Unexpected heterogeneity of BCR-ABL fusion mRNA detected by polymerase chain reaction in Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Journal Article · Thu Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1989 · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.86.11.4259· OSTI ID:5299687

Hooberman, A L; Carrino, J J; Leibowitz, D; Rowley, J D; Le Beau, M M; Arlin, Z A; Westbrook, C A ^[1]

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1. Univ. of Chicago, IL (USA)

The Philadelphia (Ph{sup 1}) chromosome results in a fusion of portions of the BCR gene from chromosome 22 and the ABL gene from chromosome 9, producing a chimeric BCR-ABL mRNA and protein. In lymphoblastic leukemias, there are two molecular subtypes of the Ph{sup 1} chromosome, one with a rearrangement of the breakpoint cluster region (bcr) of the BCR gene, producing the same 8.5-kilobase BCR-ABL fusion mRNA seen in chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), and the other, without a bcr rearrangement, producing a 7.0-kilobase BCR-ABL fusion mRNA that is seen only in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). The authors studied the molecular subtype of the Ph{sup 1} chromosome in 11 cases of Ph{sup 1}-positive ALL, including 2 with a previous diagnosis of CML, using a sensitive method to analyze the mRNA species based on the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). They observed unexpected heterogeneity in BCR-ABL mRNA in this population. They conclude that the PCR gives additional information about the Ph{sup 1} chromosome gene products that cannot be obtained by genomic analysis, but that it cannot be used as the sole means of detection of this chromosomal abnormality in ALL because of the high incidence of false negative results.

• OSTI ID: 5299687
• Journal Information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America; (USA), Journal Name: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America; (USA) Vol. 86:11; ISSN 0027-8424; ISSN PNASA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550401* -- Genetics-- Tracer Techniques
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
AUTORADIOGRAPHY
CHIMERAS
CHROMOSOMAL ABERRATIONS
CHROMOSOMES
CYTOLOGICAL TECHNIQUES
DISEASES
DNA POLYMERASES
ENZYMES
GENES
HEMIC DISEASES
HETEROCHROMOSOMES
IMMUNE SYSTEM DISEASES
LEUKEMIA
MESSENGER-RNA
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
MOSAICISM
MUTATIONS
NEOPLASMS
NUCLEIC ACIDS
NUCLEOTIDYLTRANSFERASES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PATIENTS
PHILADELPHIA CHROMOSOME
PHOSPHORUS-GROUP TRANSFERASES
POLYMERASES
RNA
TRANSCRIPTION
TRANSFERASES