Role of Dok-1 and Dok-2 in leukemia suppression

M Niki, A Di Cristofano, M Zhao, H Honda… - The Journal of …, 2004 - rupress.org
M Niki, A Di Cristofano, M Zhao, H Honda, H Hirai, L Van Aelst, C Cordon-Cardo
The Journal of experimental medicine, 2004rupress.org
Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) is characterized by the presence of the chimeric
p210bcr/abl oncoprotein that shows elevated and constitutive protein tyrosine kinase activity
relative to the normal c-abl tyrosine kinase. Although several p210bcr/abl substrates have
been identified, their relevance in the pathogenesis of the disease is unclear. We have
identified a family of proteins, Dok (downstream of tyrosine kinase), coexpressed in
hematopoietic progenitor cells. Members of this family such as p62 dok (Dok-1) and p56 dok …
Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) is characterized by the presence of the chimeric p210bcr/abl oncoprotein that shows elevated and constitutive protein tyrosine kinase activity relative to the normal c-abl tyrosine kinase. Although several p210bcr/abl substrates have been identified, their relevance in the pathogenesis of the disease is unclear. We have identified a family of proteins, Dok (downstream of tyrosine kinase), coexpressed in hematopoietic progenitor cells. Members of this family such as p62dok(Dok-1) and p56dok-2(Dok-2) associate with the p120 rasGTPase-activating protein (rasGAP) upon phosphorylation by p210bcr/abl as well as receptor and nonreceptor tyrosine kinases. Here, we report the generation and characterization of single and double Dok-1 or Dok-2 knockout (KO) mutants. Single KO mice displayed normal steady-state hematopoiesis. By contrast, concomitant Dok-1 and Dok-2 inactivation resulted in aberrant hemopoiesis and Ras/MAP kinase activation. Strikingly, all Dok-1/Dok-2 double KO mutants spontaneously developed transplantable CML-like myeloproliferative disease due to increased cellular proliferation and reduced apoptosis. Furthermore, Dok-1 or Dok-2 inactivation markedly accelerated leukemia and blastic crisis onset in Tec-p210bcr/abl transgenic mice known to develop, after long latency, a myeloproliferative disorder resembling human CML. These findings unravel the critical and unexpected role of Dok-1 and Dok-2 in tumor suppression and control of the hematopoietic compartment homeostasis.
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