β-catenin and γ-catenin are dispensable for T lymphocytes and AML leukemic stem cells
Xin Zhao,
Peng Shao,
Kexin Gai,
Fengyin Li,
Qiang Shan,
Hai-Hui Xue
Affiliations
Xin Zhao
Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack University Medical Center, Nutley, United States
Peng Shao
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, United States
Kexin Gai
Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack University Medical Center, Nutley, United States
Fengyin Li
Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, the CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
Qiang Shan
Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack University Medical Center, Nutley, United States
Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack University Medical Center, Nutley, United States; New Jersey Veterans Affairs Health Care System, East Orange, United States
The β-catenin transcriptional coregulator is involved in various biological and pathological processes; however, its requirements in hematopoietic cells remain controversial. We re-targeted the Ctnnb1 gene locus to generate a true β-catenin-null mutant mouse strain. Ablation of β-catenin alone, or in combination with its homologue γ-catenin, did not affect thymocyte maturation, survival or proliferation. Deficiency in β/γ-catenin did not detectably affect differentiation of CD4+T follicular helper cells or that of effector and memory CD8+ cytotoxic cells in response to acute viral infection. In an MLL-AF9 AML mouse model, genetic deletion of β-catenin, or even all four Tcf/Lef family transcription factors that interact with β-catenin, did not affect AML onset in primary recipients, or the ability of leukemic stem cells (LSCs) in propagating AML in secondary recipients. Our data thus clarify on a long-standing controversy and indicate that β-catenin is dispensable for T cells and AML LSCs.
