title: The gene SCL is expressed during early hematopoiesis and encodes a differentiation-related DNA-binding motif.
abstract: We have identified the human gene, SCL. We discovered this gene because of its involvement in a chromosomal translocation associated with the occurrence of a stem cell leukemia manifesting myeloid and lymphoid differentiation capabilities. Here we report the sequence of a cDNA for the normal SCL transcript, as well as for an aberrant fusion transcript produced in the leukemic cells. Although different at their 3' untranslated regions, both cDNAs predict a protein with primary amino acid sequence homology to the previously described amphipathic helix-loop-helix DNA binding and dimerization motif of the Ly1-1, myc, MyoD, immunoglobulin enhancer binding, daughterless, and achaete-scute families of genes. For these cDNAs, at least two different 5' ends are predicted, both of which retain this putative DNA binding domain and predict proteins in the range of 20-30 kDa. SCL mRNA is observed in "early" hematopoietic tissues. Taken together, these studies lead to the speculation that SCL plays a role in differentiation and/or commitment events during hematopoiesis.
authors.affiliation: Navy-Medical Oncology Branch, National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, MD 20814.
authors.forename: C G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Begley
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Aplan
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Denning
authors.forename: B F
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Haynes
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Waldmann
authors.forename: I R
authors.initials: IR
authors.lastname: Kirsch
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002460:Cell Line; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D005796:Genes; D006410:Hematopoiesis; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D009928:Organ Specificity; D011519:Proto-Oncogenes; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D014178:Translocation, Genetic
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins