NPM phosphorylation stimulates Cdk1, overrides G2/M checkpoint and increases leukemic blasts in mice

An elevated level of nucleophosmin (NPM) is often found in actively proliferative cells including human tumors. To identify the regulatory role for NPM phosphorylation in proliferation and cell cycle control, a series of mutants targeting the consensus cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) phosphorylation sites was created to mimic or abrogate either single-site or multi-site phosphorylation. Simultaneous inactivation of two CDK phosphorylation sites at Ser10 and Ser70 (NPM-AA) induced G(2)/M cell cycle arrest, phosphorylation of Cdk1 at Tyr15 (Cdc2(Tyr15)) and increased cytoplasmic accumulation of Cdc25C. Strikingly, stress-induced Cdk1(Tyr15) and Cdc25C sequestration was suppressed by expression of a phosphomimetic NPM mutant created on the same CDK sites (S10E/S70E, NPM-EE). Further analysis revealed that phosphorylation of NPM at both Ser10 and Ser70 was required for proper interaction between Cdk1 and Cdc25C. Moreover, NPM-EE directly bound to Cdc25C and prevented phosphorylation of Cdc25C at Ser216 during mitosis. Finally, NPM-EE overrided stress-induced G(2)/M arrest and increased leukemia blasts in a NOD/SCID xenograft model. Thus, these findings reveal a novel function of NPM on regulation of cell cycle progression, in which phosphorylation of NPM controls cell cycle progression at G(2)/M transition through modulation of Cdk1 and Cdc25C activities.