Analysis of MLL Amplification and 5q Deletions in AML/MDS Cell Lines Identifies Novel Targets.

Genomic amplifications of the 11q23 region occur in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) where MLL and a few neighboring genes, notably DDX6, are deemed salient targets. However, the extent to which amp(lified)-MLL and translocated MLL share effector targets remains to be established. Even less is known about the target(s) of deletions affecting the long arm of chromosome 5 (5q-) which reportedly partner amp-MLL. We analyzed three AML/MDS cell lines by cytogenetics (conventional and FISH) in parallel with real time q(uantitative)-PCR at both 11q23 and 5q2 to measure copy number and expression of salient target genes together with putative downstream targets. The cell lines comprised: MOLM-17 (transforming-MDS), SAML-2 (therapy-related AML), and UOC-M1 (AML-M1). All three cell lines exhibited approximately four-fold genomic amplification of 11q23 including MLL and DDX6, while the amplicon extended telomerically to include FLI1 (11q24) and HNT (11q25) in MOLM-17 and UOC-M1 only. Expression, quantified relative to AML/MDS cell lines without MLL rearrangement, revealed that of the genomically amplified genes only MLL was generally overexpressed, namely by 9.5x (MOLM-17), 5.1x (UOC-M1), and 4.6x (SAML-2). In addition to the highest MLL expression, in MOLM-17 FLI1 (3.8x) and DDX6 (2.8x) were significantly upregulated. Expression was also quantified among reputed MLL target genes, and showed that in the three cell lines MEIS1 was upregulated in MOLM-17 only (by 6x), and CDKN2C in all cell lines (by about 2x), while HOXA9 and CDKN1B showed near-normal levels of expression. All three cell lines carried 5q- with a common deleted region at 5q31 extending from 134.2–137.5 Mbp. Of a panel of genes recently identified as 5q- deletion targets (centromere-TIGA1, CAMLG, C5orf15, C5orf14, BRD8, HARS, KIAA0141, CSNK1A1, RBM22-telomere), only C5orf15 (function unknown) and BRD8 (a component of the nua4 histone acetyltransferase complex involved in transcriptional activation) were generally downregulated - to about 0.25x, and about 0.4x normalized expression levels, respectively. Both genes lie within the common deleted region. In summary, we have characterized amp-MLL and 5q- in MOLM-17, the first MDS cell line to be described with these rearrangements, together with two AML cell lines with similar cytogenetic profiles. Our data suggest that MLL is the only clear object of 11q23 amplification hitherto identified and CDKN2C its sole unequivocal target in AML/MDS cell lines. It is possible that MEIS1 is also targeted for activation in specific cell types or disease phases in MDS. These findings also highlight C5orf15 and/or BRD8 as possible leukemogenic accomplices targeted for downregulation in accompanying 5q-. These findings may point to differences in signalling pathways targeted by amp-MLL in AML and MDS.