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MYELODYSPLASTIC NEOPLASM

Alternatively spliced CSF3R isoforms in SRSF2 P95H mutated myeloid neoplasms

Leukemia volume 36, pages 2499–2508 (2022)Cite this article

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Abstract

Alternatively spliced colony stimulating factor 3 receptor (CSF3R) isoforms Class III and Class IV are observed in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), but their roles in disease remain unclear. We report that the MDS-associated splicing factor SRSF2 affects the expression of Class III and Class IV isoforms and perturbs granulopoiesis. Add-back of the Class IV isoform in Csf3r-null mouse progenitor cells increased granulocyte progenitors with impaired neutrophil differentiation, while add-back of the Class III produced dysmorphic neutrophils in fewer numbers. These CSF3R isoforms were elevated in patients with myeloid neoplasms harboring SRSF2 mutations. Using in vitro splicing assays, we confirmed increased Class III and Class IV transcripts when SRSF2 P95 mutations were co-expressed with the CSF3R minigene in K562 cells. Since SRSF2 regulates splicing partly by recognizing exonic splicing enhancer (ESE) sequences on pre-mRNA, deletion of either ESE motifs within CSF3R exon 17 decreased Class IV transcript levels without affecting Class III. CD34+ cells expressing SRSF2 P95H showed impaired neutrophil differentiation in response to G-CSF and was accompanied by increased levels of Class IV. Our findings suggest that SRSF2 P95H promotes Class IV splicing by binding to key ESE sequences in CSF3R exon 17, and that SRSF2, when mutated, contributes to dysgranulopoiesis.

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Fig. 1: Comparison of CSF3R isoforms and their contributions to colony growth.
Fig. 2: CSF3R minigene splicing assay with MDS-related splicing factors.
Fig. 3: Correlation of CSF3R Class III and IV expression with recurrent mutations of splicing factors found in myeloid neoplasia.
Fig. 4: SRSF2 P95 mutations increase Class III and Class IV splicing.
Fig. 5: Splicing assay with ESE deletions in CSF3R minigene.
Fig. 6: Differentiation of CD34+ cells with expression of WT or mutant SRSF2.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by DOD Bone Marrow Failure Grant W81XWH-15-1-0153 (SJC), NIH R01-HL128173 (SJC, MK), and VeloSano Award (HMM). MK was supported by the National Science Centre (Poland) grant 2018/29/B/ST7/02550. Department of Systems Biology and Engineering, Silesian University of Technology, Poland. Juan Sabín, co-founder of Affinimeter, assisted the authors in curve fitting the ITC data. The data set used from Hershberger et al. [32] was supported by funds from “Torsten Haferlach Leukämiediagnostik Stiftung” (https://www.torsten-haferlach-leukaemiediagnostik-stiftung.de/en/).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA

    Borwyn A. Wang

  2. Departments of Pediatrics and Cancer Biology, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA

    Hrishikesh M. Mehta & Seth J. Corey

  3. Department of Chemistry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA

    Srinivasa R. Penumutchu & Blanton S. Tolbert

  4. Department of Molecular and Human Genetics and Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA

    Chonghui Cheng

  5. Departments of Statistics and Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA

    Marek Kimmel

  6. Department of Systems Biology and Engineering, Silesian University of Technology, Gliwice, Poland

    Marek Kimmel

  7. Munich Leukemia Laboratory, Munich, Germany

    Torsten Haferlach

  8. Department of Translational Hematology and Oncology Research, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA

    Jaroslaw P. Maciejewski

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Contributions

Design of experiments (BAW, HMM, SRP, CC, BST, SJC), the performance of experiments (BAW, HMM, SRP, TH), analysis of data (BAW, HMM, SRP, BST, MK, JPM, SJC), and writing of manuscript (BAW, SJC).

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Correspondence to Seth J. Corey.

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TH serves on the management board of the Munich Leukemia Laboratory. All of the other authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Wang, B.A., Mehta, H.M., Penumutchu, S.R. et al. Alternatively spliced CSF3R isoforms in SRSF2 P95H mutated myeloid neoplasms. Leukemia 36, 2499–2508 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41375-022-01672-4

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