Somatic PHF6 Mutations In Myeloid Malignancies

X chromosome genomics is an important area of hematologic malignancy research because of frequent acquired X-abnormalities, location of important genes on this chromosome, and issues surrounding Lyonization (X-inactivation). For example, we previously described somatic mutations of UTX (KDM6A), a H3K27 demethylase located on chromosome Xp11.3, in aggressive myeloid neoplasms. In a companion abstract to the the results here, we also report loss of function somatic mutations of BRCC3 (Xq28), encoding a subunit of the BRCA1-BRCA2-containing complex.

In an index young female case of a proliferative CMML with dysmorphic features, we have identified PHF6 mutation mosaisism (p.K44fs), confirmed by deep sequencing of bone marrow, skin and spleen tissues. Subsequently, we screened our MDS exome project data set, involving 206 patients with MDS and related neoplasms, and have detected and confirmed additional somatic PHF6mutations.

Plant homeodomain finger protein 6 (PHF6) is a ubiquitously expressed 41 kDa protein that is conserved and vertebrate-specific. Human PHF6 is located on chrXq26.3. Germline mutations of PHF6 cause Borjeson−Forssman−Lehmann syndrome (BFLS), an X-linked mental retardation disorder characterized by truncal obesity, gynaecomastia, hypogonadism and other dysmorphic features. BFLS patients have been reported to develop leukemias. More recently, rare somatic PHF6mutations were detected in patients with T-ALL, but rarely also in AML.

To assess the clinical associations and significance of PHF6 mutations, we analyzed NGS results in a total of 809 patients with MDS, MDS/MPN, MPN and AML. In addition we also investigated for the presence of PHF6 mutation in the TCGA AML data sets (n=199). All mutations in our patients were confirmed by Sanger sequencing and targeted deep NGS. In total, we identified 19/809 cases with PHF6 mutations; they were located throughout the gene including 15 SNVs and 4 indels. In addition TCGA pAML NGS results revealed PHF6 mutations in 6/199 cases, including 4 SNVs and 2 indels. Thus, PHF6 mutation occurs at a frequency of 2.5% in myeloid neoplasm and are most frequently observed in pAML (36%) together with sAML (32%) phenotypes. Gender distribution showed male predominance (84%), likely related to PHF6 locus on chrXq26.3. SNP-array karyotyping showed that deletions of Xq, involving PHF6locus (Xq26) were present in about 2% of myeloid neoplasms.

Chromosome 7 abnormalities, including del(7q), were the most frequent lesions seen in conjunction with PHF6 mutations. Most commonly coinciding mutations were in RUNX1 (n=8), TET2 (n=4), ASXL1 (n=3) and U2AF1 (n=3) and unbiased statistical analysis confirmed the significant association between PHF6 and RUNX1 mutations (P=.002). Interestingly, all of 8 cases with concomitant RUNX1 and PHF6 mutations were diagnosed as high-risk diseases; 1 RAEB-2 and 7 AMLs. Deep sequencing analysis of 5 cases with coexisting PHF6 and RUNX1 mutations showed that PHF6 mutated clones were always significantly larger than RUNX1 mutated clones. Such a serial clonal acquisition pattern of ancestral PHF6 and secondary RUNX1 mutations was also observed clearly in an illustrative case with evolution from aplastic anemia (AA) to sAML, in which small clone of PHF6 was detected in AA sample and expanded during MDS stage, followed by secondary driver RUNX1 mutations at the stage. These findings suggest that RUNX1 mutations were acquired as a subclone of the main population with primary driver PHF6mutations.

In conclusion, our results indicate that PHF6 mutations, as a recurrent genetic abnormality, were frequently mutated in more aggressive types of myeloid malignancies. Newly identified ancestral nature of PHF6 mutations specifically favor being followed by secondary driver RUNX1 mutations during leukemic evolution.