Expression of the ABL-BCR fusion gene in Philadelphia-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
We have previously shown that the chimeric gene ABL-BCR, formed on the derivative chromosome 9q+ as a result of the t(9;22) translocation, is transcriptionally active in 65% of chronic myeloid leukemia patients. We have now used the same technique, reverse transcription/polymerase chain reaction amplification of ABL-BCR transcripts, to study nine patients with Philadelphia (Ph) chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL); seven expressed the P190 and two the P210 type of BCR-ABL fusion protein. All seven patients with P190 had ABL-BCR transcripts containing a junction between ABL exon Ib and BCR exon 2 (Ib-e2); in two cases, ABL-BCR transcripts with the Ia-e2 junction type were also present. Of the two P210 ALL patients, one had a Ib-b4 ABL-BCR transcript and the other showed no detectable ABL-BCR expression. Although the BCR-ABL gene is probably fundamental in the pathogenesis of the Ph+ leukemias, differential expression of the ABL-BCR gene could contribute to the biologic heterogeneity of the disease.
Melo
J V
JV
Department of Haematology, Royal Postgraduate Medical School, London, UK.
Gordon
D E
DE
Tuszynski
A
A
Dhut
S
S
Young
B D
BD
Goldman
J M
JM
D000328:Adult; D001483:Base Sequence; D002892:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 22; D005091:Exons; D016044:Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl / Q000235:genetics*; D016313:Genes, abl; D006801:Humans; D015473:Leukemia, Promyelocytic, Acute / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009000:Monocytes / Q000502:physiology; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides; D015513:Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D010677:Philadelphia Chromosome; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000235:genetics*; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D051562:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcr; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014178:Translocation, Genetic; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides; D015513:Oncogene Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D016044:Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl; C496613:BCR protein, human; D051562:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcr