Functional loss of IKBE leads to NF-KB deregulation in aggressive chronic lymphocytic leukemia

NF-?B is constitutively activated in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL); however, the implicated molecular mechanisms remain largely unknown. Thus, we performed targeted deep sequencing of 18 core complex genes within the NF-?B pathway in a discovery and validation CLL cohort totaling 315 cases. The most frequently mutated gene was NFKBIE (21/315 cases; 7%), which encodes I?B?, a negative regulator of NF-?B in normal B cells. Strikingly, 13 of these cases carried an identical 4-bp frameshift deletion, resulting in a truncated protein. Screening of an additional 377 CLL cases revealed that NFKBIE aberrations predominated in poor-prognostic patients and were associated with inferior outcome. Minor subclones and/or clonal evolution were also observed, thus potentially linking this recurrent event to disease progression. Compared with wild-type patients, NFKBIE-deleted cases showed reduced I?B? protein levels and decreased p65 inhibition, along with increased phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of p65. Considering the central role of B cell receptor (BcR) signaling in CLL pathobiology, it is notable that I?B? loss was enriched in aggressive cases with distinctive stereotyped BcR, likely contributing to their poor prognosis, and leading to an altered response to BcR inhibitors. Because NFKBIE deletions were observed in several other B cell lymphomas, our findings suggest a novel common mechanism of NF-?B deregulation during lymphomagenesis. <br/

Functional loss of IκBε leads to NF-κB deregulation in aggressive chronic lymphocytic leukemia

NF-κB is constitutively activated in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL); however, the implicated molecular mechanisms remain largely unknown. Thus, we performed targeted deep sequencing of 18 core complex genes within the NF-κB pathway in a discovery and validation CLL cohort totaling 315 cases. The most frequently mutated gene was NFKBIE (21/315 cases; 7%), which encodes IκBε, a negative regulator of NF-κB in normal B cells. Strikingly, 13 of these cases carried an identical 4-bp frameshift deletion, resulting in a truncated protein. Screening of an additional 377 CLL cases revealed that NFKBIE aberrations predominated in poor-prognostic patients and were associated with inferior outcome. Minor subclones and/or clonal evolution were also observed, thus potentially linking this recurrent event to disease progression. Compared with wild-type patients, NFKBIE-deleted cases showed reduced IκBε protein levels and decreased p65 inhibition, along with increased phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of p65. Considering the central role of B cell receptor (BcR) signaling in CLL pathobiology, it is notable that IκBε loss was enriched in aggressive cases with distinctive stereotyped BcR, likely contributing to their poor prognosis, and leading to an altered response to BcR inhibitors. Because NFKBIE deletions were observed in several other B cell lymphomas, our findings suggest a novel common mechanism of NF-κB deregulation during lymphomagenesis

Analysis of signaling pathway activity in single cells using the in situ Proximity Ligation Assay

A cell that senses signals from its environment uses proteins for signal transduction via post translational modifications (PTMs) and protein- protein interactions (PPIs) from cell membrane into the nucleus where genes controlling cell proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis can be turned on or off, i.e. changing the phenotype or fate of the cell. Aberrations within such proteins are prone to cause diseases, such as cancer. Therefore, it is important so study aberrant signaling to be able to understand and treat diseases. In this thesis, signaling aberrations of PTMs and PPIs were analyzed with the use of the in situ proximity ligation assay (in situ PLA), and the thesis also contain method development of rolling circle amplification (RCA), which is the method used for signal amplification of in situ PLA reaction products. Paper I considers the integrity of RCA products. Here, the aim was to generate a smaller and more compact RCA product, for more accurate either visual or automated analysis. This was achieved with the use of an additional so called compaction oligonucleotide that during RCA was able to bind and pull segments of RCA products closer together. The compaction oligonucleotide served to increase the signal to noise ratio and decrease the number of false positive signals. The crosstalk between the Hippo and TGFβ signaling pathways were studied in paper II. Activity of the Hippo signaling pathway is regulated by cell density sensing and tissue control. We found differences in amounts and localization of interactions between the effector proteins of the two pathways depending on cell density and TGFβ stimulation. In paper III the NF-кB signaling pathway constitutively activated in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) was studied. A 4 base-pair frameshift deletion within the NFKBIE gene, which encodes the negative regulator IкBε, was found among 13 of a total 315 cases by the use of targeted deep sequencing. We found reduced levels of IкBε protein, decreased p65 inhibition, and increased phosphorylation, along with increased nuclear localization of p65 in NFKBIE deleted cases compared to healthy cases. Crosstalk between the Hippo and Wnt signaling pathway are studied within paper IV. Here, we found differences in cellular localization of TAZ/β-catenin interactions depending on colon cancer tumor stage and by further investigate Hippo/WNT crosstalk in cell line model systems we found an increase of complex formations involved in the crosstalk in sparse growing HEK293 cells compared to dense growing cells. Also, active WNT3a signaling was affected by cell density. Since cell density showed to have a big effect on Hippo/WNT crosstalk we continued to investigated the effect of E-cadherin, which has a function in cell junctions and maintenance of epithelial integrity on Hippo/WNT crosstalk. Interestingly, we found that E-cadherin is likely to regulate Hippo/WNT crosstalk

Analysis of signaling pathway activity in single cells using the in situ Proximity Ligation Assay

A cell that senses signals from its environment uses proteins for signal transduction via post translational modifications (PTMs) and protein- protein interactions (PPIs) from cell membrane into the nucleus where genes controlling cell proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis can be turned on or off, i.e. changing the phenotype or fate of the cell. Aberrations within such proteins are prone to cause diseases, such as cancer. Therefore, it is important so study aberrant signaling to be able to understand and treat diseases. In this thesis, signaling aberrations of PTMs and PPIs were analyzed with the use of the in situ proximity ligation assay (in situ PLA), and the thesis also contain method development of rolling circle amplification (RCA), which is the method used for signal amplification of in situ PLA reaction products. Paper I considers the integrity of RCA products. Here, the aim was to generate a smaller and more compact RCA product, for more accurate either visual or automated analysis. This was achieved with the use of an additional so called compaction oligonucleotide that during RCA was able to bind and pull segments of RCA products closer together. The compaction oligonucleotide served to increase the signal to noise ratio and decrease the number of false positive signals. The crosstalk between the Hippo and TGFβ signaling pathways were studied in paper II. Activity of the Hippo signaling pathway is regulated by cell density sensing and tissue control. We found differences in amounts and localization of interactions between the effector proteins of the two pathways depending on cell density and TGFβ stimulation. In paper III the NF-кB signaling pathway constitutively activated in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) was studied. A 4 base-pair frameshift deletion within the NFKBIE gene, which encodes the negative regulator IкBε, was found among 13 of a total 315 cases by the use of targeted deep sequencing. We found reduced levels of IкBε protein, decreased p65 inhibition, and increased phosphorylation, along with increased nuclear localization of p65 in NFKBIE deleted cases compared to healthy cases. Crosstalk between the Hippo and Wnt signaling pathway are studied within paper IV. Here, we found differences in cellular localization of TAZ/β-catenin interactions depending on colon cancer tumor stage and by further investigate Hippo/WNT crosstalk in cell line model systems we found an increase of complex formations involved in the crosstalk in sparse growing HEK293 cells compared to dense growing cells. Also, active WNT3a signaling was affected by cell density. Since cell density showed to have a big effect on Hippo/WNT crosstalk we continued to investigated the effect of E-cadherin, which has a function in cell junctions and maintenance of epithelial integrity on Hippo/WNT crosstalk. Interestingly, we found that E-cadherin is likely to regulate Hippo/WNT crosstalk

Analysis of signaling pathway activity in single cells using the in situ Proximity Ligation Assay

A cell that senses signals from its environment uses proteins for signal transduction via post translational modifications (PTMs) and protein- protein interactions (PPIs) from cell membrane into the nucleus where genes controlling cell proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis can be turned on or off, i.e. changing the phenotype or fate of the cell. Aberrations within such proteins are prone to cause diseases, such as cancer. Therefore, it is important so study aberrant signaling to be able to understand and treat diseases. In this thesis, signaling aberrations of PTMs and PPIs were analyzed with the use of the in situ proximity ligation assay (in situ PLA), and the thesis also contain method development of rolling circle amplification (RCA), which is the method used for signal amplification of in situ PLA reaction products. Paper I considers the integrity of RCA products. Here, the aim was to generate a smaller and more compact RCA product, for more accurate either visual or automated analysis. This was achieved with the use of an additional so called compaction oligonucleotide that during RCA was able to bind and pull segments of RCA products closer together. The compaction oligonucleotide served to increase the signal to noise ratio and decrease the number of false positive signals. The crosstalk between the Hippo and TGFβ signaling pathways were studied in paper II. Activity of the Hippo signaling pathway is regulated by cell density sensing and tissue control. We found differences in amounts and localization of interactions between the effector proteins of the two pathways depending on cell density and TGFβ stimulation. In paper III the NF-кB signaling pathway constitutively activated in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) was studied. A 4 base-pair frameshift deletion within the NFKBIE gene, which encodes the negative regulator IкBε, was found among 13 of a total 315 cases by the use of targeted deep sequencing. We found reduced levels of IкBε protein, decreased p65 inhibition, and increased phosphorylation, along with increased nuclear localization of p65 in NFKBIE deleted cases compared to healthy cases. Crosstalk between the Hippo and Wnt signaling pathway are studied within paper IV. Here, we found differences in cellular localization of TAZ/β-catenin interactions depending on colon cancer tumor stage and by further investigate Hippo/WNT crosstalk in cell line model systems we found an increase of complex formations involved in the crosstalk in sparse growing HEK293 cells compared to dense growing cells. Also, active WNT3a signaling was affected by cell density. Since cell density showed to have a big effect on Hippo/WNT crosstalk we continued to investigated the effect of E-cadherin, which has a function in cell junctions and maintenance of epithelial integrity on Hippo/WNT crosstalk. Interestingly, we found that E-cadherin is likely to regulate Hippo/WNT crosstalk

Flow Cytometric Measurement of Blood Cells with BCR-ABL1 Fusion Protein in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is characterized in the majority of cases by a t(9;22)(q34;q11) translocation, also called the Philadelphia chromosome, giving rise to the BCR-ABL1 fusion protein. Current treatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitors is directed against the constitutively active ABL1 domain of the fusion protein, and minimal residual disease (MRD) after therapy is monitored by real-time quantitative PCR (RQ-PCR) of the fusion transcript. Here, we describe a novel approach to detect and enumerate cells positive for the BCR-ABL1 fusion protein by combining the in situ proximity ligation assay with flow cytometry as readout (PLA-flow). By targeting of the BCR and ABL1 parts of the fusion protein with one antibody each, and creating strong fluorescent signals through rolling circle amplification, PLA-flow allowed sensitive detection of cells positive for the BCR-ABL1 fusion at frequencies as low as one in 10,000. Importantly, the flow cytometric results correlated strongly to those of RQ-PCR, both in diagnostic testing and for MRD measurements over time. In summary, we believe this flow cytometry-based method can serve as an attractive approach for routine measurement of cells harboring BCR-ABL1 fusions, also allowing simultaneously assessment of other cell surface markers as well as sensitive longitudinal follow-up

Monitoring drug–target interactions through target engagement-mediated amplification on arrays and in situ

Drugs are designed to bind their target proteins in physiologically relevant tissues and organs to modulate biological functions and elicit desirable clinical outcomes. Information about target engagement at cellular and subcellular resolution is therefore critical for guiding compound optimization in drug discovery, and for probing resistance mechanisms to targeted therapies in clinical samples. We describe a target engagement-mediated amplification (TEMA) technology, where oligonucleotide-conjugated drugs are used to visualize and measure target engagement in situ, amplified via rolling-circle replication of circularized oligonucleotide probes. We illustrate the TEMA technique using dasatinib and gefitinib, two kinase inhibitors with distinct selectivity profiles. In vitro binding by the dasatinib probe to arrays of displayed proteins accurately reproduced known selectivity profiles, while their differential binding to fixed adherent cells agreed with expectations from expression profiles of the cells. We also introduce a proximity ligation variant of TEMA to selectively investigate binding to specific target proteins of interest. This form of the assay serves to improve resolution of binding to on- and off-target proteins. In conclusion, TEMA has the potential to aid in drug development and clinical routine by conferring valuable insights in drug–target interactions at spatial resolution in protein arrays, cells and in tissues