MYD88 L265P Augments Proximal B-Cell Receptor Signaling in Large B-Cell Lymphomas Via an Interaction with DOCK8
Authors: Mandato Elisa , Yan Qingsheng , Ouyang Jing , Paczkowska Julia , Qin Yan , Hao Yansheng , Bojarczuk Kamil , Hansen Julia , Lawton Lee N. , Shipp Margaret A. 
Published: November 2021

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is a genetically heterogeneous disease comprised of five subtypes including a subset of poor-prognosis activated B cell (ABC)-enriched tumors with frequent MYD88L265P mutations, often in association with CD79B alterations (Cluster 5 DLBCLs) (Nat. Med. 2018; 24:679-690). Primary central nervous system lymphomas (PCNSLs) and primary testicular lymphomas (PTLs) have similar genetic signatures including recurrent MYD88L265P mutations and concurrent CD79B alterations (Blood 2016; 127: 869-81). These findings prompted us to evaluate a potential role for MYD88L265P in proximal B-cell receptor (BCR) signaling, in addition to its defined function as an intermediary in the Toll-Like Receptor (TLR) pathway and downstream NF-kB activation.

In previous studies by Jabara et al., wild-type (WT) MYD88 was found to be constitutively associated with the DOCK8 adapter and the PYK2 tyrosine kinase in normal B-cells (Nat. Immunol. 2012; 13:612-20). In this setting, physiologic ligation of TLR9 with CpG oligodeoxynucleotides (CpG) induced PYK2-mediated phosphorylation of DOCK8, recruitment of Src kinases, including LYN, and downstream activation of the proximal BCR pathway member, spleen tyrosine kinase (SYK) (Nat. Immunol. 2012; 13:612-20). We postulated that mutated MYD88L265P might similarly augment proximal BCR signaling in DLBCLs in the absence of physiologic (CpG-induced) TLR9 signaling. Using three DLBCL cell lines (OCI-Ly1, SU-DHL4 and OCI-Ly7) with intact BCR signaling and WT endogenous MYD88 and CD79B, we first established that physiologic CpG activation of TLR signaling induced the phosphorylation of PYK2 and the proximal BCR signaling components, SYK and Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK). Thereafter, we genetically engineered these three DLBCL cell lines to express MYD88 L265P or MYD88 WT, alone or in association with CD79B Y196F. In all three cell lines, the co-expression of MYD88 L265P and CD79B Y196F significantly increased magnitude and duration of SYK and BTK phosphorylation following BCR crosslinking. These findings highlight the likely role of MYD88L265P in CD79BY196F-associated proximal BCR signaling in DLBCL.

To elucidate the potential role of the DOCK8 adapter in MYD88 L265P-augmented BCR signaling, we first assessed the colocalization of MYD88 WT or MYD88 L265P with DOCK8 in the same three genetically engineered DLBCL cell lines using proximity ligation assays (PLA), which detect protein-protein interactions at less than 40 nm in situ. In each of these cell lines, we detected significantly increased co-localized MYD88 L265P/DOCK8 signals in comparison to MYD88 WT/DOCK8 signals (p&lt;.0001, all). Additionally, there were significantly increased co-localized DOCK8/LYN signals in DLBCL cell lines that expressed MYD88 L265P rather than MYD88 WT (p&lt;.0001, all). These data provide the first direct evidence of an enhanced association between MYD88 L265P, DOCK8 and LYN in BCR-dependent DLBCLs and a basis for enhanced BCR signaling in primary tumors with concurrent MYD88L265P and CD79B genetic alterations.

We next analyzed the consequences of MYD88 L265P-associated, DOCK8-dependent increased proximal BCR signaling by depleting DOCK8 in BCR-dependent DLBCL cells with endogenous MYD88L265P/CD79BY196F alterations (HBL1 and TMD8) or endogenous unmutated MYD88 WT/CD79B WT (OCI-Ly1 and SU-DHL4). ShRNA-mediated DOCK8 knockdown (KD) significantly decreased BCR-mediated phosphorylation of SYK and BTK in MYD88L265P/CD79BY196F DLBCL cell lines but not in lines with MYD88 WT/CD79B WT, highlighting the specific role of DOCK8 in MYD88 L265P-associated proximal BCR signaling. Of great interest, DOCK8 KD selectively decreased the proliferation of MYD88L265P/CD79BY196F, but not MYD88WT/CD79BWT, DLBCLs (p&lt;.004, HBL1 and p&lt;.009, TMD8; p = non sig., OCI-Ly1 and SU-DHL4). Additionally, DOCK8 KD significantly increased the efficacy of chemical PI3Kα/δ (copanlisib) and BTK (ibrutinib) inhibition in MYD88L265P/CD79BY196F DLBCLs (HBL1 and TMD8). Taken together, these data identify DOCK8 as an intermediary in MYD88L265P-driven proximal BCR signaling and a possible treatment target in LBCLs with co-occurring MYD88L265P/CD79BY196F mutations.

Disclosures

Shipp: AstraZeneca: Consultancy, Research Funding; Immunitas Therapeutics: Consultancy; Bristol Myers Squibb: Research Funding; Merck: Research Funding; Bayer: Other: Institution: Research Grant/Funding; Abbvie: Other: Institution: Research Grant/Funding.