Abstract 3099: The metabolic enzyme hexokinase 2 localizes to the nucleus in AML and normal hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells to maintain stemness
Authors: Geethu Emily Thomas, Grace Egan, Laura Gracia Prat, Aaron Botham, Veronique Voisin, Elias Orouji, Jordan Chin, Boaz Nachmias, Kerstin B. Kaufmann, Neil Maclean, Rose Hurren, Marcela Gronda, Xiaoming Wang, Dilshad H. Khan, Rashim P. Singh, Andrea Arruda, Mark Minden, Gary D. Bader, John E. Dick, Aaron D. Schimmer
Journal: Cancer Research (2021)

Abstract Mitochondrial metabolites affect epigenetic marks, but it is largely unknown whether mitochondrial metabolic enzymes can directly localize to the nucleus to regulate stem cell function in AML. Here, we discovered that the mitochondrial enzyme, Hexokinase 2 (HK2), localizes to the nucleus in AML and normal hematopoietic stem cells to maintain stem cell function. We searched for mitochondrial enzymes moonlighting in the nucleus using 8227 AML cells, a primary AML culture model arranged in a hierarchy with defined stem cells. By immunoblotting and confocal microscopy, we detected HK2 in the nucleus of 8227 cells with higher expression in the nucleus of stem cells vs bulk cells. In contrast, other metabolic enzymes including PFK1, FH, PKM2, GPI1, ENO1, CS, ACO2, and SDHA1, 2 were not detected in the nucleus of these cells. We also detected HK2 in the nucleus of AML cell lines as well as 7 of 9 primary AML samples. Next, we tested whether nuclear HK2 was functionally important to maintain stem cell function in AML. We over-expressed HK2 tagged with nuclear localizing signals in 8227 and NB4 leukemia cells. This increased clonogenic growth and inhibited retinoic acid-mediated cell differentiation without changing basal proliferation. Nuclear HK2 also increased engraftment of 8227 cells into mouse marrow. We evaluated the selective inhibition of nuclear HK2 by over-expressing HK2 with an outer mitochondrial localization signal while knocking down endogenous HK2 with 3'UTR shRNA. Selective depletion of nuclear HK2 reduced clonogenic growth, increased AML differentiation with ATRA, and decreased CD34+CD38- 8227 stem cells without changing basal proliferation. Nuclear HK2 was also higher in normal human hematopoietic stem cells and multipotent progenitor fractions and declined as the cells matured. Over-expression of nuclear HK2 in normal cord blood increased the primary and secondary engraftment into mice. Transgenic mice over-expressing nuclear HK2 driven by a Vav promoter had increased hematopoietic stem cells in the marrow and decreased monocytes and lymphocytes in the peripheral blood. To determine whether nuclear HK2 maintains stemness through its kinase activity, we over-expressed a kinase dead double mutant of nuclear HK2 (D209A D657A) and observed increased clonogenic growth and inhibited differentiation on ATRA treatment, nuclear HK2 function is independent of its kinase function. To understand nuclear functions of HK2, we used proximity-dependent biotin labeling (BioID) and mass spectrometry identified proteins related to chromatin organization and regulation to interact with nuclear HK2. In summary, we discovered that HK2 localizes to nucleus of AML cells and functions independent of its kinase activity to maintain the stem/progenitor state of AML. Thus, we define a new role for mitochondrial enzymes in the regulation of leukemic stemness and differentiation. Citation Format: Geethu Emily Thomas, Grace Egan, Laura Gracia Prat, Aaron Botham, Veronique Voisin, Elias Orouji, Jordan Chin, Boaz Nachmias, Kerstin B. Kaufmann, Neil Maclean, Rose Hurren, Marcela Gronda, Xiaoming Wang, Dilshad H. Khan, Rashim P. Singh, Andrea Arruda, Mark Minden, Gary D. Bader, John E. Dick, Aaron D. Schimmer. The metabolic enzyme hexokinase 2 localizes to the nucleus in AML and normal hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells to maintain stemness [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021; 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr 3099.