Human HTm4 is a hematopoietic cell cycle regulator

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Abstract

Proper control of cell cycle progression is critical for the constant self-renewal, differentiation, and homeostasis of the hematopoietic system. Cells of all types share the common cell cycle regulators. The different expression patterns of common regulators, in a broad sense, define cell-type or lineage specificity. However, there remains the possibility of hematopoietic cell cycle regulators tailored to the demands of the hematopoietic system. Here we describe a novel protein, HTm4, which serves as a hematopoietic cell cycle regulator. Our data indicate that HTm4 is expressed in hematopoietic tissues and is tightly regulated during the differentiation of hematopoietic stem cells. It binds to cyclin-dependent kinase–associated (CDK-associated) phosphatase-CDK2 (KAP-CDK2) complexes, and the three proteins demonstrate similar patterns of cellular expression in human lymphoid tissues. HTm4 stimulates the phosphatase activity of KAP, and its C-terminal region is required for binding to KAP-CDK2 complexes and the modulation of KAP activity. Overexpression of HTm4 can cause cell cycle arrest at the G0/G1 phase. Thus, HTm4 is a novel hematopoietic modulator for the G1-S cell cycle transition.

Authors

José L. Donato, Jon Ko, Jeffery L. Kutok, Tao Cheng, Taro Shirakawa, Xiao-Quan Mao, David Beach, David T. Scadden, Mohamed H. Sayegh, Chaker N. Adra