Dose‐dependent expression of GFI1 alters metabolism in the haematopoietic progenitors and MLL::AF9‐induced leukaemic cells

Abstract

SummaryGrowth factor independence 1 (GFI1) is a transcriptional repressor protein that plays an essential role in the differentiation of myeloid and lymphoid progenitors. We and other groups have shown that GFI1 has a dose‐dependent role in the initiation, progression, and prognosis of acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) patients by inducing epigenetic changes. We now demonstrate a novel role for dose‐dependent GFI1 expression in regulating metabolism in haematopoietic progenitor and leukaemic cells. Using in‐vitro and ex‐vivo murine models of MLL::AF9‐induced human AML and extra‐cellular flux assays, we now demonstrate that a lower GFI1 expression enhances oxidative phosphorylation rate via upregulation of the FOXO1‐ MYC axis. Our findings underscore the significance of therapeutic exploitation in GFI1‐low‐expressing leukaemia cells by targeting oxidative phosphorylation and glutamine metabolism.