Type I Calreticulin Mutations Result in Hyperactivation of Its Acetyltransferase Function and Iron Metabolism, Inducing a Susceptibility to Ferroptosis

Abstract Approximately 20% of patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) harbor mutations in the gene calreticulin (CALR). Of these, approximately half are classified as type 1 and 30% as type 2, characterized by a 52 bp deletion (CALRdel52) and a 5 bp insertion (CALRins5) respectively. Although both share identical mutant C-termini and are able to bind and activate MPL, type 1 and type 2 CALR mutations display different clinical and prognostic presentation: type 1 mutations are associated primarily with a fibrotic phenotype and increased proclivity towards fibrotic transformation, while type 2 mutations are more common in ET. Molecularly, type 1 and type 2 mutations result in differential C-domain amino acid sequences with the potential to affect the function of the protein. Various well known functions of CALR, including calcium binding ability and protein folding capacity, have begun to be explored in the context of CALR mutations; however, the impact of CALR mutations on its acetyltransferase ability, which was only discovered in 2006, remains unknown. Here, we show that in accordance with our structural models, mutant CALR not only retains its acyltransferase ability, but type 1 CALRdel52 mutations specifically lead to increased activation of its acetyltransferase ability, revealing a new gain of function phenotype for CALRdel52 mutations. As a result, type 1 CALR mutations lead to increased acetylation of CALR's acetyltransferase targets downstream, such as glutathione-S-transferase and cytochrome P450 reductase, which affects the outputs of these pathways downstream. Exploratory RNA-Seq on CALR-mutated cells revealed a concurrent upregulation of transferrin receptor mediated iron metabolism by CALRdel52. We subsequently validated this finding and show that CALRdel52 cells display differential iron metabolism. Given the upregulation of the transferrin receptor and the increased acetyltransferase ability affecting proteins involved in reactive oxygen species pathways (ROS), ferroptosis-an iron-dependent form of cell death characterized by the accumulation of lipid peroxides-emerged as a potential therapeutic target for CALRdel52 mutated cells. To test this, we first assessed basal proclivity to ferroptosis by measuring the lipid peroxidation product, classic ferroptotic marker 4-HNE (4-hydroxynonenal) as well as both ROS and global lipid peroxide levels in cells expressing wild-type CALR, CALRdel52, and CALRins5. We found that all of these ferroptotic markers were significantly increased in CALRdel52 cells. Therapeutic modulation of these pathways such as iron supplementation resulted in targeting of CALRdel52 cells and ferroptosis induction. This work is the first to examine the acetyltransferase ability of mutant CALR and reveal downstream phenotypic differences based on this ability that set the groundwork for a host of unexplored cellular consequences. Moreover, this study unites the novel understanding of the acetyltransferase function of mutant CALR with changes in transferrin receptor mediated iron metabolism to reveal not only how CALRdel52 induces a ferroptotic proclivity, but the potential of this sensitivity for therapeutic targeting. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

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Calreticulin mutations Are Present in Polyclonal As Well As Clonal ET

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v124.21.4590.4590 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 124 (21) ◽

pp. 4590-4590

Author(s):

Xylina Gregg ◽

Sabina Swierczek ◽

Soo Jin Kim ◽

Josef T. Prchal

Keyword(s):

