title: The RAC specific guanine nucleotide exchange factor Asef functions downstream from TEL-AML1 to promote leukaemic transformation.
abstract: TEL-AML1 is an oncogenic fusion protein associated with childhood pre-B acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. From published microarray datasets we identified the Rho Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factor (RhoGEF) Asef to be associated with TEL-AML1 leukaemia. However, the Asef gene is not a direct target of TEL-AML1 transcriptional control. Forced expression of Asef in vitro induced and maintained proliferation of haemaopoietic progenitor cells and co-operated with TEL-AML1 greatly to enhance proliferation and haemopoietic colony size. In haemopoietic transplantation reconstitution assays Asef and TEL-AML1 together failed to induce a leukaemic phenotype.
authors.affiliation: Unit of Molecular Haematology and Cancer Biology, University College London Institute of Child Health, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lyons
authors.forename: Owen
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Morrow
authors.forename: Neil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sebire
authors.forename: Mike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hubank
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Anderson
mesh_terms: D016475:3T3 Cells; D000818:Animals; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; D050676:Core Binding Factor Alpha 2 Subunit / Q000502:physiology*; D020662:Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors / Q000502:physiology*; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007938:Leukemia / Q000473:pathology*; D051379:Mice; D015514:Oncogene Proteins, Fusion / Q000502:physiology*; D064067:Rho Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors; D000097764:ETS Translocation Variant 6 Protein
chemical_list: D050676:Core Binding Factor Alpha 2 Subunit; D020662:Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors; D015514:Oncogene Proteins, Fusion; D064067:Rho Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors; C576602:ARHGEF4 protein, human; C102421:TEL-AML1 fusion protein; D000097764:ETS Translocation Variant 6 Protein