Journal Article

Twins with different personalities: STAT5B—but not STAT5A—has a key role in BCR/ABL-induced leukemia

Strobl, Birgit, Mueller, Mathias, Grundschober, Eva, Hoelbl-Kovacic, Andrea, Hennighausen, Lothar, Mustjoki, Satu, Edlinger, Leo, Huuhtanen, Jani, Sexl, Veronika, Grausenburger, Reinhard, Lagger, Sabine, Valent, Peter, Kollmann, Sebastian, Warsch, Wolfgang, Decker, Thomas, Maurer, Barbara

2019

Overview

Deregulation of the Janus kinase/signal transducers and activators of transcription (JAK/STAT) signaling pathway is found in cancer with STAT5A/B controlling leukemic cell survival and disease progression. As mutations in STAT5B , but not STAT5A , have been frequently described in hematopoietic tumors, we used BCR/ABL as model systems to investigate the contribution of STAT5A or STAT5B for leukemogenesis. The absence of STAT5A decreased cell survival and colony formation. Even more drastic effects were observed in the absence of STAT5B. STAT5B-deficient cells formed BCR/ABL + colonies or stable cell lines at low frequency. The rarely evolving Stat5b −/− cell lines expressed enhanced levels of BCR/ABL oncoprotein compared to wild-type cells. In line, Stat5b −/− leukemic cells induced leukemia with a significantly prolonged disease onset, whereas Stat5a −/− cells rapidly caused a fatal disease superimposable to wild-type cells. RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) profiling revealed a marked enhancement of interferon (IFN)-α and IFN-γ signatures in Stat5b −/− cells. Inhibition of IFN responses rescued BCR/ABL + colony formation of Stat5b −/− -deficient cells. A downregulated IFN response was also observed in patients suffering from leukemia carrying STAT5B mutations. Our data define STAT5B as major STAT5 isoform driving BCR/ABL + leukemia. STAT5B enables transformation by suppressing IFN-α/γ, thereby facilitating leukemogenesis. Our findings might help explain the high frequency of STAT5B mutations in hematopoietic tumors.

• Publisher: Nature Publishing Group UK,Nature Publishing Group
• Subject: 13 / 13/31 / 13/95 / 631/80/86 / 64/60 / 692/699/1541/1990/283/2125 / 82 / 82/80 / 96 / Animals / Antineoplastic Agents - pharmacology / BCR-ABL protein / BCR-ABL1 gene / Biotechnology / Cancer Research / Cell Proliferation / Cell survival / Cell Transformation, Neoplastic - drug effects / Cell Transformation, Neoplastic - metabolism / Cell Transformation, Neoplastic - pathology / Cellular signal transduction / Colonies / Critical Care Medicine / Deregulation / Development and progression / Disease control / Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl - genetics / Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl - metabolism / Gene mutations / Gene sequencing / Genetic aspects / Genetic transformation / Hematology / Humans / Inhibition (psychology) / Intensive / Interferon / Interferons - pharmacology / Internal Medicine / Janus kinase / Kinases / Leukemia / Leukemia, Large Granular Lymphocytic - drug therapy / Leukemia, Large Granular Lymphocytic - metabolism / Leukemia, Large Granular Lymphocytic - pathology / Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive - drug therapy / Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive - metabolism / Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive - pathology / Leukemogenesis / Lymphocytes B / Medicine / Medicine & Public Health / Mice / Mice, Inbred NOD / Mice, Knockout / Mice, SCID / Mutation / Oncology / Ribonucleic acid / RNA / RNA sequencing / Signal transduction / Stat5 protein / STAT5 Transcription Factor - genetics / STAT5 Transcription Factor - metabolism / Survival / Survival Rate / Transcription factors / Transducers / Tumor Suppressor Proteins - genetics / Tumor Suppressor Proteins - metabolism / Tumors / Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays / α-Interferon / γ-Interferon