title: Rabaptin-5 is a novel fusion partner to platelet-derived growth factor beta receptor in chronic myelomonocytic leukemia.
abstract: Chromosomal translocations involving the platelet-derived growth factor beta receptor (PDGFbetaR) gene have been reported in some patients with chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML). The resultant fusion proteins have constitutive PDGFbetaR tyrosine kinase activity, but the partner genes previously reported (tel, Huntingtin interacting protein 1 [HIP-1], H4/D10S170) have poorly understood roles in the oncogenic activity of the fusion proteins. A novel PDGFbetaR fusion protein has been characterized in a patient with CMML and an acquired t(5;17)(q33;p13). Southern blot analysis on patient leukemia cells demonstrated involvement of the PDGFbetaR gene. Using 5' rapid amplification of complementary DNA ends-polymerase chain reaction (RACE-PCR) on patient RNA, rabaptin-5 was identified as a novel partner fused in-frame to the PDGFbetaR gene. The new fusion protein includes more than 85% of the native Rabaptin-5 fused to the transmembrane and intracellular tyrosine kinase domains of the PDGFbetaR. Transduction with a retroviral vector expressing rabaptin-5/PDGFbetaR transformed the hematopoietic cell line Ba/F3 to growth factor independence and caused a fatal myeloproliferative disease in mice. Rabaptin-5 is a well-studied protein shown to be an essential and rate-limiting component of early endosomal fusion through interaction with the Ras family GTPases Rab5 and Rab4. The fusion protein includes 3 of 4 coiled-coil domains (involved in homodimerization of native rabaptin-5), 2 caspase-3 cleavage sites, and a binding site for the tumor suppressor gene tuberin (tuberous sclerosis complex-2). Early endosomal transport is critical in regulation of various growth factor receptors, through ligand-induced clathrin-mediated endocytosis, and thus this new fusion protein links together 2 important pathways of growth regulation.
authors.affiliation: Hematology Branch, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, and Laboratory of Pathology, Division of Clinical Sciences, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA. magnussm@nhlbi.nih.gov
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Magnusson
authors.forename: K E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Meade
authors.forename: K E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Arthur
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Krueger
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Barrett
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Dunbar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000473:pathology; D002460:Cell Line; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D007621:Karyotyping; D015477:Leukemia, Myelomonocytic, Chronic / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D015514:Oncogene Proteins, Fusion / Q000235:genetics*; D020797:Receptor, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor beta / Q000235:genetics*; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014162:Transfection; D014178:Translocation, Genetic; D033921:Vesicular Transport Proteins
chemical_list: D008565:Membrane Proteins; D015514:Oncogene Proteins, Fusion; C097227:RABEP1 protein, human; C486276:Rabep1 protein, mouse; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D033921:Vesicular Transport Proteins; D020797:Receptor, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor beta