A long noncoding RNA critically regulates Bcr-Abl-mediated cellular transformation by acting as a competitive endogenous RNA

Oncogene. 2015 Apr 2;34(14):1768-79. doi: 10.1038/onc.2014.131. Epub 2014 May 19.

Abstract

Aberrant expression of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) is associated with various human cancers. However, the role of lncRNAs in Bcr-Abl-mediated chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is unknown. In this study, we performed a comprehensive analysis of lncRNAs in human CML cells using an lncRNA cDNA microarray and identified an lncRNA termed lncRNA-BGL3 that acted as a key regulator of Bcr-Abl-mediated cellular transformation. Notably, we observed that lncRNA-BGL3 was highly induced in response to disruption of Bcr-Abl expression or by inhibiting Bcr-Abl kinase activity in K562 cells and leukemic cells derived from CML patients. Ectopic expression of lncRNA-BGL3 sensitized leukemic cells to undergo apoptosis and inhibited Bcr-Abl-induced tumorigenesis. Furthermore, transgenic (TG) mice expressing lncRNA-BGL3 were generated. We found that TG expression of lncRNA-BGL3 alone in mice was sufficient to impair primary bone marrow transformation by Bcr-Abl. Interestingly, we identified that lncRNA-BGL3 was a target of miR-17, miR-93, miR-20a, miR-20b, miR-106a and miR-106b, microRNAs that repress mRNA of phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN). Further experiments demonstrated that lncRNA-BGL3 functioned as a competitive endogenous RNA for binding these microRNAs to cross-regulate PTEN expression. Additionally, our experiments have begun to address the mechanism of how lncRNA-BGL3 is regulated in the leukemic cells and showed that Bcr-Abl repressed lncRNA-BGL3 expression through c-Myc-dependent DNA methylation. Taken together, these results reveal that Bcr-Abl-mediated cellular transformation critically requires silence of tumor-suppressor lncRNA-BGL3 and suggest a potential strategy for the treatment of Bcr-Abl-positive leukemia.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Apoptosis / drug effects
  • Benzamides / pharmacology
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / genetics*
  • DNA Methylation
  • Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl / biosynthesis
  • Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl / genetics
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Leukemic / drug effects
  • HEK293 Cells
  • Hep G2 Cells
  • Humans
  • Imatinib Mesylate
  • Jurkat Cells
  • K562 Cells
  • Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive / genetics*
  • MCF-7 Cells
  • Mice
  • Mice, Nude
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • MicroRNAs / genetics*
  • Neoplasm Transplantation
  • Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis
  • PTEN Phosphohydrolase / antagonists & inhibitors
  • PTEN Phosphohydrolase / genetics
  • Piperazines / pharmacology
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / pharmacology
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc / genetics
  • Pyrimidines / pharmacology
  • RNA, Long Noncoding / biosynthesis
  • RNA, Long Noncoding / genetics*
  • RNA, Messenger / genetics
  • Transplantation, Heterologous

Substances

  • Benzamides
  • MYC protein, human
  • MicroRNAs
  • Piperazines
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc
  • Pyrimidines
  • RNA, Long Noncoding
  • RNA, Messenger
  • Imatinib Mesylate
  • Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl
  • PTEN Phosphohydrolase
  • PTEN protein, human

Associated data

  • GEO/GSE42269