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Warren S Pear

Publications and source records attributed to Warren S Pear.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Notch activity synergizes with B-cell-receptor and CD40 signaling to enhance B-cell activation.

How diverse environmental cues are integrated to regulate B-cell activation and development remains poorly understood. Here we show that Notch activity synergizes with B-cell receptor (BCR) and/or CD40 signaling to enhance several aspects of B-cell activation and function. We find that costimulation of follicular B cells with the Notch ligand Delta-like-1 leads to significant increases in BCR- and CD40-mediated proliferation and enhances production of IgG1(+) cells in vitro and in vivo. We further find that coengagement of Notch and the BCR results in increased activation of the MAPK pathway, and MAPK and Notch inhibitors prevent B-cell activation events mediated by coengagement of Notch and the BCR. These data suggest that the BCR and CD40 signaling pathways collaborate with the Notch pathway to optimize B-cell activation.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

The multifaceted role of Notch in cancer.

The diverse roles that Notch signals play during the development and maintenance of normal tissues are recapitulated in different forms of cancer. Depending on the tumor type, Notch can variously promote or limit tumor growth through either cell autonomous or cell non-autonomous effects on differentiation, cellular metabolism, cell cycle progression, angiogenesis, and possibly self-renewal and immune function. Of particular interest, recent findings indicate that a high fraction of T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemias and lymphomas have activating mutations in the Notch 1 receptor, and that Notch signaling might have a role in the maintenance of normal and malignant stem cells.

Genes, Tumor Suppressor↗
PubMed2006

The requirement for Notch signaling at the beta-selection checkpoint in vivo is absolute and independent of the pre-T cell receptor.

Genetic inactivation of Notch signaling in CD4(-)CD8(-) double-negative (DN) thymocytes was previously shown to impair T cell receptor (TCR) gene rearrangement and to cause a partial block in CD4(+)CD8(+) double-positive (DP) thymocyte development in mice. In contrast, in vitro cultures suggested that Notch was absolutely required for the generation of DP thymocytes independent of pre-TCR expression and activity. To resolve the respective role of Notch and the pre-TCR, we inhibited Notch-mediated transcriptional activation in vivo with a green fluorescent protein-tagged dominant-negative Mastermind-like 1 (DNMAML) that allowed us to track single cells incapable of Notch signaling. DNMAML expression in DN cells led to decreased production of DP thymocytes but only to a modest decrease in intracellular TCRbeta expression. DNMAML attenuated the pre-TCR-associated increase in cell size and CD27 expression. TCRbeta or TCRalphabeta transgenes failed to rescue DNMAML-related defects. Intrathymic injections of DNMAML(-) or DNMAML(+) DN thymocytes revealed a complete DN/DP transition block, with production of DNMAML(+) DP thymocytes only from cells undergoing late Notch inactivation. These findings indicate that the Notch requirement during the beta-selection checkpoint in vivo is absolute and independent of the pre-TCR, and it depends on transcriptional activation by Notch via the CSL/RBP-J-MAML complex.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

T-lymphoid, megakaryocyte, and granulocyte development are sensitive to decreases in CBFbeta dosage.

The family of core-binding factors includes the DNA-binding subunits Runx1-3 and their common non-DNA-binding partner CBFbeta. We examined the collective role of core-binding factors in hematopoiesis with a hypomorphic Cbfb allelic series. Reducing CBFbeta levels by 3- or 6-fold caused abnormalities in bone development, megakaryocytes, granulocytes, and T cells. T-cell development was very sensitive to an incremental reduction of CBFbeta levels: mature thymocytes were decreased in number upon a 3-fold reduction in CBFbeta levels, and were virtually absent when CBFbeta levels were 6-fold lower. Partially penetrant consecutive differentiation blocks were found among early T-lineage progenitors within the CD4- CD8- double-negative 1 and downstream double-negative 2 thymocyte subsets. Our data define a critical CBFbeta threshold for normal T-cell development, and situate an essential role for core-binding factors during the earliest stages of T-cell development.

Alleles↗
PubMed2006

Impaired notch signaling promotes de novo squamous cell carcinoma formation.

Signaling through Notch receptors in the skin has been implicated in the differentiation, proliferation, and survival of keratinocytes, as well as in the pathogenesis of basal cell carcinoma (BCC). To determine the composite function of Notch receptor-mediated signaling in the skin and overcome potential redundancies between receptors, conditional transgenic mice were generated that express the pan-Notch inhibitor, dominant-negative Mastermind Like 1 (DNMAML1), to repress all canonical [CBF-1/Suppressor of hairless/LAG-1 (CSL)-dependent] Notch signaling exclusively in the epidermis. Here, we report that DNMAML1 mice display hyperplastic epidermis and spontaneously develop cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) as well as dysplastic precursor lesions, actinic keratoses. Mice expressing epidermal DNMAML1 display enhanced accumulation of nuclear beta-catenin and cyclin D1 in suprabasilar keratinocytes and in lesional cells from SCCs, which was also observed in human cutaneous SCC. These results suggest a model wherein CSL-dependent Notch signaling confers protection against cutaneous SCC. The demonstration that inhibition of canonical Notch signaling in mice leads to spontaneous formation of SCC and recapitulates the disease in humans yields fundamental insights into the pathogenesis of SCC and provides a unique in vivo animal model to examine the pathobiology of cutaneous SCC and for evaluating novel therapies.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

c-Myc is an important direct target of Notch1 in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma.

Human acute T-cell lymphoblastic leukemias and lymphomas (T-ALL) are commonly associated with gain-of-function mutations in Notch1 that contribute to T-ALL induction and maintenance. Starting from an expression-profiling screen, we identified c-myc as a direct target of Notch1 in Notch-dependent T-ALL cell lines, in which Notch accounts for the majority of c-myc expression. In functional assays, inhibitors of c-myc interfere with the progrowth effects of activated Notch1, and enforced expression of c-myc rescues multiple Notch1-dependent T-ALL cell lines from Notch withdrawal. The existence of a Notch1-c-myc signaling axis was bolstered further by experiments using c-myc-dependent murine T-ALL cells, which are rescued from withdrawal of c-myc by retroviral transduction of activated Notch1. This Notch1-mediated rescue is associated with the up-regulation of endogenous murine c-myc and its downstream transcriptional targets, and the acquisition of sensitivity to Notch pathway inhibitors. Additionally, we show that primary murine thymocytes at the DN3 stage of development depend on ligand-induced Notch signaling to maintain c-myc expression. Together, these data implicate c-myc as a developmentally regulated direct downstream target of Notch1 that contributes to the growth of T-ALL cells.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Notch1 promotes survival of E2A-deficient T cell lymphomas through pre-T cell receptor-dependent and -independent mechanisms.

Loss of E2A transcription factor activity or activation of the intracellular form of Notch1 (ICN) leads to the development of leukemia or lymphoma in humans or mice, respectively. Current models propose that ICN functions by suppressing E2A through a pre-T cell receptor (TCR)-dependent mechanism. Here we show that lymphomas arising in E2A(-/-) mice require the activation of Notch1 for their survival and have accumulated mutations in, or near, the Notch1 PEST domain, resulting in increased stability and signaling. In contrast, lymphomas arising in p53(-/-) mice show the activation of Notch1, but no mutations were identified in ICN. The requirement for Notch1 signaling in E2A(-/-) lymphomas cannot be overcome by ectopic expression of pTalpha; however, pTalpha is required for optimal survival and expansion of these cells. Our findings indicate that the activation of Notch1 is an important "second hit" for the transformation of E2A(-/-) T cell lymphomas and that Notch1 promotes survival through pre-TCR-dependent and -independent mechanisms.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

The tumor suppressor menin regulates hematopoiesis and myeloid transformation by influencing Hox gene expression.

Menin is the product of the tumor suppressor gene Men1 that is mutated in the inherited tumor syndrome multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1). Menin has been shown to interact with SET-1 domain-containing histone 3 lysine 4 (H3K4) methyltransferases including mixed lineage leukemia proteins to regulate homeobox (Hox) gene expression in vitro. Using conditional Men1 knockout mice, we have investigated the requirement for menin in hematopoiesis and myeloid transformation. Men1 excision causes reduction of Hoxa9 expression, colony formation by hematopoietic progenitors, and the peripheral white blood cell count. Menin directly activates Hoxa9 expression, at least in part, by binding to the Hoxa9 locus, facilitating methylation of H3K4, and recruiting the methylated H3K4 binding protein chd1 to the locus. Consistent with signaling downstream of menin, ectopic expression of both Hoxa9 and Meis1 rescues colony formation defects in Men1-excised bone marrow. Moreover, Men1 excision also suppresses proliferation of leukemogenic mixed lineage leukemia-AF9 fusion-protein-transformed myeloid cells and Hoxa9 expression. These studies uncover an important role for menin in both normal hematopoiesis and myeloid transformation and provide a mechanistic understanding of menin's function in these processes that may be used for therapy.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Notch-dependent T-lineage commitment occurs at extrathymic sites following bone marrow transplantation.

Early T-lineage progenitors (ETPs) arise after colonization of the thymus by multipotent bone marrow progenitors. ETPs likely serve as physiologic progenitors of T-cell development in adult mice, although alternative T-cell differentiation pathways may exist. While we were investigating mechanisms of T-cell reconstitution after bone marrow transplantation (BMT), we found that efficient donor-derived thymopoiesis occurred before the pool of ETPs had been replenished. Simultaneously, T lineage-restricted progenitors were generated at extrathymic sites, both in the spleen and in peripheral lymph nodes, but not in the bone marrow or liver. The generation of these T lineage-committed cells occurred through a Notch-dependent differentiation process. Multipotent bone marrow progenitors efficiently gave rise to extrathymic T lineage-committed cells, whereas common lymphoid progenitors did not. Our data show plasticity of T-lineage commitment sites in the post-BMT environment and indicate that Notch-driven extrathymic Tlineage commitment from multipotent progenitors may contribute to early T-lineage reconstitution after BMT.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

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

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.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Identification of a conserved negative regulatory sequence that influences the leukemogenic activity of NOTCH1.

NOTCH1 is a large type I transmembrane receptor that regulates normal T-cell development via a signaling pathway that relies on regulated proteolysis. Ligand binding induces proteolytic cleavages in NOTCH1 that release its intracellular domain (ICN1), which translocates to the nucleus and activates target genes by forming a short-lived nuclear complex with two other proteins, the DNA-binding factor CSL and a Mastermind-like (MAML) coactivator. Recent work has shown that human T-ALL is frequently associated with C-terminal NOTCH1 truncations, which uniformly remove sequences lying between residues 2524 and 2556. This region includes the highly conserved sequence WSSSSP (S4), which based on its amino acid content appeared to be a likely site for regulatory serine phosphorylation events. We show here that the mutation of the S4 sequence leads to hypophosphorylation of ICN1; increased NOTCH1 signaling; and the stabilization of complexes containing ICN1, CSL, and MAML1. Consistent with these in vitro studies, mutation of the WSSSSP sequence converts nonleukemogenic weak gain-of-function NOTCH1 alleles into alleles that cause aggressive T-ALLs in a murine bone marrow transplant model. These studies indicate that S4 is an important negative regulatory sequence and that the deletion of S4 likely contributes to the development of human T-ALL.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2005

Notch signaling is an important regulator of type 2 immunity.

Notch ligands and receptors have been implicated in helper T cell (Th cell) differentiation. Whether Notch signals are involved in differentiation of T helper type 1 (Th1) cells, Th2 cells, or both, however, remains unresolved. To clarify the role of Notch in Th cell differentiation, we generated mice that conditionally inactivate Notch signaling in mature T cells. Mice that lack Notch signaling in CD4+ T cells fail to develop a protective Th2 cell response against the gastrointestinal helminth Trichuris muris. In contrast, they exhibit effective Th1 cell responses and are able to control Leishmania major infection. These data demonstrate that Notch signaling is a regulator of type 2 immunity.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Notch signaling is a potent inducer of growth arrest and apoptosis in a wide range of B-cell malignancies.

Although Notch receptor expression on malignant B cells is widespread, the effect of Notch signaling in these cells is poorly understood. To investigate Notch signaling in B-cell malignancy, we assayed the effect of Notch activation in multiple murine and human B-cell tumors, representing both immature and mature subtypes. Expression of constitutively active, truncated forms of the 4 mammalian Notch receptors (ICN1-4) inhibited growth and induced apoptosis in both murine and human B-cell lines but not T-cell lines. Similar results were obtained in human precursor B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia lines when Notch activation was achieved by coculture with fibroblasts expressing the Notch ligands Jagged1 or Jagged2. All 4 truncated Notch receptors, as well as the Jagged ligands, induced Hes1 transcription. Retroviral expression of Hairy/Enhancer of Split-1 (Hes1) recapitulated the Notch effects, suggesting that Hes1 is an important mediator of Notch-induced growth arrest and apoptosis in B cells. Among the B-cell malignancies that were susceptible to Notch-mediated growth inhibition/apoptosis were mature B-cell and therapy-resistant B-cell malignancies, including Hodgkin, myeloma, and mixed-lineage leukemia (MLL)-translocated cell lines. These results suggest that therapies capable of activating Notch/Hes1 signaling may have therapeutic potential in a wide range of human B-cell malignancies.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Notch signaling controls the generation and differentiation of early T lineage progenitors.

Signaling by the transmembrane receptor Notch is critical for T lineage development, but progenitor subsets that first receive Notch signals have not been defined. Here we identify an immature subset of early T lineage progenitors (ETPs) in the thymus that expressed the tyrosine kinase receptor Flt3 and had preserved B lineage potential at low progenitor frequency. Notch signaling was active in ETPs and was required for generation of the ETP population. Additionally, Notch signals contributed to the subsequent differentiation of ETPs. In contrast, multipotent hematopoietic progenitors circulated in the blood even in the absence of Notch signaling, suggesting that critical Notch signals during early T lineage development are delivered early after thymic entry.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Notch signaling represses myocardin-induced smooth muscle cell differentiation.

Notch signaling is essential for vascular patterning and response of the vasculature to injury and growth factor stimulation. Despite these findings, the molecular basis of Notch signaling in the vasculature is poorly understood. Here we report that activation of Notch signaling mediated through members of the HRT family of basic helix-loop-helix transcription factors represses smooth muscle cell (SMC) differentiation and expression of genes encoding smooth muscle cell contractile markers. Activation of Notch receptors by Jagged1 or forced expression of the constitutively active Notch1 intracellular domain in C3H10T1/2 fibroblasts inhibited myocardin-dependent transcription of SMC-restricted genes and activity of multiple SMC-restricted transcriptional regulatory elements. Consistent with these findings, forced expression of HRT2 inhibited myocardin-induced expression of SMC-restricted genes and activity of SMC-restricted transcriptional regulatory elements. Moreover, forced expression of HRT2 repressed transcription of multiple SMC-restricted transcriptional regulatory elements in A10 SMCs. The repressive function of HRT2 was not mediated via the capacity of HRT2 to bind SMC CArG elements or by disruption of myocardin-SRF protein complexes. Structure-function analyses of HRT2 indicated that repression required the basic DNA binding domain and additional C-terminal sequence. Taken together, these results demonstrate that Notch signaling represses myocardin-dependent SMC transcription. These data are consistent with a model wherein Notch signaling represses SMC differentiation and maintenance of the contractile SMC phenotype.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Lasting longer without oxygen: The influence of hypoxia on Notch signaling.

Notch signaling has multiple functions during invertebrate and vertebrate development, where it plays important roles in cell fate determination, proliferation, survival, and border formation. The precise function of Notch signaling is context dependent, and one of the unsolved mysteries of Notch signaling is how a relatively stereotyped signal transduction pathway exerts such a wide variety of context-specific responses. Recent data from Gustaffson et al. provide important new information on this topic by showing that hypoxia enhances Notch signaling due to the association of Notch and HIF-1alpha. This interaction may have important consequences for tumor cell growth.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Regulation of lymphoid development, differentiation, and function by the Notch pathway.

The Notch pathway is gaining increasing recognition as a key regulator of developmental choices, differentiation, and function throughout the hematolymphoid system. Notch controls the generation of hematopoietic stem cells during embryonic development and may affect their subsequent homeostasis. Commitment to the T cell lineage and subsequent stages of early thymopoiesis is critically regulated by Notch. Recent data indicate that Notch can also direct the differentiation and activity of peripheral T and B cells. Thus, the full spectrum of Notch effects is just beginning to be understood. In this review, we discuss this explosion of knowledge as well as current controversies and challenges in the field.

Animals↗