title: Expression of a knocked-in AML1-ETO leukemia gene inhibits the establishment of normal definitive hematopoiesis and directly generates dysplastic hematopoietic progenitors.
abstract: The t(8;21)-encoded AML1-ETO chimeric product is believed to be causally involved in up to 15% of acute myelogenous leukemias through an as yet unknown mechanism. To directly investigate the role of AML1-ETO in leukemogenesis, we used gene targeting to create an AML1-ETO "knock-in" allele that mimics the t(8;21). Unexpectedly, embryos heterozygous for AML1-ETO (AML1-ETO/+) died around E13.5 from a complete absence of normal fetal liver-derived definitive hematopoiesis and lethal hemorrhages. This phenotype was similar to that seen following homozygous disruption of either AML1 or CBFbeta. However, in contrast to AML1- or CBFbeta-deficient embryos, fetal livers from AML1-ETO/+ embryos contained dysplastic multilineage hematopoietic progenitors that had an abnormally high self-renewal capacity in vitro. To further document the role of AML1-ETO in these growth abnormalities, we used retroviral transduction to express AML1-ETO in murine adult bone marrow-derived hematopoietic progenitors. AML1-ETO-expressing cells were again found to have an increased self-renewal capacity and could be readily established into immortalized cell lines in vitro. Taken together, these studies suggest that AML1-ETO not only neutralizes the normal biologic activity of AML1 but also directly induces aberrant hematopoietic cell proliferation.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Tumor Cell Biology, and Genetics, St Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okuda
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lenny
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Lyu
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: van Deursen
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Harada
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Downing
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000473:pathology; D050676:Core Binding Factor Alpha 2 Subunit; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D005804:Genes, Lethal; D006410:Hematopoiesis; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology; D006579:Heterozygote; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D008099:Liver / Q000196:embryology; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D000075142:RUNX1 Translocation Partner 1 Protein; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics*; D015017:Yolk Sac / Q000166:cytology
chemical_list: D050676:Core Binding Factor Alpha 2 Subunit; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D000075142:RUNX1 Translocation Partner 1 Protein; C082222:RUNX1T1 protein, human; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; C493726:Runx1 protein, mouse; D014157:Transcription Factors