Context dependent effects of ascorbic acid treatment in TET2 mutant myeloid neoplasia

Commun Biol. 2020 Sep 7;3(1):493. doi: 10.1038/s42003-020-01220-9.

Abstract

Loss-of-function TET2 mutations (TET2MT) are common in myeloid neoplasia. TET2, a DNA dioxygenase, requires 2-oxoglutarate and Fe(II) to oxidize 5-methylcytosine. TET2MT thus result in hypermethylation and transcriptional repression. Ascorbic acid (AA) increases dioxygenase activity by facilitating Fe(III)/Fe(II) redox reaction and may alleviate some biological consequences of TET2MT by restoring dioxygenase activity. Here, we report the utility of AA in the prevention of TET2MT myeloid neoplasia (MN), clarify the mechanistic underpinning of the TET2-AA interactions, and demonstrate that the ability of AA to restore TET2 activity in cells depends on N- and C-terminal lysine acetylation and nature of TET2MT. Consequently, pharmacologic modulation of acetyltransferases and histone deacetylases may regulate TET dioxygenase-dependent AA effects. Thus, our study highlights the contribution of factors that may enhance or attenuate AA effects on TET2 and provides a rationale for novel therapeutic approaches including combinations of AA with class I/II HDAC inhibitor or sirtuin activators in TET2MT leukemia.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Acetylation
  • Administration, Oral
  • Animals
  • Ascorbic Acid / administration & dosage
  • Ascorbic Acid / pharmacology
  • Ascorbic Acid / therapeutic use*
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism
  • Dioxygenases
  • HEK293 Cells
  • Humans
  • K562 Cells
  • Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive / drug therapy*
  • Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive / genetics*
  • Lysine / genetics
  • Mice
  • Mutation / genetics*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins / metabolism

Substances

  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins
  • Dioxygenases
  • Tet2 protein, mouse
  • Lysine
  • Ascorbic Acid