Transcriptomic comparison of FVB mouse strain lung Cells one week upon injecting mice intraperitoneally with either saline or Urethane. Mouse lung cell were also compared at the transcriptomic level with the mouse lung adenocarcinoma cell line FULA 1, which was established in our lab
IκB Kinase α Is Required for Development and Progression of <i>KRAS</i>-Mutant Lung Adenocarcinoma.
Specimen part, Cell line, Treatment
View SamplesWe compared different mouse cancer cell lines to identify their unique cell signatures.
Myeloid-derived interleukin-1β drives oncogenic KRAS-NF-κΒ addiction in malignant pleural effusion.
Cell line, Treatment
View SamplesWe compared different mouse cancer cell lines to identify their unique cell signatures.
<i>NRAS</i> destines tumor cells to the lungs.
Specimen part, Cell line
View SamplesUnderstanding the specific cell populations responsible for propagation of leukemia is an important step for development of effective targeted therapies. Recently, the lymphoid-primed multipotent progenitor (LMPP) has been proposed to be a key propagating population in acute myeloid leukemia (AML; PMID 21251617). We have also shown that LMPPs share many functional and gene expression properties with early thymic progenitors (ETPs; PMID 22344248). This finding is of particular interest as ETP leukemias have recently been described: a distinct and poor prognostic disease entity with a transcriptional profile reminiscent of murine ETPs, showing co-expression of hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) and myeloid markers (PMID 19147408). Together, this raises the question whether ETPs can act as a leukemia-initiating/propagating cell population; however, relevant disease models to test this hypothesis are currently lacking. Analysis of the genetic landscape of ETP leukemias has revealed frequent coexistence of inactivating mutations of EZH2 and RUNX1 (PMID 22237106). We therefore generated mice with deletions of Ezh2 and Runx1 specifically targeted to early lymphoid progenitors using Rag1Cre (Ezh2fl/flRunx1fl/flRag1Cre+; DKO mice). As anticipated, HSCs lacked significant recombination in DKO mice whereas close to 100% of purified ETPs (Lin-CD4-CD8-CD44+CD25-Kit+Flt3+) showed deletion of Ezh2 and Runx1. Strikingly, despite a 16-fold reduction in thymus cellularity caused by a block in thymocyte maturation at the DN2-DN3 transition, absolute numbers of ETPs within the thymus of DKO mice were markedly expanded (12-fold; p<0.0001). In contrast, Ezh2 or Runx1 deletion alone had no impact on numbers of ETPs. RNA-sequencing of the expanded ETPs in DKO mice revealed upregulation of HSC- and myeloid-associated transcriptional programs, reminiscent of ETP leukaemia e.g. Pbx1 (log2FC=3.0; p<0.0001) and Csf3r (log2FC=1.9; p=0.0038). Single-cell gene expression analysis confirmed co-expression of HSC and myeloid programs with lymphoid genes within individual DKO ETPs. Further, some key regulators of T-cell maturation which are aberrantly expressed in ETP leukemia were also disrupted in DKO ETPs e.g. Tcf7 (log2FC=-9.5; p<0.0001). Gene expression associated with aberrant Ras signalling was also present. However, despite a continued expansion of the ETP population with age, we did not observe leukemia in DKO mice with over 1 year of follow-up. Since ETP leukemias frequently feature activating mutations in genes regulating RAS signaling, we hypothesised that the expanded “pre-leukemic” ETPs in DKO mice would be primed for leukemic transformation by signalling pathway mutation. We therefore crossed DKO mice with a Flt3ITD/+ knock-in mouse line, as internal tandem duplications (ITD) of FLT3 are frequent in ETP leukemias. Ezh2fl/flRunx1fl/flRag1Cre+Flt3ITD/+ (DKOITD) mice showed dramatically reduced survival (median 9.3 weeks) resulting from an aggressive, fully penetrant acute leukemia showing a predominantly myeloid phenotype (e.g. Mac1) but with co-expression of some lymphoid antigens (e.g. intracellular CD3). Crucially, this leukaemia could be propagated in wild-type recipients upon transplantation of the expanded ETPs. DKOITD ETPs were transcriptionally very similar to DKO ETPs, retaining expression of lymphoid alongside HSC- and myeloid-associated genes. Finally, in a lympho-myeloid cell line model (EML cells) we demonstrated that Ezh2 inactivation-induced loss of H3K27me3 is associated with a corresponding increase in H3K27Ac, a transcriptional activating signal that recruits bromodomain proteins. As such, we reasoned that our ETP leukemia model might be sensitive to bromodomain inhibitors such as JQ1. Indeed, we observed high sensitivity of expanded DKOITD ETPs to JQ1, raising the possibility of a new therapeutic approach for ETP leukemias. This novel mouse model of ETP-propagated leukemia, driven by clinically relevant mutations, provides intriguing evidence that leukemias with a predominant myeloid phenotype, but co-expressing lymphoid genes, may initiate within a bona fide early lymphoid progenitor population. Since the functional characteristics of the cell of origin of a leukaemia may direct its progression and response to therapy, these findings could have important implications for future stratification and treatment of both AML and ETP leukemias. Overall design: mRNA-sequencing of mouse Mac1+ bone marrow cells from three genotypes
Ezh2 and Runx1 Mutations Collaborate to Initiate Lympho-Myeloid Leukemia in Early Thymic Progenitors.
