Cell origin-dependent cooperativity of mutant Dnmt3a and Npm1 in clonal hematopoiesis and myeloid malignancy.

In adult acute myeloid leukemia (AML), the acquisition of driver somatic mutations may be preceded by a benign state termed clonal hematopoiesis (CH). To develop therapeutic strategies to prevent leukemia development from CH, it is important to understand the mechanisms by which CH-driving and AML-driving mutations cooperate. Here, we use mice with inducible mutant alleles common in human CH (DNMT3AR882; mouse Dnmt3aR878H) and AML (NPM1c; mouse Npm1cA). We find that Dnmt3aR878H/+ hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), but not multipotent progenitor cell (MPP) subsets, have reduced cytokine expression and proinflammatory transcriptional signatures and a functional competitive advantage over their wild-type counterparts. Dnmt3aR878H/+ HSCs are the most potent cell type transformed by Npm1cA, generating myeloid malignancies in which few additional cooperating somatic mutation events were detected. At a molecular level, Npm1cA, in cooperation with Dnmt3aR878H, acutely increased the accessibility of a distinct set of promoters in HSCs compared with MPP cells. These promoters were enriched for cell cycling, PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling, stem cell signatures, and targets of transcription factors, including NFAT and the chromatin binding factor HMGB1, which have been implicated in human AML. These results demonstrate cooperativity between preexisting Dnmt3aR878H and Npm1cA at the chromatin level, where specific loci altered in accessibility by Npm1cA are dependent on cell context as well as Dnmt3a mutation status. These findings have implications for biological understanding and therapeutic intervention in the transformation from CH to AML

Distinct tumor necrosis factor alpha receptors dictate stem cell fitness versus lineage output in Dnmt3a-mutant clonal hematopoiesis

UNLABELLED: Clonal hematopoiesis resulting from the enhanced fitness of mutant hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) associates with both favorable and unfavorable health outcomes related to the types of mature mutant blood cells produced, but how this lineage output is regulated is unclear. Using a mouse model of a clonal hematopoiesis-associated mutation, DNMT3AR882/+ (Dnmt3aR878H/+), we found that aging-induced TNFα signaling promoted the selective advantage of mutant HSCs and stimulated the production of mutant B lymphoid cells. The genetic loss of the TNFα receptor TNFR1 ablated the selective advantage of mutant HSCs without altering their lineage output, whereas the loss of TNFR2 resulted in the overproduction of mutant myeloid cells without altering HSC fitness. These results nominate TNFR1 as a target to reduce clonal hematopoiesis and the risk of associated diseases and support a model in which clone size and mature blood lineage production can be independently controlled to modulate favorable and unfavorable clonal hematopoiesis outcomes. SIGNIFICANCE: Through the identification and dissection of TNFα signaling as a key driver of murine Dnmt3a-mutant hematopoiesis, we report the discovery that clone size and production of specific mature blood cell types can be independently regulated. See related commentary by Niño and Pietras, p. 2724. This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 2711

Trapping redox partnerships in oxidant-sensitive proteins with a small, thiol-reactive cross-linker

A broad range of redox-regulated proteins undergo reversible disulfide bond formation on oxidation-prone cysteine residues. Heightened reactivity of the thiol groups in these cysteines also increases susceptibility to modification by organic electrophiles, a property that can be exploited in the study of redox networks. Here, we explored whether divinyl sulfone (DVSF), a thiol-reactive bifunctional electrophile, cross-links oxidant-sensitive proteins to their putative redox partners in cells. To test this idea, previously identified oxidant targets involved in oxidant defense (namely, peroxiredoxins, methionine sulfoxide reductases, sulfiredoxin, and glutathione peroxidases), metabolism, and proteostasis were monitored for cross-link formation following treatment of Saccharomyces cerevisiae with DVSF. Several proteins screened, including multiple oxidant defense proteins, underwent intermolecular and/or intramolecular cross-linking in response to DVSF. Specific redox-active cysteines within a subset of DVSF targets were found to influence cross-linking; in addition, DVSF-mediated cross-linking of its targets was impaired in cells first exposed to oxidants. Since cross-linking appeared to involve redox-active cysteines in these proteins, we examined whether potential redox partners became cross-linked to them upon DVSF treatment. Specifically, we found that several substrates of thioredoxins were cross-linked to the cytosolic thioredoxin Trx2 in cells treated with DVSF. However, other DVSF targets, like the peroxiredoxin Ahp1, principally formed intra-protein cross-links upon DVSF treatment. Moreover, additional protein targets, including several known to undergo S-glutathionylation, were conjugated via DVSF to glutathione. Our results indicate that DVSF is of potential use as a chemical tool for irreversibly trapping and discovering thiol-based redox partnerships within cells

Wnt Signaling in the Phenotype and Function of Tumor-Associated Macrophages.

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAM) play an important role in supporting tumor growth and suppressing antitumor immune responses, and TAM infiltration has been associated with poor patient prognosis in various cancers. TAMs can be classified as pro-inflammatory, M1-like, or anti-inflammatory, M2-like. While multiple factors within the tumor microenvironment affect the recruitment, polarization, and functions of TAMs, accumulating evidence suggests that Wnt signaling represents an important, targetable driver of an immunosuppressive, M2-like TAM phenotype. TAM production of Wnt ligands mediates TAM-tumor cross-talk to support cancer cell proliferation, invasion, and metastasis. Targeting TAM polarization and the protumorigenic functions of TAMs through inhibitors of Wnt signaling may prove a beneficial treatment strategy in cancers where macrophages are prevalent in the microenvironment

Piecing Together How Peroxiredoxins Maintain Genomic Stability

Peroxiredoxins, a highly conserved family of thiol oxidoreductases, play a key role in oxidant detoxification by partnering with the thioredoxin system to protect against oxidative stress. In addition to their peroxidase activity, certain types of peroxiredoxins possess other biochemical activities, including assistance in preventing protein aggregation upon exposure to high levels of oxidants (molecular chaperone activity), and the transduction of redox signals to downstream proteins (redox switch activity). Mice lacking the peroxiredoxin Prdx1 exhibit an increased incidence of tumor formation, whereas baker’s yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) lacking the orthologous peroxiredoxin Tsa1 exhibit a mutator phenotype. Collectively, these findings suggest a potential link between peroxiredoxins, control of genomic stability, and cancer etiology. Here, we examine the potential mechanisms through which Tsa1 lowers mutation rates, taking into account its diverse biochemical roles in oxidant defense, protein homeostasis, and redox signaling as well as its interplay with thioredoxin and thioredoxin substrates, including ribonucleotide reductase. More work is needed to clarify the nuanced mechanism(s) through which this highly conserved peroxidase influences genome stability, and to determine if this mechanism is similar across a range of species

Heritable genetic background alters survival and phenotype of Mll-AF9-induced leukemias.

The MLL-AF9 fusion protein occurring as a result of t(9;11) translocation gives rise to pediatric and adult acute leukemias of distinct lineages, including acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and mixed-phenotype acute leukemia (MPAL). The mechanisms underlying how this same fusion protein results in diverse leukemia phenotypes among different individuals are not well understood. Given emerging evidence from genome-wide association studies that genetic risk factors contribute to MLL-rearranged leukemogenesis, here we tested the impact of genetic background on survival and phenotype of a well-characterized Mll-AF9 knockin mouse model. We crossed this model with five distinct inbred strains (129, A/J, C57BL/6, NOD, CAST) and tested their F1 hybrid progeny for dominant genetic effects on Mll-AF9 phenotypes. We discovered that genetic background altered peripheral blood composition, with Mll-AF9 CAST F1 having a significantly increased B-lymphocyte frequency, while the remainder of the strains exhibited myeloid-biased hematopoiesis, similar to the parental line. Genetic background also had an impact on overall survival, with Mll-AF9 A/J F1 and Mll-AF9 129 F1 having significantly shorter survival and Mll-AF9 CAST F1 having longer survival, compared with the parental line. Furthermore, we observed a range of hematologic malignancies, with Mll-AF9 A/J F1, Mll-AF9 129 F1, and Mll-AF9 B6 F1 developing exclusively myeloid cell malignancies (myeloproliferative disorder [MPD] and AML), whereas a subset of Mll-AF9 NOD F1 developed MPAL and Mll-AF9 CAST F1 developed ALL. This study provides a novel in vivo experimental model in which to evaluate the underlying mechanisms by which MLL-AF9 results in diverse leukemia phenotypes and provides definitive experimental evidence that genetic risk factors contribute to survival and phenotype of MLL-rearranged leukemogenesis

Predicting Dangerous Seismic Events in Coal Mines under Distribution Drift

Clonal hematopoiesis (CH) is a common aging-associated condition with increased risk of hematologic malignancy. Knowledge of the mechanisms driving evolution from CH to overt malignancy has been hampered by a lack of in vivo models that orthogonally activate mutant alleles. Here, we develop independently regulatable mutations in DNA methyltransferase 3A (Dnmt3a) and nucleophosmin 1 (Npm1), observed in human CH and AML, respectively. We find Dnmt3a mutation expands hematopoietic stem and multipotent progenitor cells (HSC/MPPs), modeling CH. Induction of mutant Npm1 after development of Dnmt3a-mutant CH causes progression to myeloproliferative disorder (MPD), and more aggressive MPD is observed with longer latency between mutations. MPDs uniformly progress to acute myeloid leukemia (AML) following transplant, accompanied by a decrease in HSC/MPPs and an increase in myeloid-restricted progenitors, the latter of which propagate AML in tertiary recipient mice. At a molecular level, progression of CH to MPD is accompanied by selection for mutations activating Ras/Raf/MAPK signaling. Progression to AML is characterized by additional oncogenic signaling mutations (Ptpn11, Pik3r1, Flt3) and/or mutations in epigenetic regulators (Hdac1, Idh1, Arid1a). Together, our study demonstrates that Npm1 mutation drives evolution of Dnmt3a-mutant CH to AML and rate of disease progression is accelerated with longer latency of CH