Repression of tumor suppressor miR-451 is essential for NOTCH1-induced oncogenesis in T-ALL

J Exp Med. 2011 Apr 11;208(4):663-75. doi: 10.1084/jem.20102384. Epub 2011 Apr 4.

Abstract

The NOTCH1 signaling pathway is a critical determinant of cell fate decisions and drives oncogenesis through mechanisms that are incompletely understood. Using an established mouse model of T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL), here we report that induction of intracellular Notch1 (ICN1) leads to repression of miR-451 and miR-709. ICN1 decreases expression of these miRNAs by inducing degradation of the E2a tumor suppressor, which transcriptionally activates the genes encoding miR-451 and miR-709. Both miR-451 and miR-709 directly repress Myc expression. In addition, miR-709 directly represses expression of the Akt and Ras-GRF1 oncogenes. We also show that repression of miR-451 and miR-709 expression is required for initiation and maintenance of mouse T-ALL. miR-451 but not miR-709 is conserved in humans, and human T-ALLs with activating NOTCH1 mutations have decreased miR-451 and increased MYC levels compared with T-ALLs with wild-type NOTCH1. Thus, miR-451 and miR-709 function as potent suppressors of oncogenesis in NOTCH1-induced mouse T-ALL, and miR-451 influences MYC expression in human T-ALL bearing NOTCH1 mutations.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Base Sequence
  • Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors / physiology
  • Genes, myc
  • Genes, ras
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • MicroRNAs / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • MicroRNAs / physiology*
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Precursor T-Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / etiology*
  • Precursor T-Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / genetics
  • Receptor, Notch1 / physiology*

Substances

  • Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors
  • MIRN451 microRNA, human
  • MicroRNAs
  • Mirn451 microRNA, mouse
  • NOTCH1 protein, human
  • Notch1 protein, mouse
  • Receptor, Notch1
  • Tcf3 protein, mouse
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt