Different molecular consequences of the 1;19 chromosomal translocation in childhood B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
The prognostically important 1;19 chromosomal translocation can alter the E2A gene on chromosome 19p13 in childhood B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), leading to formation of a fusion gene (E2A-PBX1) that encodes a hybrid transcription factor with oncogenic potential. It is not known whether this molecular alteration is a uniform consequence of the t(1;19) or is restricted to translocation events within specific immunologic subtypes of the disease. Therefore, we studied leukemic cells from 25 cases of B-cell precursor ALL, with or without evidence of cytoplasmic Ig mu heavy chains (cIg); 17 cases had the t(1;19) by cytogenetic analysis. Leukemic cell DNA samples were analyzed by Southern blotting to detect alterations within the E2A genomic locus; a polymerase chain reaction assay was used to identify expression of chimeric E2A-pbx1 transcripts in leukemic cell RNA; and immunoblotting with anti-Pbx1 antibodies was used to detect hybrid E2A-Pbx1 proteins. Of 11 cases of cIg+ ALL with the t(1;19), 10 had E2A-pbx1 chimeric transcripts with identical junctions and a characteristic set of E2A-Pbx1 hybrid proteins. Each of these cases had E2A gene rearrangements, including the one in which fusion transcripts were not detected. By contrast, none of the six cases of t(1;19)-positive, cIg- ALL had evidence of rearranged E2A genomic restriction fragments, detectable E2A-pbx1 chimeric transcripts, or hybrid E2A-Pbx1 proteins. Typical chimeric E2A-pbx1 transcripts and proteins were detected in one of eight cIg+ leukemias in which the t(1;19) was not identified by cytogenetic analysis, emphasizing the increased sensitivity of molecular analysis for detection of this abnormality. We conclude that the molecular breakpoints in cases of cIg- B-cell precursor ALL with the t(1;19) differ from those in cIg+ cases with this translocation. Leukemias that express hybrid oncoproteins such as E2A-Pbx1 or Bcr-Abl have had a poor prognosis in most studies. Thus, molecular techniques to detect fusion genes and their aberrant products should allow more timely and appropriate treatment of these aggressive subtypes of the disease.
Department of Hematology-Oncology, St Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105.
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E
Privitera
M P
MP
Kamps
Y
Y
Hayashi
T
T
Inaba
L H
LH
Shapiro
S C
SC
Raimondi
F
F
Behm
L
L
Hendershot
A J
AJ
Carroll
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D
Baltimore
D000293:Adolescent; D001483:Base Sequence; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002878:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 1; D002888:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 19; D015342:DNA Probes; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D015321:Gene Rearrangement; D005801:Genes, Homeobox; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D007621:Karyotyping; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D015452:Precursor B-Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000235:genetics*; D055503:Protein Multimerization / Q000235:genetics; D051820:TCF Transcription Factors; D058125:Transcription Factor 7-Like 1 Protein; D014157:Transcription Factors; D014178:Translocation, Genetic
D015342:DNA Probes; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D051820:TCF Transcription Factors; C544912:TCF7L1 protein, human; D058125:Transcription Factor 7-Like 1 Protein; D014157:Transcription Factors