SATB1 in malignant T cells

Deficient expression of Suppressor Special AT-rich Binding-1 (SATB1) hampers thymocyte development and results in inept T cell lineages. Recent data implicate dysregulated SATB1 expression in the pathogenesis of mycosis fungoides (MF), the most frequent variant of cutaneous T cell lymphoma (CTCL). Here we report on a disease-stage-associated decrease of SATB1 expression and an inverse expression of STAT5 and SATB1 in situ. Importantly, STAT5 inhibited SATB1 expression through induction of miR-155. Decreased SATB1 expression triggered enhanced expression of IL-5 and IL-9 (but not IL-6 and IL-32) whereas increased SATB1 expression had the opposite effect indicating that the mir-155 target SATB1 is a repressor of IL-5 and IL-9 in malignant T cells. In accordance, inhibition of STAT5, and its upstream activator Janus Kinase-3 (Jak3), triggered increased SATB1 expression and a concomitant suppression of IL-5 and IL-9 expression in malignant T cells. In conclusion, we provide a mechanistic link between the proto-oncogenic Jak3/STAT5/miR-155 pathway, SATB1, and cytokines linked to CTCL severity and progression indicating that SATB1 dysregulation is involved in CTCL pathogenesis.