Nampt/SIRT2 Hyperactivation Lead to Activation of ß-Catenin: a Possible Mechanism of Leukomogenic Transformation In CN Patients.

Abstract 1486

Recently we demonstrated that nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT) is an essential enzyme mediating granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF)-triggered granulopoiesis via activation of NAD⁺/sirtuins/C/EBPs signaling cascade. Nampt levels were significantly elevated in plasma and in myeloid cells of patients with severe congenital neutropenia (CN). CN is characterized by a “maturation arrest” of granulopoiesis on the promyelocytic stage of differentiation and by leukemogenic tansformation of hematopoiesis in ca. 20 % of patients. The mechanism of the leukemic transformation is still unclear. Previously, we reported elevated levels of activated oncogene ß-catenin in nuclei of myeloid progenitor cells of CN patients. The activity and nuclear translocation of ß-catenin is regulated by glycogen synthase kinase-3 ß (GSK3ß), which activates ß-catenin degradation complex. In the present study we found that in myeloid cells of CN patients GSK3ß was inhibited by phosphorylation on Ser9, as compared to healthy individuals. Therefore, we assume that GSK3ß-ß-catenin pathway could be involved in the leukemogenic transformation of hematopoiesis. Since, Nampt was also elevated in CN patients, we aimed to investigate the connection between hyperactivated Nampt and ß-catenin in leukemogenesis. The Nampt functions in hematopoiesis are dependent on the dose of Nampt and NAD⁺. Thus, in vitro stimulation of CD34⁺ cells with Nampt led to granulocytic differentiation via activation of sirtuin/C/EBP-dependent pathway. At the same time, inhibitors of NAMPT have been identified as therapeutical targets for some cancers including leukemia. This suggested that different mechanisms are operating downstream of NAMPT in the “normal” and leukemogenic myeloid cells. Screening of the different sirtuins in primary acute myeloid leukemia (AML) blasts revealed significant upregulation of SIRT2 mRNA and protein levels, as compared to CD34⁺ and CD33⁺ hematopoietic cells of healthy individuals. SIRT2 levels were also elevated in myeloid cells of CN patients treated with G-CSF. Specific inhibition of NAMPT (using 10 nMol of FK866) or SIRT2 (using 100nMol of AC93253) significantly reduced proliferation and induced apoptosis in human myeloid leukemia cell lines (NB4, HL60 and U937). We further tested if inhibition of Nampt or SIRT2 has an effect on GSK3ß/ß-catenin pathway. GSK3ß is known to be inhibited by Akt and treatment of the acute myeloid leukemia cell lines NB4 and HL60 with FK866 or AC93253 resulted in the activation of Akt via phosphorylation on Thr308 and Ser473 and inactivation of GSK-3ß via inhibition of phosphorylation on Ser9. Moreover, activated ß-catenin protein was almost completely disappeared from the nucleus of cells treated with FK866. Taken together, our results provide strong evidence that NAMPT and SIRT2 participate in leukemogenic transformation via inactivation of GSK3ß leading to nuclear accumulation of oncogenic ß-catenin.