Cell line, Subject
View SamplesUnderstanding the specific cell populations responsible for propagation of leukemia is an important step for development of effective targeted therapies. Recently, the lymphoid-primed multipotent progenitor (LMPP) has been proposed to be a key propagating population in acute myeloid leukemia (AML; PMID 21251617). We have also shown that LMPPs share many functional and gene expression properties with early thymic progenitors (ETPs; PMID 22344248). This finding is of particular interest as ETP leukemias have recently been described: a distinct and poor prognostic disease entity with a transcriptional profile reminiscent of murine ETPs, showing co-expression of hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) and myeloid markers (PMID 19147408). Together, this raises the question whether ETPs can act as a leukemia-initiating/propagating cell population; however, relevant disease models to test this hypothesis are currently lacking. Analysis of the genetic landscape of ETP leukemias has revealed frequent coexistence of inactivating mutations of EZH2 and RUNX1 (PMID 22237106). We therefore generated mice with deletions of Ezh2 and Runx1 specifically targeted to early lymphoid progenitors using Rag1Cre (Ezh2fl/flRunx1fl/flRag1Cre+; DKO mice). As anticipated, HSCs lacked significant recombination in DKO mice whereas close to 100% of purified ETPs (Lin-CD4-CD8-CD44+CD25-Kit+Flt3+) showed deletion of Ezh2 and Runx1. Strikingly, despite a 16-fold reduction in thymus cellularity caused by a block in thymocyte maturation at the DN2-DN3 transition, absolute numbers of ETPs within the thymus of DKO mice were markedly expanded (12-fold; p<0.0001). In contrast, Ezh2 or Runx1 deletion alone had no impact on numbers of ETPs. RNA-sequencing of the expanded ETPs in DKO mice revealed upregulation of HSC- and myeloid-associated transcriptional programs, reminiscent of ETP leukaemia e.g. Pbx1 (log2FC=3.0; p<0.0001) and Csf3r (log2FC=1.9; p=0.0038). Single-cell gene expression analysis confirmed co-expression of HSC and myeloid programs with lymphoid genes within individual DKO ETPs. Further, some key regulators of T-cell maturation which are aberrantly expressed in ETP leukemia were also disrupted in DKO ETPs e.g. Tcf7 (log2FC=-9.5; p<0.0001). Gene expression associated with aberrant Ras signalling was also present. However, despite a continued expansion of the ETP population with age, we did not observe leukemia in DKO mice with over 1 year of follow-up. Since ETP leukemias frequently feature activating mutations in genes regulating RAS signaling, we hypothesised that the expanded “pre-leukemic” ETPs in DKO mice would be primed for leukemic transformation by signalling pathway mutation. We therefore crossed DKO mice with a Flt3ITD/+ knock-in mouse line, as internal tandem duplications (ITD) of FLT3 are frequent in ETP leukemias. Ezh2fl/flRunx1fl/flRag1Cre+Flt3ITD/+ (DKOITD) mice showed dramatically reduced survival (median 9.3 weeks) resulting from an aggressive, fully penetrant acute leukemia showing a predominantly myeloid phenotype (e.g. Mac1) but with co-expression of some lymphoid antigens (e.g. intracellular CD3). Crucially, this leukaemia could be propagated in wild-type recipients upon transplantation of the expanded ETPs. DKOITD ETPs were transcriptionally very similar to DKO ETPs, retaining expression of lymphoid alongside HSC- and myeloid-associated genes. Finally, in a lympho-myeloid cell line model (EML cells) we demonstrated that Ezh2 inactivation-induced loss of H3K27me3 is associated with a corresponding increase in H3K27Ac, a transcriptional activating signal that recruits bromodomain proteins. As such, we reasoned that our ETP leukemia model might be sensitive to bromodomain inhibitors such as JQ1. Indeed, we observed high sensitivity of expanded DKOITD ETPs to JQ1, raising the possibility of a new therapeutic approach for ETP leukemias. This novel mouse model of ETP-propagated leukemia, driven by clinically relevant mutations, provides intriguing evidence that leukemias with a predominant myeloid phenotype, but co-expressing lymphoid genes, may initiate within a bona fide early lymphoid progenitor population. Since the functional characteristics of the cell of origin of a leukaemia may direct its progression and response to therapy, these findings could have important implications for future stratification and treatment of both AML and ETP leukemias. Overall design: mRNA-sequencing of mouse early thymic precursors from three genotypes
