A role for the MLL fusion partner ENL in transcriptional elongation and chromatin modification

Blood. 2007 Dec 15;110(13):4445-54. doi: 10.1182/blood-2007-05-090514. Epub 2007 Sep 12.

Abstract

Chimeric proteins joining the histone methyltransferase MLL with various fusion partners trigger distinctive lymphoid and myeloid leukemias. Here, we immunopurified proteins associated with ENL, a protein commonly fused to MLL. Identification of these ENL-associated proteins (EAPs) by mass spectrometry revealed enzymes with a known role in transcriptional elongation (RNA polymerase II C-terminal domain kinase [RNAPolII CTD] positive transcription elongation factor b [pTEFb]), and in chromatin modification (histone-H3 methyltransferase DOT1L) as well as other frequent MLL partners (AF4, AF5q31, and LAF4), and polycomb group members (RING1, CBX8, and BCoR). The composition of EAP was further verified by coimmunoprecipitation, 2-hybrid analysis, pull-down, and colocalization experiments. Purified EAP showed a histone H3 lysine 79-specific methylase activity, displayed a robust RNAPolII CTD kinase function, and counteracted the effect of the pTEFb inhibitor 5,6-dichloro-benzimidazole-riboside. In vivo, an ENL knock-down diminished genome-wide as well as gene-specific H3K79 dimethylation, reduced global run-on elongation, and inhibited transient transcriptional reporter activity. According to structure-function data, DOT1L recruitment was important for transformation by the MLL-ENL fusion derivative. These results suggest a function of ENL in histone modification and transcriptional elongation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Line
  • Chromatin Assembly and Disassembly*
  • Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase
  • Humans
  • Immunoprecipitation
  • Methyltransferases / metabolism*
  • Mice
  • Mitochondrial Membrane Transport Proteins
  • Multiprotein Complexes / analysis
  • Myeloid-Lymphoid Leukemia Protein
  • Neoplasm Proteins / isolation & purification
  • Neoplasm Proteins / metabolism*
  • Neoplasm Proteins / physiology*
  • Nuclear Proteins / isolation & purification
  • Nuclear Proteins / metabolism*
  • Nuclear Proteins / physiology*
  • Polycomb Repressive Complex 1
  • Polycomb-Group Proteins
  • Positive Transcriptional Elongation Factor B / metabolism*
  • Protein Binding
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • Repressor Proteins / metabolism
  • Transcription Factors / isolation & purification
  • Transcription Factors / metabolism*
  • Transcription Factors / physiology*
  • Transcription, Genetic*

Substances

  • CBX8 protein, human
  • MLLT1 protein, human
  • Mitochondrial Membrane Transport Proteins
  • Multiprotein Complexes
  • Neoplasm Proteins
  • Nuclear Proteins
  • Polycomb-Group Proteins
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • Repressor Proteins
  • Transcription Factors
  • Myeloid-Lymphoid Leukemia Protein
  • DOT1L protein, human
  • Methyltransferases
  • Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase
  • Cbx8 protein, mouse
  • Polycomb Repressive Complex 1
  • Positive Transcriptional Elongation Factor B