Early B-cell Development Research Articles

CRLF2 and JAK2 Mutations: Occurrence and Function In Pre-B ALL Cell Lines

AbstractAbstract 5109Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), a cytokine produced by epithelial cells promotes early B-cell development and activates dendritic cells. It has recently been reported that a subset of B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (pre-B ALL) overexpresses the TSLP receptor CRLF2. CRLF2 overexpression is linked to translocations between sex chromosomes – localizing CRLF2 – and the immunoglobulin heavy chain locus on chromosome 14, or to an interstitial deletion on the gonosomes. Both events, translocation and deletion juxtapose CRLF2 to a different promoter (IgH or P2RY8). Performing quantitative real-time PCR we tested pre-B ALL and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cell lines for overexpression of CRLF2. AML cell lines were included in the screening because we knew from an earlier TSLP project that the AML cell line MUTZ-3 is TSLP-responsive, and thus positive for the cytokine receptor. Three of 63 (5%) pre-B ALL cell lines tested (INC, MHH-CALL4, MUTZ-5) overexpressed CRLF2 mRNA. CRLF2-high cell lines carry a t(14;Y). With respect to the 58 AML cell lines tested: some expressed CRLF2 mRNA, but none of them rivalled the aforementioned pre-B cell lines. Pre-B ALL cell lines show the association between chromosomal CRLF2 aberrations and JAK2 pseudokinase domain mutations that has been described for primary pre-B ALL cells: cell lines MHH-CALL4 (JAK2I682F) and MUTZ-5 (JAK2R683G) and – newly described - also the CRLF2-high pre-B ALL cell line INC express a mutated version of Janus kinase 2 (JAK2R683G). We established a PCR based assay system that allowed for the rapid detection of the JAK2R683G mutation: none of the CRLF2-low or –negative pre-B ALL cell lines exhibited this mutation. All three CRLF2-high/JAK2mu cell lines showed high phosphorylation levels of the JAK2 downstream target STAT5. Inhibition of the JAK kinase led to dephosphorylation of STAT5. However, repression of 3H-thymidine uptake and induction of apoptosis by inhibition of the JAK2/STAT5 pathway was weaker in the JAK2mu pre-B ALL cell lines than in the JAK2V617F positive essential thrombocythemia-derived cell line SET-2. Provided that these results reflect the situation in primary cells, mutated JAK2 seems to be of lesser importance for growth and survival of pre-B ALL cells than for cells from myeloproliferative neoplasms. The CRLF2-high/JAK2mu cell lines INC, MHH-CALL4 and MUTZ-5 are promising model systems for the study of the roles of high-level CRLF2 expression and of JAK2 mutations in pre-B ALL. Disclosures:No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Interferon regulatory factor 4 regulates thymocyte differentiation by repressing Runx3 expression

The transcription factor interferon regulatory factor 4 (IRF4) was originally found to be preferentially expressed in lymphoid cells and to be required for the function, differentiation, and homeostasis of both mature T and B lymphocytes. Recent studies have indicated that IRF4 is also involved in early B-cell development. However, the role of IRF4 in intrathymic T-cell development remains unknown. In this study, we show that IRF4 is upregulated in TCR-signaled thymocytes and is predominantly expressed in CD4 single-positive (SP), but not in CD8 SP, cells. T-cell-specific overexpression of IRF4 impaired the generation and maturation of CD8 SP thymocytes. Further analysis revealed that IRF4 selectively bound to the distal promoter region of Runx3 and repressed its transcription, probably through the deacetylation of histones H3 and H4 in intermediate CD4(+) CD8(low) cells and CD4 SP thymocytes. Similar to the effect of Runx3 deficiency, transgenic expression of IRF4 led not only to an aberrantly high expression of CD4 surface molecules on intermediate CD4(+) CD8(low) cells and CD8 SP thymocytes, but also impaired CD8(+) T-cell function. Taken together, our data suggest that IRF4 plays an important role in the regulation of Runx3 expression and CD4(+) /CD8(+) thymocyte differentiation.

