Aiolos collaborates with Blimp-1 to regulate the survival of multiple myeloma cells

Cell Death Differ. 2016 Jul;23(7):1175-84. doi: 10.1038/cdd.2015.167. Epub 2016 Jan 29.

Abstract

The transcriptional repressor B lymphocyte-induced maturation protein-1 (Blimp-1) has crucial roles in the control of plasma cell differentiation and in maintaining survival of plasma cells. However, how Blimp-1 ensures the survival of plasma cell malignancy, multiple myeloma (MM), has remained elusive. Here we identified Aiolos, an anti-apoptotic transcription factor of MM cells, as a Blimp-1-interacting protein by mass spectrometry. ChIP coupled with DNA microarray was used to profile the global binding of Aiolos and Blimp-1 to endogenous targets in MM cells, which revealed their co-binding to a large number of genes, including apoptosis-related genes. Accordingly, Blimp-1 and Aiolos regulate similar transcriptomes in MM cells. Analysis of the binding motifs for Blimp-1 and Aiolos uncovered a partial motif that was similar across sites for both proteins. Aiolos promotes the binding of Blimp-1 to target genes and thereby enhances Blimp-1-dependent transcriptional repression. Furthermore, treatment with an anti-MM agent, lenalidomide, caused ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation of Blimp-1, leading to the de-repression of a new Blimp-1 direct target, CULLIN 4A (CUL4A), and reduced Aiolos levels. Accordingly, lenalidomide-induced cell death was partially rescued by reintroduction of Blimp-1 or knockdown of CUL4A. Thus, we demonstrated the functional impacts and underlying mechanisms of the interaction between Aiolos and Blimp-1 in maintaining MM cell survival. We also showed that interruption of Blimp-1/Aiolos regulatory pathways contributes to lenalidomide-mediated anti-MM activity.

MeSH terms

  • Angiogenesis Inhibitors / pharmacology
  • Antibodies / immunology
  • Apoptosis* / drug effects
  • Base Sequence
  • Binding Sites
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cullin Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Cullin Proteins / genetics
  • Cullin Proteins / metabolism
  • Down-Regulation / drug effects
  • HEK293 Cells
  • Humans
  • Ikaros Transcription Factor / genetics
  • Ikaros Transcription Factor / immunology
  • Ikaros Transcription Factor / metabolism*
  • Lenalidomide
  • Multiple Myeloma / metabolism
  • Multiple Myeloma / pathology
  • Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis
  • Positive Regulatory Domain I-Binding Factor 1 / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Positive Regulatory Domain I-Binding Factor 1 / genetics
  • Positive Regulatory Domain I-Binding Factor 1 / metabolism*
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic
  • Protein Binding
  • RNA Interference
  • RNA, Small Interfering / metabolism
  • Thalidomide / analogs & derivatives
  • Thalidomide / pharmacology
  • Ubiquitination / drug effects

Substances

  • Angiogenesis Inhibitors
  • Antibodies
  • CUL4A protein, human
  • Cullin Proteins
  • IKZF3 protein, human
  • RNA, Small Interfering
  • Ikaros Transcription Factor
  • Thalidomide
  • Positive Regulatory Domain I-Binding Factor 1
  • Lenalidomide