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ABSTRACT The Ets family transcription factor PU.1 and the interferon regulatory factor (IRF)4 and IRF8 regulate gene expression by binding to composite DNA sequences known as Ets/interferon
consensus elements. Although all three factors are expressed from the onset of B-cell development, single deficiency of these factors in B-cell progenitors only mildly impacts on bone marrow
B lymphopoiesis. Here we tested whether PU.1 cooperates with IRF factors in regulating early B-cell development. Lack of PU.1 and IRF4 resulted in a partial block in development the
pre-B-cell stage. The combined deletion of PU.1 and IRF8 reduced recirculating B-cell numbers. Strikingly, all PU.1/IRF4 and ~50% of PU.1/IRF8 double deficient mice developed pre-B-cell
acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) associated with reduced expression of the established B-lineage tumor suppressor genes, Ikaros and Spi-B. These genes are directly regulated by
PU.1/IRF4/IRF8, and restoration of Ikaros or Spi-B expression inhibited leukemic cell growth. In summary, we demonstrate that PU.1, IRF4 and IRF8 cooperate to regulate early B-cell
development and to prevent pre-B-ALL formation. Access through your institution Buy or subscribe This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution ACCESS OPTIONS Access
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subscriptions * Read our FAQs * Contact customer support SIMILAR CONTENT BEING VIEWED BY OTHERS IRF4 MODULATES THE RESPONSE TO BCR ACTIVATION IN CHRONIC LYMPHOCYTIC LEUKEMIA REGULATING
IKAROS AND SYK Article 23 February 2021 INHIBITION OF INFLAMMATORY SIGNALING IN _PAX5_ MUTANT CELLS MITIGATES B-CELL LEUKEMOGENESIS Article Open access 05 November 2020 UPF1 PLAYS CRITICAL
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pre-B-cell differentiation. _Blood_ 2013; 121: 1769–1782. Article CAS PubMed Google Scholar Download references ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We thank M Reth and T Mak for mice, J Leahy for animal
husbandry and the institute flow cytometry facility for excellent technical assistance. We thank Markus Jaritz for bioinformatic analysis. This work was supported by program and project
grants (APP1054925 to SLN and 637345 to SC) and fellowships (APP1058238 to SLN) from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHRMC) of Australia. SHMP was supported by the
Leukaemia Foundation of Australia and SC by an NHMRC Career Development Fellowship. Research of the Busslinger group was supported by Boehringer Ingelheim and an ERC Advanced Grant
(291740-LymphoControl). This work was made possible through Victorian State Government Operational Infrastructure Support and Australian Government NHMRC IRIIS. AUTHOR INFORMATION Author
notes * R A Dickins Present address: 5Current address: Monash University, Australian Center for Blood Diseases, The Alfred, Commercial Road, Melbourne, Victoria 3004, Australia, * S Carotta
Present address: 6Current address: Boehringer Ingelheim RCV, New Therapeutic Drug Concepts, Dr Boehringer Gasse 5-11, Vienna A-1121, Austria, AUTHORS AND AFFILIATIONS * Molecular Immunology
Department, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria, Australia S H M Pang, P Gangatirkar, Z Zheng, R A Dickins, L M Corcoran, N D Huntington, S L Nutt
& S Carotta * Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia S H M Pang, P Gangatirkar, R A Dickins, L M Corcoran, N D Huntington, S L Nutt &
S Carotta * The Institute of Molecular Pathology, Vienna, Austria M Minnich, A Ebert & M Busslinger * Department of Pathology, St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA G
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CORRESPONDING AUTHORS Correspondence to S L Nutt or S Carotta. ETHICS DECLARATIONS COMPETING INTERESTS The authors declare no conflict of interest. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Supplementary
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THIS ARTICLE Pang, S., Minnich, M., Gangatirkar, P. _et al._ PU.1 cooperates with IRF4 and IRF8 to suppress pre-B-cell leukemia. _Leukemia_ 30, 1375–1387 (2016).
https://doi.org/10.1038/leu.2016.27 Download citation * Received: 12 February 2015 * Revised: 14 November 2015 * Accepted: 08 January 2016 * Published: 02 March 2016 * Issue Date: June 2016
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