Role of PI3K in the generation and survival of B cells

Engagement of the B-cell antigen receptor (BCR) or its precursor, the pre-BCR, induces a cascade of biochemical reactions that regulate the differentiation, selection, survival, and activation of B cells. This cascade is initiated by receptor-associated tyrosine kinases that activate multiple downstream signaling pathways. Since it is required for metabolism, cell growth, development, and survival, the activation of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)-dependent pathways represents a crucial event of BCR/pre-BCR signaling. The phosphorylated substrates of the PI3K promote specific recruitment of selected signaling proteins to the plasma membrane, where important signaling complexes are formed to mediate the above-mentioned biological processes. Here, we review the principles of PI3K signaling and highlight the role of an important PI3K-driven module in VDJ recombination of immunoglobulin (Ig) genes during early B-cell development as compared with class switch recombination of Ig genes in mature B cells after activation by specific antigens. Furthermore, we discuss the role of PI3K in the survival of mature B cells, which is strictly dependent on BCR expression and basal BCR signaling.

Selective ablation of the YxxM motif of IL-7Rα suppresses lymphomagenesis but maintains lymphocyte development

Tumor progression is a multiple step process in which, in addition to oncogenic mutation, other supporting factors can contribute to transformation. The role these factors have in cancer is an open question. Using the Emicro-myc model of B-cell transformation, we evaluated the contribution of the cytokine interleukin-7 (IL-7) in supporting lymphomagenesis. We have previously shown that disruption of the Y449xxM motif of the IL-7 receptor alpha (IL-7Ralpha) in a knock-in mouse model (IL-7Ralpha(449F)) has minor effects on lymphocyte production, but interferes with the activation of survival effectors. To address the hypothesis that targeted signal ablation would selectively affect lymphocyte transformation, IL-7Ralpha(449F) mice were crossed with two lymphomagenesis models, transgenic (Tg) IL-7 and Emicro-myc mice. We found that the loss of IL-7Ralpha Y449 signaling prevented Tg IL-7-mediated T- and B-lymphocyte transformation and decreased the development of Emicro-myc-induced B-cell tumors. We showed that the IL-7Ralpha(449F) mutation prevented increased survival of Tg IL-7 CD8 T cells, and decreased viability of bone marrow progenitor B cells, as well as Emicro-myc-induced proliferation. This study shows that IL-7Ralpha Y449 is important for lymphocyte transformation, and that unlike deficiencies in pre-B cell receptor signaling, Myc overexpression cannot compensate for the loss of IL-7Ralpha signals in early B-cell development.

Critical roles for c-Myb in lymphoid priming and early B-cell development

Abstractc-Myb is a transcription factor with functions in many hematopoietic lineages. c-Myb–deficient mice display reduced numbers of B cells; however, it is unknown what role c-Myb plays in B lymphopoiesis because no critical target genes have been identified in the B-cell lineage. We demonstrate that conditional deletion of c-Myb in B-cell progenitors completely abolishes B-cell development. c-Myb is required for lymphoid progenitors to respond to the cytokines interleukin-7 and thymic stromal lymphopoietin; in the absence of sufficient c-Myb activity, mice display a B lymphopenia that closely resembles that observed in interleukin-7 receptor α–deficient animals. Analysis of the multipotent progenitor compartment indicates that c-Myb is also required for up-regulation of multiple lymphoid-associated genes, including Il7r, and for the subsequent development of the common lymphoid progenitor population. These data show that c-Myb plays a critical role in the regulatory pathways governing lymphoid specification and early B-cell differentiation.

CD93 is required for maintenance of antibody secretion and persistence of plasma cells in the bone marrow niche

Plasma cells represent the end stage of B-cell development and play a key role in providing an efficient antibody response, but they are also involved in numerous pathologies. Here we show that CD93, a receptor expressed during early B-cell development, is reinduced during plasma-cell differentiation. High CD93/CD138 expression was restricted to antibody-secreting cells both in T-dependent and T-independent responses as naive, memory, and germinal-center B cells remained CD93-negative. CD93 was expressed on (pre)plasmablasts/plasma cells, including long-lived plasma cells that showed decreased cell cycle activity, high levels of isotype-switched Ig secretion, and modification of the transcriptional network. T-independent and T-dependent stimuli led to re-expression of CD93 via 2 pathways, either before or after CD138 or Blimp-1 expression. Strikingly, while humoral immune responses initially proceeded normally, CD93-deficient mice were unable to maintain antibody secretion and bone-marrow plasma-cell numbers, demonstrating that CD93 is important for the maintenance of plasma cells in bone marrow niches.

ABCG2 Is Expressed in a Small Population of Circulating CLL B-Cells Characterized by Expression of Self-Renewal and Early B-Cell Development Genes and Resistance to Therapy

Background: Normal and tumor stem cells are characterized by high activity of multidrug resistance (MDR) transporters. One of these, ABCG2 (ATP-binding cassette, sub-family G member 2 protein), is an ATP dependent transporter and putative stem cell marker responsible for verapamil sensitive Hoechst efflux. While ABCG2 is known to be expressed in normal and leukemic stem cells, as well as a small population of normal lymphocytes and some B-cell malignancies, its expression in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is unknown. It has been postulated that leukemic stem cells due to their quiescent nature and expression of MDR transporters represent a population resistant to therapy and that this residual population is critical for tumor persistence and recurrence.Hypothesis: We hypothesized thatABCG2 is expressed in a small percentage of primary CLL B cells;gene expression profiles of ABCG2 positive versus ABCG2 negative CLL B cells differ in respect to expression of self renewal and lymphoid development genes;the frequency of ABCG2+ CLL B cells increases after treatment in patients responding to therapy.Methods: We analyzed ABCG2 expression by primary CD5+, CD19+ CLL-B cells from untreated CLL patients of all Rai stages by flow cytometry. In a subset of patients we used fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) to sort CD19+, CD5+ ABCG2+ and CD19+, CD5+ ABCG2- cells. Gene expression profiling was then performed using the U133 plus 2.0 Affymetrix microarray platform. In a separate cohort of patients treated in a clinical trial of pentostatin, cyclophosphamide and rituximab (PCR), the percentage of ABCG2+, CD19+, CD5+, CD79b dim cells at baseline and then two months after completion of 6 cycles of PCR therapy where patients had minimal residual disease (MRD) was assessed and correlated with clinical response.Results: ABCG2+ CD19+, CD5+ detectable populations were seen in all 20 CLL assessed patients (median percentage 0.6%; range 0.08%–3.8%). There was no difference in percentage of ABCG2+ cells based on Rai stage, IGVH mutational status, Zap70 or CD38 expression. Preliminary analysis of the gene expression profiling of ABCG2 positive versus negative CLL B cells from four randomly selected patients revealed significantly higher expression of genes associated with self-renewal, cell cycle and early B-cell development including: cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1C (CDKN1C, p=0.034), transcription factor 7-like 2 (TCF7L2, involved in WNT pathway regulation, p=0.016), beta-catenin (p=0.034) and pre-B-cell colony enhancing factor 1 (PBEF-1, p=0.037). Flow based assessment of the levels of ABCG2 positive populations at baseline and after therapy with PCR in patients with minimal residual disease showed a dramatic increase in frequency of ABCG2 positive CLL B cells. The percentage of ABCG2+ cells went from a median level of 0.19% (range 0.04%–0.19%) prior to therapy to a median level of 10.93% (range 0.15%–25.12%), p<0.001. In contrast two patients who did not reach MRD (partial responses by NCI-WG criteria) had no significant increase in percentage of ABCG2 positive cells (0.14%; 0.23% and 0.16%; 0.21% prior and after therapy, respectively, p=0.68).Conclusion: Our data indicate that ABCG2 positive CLL B-cells constitute 0.1–3.8% of circulating CLL B-cells in untreated patients. The frequency of ABCG2+ CLL B-cells appears to dramatically increase after therapy in the MRD state; this could be related to their relative resistance to therapy and/or a shift from extravascular compartments post therapy. Since ABCG2 positive CLL B-cells demonstrate expression of early B-cell development and self-renewal genes we believe that that this population could represent a putative self renewing CLL B-cell compartment. Further studies to characterize features of ABCG2 CLL-B –cells in relation to their capacity to be self renewing and resistance to therapy are warranted.

IL7 Counteraction with Notch Signaling Followed by EBF1 Expression Marks the B-Cell Commitment in CLP Stage

Development of B-cell lineage from hematopoietic Stem cells in bone marrow is a stepwise process associated with a gradual loss of myeloid and T cell potential. This process involves a complex interaction of transcription factors like EBF1 and E2A, and extrinsic signals including IL7. It has been suggested that IL7 plays an inductive role in B-cell commitment through EBF activation in early B-Cell development. Mice deficient in Il-7 signaling show a dramatic reduction in the number of B-cell progenitors and reduced expression of EBF1 in the common lymphoid progenitor (CLP) compartment and ectopic expression of EBF can partially rescue the B-cell phenotype. However, the rather limited ability of EBF1 to rescue the phenotype as well as the powerful function of Il-7 in the expansion of committed cells creates a complex situation with an inherent difficulty to separate instructive and permissive actions of Il-7. Using transgenic mice carrying a reporter gene under the control of the EBF1 dependent Igll1 promoter, we were able to identify a B220−CD19− committed B-cell progenitor likely to represent the earliest committed population in the mouse bone marrow. This has opened the possibility to investigate lineage commitment in cells not expressing classical surface markers creating increased possibilities to study lineage choices. In order to investigate the inductive role of Il-7 we crossed the Igll1 reporter mice to Il-7 deficient mice. Analysis of reporter gene expression, gene expression by multiplex single cell PCR as well as functional analysis by in vitro differentiation assays, all supported that the committed lineage negative population was dramatically decreased in the absence of Il-7. These data all support the idea that Il-7 is critical not only for expansion of B-lineage progenitors but also for commitment per se. Investigation of the expression of EBF-1 by Real time and single cell PCR suggested that the expression level of EBF was on an average 50% lower in Il-7 deficient progenitors as compared to wild type cells. This expression level was recapitulated in mice heterozygote for a mutation in the EBF1 gene but since the formation of the early committed cells was not as dramatically effected in these mice, we found a need to look for a further function of Il-7 in its instructive role in B-cell development. This prompted us to investigate a potential function of Il-7 in the modulation of Notch signals known to counteract B-cell commitment and EBF function. This revealed that the addition of Il-7 largely inhibits the Notch response in pro-B cells in vitro. Therefore we suggest that Il-7 is directly involved in B-cell commitment and that this function is achieved by modulation of EBF1 both at the transcriptional and functional level.

Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein deficiency in B cells results in impaired peripheral homeostasis

AbstractTo more precisely identify the B-cell phenotype in Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome (WAS), we used 3 distinct murine in vivo models to define the cell intrinsic requirements for WAS protein (WASp) in central versus peripheral B-cell development. Whereas WASp is dispensable for early bone marrow B-cell development, WASp deficiency results in a marked reduction in each of the major mature peripheral B-cell subsets, exerting the greatest impact on marginal zone and B1a B cells. Using in vivo bromodeoxyuridine labeling and in vitro functional assays, we show that these deficits reflect altered peripheral homeostasis, partially resulting from an impairment in integrin function, rather than a developmental defect. Consistent with these observations, we also show that: (1) WASp expression levels increase with cell maturity, peaking in those subsets exhibiting the greatest sensitivity to WASp deficiency; (2) WASp+ murine B cells exhibit a marked selective advantage beginning at the late transitional B-cell stage; and (3) a similar in vivo selective advantage is manifest by mature WASp+ human B cells. Together, our data provide a better understanding of the clinical phenotype of WAS and suggest that gene therapy might be a useful approach to rescue altered B-cell homeostasis in this disease.

IRF-4 functions as a tumor suppressor in early B-cell development

Interferon regulatory factor-4 (IRF-4) is a hematopoietic cell-restricted transcription factor important for hematopoietic development and immune response regulation. It was also originally identified as the product of a proto-oncogene involved in chromosomal translocations in multiple myeloma. In contrast to its oncogenic function in late stages of B lymphopoiesis, expression of IRF-4 is down-regulated in certain myeloid and early B-lymphoid malignancies. In this study, we found that the IRF-4 protein levels are increased in lymphoblastic cells transformed by the BCR/ABL oncogene in response to BCR/ABL tyrosine kinase inhibitor imatinib. We further found that IRF-4 deficiency enhances BCR/ABL transformation of B-lymphoid progenitors in vitro and accelerates disease progression of BCR/ABL-induced acute B-lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) in mice, whereas forced expression of IRF-4 potently suppresses BCR/ABL transformation of B-lymphoid progenitors in vitro and BCR/ABL-induced B-ALL in vivo. Further analysis showed that IRF-4 inhibits growth of BCR/ABL+ B lymphoblasts primarily through negative regulation of cell-cycle progression. These results demonstrate that IRF-4 functions as tumor suppressor in early B-cell development and may allow elucidation of new molecular pathways significant to the lymphoid leukemogenesis by BCR/ABL. The context dependent roles of IRF-4 in oncogenesis should be an important consideration in developing cancer therapies targeting IRF-4.

