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The serine-threonine kinase MNK1 is post-translationally stabilized by PML-RARα and regulates differentiation of hematopoietic cells

Abstract

Microarray analyses were performed to identify target genes that are shared by the acute myeloid leukemia (AML) translocation products PML-RARα, PLZF-RARα and AML1-ETO in inducibly transfected U937 cell lines. The cytoplasmic serine and threonine kinase MNK1 was identified as one of the target genes. At the protein level, MNK1 was significantly induced by each of the three fusion proteins. Protein half-life analyses showed that PML-RARα enhanced MNK1 protein stability in U937 cells and ATRA exposure decreased MNK1 half-life in NB4 cells. EIF4E, the main MNK1 substrate, plays a role in the pathogenesis of a variety of cancers. Upon MNK1 overexpression, eIF4E phosphorylation increased as a sign of functional activation. Interestingly, MNK1 protein expression decreased during myeloid differentiation. Inhibition of MNK1 activity by a specific inhibitor (CGP57380) enhanced differentiation of HL60 and 32D cells, further suggesting a role for MNK1 in the myeloid differentiation. In addition, kinase dead mutants of MNK1 significantly impaired proliferation of 32D cells. Immunohistochemistry of primary AML bone marrow biopsies showed strong cytoplasmic MNK1 expression in 25 of 99 AML specimens (25%). MNK1 expression was associated with high levels of c-myc expression. Taken together, we identified MNK1 as a target gene of several leukemogenic fusion proteins in AML. MNK1 plays a role in myeloid differentiation. These data suggest a role for MNK1 in the AML fusion protein-associated differentiation block.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Marion Baas for excellent technical assistance, to Dr Dong-Er Zhang for tetracycline inducible U937-AML1-ETO cells, to Dr Hermann Gram (Novartis, Basel) for helpful comments, plasmids and the MNK1/2 inhibitor and to Annette Becker for carefully reading the manuscript. This work is supported by grants from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (Mu 1328/2-3, Se 600/2-4, Mu 1328/3-7, SFB 293-A15), the José-Carreras Leukemia Foundation (R03/19f) and the IZKF (Ser2/041/04; Mu 12/096/04) at the University of Münster.

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Correspondence to Carsten Müller-Tidow.

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Worch, J., Tickenbrock, L., Schwäble, J. et al. The serine-threonine kinase MNK1 is post-translationally stabilized by PML-RARα and regulates differentiation of hematopoietic cells. Oncogene 23, 9162–9172 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.onc.1208164

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