Epigenetic identity in AML depends on disruption of nonpromoter regulatory elements and is affected by antagonistic effects of mutations in epigenetic modifiers Journal Article


Authors: Glass, J. L.; Hassane, D.; Wouters, B. J.; Kunimoto, H.; Avellino, R.; Garrett-Bakelman, F. E.; Guryanova, O. A.; Bowman, R.; Redlich, S.; Intlekofer, A. M.; Meydan, C.; Qin, T.; Fall, M.; Alonso, A.; Guzman, M. L.; Valk, P. J. M.; Thompson, C. B.; Levine, R.; Elemento, O.; Delwel, R.; Melnick, A.; Figueroa, M. E.
Article Title: Epigenetic identity in AML depends on disruption of nonpromoter regulatory elements and is affected by antagonistic effects of mutations in epigenetic modifiers
Abstract: We performed cytosine methylation sequencing on genetically diverse patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and found leukemic DNA methylation patterning is primarily driven by nonpromoter regulatory elements and CpG shores. Enhancers displayed stronger differential methylation than promoters, consisting predominantly of hypomethylation. AMLs with dominant hypermethylation featured greater epigenetic disruption of promoters, whereas those with dominant hypomethylation displayed greater disruption of distal and intronic regions. Mutations in IDH and DNMT3A had opposing and mutually exclusive effects on the epigenome. Notably, co-occurrence of both mutations resulted in epigenetic antagonism, with most CpGs affected by either mutation alone no longer affected in double-mutant AMLs. Importantly, this epigenetic antagonism precedes malignant transformation and can be observed in preleukemic LSK cells from Idh2R140Q or Dnmt3aR882H single-mutant and Idh2R140Q/Dnmt3aR882H double-mutant mice. Notably, IDH/DNMT3A double-mutant AMLs manifested upregulation of a RAS signaling signature and displayed unique sensitivity to MEK inhibition ex vivo as compared with AMLs with either single mutation. SIGNIFICANCE: AML is biologically heterogeneous with subtypes characterized by specific genetic and epigenetic abnormalities. Comprehensive DNA methylation profiling revealed that differential methylation of nonpromoter regulatory elements is a driver of epigenetic identity, that gene mutations can be context-dependent, and that co-occurrence of mutations in epigenetic modifiers can result in epigenetic antagonism. © 2017 American Association for Cancer Research.
Journal Title: Cancer Discovery
Volume: 7
Issue: 8
ISSN: 2159-8274
Publisher: American Association for Cancer Research  
Date Published: 2017-08-01
Start Page: 868
End Page: 883
Language: English
DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-16-1032
PROVIDER: scopus
PMCID: PMC5540802
PUBMED: 28408400
DOI/URL:
Notes: Article -- Export Date: 5 September 2017 -- Source: Scopus
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  1. Ross Levine
    778 Levine
  2. Robert L Bowman
    52 Bowman
  3. Craig Bernie Thompson
    153 Thompson
  4. Jacob Lowell Glass
    56 Glass