RUNX1-ETO orchestrates dynamic enhancer promoter communication in t(8;21) Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (DNaseI-Seq)

Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) is caused by mutations in transcriptional and epigenetic regulator genes impairing myeloid differentiation. The t(8;21)(q22;q22) translocation generates the leukemogenic RUNX1-ETO fusion protein which interferes with the hematopoietic master regulator RUNX1. We previously showed that maintenance of t(8;21) AML is dependent on RUNX1-ETO as its depletion causes extensive changes in transcription factor binding and gene expression as well as myeloid differentiation. How changes in gene expression and binding events are connected within a transcriptional network is unclear. To this end, we assigned cis-regulatory elements to each other using promoter-capture chromosomal conformation assays in the presence and absence of RUNX1-ETO. From these data we constructed a RUNX1-ETO dependent dynamic transcriptional network maintaining AML. Integration of these data with gene expression and transcription factor binding data shows that RUNX1-ETO participates in interactions and that differential cis-element interactions are driven by alterations in the binding of RUNX1-ETO regulated transcription factors. Overall design: DNase I after RUNX1/ETO knock-down is usded in this study