An RNA-binding protein gene, TLS/FUS, is fused to ERG in human myeloid leukemia with t(16;21) chromosomal translocation.
The t(16;21)(p11;q22) translocation is a recurrent chromosomal abnormality found in several types of myeloid leukemia. We have previously demonstrated that the breakpoints of this translocation are clustered in a specific intron of the ERG gene on chromosome 21, which has recently been reported to be involved in Ewing's sarcoma. We show here that the TLS/FUS gene on chromosome 16 is fused with the ERG gene to produce the TLS/FUS-ERG chimeric transcript by this translocation. The TLS/FUS gene has been identified as a translocated gene in myxoid liposarcoma by the t(12;16)(q13;p11) translocation and encodes an RNA-binding protein that is highly homologous to the product of the EWS gene involved in Ewing's sarcoma. Thus, the TLS/FUS-ERG gene fusion in t(16;21) leukemia is predicted to produce a protein that is very similar to the EWS-ERG chimeric protein responsible for Ewing's sarcoma.
Ichikawa
H
H
Radiobiology Division, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan.
Shimizu
K
K
Hayashi
Y
Y
Ohki
M
M
D001483:Base Sequence; D002885:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 16; D002891:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 21; D006801:Humans; D007951:Leukemia, Myeloid / Q000235:genetics*; D018208:Liposarcoma, Myxoid / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D012512:Sarcoma, Ewing / Q000235:genetics; D014178:Translocation, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*
D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins