Integrative genomic and gene-expression analyses have identified amplified onco-genes in B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL), but the capability of such technologies to localize tumor suppressor genes within homozygous deletions remains unexplored. Array-based comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) and gene-expression microarray analysis of 48 cell lines derived from patients with different B-NHLs delineated 20 homozy-gous deletions at 7 chromosome areas, all of which contained tumor suppressor gene targets. Further investigation revealed that only a fraction of primary biopsies presented inactivation of these genes by point mutation or intragenic deletion, but instead some of them were frequently silenced by epigenetic mechanisms. Notably, the pattern of genetic and epigenetic inactivation differed among B-NHL subtypes. Thus, the P53-inducible PIG7/LITAF was silenced by homozygous deletion in primary mediastinal B-cell lym-phoma and by promoter hypermethyl-ation in germinal center lymphoma, the proapoptotic BIM gene presented ho-mozygous deletion in mantle cell lym-phoma and promoter hypermethylation in Burkitt lymphoma, the proapoptotic BH3-only NOXA was mutated and preferentially silenced in diffuse large B-cell lym-phoma, and INK4c/P18 was silenced by biallelic mutation in mantle-cell lym-phoma. Our microarray strategy has identified novel candidate tumor suppressor genes inactivated by genetic and epige-netic mechanisms that substantially vary among the B-NHL subtypes. (Blood. 2007; 109:271-280)

Key Points• Acquired selective mutations in Bcl2 and BAX conferred resistance to in experimental models of lymphoma.• Monitoring the potential development of such mutations in patients treated with ABT-199 is advised.Acquired resistance to targeted drugs is emerging as an obstacle to successful cancer treatment. Recently, a BCL2-selective BH3 mimetic termed ABT-199 showed promising therapeutic results in BCL2-dependent tumors. Based on its high affinity for BCL2, we studied potential mechanisms conferring resistance upon ABT-199 therapy, aiming to anticipate its occurrence in the clinic. Two models of resistant lymphomas were established by continuous ABT-199 exposure. In resistant Bcl2-expressing mouse lymphoma cells, 2 missense mutations within the Bcl2 BH3 domain were identified. Both F101C and F101L mutations impeded binding to the BH3 domain, therefore suppressing mitochondrial apoptosis. In resistant human lymphoma cells, a missense mutation in the C-terminal transmembrane domain of proapoptotic BAX (G179E) was found, which abrogated BAX anchoring to mitochondria and blocked ABT-199-induced apoptosis both in vitro and in vivo. Importantly, G179E BAX mutation also induced partial cross-resistance to other antineoplastic drugs. Our study reveals the acquisition of mutations in BCL2 family proteins as a novel mechanism of apoptosis resistance in cancer. These results anticipate the potential development of such mutations in patients treated with , providing a basis to preventing their occurrence and to designing drugs able to circumvent the acquired resistance. (Blood. 2014;123(26):4111-4119) IntroductionThe BCL2 family of proteins, which comprise prosurvival members such as BCL2, BCL-XL, BCL-W, MCL1, and BFL1, proapoptotic BH3-only proteins such as BIM and BAD, and the proapoptotic final effectors BAK and BAX, are critical regulators of the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway. [1][2][3] The development of drugs that inhibit the interaction between antiapoptotic BCL2 family members and BH3-only proteins is having a major impact on cancer therapy. [4][5][6][7] Among them, the BH3 mimetic ABT-737 was highly effective by inducing apoptosis through BCL2, BCL-XL, and BCL-W targeting in solid tumors and hematologic malignancies overexpressing BCL2. 8 Its efficacy, however, was largely diminished in tumors expressing high levels of MCL1, BFL1 and BCL-XL, or in cancer cells lacking BAK and BAX. [9][10][11] Despite the promising preclinical therapeutic efficacy of ABT-263, which is the orally available analog of ABT-737, phase II clinical trials showed a rapid, dose-dependent thrombocytopenia due to the inhibition of BCL-XL, limiting the ability to achieve drug concentrations at an efficacious range in cancer patients.12-14 By reengineering of ABT-263, a potent and high-affinity BCL2-selective BH3 mimetic with low avidity for BCL-XL, termed ABT-199, has been developed. 15 In vitro, ABT-199 inhibited the growth of BCL2-expressing leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma cell lines more effectively than ABT-737. 15 Additionally, a...

