Elucidating the role and function of APOBEC3 DNA deaminases in myeloproliferative neoplasms

The prevalence of upregulated apolipoprotein B mRNA editing enzyme, catalytic polypeptide-like 3 (APOBEC3) transcripts as well as a distinct mutational signature has been identified and presented extensively in numerous cancer types. Previously, this family of cytidine deaminases has been studied in innate immunity, as they are active in the conversion of cytosine to uracil to restrict retroviral replication. Recent studies employing whole exome sequencing of multiple cancer types have shown a significant increase in both APOBEC3 transcript level as well as an increase in mutations indicated as a result of APOBEC3 driven mutagenesis. However, the expression and role of these enzymes in cancer initiation and progression as well as the mechanisms by which the APOBEC3 enzymes elicit a response in the cancer microenvironment remains unknown, especially in hematopoietic malignancies. Here, we elucidate the APOBEC3 mutation phenotype in Myeloproliferative Neoplasms (MPNs) as well as the naive cell populations of CD34+ cord blood and normal aged samples. Through RNA sequencing we have found a cell type and context specific nature of these enzymes, notably the upregulation of APOBEC3G (A3G) in the Myelofibrosis (MF) stem and progenitor cell population as compared to normal aged counterparts. There is also significant differential expression of APOBEC3C (A3C), APOBEC3D (A3D), and APOBEC3F (A3F) in MF disease states compared to normal controls. By cloning the APOBEC3 enzymes into lentiviral expression vectors, we can now study the physiological effects of changes in APOBEC3 transcript level in relation to the known changes in expression seen in many cancers, focusing on the upregulation of A3G through lentiviral overexpression. Using these techniques, we will also elucidate the mutation signature of APOBEC3G in CD34+ cord blood as compared to the known mutagenesis pattern derived from the editing signature of APOBEC3B. Upon APOBEC3G overexpression we can connect the prevalence and proposed activity of the enzymes to the physiological deregulation present in hematopoietic malignancies. We have found that A3G induces a proliferative burst in normal CD34+ cord blood, which leads us to study the effects of APOBEC3 upregulation in regards to proliferation, differentiation and self-renewal in normal and malignant cells as well as their potential function in disease initiation and progression in MPNs. Citation Format: Jane Isquith, Qingfei Jiang, Raymond Diep, Jessica Pham, Frida Holm, Catriona Jamieson. Elucidating the role and function of APOBEC3 DNA deaminases in myeloproliferative neoplasms [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 3675.