Constitutive activation of the MEK/ERK pathway mediates all effects of oncogenic H-ras expression in primary erythroid progenitors.
Oncogenic mutations in ras genes frequently occur in patients with myeloid disorders, and in these patients erythropoiesis is often affected. Previously, we showed that expression of oncogenic H-ras in purified mouse primary fetal liver erythroid progenitors blocks terminal erythroid differentiation and supports erythropoietin (Epo)-independent proliferation. As a first step in understanding the underlying molecular mechanisms we examined the signaling pathways downstream of Ras in primary erythroid cells. We found that 3 major pathways are abnormally activated by oncogenic H-ras: Raf/ERK (extracellular signal-regulated kinase), phosphatidyl inositol 3 (PI3)-kinase/Akt, and RalGEF/RalA. However, only constitutive activation of the MEK (MAPK [mitogen-activated protein kinase]/ERK kinase)/ERK pathway alone could recapitulate all of the effects of oncogenic H-ras expression in blocking erythroid differentiation and inducing Epo-independent proliferation. Although expression of a constitutively active Akt kinase (ca.Akt) in erythroid progenitors does not significantly affect erythroid differentiation in the presence of Epo, coexpression of ca.Akt together with a constitutively active MEK causes prolonged Epo-independent proliferation of erythroid progenitors in addition to a block in differentiation. Moreover, the effects of oncogenic H-ras expression on primary erythroid cells are blocked by the addition of U0126, a specific inhibitor of MEK1 and MEK2, allowing normal terminal erythroid proliferation and differentiation. Our data suggest that the interruption of constitutive MEK/ERK signaling is a potential therapeutic strategy to correct impaired erythroid differentiation in patients with myeloid disorders.
Zhang
Jing
J
Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA.
Lodish
Harvey F
HF
D000818:Animals; D002070:Butadienes / Q000494:pharmacology; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002460:Cell Line; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D015672:Erythroid Precursor Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000494:pharmacology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D011905:Genes, ras / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D048369:MAP Kinase Kinase 1; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D009570:Nitriles / Q000494:pharmacology; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D020725:ral GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D018631:ras Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
D002070:Butadienes; D009570:Nitriles; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; C113580:U 0126; D004921:Erythropoietin; C494918:AKT1 protein, human; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D048369:MAP Kinase Kinase 1; C482125:MAP2K1 protein, human; C482127:Map2k1 protein, mouse; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases; D020725:ral GTP-Binding Proteins; D018631:ras Proteins