PARP1 PARylates and stabilizes STAT5 in FLT3-ITD acute myeloid leukemia and other STAT5-activated cancers

Anna J Dellomo; Rachel Abbotts; Christian L Eberly; Mariusz Karbowski; Maria R Baer; Tami J Kingsbury; Feyruz V Rassool

doi:10.1016/j.tranon.2021.101283

PARP1 PARylates and stabilizes STAT5 in FLT3-ITD acute myeloid leukemia and other STAT5-activated cancers

Transl Oncol. 2022 Jan;15(1):101283. doi: 10.1016/j.tranon.2021.101283. Epub 2021 Nov 19.

Authors

Anna J Dellomo¹, Rachel Abbotts¹, Christian L Eberly², Mariusz Karbowski³, Maria R Baer⁴, Tami J Kingsbury⁵, Feyruz V Rassool⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.
² Center for Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA.
³ Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.
⁴ Department of Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.
⁵ Department of Physiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.
⁶ Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA. Electronic address: frassool@som.umaryland.edu.

Abstract

Signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 (STAT5) signaling plays a pathogenic role in both hematologic malignancies and solid tumors. In acute myeloid leukemia (AML), internal tandem duplications of fms-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3-ITD) constitutively activate the FLT3 receptor, producing aberrant STAT5 signaling, driving cell survival and proliferation. Understanding STAT5 regulation may aid development of new treatment strategies in STAT5-activated cancers including FLT3-ITD AML. Poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP1), upregulated in FLT3-ITD AML, is primarily known as a DNA repair factor, but also regulates a diverse range of proteins through PARylation. Analysis of STAT5 protein sequence revealed putative PARylation sites and we demonstrate a novel PARP1 interaction and direct PARylation of STAT5 in FLT3-ITD AML. Moreover, PARP1 depletion and PARylation inhibition decreased STAT5 protein expression and activity via increased degradation, suggesting that PARP1 PARylation of STAT5 at least in part potentiates aberrant signaling by stabilizing STAT5 protein in FLT3-ITD AML. Importantly for translational significance, PARPis are cytotoxic in numerous STAT5-activated cancer cells and are synergistic with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) in both TKI-sensitive and TKI-resistant FLT3-ITD AML. Therefore, PARPi may have therapeutic benefit in STAT5-activated and therapy-resistant leukemias and solid tumors.

Keywords: PARP inhibition; PARYlation; Post-translational modifications; STAT5 protein stability; TKI-resistant FLT3-ITD AML.

Abstract

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