Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UNIPROT:P10721 (c-kit)
 6,575 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Members of the homeobox family of transcription factors are major regulators of hematopoiesis. Overexpression of either HOXB4 or HOXA9 in primitive marrow cells enhances the expansion of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). However, little is known of how expression or function of these proteins is regulated during hematopoiesis under physiological conditions. In our previous studies we demonstrated that thrombopoietin (TPO) enhances levels of HOXB4 mRNA in primitive hematopoietic cells (K. Kirito, N. Fox, and K. Kaushansky, Blood 102:3172-3178, 2003). To extend our studies, we investigated the effects of TPO on HOXA9 in this same cell population. Although overall levels of the transcription factor were not affected, we found that TPO induced the nuclear import of HOXA9 both in UT-7/TPO cells and in primitive Sca-1(+)/c-kit(+)/Gr-1(-) hematopoietic cells in a mitogen-activated protein kinase-dependent fashion. TPO also controlled MEIS1 expression at mRNA levels, at least in part due to phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase activation. Collectively, TPO modulates the function of HOXA9 by leading to its nuclear translocation, likely mediated by effects on its partner protein MEIS1, and potentially due to two newly identified nuclear localization signals. Our data suggest that TPO controls HSC development through the regulation of multiple members of the Hox family of transcription factors through multiple mechanisms.
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PMID:Thrombopoietin induces HOXA9 nuclear transport in immature hematopoietic cells: potential mechanism by which the hormone favorably affects hematopoietic stem cells. 1525 42

Studies over the last 40 years have led to an understanding of the hierarchical organization of the hematopoietic system and the role of the pluripotential hematopoietic stem cell. Earlier recognition of the importance of bone marrow hematopoietic microenvironments has evolved into the recognition of specific niches that regulate stem cell pool size, proliferative status, mobilization, and differentiation. The discovery of the role of multiple hematopoietic growth factors and their receptors in the orchestration of stem cell self-renewal and differentiation has been followed by recognition of the importance of the Notch and Wnt pathways. The homeobox family of transcription factors serve as master regulators of development and are increasingly found to be critical regulators of hematopoiesis. In parallel with this understanding of normal hematopoiesis has come a recognition that stem cell dysregulation at various levels is involved in leukemogenesis. Furthermore, the progression from chronic leukemia or myelodysplasia to acute leukemia involves accumulation of at least two mutational events that lead to enhancement of stem cell proliferation, or acquisition of stem cell behavior by a progenitor cell, coupled with maturation inhibition. Translocations resulting in development of oncogenic fusion genes are found in AML and the transforming potential of two of these, AML1-ETO and NUP98-HOXA9, will be discussed. Secondary, constitutively activating mutations of the Flt3 and c-kit receptors and of K- and N-ras are found with high frequency in AML, and the transforming potential of mutated FLT3 and the role of STAT5A activation in human stem cell transformation will be reviewed.
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PMID:Converging pathways in leukemogenesis and stem cell self-renewal. 1596 48

A Native American-Indian female presenting with anemia and thrombocytosis was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS, refractory anemia). Over the course of 5 years she developed cytopenias and periods of leukocytosis with normal bone marrow (BM) blast counts, features of an unclassifiable MDS/MPS syndrome. The patient ultimately progressed to acute myelogenous leukemia (AML, FAB M2) and had a normal karyotype throughout her course. The episodes of leukocytosis were associated with infectious complications. Transformation to AML was characterized by a BM blast percentage of 49%. Peripheral blood and BM samples were obtained for serum protein analysis and gene expression profiling (GEP) to elucidate her disease process. An ELISA assay of the serum analyzed approximately 80 cytokines, which demonstrated that hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor and insulin-like growth factor binding protein 1 were markedly elevated compared to normal. GEP demonstrated a unique "tumor molecular profile," which included overexpression of oncogenes (HOXA9, N-MYC, KOC1), proliferative genes (PAWR, DLG5, AKR1C3), invasion/metastatic genes (FN1, N-CAM-1, ITGB5), pro-angiogenesis genes (c-Kit), and down regulation of tumor suppressor genes (SUI1, BARD1) and anti-apoptotic genes (PGLYRP, SERPINB2, MPO). Hence, a biomics approach has provided insight into elucidating disease mechanisms, molecular prognostic factors, and discovery of novel targets for therapeutic intervention.
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PMID:Transcriptosome and serum cytokine profiling of an atypical case of myelodysplastic syndrome with progression to acute myelogenous leukemia. 1683 25

Overexpression of HOXB4 in hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) leads to increased self-renewal without causing hematopoietic malignancies in transplanted mice. The molecular basis of HOXB4-mediated benign HSC expansion in vivo is not well understood. To gain further insight into the molecular events underlying HOXB4-mediated HSC expansion, we analyzed gene expression changes at multiple time points in Lin(-)Sca1(+)c-kit(+) cells from mice transplanted with bone marrow cells transduced with a MSCV-HOXB4-ires-YFP vector. A distinct HOXB4 transcriptional program was reproducibly induced and stabilized by 12 weeks after transplant. Dynamic expression changes were observed in genes critical for HSC self-renewal as well as in genes involved in myeloid and B-cell differentiation. Prdm16, a transcription factor associated with human acute myeloid leukemia, was markedly repressed by HOXB4 but upregulated by HOXA9 and HOXA10, suggesting that Prdm16 downregulation was involved in preventing leukemia in HOXB4 transplanted mice. Functional evidence to support this mechanism was obtained by enforcing coexpression of sPrdm16 and HOXB4, which led to enhanced self-renewal, myeloid expansion, and leukemia. Altogether, these studies define the transcriptional pathways involved in HOXB4 HSC expansion in vivo and identify repression of Prdm16 transcription as a mechanism by which expanding HSCs avoid leukemic transformation.
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PMID:Downregulation of Prdm16 mRNA is a specific antileukemic mechanism during HOXB4-mediated HSC expansion in vivo. 2508 79

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with an NPM1 mutation (NPMc+) has a distinct gene expression signature and displays molecular abnormalities similar to mixed lineage leukemia (MLL), including aberrant expression of the PBX3 and HOXA gene cluster. However, it is unclear if the aberrant expression of PBX3 and HOXA is essential for the survival of NPM1-mutated leukemic cells. Methods: Using the gene expression profiling of TCGA and E-MTAB-3444 datasets, we screened for high co-expression of PBX3 and HOXA9 in NPMc+ leukemia patients. We performed NPMc+ depletion and overexpression experiments to examine aberrant H3K79 methylation through epigenetic regulation. Through RNA interference technology and small-molecule inhibitor treatment, we evaluated the effect of methyl-modified H3K79 on cell survival and explored the possible underlying mechanism. Results: We showed that NPMc+ increased the expression of PBX3 and HOXA9, which are both poor prognosis indicators in AML. High PBX3 and HOXA9 expression was accompanied by increased dimethylated and trimethylated H3K79 in transgenic murine Lin-Sca-1+c-Kit+ cells and human NPMc+ leukemia cells. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq) assays of NPMc+ cells, we determined that hypermethylated H3K79 was present at the expressed HOXA9 gene but not the PBX3 gene. PBX3 expression was positively regulated by HOXA9, and a reduction in either PBX3 or HOXA9 resulted in NPMc+ cell apoptosis. Importantly, an inhibitor of DOT1L, EPZ5676, effectively and selectively promoted NPMc+ human leukemic cell apoptosis by reducing HOXA9 and PBX3 expression. Conclusion: Our data indicate that NPMc+ leukemic cell survival requires upregulation of PBX3 and HOXA9, and this action can be largely attenuated by a DOT1L inhibitor.
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PMID:Inactivation of PBX3 and HOXA9 by down-regulating H3K79 methylation represses NPM1-mutated leukemic cell survival. 3021 26