BCR-tyrosine 177 plays an essential role in Ras and Akt activation and in human hematopoietic progenitor transformation in chronic myelogenous leukemia.

Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) results from the transformation of a primitive hematopoietic cell by the BCR/ABL gene. BCR/ABL signaling has been studied in cell lines and murine models, but the transforming effects of BCR/ABL are highly dependent on cellular context, and mechanisms responsible for the transformation of primitive human hematopoietic cells remain poorly understood. Current targeted therapies fail to eliminate malignant CML progenitors, and improved understanding of crucial molecular mechanisms of progenitor transformation may facilitate the development of improved therapeutic approaches. We investigated the role of BCR/ABL tyrosine 177 (BCR/ABL-Y177) in CML progenitor transformation by comparing the effects of expression of Y177-mutated BCR/ABL, wild-type BCR/ABL, or green fluorescent protein alone on normal CD34(+) cells. We show that BCR/ABL-Y177 plays a critical role in CML progenitor expansion, proliferation, and survival. BCR/ABL expression results in enhanced Ras and Akt activity but reduced mitogen-activated protein kinase activity in human hematopoietic cells, which is reversed by BCR/ABL-Y177 mutation. Blocking BCR/ABL-Y177-mediated signaling enhances targeting of CML progenitors by imatinib mesylate. Our studies indicate that BCR/ABL-Y177 plays an essential role in Ras and Akt activation and in human hematopoietic progenitor transformation in CML.