Inter and Intra-Clonal Heterogeneity in Multiple Myeloma and Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia

Abstract Introduction: Intra-clonal heterogeneity in malignant plasma (PC) cells and B-cells has recently been reported in both multiple myeloma (MM) and Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia (WM). Further phenotypic and molecular characterization of inter- and intra-clonal genetic complexity will enhance our understanding of disease pathogenesis and identify novel therapeutic strategies. Methods: In this study, we compared normal and malignant PC maturation-associated B-cell subsets using bone marrow samples from individuals with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS), smoldering MM (SMM), newly diagnosed MM, and relapsed/refractory MM versus age-matched healthy donors (HD). We also similarly analyzed WM. In addition to corrupted B-cell lineage, we examined phenotypic and molecular features of intra-clonal architecture (complexity) of malignant PC in MM and clonal B-cells in WM on a single cell level using time-of-flight mass cytometry (CyTOF) technology. CyTOF technology is based on rare stable earth elemental isotopes-bound to antibodies to target epitopes on and within cells: up to 40 different markers on a single cell can simultaneously assess including phenotype, transcription factors, regulatory signaling molecules and enzymes, as well as activation of signaling molecules. The resulting high-dimensional data were analyzed by SPADE, viSNE and Wanderlust software. Results: Our high-dimensional data of clustered analyses showed significantly decreased CD19+CD27- patient cells in MM with cytogenetic abnormalities (cytog+) including del(13q), t(4;14), t(14;16), t(3;14), +1q or t(11;14) versus patient cells in MM without any cytogenetic abnormalities (cytog-; P=0.013). In contrast, there was a significant increase of transitional B cells (CD19+CD27-IgM+CD10-IgDlow) in patients with MM cytog+ vs. MM cytog- (P=0.028). A significant increase of mature (naïve) B cells (CD19+CD27-IgM+CD10-IgD+) was also detected in MM cytog+ versus MM cytog- patients (P=0.013), but not in WM cytog- vs. WM cytog+ (46XY, -Y, +18q, +6p, 14q). Clonal PC (CD19-CD38++CD138+CD45-/dim; either cyk or cyl +) were significantly upregulated in MM cytog+ compared to MM cytog- (P=0.021) by CyTOF analyses. To investigate phenotypic profiles and molecular signature of intra-clonal heterogeneity of PC in MM, high-dimensional analyses by SPADE and viSNE revealed that clonal PC clustered separately from B cells by, virtue of high CD319 and CD47 expression; variable expression of CD52, CD56, CD81, CD44, CD200; and low expression of CD28, CD117, CD338, CD325, and CD243. For example, adhesion CD56 and anti-adhesion CD52 molecules were significantly increased in MM cytog+ compared to MM cytog-. Clonal PC highly expressed IFR4 and Notch1; variously expressed FGFR3, sXBP-1, KLF4 and c-Myc; and only minimally expressed Bcl-6, WHSC-1 (MMSET) and RARa2. sXBP-1 was significantly upregulated in all MM stages compared to HD. Furthermore, expression of stem cell markers including Sox-2, Oct3/4 and Nestin was detected only at low level in clonal PC, except for higher expression of Nanog. In WM, clonal B cells expressed Bcl-6 (4-36%) and MYD88 (2-27%) by CyTOF analyses. Finally, cluster analyses by SPADE and viSNE allows for detection of phenotypic and molecular changes not only in clonal populations but also at distinct B-lineage maturation stages, such as expression of Pax-5 and Bcl-2 on early B cell progenitors. This data represents a cohort of MM (N=35) and WM (N=15) patients; a significantly larger data set of MM (N=100) and WM (N=50) will be presented. Conclusion: This study characterizes the molecular and phenotypic profile associated with inter- and intra-clonal heterogeneity in MM and WM. It not only enhances our understanding of disease pathogenesis, but may allow for individualized targeted therapy. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

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Evaluation of Immune Profile in Patients with Multiple Myeloma Using Cytof Technology

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v124.21.3404.3404 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 124 (21) ◽

pp. 3404-3404

Author(s):

Jana Jakubikova ◽

Efstathios Kastritis ◽

Danka Cholujova ◽

Teru Hideshima ◽

Ludmila M Flores ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Multiple Myeloma ◽

Flow Cytometry ◽

B Cells ◽

B Cell ◽

Natural Killer ◽

Plasma Cells ◽

Memory B Cells ◽

High Dimensional ◽

Newly Diagnosed ◽

D Cells

Abstract Introduction: CyTOF (time-of-flight mass cytometry) is a novel high-dimensional technology which permits immunophenotyping and analysis of signaling in single cells. This approach enables simultaneous evaluation of up to 40 parameters using antibodies tagged with distinct elemental isotopes, by combining flow cytometry with atomic mass spectrometry. Since multiple myeloma (MM) is characterized by immune dysfunction, we used CyTOF technology to define the complex immune profile in MM patient bone marrow (BM) samples. Methods: We used 40 different markers to define various B, T, natural killer (NK) subsets, as well as cells of monocytic, granulocytic, erythroid and platelet lineages. Our preliminary data are results from 10 patients with MGUS/ smoldering MM (SMM); 10 newly diagnosed MM; 20 relapsed/refractory MM; and 15 WM patients (5 newly diagnosed and 10 receiving treatment) in comparison with age-matched healthy donors’ BM (HD). A significantly larger cohort of MM (N=150) and WM (N=50) patients is being similarly analyzed and will be presented. To evaluate phenotypic abnormalities in various B cell subsets, we used B lineage markers CD10, CD19, CD20, CD22, CD27, CD34, CD38, CD45, IgA, IgD, IgG and IgM to define B cells maturation stages from hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) to naïve to mature B lymphocytes (pro-B; pre-B-I; pre-B-II; immature B; and mature (naïve) B cells), as well as memory non-switched and memory switched B cells, plasmablasts, normal (CD138+CD38+CD19+CD45+) and clonal plasma cells (CD138+CD38+CD19-CD45-/low), which reside in the specific BM niche. Furthermore, natural killer (NK) subsets (such as NK and NKT cells) and T cells (such as memory CD4T, naive CD4T, memory CD8T, naive CD8T, T regulatory cells and Tg/d cells) were examined. High-dimensional data was obtained using CyTOF technology and analyzed by SPADE and viSNE software. Results: Our data showed significantly decreased HSC in patients with newly diagnosed and relapsed/refractory MM compared to HD (P<0.025). A significant increase in pre-B-I cells was detected in relapsed/refractory MM vs. MGUS/SMM (P<0.028), but the opposite trend was observed in the pre-B-II subpopulation (P<0.005). No differences in immature B cell populations were observed in different stages of MM. However, a significantly higher percentage of immature B cells was present in relapsed/refractory MM compared to HD (P=0.008), and transitional B cells were significantly decreased in newly diagnosed MM compared to HD (P<0.001). Moreover, memory B cells were significant decreased in all MM stages compared to HD (P<0.003). Non-switched memory B cells were significantly increased in MGUS and SMM compared to newly diagnosed MM, while a significant increase of switched memory B cells was present in newly diagnosed MM compared to relapsed/refractory MM. A significant increase in plasmablasts was seen in relapsed/refractory MM in comparison with other MM stages (P<0.011) by CyTOF analyses. Malignant plasma cells (PC) were defined as CD19-, CD38++, CD45-/dim, CD138+ and either cyk or cyl positive. Importantly, a significant increase in clonal PC was found in all MM stages vs. HD, as well as in newly diagnosed MM compared to relapsed/refractory MM (P<0.01). The percentage of PC from CyTOF analyses correlated with % of PC obtained using flow cytometry by Bland-Altman method comparison. We also observed significant differences in T cell subsets including naïve, central memory, effector, and effector memory CD4+ and CD8+T populations between MGUS and newly diagnosed MM, but no significant changes in T regulatory and Tg/d cells. Furthermore, plasmacytoid dendritic (pDC) cells were significantly increased in newly diagnosed MM, and PD-1 expressed on pDC was significantly decreased in newly diagnosed MM compared to MGUS (P=0.007). Interestingly, PD-1 and its ligand PD-L1 were variably expressed on B cells (2-9% and 3-27%) and PC (0.5-46% and 3-41%) from MM BM samples. Other surface molecules including CD269 (4-32%), CD289 (1-8%), CD362 (0.5-1%) and CD329 (1-4%), were variably expressed in PC. Conclusion: A better understanding of the neoplastic BM milieu will provide the framework for identifying and validating novel targeted therapies directed against MM. CyTOF technology represents a novel diagnostic tool to assess the status not only of MM, but also of host immunity, and may allow for the development of rational personalized therapies. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

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B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Arising in Patients with a Preexisting Diagnosis of Multiple Myeloma Is a Novel Cancer with High Incidence of TP53 Mutations

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood-2020-142067 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 136 (Supplement 1) ◽

pp. 20-20

Author(s):

Monique Chavez ◽

Erica Barnell ◽

Malachi Griffith ◽

Zachary Skidmore ◽

Obi Griffith ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Multiple Myeloma ◽

Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia ◽

B Cells ◽

B Cell ◽

Mechanism Of Action ◽

Lymphoblastic Leukemia ◽

Treatment Options ◽

Hematopoietic Stem ◽

Tp53 Mutations ◽

Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Multiple Myeloma (MM) is a malignancy of plasma cells that affects over 30,000 Americans every year. Despite advances in the treatment of the disease, approximately 12,000 American patients will still die of MM in 2019. One of the mainstays of treatment for MM is the immunomodulatory and antiangiogenic drug lenalidomide; which is used in induction therapy, maintenance therapy and treatment of relapsed disease. Although not fully elucidated, lenalidomide's mechanism of action in MM involves the drug binding to Cerebelon (CBN) and leads to the subsequent degradation of the Ikaros (IKZF1) and Aiolos (IKZF3) transcription factors (TF). These TFs play important regulatory roles in lymphocyte development. Despite lenalidomide's importance in MM treatment, several groups have reported that MM patients treated with lenalidomide rarely go on to develop B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL). The genetics and clonal relationship between the MM and subsequent B-ALL have not been previously defined. Importantly, it is not clear if the MM and B-ALL arise from the same founding clone that has been under selective pressure during lenalidomide treatment. As deletions in IKZF1 are common in B-ALL, one could hypothesize that lenalidomide's mechanism of action mimics this alteration and contributes to leukemogenesis. We sequenced the tumors from a cohort of seven patients with MM treated with lenalidomide who later developed B-ALL. These data did not show any mutational overlap between the MM and ALL samples-the tumors arose from different founding clones in each case. However, several genes were recurrently mutated in the B-ALL samples across the seven patients. These genes included TP53, ZFP36L2, KIR3DL2, RNASE-L, and TERT. Strikingly, five of the seven patients had a TP53 mutations in the B-ALL sample that was not present in the matched MM sample. The frequency of TP53 mutations in our cohort was much higher than that reported in adult de novo B-ALL patients which can range between 4.1-6.4% (Hernández-Rivas et al. 2017 and Foa et al. 2013). Utilizing CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing, we disrupted the Zfp36l2 or Actb in murine hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) of mice with or without loss of Trp53. We performed our first transplantation experiment in which the cohorts of mice have loss of Trp53 alone, loss of Zfp36l2 alone, loss of both Trp53 and Zfp36l2, or a control knockout (KO) of Actb. To characterize the disruption of Zfp36l2 alone and in combination with Trp53 we analyzed the hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell compartments in the bone marrow of the above transplanted mice. In mice with a loss of Zfp36l2 there is a decrease in Lin- Sca-1+ c-Kit+ (LSK), short term-HSC (ST-HSC), and multipotent progenitors (MPP). This decrease was not observed in the mice with a loss of both Trp53 and Zfp36l2, where instead we noted an increase in monocyte progenitors (MP), granulocytes-macrophage progenitors (GMP), and common myeloid progenitors (CMP) cells. In this Trp53 Zfp36l2 double loss model we also noted a decrease in B220+ B-cells that was not seen in the Zfp36l2 alone. In this cohort of Trp53 Zfp36l2 loss, we characterized B-cell development through hardy fraction flow cytometry, and identified a decrease in fractions A and B/C (pre-pro and pro-B-cells, respectively) as compared to Zfp36l2 or Actb alone. As lenalidomide does not bind to Cbn in mice, we used the human B-ALL NALM6 cell line to test if treatment with lenalidomide will lead to a selective growth advantage of cells with the same genes knocked out versus wild-type control cells grown in the same culture. We hypothesize that lenalidomide treatment selectively enriched for pre-existing mutated cell clones that evolved into the B-ALL. Preliminary data in NALM6 cells with a loss of TP53 demonstrate a slight increase in cell number at day 7 compared to a RELA control. These experiments will be repeated with concurrent ZFP36L2 and TP53 mutations as well as ZFP36L2 alone. Treatment-related disease is a key consideration when deciding between different treatment options, and this project aims to understand the relationship between MM treatment and B-ALL occurrence. It may be possible to identify MM patients who are at-risk for B-ALL. For example, MM patients who harbor low-level TP53 mutations prior to lenalidomide treatment could be offered alternative treatment options. Disclosures Barnell: Geneoscopy Inc: Current Employment, Current equity holder in private company, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Wartman:Novartis: Consultancy; Incyte: Consultancy.

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Single cell transcriptomic analysis of diffuse large B cells in cerebrospinal fluid of central nervous system lymphoma

10.1101/2020.04.18.20065805 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Haoyu Ruan ◽

Zhe Wang ◽

Yue Zhai ◽

Ying Xu ◽

Linyu Pi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Central Nervous System ◽

Cerebrospinal Fluid ◽

Nervous System ◽

B Cells ◽

B Cell ◽

Single Cell ◽

Central Nervous System Lymphoma ◽

B Cell Lymphoma ◽

Great Promise ◽

Leptomeningeal Involvement

AbstractDiffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the predominant type of central nervous system lymphoma (CNSL) including primary CNSL and secondary CNSL. Diffuse large B cells in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF-DLBCs) have offered great promise for the diagnostics and therapeutics of CNSL leptomeningeal involvement. To explore the distinct phenotypic states of CSF-DLBCs, we analyzed the transcriptomes of 902 CSF-DLBCs from six CNSL-DLBCL patients using single-cell RNA sequencing technology. We defined CSF-DLBCs based on abundant expression of B-cell markers, as well as the enrichment of cell proliferation and energy metabolism pathways. CSF-DLBCs within individual patients exhibited monoclonality with similar variable region of light chains (VL) expression. It is noteworthy that we observed some CSF-DLBCs have double classes of VL (lambda and kappa) transcripts. We identified substantial heterogeneity in CSF-DLBCs, and found significantly greater among-patient heterogeneity compared to among-cell heterogeneity within a given patient. The transcriptional heterogeneity across CSF-DLBCs is manifested in cell cycle state and cancer-testis antigens expression. Our results will provide insight into the mechanism research and new diagnostic direction of CNSL-DLBCL leptomeningeal involvement.

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Signatures of B Cell Receptor Repertoire Following Pneumocystis Infection

Frontiers in Microbiology ◽

10.3389/fmicb.2021.636250 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Han Sun ◽

Hu-Qin Yang ◽

Kan Zhai ◽

Zhao-Hui Tong

Keyword(s):

B Cells ◽

B Cell ◽

Single Cell ◽

Plasma Cells ◽

Somatic Hypermutation ◽

Cell Receptor ◽

B Cell Receptor ◽

Receptor Repertoire ◽

Elevated Expression ◽

Pneumocystis Infection

B cells play vital roles in host defense against Pneumocystis infection. However, the features of the B cell receptor (BCR) repertoire in disease progression remain unclear. Here, we integrated single-cell RNA sequencing and single-cell BCR sequencing of immune cells from mouse lungs in an uninfected state and 1–4 weeks post-infection in order to illustrate the dynamic nature of B cell responses during Pneumocystis infection. We identified continuously increased plasma cells and an elevated ratio of (IgA + IgG) to (IgD + IgM) after infection. Moreover, Pneumocystis infection was associated with an increasing naïve B subset characterized by elevated expression of the transcription factor ATF3. The proportion of clonal expanded cells progressively increased, while BCR diversity decreased. Plasma cells exhibited higher levels of somatic hypermutation than naïve B cells. Biased usage of V(D)J genes was observed, and the usage frequency of IGHV9-3 rose. Overall, these results present a detailed atlas of B cell transcriptional changes and BCR repertoire features in the context of Pneumocystis infection, which provides valuable information for finding diagnostic biomarkers and developing potential immunotherapeutic targets.

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Association between the proliferative rate of neoplastic B cells, their maturation stage, and underlying cytogenetic abnormalities in B-cell chronic lymphoproliferative disorders: analysis of a series of 432 patients

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood-2007-10-119289 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 111 (10) ◽

pp. 5130-5141 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Sandra Quijano ◽

Antonio López ◽

Ana Rasillo ◽

Susana Barrena ◽

Maria Luz Sánchez ◽

...

Keyword(s):

B Cells ◽

B Cell ◽

Cell Lymphoma ◽

B Cell Lymphoma ◽

Lymphoproliferative Disorders ◽

Lymphocytic Leukemia ◽

Maturation Stage ◽

Cytogenetic Abnormalities ◽

M Phase ◽

The Impact

Abstract Limited knowledge exists about the impact of specific genetic abnormalities on the proliferation of neoplastic B cells from chronic lymphoproliferative disorders (B-CLPDs). Here we analyze the impact of cytogenetic abnormalities on the proliferation of neoplastic B cells in 432 B-CLPD patients, grouped according to diagnosis and site of sampling, versus their normal counterparts. Overall, proliferation of neoplastic B cells highly varied among the different B-CLPD subtypes, the greatest numbers of proliferating cells being identified in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and Burkitt lymphoma (BL). Compared with normal B cells, neoplastic B-CLPD cells showed significantly increased S + G2/M-phase values in mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), B-chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL), BL, and some DLBCL cases. Conversely, decreased proliferation was observed in follicular lymphoma, lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma/Waldenström macroglobulinemia (LPL/WM), and some DLBCL patients; hairy cell leukemia, splenic marginal zone, and MALT-lymphoma patients showed S + G2/M phase values similar to normal mature B lymphocytes from LN. Interestingly, in B-CLL and MCL significantly higher percentages of S + G2/M cells were detected in BM versus PB and in LN versus BM and PB samples, respectively. In turn, presence of 14q32.3 gene rearrangements and DNA aneuploidy, was associated with a higher percentage of S + G2/M-phase cells among LPL/WM and B-CLL cases, respectively.

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The hematopoietic transcription factor PU.1 is downregulated in human multiple myeloma cell lines

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v86.7.2747.2747 ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 86 (7) ◽

pp. 2747-2753 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

M Pettersson ◽

C Sundstrom ◽

K Nilsson ◽

LG Larsson

Keyword(s):

Multiple Myeloma ◽

B Cells ◽

B Cell ◽

Cell Lines ◽

Myeloma Cell ◽

Binding Activity ◽

Multiple Myeloma Cell ◽

Dna Binding Activity ◽

Human Multiple Myeloma ◽

Expression And Activity

Abstract PU.1 is a hematopoietic transcription factor belonging to the Ets-family. It is identical to the Spi-1 oncogene, which is implicated in spleen focus-forming virus-induced murine erythroleukemias. PU.1 seems to be required for early development of multiple hematopoietic lineages, but its expression in mature cells is preferentially observed in cells of the B-cell-and monocyte/macrophage-differentiation lineage. It binds the so-called Pu box, an important tissue-specific regulatory DNA element present in a number of genes expressed in these cell lineages. We have analyzed the expression and activity of PU.1 during human B-cell development using a panel of B-cell lines representing different stages of maturation, from early precursors to differentiated plasma cells. PU.1 mRNA expression and PU.1 DNA binding activity, as measured by Northern blot analysis and electrophoretic mobility shift assay, respectively, were evident in cell lines representing pro-B, pre- B, and mature B cells. We could also show Pu box-dependent transactivation of a reporter gene in transient transfections in these cell lines. In contrast, in a number of multiple myeloma cell lines, representing differentiated, plasma cell-like B cells, PU.1 DNA binding activity, mRNA expression, and Pu box-dependent transactivation were absent or detectable at a very low level. In lymphoblastoid cell lines, which exemplify an intermediate stage of B-cell differentiation, a reduced expression and activity were observed. The findings in the human multiple myeloma cell lines represent the first examples of B cells with downregulated PU.1 expression and apparently contradict observations in the murine system in which PU.1 is expressed and active in plasmacytoma cell lines. At present, it is unclear whether the lack of PU.1 expression and activity in human multiple myeloma cell lines represents a malignancy-associated defect in these cells or exemplifies a normal developmental regulation in terminally differentiated B cells.

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Micro-RNA Gene Deregulation by Chromosome Translocations with Fragile Genomic Regions in B-Cell Lymphoma Cells

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v112.11.786.786 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 112 (11) ◽

pp. 786-786

Author(s):

Bjoern Schneider ◽

Stefan Nagel ◽

Maren Kaufmann ◽

Hans G. Drexler ◽

Roderick A.F. MacLeod

Keyword(s):

Multiple Myeloma ◽

B Cells ◽

B Cell ◽

Cell Lines ◽

Cell Lymphoma ◽

B Cell Lymphoma ◽

Micro Rna ◽

Lymphoma Cell ◽

Chromosome Rearrangements ◽

Causal Connection

Abstract Micro-RNA (miR) genes posttranscriptionally modulate target gene expression via imperfect 3′-UTR matching sequences and play key roles in development, homeostasis and cancer. Little is known how miR genes are themselves regulated, or deregulated in cancer. Chief paradigm for neoplastic miR deregulation concerns miR-17/92 cluster members subject to genomic amplification in B-cell lymphoma. While the repeated occurrence of oncogenic miR genes at or near chromosomal breakpoints in cancer links chromosome fragility to oncogenic miR deregulation, direct evidence of a causal connection remains tenuous. We found that t(3;7)(q27;q32) in a B-cell lymphoma cell line joins 5′-BCL6 to a noncoding region of chromosome 7 inside a common chromosomal fragile site (FRA7H). In these cells hybrid mRNA was absent, unlike canonical BCL6 translocations which involve promoter exchange yielding hybrid mRNA. Affected cells instead showed downregulation of miR-29b-1, the only gene located within FRA7H - a recurrent transcriptional feature of B-cell lymphoma subsets. In another BCL6 translocation, t(3;13)(q27;q31)t(13;12)(q31;p11), which 5′-RACE also showed to be non-fusogenic, long distance inverse (LDI)-PCR revealed junction of 5′-BCL6 to chromosome 13 sequences inside the miR-17/92 host gene MIRH1 (alias c13orf25). FISH using a sensitive tyramide amplification protocol with c13orf25 clones confirmed the presence of a cryptic BCL6-MIRH1 rearrangement. Surprisingly, reverse transcriptase quantitative (q) PCR assay revealed weak MIRH1 expression using 3′-primers. In contrast, repeating the assay using more central primers covering the miR-17/92 coding region showed massive upregulation. 3′-RACE confirmed a novel high level MIRH1 transcript truncated by 3.1 kbp. Quantitative genomic PCR and FISH excluded miR-17/92 genomic copy number alteration, while LDI-PCR analysis showed that formation of truncated MIRH1 involved multiple DNA cuts at 3q27 (x1), 12p11 (x1), and 13q31 (x5) – the last including a complex excision/inversion/insertion rearrangement. Stress induced DNA duplex destabilization (SIDD) analysis revealed that 6 of 7 breaks precisely coincided with fragility peaks. Taken together, these data suggest a novel role for BCL6 translocations in the deregulation of miR genes near sites of chromosome or DNA instability. BCL6 has been shown to suppress p53 in germinal center B-cells thus protecting B-cells from apoptosis induced by DNA damage, offering a possible explanation for chromosome rearrangements associated with genomic fragility therein. Chromosomal MIRH1 dysregulation is not limited to BCL6 expressing lymphomas, however: cytogenetic investigations performed on diverse leukemia-lymphoma cell lines, including those derived from multiple myeloma and plasma cell leukemia, showed 11/50 with cytogenetic rearrangements at or near MIRH1. In sister cell lines sequentially established at diagnosis and relapse of multiple myeloma, only the latter showed miR-17/92 chromosomal rearrangement and upregulation. Interestingly miR overexpression was limited to miR-92, while miR-17/18 were barely expressed. FISH analysis and qPCR showed that discrepant expression was associated with rearrangement upstream of MIRH1. In brief, our data show that like other cancer genes, oncogenic miRs are subject to dysregulation mediated by structural chromosome rearrangements.

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Mechanisms of Pre-B Cell Receptor-Inactivation In Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v116.21.147.147 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 116 (21) ◽

pp. 147-147

Author(s):

Cihangir Duy ◽

Daniel Nowak ◽

Lars Klemm ◽

Rahul Nahar ◽

Carina Ng ◽

...

Keyword(s):

B Cells ◽

B Cell ◽

Lymphoblastic Leukemia ◽

Cell Receptor ◽

Signaling Molecules ◽

B Cell Receptor ◽

Dominant Negative ◽

Leukemia Cells ◽

Immunoglobulin Gene ◽

Receptor Inactivation

Abstract Abstract 147 Background: We recently established that the pre-B cell receptor functions as a tumor suppressor in Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph+ ALL). The pre-B cell receptor promotes differentiation of normal pre-B cells and couples the immunoglobulin μ -chain to activating tyrosine kinases (e.g. SYK) via linker molecules (e.g. BLNK). In virtually all cases of Ph+ ALL, pre-B cell receptor function is compromised and its reconstitution induces rapid cell cycle arrest. However, genomic deletions in pre-B cell receptor pathway are rare and the mechanisms of inactivation are not known. Here we report that pre-B cell receptor inactivation occurs at multiple levels and involves at least four different mechanisms, namely (1) deleterious immunoglobulin gene rearrangement, (2) defective splicing of pre-B cell receptor signaling molecules, (3) expression of dominant-negative PAX5 fusion genes and (4) overexpression of inhibitory signaling molecules. Result: (1) Studying progressive transformation of pre-B cells in BCR-ABL1-transgenic mice, we observed that surface expression of the immunoglobulin μ -chain was downregulated after 60 days of age, which was a prerequisite for the onset of full-blown leukemia. While the repertoire of immunoglobulin gene rearrangements was polyclonal in wildtype pre-B cells, BCR-ABL1-transgenic pre-B cells show clonal expansions, which are derived from one ancestral productive immunoglobulin gene rearrangement in the transformed pre-B cell. However, the ancestral immunoglobulin gene rearrangements were rendered non-functional through deleterious secondary rearrangements. Likewise, in 47 of 57 cases of primary human Ph+ ALL, we detected traces of pre-B cell receptor-inactivation through secondary deleterious recombination events at the immunoglobulin μ -chain locus. (2) We studied pre-B cell receptor signaling molecules in primary human pre-B cells and 10 patient-derived Ph+ ALL samples by Western blotting and RT-PCR. As opposed to normal bone marrow pre-B cells, in all 10 cases of Ph+ ALL defective splice variants of the SYK tyrosine kinase and its linker molecule BLNK were found. Sequence analysis revealed a frequent 4 bp slippage during SYK pre-mRNA splicing which resulted in a truncated protein lacking the kinase domain, as confirmed by Western blot. To study the functional significance of defective Syk expression in Ph+ ALL cells, we transformed pre-B cells from Syk-fl/fl mice with BCR-ABL1 and deleted the Syk kinase using tamoxifen-inducible Cre. As opposed to Syk-fl/fl leukemia cells, inducible ablation of Syk rendered the leukemia cells insensitive to forced expression of the pre-B cell receptor. Multiple defective transcript variants of BLNK were found that all lacked exon 16 encoding the central part of the BLNK SH2 domain. In the absence of exon 16, BLNK splice variants were detached from the pre-B cell receptor and function in a dominant-negative way as they reduce Ca2+-mobilization in response to pre-B cell receptor stimulation. In a titration experiment, BLNK−/− leukemia cells were reconstituted with full-length and exon 16-deficient BLNK. Dominant-negative BLNK interfered with pre-B cell receptor-mediated tumor suppression at a ratio of 0.1 relative to full-length BLNK. Of note, we found somatic mutations within the splice site of exon 16 in 2 of 6 primary Ph+ ALL cases. (3) Ph+ ALL cells often carry chromosomal translocations leading to the expression of dominant-negative PAX5-fusion molecules. In a systematic gene expression analysis, we observed that ectopic expression of the dominant-negative PAX5-C20orf112 fusion led to downregulation of immunoglobulin μ -chain and the signaling molecules including SYK and BLNK. As a consequence, Ca2+-mobilization in response to pre-B cell receptor stimulation was significantly diminished. (4) Correction of defective immunoglobulin-μ chain and BLNK expression results in compensatory overexpression of a broad array of inhibitory signaling molecules. These molecules share an ITIM signaling motif, which attenuates pre-B cell receptor signal transduction through recruitment of inhibitory phosphatases. Conclusion: Even though loss of pre-B cell receptor function represents the uniform outcome of a diverse spectrum of lesions, individual Ph+ ALL subclones exhibit a complex pattern of shared and distinct defects involving one or more of these 4 mechanisms. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