T Cells ◽

X Chromosome ◽

Conflicts Of Interest ◽

Myeloproliferative Neoplasms ◽

Hematopoietic Stem ◽

Clonal Hematopoiesis ◽

Calr Mutations ◽

Calr Mutation

Abstract First and second authors contributed equally During female embryogenesis, most of the genes in either the maternal or paternal X-chromosome are randomly inactivated in each cell, a process that remains remarkably constant in their progeny. X-chromosome inactivation has been used to define clonality in myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) such polycythemia vera (PV), primary myelofibrosis (PMF) and essential thrombocythemia (ET). One such method to determine clonality uses a quantitative, transcriptional clonality assay based on conservative exonic polymorphisms in five X-chromosome genes (MPP1, FHL1, IDS, BTK, and G6PD). Females who are heterozygous for any of these polymorphisms are considered “informative” and can be studied for clonality by interrogating their platelets’ and granulocytes’ RNA allelic usage ratio. JAK2 mutations occur in >95% of PV and 50-60% of ET and PMF; cMPL mutations are found in another 5-10% of ET and MF. Somatic calreticulin (CALR) mutations have been identified in a majority of patients with ET and MF who lack JAK2 and cMPL mutations. CALR mutations are reported to be associated with a more favorable prognosis and are believed to be acquired early in the disease course. More than 30 CALR mutations have been described, but type 1 (52-bp deletion; c.1092_1143del) and type 2 (5-bp insertion; c.1154_1155insTTGTC) mutations are the most frequent. We analyzed 61 females informative for a transcriptional clonality assay and 44 males with unexplained thrombocytosis or marrow fibrosis and no detectable JAK2 or cMPL mutations for CALR mutations in their granulocytes. With the exception of an absence of a clonal marker, these patients met WHO criteria for ET or PMF. A CALR mutation (20 type 1 and 17 type 2) was present in 37 of these 105 patients (22 females and 15 males). One of the CALR mutated females had a paternal grandmother with JAK2V617F –positive PV, confirming a previous report that, in familial clustering of MPNs, affected individuals may carry different disease-defining somatic mutations. In those CALR positive patients who had available T cells, no detectable CALR mutations were found in their T cells. In one of these subjects, CD34+ cells were available and had a similar mutation level as in the granulocytes. Of the 22 females with a CALR mutation, 19 had clonal hematopoiesis, but 3 had polyclonal hematopoiesis; all 3 had previously unexplained thrombocytosis. None of these patients had any prior treatment for thrombocytosis. Clonal hematopoiesis was present in 26 of the 39 females without a CALR mutation. All female patients with myelofibrosis had clonal hematopoiesis, regardless of CALR mutation status. In contrast to the polyclonal hematopoiesis seen in some CALR positive ET patients, 166 informative PV and JAK2V617F-positive ET or PMF females all had clonal hematopoiesis. We report that CALR mutations are associated with polyclonal hematopoiesis in some ET patients. This finding differs from JAK2V617F-positive ET and PMF and PV females, where clonal hematopoiesis was always seen. This indicates that CALR mutated clones have a weaker suppressive effect on residual normal hematopoietic stem cells than JAK2 mutated clones and may contribute to the possibly more benign course of CALR mutated ET. The CALR mutation was not detected in T cells, which also differs from JAK2V617F mutated MPNs, where a small level of the JAK2 mutation is often detected in T cells. Similar to other reports, we found a lower prevalence of the CALR mutation in JAK2 or cMPL non-mutated ET and PMF than initially described. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

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Clinicopathologic Analysis of Calr Mutation Subtypes in Myeloproliferative Neoplasms

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v126.23.2822.2822 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 126 (23) ◽

