Gene expression signature of MYB-GATA overexpression plus GATA1 down regulation in undifferentiated or differentiated UT7 cells

Acute basophilic leukemia is a rare subtype of acute myeloblastic leukemia. We recently described a recurrent t(X;6)(p11;q23) translocation occurring in male infants with acute basophilic leukemia, generating a MYB-GATA1 fusion gene. To better understand the role of MYB-GATA1 in the leukemogenesis of acute basophilic leukemias, we expressed this chimeric transcription factor in the UT-7 cell line under normal or differentiating conditions. A gene expression analysis revealed 9 genes deregulated by both MYB-GATA1 and the basophilic differentiation. Three of these genes (CCL23, IL1RL1 and NTRK1) were also increased by MYB-GATA1 in CD34-positive cells, as indicated by quantitative RT-PCR. Two independant experiments (A and S) were performed. For each experiment, UT7 cells were transduced with two lentivirus: a lentivirus carrying the MYB-GATA1 (or a control) coding sequence, and a lentivirus carrying a GATA1 (or control) shRNA. Cells transduced with both lentiviruses were selected, and kept in culture under standard or differentiating conditions for 7 days before RNA extraction.