Enhancer of WT1 Gene Is Essential for Its Transcription in Acute Leukemia and Solid Tumor Cell Lines
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Leukemia (2009) 23, 1270–1277 & 2009 Macmillan Publishers Limited All rights reserved 0887-6924/09 $32.00 www.nature.com/leu ORIGINAL ARTICLE GATA-1 and GATA-2 binding to 30 enhancer of WT1 gene is essential for its transcription in acute leukemia and solid tumor cell lines A Furuhata1, M Murakami1, H Ito1, S Gao1, K Yoshida1, S Sobue2, R Kikuchi3, T Iwasaki3, A Takagi1, T Kojima1, M Suzuki4, A Abe5, T Naoe5 and T Murate1 1Department of Medical Technology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Health Sciences, Nagoya, Japan; 2Department of Pathology, College of Life and Health Sciences, Chubu University, Kasugai, Japan; 3Department of Laboratory Medicine, Nagoya University School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan; 4Division of Molecular Carcinogenesis, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan and 5Department of Hematology and Oncology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan Although oncogenic functions and the clinical significance of WT1 have been well documented, its gene-expression mecha- Wilms tumor 1 (WT1) have been extensively studied in acute nism remains undetermined. leukemia, the regulatory mechanism of its transcription still 13 remains to be determined. We found a significant correlation In the promoter analysis of WT1 gene, Cohen et al. reported among the amounts of WT1, GATA-1 and GATA-2 mRNAs from the importance of Sp1 for mRNA expression, although the leukemia and solid tumor cell lines. Overexpression and small promoter region may not determine the tissue-specific manner interfering RNA (siRNA) transfection experiments of GATA-1 of WT1 expression.13,14 Regarding this point, the 30 enhancer and GATA-2 showed that these GATA transcription factors located 450 kb downstream of the promoter was identified as could induce WT1 expression. Promoter analysis showed that 0 increasing the basal transcription rate of the WT1 promoter in the 5 promoter did not explain the different WT1 mRNA levels 14 15 between cell lines. The 30 enhancer, especially the distal sites the erythroleukemia cell line K562. Subsequently, Wu et al. out of six putative GATA binding sites located within the region, showed that GATA-1 may bind to this enhancer, which is 16 but not the intron 3 enhancer, were essential for the WT1 mRNA reported to be specific in hematopoietic cells. To date, in level. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) showed both addition to Sp1 and GATA-1, PAX2 and PAX8 are also reported GATA-1 and GATA-2 bound to these GATA sites. Besides acute to be the transcription factors that regulate WT1 gene expres- leukemia cell lines, solid tumor cell lines including, TYK-nu-cPr sion.17–20 Dehbi et al.17 reported the binding sites of PAX2 and also showed a high level of WT1 mRNA. We showed that GATA- 0 20 2 expression is a determinant of WT1 mRNA expression in both PAX8 in the 5 promoter of WT1 gene. Zhang et al. indicated TYK-nu-cPr cells and HL60 cells without GATA-1 expression. the importance of the intron 3 enhancer of WT1 gene, which Taken together, these results suggest that GATA-1 and/or was activated by GATA-1 and Myb. GATA-2 binding to a GATA site of the 30 enhancer of WT1 These earlier results suggest that between the cells analyzed, the played an important role in WT1 gene expression. regulation of WT1 gene expression might be complex and Leukemia (2009) 23, 1270–1277; doi:10.1038/leu.2009.13; heterogeneous. Furthermore, it was not clear what the major published online 12 February 2009 determinant of WT1 mRNA level is either in leukemia or in solid Keywords: WT1 message; GATA-1 and 2; 50 promoter; 30 enhancer; EMSA; CHIP assay tumors. Although the GATA family has been shown to play critical roles in erythroid and other hematopoietic lineages,21,22 GATA-1 expression is low in M3, M4 and M5 of acute myelogeneous leukemia,23 in which WT1 expression has been observed. Introduction Therefore, GATA-1 might not be sufficient to maintain full WT1 gene expression. For another transcription factor candidate, we Wilms tumor 1 (WT1) gene was isolated as a tumor suppressor focused on GATA-2, which is presented in cells at the early- gene responsible for Wilm’s tumor, a kidney neoplasm of differentiated stage of hematopoietic lineages. We examined the childhood. The gene product, WT1, represses the transcription relationship between WT1, GATA-1 and GATA-2 mRNA from 20 of growth factors, growth factor receptors and other genes.1–3 leukemia cell lines and 26 acute leukemia bone marrows, as well On the other hand, WT1 has been regarded as an oncogene for as purified stem cell and progenitor cell fractions from two normal leukemia and some solid tumors because high expression levels bone marrows. We also examined solid tumor cell lines with high of WT1 mRNA were observed in these diseases, and in vivo and WT1 expressions. There are no reports describing the regulatory in vitro studies showed the positive roles it plays in cell growth mechanism of WT1 gene expression in these cell lines. and transformation.4–8 WT1 mRNA is reportedly a good clinical On the basis of our results, we discussed the functional marker for disease progression, diagnosis and detection of the relationship between Sp1 and WT1 expression and that between minimal residual diseases of myelodysplastic syndromes and GATA and WT1 expression in leukemia cell lines and several leukemia.9–11 Thus, depending on the cells and situations solid tumor cell lines. expressing WT1, it displays both anti-oncogenic and oncogenic characters.12 Despite the fact that the oncogenic functions of Materials and methods Correspondence: Professor T Murate, Department of Medical Technology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Health Sciences, Daiko-minami, 1-1-20 Higashi-ku, Nagoya, Aichi 461-8673, Japan. Clinical samples and cell lines E-mail: [email protected] After obtaining informed consent, bone marrow cells were Received 28 June 2008; revised 28 November 2008; accepted 19 collected from 23 acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients and December 2008; published online 12 February 2009 three ALL patients without Ph1 chromosome. Normal control GATA-1/2-induced WT1 gene expression through a 30-enhancer GATA site A Furuhata et al 1271 samples were derived from malignant lymphoma patients without plasmid containing various lengths of the 50 promoter and/or bone marrow involvement as described earlier.24,25 Our analysis enhancer region of WT1 gene and 1 mgofb-galactosidase of WT1, GATA-1 and GATA-2 was approved by IRB (approved expression vector (Promega). The lipofectin reagent (Invitrogen, number 99) of the Nagoya University School of Medicine. Some Carlsbad, CA, USA) was used for K562. The calcium precipita- leukemia cell lines were provided by Dr Hirokazu Nagai tion method was used for TYK-nu-cPr and HepG2. Trans (National Hospital Organization, Nagoya Medical Center, IT-Jurkat (Mirus Bio Co., Madison, WI, USA) was used for Jurkat Nagoya, Japan). Solid tumor cell lines with high WT1 mRNA cells. After 48 h, cell lysates were prepared. Luciferase activity levels8 were the generous gifts of Dr Haruo Sugiyama (Osaka was normalized with the b-galactosidase activity. University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan). DNA transfection Quantitative reverse transcriptase-PCR Transfection of the expression vector was carried out using Trans Quantitative reverse transcriptase-PCR was performed as IT-Jurkat, for Jurkat, and the calcium precipitation method for described.24,25 WT1 mRNA was measured using the Light Cycler TYK-nu-cPr cells. GATA-1 and GATA-2 expression vectors were system (Roche Diagnostics, Mannheim, Germany). Each primer obtained from Dr Ritsuko Shimizu (Tsukuba University, Tochigi, set and PCR conditions have been described before.24,25 GATA-1, Japan) and Dr Haruhiko Asano (Chubu University, Kasugai, GATA-2 and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase Aichi, Japan), respectively. GATA-1 cDNA or GATA-2 cDNA (GAPDH) mRNAs were measured with a Power SYBR Green was transferred into pcDNA3.1 vector (Invitrogen). master mix using the ABI PRISM 7000 sequence detection systems (Applied Biosystems Japan Ltd, Tokyo, Japan). After producing first-strand cDNA, quantitative PCR was carried out using the 0 RNA interference following primer sets: GATA-1, forward 5 -CCCAAGAAGCGCCT 5 GATTGT-30; reverse 50-GTGTAGCTTGTAGTAGAGGCCGC-30. K562 cells (5 Â 10 ) were transfected with small interfering RNA GATA-2, forward 50-CGTTCCTGTTCAGAAGGC-30; reverse 50-G (siRNA) (final 100 nM) using Oligofectamine reagent TTCTGCCCATTCATCTTGT-30. GAPDH, forward 50-CAGGAGC (Invitrogen). GATA-1 siRNA (ID no. 3197) and GATA-2 siRNA GAGATCCCTCCAA-30; reverse 50-CCCCCTGCAAATGAGCCC-30. (ID no. 145419) were purchased from Ambion (Austin, TX, PCR conditions were GATA-1, 95 1C for 10 s followed by 56 1Cfor USA). Scrambled siRNA was purchased from Dharmacon (GE 15 s; GATA-2, 95 1C for 10 s followed by 56 1C for 15 s; and Healthcare Sciences, Tokyo, Japan). GAPDH, 95 1C for 10 s followed by 63 1C for 15 s. Forty cycles were used for WT1, GATA-1, GATA-2 and GAPDH. GAPDH was used as the internal control for both clinical samples and cell lines. Electrophoresis mobility shift assay Relative mRNA was calculated as the respective mRNA/GAPDH Nuclear extract was prepared from K562, Jurkat, Daudi, HL-60, mRNA in the log scale. TYK-nu-cPr, Sw480, Az521 and HepG2 cells. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) was performed as described earlier.26 For the supershift experiment, anti-GATA-1 or anti- Western blotting GATA-2 antibody (Santa Cruz Inc.) was added to the nuclear Western blotting of WT1, GATA-1, GATA-2 and Sp1 was carried extract for 30 min at room temperature before mixing with out using the anti-WT1 antibody (clone 6F-H2, Dakocytomation, biotin-labeled probes as described below.