Critical roles for mTORC2- and rapamycin-insensitive mTORC1-complexes in growth and survival of BCR-ABL-expressing leukemic cells

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2010 Jul 13;107(28):12469-74. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1005114107. Epub 2010 Jun 28.

Abstract

mTOR-generated signals play critical roles in growth of leukemic cells by controlling mRNA translation of genes that promote mitogenic responses. Despite extensive work on the functional relevance of rapamycin-sensitive mTORC1 complexes, much less is known on the roles of rapamycin-insensitive (RI) complexes, including mTORC2 and RI-mTORC1, in BCR-ABL-leukemogenesis. We provide evidence for the presence of mTORC2 complexes in BCR-ABL-transformed cells and identify phosphorylation of 4E-BP1 on Thr37/46 and Ser65 as RI-mTORC1 signals in primary chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) cells. Our studies establish that a unique dual mTORC2/mTORC1 inhibitor, OSI-027, induces potent suppressive effects on primitive leukemic progenitors from CML patients and generates antileukemic responses in cells expressing the T315I-BCR-ABL mutation, which is refractory to all BCR-ABL kinase inhibitors currently in clinical use. Induction of apoptosis by OSI-027 appears to negatively correlate with induction of autophagy in some types of BCR-ABL transformed cells, as shown by the induction of autophagy during OSI-027-treatment and the potentiation of apoptosis by concomitant inhibition of such autophagy. Altogether, our studies establish critical roles for mTORC2 and RI-mTORC1 complexes in survival and growth of BCR-ABL cells and suggest that dual therapeutic targeting of such complexes may provide an approach to overcome leukemic cell resistance in CML and Ph+ ALL.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

  • Apoptosis / drug effects
  • Apoptosis / genetics
  • Cellular Structures / metabolism
  • Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl / genetics
  • Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / genetics
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / pharmacology
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / therapeutic use
  • Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive / drug therapy*
  • Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive / genetics
  • Mutation / drug effects
  • Phosphorylation / drug effects
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / pharmacology
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / therapeutic use
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / genetics
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / pharmacology
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / therapeutic use
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects*
  • Signal Transduction / genetics
  • Sirolimus / pharmacology
  • Sirolimus / therapeutic use
  • TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases

Substances

  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors
  • MTOR protein, human
  • Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases
  • TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases
  • Sirolimus