title: Molecular mechanisms of leukemogenesis by AML1/EVI-1.
abstract: The AML1/EVI-1 chimeric gene is generated by the t(3;21)(q26;q22) translocation and plays a pivotal role in progression of hematopoietic stem cell malignancies such as chronic myelocytic leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome. In AML1/EVI-1, an N-terminal half of AML1 including a runt homology domain is fused to the entire zinc-finger EVI-1 protein. AML1 is essential for hematopoietic cell development in fetal liver and its lineage-specific differentiation in adult. In contrast, EVI-1 is barely expressed in normal hematopoietic cells, but it is overexpressed in chronic myelocytic leukemia in blastic crisis and myelodysplastic syndrome-derived leukemia. There are at least four mechanisms identified in AML1/EVI-1 fusion protein that possibly lead into malignant transformation of hematopoietic stem cells. Firstly, AML1/EVI-1 exerts dominant-negative effects over AML1-induced transcriptional activation. Although target genes repressed by AML1/EVI-1 are still not known, binding competition to a specific DNA sequence and histone deacetylase recruitment through a co-repressor CtBP in EVI-1 part are conceivable underlying mechanisms for the dominant-negative effects. Secondly, AML1/EVI-1 interferes with TGF beta signaling and antagonizes the growth-inhibitory effects of TGF beta. The first zinc-finger domain of EVI-1 associates with Smad3, a TGF beta signal transducer, and represses its transcriptional activity by recruiting histone deacetylase through CtBP that interacts with EVI-1. Thirdly, AML1/EVI-1 blocks JNK activity and prevents stress-induced apoptosis. AML1/EVI-1 associates with JNK through the first zinc-finger domain of EVI-1 and disturbs the association between JNK and its substrates. Lastly, AML1/EVI-1 enhances AP-1 activity by activating the c-Fos promoter depending on the second zinc-finger domain of EVI-1, and promotes cell proliferation. All these functions cooperatively contribute to the malignant transformation of the hematopoietic stem cells by AML1/EVI-1.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Dokkyo University School of Medicine, Tochigi 321-0293, Japan. kinukom-tky@umin.ac.jp
authors.forename: Kinuko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mitani
mesh_terms: D002455:Cell Division / Q000502:physiology; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D050676:Core Binding Factor Alpha 2 Subunit; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D005799:Genes, Dominant; D006801:Humans; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D007938:Leukemia / Q000209:etiology* / Q000235:genetics; D000074008:MDS1 and EVI1 Complex Locus Protein; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D011519:Proto-Oncogenes; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D050676:Core Binding Factor Alpha 2 Subunit; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D000074008:MDS1 and EVI1 Complex Locus Protein; C063575:MECOM protein, human; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; C493728:RUNX1 protein, human; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases