferred from findings on Toll-like receptor (TLR) expression on immature hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) as well as on mature hematopoietic cells (e.g. macrophages). Accordingly, it has been assumed that both immature as well as mature hematopoietic cells are involved in sensing infection and inducing emergency myelopoiesis directly and indirectly, respectively. Surprisingly, by generating reciprocal BM chimeric animals mice with TLR4−/− hematopoiesis on a wild-type (WT) nonhematopoietic background (TLR4−/−→WT mice) and WT hematopoiesis on a TLR4−/− nonhematopoietic background (WT→TLR4−/−mice), we demonstrated that LPS-Induced emergency myelopoiesis depends on TLR4-expressing nonhematopoietic cells (Boettcher et al., J Immunol. 2012 Jun 15;188(12):5824–8.). However, the precise identity and localization of the nonhematopoietic cell type crucial for sensing gramnegative infection-derived lipopolysaccharide (LPS) has remained elusive to date. We now have addressed this fundamental question using BM transplantation experiments and Cre-loxP recombination technology. BM chimeric mice with a myeloid differentiation primary response gene 88 (Myd88)-deficiency in the hematopoietic lineage (MYD88−/−→WT mice) showed a normal LPS response indistinguishable to control (WT→WT) mice, while knocked out Myd88 within the nonhematopoietic compartment (WT→MYD88−/− mice) led to a non-responsiveness towards LPS similar to controls (Myd88−/−→Myd88−/− mice). These results are in line with our earlier data, thus confirming the critical role of the TLR4/MYD88 pathway in nonhematopoietic cells for the induction of emergency myelopoiesis. In order to specifically delete TLR-MyYD88-downstream signaling in various nonhematopoietic cells including BM Nestin+ mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and their progeny, perivascular cells, endothelial cells, and hepatocytes, we generated Nes-Cre;Myd88fl/fl, Pdgfrb-Cre;Myd88fl/fl, Tek-Cre;Myd88fl/fl, and Alb-Cre;Myd88fl/fl mice, respectively. We observed a normal increase in the frequency of BM CD11b+Gr-1low immature myeloid precursors accompanied by a decrease of BM CD11b+Gr-1high mature myeloid cells upon LPS stimulation characteristic for efficient emergency myelopoiesis in Nes-Cre;Myd88fl/fl, Pdgfrb-Cre;Myd88fl/fl, and Alb-Cre;Myd88fl/fl mice as compared to control mice. Furthermore, we measured highly-elevated plasma G-CSF levels in these mouse strains upon LPS injection. Hence, intact TLR signaling in mesenchymal stromal cells incl. Nestin+ MSCs, perivascular cells as well as hepatocytes is dispensable for induction of emergency myelopoiesis. Strikingly, Tek-Cre;Myd88fl/fl mice were completely non-responsive towards LPS stimulation as assessed by the above-mentioned parameters. Our results thus demonstrate a fundamental and unanticipated role of the endothelium for sensing of systemically spread pathogens and subsequent stimulation of BM emergency myelopoiesis. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

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Zebra "Fishing" the Role of Granulin in Hematopoiesis

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood-2019-130781 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 134 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 1194-1194

Author(s):

Raquel Espin Palazon ◽

Xiaoyi Cheng ◽

Clyde A Campbell ◽

Liangdao Li ◽

Bettina Schmid ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Animal Model ◽

