Id2 and E Proteins Orchestrate the Initiation and Maintenance of MLL-Rearranged Acute Myeloid Leukemia

  • Margherita Ghisi
  • , Lev Kats
  • , Frederick Masson
  • , Jason Li
  • , Tobias Kratina
  • , Eva Vidacs
  • , Omer Gilan
  • , Maria A. Doyle
  • , Andrea Newbold
  • , Jessica E. Bolden
  • , Kirsten A. Fairfax
  • , Carolyn A. de Graaf
  • , Matthew Firth
  • , Johannes Zuber
  • , Ross A. Dickins
  • , Lynn M. Corcoran
  • , Mark A. Dawson
  • , Gabrielle T. Belz
  • , Ricky W. Johnstone

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

E proteins and their antagonists, the Id proteins, are transcriptional regulators important for normal hematopoiesis. We found that Id2 acts as a key regulator of leukemia stem cell (LSC) potential in MLL-rearranged acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Low endogenous Id2 expression is associated with LSC enrichment while Id2 overexpression impairs MLL-AF9-leukemia initiation and growth. Importantly, MLL-AF9 itself controls the E-protein pathway by suppressing Id2 while directly activating E2-2 expression, and E2-2 depletion phenocopies Id2 overexpression in MLL-AF9-AML cells. Remarkably, Id2 tumor-suppressive function is conserved in t(8;21) AML. Low expression of Id2 and its associated gene signature are associated with poor prognosis in MLL-rearranged and t(8;21) AML patients, identifying the Id2/E-protein axis as a promising new therapeutic target in AML.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)59-74
Number of pages16
JournalCancer Cell
Volume30
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 11 Jul 2016
Externally publishedYes

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