PRL3 enhances T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia growth through suppressing T-cell signaling pathways and apoptosis

Leukemia. 2021 Mar;35(3):679-690. doi: 10.1038/s41375-020-0937-3. Epub 2020 Jun 30.

Abstract

T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is an aggressive malignancy of thymocytes and is largely driven by the NOTCH/MYC pathway. Yet, additional oncogenic drivers are required for transformation. Here, we identify protein tyrosine phosphatase type 4 A3 (PRL3) as a collaborating oncogenic driver in T-ALL. PRL3 is expressed in a large fraction of primary human T-ALLs and is commonly co-amplified with MYC. PRL3 also synergized with MYC to initiate early-onset ALL in transgenic zebrafish and was required for human T-ALL growth and maintenance. Mass-spectrometry phosphoproteomic analysis and mechanistic studies uncovered that PRL3 suppresses downstream T-cell phosphorylation signaling pathways, including those modulated by VAV1, and subsequently suppresses apoptosis in leukemia cells. Taken together, our studies have identified new roles for PRL3 as a collaborating oncogenic driver in human T-ALL and suggest that therapeutic targeting of the PRL3 phosphatase will likely be a useful treatment strategy for T-ALL.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Apoptosis
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / genetics
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / metabolism*
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic*
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred NOD
  • Mice, SCID
  • Neoplasm Proteins / genetics
  • Neoplasm Proteins / metabolism*
  • Precursor T-Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / genetics
  • Precursor T-Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / metabolism
  • Precursor T-Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / pathology*
  • Prognosis
  • Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases / genetics
  • Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases / metabolism*
  • T-Lymphocytes / metabolism
  • T-Lymphocytes / pathology*
  • Tumor Cells, Cultured
  • Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
  • Zebrafish

Substances

  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • Neoplasm Proteins
  • PTP4A3 protein, human
  • Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases