title: Molecular characterization of genomic AML1-ETO fusions in childhood leukemia.
abstract: T(8;21) AML1(CBFA2)-ETO(MTG8) is the most common chromosomal translocation in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in both children and adults. We sought to understand the structure and gain insight into the fusion process between AML1 and ETO by sequencing genomic fusions in 17 primary childhood AMLs and two cell lines with t(8;21). Reciprocal translocations were sequenced for seven of the 19 samples. We assumed a null hypothesis that the translocation breakpoints would be evenly distributed along the intronic breakpoint cluster regions. Testing for multimodality via smoothed bootstrap statistical methods suggested, however, the presence of two separate cluster regions within both the AML1 and ETO breakpoint cluster regions. ETObreakpoints were predominantly located in intron 1B in a defined cluster 5' of exon 1A (scan statistic P value = 0.00001). All patients with available RNA expressed an AML1-ETO mRNA fusion between exon 5 of AML1 and exon 2 of ETO. Since the structural restraints for the fusion protein of AML1-ETO exclude exon 1A, we reason that ETO intron 1B harbors a structural feature with propensity for breakage and/or recombination. Chromosomal breakpoints displayed evidence of fusion by a non-homologous end joining process, with microhomologies and nontemplate nucleotides at some fusion junctions. Breakpoints in general displayed similar complexity of duplications, deletions, and insertions to other common pediatric leukemia translocations (TEL-AML1, MLL-AF4, PML-RARA, CBFB-MYH11) that we and others have analyzed.
authors.affiliation: Leukaemia Research Fund Centre, Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Greaves
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Buffler
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Segal
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Dicks
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Wiencke
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Wiemels
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D001483:Base Sequence; D002648:Child; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations; D002891:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 21; D002898:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 8; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D050676:Core Binding Factor Alpha 2 Subunit; D005091:Exons / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007438:Introns / Q000235:genetics; D007951:Leukemia, Myeloid / Q000235:genetics*; D008957:Models, Genetic; D015514:Oncogene Proteins, Fusion / Q000235:genetics*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D000075142:RUNX1 Translocation Partner 1 Protein; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics*; D014178:Translocation, Genetic / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: C107844:AML1-ETO fusion protein, human; D050676:Core Binding Factor Alpha 2 Subunit; D015514:Oncogene Proteins, Fusion; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D000075142:RUNX1 Translocation Partner 1 Protein; D014157:Transcription Factors