Browsing by Author "Conway, Edward M."

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    Small molecule inhibition of CBP/catenin interactions eliminates drug resistant clones in acute lymphoblastic leukemia
    (NPG - Nature Publishing Group, 2014-04-24) Gang, Eun Ji; Hsieh, Yao-Te; Pham, Jennifer; Zhao, Yi; Nguyen, Cu; Huantes, Sandra; Park, Eugene; Naing, Khatija; Klemm, Lars; Swaminathan, Srividya; Conway, Edward M.; Pelus, Louis M.; Crispino, John; Mullighan, Charles; McMillan, Michael; Müschen, Markus; Kahn, Michael; Kim, Yong-Mi; Department of Microbiology & Immunology, School of Medicine
    Drug resistance in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) remains a major problem warranting new treatment strategies. Wnt/catenin signaling is critical for the self-renewal of normal hematopoietic progenitor cells. Deregulated Wnt signaling is evident in chronic and acute myeloid leukemia, however little is known about ALL. Differential interaction of catenin with either the Kat3 coactivator CREBBP (CBP) or the highly homologous EP300 (p300) is critical to determine divergent cellular responses and provides a rationale for the regulation of both proliferation and differentiation by the Wnt signaling pathway. Usage of the coactivator CBP by catenin leads to transcriptional activation of cassettes of genes that are involved in maintenance of progenitor cell self-renewal. However, the use of the coactivator p300, leads to activation of genes involved in the initiation of differentiation. ICG-001 is a novel small molecule modulator of Wnt/catenin signaling, which specifically binds to the N-terminus of CBP and not p300, within amino acids 1–110, thereby disrupting the interaction between CBP and catenin. Here, we report that selective disruption of the CBP/β- and γ-catenin interactions using ICG-001 leads to differentiation of pre-B ALL cells and loss of self-renewal capacity. Survivin, an inhibitor-of-apoptosis protein, was also downregulated in primary ALL after treatment with ICG-001. Using ChIP assay, we demonstrate occupancy by CBP of the survivin promoter, which is decreased by ICG-001 in primary ALL. CBP-mutations have been recently identified in a significant percentage of ALL patients, however, almost all of the identified mutations reported occur C-terminal to the binding site for ICG-001. Importantly, ICG-001, regardless of CBP mutational status and chromosomal aberration, leads to eradication of drug-resistant primary leukemia in combination with conventional therapy in vitro and significantly prolongs the survival of NOD/SCID mice engrafted with primary ALL. Therefore, specifically inhibiting CBP/catenin transcription represents a novel approach to overcome relapse in ALL.
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    Survivin Modulates Genes with Divergent Molecular Functions and Regulates Proliferation of Hematopoietic Stem Cells through Evi-1
    (Nature Publishing Group, 2015-02) Fukuda, Seiji; Hoggatt, Jonathan; Singh, Pratibha; Abe, Mariko; Speth, Jennifer M.; Hu, Peirong; Conway, Edward M.; Nucifora, Giuseppina; Yamaguchi, Seiji; Pelus, Louis M.; Department of Microbiology & Immunology, IU School of Medicine
    The inhibitor of apoptosis protein Survivin regulates hematopoiesis, although its mechanisms of regulation of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) remain largely unknown. While investigating conditional Survivin deletion in mice, we found that Survivin was highly expressed in phenotypically defined HSCs and Survivin deletion in mice resulted in significantly reduced total marrow HSC and progenitor cells (HPC). Transcriptional analysis of Survivin−/− HSCs revealed altered expression of multiple genes not previously linked to Survivin activity. In particular, Survivin deletion significantly reduced expression of the Evi-1 transcription factor indispensable for HSC function, and the downstream Evi-1 target genes Gata2, Pbx1 and Sall2. The loss of HSCs following Survivin deletion and impaired long-term HSC repopulating function could be partially rescued by ectopic Evi-1 expression in Survivin −/− HSCs. These data demonstrate that Survivin partially regulates HSC function by modulating the Evi-1transcription factor and its downstream targets and identify new genetic pathways in HSCs regulated by Survivin.