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OBJECTIVE: The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) translocates to the nucleus and binds to the aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator (ARNT) to regulate biological responses upon ligand activation. The aim of this study was to measure the effects of activation or inhibition of AhR activity on basal and glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) from clonal pancreatic β-cells (INS-1) cultured under normal and glucolipotoxic (GLT) conditions (high glucose and fatty acid). METHODS: Insulin content and secretion were measured utilizing homogenous time-resolved fluorescence (HTRF) insulin assay kit (cisbio). Cells cultured in RPMI media containing 5 mM and 11 mM glucose were pre-incubated with the receptor agonist FICZ or antagonist CH223191 for 96 hours. Insulin secretion over 2 hours was reported as ng/million cells. Intracellular lipid was measured by fluorescence after Nile red staining. RESULTS: Incubation of INS-1 cells with 11 mM glucose and fatty acid increased lipid droplets, basal insulin secretion and inhibited GSIS compared to cells cultured in 4 mM glucose, characteristic of GLT. Incubation of INS-1 cells with 11 mM glucose alone also exhibited GLT characteristics. INS-1 cells cultured at 11 mM glucose and treated with antagonist (1.25 - 10 μM) had decreased lipid content and improved insulin secretion compared to cells cultured in 11 mM glucose alone. INS-1 cells cultured in 5 mM glucose and treated with the AhR agonist (1.25 - 10 μM) exhibited increased intracellular lipid and impaired insulin secretion. CONCLUSION: The AhR may play a mediatory role in the development of GLT in pancreatic β-cells cultured in excess nutrients and β-cell specific activator or inhibitor ligands of this receptor could potentially be a targeted therapeutic treatment of diabetes.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is an aggressive malignancy of the hematopoietic system, characterized by the accumulation of abnormally differentiated blast cells that is driven by leukemic stem cells (LSCs). In murine AML, Musashi-2 (MSI2), an RNA-binding protein and positive regulator of stemness, has been implicated in the propagation of disease. While its enhanced expression correlated with poor disease outcome for human AML patients, no study has yet examined its actual functional role in human leukemia. In normal human hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), we have recently reported the inhibitory effects of MSI2 on the pro-differentiative aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) signaling pathway as a mechanism for promoting self-renewal in HSCs. We hypothesized that elevated MSI2 is critical for maintenance of human AML and promotes unrestrained self-renewal of LSCs in part through constitutive repression of AHR signaling. Our work aimed to unravel the relationship between MSI2 and AHR in the human leukemic context and to determine if activation of AHR signaling can promote differentiation. Results confirmed that MSI2 is preferentially expressed in primary patient LSCs and is negatively correlated with the expression of AHR gene targets. Upon lentiviral knockdown of MSI2 in-vitro and in-vivo, leukemic growth was compromised and increased AHR signaling was observed. Circumventing the inhibitory role of MSI2 in AML, activation of AHR with a potent agonist impaired leukemic progenitor activity and proliferation. In-vivo studies employing reconstitution of immunodeficient mice with primary AML samples showed impairment of AML engraftment for a significant proportion of tested samples upon treatment with an AHR agonist. Overall, our findings from this project indicated that MSI2 is required for human AML propagation and that a decrease in MSI2 inhibitory effects on AHR signaling or direct activation of the AHR signaling pathway via a potent agonist can promote AML cell differentiation and loss. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc) / The human blood system is sustained by a population of blood stem cells that are tightly regulated in their production of stem and differentiated cells. The Musashi-2 (MSI2) protein is a key regulator of blood stem cell identity through its inhibition of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) signaling pathway. When there is dysregulation of blood cell homeostasis, blood malignancies such as acute myeloid leukemia (AML) may arise. In this work, the relationship between MSI2 and the AHR signaling pathway was explored within a myeloid leukemic context. It was shown that MSI2 imposes inhibitory effects on AHR to promote disease progression and that its reduction could help alleviate disease burden. Additionally, it was found that activation of the AHR signaling pathway could overcome the MSI2 differentiation block to create a therapeutic effect. Overall, the results of this project shed light on novel therapeutic strategies and targets for the treatment of AML.