CUTLL1, a novel human T-cell lymphoma cell line with t(7;9) rearrangement, aberrant NOTCH1 activation and high sensitivity to gamma-secretase inhibitors

Leukemia. 2006 Jul;20(7):1279-87. doi: 10.1038/sj.leu.2404258. Epub 2006 May 11.

Abstract

Activating mutations in NOTCH1 are present in over 50% of human T-cell lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) samples and inhibition of NOTCH1 signaling with gamma-secretase inhibitors (GSI) has emerged as a potential therapeutic strategy for the treatment of this disease. Here, we report a new human T-cell lymphoma line CUTLL1, which expresses high levels of activated NOTCH1 and is extremely sensitive to gamma-secretase inhibitors treatment. CUTLL1 cells harbor a t(7;9)(q34;q34) translocation which induces the expression of a TCRB-NOTCH1 fusion transcript encoding a membrane-bound truncated form of the NOTCH1 receptor. GSI treatment of CUTLL1 cells blocked NOTCH1 processing and caused rapid clearance of activated intracellular NOTCH1. Loss of NOTCH1 activity induced a gene expression signature characterized by the downregulation of NOTCH1 target genes such as HES1 and NOTCH3. In contrast with most human T-ALL cell lines with activating mutations in NOTCH1, CUTLL1 cells showed a robust cellular phenotype upon GSI treatment characterized by G1 cell cycle arrest and increased apoptosis. These results show that the CUTLL1 cell line has a strong dependence on NOTCH1 signaling for proliferation and survival and supports that T-ALL patients whose tumors harbor t(7;9) should be included in clinical trials testing the therapeutic efficacy NOTCH1 inhibition with GSIs.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases / metabolism
  • Cell Differentiation
  • Cell Line, Tumor / cytology*
  • Cell Line, Tumor / physiology
  • Child
  • Chromosomes, Human, Pair 7
  • Chromosomes, Human, Pair 9
  • Enzyme Inhibitors / pharmacology
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Leukemic
  • Gene Rearrangement, T-Lymphocyte / genetics*
  • Genes, Tumor Suppressor / physiology
  • Humans
  • Leukemia-Lymphoma, Adult T-Cell / drug therapy
  • Leukemia-Lymphoma, Adult T-Cell / genetics
  • Leukemia-Lymphoma, Adult T-Cell / pathology*
  • Receptor, Notch1 / genetics*
  • Receptor, Notch1 / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction
  • Translocation, Genetic

Substances

  • Enzyme Inhibitors
  • NOTCH1 protein, human
  • Receptor, Notch1
  • Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases