The t(8;14) breakpoint of the EW 36 undifferentiated lymphoma cell line lies 5' of MYC in a region prone to involvement in endemic Burkitt's lymphomas.
One of the best analyzed tumor-specific cytogenetic abnormalities is the t(8;14) chromosomal translocation observed in cases of Burkitt's and undifferentiated lymphomas (ULs), and acute lymphoblastic leukemias (ALLs). Here we analyze the cloned (8;14) chromosomal breakpoint of the UL cell line EW 36. We show that the region of chromosome 8 involved in the translocation is situated near a site previously demonstrated to harbor a cluster of endemic Burkitt's lymphoma breakpoints, approximately 50 kb 5' of MYC. In those cases, we demonstrated that malfunction of the V-D-J recombinase generated the translocations. However, in this case the isotype switch mechanism of translocation is implicated: at the breakpoint, S mu/S gamma and C gamma sequences are found on chromosome 14. Thus, the features of the EW 36 t(8;14) breakpoint are consonant with our model for B-cell lymphomagenesis which relates the precursor cell that gives rise to malignancy, the mechanism of translocation, and the phenotype of the tumor.
D002051:Burkitt Lymphoma / Q000235:genetics*; D002460:Cell Line; D002883:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 14; D002898:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 8; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics; D005803:Genes, Immunoglobulin; D005812:Genes, Switch; D006801:Humans; D007142:Immunoglobulin gamma-Chains / Q000235:genetics; D007148:Immunoglobulin mu-Chains / Q000235:genetics; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000235:genetics*; D009857:Oncogenes; D014178:Translocation, Genetic
D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D007142:Immunoglobulin gamma-Chains; D007148:Immunoglobulin mu-Chains