Targeted removal of PML-RARα protein is required prior to inhibition of histone deacetylase for overcoming all-trans retinoic acid differentiation resistance in acute promyelocytic leukemia

All-trans retinoic acid (tRA)–induced differentiation in NB4 cells, a cell line derived from an acute promyelocytic leukemia patient with t(15;17) translocation, is markedly facilitated by sodium butyrate (NaB), a histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACI), or by hexamethylene bisacetamide (HMBA), a non–HDACI tRA-differentiation inducer, as determined by nitroblue tetrazolium reduction. The tRA-induced expression of RIG-G, Bfl-1/A1, and p21waf1 and, to a lesser extent, of CCAAT/enhancer binding protein–ε (C/EBPε) are also enhanced by such combined treatments. Both responses are associated with a facilitated diminution of the leukemogenic PML-RARα protein and retained ΔPML-RARα, a cleavage product. Treatment with tRA in tRA differentiation–resistant NB4 subclones R4 and MR-2 does not result in PML-RARα diminution and the tested gene expressions. Moreover, the addition of HMBA or NaB with tRA results in only minimal increase of differentiation in the tRA differentiation–resistant subclones. The increases in acetylated histone H3 (AcH3) and AcH4 in NaB-treated NB4, R4, and MR-2 cells are similar and do not correlate with the extent of differentiation induction when NaB and HMBA are given in combination with tRA. Arsenic trioxide (As2O3) treatment results in the total degradation of PML-RARα without increasing AcH3 or AcH4 or inducing differentiation in R4 cells. As2O3 in combination with tRA induces gene (Bfl-1/A1 and C/EBPε) expression and partial differentiation. Both NaB and HMBA addition to As2O3-plus-tRA–treated R4 cells further enhances differentiation. These results suggest that elimination of the dominant negative PML-RARα protein is required prior to inhibition of histone deacetylase to fully overcome tRA-differentiation resistance in APL cells.