title: Identification of complex genomic breakpoint junctions in the t(9;11) MLL-AF9 fusion gene in acute leukemia.
abstract: The MLL gene at chromosome 11, band q23, is involved in translocations with as many as 40 different chromosomal bands. Virtually all breakpoints occur within an 8.3 kb BamHI fragment and result in 5' MLL fused to partner genes in a 5'-3' orientation. The translocation t(9;11)(p22;q23), which results in the fusion of MLL to AF9, is the most common of the 11q23 chromosomal abnormalities observed in de novo acute myeloid leukemia (AML), in therapy related leukemia (t-AML), and rarely in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). We have studied 24 patients with a t(9;11) and an MLL rearrangement, including 19 patients with AML, four with t-AML, and one with ALL. To understand the mechanisms of this illegitimate recombination, we cloned and sequenced the t(9;11) translocation breakpoint junctions on both derivative chromosomes from one AML patient and from the Mono Mac 6 (MM6) cell line, which was derived from a patient with AML. Two different complex junctions were noted. In the AML patient, both chromosome 11 and 9 breaks were staggered, occurred in Alu DNA sequences, and resulted in a 331 bp duplication. In the MM6 cell line, breaks in chromosomes 11 and 9 were also staggered, but, in contrast to the finding in the AML patient, the breaks did not involve Alu DNA sequences and resulted in a 664 bp deletion at the breakpoints. Using reverse transcriptase (RT-) PCR, we analyzed 11 patient samples, including the two just described, for MML-AF9 fusions. The fusion occurred in six of seven AML patients, two of two t-AML patients, one patient with ALL, and in the MM6 cell line. Interestingly, all of the breaks within the AF9 gene in AML patients occurred in the central AF9 exon, called Site A by others, whereas in the single ALL patient the breakpoint mapped to a more 3' region of the AF9 gene. Our data, when combined with those of others, suggest that the fusion point within the AF9 gene, and thus the amount of AF9 material included in the MLL-AF9 fusion gene product, may influence the phenotype of the resulting leukemia. This further supports the proposal that the MML translocation partner genes play a critical role in the leukemogenic process.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Illinois, USA.
authors.forename: H G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Super
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Strissel
authors.forename: O M
authors.initials: OM
authors.lastname: Sobulo
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Burian
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Reshmi
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Roe
authors.forename: N J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Zeleznik-Le
authors.forename: M O
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Diaz
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Rowley
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D019677:Artificial Gene Fusion; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019457:Chromosome Breakage; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D002880:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 11 / Q000235:genetics*; D002899:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 9 / Q000235:genetics*; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D006224:Cricetinae; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D015321:Gene Rearrangement; D015698:Genomic Library; D011495:Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase; D006801:Humans; D006822:Hybrid Cells; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D007223:Infant; D007951:Leukemia, Myeloid / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D051788:Myeloid-Lymphoid Leukemia Protein; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000235:genetics; D011519:Proto-Oncogenes; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase; D014157:Transcription Factors; D014178:Translocation, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C497422:KMT2A protein, human; C489901:MLLT3 protein, human; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D051788:Myeloid-Lymphoid Leukemia Protein; D011495:Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase