IPO11 regulates the nuclear import of BZW1/2 and is necessary for AML cells and stem cells [RNA-Seq]

Through a comparison between genes that are significant for growth and viability of AML cells by way of a CRISPR screen, with genes that are differentially expressed in leukemia stem cells, we identified importin 11 (IPO11) as a novel target in AML. In AML, knockdown of IPO11 decreased growth, reduced engraftment potential of stem cells and induced differentiation. Mechanistically, we identified the transcription factors BZW1 and BZW2 as novel cargoes of IPO11. We further show that BZW1/2 mediate a transcriptional signature that promotes stemness and survival of LSC. Overall design: OCI-AML2 cells were trransfected with sh against IPO11 or BZW1/2 and compared to non-target scrammbeled sh