Autosomal recessive agammaglobulinemia: Novel insights from mutations in Ig-beta

Agammaglobulinemia is a rare primary immuno-deficiency characterized by an early block of B-cell development in the bone marrow resulting in the absence of peripheral B cells and low/absent immunoglobulin serum levels. Mutations in the Bruton tyrosine kinase and in components of the pre-B-cell receptor (pre-BCR), such as mu heavy chain, surrogate light chain, and Igalpha have been found in 85% to 90% of patients affected by this disease. Here we review the recent advances in the characterization of molecular defects underlying an early block in B-cell development, focusing on the novel finding of the first two patients with agammaglobulinemia caused by mutations in Igbeta, the transmembrane protein that associates with Igalpha as part of the pre-BCR complex. Characterization of novel genetic defects involving components of the pre-BCR is crucial for a better understanding of the biology of early B-cell development and may have therapeutic and prognostic implications.

Endoplasmic reticulum HSP90b1 (gp96, grp94) optimizes B-cell function via chaperoning integrin and TLR but not immunoglobulin

AbstractEndoplasmic reticulum (ER) unfolded protein response (UPR) plays pivotal roles in both early B-cell development and plasma cell differentiation. As a major ER chaperone to mediate the UPR and a master chaperone for Toll-like receptors (TLRs), HSP90b1 (grp94, gp96) has long been implicated to facilitate the assembly of immunoglobulin. We hereby critically and comprehensively examine the roles of HSP90b1 in B-cell biology in vivo using B-cell–specific HSP90b1-null mice. We found that knockout B cells developed normally. There were no apparent problems with plasma cell differentiation, Ig assembly, class-switching, and Ig production. Strikingly, although both mutant conventional and innatelike B cells failed to compartmentalize properly due to loss of select but not all integrins, HSP90b1 was required for neither germinal center formation nor memory antibody responses in vivo. The only significant defect associated with HSP90b1 ablation in B cells was an attenuated antibody production in the context of TLR stimulation. Thus, our study has resolved the long-standing question regarding HSP90b1 in B-cell biology: HSP90b1 optimizes the function of B cells by chaperoning TLRs and integrins but not immunoglobulin. This study also has important implications in resolving the controversial roles of TLR in B-cell biology.

Lack of nuclear factor-κB2/p100 causes a RelB-dependent block in early B lymphopoiesis

AbstractNuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) transcription factors regulate B-cell development and survival. However, whether they also have a role during early steps of B-cell differentiation is largely unclear. Here, we show that constitutive activation of the alternative NF-κB pathway in p100−/− knockin mice resulted in a block of early B-cell development at the transition from the pre–pro-B to the pro–B-cell stage due to enhanced RelB activity. Expression of the essential B-cell transcription factors EBF and in particular Pax5 was reduced in p100−/− B-cell precursors in a RelB-dependent manner, resulting in reduced mRNA levels of B lineage-specific genes. Moreover, enhanced RelB function in p100−/− B-cell precursors was accompanied by increased expression of B lineage–inappropriate genes, such as C/EBPα, correlating with a markedly increased myeloid differentiation potential of p100−/− progenitor B cells. Ectopic expression of Pax5 in hematopoietic progenitors restored early B-cell development in p100−/− bone marrow, suggesting that impaired early B lymphopoiesis in mice lacking the p100 inhibitor may be due to down-regulation of Pax5 expression. Thus, tightly controlled p100 processing and RelB activation is essential for normal B lymphopoiesis and lymphoid/myeloid lineage decision in bone marrow.

