E2a/Pbx1 oncogene inhibits terminal differentiation but not myeloid potential of pro-T cells

E2a/Pbx1 is a fusion oncoprotein resulting from the t(1;19) translocation found in human pre-B acute lymphocytic leukemia and in a small number of acute T-lymphoid and myeloid leukemias. It was previously suggested that E2a/Pbx1 could cooperate with normal or oncogenic signaling pathways to immortalize myeloid and lymphoid progenitor cells. To address this question, we introduced the receptor of the macrophage-colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF-R) in pro-T cells immortalized by a conditional, estradiol-dependent, E2a/Pbx1-protein, and continuously proliferating in response to stem cell factor and interleukin-7. We asked whether M-CSF-R would be functional in an early T progenitor cell and influence the fate of E2a/Pbx1-immortalized cells. E2a-Pbx1 immortalized pro-T cells could proliferate and shifted from lymphoid to myeloid lineage after signaling through exogenously expressed M-CSF-R, irrespective of the presence of estradiol. However, terminal macrophage differentiation of the cells was obtained only when estradiol was withdrawn from cultures. This demonstrated that M-CSF-R is functional for proliferation and differentiation signaling in a T-lymphoid progenitor cell, which, in addition, unveiled myeloid potential of pro-T progenitors. Moreover, the block of differentiation induced by the E2a/Pbx1 oncogene could be modulated by hematopoietic cytokines such as M-CSF, suggesting plasticity of leukemic progenitor cells. Finally, additional experiments suggested that PU.1 and eight twenty-one transcriptional regulators might be implicated in the mechanisms of oncogenesis by E2a/Pbx1.