BioProject

MLL-AF4 is a hallmark genomic aberration which arises prenatally in high-risk infant acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). More...

MLL-AF4 is a hallmark genomic aberration which arises prenatally in high-risk infant acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). In human embryonic stem cells (hESCs), MLL-AF4 skewed hemato-endothelial specification but was not sufficient for transformation. Additional cooperating genetic insults seem required for MLL-AF4-mediated leukemogenesis. FLT3 is highly expressed in MLL-AF4+ ALL through activating mutations (FLT3-TKD or FLT3-ITD) or increased transcriptional expression, being therefore considered a potential cooperating event in MLL-AF4+ ALL. Here, we explored the developmental impact of FLT3 activation on its own or in cooperation with MLL-AF4 in the hematopoietic fate of hESCs. FLT3 activation did not impact specification of CD45-CD31+ hemogenic precursors but significantly enhanced the formation of CD45+CD34+ and CD45+ blood cells and blood progenitors with clonogenic potential. Importantly, FLT3 activation through FLT3 mutations or FLT3-WT overexpression completely abrogated hematopoietic differentiation from MLL-AF4-expressing hESCs, indicating that FLT3 activation cooperates with MLL-AF4 to inhibit human embryonic hematopoiesis. Cell cycle/apoptosis analyses suggest that FLT3 activation directly impacts hESC specification rather than selective proliferation/survival of hESC-emerging hematopoietic derivatives. Transcriptional profiling supported the limited impact of FLT3 activation on hESC specification towards CD45-hemogenic precursors and the enhanced hematopoiesis upon FLT3 activation, and inhibited hematopoiesis upon MLL-AF4 expression in FLT3-activated hESCs which was associated to large transcriptional changes and regulation of master early hematopoietic genes. Also, although FLT3 activation and MLL-AF4 cooperate to inhibit embryonic hematopoiesis the underlying molecular/genetic mechanisms differ depending on how FLT3 activation is achieved. Finally, FLT3 activation did not cooperate with MLL-AF4 to immortalize/transform hESC-derived hematopoietic cells. Overall design: 18 samples were analyzed. CD45- hemogenic precursors EV, 2 biological rep CD45- hemogenic precursors FLT3-TKD, 2 biological rep CD45- hemogenic precursors FLT3-WT, 2 biological rep CD45- hemogenic precursors FLT3-TKD/MLLAF4, 2 biological rep CD45- hemogenic precursors FLT3-WT/MLLAF4, 2 biological rep CD45+ blood cells EV, 1 biological rep CD45+ blood cells FLT3-TKD, 2 biological rep CD45+ blood cells FLT3-WT, 2 biological rep CD45+ blood cells FLT3-TKD/MLLAF4, 2 biological rep CD45+ blood cells FLT3-WT/MLLAF4, 1 biological rep Less...