Description of a novel Janus kinase 3 P132A mutation in acute megakaryoblastic leukemia and demonstration of previously reported Janus kinase 3 mutations in normal subjects

Abstract

Gain-of-function (GOF) mutations of Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) are frequently seen in myeloproliferative disorders (MPDs). Meanwhile, JAK3 activating substitutions have been found in a few megakaryocytic cell lines and in primary myeloid leukemia (AMKL). Here, we sought to discover novel leukemogenetic mutations in de novo acute myeloid leukemia of non-Down syndrome (N-DS) by DNA sequencing. A total of 191 normal Caucasian individuals were studied to define single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the JH2 and JH6 domains. Although known activating substitutions were observed in rare cases of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) (V722I [2/134] or P132T [1/119]), all samples were wild-type (WT) for the oncogenic A572V (119/119). Interestingly, a novel homozygous mutation (P132A) was discovered in a patient with acute megakaryoblastic leukemia and in vivo studies demonstrated that its ectopic expression was oncogenic in a mouse xenotransplant model. This study defines a novel JAK3 mutation among patients with N-DS AML and demonstrates that normal individuals can also display germline JAK3 substitutions, previously proven to have oncogenic properties, in vitro and in vivo. The discovery of these substitutions in normal donors encourages future studies to define new risk factors among patients with MPDs.

Keywords:

• Janus kinase
• mutation
• AML

Acknowledgements

We thank Drs. Paola Bernabei, Cinzia Martinengo, and Chiara Ambrogio for their technical support. This project was supported by the Sixth Research Framework Program of the European Union, Project RIGHT (LSHB-CT-2004-005276), Ministero dell' Università e Ricerca Scientifica (MIUR), Regione Piemonte, Compagnia di San Paolo, Torino (Progetto Oncologia), and Associazione Italiana per la Ricerca sul Cancro (AIRC).

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