Inactivation of NF-kappaB-dependent cell survival, a novel mechanism for the proapoptotic function of c-Abl.
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Using a system that expresses a constitutively kinase-active c-Abl protein [c-Abl(KA)], we identified the protein IkappaBalpha as a novel substrate of c-Abl. This kinase-substrate relationship is not only confirmed at the level of endogenous proteins but is also supported by a physical interaction between the two proteins. Interestingly, the association of c-Abl with IkappaBalpha, which is detectable in the form of nonphosphorylated proteins, is remarkably enhanced by an inducible binding of tyrosine-phosphorylated IkappaBalpha to the c-Abl SH2 domain. In contrast to the serine 32/34 phosphorylation that triggers ubiquitination and degradation of IkappaBalpha, c-Abl-mediated phosphorylation at tyrosine 305 is associated with an increase of the IkappaBalpha protein stability. Significantly, this activity is not shared by the oncogenic Bcr-Abl, because it is unique to the nuclear c-Abl. We also demonstrate that c-Abl targets the nuclear subpopulation of IkappaBalpha for phosphorylation and induces it to accumulate in the nucleus. As a consequence, NF-kappaB transcription activity is abolished, leading to an increased cellular sensitivity to the induction of apoptosis. The functional importance of c-Abl-mediated IkappaBalpha phosphorylation is highlighted by a loss of response of the IkappaBalpha(Y305F) protein to c-Abl-mediated regulation. Using cells expressing the c-Abl(KA) protein under the control of an inducible promoter, we demonstrate inactivation of the NF-kappaB-dependent cell survival pathway as one of the mechanisms for c-Abl-mediated apoptosis. (+info)
Killing of leukemic cells with a BCR/ABL fusion gene by RNA interference (RNAi).
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Short 21-mer double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) molecules have recently been employed for the sequence-specific silencing of endogenous human genes. This mechanism, called RNA interference (RNAi), is extremely potent and requires only a few dsRNA molecules per cell to silence homologous gene mRNA expression. We used dsRNA targeting the M-BCR/ABL fusion site to kill leukemic cells with such a rearrangement. Transfection of dsRNA specific for the M-BCR/ABL fusion mRNA into K562 cells depleted the corresponding mRNA and the M-BCR/ABL oncoprotein. This was demonstrated by real-time quantitative PCR and Western blots. The BCR/ABL knockdown was accompanied by strong induction of apoptotic cell death. Leukemic cells without BCR/ABL rearrangement were not killed by M-BCR/ABL-dsRNA. In addition, to corroborate the extraordinary sequence specificity of RNAi, we designed another RNA oligo matching the M-BCR/ABL fusion site but having two point mutations within its central region. We show that these two point mutations abolished both p210 reduction and induction of apoptosis in K562 cells. Finally, we compared leukemic cell killing by RNAi to that caused by the ABL kinase tyrosine inhibitor, STI 571, Imatinib. For full induction of apoptosis, dsRNA targeting M-BCR/ABL required 24 h more than Imatinib. This may be caused by the relatively long half-life of the BCR/ABL oncoprotein, which is not targeted by the RNAi mechanism, but is affected by STI 571. When we applied ds M-BCR/ABL RNA and STI 571 in combination, we did not observe a further increase in the induction of apoptosis. Nevertheless, these data may open a field for further studies towards gene-therapeutic approaches using RNA interference to kill tumor cells with specific genetic abnormalities. (+info)
Comparison of gene expression profiling between malignant and normal plasma cells with oligonucleotide arrays.
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The DNA microarray technology enables the identification of the large number of genes involved in the complex deregulation of cell homeostasis taking place in cancer. Using Affymetrix microarrays, we have compared the gene expression profiles of highly purified malignant plasma cells from nine patients with multiple myeloma (MM) and eight myeloma cell lines to those of highly purified nonmalignant plasma cells (eight samples) obtained by in vitro differentiation of peripheral blood B cells. Two unsupervised clustering algorithms classified these 25 samples into two distinct clusters: a malignant plasma cell cluster and a normal plasma cell cluster. Two hundred and fifty genes were significantly up-regulated and 159 down-regulated in malignant plasma samples compared to normal plasma samples. For some of these genes, an overexpression or downregulation of the encoded protein was confirmed (cyclin D1, c-myc, BMI-1, cystatin c, SPARC, RB). Two genes overexpressed in myeloma cells (ABL and cystathionine beta synthase) code for enzymes that could be a therapeutic target with specific drugs. These data provide a new insight into the understanding of myeloma disease and prefigure that the development of DNA microarray could help to develop an 'a la carte' treatment in cancer disease. (+info)
Characteristics and outcome of patients with Philadelphia chromosome negative, bcr/abl negative chronic myelogenous leukemia.
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BACKGROUND: Up to 5% of patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) do not have the Philadelphia (Ph) translocation t(9;22)(q34;q11) or a bcr/abl molecular rearrangement. Although the diagnostic criteria of this entity are still under debate, there is general agreement that patients with Ph negative, bcr/abl negative CML have a severe clinical course that is not affected significantly by current treatment options. METHODS: A population of 76 patients with bcr/abl negative CML who had received minimal or no previous therapy was characterized carefully with the intent of investigating clinical and hematologic variables and their association with survival by univariate, correlation, and multivariate analyses. A group of 73 patients with Ph negative CML who were not tested for the bcr/abl rearrangement (bcr/abl unknown) was analyzed separately and used for extension of the analysis. RESULTS: In the bcr/abl negative patient population, the median overall survival was 24 months. At the time of the analysis, 38 patients (50%) had died, and blastic transformation preceded death in 31%. Chromosomal abnormalities were found in 30% of the 76 patients, with trisomy 8 the most common abnormality. Complex chromosomal abnormalities were rare, and monosomy 7 was not observed. Survival was not affected significantly by treatment. Multivariate analysis identified older age (> 65 years), anemia (hemoglobin < 10 g/dL), and severe leukocytosis (white blood cells > 50 x 10(9)/L) as variables with independent prognostic significance for poor survival. A prognostic scoring system stratified patients into a low-risk group (53%) and a high-risk group (47%), with median survivals of 38 months and 9 months, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Bcr/abl negative CML is a distinct clinical entity associated with very poor prognosis. Two risk categories are identifiable using a simple scoring system based on age, hemoglobin level, and leukocyte number. (+info)
Molecular and chromosomal mechanisms of resistance to imatinib (STI571) therapy.
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Selective inhibition of the BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase by imatinib (STI571, Glivec/Gleevec) is a promising new therapeutic strategy in patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). Despite significant hematologic and cytogenetic responses, resistance occurs, particularly in patients with advanced disease. We sought to determine the underlying mechanisms. Sixty-six patients with CML in myeloid blast crisis (n = 33), lymphoid blast crisis (n = 2), accelerated phase (n = 16), chronic phase (n = 13), and BCR-ABL-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (n = 2) resistant to imatinib were investigated. Median duration of imatinib therapy was 148 days (range 6-882). Patients were evaluated for genomic amplification of BCR-ABL, overexpression of BCR-ABL transcripts, clonal karyotypic evolution, and mutations of the imatinib binding site in the BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase domain. Results were as follows: (1) Median levels of BCR-ABL transcripts, were not significantly changed at the time of resistance but 7/55 patients showed a >10-fold increase in BCR-ABL levels; (2) genomic amplification of BCR-ABL was found in 2/32 patients evaluated by fluorescence in situ hybridization; (3) additional chromosomal aberrations were observed in 19/36 patients; (4) point mutations of the ABL tyrosine kinase domain resulting in reactivation of the BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase were detected in 23/66 patients. In conclusion, although the heterogeneous development of imatinib resistance is challenging, the fact that BCR-ABL is active in many resistant patients suggests that the chimeric oncoprotein remains a good therapeutic target. However, patients with clonal evolution are more likely to have BCR-ABL-independent mechanisms of resistance. The observations warrant trials combining imatinib with other agents. (+info)
Mutation in the ATP-binding pocket of the ABL kinase domain in an STI571-resistant BCR/ABL-positive cell line.
