RNA sequencing expression analysis of murine Tet-off MLL-AF9;NRAS acute myeloid leukemia cells over-expressing Id2 and upon MLL-AF9 withdrawal

We investigated the role of the transcriptional regulator Id2 in the context of MLL-rearranged acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Using an AML mouse model driven by tet-regulated MLL-AF9 co-expressed with oncogenic NRASG12D (Tet-off MLL-AF9), we demonstrated that MLL-AF9 regulates the E protein pathway by suppressing Id2, while activating the expression of its target E2-2. Moreover, we found that Id2 over-expression in Tet-Off MLL-AF9 AML cells in vitro partially phenocopies MLL-AF9 depletion and results inhibition of leukemia growth, loss of leukemia stem cell-associated gene expression pattern and induction of differentiation. To compare gene expression changes associated with enforced Id2 expression and MLL-AF9 withdrawal, RNA sequencing analysis was performed on Tet-off MLL-AF9 cells transduced with an Id2 over-expressing or a control vector, or upon MLL-AF9 dox-inducible knock-down. Overall design: Primary AMLs driven by Tet-off inducible MLL/AF9 expression linked to dsRED reporter, in association with oncogenic NRASG12D (Tet-off MLL-AF9) were generated by reconstituting lethally irradiated congenic mice with foetal liver cells co-transduced with a Tet-Off-MLL-AF9-dRED retroviral vector and a second vector co-expressing NRASG12D together with the Tet-Off responsive transcriptional activator. RNA sequencing analysis sequencing analysis was performed on Tet-Off MLL-AF9/dsRED+ AML cells treated in vitro with doxycycline (DOX) for 4 days to inactivate MLL-AF9 expression or left untreated (UT). For the Id2 over-expression experiment, Tet-Off MLL-AF9/dsRED+ AML cells were transduced in vitro with an Id2-GFP or a control-GFP retroviral vector. Viable GFP-positive cells were FACS-sorted 2 days after transduction and used for RNA sequencing analysis.

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Ghisi M, Kats L, Masson F, Li J, Kratina T, Vidacs E, Gilan O, Doyle MA, Newbold A, Bolden JE, Fairfax KA, de Graaf CA, Firth M, Zuber J, Dickins RA, Corcoran LM, Dawson MA, Belz GT, Johnstone RW