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Query: EC:2.7.10.2 (
focal adhesion kinase
)
44,029
document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)
The first consistent karyotypic abnormality found to be associated with neoplastic disease was the Philadelphia (Ph) chromosome (Nowell & Hungerford, 1960). Furthermore, the best-studied example of translocation-mediated gene activation occurs in leukaemia patients bearing this abnormality (reviewed by Kurzrock et al, 1988). In these individuals, the Ph translocation (t(9;22)(q34;q11)) results in transposition of the
ABL
proto-oncogene from chromosome 9q34 to 22q11, where it is fused with part of the
BCR gene
. It is now known that as a result of the Ph translocation, p160BCR and p145ABL (the normal BCR and
ABL
gene products) are replaced by p210BCR-
ABL
. This aberrant protein constitutes the molecular fingerprint of CML. The enhanced tyrosine phosphokinase enzymatic activity (a property possessed by some growth factor receptors and transformation-inducing oncogenes) of p210BCR-
ABL
implicates a direct role for this molecule in the pathogenesis of CML. Because the Ph translocation is present in the early chronic phase, the union of the BCR and
ABL
genes is probably involved in the initiation of the leukaemic process. The secondary molecular forces driving progression of CML to blast crisis are however unknown, and may differ from patient to patient. Approximately 10% of CML patients lack a Ph chromosome. One-half of these individuals have
bcr
rearrangement and express p210BCR-
ABL
. Ph+ and Ph- bcr+ (p210+) CML are identical and should be treated the same. Molecular follow-up of diploid bcr+ CML patients is essential for detection of persistent malignancy after therapy. The presence of a specific marker--the BCR-
ABL
message--permits the development of new diagnostic approaches for CML. For instance, detection of a BCR-
ABL
message with the use of the highly sensitive polymerase chain reaction, a technique capable of detecting up to one leukaemia cell amongst one million normal cells, yields important information about minimal residual disease. Finally, the use of therapy directed against the BCR-
ABL
product may be a worthwhile strategy which deserves investigation, and may prompt a new era of tumour-specific treatment.
...
PMID:The molecular pathology of chronic myelogenous leukaemia. 193 6
The Philadelphia1 (Ph1) chromosome results from a reciprocal translocation between chromosome 9 and chromosome 22, which fuses a portion of the
ABL
oncogene to the
BCR gene
, forming the BCR/ABL fusion gene. This produces a fusion protein with a greatly increased protein tyrosine kinase activity in comparison to that of the normal
ABL
protein. The BCR/ABL gene is transcribed from the promoter of the normal
BCR gene
, but little is known about the regulation of its expression. In this study, we asked whether there are sequence-specific DNA-binding proteins (DBP) that bind to the breakpoint cluster region (
bcr
, or Mbcr) within the
BCR gene
. Sequence-specific DBP located within the Mbcr could have a transcription-regulating effect, and they could participate in the recombination that generates BCR/ABL. Our data show that there are sequence-specific DBP that bind within the Mbcr.
...
PMID:Sequence-specific DNA-binding proteins within the Mbcr on the Ph1 chromosome. 195 95
The
BCR gene
, on chromosome 22, is involved in the Philadelphia (Ph1) chromosome which is a characteristic cytogenetic marker of chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML). Breakpoints in CML occur within the M-
bcr
region (5.8 kb) which encompasses exons 12-15 (b1-b4), and the M-
bcr
can be conveniently divided into five zones by restriction mapping. One of these zones (3) contains exon b3 which can be either present or absent from the hybrid mRNA, even if it is present in the chimaeric gene. We have mapped the breakpoints around BCR exon b3 and related this to the type of RNA splice site expressed, in CML patients at diagnosis. Breakpoints within zone 3 were restriction mapped to one of six sub-zones and the site related to the type of RNA splice site. Two clusters of breakpoints within zone 3 were observed. One cluster was located around exon b3 and often resulted in deletion of exon b3 from the chimaeric gene. The majority of this cluster expressed b2-a2 spliced RNA, usually as a consequence of a deletion removing exon b3. The second cluster occurred within two sub-zones that spanned an Alu sequence, and 90% of this cluster exhibited b3-a2 spliced RNA. Furthermore, a greater number of patients had entered blast crisis if the RNA contained BCR exon b3 (8 of 10 patients), compared to those with b2-a2 spliced RNA (3 of 12 patients). The high degree of heterogeneity in the site of the breakpoint within zone 3 of the M-
bcr
, combined with the type of BCR-
ABL
hybrid mRNA expressed, further implicates BCR exon b3 in the pathogenesis of CML.
...
PMID:Mapping of breakpoints, and relationship to BCR-ABL RNA expression, in Philadelphia-chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukaemia patients with a breakpoint around exon 14 (b3) of the BCR gene. 196 Oct 34
The Philadelphia (Ph1) chromosome is present in greater than 90% of patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) and in 2% to 20% of those with acute leukemias, for which it is an important prognostic marker too. The chimeric BCR-
ABL
mRNAs resulting from the translocation encode either a 210-Kd or a 190-Kd protein. The techniques used to detect Ph1 chromosome include karyotyping, Southern analysis to demonstrate
bcr
rearrangement, and polymerase chain reaction to amplify the BCR-
ABL
transcripts. However, the routine performance of these methods by clinical laboratories is cumbersome, time consuming, and exposes laboratory personnel to radioisotopes. We describe here the clinical application of a new method, the hybridization protection assay (HPA), which uses chemiluminescent acridinium-ester-labeled probes in conjunction with PCR for detection of the amplified BCR-
ABL
sequences. The method is sensitive, specific, and can reliably distinguish between the transcripts for P190BCR-
ABL
and P210BCR-
ABL
. In contrast to the 2 days or longer required for conventional hybridization, HPA analysis can be completed in less than 30 minutes. We have successfully used this method to analyze 60 leukemia samples (34 from Ph1-negative acute leukemias; 6 from Ph1-positive acute leukemias; and 20 from CML) with complete correlation (of BCR-
ABL
positivity or negativity) with the results of karyotype or Southern Blot analysis of genomic DNA for
bcr
rearrangement. Therefore, the HPA, in conjunction with PCR, appears to provide a rapid and reliable test for the diagnosis of Ph1-positivity.
...
PMID:Hybridization protection assay: a rapid, sensitive, and specific method for detection of Philadelphia chromosome-positive leukemias. 198 90
The translocation between chromosome 9 and chromosome 22 which creates the Philadelphia chromosome moves the
ABL
oncogene from its normal location on chromosome 9 and fuses it with a portion of the
BCR gene
on chromosome 22. This new BCR/ABL fusion gene generates a unique 8.7 kilobase (kb) RNA which codes for a new 210 kilodalton (kd, p210) protein which has a protein tyrosine kinase activity that is greatly increased in comparison to the normal
ABL
protein. The human K562 cell line was derived from a patient with CML, and serves as one model for the regulation of expression of the
ABL
and BCR/ABL genes. This study examines the expression of the BCR/ABL fusion gene and the normal
ABL
gene in relation to differentiation and changes in proliferative state. The expression of both the normal
ABL
transcripts and the BCR/ABL fusion transcript decrease approximately ten-fold when the cells are induced to differentiate with hemin. In contrast, expression of the MYC oncogene is unaffected by hemin-induced differentiation. The results suggest that both
ABL
and BCR/ABL expression vary in proportion to the differentiation of the cells, but minimally if at all as a function of the cells' proliferative state.
...
PMID:ABL oncogene expression during erythroleukemia cell differentiation. 199 45
The Philadelphia chromosome (Ph) is the cytogenetic hallmark of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and as such has been used to confirm the diagnosis of CML based on morphological and clinical criteria. We have investigated 12 patients who were considered to have clinical and morphological features of CML and who did not have detectable abnormalities of chromosomes 9q34 or 22q11. In six of the 12 patients, rearrangement within the 5.8 kb major breakpoint region (M-
bcr
) and amplification of CML specific M-
bcr
-
ABL
cDNA sequences by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was demonstrated. Six other CML patients did not have rearrangement of the M-
bcr
gene or amplification of BCR-
ABL
by PCR. These patients had atypical CML. They were significantly older, most had less than 10% immature granulocytic cells (metamyelocytes, myelocytes and promyelocytes) and had various degrees of marrow fibrosis. Three of these six patients died of blastic transformation at 4, 15 and 54 months from diagnosis.
...
