Fusion Tyrosine Kinase NPM-ALK Deregulates MSH2 and Suppresses DNA Mismatch Repair Function

The fusion tyrosine kinase NPM-ALK is central to the pathogenesis of ALK-positive anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALK+ALCL). We recently identified that MSH2, a key DNA mismatch repair (MMR) protein integral to the suppression of tumorigenesis, is an NPM-ALK–interacting protein. In this study, we found in vitro evidence that enforced expression of NPM-ALK in HEK293 cells suppressed MMR function. Correlating with these findings, six of nine ALK+ALCL tumors displayed evidence of microsatellite instability, as opposed to none of the eight normal DNA control samples (P = 0.007, Student's t-test). Using co-immunoprecipitation, we found that increasing levels of NPM-ALK expression in HEK293 cells resulted in decreased levels of MSH6 bound to MSH2, whereas MSH2·NPM-ALK binding was increased. The NPM-ALK·MSH2 interaction was dependent on the activation/autophosphorylation of NPM-ALK, and the Y191 residue of NPM-ALK was a crucial site for this interaction and NPM-ALK–mediated MMR suppression. MSH2 was found to be tyrosine phosphorylated in the presence of NPM-ALK. Finally, NPM-ALK impeded the expected DNA damage-induced translocation of MSH2 out of the cytoplasm. To conclude, our data support a model in which the suppression of MMR by NPM-ALK is attributed to its ability to interfere with normal MSH2 biochemistry and function.