In Burkitt lymphoma/leukemia (BL), achievement of complete remission with first-line chemotherapy remains a challenging issue, as most patients who respond remain disease-free, whereas those refractory have few options of being rescued with salvage therapies. The mechanisms underlying BL chemoresistance and how it can be circumvented remain undetermined. We previously reported the frequent inactivation of the proapoptotic BIM gene in B-cell lymphomas. Here we show that BIM epigenetic silencing by concurrent promoter hypermethylation and deacetylation occurs frequently in primary BL samples and BL-derived cell lines. Remarkably, patients with BL with hypermethylated BIM presented lower complete remission rate (24% vs 79%; P ‫؍‬ .002) and shorter overall survival (P ‫؍‬ .007) than those with BIM-expressing lymphomas, indicating that BIM transcriptional repression may mediate tumor chemoresistance. Accordingly, by combining in vitro and in vivo studies of human BL-xenografts grown in immunodeficient RAG2 ؊/؊ ␥c ؊/؊ mice and of murine B220 ؉ IgM ؉ B-cell lymphomas generated in E-MYC and E-MYC-BIM ؉/؊ transgenes, we demonstrate that lymphoma chemoresistance is dictated by BIM gene dosage and is reversible on BIM reactivation by genetic manipulation or after treatment with histone-deacetylase inhibitors. We suggest that the combination of histone-deacetylase inhibitors and high-dose chemotherapy may overcome chemoresistance, achieve durable remission, and improve survival of patients with BL. (Blood. 2010;116(14):2531-2542)

Isoaspartyl dipeptidase (IAD) is a member of the amidohydrolase superfamily and catalyzes the hydrolytic cleavage of beta-aspartyl dipeptides. Structural studies of the wild-type enzyme have demonstrated that the active site consists of a binuclear metal center positioned at the C-terminal end of a (beta/alpha)(8)-barrel domain. Steady-state kinetic parameters for the hydrolysis of beta-aspartyl dipeptides were obtained at pH 8.1. The pH-rate profiles for the hydrolysis of beta-Asp-Leu were obtained for the Zn/Zn-, Co/Co-, Ni/Ni-, and Cd/Cd-substituted forms of IAD. Bell-shaped profiles were observed for k(cat) and k(cat)/K(m) as a function of pH for all four metal-substituted forms. The pK(a) of the group that must be unprotonated for catalytic activity varied according to the specific metal ion bound in the active site, whereas the pK(a) of the group that must be protonated for catalytic activity was relatively independent of the specific metal ion present. The identity of the group that must be unprotonated for catalytic activity was consistent with the hydroxide that bridges the two divalent cations of the binuclear metal center. The identity of the group that must be protonated for activity was consistent with the free alpha-amino group of the dipeptide substrate. Kinetic constants were obtained for the mutant enzymes at conserved residues Glu77, Tyr137, Arg169, Arg233, Asp285, and Ser289. The catalytic properties of the wild-type and mutant enzymes, coupled with the X-ray crystal structure of the D285N mutant complexed with beta-Asp-His, are consistent with a chemical reaction mechanism for the hydrolysis of dipeptides that is initiated by the polarization of the amide bond via complexation to the beta-metal ion of the binuclear metal center. Nucleophilic attack by the bridging hydroxide is facilitated by abstraction of its proton by the side chain carboxylate of Asp285. Collapse of the tetrahedral intermediate and cleavage of the carbon-nitrogen bond occur with donation of a proton from the protonated form of Asp285.

Key Points• FOXP1 is downregulated in germinal centers, inversely to BCL6, whereby it regulates a network of genes, half of which are also BCL6 targets.• In transgenic mice, constitutive FOXP1 expression impairs GC formation and function, which might contribute to B-cell lymphomagenesis.B-cell maturation and germinal center (GC) formation are dependent on the interplay between BCL6 and other transcriptional regulators. FOXP1 is a transcription factor that regulates early B-cell development, but whether it plays a role in mature B cells is unknown. Analysis of human tonsillar B-cell subpopulations revealed that FOXP1 shows the opposite expression pattern to BCL6, suggesting that FOXP1 regulates the transition from resting follicular B cell to activated GC B cell. Chromatin immunoprecipitation-on-chip and gene expression assays on B cells indicated that FOXP1 acts as a transcriptional activator and repressor of genes involved in the GC reaction, half of which are also BCL6 targets. To study FOXP1 function in vivo, we developed transgenic mice expressing human FOXP1 in lymphoid cells. These mice exhibited irregular formation of splenic GCs, showing a modest increase in naïve and marginalzone B cells and a significant decrease in GC B cells. Furthermore, aberrant expression of FOXP1 impaired transcription of noncoding g1 germline transcripts and inhibited efficient class switching to the immunoglobulin G1 isotype. These studies show that FOXP1 is physiologically downregulated in GC B cells and that aberrant expression of FOXP1 impairs mechanisms triggered by Bcell activation, potentially contributing to B-cell lymphomagenesis. (Blood. 2013;121(21):4311-4320)

Patients with multiple myeloma (MM) carrying high-risk cytogenetic abnormalities (CA) have inferior outcome despite achieving similar complete response (CR) rates when compared to cases with standard-risk CA. This questions the legitimacy of CR as treatment endpoint for high-risk MM, and represents a biological conundrum regarding the nature of tumor reservoirs persisting after therapy in patients with standard- and high-risk CA. Here, we used next-generation flow (NGF) to evaluate measurable residual disease (MRD) in MM patients with standard- (N=300) vs high-risk CA (N=90) enrolled in the PETHEMA/GEM2012MENOS65 trial (NCT01916252), and to identify mechanisms determining MRD resistance in both patient subgroups (N=40). The 36-month progression-free and overall survival rates were higher than 90% in patients with undetectable MRD, with no significant differences (P≥0.202) between cases having standard- vs high-risk CA. Persistent MRD resulted in median progression-free survival of approximately three and two years in patients with standard- and high-risk CA, respectively (P<0.001). Further use of NGF to isolate MRD followed by whole-exome sequencing of paired diagnostic and MRD tumor cells, revealed greater clonal selection in patients with standard-risk CA, higher genomic instability with acquisition of new mutations in high-risk MM, and no unifying lost or acquired genetic abnormalities driving MRD resistance. Conversely, RNA sequencing of diagnostic and MRD tumor cells uncovered the selection of MRD clones with singular transcriptional programs and ROS-mediated MRD resistance in high-risk MM. Our study supports undetectable MRD as treatment endpoint for MM patients with high-risk CA and proposes characterizing MRD clones to understand and overcome MRD resistance.

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The chromosomal translocation t(11;14)(q13;q32) leading to cyclin-D1 overexpression plays an essential role in the development of mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), an aggressive tumor that remains incurable with current treatment strategies. Cyclin-D1 has been postulated as an effective therapeutic target, but the evaluation of this target has been hampered by our incomplete understanding of its oncogenic functions and by the lack of valid MCL murine models. To address these issues, we generated a cyclin-D1-driven mouse model in which cyclin-D1 expression can be regulated externally. These mice developed cyclin-D1-expressing lymphomas capable of recapitulating features of human MCL. We found that cyclin-D1 inactivation was not sufficient to induce lymphoma regression in vivo; however, using a combination of in vitro and in vivo assays, we identified a novel prosurvival cyclin-D1 function in MCL cells. Specifically, we found that cyclin-D1, besides increasing cell proliferation through deregulation of the cell cycle at the G 1 -S transition, sequestrates the proapoptotic protein BAX in the cytoplasm, thereby favoring BCL2's antiapoptotic function. Accordingly, cyclin-D1 inhibition sensitized the lymphoma cells to apoptosis through BAX release. Thus, genetic or pharmacologic targeting of cyclin-D1 combined with a proapoptotic BH3 mimetic synergistically killed the cyclin-D1-expressing murine lymphomas, human MCL cell lines, and primary lymphoma cells. Our study identifies a role of cyclin-D1 in deregulating apoptosis in MCL cells, and highlights the potential benefit of simultaneously targeting cyclin-D1 and survival pathways in patients with MCL. This effective combination therapy also might be exploited in other cyclin-D1-expressing tumors.antle cell lymphoma (MCL) is a distinct lymphoma entity that accounts for ∼6-8% of all cases of lymphoma (1, 2). MCL is thought to be derived from naïve pregerminal center B lymphocytes localized in primary follicles or in the mantle region of secondary follicles, and thus most tumors do not show somatic hypermutation of the Ig heavy-chain coding (IGH) genes. Cytologically, two major MCL subsets can be distinguished, the classical and blastoid/pleomorphic variants, which share a characteristic CD19 + CD5 + CD23 − immunophenotype (2). Almost all MCL cases show the chromosomal translocation t(11;14)(q13;q32), which juxtaposes the CCND1 gene with IGH gene enhancers and causes overexpression of the cyclin-D1 protein. The best-known function ascribed to cyclin-D1 is in positive regulation of cell cycling. In MCL cells, constitutive cyclin-D1 activation maintains retinoblastoma (RB) protein in a phosphorylated state and promotes cell proliferation, thus likely initiating tumorigenesis (3). However, whether cyclin-D1 has additional oncogenic functions in the lymphoma cells has not been well addressed. In B lymphocytes, cyclin-D1 deregulation seems insufficient to induce neoplastic transformation, given that other genetic changes are required for the development of malignancy (3, 4). Numero...