Detection of a rare BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase fusion protein in H929 multiple myeloma cells using immunoprecipitation (IP)-tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS)

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2012 Oct 2;109(40):16190-5. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1212759109. Epub 2012 Sep 17.

Abstract

Hypothesis directed proteomics offers higher throughput over global analyses. We show that immunoprecipitation (IP)-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) in H929 multiple myeloma (MM) cancer cells led to the discovery of a rare and unexpected BCR-ABL fusion, informing a therapeutic intervention using imatinib (Gleevec). BCR-ABL is the driving mutation in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and is uncommon to other cancers. Three different IP-MS experiments central to cell signaling pathways were sufficient to discover a BCR-ABL fusion in H929 cells: phosphotyrosine (pY) peptide IP, p85 regulatory subunit of phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K) IP, and the GRB2 adaptor IP. The pY peptides inform tyrosine kinase activity, p85 IP informs the activating adaptors and receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) involved in AKT activation and GRB2 IP identifies RTKs and adaptors leading to ERK activation. Integration of the bait-prey data from the three separate experiments identified the BCR-ABL protein complex, which was confirmed by biochemistry, cytogenetic methods, and DNA sequencing revealed the e14a2 fusion transcript. The tyrosine phosphatase SHP2 and the GAB2 adaptor protein, important for MAPK signaling, were common to all three IP-MS experiments. The comparative treatment of tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) drugs revealed only imatinib, the standard of care in CML, was inhibitory to BCR-ABL leading to down-regulation of pERK and pS6K and inhibiting cell proliferation. These data suggest a model for directed proteomics from patient tumor samples for selecting the appropriate TKI drug(s) based on IP and LC-MS/MS. The data also suggest that MM patients, in addition to CML patients, may benefit from BCR-ABL diagnostic screening.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Base Sequence
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Class Ia Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase / isolation & purification
  • Class Ia Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase / metabolism
  • Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl / genetics
  • Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl / isolation & purification*
  • Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl / metabolism
  • GRB2 Adaptor Protein / isolation & purification
  • GRB2 Adaptor Protein / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Immunoprecipitation / methods
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Multiple Myeloma / diagnosis*
  • Multiple Myeloma / metabolism*
  • Precision Medicine / methods
  • Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / genetics
  • Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / isolation & purification*
  • Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / metabolism
  • Proteomics / methods
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / genetics
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / isolation & purification*
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / metabolism
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA
  • Signal Transduction / genetics
  • Signal Transduction / physiology*
  • Tandem Mass Spectrometry / methods

Substances

  • GRB2 Adaptor Protein
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • Class Ia Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase
  • Protein-Tyrosine Kinases
  • Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl