A unique clonal JAK2 mutation leading to constitutive signalling causes polycythaemia vera (original) (raw)

Nature volume 434, pages 1144–1148 (2005)Cite this article

Abstract

Myeloproliferative disorders are clonal haematopoietic stem cell malignancies characterized by independency or hypersensitivity of haematopoietic progenitors to numerous cytokines1,2. The molecular basis of most myeloproliferative disorders is unknown. On the basis of the model of chronic myeloid leukaemia, it is expected that a constitutive tyrosine kinase activity could be at the origin of these diseases. Polycythaemia vera is an acquired myeloproliferative disorder, characterized by the presence of polycythaemia diversely associated with thrombocytosis, leukocytosis and splenomegaly3. Polycythaemia vera progenitors are hypersensitive to erythropoietin and other cytokines4,5. Here, we describe a clonal and recurrent mutation in the JH2 pseudo-kinase domain of the Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) gene in most (> 80%) polycythaemia vera patients. The mutation, a valine-to-phenylalanine substitution at amino acid position 617, leads to constitutive tyrosine phosphorylation activity that promotes cytokine hypersensitivity and induces erythrocytosis in a mouse model. As this mutation is also found in other myeloproliferative disorders, this unique mutation will permit a new molecular classification of these disorders and novel therapeutical approaches.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to M.-H. Courtier, E. Leclerc and A. Tonon for technical assistance, P. Marynen and J. Cools for providing the human JAK2 cDNA, and J. Feunteun, F. Wendling and O. Bernard for scientific discussions. We thank I. Teyssandier and C. Marzac for their help in collecting polycythaemia vera samples, and J.-C. Brouet, S. Cheze, J.-J. Kiladjian, F. Lellouche, M. Leporrier, M. Macro, P. Morel, O. Reman, L. Roy, A.-L. Taksin, B. Varet and J.-P. Vilque for their help in collecting samples and clinical data. We are also grateful to the patients for their agreement in participating in this study. This work was supported by grants from La Ligue Nationale contre le Cancer (équipe labellisée 2003), la Fédération belge contre le cancer and the FNRS, Belgium. C.J. was supported by a fellowship from the Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale. J.S. was a recipient of a Marie Curie fellowship and of a Daimler-Benz PhD fellowship. S.N.C. is a Research Associate of the FNRS. W.V. is supported by an interface contract between INSERM and IGR.

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Author notes

  1. Chloé James, Valérie Ugo and Jean-Pierre Le Couédic: These authors contributed equally to this work

Authors and Affiliations

  1. INSERM U362, Institut Gustave Roussy, Paris XI University, PR1, 39 rue Camille Desmoulins, 94805, Villejuif Cedex, France
    Chloé James, Valérie Ugo, Jean-Pierre Le Couédic, François Delhommeau, Catherine Lacout, Loïc Garçon, Hana Raslova, Annelise Bennaceur-Griscelli, Jean Luc Villeval, Nicole Casadevall & William Vainchenker
  2. Laboratoire d'Hématologie, CHU Brest, 29609, Brest Cedex, France
    Valérie Ugo
  3. Laboratoire d'Hématologie, Hôtel Dieu, AP-HP, 75181, Paris, Cedex 04, France
    Valérie Ugo, François Delhommeau & Nicole Casadevall
  4. Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research and Christian de Duve Institute of Cellular Pathology & MEXP Unit, Université Catholique de Louvain, B-1200, Brussels, Belgium
    Judith Staerk & Stefan N. Constantinescu
  5. INSERM E0210, Hôpital Necker, 75743, Paris, Cedex 15, France
    Roland Berger
  6. Laboratoire d'Hématologie, Institut Gustave Roussy, 94805, Villejuif Cedex, France
    Annelise Bennaceur-Griscelli
  7. Polyclinique d'Hématologie, Hôpital Saint Louis, AP-HP, 75475, Paris, Cedex 10, France
    William Vainchenker

Authors

  1. Chloé James
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  2. Valérie Ugo
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  3. Jean-Pierre Le Couédic
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  4. Judith Staerk
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  5. François Delhommeau
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  6. Catherine Lacout
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  7. Loïc Garçon
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  8. Hana Raslova
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  9. Roland Berger
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  10. Annelise Bennaceur-Griscelli
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  11. Jean Luc Villeval
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  12. Stefan N. Constantinescu
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  13. Nicole Casadevall
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  14. William Vainchenker
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Corresponding author

Correspondence toWilliam Vainchenker.

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The authors declare that they have no competing financial interests.

Supplementary information

Supplementary Method S1

5'-3' sequences of PCR and sequencing JAK2 primers. This shows all the primer sequences used for DNA amplification and sequencing. (DOC 49 kb)

Supplementary Method S2

Details of the technique of dual luciferase assays are given. (DOC 14 kb)

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James, C., Ugo, V., Le Couédic, JP. et al. A unique clonal JAK2 mutation leading to constitutive signalling causes polycythaemia vera.Nature 434, 1144–1148 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature03546

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Editorial Summary

Polycythaemia vera

The basis of the bone marrow abnormality in polycythaemia vera, a blood disorder often linked to leukaemia, has finally been identified. Over 80% of patients have a mutation in the JAK2 enzyme; this normally stimulates red blood cell production when needed, after blood loss for example. The mutant enzyme is permanently in the ‘on’ position. The JAK2 mutation was also found in several other myeloproliferative disorders. With JAK2 as a possible target, it may be possible to develop targeted therapies similar to Glivec, now used to treat chronic myeloid leukaemia.