Conflicts Of Interest ◽

Bone Marrow Failure ◽

Hematopoietic Cells ◽

Cell Types ◽

Myeloid Differentiation ◽

Hematopoietic System ◽

High Conservation

Granulin (GRN) is a multifunctional protein with anti-inflammatory properties and involved in neurological diseases and tumorigenesis. It contains several cysteine-rich motifs that are unique to this protein, which are conserved from sponges to humans indicating their ancient evolutionary origin. Despite being highly expressed by certain hematopoietic cell lineages, the role that GRN plays in hematopoiesis has reminded elusive. The multifunctional nature of this protein, together with its wide expression in all mammalian cell types has challenged the characterization of its functional role in hematopoiesis due to its effects on other tissues. Therefore, we took advantage of the whole genomic duplication of the zebrafish (Danio rerio) and the high conservation of the cysteine-rich motifs among the zebrafish and human granulins to address this knowledge gap and explore their role in hematopoiesis in vivo. The whole genome duplication that separated teleost fish from mammals resulted in two copies of the granulin gene in the zebrafish (Granulin a and Granulin b, Grna and Grnb respectively). This has allowed us an unprecedented view into the function of this protein in hematopoiesis. We show that like mammals, grnb transcripts are found in all cell types, including hematopoietic cells. In contrast, grna is restricted to hematopoietic cells, including myeloid populations. The distinct cell expression of grna and grnb suggests that, in the zebrafish, grna evolved to specifically function in hematopoiesis, while grnb may have taken on the rest of the biological roles assigned to the mammalian granulin. The zebrafish is an animal model with unique advantages for in vivo studies. Its external development allows us to circumvent the challenges of in utero experimentation required using mammals, permitting the use of non-invasive imaging techniques to study developmental hematopoiesis. In addition, more than 70% of genes identified in the zebrafish are conserved in humans. These, together with its high conservation with the human hematopoietic system has led to a greater understanding and prevention of human hematologic diseases by using this elegant animal model. These unique advantages of the zebrafish, in addition to its genetic amenability allowed us to generate Grna and Grnb single mutants and identify their impact in the hematopoietic system in vivo. While the absence of Grnb did not affect the development of the hematopoietic system, lack of Grna led to decreased differentiation of myeloid precursors into neutrophils and macrophages. Therefore, Grna knockout allowed us to disrupt the hematopoietic function of granulin while keeping unaltered its function in the brain and other non-hematopoietic tissues. Although viable, adult Grna mutants developed kidney marrow (the fish analogous to the mammalian bone marrow) failure, with increased progenitors and decreased mature myeloid cells. Mechanistically, we found that pu.1, the main transcription factor that leads to myeloid differentiation, directly bound grna enhancers, upregulating its expression. We have demonstrated that Grna enhanced myeloid gene expression, and decreased gata1 expression thereby facilitating myeloid differentiation and inhibiting the erythroid genetic program. Finally, we show that these findings in the zebrafish are also conserved in humans. Altogether, we have identified the hematopoietic role of granulin without disturbing its biological functions in other tissues. We have unveiled a powerful and novel master regulator for myeloid differentiation that could potentially be utilized for the treatment of hematological disorders such as neutropenia and leukemia. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

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KAUTILYA ON THE SCOPE AND METHODOLOGY OF ACCOUNTING, ORGANIZATIONAL DESIGN AND THE ROLE OF ETHICS IN ANCIENT INDIA

Accounting Historians Journal ◽

10.2308/0148-4184.31.2.125 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 31 (2) ◽

pp. 125-148 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

Balbir S. Sihag

Keyword(s):

Economic Development ◽

Economic Performance ◽

Organizational Design ◽

Conflicts Of Interest ◽

Critical Role ◽

Ethical Values ◽

Allocation Of Resources ◽

Economic Data ◽

Ancient India

Kautilya, a 4th century B.C.E. economist, recognized the importance of accounting methods in economic enterprises. He realized that a proper measurement of economic performance was absolutely essential for efficient allocation of resources, which was considered an important source of economic development. He viewed philosophy and political science as separate disciplines but considered accounting an integral part of economics. He specified a very broad scope for accounting and considered explanation and prediction as its proper objectives. Kautilya developed bookkeeping rules to record and classify economic data, emphasized the critical role of independent periodic audits and proposed the establishment of two important but separate offices - the Treasurer and Comptroller-Auditor, to increase accountability, specialization, and above all to reduce the scope for conflicts of interest. He also linked the successful enforcement of rules and regulations to their clarity, consistency and completeness. Kautilya believed that such measures were necessary but not sufficient to eliminate fraudulent accounting. He also emphasized the role of ethics, considering ethical values as the glue which binds society and promotes economic development.

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Science and Theology for Everyone: How Climate Science is Shaping Christianity in the UK

Modern Believing ◽

10.3828/mb.2021.11 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 62 (2) ◽

pp. 147-157

Author(s):

Caleb Gordon ◽

Hannah Malcolm

Keyword(s):

Critical Role ◽

Climate Science ◽

Significant Shift ◽

Christian Life ◽

Ethical Problems ◽

Technical Leadership ◽

Science And Theology ◽

The Uk ◽

Insight Into

This article analyses the growing participation of UK Christians in climate initiatives over the last five years. In many cases, climate science is cited as a necessary consideration for the fulfilment of already-existing Christian commitments. This represents a significant shift in the ways UK Christians understand the role of dialogue between theology and the sciences; previous science and theology dialogue has usually been treated as an area of expert concern, primarily offering insight into apologetics or specific ethical problems. By contrast, the dialogue between climate science and theology has seen the emergence of non-technical leadership amid the expectation that climate science plays a critical role in re-examining the meaning of Christian life, both for individuals and as communities.

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Transcriptome Based Projection of Single Cells to Uncover Development and Heterogeneity of Abnormal Hematopoietic Cells

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood-2019-130587 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 134 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 2520-2520

Author(s):

Parashar Dhapola ◽

Mikael Sommarin ◽

Mohamed Eldeeb ◽

Amol Ugale ◽

David Bryder ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Single Cell ◽

Mononuclear Cells ◽

Conflicts Of Interest ◽

Single Cells ◽

Hematopoietic Cells ◽

Leukemic Cells ◽

Target Cells ◽

Cell Identity ◽

Large Patient ◽

Low Dimensional

Single-cell transcriptomics (scRNA-Seq) has accelerated the investigation of hematopoietic differentiation. Based on scRNA-Seq data, more refined models of lineage determination in stem- and progenitor cells are now available. Despite such advances, characterizing leukemic cells using single-cell approaches remains challenging. The conventional strategies of scRNA-Seq analysis map all cells on the same low dimensional space using approaches like tSNE and UMAP. However, when used for comparing normal and leukemic cells, such methods are often inadequate as the transcriptome of the leukemic cells has systematically diverged, resulting in irrelevant separation of leukemic subpopulations from their healthy counterpart. Here, we have developed a new computational approach bundled into a tool called Nabo (nabo.readthedocs.io) that has the capacity to directly compare cells that are otherwise unalignable. First, Nabo creates a shared nearest neighbor graph of the reference population, and the heterogeneity of this population is subsequently defined by performing clustering on the graph and calculating a low dimensional representation using t-SNE or UMAP. Nabo then calculates the similarity of incoming cells from a target population to each cell in the reference graph using a modified Canberra metric. The reference cells with higher similarity to the target cells obtain higher mapping scores. The built-in classifier is used to assign each target cell a reference cluster identity. We tested Nabo's accuracy on control datasets and found that Nabo's performance in terms of accuracy and robustness of projection is comparable to state-of-art methods. Moreover, Nabo is a generalized domain adaptation algorithm and hence can perform classification of target cells that are arbitrarily dissimilar to reference cells. Nabo could identify the cell-identity of sorted CD19+ B cells, CD14+ monocytes and CD56+ by projecting these unlabeled cells onto labelled peripheral blood mononuclear cells with an average specificity higher than 0.98. The general applicability of Nabo was demonstrated by successfully integrating pancreatic cells, sequenced in three different studies using different sequencing chemistries with comparable or better accuracy than existing methods. Also, it was conclusively demonstrated that Nabo can predict the identity of human HSPC subpopulations to the same accuracy as can be achieved by established cell-surface markers. Having Nabo at hand, we aimed to uncover the heterogeneity of hematopoietic cells from different stages of AML. Nabo showed that AML cells lacked the heterogeneity of normal CD34+ cells and were devoid of cells with HSC gene signature. A large patient-to-patient variability was found where leukemic cells mapped to distinct stages of myeloid progenitors. To ask whether this variability could reflect differences in leukemia-initiating cell identity, we induced leukemia in murine granulocyte-monocyte-lymphoid progenitors (GMLPs) using an inducible model for MLL-ENL-driven AML. On projection, more than 70% of MLL-ENL-activated cells mapped to a distinct Flt3+ subpopulation present within healthy GMLPs. Statistical validity of this projection was verified using two novel null models for testing cell projections: 1) ablated node model, wherein the mapping strength of target cells are evaluated after removal of high mapping score source nodes, and 2) high entropy features model, which rules out the background noise effect. By separating Flt3+ and Flt3- cells prior to activation of the fusion gene and performing in vitro replating assays, we could demonstrate that Flt3+ GMLPs contained 3-4 fold more leukemia-initiating cells (1/1.34 cells) than Flt3- GMLPs (1/4.89 cells), indicating that leukemia-initiating cells within GMLPs express Flt3. Taken together, Nabo represents a robust cell projection strategy for relevant analysis of scRNA-Seq data that permits an interpretable inference of cross-population relationships. Nabo is designed to compare disparate cellular populations by using the heterogeneity of one population as a point of reference allowing for cell-type specification even following perturbations that have resulted in large molecular changes to the cells of interest. As such, Nabo has critical implementation for delineation of leukemia heterogeneity and identification of leukemia-initiating cell population. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

