In silico analysis resulted in identification of three genes (
JAK2,
ACTR2, and
THAP3) that were negatievly correlated with CD45 and two genes (
Serglycin and
PBX-1) positively correlated with CD45 expression. To validate the correlation between CD45 expression and the expression of the genes identified by quadratic connectivity mapping, CD45 was either over-expressed using CRISPR CAS-9 on UT-7 and NALM-6 cells (Supplementary Fig.
3) or inhibited using repurposed drugs and gene expression was studied at protein level by western blotting. The most important finding from this study was the negative correlation between CD45 expression and
JAK2. This is in consistent with the results explored by Irie-Sasaki et al. [
25]. As
JAK promotes cellular proliferation through JAK/STAT pathway, inhibition of
JAK by CD45 might alter cellular proliferation and make cells more susceptible to apoptosis. This confirms the involvement of CD45 in apoptosis. As CD45 expression was validated to be negatively correlated with
JAK2, then inhibition of
JAK would not alter CD45 expression but enhance inhibition of CD45 when combined with any of CD45 inhibitor drugs identified. Interestingly, the genes that showed correlation with CD45 expression were also associated with apoptosis such as
THAP3 [
26],
Serglycin [
27], and
PBX-1 [
28] a trigger to investigate the role of CD45 in apoptosis of myeloid cells.
JAK2 inhibitor maintains CD45 expression at concentrations of 1 µM in all cells studied (Fig.
4C), but it significantly enhanced CD45 inhibitor drugs (
p-value < 0.0001) to inhibit CD45 expression when combined with 0.01 mM CD45 inhibitor drugs. Therefore, inhibition of CD45 expression causes elevation of JAK/STAT signaling [
19,
29], which explains the HEL cells sensitivity to JAK inhibitor compared to SKM cells. UT-7 cells, however, showed the least significant effect of JAK inhibitor due to lower expression of CD45, and, therefore, no significant inhibition of the JAK/STAT pathway. Figure
4D and Supplementary Fig.
4 show that
ACTR2 and
THAP3 were negatively correlated with CD45 expression, while
PBX-1 and
SEG were positive with CD45 expression. ACTR2 dysregulation is a feature of various types of cancers such as hepatocellular carcinoma and essential thrombocytosis. It is important in cytokinesis, signalling, vesicular trafficking, cellular mechanical process, and to cell shape and motility through lamellipodial actin assembly and projection [
30]. This is indirectly indicating the association of CD45 with cellular motility and mobilization. Previously, it has been shown by Shivtiel et al. [
31] CD45 over-expression on bone marrow white blood cells was associated with generation of motility in response to stress signals, while CD45 knocked down cells showed decreased granulocyte colony–stimulating factor mobilization and reduction in homing even in response to stromal-derived factor 1, which indicated defective motility. This was due to elevation in cell adhesion induced by decrease in secretion of matrix metalloproteinase-9 and dysregulation of the activity of Src kinase, the main substrate of CD45 [
31]. Thus, CD45 regulates movement and retention of progenitor by modulating haematopoietic and non-haematopoietic compartments. The third gene identified which showed negative correlation with CD45 expression was
THAP domain containing apoptosis-associated protein-3 (
Thap3). The complex of
THAP3 consists of
THAP1 and THAP3-HCFC1-OGT and it is essential to control the transcriptional activity of
RRM1 gene which encodes ribonucleoside-diphosphate reductase large catalytic subunit M1 [
26]. Correlation of CD45 expression with THAP3 is another indication of the role of CD45 in apoptosis. Moreover, CD45 expression is positively correlated with the pre-B-cell leukaemia transcription factor 1 (
PBX-1) gene which encodes a nuclear protein of
PBX homeobox family of transcriptional factors which is important in the regulation of osteogenesis, and skeletal modelling and programming. A chromosomal translocation, t(1;19) involving this gene and
TCF3/E2A gene, is associated with pre-B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. The resulting fusion protein, in which the DNA binding domain of E2A is replaced by the DNA binding domain of this protein, transforms cells by constitutively activating transcription of genes regulated by the
PBX protein family [
28]. Therefore, this might also suggest the association of CD45 with initiation of transcription of pre-B-cell leukaemia cells as well as the involvement of CD45 in the process of osteogenesis. A study showed that isolated CXCR4 + CD45 − cells enhanced development of an appropriate microenvironment for osteoclastogenesis with a direct effect on the cells expressing SDF-1, CXCL7, and CX3CL1 receptors. Therefore, regulation of CXCR4 + CD45 − cell function might notify therapeutic strategies for diseases involving loss of bone homeostasis [
32].
Serglycin gene showed a positive correlation with CD45 expression. Researchers suggested that
serglycin is a crucial factor to promote tumorigenesis in different types of cancer. It is found in the tumour cells phenotype and indicates poor prognosis for disease progression.
Serglycin functions as an intracellular proteoglycan, but also secreted in the extracellular matrix by tumour cells altering cell properties, oncogenic signalling, and exosomes cargo.
Serglycin directly interacts with CD44 in addition to its correlation with CD45, and perhaps other cell surface receptors including integrins, inducing cell adhesion and signalling.
Serglycin also generates a pro-inflammatory and pro-angiogenic tumour microenvironment by monitoring the secretion of proteolytic enzymes, IL-8, TGFβ2, CCL2, VEGF, and HGF. Therefore,
serglycin stimulates multiple signalling cascades that initiate angiogenesis, tumour cell growth, epithelial to mesenchymal transition, cancer cell stemness, and metastasis. The interference with the tumorigenic functions of
serglycin emerges as an attractive prospect to target malignancies [
27]. Taken together, association between CD45 expression and
serglycin suggests the importance involvement of CD45 to support the
serglycin tumorigenesis activity. This should be further explored and validated as a therapeutic target.