Bone Marrow Transplantation Center of the First Affiliated Hospital, and Center for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
Nat Cell Biol. 2024 Jun;26(6):946-961. doi: 10.1038/s41556-024-01420-z. Epub 2024 May 14.
RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) are pivotal in acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), a lethal disease. Although specific phase separation-competent RBPs are recognized in AML, the effect of their condensate formation on AML leukaemogenesis, and the therapeutic potential of inhibition of phase separation are underexplored. In our in vivo CRISPR RBP screen, fibrillarin (FBL) emerges as a crucial nucleolar protein that regulates AML cell survival, primarily through its phase separation domains rather than methyltransferase or acetylation domains. These phase separation domains, with specific features, coordinately drive nucleoli formation and early processing of pre-rRNA (including efflux, cleavage and methylation), eventually enhancing the translation of oncogenes such as MYC. Targeting the phase separation capability of FBL with CGX-635 leads to elimination of AML cells, suggesting an additional mechanism of action for CGX-635 that complements its established therapeutic effects. We highlight the potential of PS modulation of critical proteins as a possible therapeutic strategy for AML.
RNA 结合蛋白 (RBPs) 在急性髓细胞白血病 (AML) 这一致命疾病中起着关键作用。虽然在 AML 中已经识别出特定的相分离能力的 RBPs,但它们的凝聚形成对 AML 白血病发生的影响以及相分离抑制的治疗潜力仍未得到充分探索。在我们的体内 CRISPR RBP 筛选中,核仁蛋白 FBL 作为一种关键的核仁蛋白出现,主要通过其相分离结构域而非甲基转移酶或乙酰化结构域调节 AML 细胞的存活。这些具有特定特征的相分离结构域协调驱动核仁的形成和 pre-rRNA 的早期加工(包括流出、切割和甲基化),最终增强癌基因如 MYC 的翻译。用 CGX-635 靶向 FBL 的相分离能力导致 AML 细胞的消除,这表明 CGX-635 的另一种作用机制,补充了其既定的治疗效果。我们强调了对关键蛋白的 PS 调节作为 AML 可能的治疗策略的潜力。