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HSP27 Protects Malignant Hematopoietic Cells Against VP-16-Induced Apoptosis through Modulation of P38 and C-JUN.

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v104.11.1276.1276 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 104 (11) ◽

pp. 1276-1276

Author(s):

Hein Schepers ◽

Marjan Geugien ◽

Marco van der Toorn ◽

Anton L. Bryantsev ◽

Harm H. Kampinga ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hematopoietic Cells ◽

Leukemic Cells ◽

Dependent Manner ◽

Apoptosis Pathway ◽

Hsp27 Expression ◽

Cd34 Cells ◽

Induced Apoptosis ◽

And Function ◽

Jnk Activation

Abstract In the present study, expression and function of Heat Shock Protein 27 (HSP27) was analyzed in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), since HSP27 expression is linked to unfavourable prognosis. HSP27 protein was predominantly expressed in monocytic blasts (M4-M5, 91%, N = 11) and absent in myeloid leukemic blasts (M1-M2, N = 5). A similar lineage restricted expression was observed in normal hematopoietic cells: high expression in normal CD34+ cells and monocytes, and absent in granulocytes. To study the functional role of HSP27, RNA interference (RNAi) studies were performed in the leukemic TF-1 cell line. These experiments demonstrated a twofold increase in VP-16-induced apoptosis after HSP27 siRNA. In contrast, CD95 Fas-induced apoptosis remained the same, as a result of CD95 Fas-mediated upregulation of HSP27. Additional investigations demonstrated that the increased VP-16-induced apoptosis after HSP27 RNAi, was associated with an enhanced phosphorylation of p38 and c-Jun. This VP-16-induced phosphorylation was subsequently followed by the release of cytochrome c into the cytoplasm, which increased twofold after siRNA treatment. These results indicate that HSP27 plays an important role in the protection against VP-16-induced apoptosis through the modulation of p38 and JNK activation, probably through interference with DAXX-mediated ASK1 activation. This was further underscored by co-immunoprecipitation studies, demonstrating complex formation of DAXX and HSP27 in an ASK1-dependent manner. However, in the investigated AML samples, VP-16-mediated apoptosis correlated moderately with HSP27 expression, although HSP27 was highly expressed and phosphorylated and activated in primitive monocytic AML blasts. This is likely due to the co-expression of p21Waf1/Cip1, which is in the majority of the monocytic AML M4-M5 blasts constitutively localised in the cytoplasm and interferes with apoptosis via the DAXX-ASK1-dependent pathway. Preliminary data indicate that overexpression of a cytoplasmic form of p21 is able to reduce the VP-16-induced apoptosis after RNAi for HSP27 as compared to controls, suggesting a predominant anti-apoptotic role of p21 over HSP27. In summary, we demonstrate a role for HSP27 in the survival of leukemic cells by modulation of the DAXX/p38/JNK apoptosis pathway. This survival advantage can further be promoted by the co-expression of cytoplasmic localised p21Waf1/Cip1 protein, indicating that strategies in AML treatment should be focused on targeting multiple signal transduction pathways.

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Chemical Derivatives of the Anti-Leukemia Stem Cell Compound 4-Benzyl-2-Methyl-1,2,4-Thiadiazolidine-3,5-Dione (TDZD-8) with Improved Activity.

