Stepwise leukemogenesis and therapeutic targets revealed in B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia driven by PAX5 mutations

Abstract

Abstract PAX5 is genetically altered in over 30% of B-ALL cases, with point mutations representing the second most common type of alteration. These point mutations are highly enriched in the DNA binding (paired) domain and have been recognized as founder events in PAX5 P80R and PAX5alt B-ALL subtypes, which account for over 12% of B-ALL. However, the molecular features and underlying mechanisms of these mutations in B-ALL remain largely undefined, limiting the development of targeted therapies and resulting in poor outcomes, especially in adult patients. We systematically investigated the functional roles and oncogenic mechanisms of PAX5 paired domain mutations. Integrated CRISPR screening and genomic profiling revealed that the paired domain is critical for PAX5 function. Disruptions in this region significantly reduced cell viability in B-ALL cell lines, and analysis of 2,955 B-ALL samples showed that recurrent PAX5 missense mutations are highly enriched in this domain, further underscoring its functional importance. Functional analysis of knock-in mice with PAX5 mutations revealed that R38H and R140L severely impair DNA binding and block B-cell differentiation, while P34L and P80R retain binding ability but alter binding specificity and gene regulation. Mice carrying homozygous (P34L, R38H, P80R, R140L) or heterozygous (R38H, P80R) mutations developed spontaneous B-ALL within one year. To model co-occurring mutations observed in patients, Pax5 R38H/P34L and R38H/R140L mice were generated. These compound mutations exhibited greater leukemogenic potential than single mutants. Transcriptomic analysis of leukemia samples showed consistent up-regulation of metabolic pathways and Myc target genes. Notably, biallelic PAX5 alterations and additional genetic lesions in signaling pathways were detected in all PAX5R38H/+ and PAX5P80R/+ leukemias, faithfully recapitulating the genetic alteration features of patient B-ALL driven by PAX5 mutations. Among Pax5-mutant mouse strains, Pax5P80R/+ mice develop B-ALL with short latency and complete penetrance, making them an ideal model to study the mutational evolution and leukemogenesis of B-ALL. To characterize the stepwise leukemogenesis process, we performed serial bone marrow aspirations in the same Pax5P80R/+ mice. In all 17 mice analyzed, we identified early preleukemic clones with only Pax5 WT deletions, followed by the emergence of leukemic clones harboring Jak1/3 mutations. Single-cell RNA/BCR-seq revealed that Pax5 WT allele deletions relieve metabolic constraints, thereby promoting clonal expansion of preleukemic B cells blocked at the pre-B stage. These changes coincide with downregulation of metabolic checkpoint genes and upregulation of glycolytic enzymes, promoting genetic instability and facilitating malignant transformation. Clinically, PAX5 P80R patients have better outcomes than PAX5alt cases. Using our mouse models, we observed that leukemic cells driven by the PAX5 P80R mutation exhibit greater sensitivity to dexamethasone compared to the ones carrying other PAX5 mutations in PAX5alt subtype, potentially due to their heightened dependence on glucose uptake and glycolysis, suggesting that metabolic rewiring driven by PAX5 mutants may influence therapeutic response. Interestingly, we found that an aberrant isoform of MEGF10 (aMEGF10) is highly and specifically expressed in PAX5 P80R B-ALL. This N-terminal truncated isoform encodes a protein that retains the intracellular immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motifs (ITAMs). Using CUT&Tag, we showed that PAX5 P80R directly binds to the aMEGF10 promoter. By engineering human CD34⁺ cells, we established a humanized PAX5 P80R leukemia model that recapitulates the gene expression profile of patient samples, including robust activation of aMEGF10. Functionally, aMEGF10 binds to and activates SYK, thereby promoting leukemic cell proliferation. Importantly, this oncogenic effect depends on intact ITAM motifs and SYK signaling, revealing a novel targetable vulnerability in PAX5 P80R leukemias. Overall, the study establishes that PAX5 DNA binding domain mutations contribute to leukemogenesis through stepwise loss of PAX5 WT alleles and acquisition of signaling pathway mutations, involving impaired differentiation, metabolic deregulation, and novel oncogene activation. These findings not only deepen the understanding of PAX5-driven leukemias but also highlight aMEGF10–SYK signaling as a promising therapeutic target.