Ezh2 and Runx1 Mutations Collaborate to Initiate Lympho-Myeloid Leukemia in Early Thymic Progenitors.
Cell line, Subject
View SamplesThis SuperSeries is composed of the SubSeries listed below.
BET inhibitor resistance emerges from leukaemia stem cells.
Specimen part, Cell line
View SamplesBromodomain and Extra Terminal protein (BET) inhibitors are first-in-class targeted therapies that deliver a new therapeutic paradigm by directly targeting epigenetic readers. Early clinical trials have shown significant promise especially in acute myeloid leukaemia (AML)3; therefore the evaluation of resistance mechanisms, an inevitable consequence of cancer therapies, is of utmost importance to optimise the clinical efficacy of these drugs. Using primary murine stem and progenitor cells immortalised with MLL-AF9, we have used an innovative approach to generate 20 cell lines derived from single cell clones demonstrating stable resistance, in vitro and in vivo, to the prototypical BET inhibitor, I-BET. Resistance to I-BET confers cross-resistance to chemically distinct BET inhibitors such as JQ1, as well as resistance to genetic knockdown of BET proteins. Resistance is not mediated through increased drug efflux or metabolism but is demonstrated to emerge from leukaemia stem cells (LSC). Resistant clones display a leukaemic granulocyte-macrophage progenitor (L-GMP) phenotype (Lin-, Sca-, cKit+, CD34+, FcRII/RIII+) and functionally exhibit increased clonogenic capacity in vitro and markedly shorter leukaemia latency in vivo. Chromatin bound BRD4 is globally reduced in resistant cells, however expression of key target genes such as MYC remains unaltered, highlighting the existence of alternative mechanisms to regulate transcription. We demonstrate that resistance to BET inhibitors is in part a consequence of increased Wnt/-catenin signaling. Negative regulation of this pathway results in differentiation of resistant cells into mature leukaemic blasts, inhibition of MYC expression and restoration of sensitivity to I-BET in vitro and in vivo. Finally, we show that the sensitivity of primary human AML cells to I-BET correlates with the baseline expression of Wnt/-catenin target genes. Together these findings provide novel insights into the biology of AML, highlight the potential therapeutic limitations of BET inhibitors and identify strategies that may overcome resistance and enhance the clinical utility of these unique targeted therapies.
BET inhibitor resistance emerges from leukaemia stem cells.
Specimen part, Cell line
View SamplesThis SuperSeries is composed of the SubSeries listed below.
Assembly of a Parts List of the Human Mitotic Cell Cycle Machinery.
Specimen part
View SamplesTranscriptional programmes involved in the eukaryotic cell cycle are activated sequentially throughout the process. In particular, the set of genes required for S and G2-M phases are highly conserved and induced one after the other.
Assembly of a Parts List of the Human Mitotic Cell Cycle Machinery.
Specimen part
View SamplesGene expression analysis identified a CRC related signature of differentially expressed genes discriminating patients Responder and Non Responder to radiochemotherapy
A functional biological network centered on XRCC3: a new possible marker of chemoradiotherapy resistance in rectal cancer patients.
Sex, Age, Specimen part, Disease, Disease stage
View Samples