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Overexpression of the Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase Lyp Reduces the Responsiveness of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia B-Cells to B-Cell Receptor Ligation.

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v114.22.800.800 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 114 (22) ◽

pp. 800-800

Author(s):

Roberto Negro ◽

Pablo G Longo ◽

Michela Tarnani ◽

Stefania Gobessi ◽

Luca Laurenti ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Signal Transduction ◽

B Cells ◽

Autoimmune Diseases ◽

B Cell ◽

Conflicts Of Interest ◽

Signaling Molecules ◽

Negative Regulator ◽

Nucleotide Sequence Analysis ◽

Aberrant Expression ◽

Bcr Signaling

Abstract Abstract 800 CLL B cells display many features that suggest a role for antigen stimulation in the development and progression of the disease. These include the expression of stereotyped B-cell receptors (BCRs), the association between IgVH gene mutation status and prognosis, and the gene-expression profile of antigen-stimulated B cells. In addition, CLL B cells have other BCR-related features that distinguish them from normal B lymphocytes, such as lower levels of surface Ig, less efficient BCR signal transduction and increased basal activity of the proximal BCR signaling molecules Lyn and Syk. We have now investigated whether any of these features are related to aberrant expression or function of the phosphatases SHP-1, SHP-2 and Lyp (PTPN22), which regulate the amplitude and duration of the BCR signal by dephosphorylating various components of the BCR signal transduction unit. These phosphatases are also interesting because mutated or polymorphic variants have been linked to various malignant or autoimmune diseases. We started our study by performing nucleotide sequence analysis of the complete coding region of SHP1, SHP2 and Lyp in 8, 21 and 29 CLL B cell samples, respectively. Overall, only two mutations were identified (an R527C substitution in SHP2 and a Q456E substitution in Lyp, each in a single patient), suggesting that these phosphatases are infrequently mutated in CLL. The previously reported Lyp polymorphisms R620W and R263Q were observed in 2 additional cases. We next investigated expression of these phosphatases in purified CLL and normal B cells by immunoblotting. Expression of SHP1 and SHP2 was relatively uniform in the different CLL B-cells samples (n=42) and was not different from normal B cells (n=4). In contrast, expression of Lyp was markedly higher in most CLL samples, with 35 of the 49 investigated cases exhibiting 2 to more than 10 fold higher levels than normal B cells (n=5) (CLL, mean Lyp levels 4.7, SD +/−3.7; normal B cells, mean Lyp levels 0.9, SD +/−0.1, P=0.022). The mean Lyp levels were somewhat higher in U-CLL than M-CLL (6.0 vs. 3.9) and ZAP-70-positive than ZAP-70-negative cases (5.6 vs. 4.7), but these differences were not statistically significant. Analysis of Lyp expression in various lymphoma B-cell lines (n=9) also did not reveal significant differences with respect to normal B-cells, suggesting that Lyp overexpression is a specific feature of CLL. To determine what are the consequences of Lyp overexpression on BCR signaling, we downregulated Lyp in primary CLL B-cells by RNA interference and investigated activation of BCR signaling molecules following sIgM crosslinking. Downregulation of Lyp resulted in a substantial increase in BCR-induced phosphorylation of Lyn (Y397), Syk (Y352), BLNK (Y84) and ERK (T202/Y204), suggesting that overexpression of this phosphatase may be at least partially responsible for the lower BCR signaling capacity of CLL B-cells. Since Lyp expression can be induced in resting T cells by activation with anti-CD3, we investigated whether BCR stimulation will have a similar effect on CLL B-cells. A two-fold increase in Lyp levels was observed after 24 hours of sustained BCR stimulation with immobilized anti-IgM, whereas transient stimulation with soluble anti-IgM resulted in a 20% decrease in Lyp levels. These effects were specific for Lyp, since no such changes were observed in the expression of SHP1 and SHP2. In summary, this study shows that CLL B-cells specifically overexpress the phosphatase Lyp, and important negative regulator of BCR signaling that has been implicated in the pathogenesis of several common autoimmune diseases. Given the observation that Lyp can be induced by sustained BCR engagement and in view of recent findings that Lyp is also overexpressed in anergic B cells, these data further support the notion that CLL cells are continuously exposed to (auto)antigen in vivo. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

