Mll partial tandem duplication and Flt3 internal tandem duplication in a double knock-in mouse recapitulates features of counterpart human acute myeloid leukemias

Blood. 2012 Aug 2;120(5):1130-6. doi: 10.1182/blood-2012-03-415067. Epub 2012 Jun 6.

Abstract

The MLL-partial tandem duplication (PTD) associates with high-risk cytogenetically normal acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Concurrent presence of FLT3-internal tandem duplication (ITD) is observed in 25% of patients with MLL-PTD AML. However, mice expressing either Mll-PTD or Flt3-ITD do not develop AML, suggesting that 2 mutations are necessary for the AML phenotype. Thus, we generated a mouse expressing both Mll-PTD and Flt3-ITD. Mll(PTD/WT):Flt3(ITD/WT) mice developed acute leukemia with 100% penetrance, at a median of 49 weeks. As in human MLL-PTD and/or the FLT3-ITD AML, mouse blasts exhibited normal cytogenetics, decreased Mll-WT-to-Mll-PTD ratio, loss of the Flt3-WT allele, and increased total Flt3. Highlighting the adverse impact of FLT3-ITD dosage on patient survival, mice with homozygous Flt3-ITD alleles, Mll(PTD/WT):Flt3(ITD/ITD), demonstrated a nearly 30-week reduction in latency to overt AML. Here we demonstrate, for the first time, that Mll-PTD contributes to leukemogenesis as a gain-of-function mutation and describe a novel murine model closely recapitulating human AML.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / genetics
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Gene Duplication / physiology*
  • Gene Knock-In Techniques*
  • Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase
  • Humans
  • Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / genetics*
  • Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / pathology
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Myeloid-Lymphoid Leukemia Protein / genetics*
  • Tandem Repeat Sequences / genetics
  • fms-Like Tyrosine Kinase 3 / genetics*

Substances

  • KMT2A protein, human
  • Myeloid-Lymphoid Leukemia Protein
  • Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase
  • FLT3 protein, human
  • fms-Like Tyrosine Kinase 3