Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase δ blockade increases genomic instability in B cells

Nature. 2017 Feb 23;542(7642):489-493. doi: 10.1038/nature21406. Epub 2017 Feb 15.

Abstract

Activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) is a B-cell-specific enzyme that targets immunoglobulin genes to initiate class switch recombination and somatic hypermutation. In addition, through off-target activity, AID has a much broader effect on genomic instability by initiating oncogenic chromosomal translocations and mutations involved in the development and progression of lymphoma. AID expression is tightly regulated in B cells and its overexpression leads to enhanced genomic instability and lymphoma formation. The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase δ (PI3Kδ) pathway regulates AID by suppressing its expression in B cells. Drugs for leukaemia or lymphoma therapy such as idelalisib, duvelisib and ibrutinib block PI3Kδ activity directly or indirectly, potentially affecting AID expression and, consequently, genomic stability in B cells. Here we show that treatment of primary mouse B cells with idelalisib or duvelisib, and to a lesser extent ibrutinib, enhanced the expression of AID and increased somatic hypermutation and chromosomal translocation frequency to the Igh locus and to several AID off-target sites. Both of these effects were completely abrogated in AID-deficient B cells. PI3Kδ inhibitors or ibrutinib increased the formation of AID-dependent tumours in pristane-treated mice. Consistently, PI3Kδ inhibitors enhanced AID expression and translocation frequency to IGH and AID off-target sites in human chronic lymphocytic leukaemia and mantle cell lymphoma cell lines, and patients treated with idelalisib, but not ibrutinib, showed increased somatic hypermutation in AID off-targets. In summary, we show that PI3Kδ or Bruton's tyrosine kinase inhibitors increase genomic instability in normal and neoplastic B cells by an AID-dependent mechanism. This effect should be carefully considered, as such inhibitors can be administered to patients for years.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

  • Adenine / analogs & derivatives
  • Agammaglobulinaemia Tyrosine Kinase
  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Agents / adverse effects
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology
  • B-Lymphocytes / drug effects*
  • B-Lymphocytes / enzymology
  • B-Lymphocytes / metabolism*
  • B-Lymphocytes / pathology
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Class I Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Class I Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / metabolism
  • Cytidine Deaminase / metabolism
  • Enzyme Inhibitors / adverse effects
  • Enzyme Inhibitors / pharmacology
  • Female
  • Genomic Instability / drug effects*
  • Humans
  • Immunoglobulin Class Switching / drug effects
  • Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains / genetics
  • Isoquinolines / adverse effects
  • Isoquinolines / pharmacology
  • Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / genetics
  • Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / pathology
  • Lymphoma, Mantle-Cell / genetics
  • Lymphoma, Mantle-Cell / pathology
  • Mice
  • Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / metabolism
  • Phosphoinositide-3 Kinase Inhibitors*
  • Piperidines
  • Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Purines / adverse effects
  • Purines / pharmacology
  • Pyrazoles / adverse effects
  • Pyrazoles / pharmacology
  • Pyrimidines / adverse effects
  • Pyrimidines / pharmacology
  • Quinazolinones / adverse effects
  • Quinazolinones / pharmacology
  • Recombination, Genetic / drug effects
  • Somatic Hypermutation, Immunoglobulin / drug effects
  • Translocation, Genetic / drug effects

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Enzyme Inhibitors
  • Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains
  • Isoquinolines
  • Phosphoinositide-3 Kinase Inhibitors
  • Piperidines
  • Purines
  • Pyrazoles
  • Pyrimidines
  • Quinazolinones
  • ibrutinib
  • duvelisib
  • Class I Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases
  • PIK3CD protein, human
  • Pik3cd protein, mouse
  • Protein-Tyrosine Kinases
  • Agammaglobulinaemia Tyrosine Kinase
  • Btk protein, mouse
  • AICDA (activation-induced cytidine deaminase)
  • Cytidine Deaminase
  • Adenine
  • idelalisib