title: The possible influences of B2A2 and B3A2 BCR/ABL protein structure on thrombopoiesis in chronic myeloid leukaemia.
abstract: The Philadelphia chromosome, t(9;22)(q34;q11) gives rise more frequently, in chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML), to two BCR/ABL chimeric transcripts differing only by the absence of 75 nucleotides and defined as b2a2 and b3a2 types, encoding two 210-kDa tyrosine kinase proteins differing only by the absence of 25 amino acids coded by the b3 exon. In the present study the two transcripts, detected by RT-PCR in 88 consecutive unselected CML patients, were correlated with haematological findings at diagnosis and with the megakaryocyte size and frequency by morphometric evaluation of 45 bone marrow biopsies. The secondary structure prediction and hydrophobicity of the b2a2 and b3a2 type BCR/ABL protein were also obtained. The prediction results for the b3 exon amino acids using GOR IV and NnPredict methods showed a short beta strand corresponding to the hydrophobic portion of the peptide. Significantly higher values were found in the platelet count of patients carrying b3a2 transcripts. The megakaryocyte size and frequency in bone marrow biopsies did not show significant differences between the two groups of patients. Stratifying the patients on the basis of white blood cell (WBC) count below or above 100x10(9)/l we still had, in both groups, a significant difference in the platelet count between the b2a2 and b3a2 patients. The possible relationships between the structure of b2a2 and b3a2 types of BCR/ABL fused protein and thrombopoiesis are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Institute of General Pathology, University of Milan, Via L. Mangiagalli 31, 20133, Milan, Italy. roberto.perego@unimib.it
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Perego
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Costantini
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cornacchini
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gargantini
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bianchi
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pungolino
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rovida
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Morra
mesh_terms: D015703:Antigens, CD; D000943:Antigens, Differentiation / Q000235:genetics; D024682:BRCA2 Protein; D001483:Base Sequence; D051927:CD24 Antigen; D002455:Cell Division; D005260:Female; D016044:Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D015464:Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008533:Megakaryocytes / Q000473:pathology*; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D000943:Antigens, Differentiation; D024682:BRCA2 Protein; D051927:CD24 Antigen; C497889:CD24 protein, human; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014157:Transcription Factors; D016044:Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl