Genetic Deletion of SEPT7 Reveals a Cell Type-Specific Role of Septins in Microtubule Destabilization for the Completion of Cytokinesis

Cytokinesis terminates mitosis, resulting in separation of the two sister cells. Septins, a conserved family of GTP-binding cytoskeletal proteins, are an absolute requirement for cytokinesis in budding yeast. We demonstrate that septin-dependence of mammalian cytokinesis differs greatly between cell types: genetic loss of the pivotal septin subunit SEPT7 in vivo reveals that septins are indispensable for cytokinesis in fibroblasts, but expendable in cells of the hematopoietic system. SEPT7-deficient mouse embryos fail to gastrulate, and septin-deficient fibroblasts exhibit pleiotropic defects in the major cytokinetic machinery, including hyperacetylation/stabilization of microtubules and stalled midbody abscission, leading to constitutive multinucleation. We identified the microtubule depolymerizing protein stathmin as a key molecule aiding in septin-independent cytokinesis, demonstrated that stathmin supplementation is sufficient to override cytokinesis failure in SEPT7-null fibroblasts, and that knockdown of stathmin makes proliferation of a hematopoietic cell line sensitive to the septin inhibitor forchlorfenuron. Identification of septin-independent cytokinesis in the hematopoietic system could serve as a key to identify solid tumor-specific molecular targets for inhibition of cell proliferation

Combination treatment of an IDH1 inhibitor with chemotherapy in IDH1 mutant acute myeloid leukemia

Patients with newly diagnosed chronic phase chronic myeloid leukemia (CP CML) can be effectively treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and achieve a lifespan similar to the general population. The success of TKIs, however, requires long-term and sometimes lifelong treatment; thus, patient-assessed health-related quality of life (HRQoL) has become an increasingly important parameter for treatment selection. Bosutinib is a TKI approved for CP CML in newly diagnosed adults and in those resistant or intolerant to prior therapy. In the Bosutinib Trial in First-Line Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia Treatment (BFORE), bosutinib demonstrated a significantly higher major molecular response rate compared with imatinib, with maintenance of HRQoL (measured by the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Leukemia (FACT-Leu) questionnaire), after 12 months of first-line treatment. We examined relationships between molecular response (MR) and HRQoL. MR values were represented by a log-reduction scale (MRLR; a continuous variable). A repeated-measures longitudinal model was used to estimate the relationships between MRLR as a predictor and each FACT-Leu domain as an outcome. Effect sizes were calculated to determine strength of effects and allow comparisons across domains. The majority of FACT-Leu domains (with the exception of social well-being and physical well-being) demonstrated a significant relationship with MRLR (p < 0.05). Our results showed variable impact of clinical improvement on different dimensions of HRQoL. For patients who achieved M

Impact of MLL5 expression on decitabine efficacy and DNA methylation in acute myeloid leukemia.

Hypomethylating agents are widely used in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes and unfit patients with acute myeloid leukemia. However, it is not well understood why only some patients respond to hypomethylating agents. We found previously that the effect of decitabine on hematopoietic stem cell viability differed between Mll5 wildtype and null cells. We therefore investigated the role of MLL5 expression levels on outcome of acute myeloid leukemia patients who were treated with decitabine. MLL5 above the median expression level predicted longer overall survival independent of DNMT3A mutation status in bivariate analysis (median overall survival for high vs. low MLL5 expression, 292 vs. 167 days, P=.026). In patients who received 3 or more courses decitabine, high MLL5 expression and wildtype DNMT3A independently predicted improved overall survival (median overall survival for high vs. low MLL5 expression, 468 vs. 243 days, P=.012). In transformed murine cells, loss of Mll5 was associated with resistance to low-dose decitabine, less global DNA methylation in promoter regions, and reduced DNA demethylation upon decitabine treatment. Together, these data support our clinical observation of improved outcome in decitabine treated patients who express MLL5 at high levels, and suggest a mechanistic role of MLL5 in the regulation of DNA methylation

Distinct splicing signatures affect converged pathways in myelodysplastic syndrome patients carrying mutations in different splicing regulators.

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are heterogeneous myeloid disorders with prevalent mutations in several splicing factors, but the splicing programs linked to specific mutations or MDS in general remain to be systematically defined. We applied RASL-seq, a sensitive and cost-effective platform, to interrogate 5502 annotated splicing events in 169 samples from MDS patients or healthy individuals. We found that splicing signatures associated with normal hematopoietic lineages are largely related to cell signaling and differentiation programs, whereas MDS-linked signatures are primarily involved in cell cycle control and DNA damage responses. Despite the shared roles of affected splicing factors in the 3' splice site definition, mutations in U2AF1, SRSF2, and SF3B1 affect divergent splicing programs, and interestingly, the affected genes fall into converging cancer-related pathways. A risk score derived from 11 splicing events appears to be independently associated with an MDS prognosis and AML transformation, suggesting potential clinical relevance of altered splicing patterns in MDS

Distinct splicing signatures affect converged pathways in myelodysplastic syndrome patients carrying mutations in different splicing regulators.

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are heterogeneous myeloid disorders with prevalent mutations in several splicing factors, but the splicing programs linked to specific mutations or MDS in general remain to be systematically defined. We applied RASL-seq, a sensitive and cost-effective platform, to interrogate 5502 annotated splicing events in 169 samples from MDS patients or healthy individuals. We found that splicing signatures associated with normal hematopoietic lineages are largely related to cell signaling and differentiation programs, whereas MDS-linked signatures are primarily involved in cell cycle control and DNA damage responses. Despite the shared roles of affected splicing factors in the 3 splice site definition, mutations in U2AF1, SRSF2, and SF3B1 affect divergent splicing programs, and interestingly, the affected genes fall into converging cancer-related pathways. A risk score derived from 11 splicing events appears to be independently associated with an MDS prognosis and AML transformation, suggesting potential clinical relevance of altered splicing patterns in MDS

Distinct splicing signatures affect converged pathways in myelodysplastic syndrome patients carrying mutations in different splicing regulators

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are heterogeneous myeloid disorders with prevalent mutations in several splicing factors, but the splicing programs linked to specific mutations or MDS in general remain to be systematically defined. We applied RASL-seq, a sensitive and cost-effective platform, to interrogate 5502 annotated splicing events in 169 samples from MDS patients or healthy individuals. We found that splicing signatures associated with normal hematopoietic lineages are largely related to cell signaling and differentiation programs, whereas MDS-linked signatures are primarily involved in cell cycle control and DNA damage responses. Despite the shared roles of affected splicing factors in the 3′ splice site definition, mutations in U2AF1, SRSF2, and SF3B1 affect divergent splicing programs, and interestingly, the affected genes fall into converging cancer-related pathways. A risk score derived from 11 splicing events appears to be independently associated with an MDS prognosis and AML transformation, suggesting potential clinical relevance of altered splicing patterns in MDS

Lactonization of the Oncometabolite D-2-Hydroxyglutarate Produces a Novel Endogenous Metabolite

In recent years, onco-metabolites like D-2-hydroxyglutarate, which is produced in isocitrate dehydrogenase-mutated tumors, have gained increasing interest. Here, we report a metabolite in human specimens that is closely related to 2-hydroxyglutarate: the intramolecular ester of 2-hydroxyglutarate, 2-hydroxyglutarate-γ-lactone. Using 13C5-L-glutamine tracer analysis, we showed that 2-hydroxyglutarate is the endogenous precursor of 2-hydroxyglutarate-lactone and that there is a high exchange between these two metabolites. Lactone formation does not depend on mutated isocitrate dehydrogenase, but its formation is most probably linked to transport processes across the cell membrane and favored at low environmental pH. Furthermore, human macrophages showed not only striking differences in uptake of 2-hydroxyglutarate and its lactone but also in the enantiospecific hydrolysis of the latter. Consequently, 2-hydroxyglutarate-lactone may play a critical role in the modulation of the tumor microenvironment