Effects of MMSET on gene expression in multiple myeloma

The MMSET (Multiple Myeloma SET domain) protein is overexpressed in multiple myeloma patients with the translocation t(4;14). Although studies have shown the involvement of MMSET/WHSC1 in development, its mode of action in the pathogenesis of multiple myeloma (MM) is largely unknown. We found that MMSET is a major regulator of chromatin structure and transcription in t(4;14) MM cells. High levels of MMSET correlate with an increase in lysine 36 methylation of histone H3 and a decrease in lysine 27 methylation across the genome, leading to a more open structural state of the chromatin. Loss of MMSET expression alters adhesion properties, suppresses growth and induces apoptosis in MM cells. Consequently, genes affected by high levels of MMSET are implicated in the p53 pathway, cell cycle regulation and integrin signaling. Regulation of many of these genes required functional histone methyl-transferase (HMT) activity of MMSET. These results implicate MMSET as a major epigenetic regulator in t(4;14)+ MM. Total RNA was isolated from two different systems: an inducible knock down designed in the 5' region of MMSET. Upon addition of doxycycline we block MMSET expression. The second system we used was a repletion system. By retroviral infection of knock out cells for MMSET we restored the expression of MMSET wild type and two mutants of the protein: one active and one catalytically inactive. Triplicates of each sample were analyzed.