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v114.22.3764.3764 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 114 (22) ◽

pp. 3764-3764

Author(s):

Monica L. Guzman ◽

Shama Nasim ◽

Marlene Balys ◽

Cheryl A Corbett ◽

Peter A Crooks ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Progenitor Cells ◽

Water Solubility ◽

Conflicts Of Interest ◽

Membrane Integrity ◽

Hematopoietic Cells ◽

Hematologic Malignancies ◽

Leukemic Cells ◽

Chemical Derivatives ◽

High Concentrations ◽

Rapid Kinetics

Abstract Abstract 3764 Poster Board III-700 We have recently described the novel and unique anti-leukemic properties of 4-benzyl-2-methyl-1,2,4-thiadiazolidine-3,5-dione (TDZD-8). Indeed, TDZD-8 was shown to eradicate leukemia at the bulk, stem, and progenitor level with rapid kinetics (typically < 2 h) with minimal toxicity to normal hematopoietic cells. Moreover, the cytotoxic activity of this drug is observed only in hematologic malignancies. The precise mechanism of TDZD-8 is not fully appreciated, but the compound has been shown to inhibit NFkappaB, GSK3beta, protein kinase C, FMS-like tyrosine kinase (Flt3), AKT and KDR. In addition, TDZD-8 rapidly depletes free thiols and appears to disrupt membrane integrity. Interestingly, TDZD-8 results in rapid mitochondrial swelling, followed by vacuole formation and accumulation. Despite possessing potent and specific anti-leukemia activity, the clinical utility of TDZD-8 is limited by the need for high concentrations (20 microM) and poor solubility. Therefore, to improve the pharmacological properties of TDZD-8, we initiated efforts to generate derivatives with greater anti-leukemia activity at lower concentrations and with greater water-solubility. To this end, an extensive structure-activity relationship study was carried out to examine the effects on anti-leukemic activity resulting from introduction of substituents at the C-2 and C-4- positions of the thiadiazolidine ring of TDZD-8, and of replacement of the TDZD ring with isosteric scaffolds. In total, we have screened more than 60 new analogs. Preliminary screens were performed using two different AML cell lines, evaluating the LD50 for each of the analogs relative to the parental compound. We found that introducing substitutuents into the main TDZD ring resulted in loss of anti-leukemic activity of the compounds. Moreover, substitution in the benzyl/phenyl ring does not affect anti-leukemia activity of the TDZD analogs. Importantly, we found that N-2 halogenoethyl analogs, exhibit exceptional activity against leukemic cells. Of the halogenoethyl analogs evaluated, the iodoethyl analog TD-361 was the most active compound with an LD50 of 0.49 microM in MV-411 cells. Compounds exhibiting increased anti-leukemia activity were subjected to further testing in phenotypically-defined AML stem/progenitor cells. All analogs demonstrated efficacy in primary AML cells at lower concentrations than TDZD-8. Moreover, these analogs still maintained the rapid kinetics observed with TDZD-8. Finally, we performed colony assays to determine the effect of new analogs on progenitor cells from normal and leukemic cells. These studies demonstrated that the more active TDZD analogs retained the selective ability of TDZD-8 to abate AML progenitor cells without harming normal hematopoietic cells. In summary, we have identified the critical chemical moieties for the observed activity of TDZD-8, and have also discovered analogs with improved anti-leukemia activity. Going forward, the most active derivatives are being optimized for water-solubility and will then be evaluated using primary human AML specimens engrafted into immune deficient mice. Based on evidence to date, we propose that the TDZD family of compounds may represent a new class of drugs for the treatment of leukemia and related hematologic malignancies. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

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Predominant Complement Mediated Lysis of B-CLL Cells by Therapeutic MAbs Rituximab and Campath-1H in Whole Blood Assays.

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v114.22.3445.3445 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 114 (22) ◽

pp. 3445-3445 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Josee Golay ◽

Luca Bologna ◽

Elisa Gotti ◽

Alessandro Rambaldi ◽

Renato Bassan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Target Cell ◽

Whole Blood ◽

Conflicts Of Interest ◽

Leukemic Cells ◽

Human Igg ◽

Blood Samples ◽

Expression Levels ◽

Cd20 Expression

Abstract Abstract 3445 Poster Board III-333 The mechanism of action of unconjugated MAbs such as Rituximab and Campath-1H in vivo is still a matter of debate. Most in vitro assays with antibodies rely upon purified effector cells or proteins taken outside their natural context, and on target cell lines rather than patients cells. In order to analyse the activity of therapeutic MAbs on circulating leukemic cells in more physiological conditions and in a system the least manipulated as possible, we have set up a whole blood assays using Rituximab and Campath-1H. Peripheral blood samples were drawn from B-CLL patients or normal donors in sodium citrate and antibodies were directly added at different concentrations. We first demonstrated that neither apoptosis, induced by cross-linked anti-CD20 antibody, nor complement mediated cytotoxicity (CDC) induced by Campath-1H or Rituximab were significantly inhibited by citrate used at the standard concentration (0.1 M). We then performed a number of experiments using whole blood samples in citrate, into which increasing concentrations of Rituximab or Campath-1H were added. Lysis was analysed by FACS analysis after different incubation times at 37°C. We observed that Campath-1H very rapidly and efficiently lysed normal B cells or B-CLL targets in vitro in whole blood: maximal lysis was reached within 4 hours and was observed already with 1 and 10 μg/ml antibody (61 %), even though it was still more effective at 25 or 50 μg/ml (up to 90 % lysis). 25 μg/ml is known to be reached in the circulation after 30mg infusions of the antibody 3 times a week. Lysis by Campath-1H was fully complement dependent since it was inhibited by 90% in presence of excess blocking anti-C5 antibody Eculizumab (200 μg/ml). Eculizumab alone in contrast had no effect on cell viability. We then analysed the efficacy of increasing concentrations of Rituximab in the same assay conditions. We observed in general a much reduced lysis with Rituximab compared to Campath-1H, even using antibody up to 200 μg/ml, a concentration that is reached in the circulation after standard 375 mg/m2 administration of the antibody once a week. Lysis showed also slower kinetics, with limited lysis at 4 hours (mean 6.4%) and maximal lysis with Rituximab reached only after 24 hours incubation (mean 18.8%). Also in this case, target cell death was inhibited by at least 90% in presence of Eculizumab, suggesting a major role of complement. Lysis by Rituximab correlated directly with CD20 expression levels (R=0.8) in 13 B-CLL samples analysed, as expected for a mechanism complement dependent. Indeed a mean 29.3% and 73.2% killing could be observed in the two CD20 bright B-CLL, at 4 and 24 hours respectively, whereas a mean of 3.1% and 10.9% lysis was observed in the 11 low-intermediate CD20 samples analysed at the same time points. These data in whole blood confirm our previously published results on the role of CD20 expression levels in CDC of isolated B-CLL cells (Golay et al., Blood 98, 3383-3389, 2001). In contrast to CDC and apoptosis, ADCC was strongly inhibited by citrate as well as several anti-coagulants tested and therefore could not be analysed in this type of assay. Nonetheless in B-CLL samples, NK cells were below detection limit (<0.1%) in most cases analysed, suggesting that ADCC in the circulation is not a major mechanism of lysis in this disease subtype. Finally we determined the effect of citrate on phagocytosis mediated by Rituximab and in vitro differentiated human macrophages. Phagocytosis could be observed in presence of 0.1M citrate (31%, compared to 44% in absence of citrate). Phagocytosis of B-CLL in whole blood was therefore analysed by layering samples directly onto the macrophages. We observed that phagocytosis of B-CLL targets in whole blood was very low (less than 1% over background) compared to a mean of 47% for purified B-CLL targets phagocytosed in normal culture medium. Phagocytosis in whole blood was low presumably due to the presence of high concentration of human IgG in whole blood since as low as 50 μg/ml human IgG is known to inhibit phagocytosis by 90%. We conclude that the major activity of Campath-1H and Rituximab in the circulation is through complement. Apoptosis, ADCC and phagocytosis appear to play a marginal role in this context but may become more important in tissues. The method presented could be used to rapidly screen novel antibodies for their efficacy through either as apoptosis or CDC directly on unmanipulated patients material. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

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