MLL-Rearranged Leukemia Is Dependent on Aberrant H3K79 Methylation by DOT1L
SummaryThe histone 3 lysine 79 (H3K79) methyltransferase Dot1l has been implicated in the development of leukemias bearing translocations of the Mixed Lineage Leukemia (MLL) gene. We identified the MLL-fusion targets in an MLL-AF9 leukemia model, and conducted epigenetic profiling for H3K79me2, H3K4me3, H3K27me3, and H3K36me3 in hematopoietic progenitor and leukemia stem cells (LSCs). We found abnormal profiles only for H3K79me2 on MLL-AF9 fusion target loci in LSCs. Inactivation of Dot1l led to downregulation of direct MLL-AF9 targets and an MLL translocation-associated gene expression signature, whereas global gene expression remained largely unaffected. Suppression of MLL translocation-a…
Abstract 1126: Efficacy of BET bromodomain inhibition in Kras-positive non-small cell lung cancer.
Abstract Amplification of MYC is one of the most common genetic alterations in lung cancer, contributing to a myriad of phenotypes associated with growth, invasion and drug resistance. Murine genetics has established both the centrality of somatic alterations of Kras in lung cancer, as well as dependency of Kras-dependent tumors on c-Myc function. Unfortunately, drug-like small-molecule inhibitors of KRAS and c-Myc have yet to be realized. The recent discovery in hematologic malignancies that bromodomain inhibition impairs MYC expression and MYC-dependent transcriptional function prompted the possibility of targeting KRAS-driven NSCLC with a potent, prototypical BET bromodomain inhibitor, J…
Metabolic and Functional Genomic Studies Identify Deoxythymidylate Kinase as a target in LKB1 Mutant Lung Cancer
Abstract The LKB1/STK11 tumor suppressor encodes a serine/threonine kinase, which coordinates cell growth, polarity, motility, and metabolism. In non–small cell lung carcinoma, LKB1 is somatically inactivated in 25% to 30% of cases, often concurrently with activating KRAS mutations. Here, we used an integrative approach to define novel therapeutic targets in KRAS-driven LKB1-mutant lung cancers. High-throughput RNA interference screens in lung cancer cell lines from genetically engineered mouse models driven by activated KRAS with or without coincident Lkb1 deletion led to the identification of Dtymk, encoding deoxythymidylate kinase (DTYMK), which catalyzes dTTP biosynthesis, as synthetica…
Demonstration of a Role for Dot1l In MLL-Rearranged Leukemia Using a Conditional Loss of Function Model
Abstract Abstract 62 Leukemias associated with translocations of the Mixed Lineage Leukemia (MLL) gene account for a significant percentage of both AML and ALL, and often carry a poor prognosis. The exact molecular mechanisms by which MLL-fusion proteins transform cells are incompletely understood. One proposed model involves the aberrant activation of transcriptional programs through epigenetic changes that ultimately lead to leukemogenesis. The histone 3 lysine 79 (H3K79) methyltransferase Dot1l has been shown to be recruited by the most common MLL fusion proteins, and MLL fusion protein target loci are associated with H3K79 methylation (H3K79me2/3) in mouse models and MLL-rearranged huma…
Efficacy of BET Bromodomain Inhibition in Kras-Mutant Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer
Abstract Purpose: Amplification of MYC is one of the most common genetic alterations in lung cancer, contributing to a myriad of phenotypes associated with growth, invasion, and drug resistance. Murine genetics has established both the centrality of somatic alterations of Kras in lung cancer, as well as the dependency of mutant Kras tumors on MYC function. Unfortunately, drug-like small-molecule inhibitors of KRAS and MYC have yet to be realized. The recent discovery, in hematologic malignancies, that bromodomain and extra-terminal (BET) bromodomain inhibition impairs MYC expression and MYC transcriptional function established the rationale of targeting KRAS-driven non–small cell lung cance…
D-2-hydroxyglutarate produced by mutant IDH2 causes cardiomyopathy and neurodegeneration in mice.
Mutations in isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 and 2 (IDH1/2) have been discovered in several cancer types and cause the neurometabolic syndrome D2-hydroxyglutaric aciduria (D2HGA). The mutant enzymes exhibit neomorphic activity resulting in production of D2-hydroxyglutaric acid (D-2HG). To study the pathophysiological consequences of the accumulation of D-2HG, we generated transgenic mice with conditionally activated IDH2R140Q and IDH2R172K alleles. Global induction of mutant IDH2 expression in adults resulted in dilated cardiomyopathy, white matter abnormalities throughout the central nervous system (CNS), and muscular dystrophy. Embryonic activation of mutant IDH2 resulted in more pronounced ph…