The AAA+ ATPAse RUVBL2 is essential for the oncogenic function of c-MYB in acute myeloid leukemia

Subtype-specific leukemia oncogenes drive aberrant gene expression profiles that converge on common essential mediators to ensure leukemia self-renewal and inhibition of differentiation. The transcription factor c-MYB functions as one such mediator in a diverse range of leukemias. Here we show that transcriptional repression of myeloid differentiation associated c-MYB target genes in AML is enforced by the AAA+ ATPAse RUVBL2. Silencing RUVBL2 expression resulted in increased binding of c-MYB to these loci and their transcriptional derepression. RUVBL2 inhibition induced AML cell apoptosis and severely impaired disease progression of established AML in engrafted mice. In contrast, such inhibition had little impact on normal hematopoietic progenitor differentiation. These data reveal a central mechanism governing inhibition of myeloid differentiation by c-MYB in AML. They also indicate that targeting the control of c-MYB function by RUVBL2 is likely to be a promising approach to developing future anti-AML therapies. ChIP-seq using MYB and H3K27ac antibodies