Biomedical subjects

Ryoichi Ono

Publications and source records attributed to Ryoichi Ono.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2005

The MYO1F, unconventional myosin type 1F, gene is fused to MLL in infant acute monocytic leukemia with a complex translocation involving chromosomes 7, 11, 19 and 22.

We analysed a complex translocation involving chromosomes 7, 11, 19 and 22 in infant acute monocytic leukemia, and identified that the MLL gene on 11q23 was fused to the unconventional myosin type 1F, MYO1F, gene on 19p13.2-13.3. MYO1F consists of at least 28 exons and was predicted to encode a 1098-amino-acid with an N-terminal head domain containing both ATP-binding and actin-binding sequences, a neck domain with a single IQ motif, and a tail with TH1, TH2 and SH3 domains. Northern blot analysis of RNAs prepared from multiple tissues showed that the expression of approximately 4-kb transcripts appeared constant in most tissues examined. However, MYO1F was expressed in only three of 22 leukemic cell lines. The MLL-MYO1F fusion protein contains almost the entire MYO1F, however, C-terminal MYO1F has neither the transactivation domain nor the dimerization domain found in various MLL fusion partners. Further analysis of this novel type of MLL fusion protein would provide new insights into leukemogenesis. MYO1F is the fourth partner gene of MLL on 19p13. At the cytogenetic level, it may be difficult to distinguish MLL-ENL, MLL-ELL, MLL-EEN and MLL-MYO1F fusions created by t(11;19)(q23;p13), and it is likely that cases of t(11;19) lacking a known fusion gene may result in this gene fusion.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2005

Dimerization of MLL fusion proteins and FLT3 activation synergize to induce multiple-lineage leukemogenesis.

The mechanisms by which mixed-lineage leukemia (MLL) fusion products resulting from in utero translocations in 11q23 contribute to leukemogenesis and infant acute leukemia remain elusive. It is still controversial whether the MLL fusion protein is sufficient to induce acute leukemia without additional genetic alterations, although carcinogenesis in general is known to result from more than 1 genetic disorder accumulating during a lifetime. Here we demonstrate that the fusion partner-mediated homo-oligomerization of MLL-SEPT6 is essential to immortalize hematopoietic progenitors in vitro. MLL-SEPT6 induced myeloproliferative disease with long latency in mice, but not acute leukemia, implying that secondary genotoxic events are required to develop leukemia. We developed in vitro and in vivo model systems of leukemogenesis by MLL fusion proteins, where activated FMS-like receptor tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3) together with MLL-SEPT6 not only transformed hematopoietic progenitors in vitro but also induced acute biphenotypic or myeloid leukemia with short latency in vivo. In these systems, MLL-ENL, another type of the fusion product that seems to act as a monomer, also induced the transformation in vitro and leukemogenesis in vivo in concert with activated FLT3. These findings show direct evidence for a multistep leukemogenesis mediated by MLL fusion proteins and may be applicable to development of direct MLL fusion-targeted therapy.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Disruption of Sept6, a fusion partner gene of MLL, does not affect ontogeny, leukemogenesis induced by MLL-SEPT6, or phenotype induced by the loss of Sept4.

Septins are evolutionarily conserved GTP-binding proteins that can heteropolymerize into filaments. Recent studies have revealed that septins are involved in not only diverse normal cellular processes but also the pathogenesis of various diseases, including cancer. SEPT6 is ubiquitously expressed in tissues and one of the fusion partner genes of MLL in the 11q23 translocations implicated in acute leukemia. However, the roles of this septin in vivo remain elusive. We have developed Sept6-deficient mice that exhibited neither gross abnormalities, changes in cytokinesis, nor spontaneous malignancy. Sept6 deficiency did not cause any quantitative changes in any of the septins evaluated in this study, nor did it cause any additional changes in the Sept4-deficient mice. Even the depletion of Sept11, a close homolog of Sept6, did not affect the Sept6-null cells in vitro, thus implying a high degree of redundancy in the septin system. Furthermore, a loss of Sept6 did not alter the phenotype of myeloproliferative disease induced by MLL-SEPT6, thus suggesting that Sept6 does not function as a tumor suppressor. To our knowledge, this is the first report demonstrating that a disruption of the translocation partner gene of MLL in 11q23 translocation does not contribute to leukemogenesis by the MLL fusion gene.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Roles of a trithorax group gene, MLL, in hematopoiesis.

The mixed-lineage leukemia (MLL) gene is a trithorax group (trxG) gene that was originally identified at chromosomal translocations in patients developing acute leukemia. Although Polycomb group (PcG) genes, which counteract trxG genes, were found to play essential roles in hematopoiesis, little has been understood about the roles of trxG genes in hematopoiesis except for MLL. MLL has been found fused with 1 of more than 30 different partner genes to yield a diverse collection of MLL fusion oncoproteins that lead to the aberrant expression of HOX genes. Recent studies have revealed that MLL assembles, as do some trxG proteins, into a chromatin-modifying transcriptional regulatory supercomplex to regulate epigenetic pathways, including the methylation of histone H3 lysine 4, which is conferred by the Su (var)3-9, enhancer of zeste, and tritho-rax (SET) domain. Other studies also indicated that MLL plays a nonredundant and essential role in definitive hematopoiesis and induces the proliferation and differentiation of hematopoietic progenitors by maintaining appropriate up-regulation of HOX genes. Further progress in the field will provide novel insights into trxG- and PcG-mediated hematopoiesis and help us understand the epigenetic process by which developing stem cells coordinate proliferation and differentiation.

Cell Differentiation↗

PubMed2005

A simple X-ray emitter.

A compact X-ray emission instrument is made, and the X-ray spectra are measured by changing the applied electric potential. Strong soft X-rays are observed when evacuating roughly and applying a high voltage to an insulator settled in this device. The X-ray intensity is higher as the applied voltage is increased. A light-emitting phenomenon is observed when this device emits X-rays. The present X-ray emitter is made of a small cylinder with a radius of 20 mm and a height of 50 mm. This X-ray generator has a potential to be used as an X-ray source in an X-ray fluorescence spectrometer.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2002

LCX, leukemia-associated protein with a CXXC domain, is fused to MLL in acute myeloid leukemia with trilineage dysplasia having t(10;11)(q22;q23).

There are a limited number of reports of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with t(10;11)(q22;q23). We showed that the MLL gene on 11q23 was fused to the LCX (leukemia-associated protein with a CXXC domain) gene on 10q22 in a de novoadult AML-M2 with trilineage dysplasia having t(10;11)(q22;q23). LCX consisted of at least 12 exons and was predicted to encode a 2136-amino-acid protein with an estimated molecular mass of 235.3 kDa. The LCX protein had a zinc-binding CXXC domain that MLL also contains within a methyltransferase domain, three nuclear localization signals, an alpha-helical coiled-coil region, and two homologous regions to CG2083 proteins of Drosophila melanogaster. We found approximately 12-, 9.5-, and 7.5-kb transcripts of LCX. Expression of the 7.5-kb transcript was detected in fetal heart, lung, and brain, and in adult skeletal muscle, thymus, and ovary. Expression of the 9.5-kb transcript was detected in fetal lung and brain and in adult ovary. Expression of the 12-kb transcript was detected in fetal heart and brain and in adult thymus and ovary. LCX was expressed in 8 of 22 leukemic cell lines, but not in EBV-induced normal B-cell lines. The MLL-LCX fusion protein lacked a CXXC domain of LCX, but retained an alpha-helical coiled-coil region at the COOH terminus, similar to MLL-SEPTING, MLL-CDCREL1, MLL-AF1p/Eps15, and MLL-AF6, which suggests that these fusion proteins are involved in the pathogenesis of 11q23-associated leukemia through similar mechanisms.

Aged↗

PubMed2002

SEPTIN6, a human homologue to mouse Septin6, is fused to MLL in infant acute myeloid leukemia with complex chromosomal abnormalities involving 11q23 and Xq24.

t(X;11) is a recurrent translocation in pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (AML). We showed that the MLL gene on 11q23 was fused to the SEPTIN6 gene on Xq24, a human homologue to mouse Septin6, in three de novo infant AML with complex chromosomal abnormalities involving 11q23 and Xq22-24. SEPTIN6 consisted of at least 12 exons and was predicted to encode at least two types of proteins by alternative splicing. Expression of approximately 2.3-, 3.1-, and 4.6-kb SEPTIN6 transcripts was simultaneously detected in fetal lung, liver, and brain, in all of the adult tissues except brain, and in acute lymphoblastic leukemia and AML cell lines. However, the expression of an approximately 2.7-kb transcript was detected alone in fetal heart and adult brain. The SEPTIN6 protein is homologous to septin family members including CDCREL1 and AF17q25/MSF, which generate fusion products with MLL. The MLL-SEPTIN6 fusion proteins contain almost the entire septin protein, similar to MLL-CDCREL1 and MLL-AF17q25/MSF. Notably, all three of the patients were diagnosed with M1 or M2. Combined present results and literatures suggest that AML with the MLL-SEPTIN6 fusion gene is a subset of infant AML, which differentiate into the myeloid lineage, although AML with other MLL fusion genes is capable of differentiating into the myelomonocytic or monocytic lineage.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

The chromosome translocation t(7;11)(p15;p15) in acute myeloid leukemia results in fusion of the NUP98 gene with a HOXA cluster gene, HOXA13, but not HOXA9.

The nucleoporin gene NUP98 has been reported to be fused to 9 partner genes in hematologic malignancies with 11p15 translocations. The NUP98-HOXA9 fusion gene has been identified in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and chronic myelogenous leukemia with t(7;11)(p15;p15). We report here a novel NUP98 partner gene, HOXA13, in a patient with de novo AML having t(7;11)(p15;p15). The HOXA13 gene is part of the HOXA cluster genes and contains 2 exons, encoding a protein of 338 amino acids with a homeodomain. The NUP98-HOXA13 fusion protein consists of the N-terminal phenylalanine-glycine repeat motif of NUP98 and the C-terminal homeodomain of HOXA13, similar to the NUP98-HOXA9 fusion protein. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis in various leukemic cell lines showed that the HOXA13 gene was expressed significantly more frequently in acute monocytic leukemic cell lines than in other leukemic cell lines (P = 0.039). HOXA13 and three HOXA cluster genes (A9, A10, A11) located at the 5' end of the HOXA9 gene were frequently expressed in myeloid leukemic cell lines. Our results revealed that t(7;11)(p15;p15) was not a single chromosomal abnormality at the molecular level. The protein encoded by the NUP98-HOXA13 fusion gene is similar to that encoded by NUP98-HOXA9, and the expression pattern of the HOXA13 gene in leukemic cell lines is similar to that of the HOXA9 gene, suggesting that the NUP98-HOXA13 fusion protein may play a role in leukemogenesis through a mechanism similar to that of the NUP98-HOXA9 fusion protein.

Acute Disease↗

PubMed2002

Translocation (8;12)(q13;p13) during disease progression in acute myelomonocytic leukemia with t(11;19)(q23;p13.1).

We report here the first case of acute myelomonocytic leukemia (AMMoL) with both t(8;12)(q13;p13) and t(11;19)(q23;p13.1). A 75-year-old woman was initially diagnosed as having AMMoL with t(11;19) (q23;p13) as a sole abnormality. At the second relapse, G-banding analysis of the bone marrow cells showed 46,XX,t(11;19)(q23;p13)/46,XX,t(8;12)(q13;p13),t(11;19)(q23;p13). Fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis with chromosome-specific painting probes confirmed both the der(8)t(8;12) and the der(12)t(8;12). Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis detected the MLL/ELL fusion transcript, indicating that the breakpoint on chromosome 19 was 19p13.1. Leukemic cells at the second relapse were positive for CD2, CD13, CD33, and CD34 but negative for CD14 and HLA-DR. The patient died within 2 months after a subclone with t(8;12)(q13;p13) had appeared. In the literature, t(8;12)(q12;p13) has been observed in two cases of myelodysplastic syndrome and one case of acute myeloblastic leukemia. Our results indicated that t(8;12)(q13;p13) may be one of the recurrent aberrations in myeloid malignancies, although molecular heterogeneity of the breakpoints might exist. Furthermore, it is suggested that t(8;12)(q13;p13) may play an important role in the progression of the disease and lead to the poor prognosis.

Aged↗