title: Mixed lineage leukemia protein in normal and leukemic stem cells.
abstract: Transcription factors critical for normal hematopoietic stem cell functions are frequently mutated in acute leukemia leading to an aberrant re-programming of normal hematopoietic progenitor/stem cells into leukemic stem cells. Among them, re-arrangements of the mixed lineage leukemia gene (MLL), including chimeric fusion, partial tandem duplication (PTD), amplification and internal exonic deletion, represent one of the most common recurring oncogenic events and associate with very poor prognosis in human leukemias. Extensive research on wild type MLL and MLL-fusions has significant advanced our knowledge about their functions in normal and malignant hematopoiesis, which also provides a framework for the underlying pathogenic role of MLL re-arrangements in human leukemias. In contrast, research progress on MLL-PTD, MLL amplification and internal exonic deletion remains stagnant, in particular for the last two abnormalities where mouse model is not yet available. In this article, we will review the key features of both wild-type and re-arranged MLL proteins with particular focuses on MLL-PTD and MLL amplification for their roles in normal and malignant hematopoiesis.
authors.affiliation: Leukemia and Stem Cell Biology Lab, Department of Haematological Medicine, King's College London, Denmark Hill, London SE5 9NU, UK.
authors.forename: Bon Ham
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Yip
authors.forename: Chi Wai Eric
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: So
mesh_terms: D005784:Gene Amplification; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D050939:Gene Fusion; D015321:Gene Rearrangement; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D009154:Mutation; D051788:Myeloid-Lymphoid Leukemia Protein / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D017384:Sequence Deletion; D014178:Translocation, Genetic
chemical_list: D051788:Myeloid-Lymphoid Leukemia Protein