Tribbles homolog 2 inactivates C/EBPalpha and causes acute myelogenous leukemia

Cancer Cell. 2006 Nov;10(5):401-11. doi: 10.1016/j.ccr.2006.09.012.

Abstract

Tribbles homolog 2 (Trib2) was identified as a downregulated transcript in leukemic cells undergoing growth arrest. To investigate the effects of Trib2 in hematopoietic progenitors, mice were reconstituted with hematopoietic stem cells retrovirally expressing Trib2. Trib2-transduced bone marrow cells exhibited a growth advantage ex vivo and readily established factor-dependent cell lines. In vivo, Trib2-reconstituted mice uniformly developed fatal transplantable acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). In mechanistic studies, we found that Trib2 associated with and inhibited C/EBPalpha. Furthermore, Trib2 expression was elevated in a subset of human AML patient samples. Together, our data identify Trib2 as an oncogene that induces AML through a mechanism involving inactivation of C/EBPalpha.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Bone Marrow Transplantation
  • CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Protein-alpha / genetics
  • CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Protein-alpha / metabolism*
  • Cell Line
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / genetics
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / metabolism
  • Hematopoietic Stem Cells / cytology
  • Hematopoietic Stem Cells / physiology
  • Humans
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / genetics
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / metabolism*
  • Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / etiology
  • Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / metabolism*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Oncogenes
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / genetics
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / metabolism*
  • RNA Interference
  • Survival Rate
  • Transplantation Chimera

Substances

  • CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Protein-alpha
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
  • tribbles 2 protein, mouse
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases