title: The t(5;14) chromosomal translocation in a case of acute lymphocytic leukemia joins the interleukin-3 gene to the immunoglobulin heavy chain gene.
abstract: Chromosomal translocations have proven to be important markers of the genetic abnormalities central to the pathogenesis of cancer. By cloning chromosomal breakpoints one can identify activated proto-oncogenes. We have studied a case of B-lineage acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) that was associated with peripheral blood eosinophilia. The chromosomal translocation t(5;14) (q31;q32) from this sample was cloned and studied at the molecular level. This translocation joined the immunoglobulin heavy chain joining (Jh) region to the promotor region of the interleukin-3 (IL-3) gene in opposite transcriptional orientations. The data suggest that activation of the IL-3 gene by the enhancer of the immunoglobulin heavy chain gene may play a central role in the pathogenesis of this leukemia and the associated eosinophilia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco 94121.
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Grimaldi
authors.forename: T C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Meeker
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D002883:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 14; D002895:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 5; D015322:Gene Rearrangement, B-Lymphocyte; D005803:Genes, Immunoglobulin; D006801:Humans; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains / Q000235:genetics*; D007377:Interleukin-3 / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D014178:Translocation, Genetic
chemical_list: D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains; D007377:Interleukin-3