Mechanisms of Ikaros-Mediated Tumor Suppression

The Ikaros (IKZF1) tumor suppressor is deleted in >80% of the cases of Ph⁺ ALL. While Ikaros cooperates with pre-B cell receptor signaling to induce cell cycle exit in Ph+ ALL (Trageser et al., J Exp Med, 2009), the mechanism of Ikaros-mediated tumor suppression is poorly understood. Here we report on a series of genetic experiments that show that Ikaros (i) interferes with key survival pathways downstream of the BCR-ABL1 kinase, (ii) inhibits leukemia cell proliferation through interaction with the pre-B cell receptor signaling pathway and (iii) activates the tumor suppressors p53, p21 and p27.

To elucidate the mechanism of Ikaros-dependent tumor suppression in BCR-ABL1-driven B cell lineage leukemia, we studied regulation of critical phosphorylation events downstream of the BCR-ABL1 kinase as a central mediators of survival and proliferation. Reconstitution of Ikaros expression in BCR-ABL1-transformed pre-B ALL cells resulted in rapid and global dephosphorylation comparable to the effect of Imatinib. A detailed analysis showed that Ikaros-induced dephosphorylation events affect activation of Stat5 (Y694), AKT (S473), ERK1/2 (T202 and Y204) and SRC (Y416). Interestingly, both Imatinib-treatment and reconstitution of pre-B cell receptor signaling using retroviral vectors for expression of the m heavy chain or the BLNK adapter molecule have the same effects as reconstitution of Ikaros. In fact, a comprehensive gene expression analysis demonstrated that Ikaros reconstitution resulted in similar gene expression changes as reconstitution of pre-B cell receptor signaling (m heavy chain or BLNK), reconstitution of PAX5, Cre-mediated deletion of Stat5 or Myc, or treatment with Imatinib. The signature of common gene expression changes shared between reconstitution of Ikaros, Pax5, m heavy chain, BLNK and inducible deletion of Stat5 or Myc and Imatinib-treatment involves known tumor suppressors including SPIB, BTG1, and BTG2. These findings suggest that reconstitution of tumor suppressive transcription factor (Ikaros, Pax5) converges with pre-B cell receptor-mediated tumor suppression. To better understand how pre-B cell receptor signaling and Ikaros intersect, we combined reconstitution of Ikaros with genetic deletion of either the (more proximal) SYK kinase or the (more distal) BLNK adapter molecule. While inducible Cre-mediated deletion of Syk had no effect on Ikaros-mediated tumor suppression, deletion of the BLNK adapter compromised the ability of Ikaros to function as tumor suppressor. These findings were confirmed in an in vivo transplantation experiment. While mice transplanted with Ikaros+ BLNK+ leukemia cells survived indefinitely, mice transplanted with Ikaros- BLNK+, Ikaros+ BLNK- or Ikaros- BLNK- leukemia cells died after 24 to 31 days post transplantation.

While these findings provide genetic evidence for collaboration between the Ikaros and pre-B cell receptor tumor suppressor pathways, Ikaros and pre-B cell receptor signaling differ with respect to activation of classical tumor suppressor pathways. While reconstitution of pre-B cell receptor signaling failed to activate Arf, p53 or p27, protein levels of all these molecules were strongly upregulated by Ikaros. In agreement with these findings, reconstitution of pre-B cell receptor signaling had the same tumor suppressive effect in wildtype leukemia cells as in Arf−/−, p53−/− as well as p27−/− leukemia cells. Conversely, deletion of Arf and p53 significantly diminished the ability of Ikaros to function as tumor suppressor.

Ikaros deletion represents a near-obligatory lesion in the pathogenesis of Ph+ ALL. Here we provide genetic evidence for three novel pathways of Ikaros-mediated tumor suppression. Like PAX5, Ikaros reconstitution results in multiple dephosphorylation events (Stat5, AKT, ERK1/2 and SRC are affected). In collaboration with the pre-B cell receptor and its downstream adapter molecule BLNK, Ikaros suppressed MYC and inhibits cell cycle progression. Induction of the Arf/p53 pathway represents a distinct function of Ikaros, which is not shared with the pre-B cell receptor signaling pathway.

No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.