YBX1 mediates translation of oncogenic transcripts to control cell competition in AML

• DOI: 10.1038/s41375-021-01393-0
• Publication Date: 2021-08-31T13:08:18Z
• Authors: Florian Perner; Tina M. Schnoeder; Yijun Xiong; Ashok Kumar Jayavelu; Nomusa Mashamba; Nuria Tubio Santa...; Nicolas Huber; Kristina Todorova; Charles Hatton; Birgit Perner; Theresa Eifert; Ciara Murphy; Maximilian Hartmann; Jessica I. Hoell; Nicolas Schröder; Sabine Brandt; Andreas Hochhaus; Peter R. Mertens; Matthias Mann; Scott A. Armstrong; Anna Mandinova; Florian H. Heidel
• Keywords: 0301 basic medicine; ddc:610; 610; Apoptosis; Janus Kinase 2; Prognosis; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays; Article; 3. Good health; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute; Mice; 03 medical and health sciences; Cell Competition; Mutation; Biomarkers, Tumor; Tumor Cells, Cultured; Animals; Humans; Y-Box-Binding Protein 1; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc/metabolism [MeSH] ; Y-Box-Binding Protein 1/genetics [MeSH] ; Janus Kinase 2/metabolism ; Mutation ; Janus Kinase 2/metabolism [MeSH] ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/genetics ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/metabolism [MeSH] ; Y-Box-Binding Protein 1/genetics ; Apoptosis [MeSH] ; Prognosis ; Mice ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/metabolism ; Tumor Cells, Cultured [MeSH] ; Tumor Cells, Cultured ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/genetics [MeSH] ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc/genetics ; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays [MeSH] ; Biomarkers, Tumor/metabolism ; Cell Competition ; Cell Proliferation ; Humans ; Cell Proliferation [MeSH] ; Mutation [MeSH] ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc/metabolism ; Janus Kinase 2/genetics [MeSH] ; Humans [MeSH] ; Y-Box-Binding Protein 1/metabolism ; Apoptosis ; Animals [MeSH] ; Mice [MeSH] ; Biomarkers, Tumor/metabolism [MeSH] ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc/genetics [MeSH] ; Biomarkers, Tumor/genetics [MeSH] ; Janus Kinase 2/genetics ; Prognosis [MeSH] ; Y-Box-Binding Protein 1/metabolism [MeSH] ; Cell Competition [MeSH] ; Animals ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/pathology ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/pathology [MeSH] ; Biomarkers, Tumor/genetics ; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays; Cell Proliferation

AbstractPersistence of malignant clones is a major determinant of adverse outcome in patients with hematologic malignancies. Despite the fact that the majority of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) achieve complete remission after chemotherapy, a large proportion of them relapse as a result of residual malignant cells. These persistent clones have a competitive advantage and can re-establish disease. Therefore, targeting strategies that specifically diminish cell competition of malignant cells while leaving normal cells unaffected are clearly warranted. Recently, our group identified YBX1 as a mediator of disease persistence in JAK2-mutated myeloproliferative neoplasms. The role of YBX1 in AML, however, remained so far elusive. Here, inactivation of YBX1 confirms its role as an essential driver of leukemia development and maintenance. We identify its ability to amplify the translation of oncogenic transcripts, including MYC, by recruitment to polysomal chains. Genetic inactivation of YBX1 disrupts this regulatory circuit and displaces oncogenic drivers from polysomes, with subsequent depletion of protein levels. As a consequence, leukemia cells show reduced proliferation and are out-competed in vitro and in vivo, while normal cells remain largely unaffected. Collectively, these data establish YBX1 as a specific dependency and therapeutic target in AML that is essential for oncogenic protein expression.