Identification of proapoptotic Bim as a tumor suppressor in neoplastic mast cells: role of KIT D816V and effects of various targeted drugs

Blood. 2009 Dec 17;114(26):5342-51. doi: 10.1182/blood-2008-08-175190. Epub 2009 Oct 22.

Abstract

Systemic mastocytosis (SM) is a myeloid neoplasm involving mast cells (MCs) and their progenitors. In most cases, neoplastic cells display the D816V-mutated variant of KIT. KIT D816V exhibits constitutive tyrosine kinase (TK) activity and has been implicated in increased survival and growth of neoplastic MCs. Recent data suggest that the proapoptotic BH3-only death regulator Bim plays a role as a tumor suppressor in various myeloid neoplasms. We found that KIT D816V suppresses expression of Bim in Ba/F3 cells. The KIT D816-induced down-regulation of Bim was rescued by the KIT-targeting drug PKC412/midostaurin. Both PKC412 and the proteasome-inhibitor bortezomib were found to decrease growth and promote expression of Bim in MC leukemia cell lines HMC-1.1 (D816V negative) and HMC-1.2 (D816V positive). Both drugs were also found to counteract growth of primary neoplastic MCs. Furthermore, midostaurin was found to cooperate with bortezomib and with the BH3-mimetic obatoclax in producing growth inhibition in both HMC-1 subclones. Finally, a Bim-specific siRNA was found to rescue HMC-1 cells from PKC412-induced cell death. Our data show that KIT D816V suppresses expression of proapoptotic Bim in neoplastic MCs. Targeting of Bcl-2 family members by drugs promoting Bim (re)-expression, or by BH3-mimetics such as obatoclax, may be an attractive therapy concept in SM.

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology
  • Apoptosis / drug effects
  • Apoptosis / physiology
  • Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / genetics
  • Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / metabolism*
  • Bcl-2-Like Protein 11
  • Blotting, Northern
  • Blotting, Western
  • Boronic Acids / pharmacology
  • Bortezomib
  • Flow Cytometry
  • Gene Expression
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic*
  • Genes, Tumor Suppressor
  • Humans
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • In Situ Nick-End Labeling
  • Mast Cells / drug effects
  • Mast Cells / metabolism*
  • Mast Cells / pathology
  • Mastocytosis, Systemic / drug therapy
  • Mastocytosis, Systemic / genetics
  • Mastocytosis, Systemic / metabolism*
  • Membrane Proteins / genetics
  • Membrane Proteins / metabolism*
  • Mutation
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / pharmacology
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins / metabolism*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit / genetics*
  • Pyrazines / pharmacology
  • RNA, Small Interfering
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Staurosporine / analogs & derivatives
  • Staurosporine / pharmacology
  • Transfection

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins
  • BCL2L11 protein, human
  • Bcl-2-Like Protein 11
  • Boronic Acids
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins
  • Pyrazines
  • RNA, Small Interfering
  • Bortezomib
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit
  • Staurosporine
  • midostaurin