ZBTB33 Is Mutated in Clonal Hematopoiesis and Myelodysplastic Syndromes and Impacts RNA Splicing

Abstract

Clonal hematopoiesis results from somatic mutations in cancer driver genes in hematopoietic stem cells. We sought to identify novel drivers of clonal expansion using an unbiased analysis of sequencing data from 84,683 persons and identified common mutations in the 5-methylcytosine reader ZBTB33 as well as in YLPM1, SRCAP, and ZNF318. We also identified these mutations at low frequency in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome. Zbtb33-edited mouse hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells exhibited a competitive advantage in vivo and increased genome-wide intron retention. ZBTB33 mutations potentially link DNA methylation and RNA splicing, the two most commonly mutated pathways in clonal hematopoiesis and myelodysplastic syndromes.