Cbfβ-SMMHC impairs differentiation of common lymphoid progenitors and reveals an essential role for RUNX in early B-cell development

AbstractThe core-binding factor (CBF)–associated leukemia fusion protein CBFβ-SMMHC impairs myeloid and lymphoid differentiation. By inhibiting RUNX function, the fusion oncoprotein predisposes specifically to acute myeloid leukemia in both patients and mouse models. We have shown that Cbfβ-SMMHC expression leads to a sustained reduction of circulating B lymphocytes in the mouse. In this study, we demonstrate that the activation of Cbfβ-SMMHC reduces pre–pro-B cells approximately 3-fold and pre-B cells more than 10-fold and that this differentiation block is cell-autonomous. The reduction of pre–pro-B cells coincided with an increase in apoptosis in this population. The number of common lymphoid progenitors (CLPs) were not affected; however, the expression of critical early B-cell factors Ebf1, Tcfe2a, and Pax5 was significantly reduced. In addition, Cbfβ-SMMHC reduced Rag1 and Rag2 expression and impaired V(D)J recombination in the CLPs. Furthermore, CLPs expressing Cbfβ-SMMHC also show inhibition of B cell–specific genes Cd79a, Igll1, VpreB1, and Blk. These results demonstrate that CBF/RUNX function is essential for the function of CLPs, the survival of pre–pro-B cells, and the establishment of a B lineage–specific transcriptional program. This study also provides a mechanistic basis for the myeloid-lineage bias of CBFβ-SMMHC–associated leukemia.

The Balance between Myc and Bcl6 Determines Self-Renewal or Differentiation of Pre-B Cells.

Myc and Bcl6 represent classical proto-oncogenes in B-cell malignancies, mainly through translocation into the immunoglobulin (Ig) heavy chain locus in Burkitt's (MYC) and diffuse large B cell lymphoma (BCL6). While BCL6 was previously established as a factor regulating differentiation of germinal center B cells, the function of MYC and BCL6 in early B-cell development was not previously studied. Investigating requirements for the differentiation of pre-B cells into immature B-cells, we found that both withdrawal of IL7 from murine pre-B-cell cultures and inhibition of BCR-ABL1 in BCR-ABL1-transformed pre-B-cells terminates self-renewal and initiates differentiation into Ig light chain-expressing immature B-cells. Interestingly, IL7 and BCR-ABL1 are exchangeable at this checkpoint: Both IL7 and BCR-ABL1 promote self-renewal and prevent differentiation of pre-B-cells. While inhibition of BCR-ABL1 usually induces apoptosis and partial differentiation, both effects were entirely suppressed by IL7. These findings indicate that IL7 may confer resistance to BCR-ABL1 inhibitors in patients with BCR-ABL1-transformed acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Likewise, inhibition of either IL7 or BCR-ABL1 signaling resulted in complete silencing of Myc expression and strong de novo expression of Bcl6. Because expression of Myc and Bcl6 are mutually exclusive at the pre-B to immature B-cell checkpoint, we tested whether the two proto-oncogenes have distinct functions at this transition. Interestingly, forced expression of Myc rendered BCR-ABL1-transformed pre-B-cells resistant to induction of differentiation upon inhibition of BCR-ABL1. Besides downregulation of Myc, also de novo expression of Bcl6 is critical for the pre-B to immature B-cell differentiation: shmiR-mediated silencing of Bcl6 suppressed B-cell differentiation even if Myc was downregulated. However, forced expression of Bcl6 alone only modestly induced differentiation of pre-B cells if Myc was not downregulated. To test the interplay between Myc and Bcl6 at the pre-B to immature B cell transition more systematically, we analyzed bone marrow pre-B cells from Mycfl/fl mice. Mycfl/fl pre-B cells that also carry MxCre deleted the Myc locus on both alleles upon stimulation with IFNß. As controls, Mycfl/fl pre-B cells without MxCre were used. Pre-B cells were also transduced with a retroviral vector encoding Bcl6/GFP or GFP alone. Upon Myc deletion, more than 80 precent of the Bcl6/GFP transduced pre-B cells underwent differention as compared to 25 percent GFP-transduced pre-B cells. In the absence of Myc deletion, about 15 percent of Bcl6/GFP-transduced pre-B cells initiated differentiation as compared to 5 percent of GFP-transduced pre-B cells. These findings establish that Myc and Bcl6 have critical and antagonistic functions in early B cell development and that both downregulation of Myc together with upregulation Bcl6 are required to initiate differentiation of pre-B cells. The MYC/BCL6 balance may also be a target of leukemic transformation of human pre-B cells: The ratio of MYC/BCL6 mRNA levels in normal human pro- and pre-B cells at 0.52 is dramatically increased in various subtypes of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (6.4 for BCR-ABL1-, 2.6 for E2A-PBX1-, 14.4 for MLL-AF4- and 3.3 for TEL-AML1-transformed acute lymphoblastic leukemia).

The BCL6 Oncogene Drives an Epigenomic Program Linking Stem Cells to the Pathogenesis of Human Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma in Mice.

Diffuse large-B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common lymphoid malignancy in adults. The BCL6 oncogene, a transcriptional repressor, is frequently involved in DLBCL pathogenesis. Constitutive expression of BCL6 in GC cells leads to larger GCs and development of DLBCL in mice, although constitutive expression of BCL6 earlier in the B-cell lineage has the opposite effect and abrogates B-cell development. Limitations in our knowledge of how BCL6 mediates transcriptional programming to impose the malignant phenotype presents a barrier towards improved understanding and therapeutic targeting of B-cell lymphomas. Recent advances in stem cell biology suggest that many tumors are sustained by a pool of biological distinct cancer stem cells (CSCs), which may be uniquely susceptible to epigenomic programming by oncogenes and require specific therapeutic targeting. Although CSCs have not yet been identified in DLBCL, we hypothesized that such cells may exist in these tumors and their characterization could be critical for studies of lymphomagenesis and therapeutics. In order to test this hypothesis our group developed a mouse model where BCL6 is expressed transiently in the stem cell compartment at levels comparable to normal GC cells. These animals undergo completely normal hematopoiesis, except that 100% develop lymphomas within 20 to 28 weeks. Extensive histopathologic, molecular and expression array phenotyping demonstrate that these tumors are most similar to human DLBCLs. However, these tumor cells do not express BCL6, and so must be transcriptionally programmed at the stem cell level to behave in a malignant fashion. Moreover, transplantation of DLBCL cells does not propagate the tumor whereas transplantation of the CSCs rapidly re-establishes the DLBCL in recipient mice. In-depth microarray and QPCR transcriptional profiling demonstrate that BCL6 imposes a B cell lymphoma program in the stem cell compartment. This transcriptional programming subsequently becomes latent during hematopoiesis and reappears only in the mature B-cell fraction. We reasoned that this effect must be dependent on epigenetic programming imposed by BCL6 in CSCs. To determine whether this is the case we compared and contrasted the epigenetic signature of CSCs, and DLCBL tumors in the transgenic animals vs. those of normal stem cells and mature B-cells in control animals. This was performed using the HELP (HpaII tiny fragment enrichment by ligation mediated PCR) method with a custom designed high-density oligonucleotide microarray that allows quantitative detection of DNA methylation at 24,000 murine gene promoters. The data show that BCL6 imposes a unique DNA hypermethylation signature in CSCs that persists in the DLBCL cells. Taken together, our results suggest that BCL6 mediates transcriptional and epigenomic programming in stem cells that can latently persist during differentiation (thus allowing early B-cell development to proceed) and impose the DLBCL phenotype in their mature progeny. Since human lymphomas exhibit similar transcriptional programming, therapeutic targeting of the BCL6 epigenomic program might enhance the power of anti-lymphoma regimens to eradicate the disease.

Thymic Stromal-Derived Lymphopoietin Induces Proliferation of Pre-B Leukemia and Antagonizes mTOR Inhibitors, Suggesting a Role for Interleukin-7Rα Signaling

Understanding the pathogenesis of leukemia in the context of lymphopoiesis may reveal novel therapeutic targets. Previously, we have shown that mTOR inhibitors (MTI) show activity in vitro and in preclinical models of both human and murine precursor B acute lymphoblastic leukemia (pre-B ALL), inhibiting cell proliferation and inducing apoptosis. These MTI-mediated effects can be reversed by interleukin-7 (IL-7), an important regulator of early B-cell development. This observation led us to examine the contribution of signaling via the IL-7Ralpha chain, which is shared by the receptor complexes of IL-7 and thymic stromal-derived lymphopoietin (TSLP). TSLP is closely related to IL-7 and active in lymphopoiesis, but an effect of TSLP on leukemia cells has not been described. We examined the effect of TSLP on pre-B ALL cells and their response to MTIs. Here, we show that TSLP stimulates proliferation of pre-B ALL cell lines. TSLP also partially reverses the effects of MTI on proliferation, apoptosis, and ribosomal protein S6 and 4E-BP1 phosphorylation in cell lines, with similar biological effects seen in some primary human lymphoblast samples. These data show that TSLP can promote survival of pre-B ALL cells and antagonize the effects of MTIs. These findings suggest that IL-7Ralpha chain is responsible for transducing the survival signal that overcomes MTI-mediated growth inhibition in pre-B ALL. Thus, further exploration of the IL-7Ralpha pathway may identify potential therapeutic targets in the treatment of ALL. Our data illustrate that growth-factor-mediated signaling may provide one mechanism of MTI resistance.

