Preferential linkage of bcl-2 to immunoglobulin light chain gene in chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
Most of human follicular lymphomas possess the t(14;18) chromosome translocation that juxtaposes the IgH gene to the 3' region of bcl-2 in a head-to-tail configuration. Here we show that the rearrangement of the bcl-2 gene occurs in a significant fraction (approximately of 10%) of B cell CLL. In all cases analyzed, breakpoints on chromosome 18 clustered at the 5' flanking region of the bcl-2 gene, and no rearrangements were found at the major or minor breakpoint clustering region (3' region of bcl-2 gene) typical of the t(14;18) chromosome translocation. All of the rearranged bcl-2 genes were juxtaposed with the Ig lambda or K genes in a head-to-head configuration. These results imply that the bcl-2 gene is preferentially linked to the IgL genes in CLL and could function in leukemogenesis.
Adachi
M
M
Wistar Institute of Anatomy and Biology, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104.
Tefferi
A
A
Greipp
P R
PR
Kipps
T J
TJ
Tsujimoto
Y
Y
D001483:Base Sequence; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D002883:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 14; D002887:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 18; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics; D005803:Genes, Immunoglobulin; D008040:Genetic Linkage; D006801:Humans; D007147:Immunoglobulin Light Chains / Q000235:genetics*; D015451:Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D014178:Translocation, Genetic
D007147:Immunoglobulin Light Chains; D004247:DNA