pp. 2822-2822 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Yin Xu ◽

Brian Kwok ◽

Aine Yung ◽

Rachel Flamholz ◽

Zhao Wu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Platelet Count ◽

Conflicts Of Interest ◽

Myeloproliferative Neoplasms ◽

Disease Evolution ◽

Cytogenetic Abnormalities ◽

Calr Mutations ◽

Marrow Cellularity ◽

Calr Mutation

Introduction: The discovery of JAK2, MPL, and CALR mutations has significantly improved the diagnostic approach to BCR-ABL1-negative myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN). Approximately 60% of patients with essential thrombocythemia (ET) and primary myelofibrosis (PMF) harbor a JAK2 or MPL mutation. CALR mutations account for the majority of the remaining cases, and are found in 50-70% of ET and 60-90% of PMF cases that are negative for JAK2 and MPL mutations. Most CALR mutations cause a 52-bp deletion (type 1) or a 5-bp insertion (type 2). These mutations are acquired early during disease evolution and activate JAK/STAT signaling. Prior studies have shown that CALR type 1 mutations are associated with a favorable impact on survival of PMF patients, but not those with ET. Some data also suggested that CALR type 2 mutations may be associated with unfavorable prognosis in PMF. To assess the clinicopathologic impacts of CALR mutation subtypes in ET and PMF, we evaluated a series of CALR-mutated cases and correlated subtypes of mutations with several clinical, laboratory, and genetic parameters. Methods: MPN cases positive for CALR mutations were retrieved from our database over a period of 14 months. CALR, JAK2, and MPL mutation analyses were performed by either fragment analysis with Sanger sequencing confirmation or Next-Generation sequencing. Chromosome analysis and FISH with probes for 5p15/5q31, 7p11/7q31, 8cen, 20q, and t(9;22) were performed in all cases. Other parameters obtained included age, gender, hemoglobin, WBC, platelet count, bone marrow blasts and histology, and JAK2/MPL mutation status. The data were analyzed with independent sample t-tests and a 2-tailed chi-square test. Results: A total of 100 consecutive cases of CALR mutated MPNs were identified, 86 of which had available marrow specimens for morphologic subclassification. We further studied the cohort of 86 cases, including 37 ET and 49 PMF patients. 49 were male and 37 female with a median age of 67 (range 31-88) years. 49 (57%) patients had type 1, 28 (33%) had type 2, and 9 (10%) exhibited other types of mutations. No JAK or MPL mutation was found in any cases. Among patients with type 1 mutations, 22 (46%) were ET and 27 (54%) were PMF. Type 2 mutations were seen in 9 (33%) ET and 19 (67%) PMF patients. Notably, 5 cases of ET with type 2 mutations displayed atypical megakaryocytic hyperplasia with variable size and tight aggregates. In contrast, ET with type 1 mutations generally exhibited large megakaryocytes with hyperlobated nuclei. Two cases of PMF with type 2 mutations had a remote history of ET and may represent myelofibrotic transformation. ET patients with type 2 mutations had lower marrow cellularity (mean: 40% vs. 57%; p=0.014) than those with type 1 mutations. There were no statistically significant differences in age, gender, average hemoglobin, WBC, platelet count, marrow blasts, or reticulin fibrosis between the two ET subgroups. While no significant differences in various parameters were observed between PMF patients with type 1 and type 2 mutations, type 2 mutations showed a trend toward a higher platelet count (mean: 714 K/uL vs. 513 K/uL; p=0.086). Chromosome abnormalities were seen in 12 cases (23%), including 11 cases of PMF and 1 case of ET. Among PMF cases, cytogenetic abnormalities were less frequently associated with type 1 mutation (3/27) than type 2 and other types of mutations (8/22) (6% vs. 36%; p=0.035). The number of cases with other types of CALR mutations was small (3 ET and 6 PMF); therefore, comparison of those cases with cases from type 1 or type 2 mutated groups was precluded. Conclusions: ET patients with type 2 mutations showed less marrow cellularity and more megakaryocytic abnormalities associated with PMF compared to those with type 1 mutations. Our observations may raise the question whether ET patients with type 2 CALR mutations are more likely to progress to post-ET myelofibrosis. Type 2 mutations were also associated with a higher platelet count and higher frequency of cytogenetic abnormalities in PMF. Thus, CALR type 2 mutations may have a greater impact on megakaryocytic hyperplasia and platelet count production. We hypothesize that CALR type 1 and type 2 mutations represent different disease subgroups with pathogenic and prognostic implications. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

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Differential Association of Calreticulin Type 1 and Type 2 Mutations with Myelofibrosis and Essential Thrombocytemia: Relevance for Disease Evolution

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v124.21.1823.1823 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 124 (21) ◽

pp. 1823-1823 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Xenia Cabagnols ◽

Jean-Philippe Defour ◽

Valérie Ugo ◽

Jean Christophe Ianotto ◽

Pascal Mossuz ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Platelet Count ◽

Triple Negative ◽

Conflicts Of Interest ◽

Myeloproliferative Neoplasms ◽

Hemoglobin Concentration ◽

Disease Evolution ◽

Calr Mutations ◽

Calr Mutation

Abstract Recent advances in myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) have highlighted the prevalence of mutations in the calreticulin gene (CALR), bringing a major new actor in these disorders. CALR mutations were reported in 25% of ET and in 35% of MF patients, which were non-mutated for JAK2 and MPL. CALR mutations lead to a frame-shift generating a common 36 amino acids C-terminal end and loss of the KDEL motif. Two variants account for 85% of the CALR mutations in ET and PMF: type 1, a 52-bp deletion and type2, a 5-bp insertion. 572 MPN patients negative for JAK2 and MPL mutations were collected from several French and Belgian hospitals. In our series, 396 patients were diagnosed as ET, 108 as MF and 68 as mixed MDS/MPN. We identified mutations of CALR in 368 patients (63.3%). The remaining 204 patients were designated as triple negative. In MF there was an over representation of type 1 mutation (70%) and an under representation of type 2 mutation (13%) as compared to patients with ET. This bias was associated with a higher allelic burden of CALR mutation in MF. MF patients represent a quite homogeneous group, mostly composed of men diagnosed at a median age of 62.5 with a low hemoglobin concentration (10.1 g/dl) and a low platelet count (median at 237 x 109/l). In ET patients the clinical presentation was more heterogeneous. They were mostly women (more than 61%) at a median age of diagnosis of 57 with a median platelet count of 724 x 109/l. In CALR mutated patients there were no sex prevalence and a more important thrombocytosis (785 x 109/l). The type of CALR mutation impacted also age and platelet count. We report the caracterisation of triple negative patients. In ETs they were mostly women (76.9%), particularly for ET patients under 50 years old that were almost exclusively women (27/28). In MF, triple negative patients presented a low hemoglobin concentration (8.85 g/dl) and a low leukocyte count (1.995 x 109/l). A striking characteristic is their platelet count, which was significantly lower than their group mates either in ET or in MF. This lower platelet count may suggest that in the general population, putative asymptomatic triple negative ET male patients could be retrieved, which would only be diagnosed at more advanced age with a symptomatic MF. Taken together, our results underline the differences between the two most frequent types of CALR mutation and show that CALR mutated patients should not be considered as a single entity. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

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Mutation Type As a Major Determinant of Clinical Phenotype in Myeloproliferative Neoplasms Associated with Mutant Calreticulin

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v124.21.3215.3215 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 124 (21) ◽

pp. 3215-3215 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Daniela Pietra ◽

Elisa Rumi ◽

Chiara Milanesi ◽

Christian A Di Buduo ◽

Marta Bellini ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Amino Acids ◽

Clinical Phenotype ◽

Myeloproliferative Neoplasms ◽

Jak2 V617f ◽

Charged Amino Acids ◽

Calr Mutations ◽

Mutation Type ◽

Calr Mutation

Abstract About 25% of patients with essential thrombocythemia (ET) or primary myelofibrosis (PMF) carry a somatic mutation of CALR, the calreticulin gene [N Engl J Med. 2013;369:2379-90]. So far, more than 50 different indels in CALR exon 9 have been found, but a 52-bp deletion (type 1 mutation) and a 5-bp insertion (type 2) are the most common lesions. All indels generate a novel C-terminus of the mutant protein, in which the endoplasmic reticulum retention signal KDEL is lost and the negatively charged amino acids are replaced by neutral and positively charged amino acids, disrupting the Ca-binding site. This suggests that both cellular dislocation and impaired Ca-binding activity may be involved in the abnormal proliferation of cells expressing a mutant calreticulin. It is still unclear, however, why the same mutant gene is associated with 2 different disease phenotypes (ET and PMF). In particular, little in known about the effect of the mutant protein on megakaryocyte biology and bone marrow collagen deposition. We studied the relationships between CALR mutation type, megakaryocyte biology, and clinical phenotype in patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms. According to the 2008 WHO criteria, 716 out of 892 patients had ET and 176 had PMF. Overall, 578 (65%) patients carried JAK2 (V617F), 230 (26%) had a CALR indel, and 84 (9%) had nonmutated JAK2 and CALR. Patients with MPL mutations were excluded. Twenty-six different types of CALR lesions were identified: 120 (52%) patients had type 1 mutation, 75 (33%) had type 2, and 35 (15%) carried other indels. The frequency of type 1 mutation was significantly higher in PMF than in ET (71% vs 46%, P=.004). All these variants involved 3 different stretches of negatively charged amino acids, with an increase in the isoelectric points (pI) of the mutant protein. As type 1 and type 2 mutations affected stretch I and III, respectively, the 26 indels were categorized into 3 groups on the basis of the stretch they affected: i) type 1-like (61%), affecting stretch I; ii) type 2-like (36%), stretch III; iii) and other types (3%), stretch II. The pI values were significantly different in the 3 groups (P<.001). The frequency of type-1 like mutations was significantly higher in PMF than in ET (82% vs 55%, P=.001). In vitro differentiated megakaryocytes from CALR-mutant patients displayed a significant increase in the extent of both intracellular Ca2+ release from the endoplasmic reticulum and extracellular Ca2+ entry inside the cytoplasm, as compared with healthy controls. Megakaryocytes carrying type 1-like CALR mutations exhibited the highest amplitude of Ca2+ flows regardless of the type of disease. In ET, impaired Ca2+ homeostasis was accompanied by atypical proplatelet architecture (ie, more branches and bifurcations). With respect to clinical phenotype at diagnosis, ET patients with type 2-like CALR mutation showed a trend towards higher PLT count (P=.063) and lower age (P=.053), and significantly lower LDH values (P=.021) than those with type 1-like mutation. In a hierarchical cluster analysis including demographic, clinical and molecular data, CALR mutation type (1 vs 2) identified the 2 clusters with the highest dissimilarity. Considering all patients, those with type 2-like CALR lesions had a better survival than those with JAK2 (V617F) (96.1% vs 84.4% at 10 years, P=.039), while no difference was found between the 2 CALR mutation types. ET patients with type 2-like CALR mutations showed a lower risk of thrombosis than those with JAK2 (V617F) (P=.010). By contrast, ET patients with type 1-like CALR mutations had a higher risk of myelofibrotic transformation that those with type 2-like CALR mutations (P=.029) and especially those with JAK2 (V617F) (P=.011). Finally, PMF patients with type 1-like CALR variants had a better survival than those with JAK2 (V617F) (80.1% vs 48% at 10 years, P=.008). In summary, abnormalities in megakaryocyte calcium metabolism and proplatelet architecture are found in patients with CALR-mutant myeloproliferative neoplasms, and their extent is related to mutation type. Type 2-like CALR mutations are more likely to be associated with isolated thrombocytosis without bone marrow fibrosis, ie, with an ET phenotype. By contrast, type 1-like CALR mutations are generally associated with bone marrow fibrosis, ie, with a PMF phenotype. Thus, in CALR-mutant myeloproliferative neoplasms, the mutation type is a major determinant of the clinical phenotype. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

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Calreticulin Mutations in JAK2-Negative Myeloproliferative Neoplasms. Experience in Our Center

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v124.21.5586.5586 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 124 (21) ◽

pp. 5586-5586

Author(s):

Maria Jose Penalva Moreno ◽

Carolina Martinez-Laperche ◽

Santiago Osorio Prendes ◽

Elena Buces Gonzalez ◽

Jose Luis Diez-Martin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Conflicts Of Interest ◽

Myeloproliferative Neoplasms ◽

Primary Myelofibrosis ◽

Statistical Correlation ◽

Type I ◽

Type Ii ◽

Multifunctional Protein ◽

High Clinical Suspicion ◽

Fluorescent Pcr ◽

Calr Mutations

Abstract Introduction: Calreticulin (CALR) is a multifunctional protein regulated by calcium that is located in the endoplasmic reticulum. Recently, mutations in the calreticulin gene have been described in patients with the diagnosis of essential thrombocytemia (ET) and primary myelofibrosis (PMF), mainly in JAK2-negative cases. CALR mutations are localized to exon 9 and generate deletions or insertions that lead to a frameshift change resulting in a mutant protein. The detection of these mutations helps in the actual diagnosis of JAK2 mieloproliferative syndromes (MPN). Our aim is to assess the utility of the determination of these mutations in the management of patients with diagnosis of MPN in our center. Patients and methods: This study includes 94 patients with diagnosis of JAK2-negative MPN retrospectively selected following clinical and analytical criteria between 2008 and 2014 in our center (Table 1, 2). CALR mutations were performed with the use of fluorescent PCR following the methods described by Klampf et al. (NEJM, 2013). Results: 94 patients were analyzed, 77 of them had the diagnosis of TE, 8 of PMF and 9 of others disorders of myelodisplastic/mieloproliferative. 22% of the cases of ET had mutations in CALR (Table 1). In these mutations, a total of 53% were type I mutations (52-bp deletion) and 47% were type II mutations (5-bp insertion). Only one mutation was infrequent, a 46-pb deletion. We have found statistical correlation in the number of platelets depending on the presence of the mutation and in the largest number of platelets in type II mutations. 33% of the cases of PMF had mutations in CALR, all of them type I. Among other diseases not included in MPN, one of them had a type I mutation (data not shown). Conclusions: Our results are close to recently published results regarding the frequency of mutation and as the largest number of platelets in type II mutations with respect to mutation type I. This study confirms the importance of CALR mutations determination in the diagnosis of JAK2-negative ET and PMF with high clinical suspicion. Figure 1 Figure 1. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

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Calr Mutational Status in Egyptian Patients with Myeloproliferative Neoplams

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood-2019-128194 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 134 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 5388-5388

Author(s):

Eman A. Soliman ◽

Samah I. El-Ghlban ◽

Abdelaleem H. Abdelaleem ◽

Sherin Abdel-Aziz ◽

Sameh Shamaa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Conflicts Of Interest ◽

Myeloproliferative Neoplasm ◽

Response To Therapy ◽

Hcv Infection ◽

Number Of Patients ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Egyptian Patients ◽

Calr Mutations

It has been known that the insertion/deletion mutation of CALR gene is the second deriver mutation in myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN) of essential thrompocythemia (ET) and primary myelofibrosis (PMF). As the molecular workup has been incorporated for the prospective screening and diagnosis of MPN in our Oncology Center. An Egyptian 87 cohort of patients with non-mutated JAK2 (58 ET and 29 MF) were investigated using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) as a pilot study. We found that 37 out of 87 patients (42%) were carrying CALR mutations (30 out of ET (52%) and 7 out of MF (24%)). Sanger sequencing was used to determine the type of CALR mutations in all positive patients and we found that 13 out of 37 (35%) had type 1/type 1-like and 36 out of 37 (97%) with type 2/type 2-like. This CALR mutation profile in Egyptian patients appear different from the western status as type2/type 2-like is the highest in our patients (97%) versus 35-45% and type1/type 1-like was 35% versus 55-65% compared to western results. Meanwhile, the clinical course and phenotype of our cohort of patients is not similar to that in western as there is no significant difference of overall survival between type1/type1-like and type2/type2-like. This finding might be due to the different environmental and genetic backgrounds of Egyptian population. A part of it might be related to the HCV infection as 12 out of 37 (32%) had HCV infection. Further study is in progress on a large number of patients to correlate that with the clinicopathological status, response to therapy and the mechanistic pathway of oncogenic transformation. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

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A Novel Pathogenic CALR Exon 9 Mutation in a Patient with Essential Thrombocythemia

Laboratory Medicine ◽

10.1093/labmed/lmz064 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 51 (3) ◽

pp. 306-309

Author(s):

Jee-Soo Lee ◽

Ho Young Kim ◽

Miyoung Kim ◽

Young Kyung Lee

Keyword(s):

Essential Thrombocythemia ◽

Frameshift Mutation ◽

Myeloproliferative Neoplasms ◽

Case Reports ◽

Individual Case ◽

First Case ◽

Exon 9 ◽

Calr Mutations

Abstract The clinical phenotypes and prognoses of CALR-mutant myeloproliferative neoplasms depend on the mutation type. The 2 most common mutations, type 1 (52-bp deletion) and type 2 (5-bp insertion), account for 85% of CALR-mutated neoplasms. The former confers a myelofibrotic phenotype, and the latter is associated with a low risk of thrombosis and an indolent clinical course. Individual case reports for patients with novel pathogenic CALR mutations are rare. Herein, we present the first case in the literature, to our knowledge, of a 63-year old ethnic Korean man with essential thrombocythemia who was diagnosed with a novel +1-bp frameshift mutation in CALR, which was predicted to exhibit a type 2–like phenotype.

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Modeling Calreticulin-Mutant Myeloproliferative Neoplasms with Isogenic Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood-2018-99-111512 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 132 (Supplement 1) ◽

pp. 4319-4319 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Wei Wang ◽

Tiansu Wang ◽

Andriana G. Kotini ◽

Camelia Iancu-Rubin ◽

Ronald Hoffman ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Research Funding ◽

Ex Vivo ◽

Myeloproliferative Neoplasms ◽

Jak2 V617f ◽

Mutant Type ◽

C Terminus ◽

Calr Mutations

Abstract Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) are characterized by the excessive production of one or more myeloid lineages and a propensity to progress to acute leukemia. In 2013, mutations in the CALR gene, encoding calreticulin, were identified in patients with MPN, mutually exclusive to the previously identified JAK2 and MPL (TPO-R) mutations. CALR mutations are frameshift mutations - typically a 52-bp deletion (type 1) or a 5-bp insertion (type 2) - that result in a novel C-terminus. The discovery of mutations in a ubiquitously expressed multifunctional protein like calreticulin was unanticipated. Subsequent studies found that CALR mutations lead to activation of JAK/STAT, mediated through aberrant interactions between mutant CALR and MPL, thus presenting an excellent opportunity for targeted therapy. However, the mechanism of MPL activation remains largely unexplained with prior studies using cell lines with exogenous expression of CALR and MPL following transfection. To create a more physiological cellular model to study the effects of CALR mutations, we established multiple iPSC lines from two patients with CALR-mutant MPN - one type 1-like (del34) and one type 2 (ins5) -, as well as from one patient with JAK2V617F MPN. All iPSC lines were confirmed to harbour the CALR or JAK2V617F mutation found in the corresponding patient, to express mutant calreticulin, as detected by flow cytometry using an antibody which specifically recognizes the novel calreticulin C-terminus, and to be karyotypically normal. Genetically matched iPSC lines with WT JAK2 could also be generated from the JAK2V617F (but not the CALR-mutant) patient cells in the same reprogramming round. CRISPR gene editing was used to generate isogenic CALR-corrected lines from both CALR-mutant patients. Furthermore, in order to facilitate biochemical studies, we used CRISPR to introduce a V5 epitope tag in one allele of the endogenous mutant or WT CALR gene, in mutant and isogenic corrected iPSC lines, respectively. We optimized an in vitro differentiation protocol for efficient derivation of megakaryocyte (MK) progenitors from iPSCs and found disease-relevant phenotypes, mainly TPO-independent MK colony formation in semi-solid media, which is the phenotypic hallmark of ex vivo primary MPN cells. In the absence of TPO, JAK2 V617F, CALR-mutant type 1-like and CALR-mutant type 2 iPSCs generated 52.1%, 58.7±22.2% and 59.8±3.6%, respectively, of the number of MK colonies generated in the presence of TPO, as opposed to 10%, 8.8±1.8% and 0.5±0.9%, respectively, for the matched WT JAK2, the corrected CALR-mutant type 1-like and the corrected CALR-mutant type 2 iPSCs. Isolated CALR mutant iPSC-derived CD41a+ MK progenitors had increased phosphorylation of STAT5 following cytokine starvation as compared to isogenic corrected and non-isogenic normal cells. CALR-mutant cells expressed equal transcript levels of the WT and mutant CALR alleles. However, mutant CALR protein levels were severely reduced, at levels 1~12% of those of the WT protein. This is consistent with previous studies documenting instability of mutant calreticulin. Transcriptomics (RNA-seq) and proteomics analyses of CD41a+-sorted MK progenitors derived from CALR mutant and isogenic corrected iPSCs are ongoing. These iPSC models offer the opportunity to study the effects of CALR mutations in a cellular context with both MPL and CALR (WT or mutant) expressed from their endogenous loci. They thus provide a powerful platform to investigate the disease mechanisms underlying CALR-mutant MPNs and to perform small molecule and genetic (CRISPR) screens to identify new therapeutic targets. Disclosures Iancu-Rubin: Merck: Research Funding; Incyte: Research Funding; Summer Road, LLC: Research Funding; Formation Biologics: Research Funding. Hoffman:Incyte: Research Funding; Merus: Research Funding; Formation Biologics: Research Funding; Janssen: Research Funding; Summer Road: Research Funding.

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Calreticulin Mutation Is Associated with Milder Disease in Patients with Post Essential Thrombocythemia Myelofibrosis (PET-MF) Compared with JAK2V617F Mutation: A Study from the AGIMM Group

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v124.21.3179.3179 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 124 (21) ◽

pp. 3179-3179

Author(s):

Paola Guglielmelli ◽

Giada Rotunno ◽

Giada Brogi ◽

Annalisa Pacilli ◽

Costanza Bogani ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Essential Thrombocythemia ◽

Allele Burden ◽

Risk Of Death ◽

Kaplan Meier ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Calr Mutations ◽

The Impact ◽

Calr Mutation

Abstract Background: Mutations in the gene calreticulin (CALR) were recently discovered in 60-80% of patients (pts) with primary myelofibrosis (PMF) and essential thrombocythemia (ET) who were un-mutated for JAK2V617F and MPLW515. CALR mutated PMF pts had better overall survival (OS) compared with JAK2V617F or MPLW515 mutated while in ET CALR mutations were associated with lower incidence of thrombosis although the effect on survival was not significant. Conversely, there is no information concerning the impact of CALRmutation on disease phenotype and prognosis in post-essential thrombocythemia myelofibrosis (PET-MF). Aims: The aim of the study was to assess whether CALR mutational status and/or allele burden had clinical and/or prognostic relevance in PET-MF compared with JAK2, MPLmutated or triple-negative (TN) pts. Methods: ET and PET-MF were diagnosed by 2008 WHO and IWG-MRT criteria respectively; all pts provided an informed consent. Genotyping for CALR, JAK2V617F and MPLW515 was performed in granulocytes using allele specific RTQ-PCR (JAK2, MPL), capillary electrophoresis and direct sequencing (CALR, MPL). The prognostic value of the molecular variables with regard to OS was estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression. Results: A series of 147 PET-MF pts from 4 Italian centres was collected. Pts median age was 63y. Median follow up from PET diagnosis was 3.2y (0.07-18.8y) and the median time from ET to PET diagnosis was 11.6y (0.9-30.6y). Death occurred in 38 pts (26%) and 14 pts (9.5%) developed acute leukemia (AML). The median OS in the entire series calculated from PET-MF diagnosis was 10.9y (7.1-14.7y). Frequency of mutations was: CALR 16%, JAK2V617F 77%; MPLW515 4.3%; TN 2.8%. The frequency of CALR mutations in PET-MF patients was superimposable to that observed in a control group of 576 ET patients from our Institution (15.5%) and slightly lower compared with other series (20-25%). Type of CALRmutations was: 59.6% type 1, 23.1%, type 2, 17.3% others, significantly different (P=0.023) from ET: 46% type 1, 38% type 2, 16% others. Median CALR allele burden in PET-MF was 56% (20%-100%) with no significant differences in the CALR mutation subtypes (57.5% in type 1, 47.5% in type 2 and 45.0% in others); however, the median mutant allele burden of CALR-mutated PET-MF patients was significantly higher than in ET patients (33%, range 2%-52%; n=100) (P<0.03) suggesting a role for mutated allele accumulation in evolution to PET-MF. Similarly, the median V617F allele burden in JAK2 mutated patients was 50.5% (range 5-100%) significantly greater than the value (24%; range, 1-87%) (P=0.02) in ET pts, confirming previous data that evolution to PET-MF is associated with accumulation of mutated JAK2allele. We then compared hematological and clinical characteristics of the patients who were categorized according to their JAK2V617F, MPLW515 and CALR mutation status. There was no statistically significant difference among the unique patient mutational groups regarding age, hemoglobin, leukocyte and platelet count, peripheral blasts, LDH, circulating CD34+ cells, abnormal karyotype, grade of bone marrow fibrosis and cellularity, and pruritus. However, JAK2+ pts showed an increased rate of large (>10 cm) splenomegaly (28.6% vs 14% in CALR+, 7.1 in MPL+ and 25% in TN pts; P=0.02) and constitutional symptoms (50% vs 18.8% in CALR+, 45% in MPL+ and 12.5% in TN pts; P=0.002). The interval from ET to PET-MF was significantly longer in CALR+ pts (14.5y) compared with JAK2+ (10.2y) and TN patients (11.0y; P=0.04 for both) and similar to MPL+ (14y). There was a reduced rate of death (13.5%) in CALR+ compared with JAK2+ (30.6%), MPL+ (21.4%) and TN (66.7%) pts (P=0.005), although Kaplan Meier estimates did not reach a statistically significant difference. Finally, there were less AML transformation in CALR+ pts (1.9%) compared with JAK2+ (13.9%), MPL+(7.1%) and TN (22.2%) (P=0.04). Conclusion: These results show that CALR mutation is associated with delayed transformation of ET to PET-MF, a milder disease in terms of splenomegaly and symptom burden and a reduced risk of death compared with JAK2V617F PET-MF pts and more in general with MPL mutated and TN pts.In addition, similar to findings in primary MF and unlike in ET, PET-MF is characterized by prevalence of type 1 CALR mutations. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

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The Contemporary Approach to CALR-Positive Myeloproliferative Neoplasms

International Journal of Molecular Sciences ◽

10.3390/ijms22073371 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 22 (7) ◽

pp. 3371

Author(s):

Tanja Belčič Mikič ◽

Tadej Pajič ◽

Samo Zver ◽

Matjaž Sever

Keyword(s):

Myeloproliferative Neoplasms ◽

Molecular Genetic ◽

Diagnostic Algorithm ◽

Primary Myelofibrosis ◽

Cellular Mechanisms ◽

Cellular Effects ◽

Prognostic Importance ◽

Calr Mutations

CALR mutations are a revolutionary discovery and represent an important hallmark of myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN), especially essential thrombocythemia and primary myelofibrosis. To date, several CALR mutations were identified, with only frameshift mutations linked to the diseased phenotype. It is of diagnostic and prognostic importance to properly define the type of CALR mutation and subclassify it according to its structural similarities to the classical mutations, a 52-bp deletion (type 1 mutation) and a 5-bp insertion (type 2 mutation), using a statistical approximation algorithm (AGADIR). Today, the knowledge on the pathogenesis of CALR-positive MPN is expanding and several cellular mechanisms have been recognized that finally cause a clonal hematopoietic expansion. In this review, we discuss the current basis of the cellular effects of CALR mutants and the understanding of its implementation in the current diagnostic laboratorial and medical practice. Different methods of CALR detection are explained and a diagnostic algorithm is shown that aids in the approach to CALR-positive MPN. Finally, contemporary methods joining artificial intelligence in accordance with molecular-genetic biomarkers in the approach to MPN are presented.

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