Distribution of t(14;18)‐positive, putative lymphoma precursor cells among B‐cell subsets in healthy individuals1

The t(14;18)(q32;q21) is the characteristic chromosomal translocation of follicular lymphoma (FL). Highly sensitive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques can also detect t(14;18)-sequences in the blood and lymphoid tissues of healthy individuals (HI). The aim of this study was to determine the immunophenotypic markers of t(14;18)-positive cells in HI and to relate these features to lymphocyte maturation. B cells from 10 subjects with t(14;18)-positive and three subjects with t(14;18)-negative peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were fluorescence-activated cell sorted for antigen-naïve (CD27(-)), immunoglobulin M (IgM) memory (IgM(+)CD27(+)) and switched memory (IgM(-) CD27(+)) cells. t(14;18)-recombinations were detected by quantitative PCR. Among PBMC-positive subjects, t(14;18)-frequency was significantly higher in IgM memory (median: 380/10(6)) than in antigen-naïve (median: 16/10(6)) or switched memory (median: 5/10(6)) B cells. All PBMC-negative subjects nevertheless had detectable t(14;18) in sorted B cells; levels were lower than in PBMC-positive subjects, but had the same relative predominance. These results suggest that t(14;18) is generated during early B-cell development in the bone marrow and that affected cells may mature and expand in germinal centres. t(14;18)-frequency was highest in IgM memory cells, a B-cell subset that shares immunophenotypic similarities with FL. The significance of these cells as lymphoma precursors or indicators of lymphoma risk remains to be established.

Yin Yang 1 is a critical regulator of B-cell development

The role of the transcription factor Yin Yang 1 (YY1) in development is largely unknown. Here we show that specific ablation of YY1 in mouse B cells caused a defect in somatic rearrangement in the immunoglobulin heavy-chain (IgH) locus and a block in the progenitor-B-to-precursor-B-cell transition, which was partially rescued by a prerearranged IgH transgene. Three-dimensional DNA fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis revealed an important function for YY1 in IgH locus contraction, a process indispensable for distal V(H) to D(H)J(H) recombination. We provide evidence that YY1 binds the intronic Ei mu enhancer within the IgH locus, consistent with a direct role for YY1 in V(H)D(H)J(H) recombination. These findings identified YY1 as a critical regulator of early B-cell development.

Essential Role of Phospholipase Cγ2 in Early B-Cell Development and Myc-Mediated Lymphomagenesis

Phospholipase Cgamma2 (PLCgamma2) is a critical signaling effector of the B-cell receptor (BCR). Here we show that PLCgamma2 deficiency impedes early B-cell development, resulting in an increase of B220+ CD43+ BP-1+ CD24hi pre-BCR+ large pre-B cells. PLCgamma2 deficiency impairs pre-BCR-mediated functions, leading to enhanced interleukin-7 (IL-7) signaling and elevated levels of RAGs in the selected large pre-B cells. Consequently, PLCgamma2 deficiency renders large pre-B cells susceptible to transformation, resulting in dramatic acceleration of Myc-induced lymphomagenesis. PLCgamma2(-/-) Emu-Myc transgenic mice mainly develop lymphomas of B220+ CD43+ BP-1+ CD24hi pre-BCR+ large pre-B-cell origin, which are uncommon in wild-type Emu-Myc transgenics. Furthermore, lymphomas from PLCgamma2(-/-) Emu-Myc transgenic mice exhibited a loss of p27Kip1 and often displayed alterations in Arf or p53. Thus, PLCgamma2 plays an important role in pre-BCR-mediated early B-cell development, and its deficiency leads to markedly increased pools of the most at-risk large pre-B cells, which display hyperresponsiveness to IL-7 and express high levels of RAGs, making them prone to secondary mutations and Myc-induced malignancy.