Abnormal integrin-mediated regulation of chronic myelogenous leukemia CD34+ cell proliferation: BCR/ABL up-regulates the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor, p27Kip, which is relocated to the cell cytoplasm and incapable of regulating cdk2 activity.

beta(1)-integrin engagement on normal (NL) CD34(+) cells increases levels of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor (cdki), p27(Kip), decreases cdk2 activity, and inhibits G(1)/S-phase progression. In contrast, beta(1)-integrin engagement on chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) CD34(+) cells does not inhibit G(1)/S progression. We now show that, in CML, baseline p27(Kip) levels are significantly higher than in NL CD34(+) cells, but adhesion to fibronectin (FN) does not increase p27(Kip) levels. p27(Kip) mRNA levels are similar in CML and NL CD34(+) cells and remain unchanged after adhesion, suggesting posttranscriptional regulation. Despite the elevated p27(Kip) levels, cdk2 kinase activity is similar in CML and NL CD34(+) cells. In NL CD34(+) cells, >90% of p27(Kip) is located in the nucleus, where it binds to cdk2 after integrin engagement. In CML CD34(+) cells, however, >80% of p27(Kip) is located in the cytoplasm even in FN-adherent cells, and significantly less p27(Kip) is bound to cdk2. Thus, presence of BCR/ABL induces elevated levels of p27(Kip) and relocation of p27(Kip) to the cytoplasm, which contributes to the loss of integrin-mediated proliferation inhibition, characteristic of CML.