title: Surface expression of Bcl-2 in chronic lymphocytic leukemia and other B-cell leukemias and lymphomas without a breakpoint t(14;18).
abstract: Since its discovery in follicular lymphoma cells at the breakpoint t(14;18), Bcl-2 has been studied extensively in many basic and clinical science settings. Bcl-2 can locate as an integral mitochondrial membrane component, where its primary role is to block apoptosis by maintaining membrane integrity. Here we show that Bcl-2 also can position on the outer cell surface membrane of B cells from patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) and certain other leukemias that do not classically possess the chromosomal breakpoint t(14;18). Although low levels of Bcl-2 can be detected on the surface membrane of apparently healthy leukemic and normal B cells, expression of Bcl-2 correlates best with spontaneous or induced apoptosis. Notably, upon induction of apoptosis, B-CLL cells were much more efficient in upregulating surface Bcl-2 than normal B cells. It is not clear if this surface membrane expression is a passive consequence of the apoptotic process or an active attempt by the B cell to abort cell death by stabilizing the plasma membrane.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Manhasset, New York 11030, USA.
authors.forename: Brian A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: McCarthy
authors.forename: Erin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Boyle
authors.forename: Xue Ping
authors.initials: XP
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Dorothy
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Guzowski
authors.forename: Santanu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Paul
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Catera
authors.forename: Joshua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Trott
authors.forename: Xiao-jie
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Carlo M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Croce
authors.forename: Rajendra
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Damle
authors.forename: Sophia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yancopoulos
authors.forename: Bradley T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Messmer
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lesser
authors.forename: Steven L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.forename: Kanti R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Rai
authors.forename: Nicholas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Chiorazzi
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D015973:Gene Expression Regulation, Leukemic; D006801:Humans; D015448:Leukemia, B-Cell / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D015451:Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D016393:Lymphoma, B-Cell / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D012333:RNA, Messenger