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SNS01-T Exhibits Significant Anti-Tumoral Activity In Models Of Multiple Myeloma and Non-Hodgkins B Cell Lymphoma and Induces Cell Death In Malignant But Not Normal B Cells

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v122.21.880.880 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 122 (21) ◽

pp. 880-880

Author(s):

Catherine A Taylor ◽

Terence Tang ◽

Sarah Francis ◽

Zhongda Liu ◽

Qifa Zheng ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Multiple Myeloma ◽

B Cells ◽

B Cell ◽

Cell Lines ◽

Tumor Volume ◽

Cell Lymphoma ◽

Xenograft Model ◽

B Cell Lymphoma ◽

Control Group ◽

Rpmi 8226

Abstract SNS01-T is a novel nanoparticle that is designed to selectively initiate apoptosis in B-cell cancers such as multiple myeloma and non-Hodgkins B-cell lymphomas. SNS01-T comprises a plasmid DNA (pExp5A) encoding a pro-apoptotic form of the eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A (eIF5A) containing a single-point mutation that prevents hypusination, an eIF5A siRNA that inhibits expression of the pro-survival hypusine-eIF5A protein, and a polymer that serves to assemble the nucleic acids into a nanoparticle. SNS01-T is currently being investigated in a multi-site, open-label Phase1b/2a dose escalation study in subjects with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (MM), mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), or diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL). SNS01-T has demonstrated activity in MM xenograft models as well as in B cell lymphoma models of MCL and DLBCL, when administered twice weekly at doses ≥ 0.18 mg(nucleic acid)/kg. In this study we compared the ability of SNS01-T to transfect, regulate eIF5A expression, and kill MM, DLBCL, and MCL cell lines. Furthermore, the activity of SNS01-T in normal B cells was investigated. A previous study using a KAS-6/1 MM xenograft model demonstrated that the eIF5A siRNA and plasmid pExp5A both have anti-tumoral activity in MM but had a greater impact on tumour growth when combined together as SNS01-T. This finding was confirmed in this study in a second MM model (RPMI 8226) as well as in a DLBCL xenograft model. To determine the efficiency of SNS01-T transfection into malignant or normal B cells, the pExp5A plasmid and eIF5A siRNA were labeled with FITC and DY547, respectively, packaged into nanoparticles using polyethylenimine polymer, and used to transfect cultured cells. FACS analysis was used to determine the percent of the cell population transfected with plasmid, siRNA, or both. RT-qPCR was used to assess biological activity of SNS01-T by quantifying the expression of eIF5AK50R mRNA transgene and endogenous eIF5A mRNA in a variety of B cell lines. The IC50 of SNS01-T in a panel of MM, MCL, and DLBCL cell lines was determined by XTT assay. SCID mice bearing either RPMI 8226 MM tumours or SuDHL6 GCB DLBCL tumours were treated with pExp5A plasmid (formulated with PEI and control siRNA), eIF5A siRNA (formulated with PEI and a control plasmid), or SNS01-T at 0.375 mg/kg twice per week by intravenous injection. SNS01-T was able to transfect MM, MCL, and DLBCL cell lines, although the proportion of cells transfected with both plasmid and siRNA was higher in MM cells. Transfection of SNS01-T resulted in expression of the transgene as well as a statistically significant reduction in expression of eIF5A mRNA compared to untreated controls for all three cell types. In contrast, normal B cells were found to take up fluorescently-labeled SNS01-T with reduced efficiency compared to RPMI 8226 MM cells. Futhermore, SNS01-T was observed to induce cell death in RPMI 8226 MM cells but not in normal B cells. In the RPMI 8226 xenograft model, treatment with either the pExp5A plasmid alone or eIF5A siRNA alone resulted in a 66 % reduction (p < 0.0001) or 44 % reduction (p < 0.05) in tumor volume compared to the control group at day 24 of the study. In contrast, treatment with SNS01-T, which contains both the pExp5A plasmid and the eIF5A siRNA, resulted in an 86 % (p < 0.0001) reduction in tumor volume. A similar result was observed in the SuDHL6 model with a 14 % reduction or 27 % reduction (p < 0.05) in tumor volume compared to the control group at day 20 of the study following treatment with pExp5A plasmid or eIF5A siRNA, respectively. In contrast, treatment with SNS01-T resulted in a 79 % (p < 0.0001) reduction in tumor volume. Collectively, these preclinical studies indicate that SNS01-T therapy has significant potential against MM, MCL, and DLBCL. Disclosures: Taylor: Senesco Technologies: stock options Other. Dondero:Senesco Technologies: Employment. Thompson:Senesco Technologies: Consultancy, Equity Ownership, Membership on an entity’s Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding.

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