PMID:Molecular diagnosis of Philadelphia negative CML using the polymerase chain reaction and DNA analysis: clinical features and course of M-bcr negative and M-bcr positive CML. 201 77
The Ph chromosome was the first specific karyotype abnormality associated with a particular neoplastic disease in humans. For many years it was suspected that chromosome abnormalities might cause cancer by alteration of specific genes or their expression. Significant recent developments in our understanding of the molecular consequences of the Ph translocation strengthen that assumption. The Ph translocation generates a hybrid gene consisting of 5' regulatory, promotor, and exon sequences of the
bcr
gene on chromosome 22 fused to 3' exons and polyadenylation/termination sequences of the
ABL
proto-oncogene from chromosome 9. It is well established that fusion of
bcr
and abl genes plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of CML and ALL. Molecular methods can therefore be used as diagnostic tools to detect the Ph chromosome. Presently, the model of oncogenesis provided by our knowledge of how the abl proto-oncogene becomes activated as a result of the Ph translocation is one of the clearest models of oncogene activation. Despite the progress made, many areas remain to be explored. One important question is, how the hybrid protein is involved in leukemia. Research aimed at investigating the normal function of abl and
bcr
may be important in efforts to understand their abnormal functioning in leukemia and to increase our understanding of the disease.
...
PMID:Molecular insights into the Philadelphia translocation. 205 Jun
Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) is characterized cytogenetically by the presence of the Philadelphia chromosome, which is the result of a reciprocal translocation between chromosomes 9 and 22. Analysis of the rearranged chromosome 22 have demonstrated that the DNA breakpoints fall within a 5.8-kilobase (kb) region termed M-
bcr
. In Ph1-acute lymphocytic leukemia, approximately half of the patients have a breakpoint within M-
bcr
, whereas the remaining half have the break within the first intron of the
BCR gene
(m-
bcr
). We have investigated five cases with CML in the blastic phase to search the molecular mechanism of blastic crisis in CML. Using a method of reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), we have identified both types of breakpoints in samples of the three cases, suggesting the existence of M-
bcr
/
ABL
and m-
bcr
/
ABL
chimeric mRNAs in the RNA samples derived from blasts of the three cases. We have further analysed for alterations in the p53 gene in those cases. The p53 gene is now considered to be a tumor suppressor gene and its mutations play a role in the development of many human malignancies. We have attempted to determine whether the p53 gene is involved in the mechanism of blastic crisis in CML. Using the methods of RT-PCR and single stand-conformational polymorphism (SSCP), we have detected expression of only a mutated p53 allele in a case with CML blastic crisis, indicating that inactivation of the p53 gene in both alleles may contribute to the blastic crisis in this case. Accumulation of molecular analysis in more cases will clarify the mechanism of blastic crisis in CML.
...
PMID:[Analysis of Ph1-positive leukemia by PCR]. 206 73
The characteristic genetic exchange in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is the fusion of the
ABL
proto-oncogene and a specific part of the BCR or phl gene. Detection of this exchange by cytogenetic or Southern blot analysis is highly diagnostic for CML. The latter approach has not previously been used to quantify the relative proportions of leukemic and non-leukemic cells. We have assessed the feasibility of estimating the relative proportion of leukemic cells present in a sample by densitometric analysis of autoradiographs of Southern blots. In dilution experiments of CML cells with normal cells, a linear relationship could be demonstrated between the relative intensity of the autoradiograph band corresponding
bcr
rearrangement and the proportion of leukemic cells present. This relationship was found to be largely independent of autoradiograph exposure time. Six patients receiving various therapies have been evaluated for as long as 4.5 years by repeated densitometric and cytogenetic analysis. In general, a declining proportion of Philadelphia (Ph) chromosome positive cells was paralleled by decreasing intensity of the autoradiograph band representing
bcr
rearrangement. Densitometric changes were often seen prior to the detection of Ph negative cells. This analysis appears to provide a sensitive method for monitoring patients with CML.
...
PMID:Densitometric analysis of Southern blot autoradiographs and its application to monitoring patients with chronic myeloid leukemia. 207 39
We have previously described a patient in whom the breakpoint occurred within the first intron of the
BCR gene
and have cloned the 9q+ and 22q- junctions. We have now determined the nucleotide sequence around the breakpoints on both translocation products from this patient as well as the corresponding regions from the normal chromosomes 9 and 22. We have compared the sequence with that of the breakpoint regions in the Ph1-positive leukemic patients in order to check for the presence of conserved motifs. A + T-rich sequences and ALU repeat elements are the only sequence characteristics which appear to be very common around translocation regions. The chromosome 9
ABL
sequences at or adjacent to the breakpoints present in the 22q- product show homology to the consensus ALU sequence while the chromosome 22 sequences do not, suggesting a non-homologous recombination mechanism. While no sequences are deleted, there is a two-base-pair "homology" at the junction. Therefore, staggered breaks followed by ligation and repair could be part of the mechanism involved in the process of translocation in some cases of Ph1-positive ALL.
...
PMID:Characterization of the translocation breakpoint sequences in Philadelphia-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia. 208 18
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