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The major mechanism of action of STI571 is a competitive interference with the ATP-binding site of the Bcr/Abl tyrosine kinase. In the BCR/ABL-positive cell line KBM5, we studied cellular events associated with the in vitro acquisition of resistance to STI571. The emergence of the STI571-resistant phenotype was accompanied by only a marginal increase in the number of copies of the BCR/ABL gene and its level of expression. The activity of the Bcr/Abl kinase (level of autophosphorylation) in resistant cells was, however, incompletely inhibited by STI571, and the acquisition of the high degree of resistance was associated with a single-point mutation leading to a substitution of a threonine-to-isoleucine at position 315 of Abl. In the resistant KBM5-STI571(R1.0) cells, 20% of the BCR/ABL transcripts and 10% of BCR/ABL gene copies on the DNA level were mutated. The mutation was present in all 10 STI571-resistant clones derived from low density clonogenic assay, confirming its presence in all colony-forming cells but only in a fraction of the BCR/ABL gene copies in each cell. The contribution of this mutation to STI571-resistant phenotype remains unknown. Preliminary data showing partial reversibility of resistance in these cells suggest that resistance may be multifactorial. No other mutations were identified in the kinase domain of the BCR/ABL gene. (+info)
Apoptotic effect of As2S2 on K562 cells and its mechanism.
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AIM: To investigate the apoptotic effect of As2S2 on K562 cells and its mechanism. METHODS: The effect of As2S2 on proliferation of K562 cells was determined by counting the number of cells. Apoptosis was assessed by flow cytometry, DNA fragmentation analysis, and morphology observation. Expression of protein was determined by Western blot. RT-PCR was used to evaluate changes in gene expression. RESULTS: As2S2 greatly inhibited the proliferation and induced apoptosis of K562 cells in a concentration- and time-dependent manner at the concentration range of 1-5 micromol/L during 24-72 h. Viable cells were decreased to approximately 71 % of control at the concentration of 5 micromol/L after 48-h incubation, 31.4 % after 72-h incubation, and 45.4 % at 3 micromol/L after 72-h incubation. At 3 micromol/L for 72 h, 5 micromol/L for 48 h, and 5 micromol/L for 72 h, the apoptosis rate were 34.4 %, 21.8 %, and 46 % of the treated-cells, respectively. As2S2 decreased the Bcr-Abl fusion protein and protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) activity of c-abl and Bcr-Abl, but it did not change the transcription of bcr-abl assayed. As2S2 also induced apoptosis in fresh mononuclear cells derived from chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) patients. CML Ph+ leukemia cells were more sensitive to the apoptotic effect of As2S2 than Ph- mononuclear cells (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: As2S2 inhibited the proliferation and induced apoptosis in K562 and fresh CML mononuclear cells. The decline of the Bcr-Abl protein and its PTK activity may play an important role in the apoptotic effect of As2S2. As2S2 may be a useful agent for the treatment of CML. (+info)
Expression of mu-BCR-ADL transcripts in chronic neutrophilic leukemia.
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The classification of chronic neutrophilic leukemia (CNL) is controversial. Our purpose was to correlate clinical, pathologic, and molecular analyses in 2 cases of CNL. In both cases, the patients were referred because of a substantially increased peripheral WBC count noted during routine examination. Bone marrow biopsies and aspirate smears revealed hypercellularity with myeloid/erythroid ratios of 4:1 and 11:1, respectively. The bone marrow aspirate results were as follows: case 1: blasts, 2%; promyelocytes, 2%; myelocytes, 6%; metamyelocytes, 16%; band neutrophils, 13%; segmented neutrophils, 34%; and case 2: blasts, 1%; promyelocytes, 2%; myelocytes, 15%; metamyelocytes, 20%; band neutrophils, 24%; neutrophils, 19%. Reverse transcriptase in situ polymerase chain reaction studies demonstrated expression of mu-BCR-ABL transcripts in 13% and 25% of the bone marrow cells, respectively. In both cases, the positive signal was noted mainly in the early granulocytic precursors and was present in occasional mature neutrophils. To our knowledge, this is thefirst in situ demonstration of mu-BCR-ABL expression in CNL Ourfindings reinforce the usefulness of this messenger RNA as a molecular marker of CNL. (+info)