Specific small nucleolar RNA expression profiles in acute leukemia

Leukemia. 2012 Sep;26(9):2052-60. doi: 10.1038/leu.2012.111. Epub 2012 Apr 23.

Abstract

Apart from microRNAs, little is known about the regulation of expression of non-coding RNAs in cancer. We investigated whether small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) accumulation displayed specific signatures in acute myeloblastic and acute lymphoblastic leukemias. Using microarrays and high-throughput quantitative PCR (qPCR), we demonstrate here that snoRNA expression patterns are negatively altered in leukemic cells compared with controls. Interestingly, a specific signature was found in acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) with ectopic expression of SNORD112-114 snoRNAs located at the DLK1-DIO3 locus. In vitro experiments carried out on APL blasts demonstrate that transcription of these snoRNAs was lost under all-trans retinoic acid-mediated differentiation and induced by enforced expression of the PML-RARalpha fusion protein in negative leukemic cell lines. Further experiments revealed that the SNORD114-1 (14q(II-1)) variant promoted cell growth through cell cycle modulation; its expression was implicated in the G0/G1 to S phase transition mediated by the Rb/p16 pathways. This study thus reports three important observations: (1) snoRNA regulation is different in normal cells compared with cancer cells; (2) a relationship exists between a chromosomal translocation and expression of snoRNA loci; and (3) snoRNA expression can affect Rb/p16 cell cycle regulation. Taken together, these data strongly suggest that snoRNAs have a role in cancer development.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Biomarkers, Tumor / genetics*
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / metabolism
  • Blast Crisis
  • Blotting, Western
  • Calcium-Binding Proteins
  • Cell Cycle
  • Cell Differentiation
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Gene Expression Profiling*
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
  • Humans
  • Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / genetics
  • Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / metabolism
  • Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / genetics*
  • Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / metabolism
  • Leukemia, Promyelocytic, Acute / genetics*
  • Leukemia, Promyelocytic, Acute / metabolism
  • Membrane Proteins / genetics
  • Membrane Proteins / metabolism
  • Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis
  • Oncogene Proteins, Fusion / genetics
  • Oncogene Proteins, Fusion / metabolism
  • RNA, Messenger / genetics
  • RNA, Small Nucleolar / genetics*
  • RNA, Small Nucleolar / metabolism
  • Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Tumor Cells, Cultured

Substances

  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • Calcium-Binding Proteins
  • DLK1 protein, human
  • Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Oncogene Proteins, Fusion
  • RNA, Messenger
  • RNA, Small Nucleolar
  • promyelocytic leukemia-retinoic acid receptor alpha fusion oncoprotein