FLT3 receptors with internal tandem duplications promote cell viability and proliferation by signaling through Foxo proteins

Oncogene. 2004 Apr 22;23(19):3338-49. doi: 10.1038/sj.onc.1207456.

Abstract

In about 30% of the patients with acute myeloid leukemia, activating FLT3 receptor mutations have been identified, often as in-frame internal tandem duplications (ITD) at the juxtamembrane domain of the receptor. FLT3-ITD receptors exhibit constitutive tyrosine kinase activity in the absence of FLT3 ligand (FL) binding, and when expressed in cytokine-dependent cell lines and primary hematopoietic cells suppress programmed cell death and increase cell division. However, the signaling pathways important for transformation, in particular the nuclear targets, are unknown. Here we demonstrate that FLT3-ITD expression in Ba/F3 cells results in activation of Akt and concomitant phosphorylation of the Forkhead family member Foxo3a. Phosphorylation of Foxo proteins through FLT3-ITD signaling promotes their translocation from the nucleus into the cytoplasm, which requires the presence of conserved Akt phosphorylation sites in Forkhead transcription factors and PI3K activity. Induction of Foxo3a phosphorylation by FLT3-ITD receptors in Ba/F3 cells correlates with the suppression of Foxo-target genes p27Kip1 and the proapoptotic Bcl-2 family member Bim. Specifically, FLT3-ITD expression prevents Foxo3a-mediated apoptosis and upregulation of p27Kip1 and Bim gene expression. These data indicate that the oncogenic tyrosine kinase FLT3 can negatively regulate Foxo transcription factors, thereby promoting cell survival and proliferation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins
  • Bcl-2-Like Protein 11
  • Carrier Proteins / genetics
  • Cell Cycle Proteins / genetics
  • Cell Division
  • Cell Survival
  • Cell Transformation, Neoplastic
  • Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p27
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / physiology*
  • Forkhead Box Protein O1
  • Forkhead Transcription Factors
  • Humans
  • Interleukin-3 / physiology
  • Membrane Proteins / genetics
  • Milk Proteins*
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / physiology
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Phosphorylation
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / physiology
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins / chemistry
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins / physiology*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
  • Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / chemistry
  • Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / physiology*
  • STAT5 Transcription Factor
  • Signal Transduction
  • Tandem Repeat Sequences*
  • Trans-Activators / physiology
  • Transcription Factors / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Transcription Factors / physiology*
  • Transcriptional Activation
  • Tumor Suppressor Proteins / genetics
  • fms-Like Tyrosine Kinase 3

Substances

  • Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins
  • BCL2L11 protein, human
  • Bcl-2-Like Protein 11
  • Carrier Proteins
  • Cell Cycle Proteins
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • FOXO1 protein, human
  • Forkhead Box Protein O1
  • Forkhead Transcription Factors
  • Interleukin-3
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Milk Proteins
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins
  • STAT5 Transcription Factor
  • Trans-Activators
  • Transcription Factors
  • Tumor Suppressor Proteins
  • Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p27
  • FLT3 protein, human
  • Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases
  • fms-Like Tyrosine Kinase 3
  • AKT1 protein, human
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
  • Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases