The anti-apoptotic role of the unfolded protein response in Bcr-Abl-positive leukemia cells

To define the role of the unfolded protein response (UPR) in leukemogenesis, we investigated UPR activation in the cells expressing the representative oncogene Bcr-Abl (B-A). The expression of UPR-related proteins and mRNAs, namely, X-box-binding protein (XBP1) and glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78) was increased in B-A. UPR inhibition using inositol-requiring enzyme 1alpha (IRE1alpha) or activating transcription factor 6 (ATF6) dominant-negative mutants diminished the ability of Bcr-Abl to protect the cells from etoposide- and imatinib-induced apoptosis. We also noted that the expression of UPR-related genes in primary leukemia cells from Philadelphia chromosome (Ph)-positive cells was higher than that in the control by quantitative RT-PCR assay. Thus, our results suggested that UPR is a downstream target of Bcr-Abl and plays an anti-apoptotic role in Ph-positive leukemia cells.