Identification of a novel splice variant of AML1b in ovarian cancer patients conferring loss of wild-type tumor suppressive functions

Oncogene. 2007 Apr 19;26(18):2574-84. doi: 10.1038/sj.onc.1210067. Epub 2006 Oct 30.

Abstract

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) 1 is often disrupted by chromosomal translocations generating oncogenic fusions in human leukemias. However, its role in epithelial cancers has not been extensively investigated. Herein, we show a marked accumulation of AML1 transcripts including a high frequency of a novel alternatively spliced AML1b transcript lacking exon 6 (AML1b(Del179-242)) in ovarian cancer patients. The increases in RNA transcripts for total wild-type AML1 and AML1b(Del179-242) are associated with poor patient outcomes. We have shown that although both wild-type AML1b and AML1b(Del179-242) are localized to nuclear speckles, AML1b(Del179-242) was observed to have dramatically reduced transactivation potential with the plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 promoters and behaved as a weak dominant negative of wild-type AML1b. Wild-type AML1b was found to inhibit the growth of immortalized ovarian epithelial cells (T29) decreasing colony-forming ability. Moreover, we have identified a novel function of AML1b where it inhibits ovarian cell migration. In contrast, AML1b(Del179-242) has lost the ability to inhibit both ovarian cell proliferation and migration indicating that the functional effects observed with wild-type AML1b are dependent on amino acids 179-242. Collectively, these studies suggest that deregulated alternative splicing of AML1b transcripts may potentially contribute to the pathophysiology of ovarian cancers.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Alternative Splicing*
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Base Sequence
  • Blotting, Western
  • Carcinoma, Papillary / genetics
  • Carcinoma, Papillary / metabolism
  • Cell Movement
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Cell Transformation, Neoplastic
  • Colony-Forming Units Assay
  • Core Binding Factor Alpha 2 Subunit / genetics*
  • Core Binding Factor Alpha 2 Subunit / metabolism
  • Cystadenocarcinoma, Serous / genetics
  • Cystadenocarcinoma, Serous / metabolism
  • Exons / genetics
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial / genetics
  • Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial / metabolism
  • Ovarian Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Ovarian Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic / genetics
  • Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
  • Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
  • Survival Rate
  • Transcriptional Activation
  • Tumor Suppressor Proteins / genetics
  • Tumor Suppressor Proteins / metabolism*

Substances

  • Core Binding Factor Alpha 2 Subunit
  • Tumor Suppressor Proteins