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Thoas Fioretos

Thoas Fioretos

Research team manager

Thoas Fioretos

Deregulation of the Wilms' tumour gene 1 protein (WT1) by BCR/ABL1 mediates resistance to imatinib in human leukaemia cells

Author

  • Emelie Svensson
  • Karina Vidovic
  • Carin Lassen
  • Johan Richter
  • Tor Olofsson
  • Thoas Fioretos
  • Urban Gullberg

Summary, in English

The Wilms' tumour gene 1 (WT1) protein is highly expressed in most leukaemias. Co-expression of WT1 and the fusion protein AML1-ETO in mice rapidly induces acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). Mechanisms behind expression of WT1, as well as consequences thereof, are still unclear. Here, we report that the fusion protein BCR/ABL1 increases expression of WT1 mRNA and protein via the phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K)-Akt pathway. Inhibition of BCR/ABL1 or PI3K activity strongly suppressed transcription from WT1 promoter/enhancer reporters. Forced expression of BCR/ABL1 in normal human progenitor CD34+ cells increased WT1 mRNA and protein, further supporting the notion of BCR/ABL1-driven expression of WT1 in human haematopoietic cells. Forced expression of WT1 in K562 cells provided protection against cytotoxic effects of the ABL1 tyrosine kinase inhibitor imatinib, as judged by effects on viability measured by trypan blue exclusion, metabolic activity, annexin V and DAPI (4', 6-diamidino-2-phenylindole) staining. None of the isoforms provided any detectable protection against apoptosis induced by arsenic trioxide and only very weak protection against etoposide, indicating that WT1 interferes with specific apoptotic signalling pathways. Our data demonstrate that WT1 expression is induced by oncogenic signalling from BCR/ABL1 and that WT1 contributes to resistance against apoptosis induced by imatinib.

Department/s

  • Division of Hematology and Clinical Immunology
  • Division of Clinical Genetics
  • Department of Laboratory Medicine
  • Transcriptional mechanisms for the Wilms’ tumor gene 1 (WT1) oncoprotein

Publishing year

2007

Language

English

Pages

2485-2494

Publication/Series

Leukemia

Volume

21

Issue

12

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

Nature Publishing Group

Topic

  • Cancer and Oncology

Status

Published

Research group

  • Transcriptional mechanisms for the Wilms’ tumor gene 1 (WT1) oncoprotein

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 1476-5551