Knock-In of the Wt1 R394W mutation causes MDS and cooperates with Flt3/ITD to drive aggressive myeloid neoplasms in mice

Colleen E. Annesley, Cara Rabik, Amy S. Duffield, Rachel E. Rau, Daniel Magoon, Li Li, Vicki Huff, Donald Small, David M. Loeb, Patrick Brown

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

5 Scopus citations

Abstract

Wilms tumor 1 (WT1) is a zinc finger transcriptional regulator, and has been implicated as both a tumor suppressor and oncogene in various malignancies. Mutations in the DNA-binding domain of the WT1 gene are described in 10-15% of normal-karyotype AML (NK-AML) in pediatric and adult patients. Similar WT1 mutations have been reported in adult patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). WT1 mutations have been independently associated with treatment failure and poor prognosis in NK-AML. Internal tandem duplication (ITD) mutations of FMSlike tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3) commonly co-occur with WT1-mutant AML, suggesting a cooperative role in leukemogenesis. The functional role of WT1 mutations in hematologic malignancies appears to be complex and is not yet fully elucidated. Here, we describe the hematologic phenotype of a knock-in mouse model of a Wt1 mutation (R394W), described in cases of human leukemia. We show that Wt1+/R394W mice develop MDS which becomes 100% penetrant in a transplant model, exhibit an aberrant expansion of myeloid progenitor cells, and demonstrate enhanced selfrenewal of hematopoietic progenitor cells in vitro. We crossbred Wt1+/R394W mice with knock-in Flt3+/ITD mice, and show that mice with both mutations (Flt3+/ITD/Wt1+/R394W) develop a transplantable MDS/MPN, with more aggressive features compared to either single mutant mouse model.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)35313-35326
Number of pages14
JournalOncotarget
Volume9
Issue number82
StatePublished - Oct 1 2018

Keywords

  • AML
  • FLT3
  • Myelodysplastic syndrome
  • WT1
  • Wilms tumor 1

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Oncology

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