Lymphocyte-Specific Chromatin Accessibility Pre-determines Glucocorticoid Resistance in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Publication Type:
Journal Article
Citation:
Cancer Cell, 2018, 34 (6), pp. 906 - 921.e8
Issue Date:
2018-12-10
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© 2018 Elsevier Inc. Glucocorticoids play a critical role in the treatment of lymphoid malignancies. While glucocorticoid efficacy can be largely attributed to lymphocyte-specific apoptosis, its molecular basis remains elusive. Here, we studied genome-wide lymphocyte-specific open chromatin domains (LSOs), and integrated LSOs with glucocorticoid-induced RNA transcription and chromatin modulation using an in vivo patient-derived xenograft model of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). This led to the identification of LSOs critical for glucocorticoid-induced apoptosis. Glucocorticoid receptor cooperated with CTCF at these LSOs to mediate DNA looping, which was inhibited by increased DNA methylation in glucocorticoid-resistant ALL and non-lymphoid cell types. Our study demonstrates that lymphocyte-specific epigenetic modifications pre-determine glucocorticoid resistance in ALL and may account for the lack of glucocorticoid sensitivity in other cell types. Jing et al. identified lymphocyte-specific open chromatin domains (LSOs) critical for glucocorticoid (GC)-induced acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) apoptosis. GC receptor cooperated with CTCF at these LSOs to mediate DNA looping, which was inhibited by DNA methylation in GC-resistant ALL and non-lymphoid cell types.
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