title: Identification of a gene at 11q23 encoding a guanine nucleotide exchange factor: evidence for its fusion with MLL in acute myeloid leukemia.
abstract: We have identified a gene at 11q23, telomeric to MLL, that encodes a guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF). This gene is transcribed into a 9.5-kb mRNA containing a 4.6-kb ORF. By Northern analysis, it was found to be expressed in all human tissues examined including peripheral blood leukocytes, spleen, prostate, testis, ovary, small intestine, colon, and minimally in thymus. Analysis of the predicted protein sequence indicates that it has strong homology to several members of the family of Rho GEFs that includes such oncogenes as Dbl, Vav, Tiam, and Bcr. A patient with primary acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and a karyotype of 51,XY,+8,+19,+3mar was found to have the 5' end of MLL at exon 6 fused in-frame with the 3' end of almost the entire ORF of this gene, which we named LARG for leukemia-associated Rho GEF. Transcriptional orientation of both genes at 11q23 is from centromere to telomere, consistent with other data that suggest the MLL-LARG fusion resulted from an interstitial deletion rather than a balanced translocation. LARG does not appear to have any homology with other MLL partner genes reported thus far. Thus, LARG represents an additional member of the GEF family and a novel MLL fusion partner in acute myeloid leukemia.
authors.affiliation: The Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, The Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Division of Human Cancer Genetics, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA.
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Kourlas
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Strout
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Becknell
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Veronese
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Croce
authors.forename: K S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Theil
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Krahe
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ruutu
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Knuutila
authors.forename: C D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Bloomfield
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Caligiuri
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D019677:Artificial Gene Fusion; D001483:Base Sequence; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D002880:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 11; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D020662:Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors / Q000235:genetics*; D011495:Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase; D006801:Humans; D015479:Leukemia, Myelomonocytic, Acute / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D051788:Myeloid-Lymphoid Leukemia Protein; D011519:Proto-Oncogenes; D064067:Rho Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors; D014157:Transcription Factors
chemical_list: C577222:ARHGEF12 protein, human; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D020662:Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors; C497422:KMT2A protein, human; D064067:Rho Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors; D014157:Transcription Factors; D051788:Myeloid-Lymphoid Leukemia Protein; D011495:Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase