The MEIS1 Interactome in Megakaryocytes Reveals a Role in Cell Cycle Regulation,

Abstract 3380

Haematopoiesis is highly coordinated process of fate determination at branch points that is regulated by transcription factors and their cofactors. Our comprehensive catalogue of transcripts in the eight main mature blood cell elements, including erythroblasts and megakaryocytes (MKs) showed that the transcription factor MEIS1 is uniquely transcribed in MKs and the CD34+ haematopoietic stem cell. Gene silencing studies in mice and zebrafish has shown a pivotal role for MEIS1 in haematopoiesis, megakaryopoiesis and vasculogenesis, although its precise hierarchical position and function remain unknown. To gain further insight in the role of MEIS1 in megakaryopoiesis, we used a proteomics approach to search for its nuclear interaction partners.

Co-immunoprecipitation was used to isolate MEIS1 interacting proteins from the nuclear fraction of the MK cell line, CHRF 288–11 and resulting eluates were subjected to proteomics analysis using one-dimensional electrophoresis and liquid chromatography (LC) coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (MS) or GeLC-MS/MS. In total 70 proteins were identified to co-immunoprecipitate with MEIS1 from 3 replicate MS analyses. These included the previously validated MEIS1 interactors PBX1 and HOXB9, as well as numerous novel interactors such as ARID3B and DHX9.

Network analysis of our MEIS1 interactome dataset revealed a strong association with cell cycle regulation. In fact, we had identified a myriad of cell cycle regulators including CDK1, CDK2, CDK9, CUL3, PCNA, CDC5L, ARID3B and MDC1. These interactions are consistent with recent microarray studies in promyelocytic leukemic cell lines that link MEIS1 with cell cycle entry and its regulation of genes such as CDK2, CDK6, CDKN3, CDC7 and Cyclin D3 among others. To confirm the novel interaction of MK MEIS1 with cell cycle regulators we performed reverse immuno-precipitation/immunoblot analysis in CHRF cells and purified MEIS1 containing multiprotein complexes from L8057 murine megakaryoblastic cells. Using a cell cycle specific PCR array, we demonstrate that MEIS1 overexpression in L8057 cells regulates numerous cell cycle regulatory genes. Preliminary analysis using flow cytometry demonstrated that MEIS1 overexpression resulted in an altered cell cycle progression. Furthermore, genome wide ChIP-Seq analysis in CHRF cells for MEIS1 revealed binding sites in Cyclin D3 and CDK6, two known key regulators of the cell cycle and megakaryopoiesis.

Taken together this study provides evidence linking MEIS1 to the cell cycle control of MKs and will help elucidate the role of MEIS1 in cell cycle progression, megakaryopoiesis and associated disorders.