Open AccessHDAC inhibition by SNDX-275 (Entinostat) restores expression of silenced leukemia-associated transcription factors Nur77 and Nor1 and of key pro-apoptotic proteins in AML
Author(s) -
Liran Zhou,
Vivian Ruvolo,
Teresa McQueen,
Wenjing Chen,
Ismael Samudio,
Orla M. Conneely,
Marina Konopleva,
Michael Andreeff
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
leukemia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.539
H-Index - 192
eISSN - 1476-5551
pISSN - 0887-6924
DOI - 10.1038/leu.2012.366
Subject(s) - nerve growth factor ib , cancer research , nuclear receptor , gene silencing , biology , junb , transcription factor , myeloid leukemia , corepressor , leukemia , microbiology and biotechnology , immunology , biochemistry , gene
Nur77 and Nor1 are highly conserved orphan nuclear receptors. We have recently reported that nur77(-/-)nor1(-/-) mice rapidly develop acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and that Nur77 and Nor1 transcripts were universally downregulated in human AML blasts. These findings indicate that Nur77 and Nor1 function as leukemia suppressors. We further demonstrated silencing of Nur77 and Nor1 in leukemia stem cells (LSCs). We here report that inhibition of histone deacetylase (HDAC) using the specific class I HDAC inhibitor SNDX-275 restored the expression of Nur77/Nor1 and induced expression of activator protein 1 transcription factors c-Jun and JunB, and of death receptor TRAIL, in AML cells and in CD34(+)/38(-) AML LSCs. Importantly, SNDX-275 induced extensive apoptosis in AML cells, which could be suppressed by silencing nur77 and nor1. In addition, pro-apoptotic proteins Bim and Noxa were transcriptionally upregulated by SNDX-275 in AML cells and in LSCs. Our present work is the first report of a novel mechanism of HDAC inhibitor-induced apoptosis in AML that involves restoration of the silenced nuclear receptors Nur77 and Nor1, activation of activator protein 1 transcription factors, a death receptor and pro-apoptotic proteins.