Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0023418 (leukemia)
 93,477 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Cancer was first associated with exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF) in 1979 when Wertheimer and Leeper reported that children dying from cancer resided more often in homes believed to be exposed to higher EMF than did healthy control children. The risks were as high as 2.23 (1.56-3.18) 3.09 (1.68-5.71) for all cancers, 2.98 (1.72-5.15) for leukemia and 2.40 (1.08-5.36) for brain cancers. Wire configuration around houses was used as a surrogate for direct EMF exposure measurements. Wertheimer's finding of an association between cancer and wire configuration around houses has been replicated in two recent studies. However, direct measurement of EMF fields in houses of cancer children have not yielded the same results as the wire configuration around houses, thereby jeopardizing the hypothesis of an association between EMF and cancer. To comprehend the putative association between residential exposure to EMF and childhood cancer, one would have to understand what is hidden behind the notion of 'wire configuration' around the house. In parallel with residential studies, scores of studies were conducted among workers occupationally exposed to EMF. What have we learned from these occupational studies? Hypotheses generating and case control studies have revealed the existence of an excess risk of leukemia among electrical workers. Pooled results have estimated the risk for all leukemia to be 1.18 (1.09-1.29) and for acute myeloid leukemia 1.46 (1.27-1.64). An increased risk of leukemia among electrical workers does not necessarily mean that EMF is a causal agent, other chemicals such as benzene, creosote, solvent, could possibly account for it but this has yet to be confirmed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:Electromagnetic fields and cancer risks. 162 6

The AML-1/ETO fusion protein is created by the (8;21) translocation, the second most frequent chromosomal abnormality associated with acute myeloid leukemia. In the fusion protein the AML-1 runt homology domain, which is responsible for DNA binding and CBF beta interaction, is linked to ETO, a gene of unknown function. The primary sequences of the runt homology domain indicates no known DNA binding motifs, but is predicted to contain six beta-strands, two alpha-helices and a nucleotide binding motif. Mutagenesis of AML-1/ETO was performed to delimit the functional domains of the chimeric protein. Most mutations in the runt homology domain that resulted in reduced CBF beta binding also inhibited DNA binding, indicating that the DNA and CBF beta binding sequences are tightly linked. However, these activities were separated by a point mutation of residue 144, within the putative ATP binding motif, which nearly eliminated DNA binding, but did not affect CBF beta binding. Random mutagenesis identified the hydrophobic face of the amphipathic fifth beta-strand, adjacent to the putative ATP binding motif, as critical for both DNA and CBF beta binding. C-terminal deletion mutants of AML-1/ETO indicated that ETO sequences are essential for interference with AML-1B-mediated transcriptional activation, and that residue 540 defines the C-terminal boundary of a potential repression domain. Thus, these mutational analyses define the regions of AML-1/ETO which regulate its function and that may be important in promoting leukemia.
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PMID:Functional domains of the t(8;21) fusion protein, AML-1/ETO. 747 4

The t(3;21)(q26;q22) is associated with chronic myelogenous leukemia in blast crisis (CML-BC), leukemia evolving from (therapy-related) myelodysplasia, and with leukemia following other hematopoietic proliferative diseases. Molecular cytogenetic analysis and cloning of a few t(3;21) cases indicate that the breakpoints are quite heterogeneous even within a specific clinical phenotype. Interestingly some of the (3;21) breakpoints involve the AML1 gene previously found rearranged in the t(8;21) associated with acute myelogenous leukemia. AML1 is related to the Drosophila gene runt and is the human counterpart of the gene for the alpha subunit of the nuclear polyoma enhancer binding protein (PEBP2) also known as the core binding factor (CBF). In the t(3;21) AML1 was found rearranged with EAP, a gene on chromosome 3 encoding a small ribosomal protein, as well as with EV11, another gene on chromosome 3. Here we report our study of six cases of t(3;21). By using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis and AML1 probes we could conclude that at least in two CML-BC cases the breakpoint occurred in the AML1 intron that is disrupted by the t(8;21). An AML1/EAP fusion transcript, different from the one described in a therapy-related myelodysplasia, was detected in both CML-BC cases. This transcript is expected to result in a predicted protein containing the AML1 nuclear binding domain with an attached stretch of 17 amino acids unrelated to the EAP small ribosomal protein. In the other t(3;21) patients we could not detect an AML1/EAP transcript or an AML1/EV11 transcript. This result suggests heterogeneity of the t(3;21) at the molecular level. The AML1 chimeric transcripts identified so far, both in the t(3;21) and in the t(8;21), diverge from the normal transcripts either after exon 5 or exon 6. Here we show that in normal AML1 transcripts different splicing events are seen to occur after AML1 exon 5 as well as exon 6.
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PMID:AML1 fusion transcripts in t(3;21) positive leukemia: evidence of molecular heterogeneity and usage of splicing sites frequently involved in the generation of normal AML1 transcripts. 753 26

Core binding factor beta (CBF beta) is considered to be a transcriptional coactivator that dimerizes with transcription factors core binding factor alpha 1 (CBFA1), -2, and -3, and enhances DNA binding capacity of these transcription factors. CBF beta and CBFA2, which is also called acute myeloid leukemia 1 gene, are frequently involved in chromosomal translocations in human leukemia. To elucidate the function of CBF beta, mice carrying a mutation in the Cbfb locus were generated. Homozygous mutant embryos died between embryonic days 11.5-13.5 due to hemorrhage in the central nervous system. Mutant embryos had primitive erythropoiesis in yolk sac but lacked definitive hematopoiesis in fetal liver. In the yolk sac of mutant embryos, no erythroid or myeloid progenitors of definitive hematopoietic origin were detected, and the expression of flk-2/flt-3, the marker gene for early precursor cells of definitive hematopoiesis, was absent. These data suggest that Cbfb is essential for definitive hematopoiesis in liver, especially for the commitment to early hematopoietic precursor cells.
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PMID:Absence of fetal liver hematopoiesis in mice deficient in transcriptional coactivator core binding factor beta. 890 86

Transcription factors of the AML (core binding factor-alpha/polyoma enhancer binding protein 2) class are key transactivators of tissue-specific genes of the hematopoietic and bone lineages. Alternative splicing of the AML-1 gene results in two major AML variants, AML-1 and AML-1B. We show here that the transcriptionally active AML-1B binds to the nuclear matrix, and the inactive AML-1 does not. The association of AML-1B with the nuclear matrix is independent of DNA binding and requires a nuclear matrix targeting signal (NMTS), a 31 amino acid segment near the C terminus that is distinct from nuclear localization signals. A similar NMTS is present in AML-2 and the bone-related AML-3 transcription factors. Fusion of the AML-1B NMTS to the heterologous GAL4-(1-147) protein directs GAL4 to the nuclear matrix. Thus, the NMTS is necessary and sufficient to target the transcriptionally active AML-1B to the nuclear matrix. The loss of the C-terminal domain of AML-1B is a frequent consequence of the leukemia-related t(8;21) and t(3;21) translocations. Our results suggest this loss may be functionally linked to the modified interrelationships between nuclear structure and gene expression characteristic of cancer cells.
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PMID:Identification of a nuclear matrix targeting signal in the leukemia and bone-related AML/CBF-alpha transcription factors. 919 36

AML1 is involved at the breakpoint of chromosome 21 band q22 in several recurring chromosomal translocations associated with myeloid and lymphoid leukemias. AML1 corresponds to CBFA2, and encodes one of the DNA-binding subunits of the enhancer core binding factor CBF. Other members of this family of DNA-binding proteins are CBFA1 and CBFA3, also known as AML3 and AML2. The three proteins are characterized by a highly conserved domain (runt domain, > 90% homology) at the amino end that is necessary for DNA-binding and protein dimerization, and by a unique domain at the carboxyl end that is necessary for transactivation. Two recurring chromosomal translocations involving AML1 associated with myeloid leukemias are the t(8;21)(q22;q22), seen in 20% of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) M2, and the t(3;21)(q26;q22), that occurs in myeloid leukemias primarily following treatment with topoisomerase II inhibitors. In five patients with a t(3;21) whom we studied, AML1 is interrupted by the translocation breakpoint between the runt domain and the transactivation domain, and is fused to two genes on chromosome band 3q26: EAP, which encodes the ribosomal protein L22, and MDS1, which encodes a small polypeptide of unknown function. In one of the five patients we studied, a fusion with a third gene EVI1 also occurs. The fusion of EAP to AML1 is not in frame, and leads to a protein that is terminated shortly after the fusion junction by introduction of a stop codon. The fusion of AML1 to MDS1 is in frame, and adds 127 codons to the interrupted AML1. Thus, in the five cases that we studied, the 3;21 translocation results in expression of two coexisting chimeric mRNAs which contain the identical runt domain at the 5' region, but differ in the 3' region. In addition, the chimeric junction AML1/MDS1/EVII has been detected in cells from one of our patients with the 3;21 translocation. Several genes necessary for myeloid lineage differentiation contain the target sequence for AML1 in their regulatory regions. We have compared the normal AML1 to AML1/MDS1 and AML1/EAP as transcriptional regulators of the CSF1R promoter which contains the CBF target sequence. Our results indicate that whereas the normal AML1 can activate the promoter, the chimeric proteins compete with the normal AML1 and repress expression from the CSF1R promoter. To determine the role of the chimeric proteins in cell growth, we expressed their cDNA in rat fibroblasts. When either fusion gene is expressed, the cells lose contact inhibition and form foci over the monolayer. However, only cells expressing AML1/MDS1 grow as large tumors in nude mice. Thus, although both chimeric genes have similar effects in transactivation of the CSF1R promoter, they affect cell growth as tumor promoters differently in vivo.
Leukemia 1997 Apr
PMID:Rearrangements of the AML1/CBFA2 gene in myeloid leukemia with the 3;21 translocation: in vitro and in vivo studies. 920 63

The accurate identification of chromosomal abnormalities in patients with leukemia is essential for diagnosis and treatment assignment. Recent technical improvements in the detection of such aberrations have demonstrated that the previously unrecognized chromosomal translocation t(12;21) is the most prevalent structural aberration in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Both genes involved, translocation ets like gene (or ETV6) on chromosome 12 and acute myeloid leukemia 1 gene (or CBF alpha) on chromosome 21 had been identified for several years previously, which facilitated the rapid development of molecular diagnostic assays and their implementation in therapy trials. Although first described less than four years ago, the TEL/AML1 story is an excellent example of how close collaboration between physicians and molecular biologists is mandatory for achieving general insights into the molecular pathogenesis of leukemia and for further improvements in diagnosis and in monitoring response to chemotherapy.
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PMID:Biology and clinical significance of the TEL/AML1 rearrangement. 1008 81

There is increasing evidence that the acute myeloid leukemia 1 (AML-1) gene plays a versatile role in hematopoiesis, and its inactivation has been described in various hematopoetic disorders, e.g., leukemia or familial thrombocytopenia. AML-1 can be affected by various mechanisms, such as chromosomal translocations or point mutations. On the other hand, the specific underlying molecular lesions in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) or leukemias with aberrations of chromosomes 5q or 7, respectively, are largely unknown. Despite extraordinary scientific effort no specific genes on chromosome 5q or 7, which act as tumor suppressors, have definitely been identified. Therefore, it has recently been speculated that the AML-1 gene, even if distantly located on chromosome 21q22, may be involved in leukemogenesis in patients with aberrations at chromosome 5q or monosomy 7 [2]. Therefore, we sequenced all exons of the AML-1 gene in 15 patients with MDS/AML and deleted chromosome 5q or 7q, respectively. None of the patients analyzed had any AML-1 mutation.
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PMID:Absence of point mutations within the AML-1 gene in patients with MDS/AML and loss of chromosome 5q or 7. 1126 27

It has been well established that a number of transcription factors play critical roles in regulating the fate of hematopoietic stem cell populations. One of them is the leukemia-associated transcription factor acute myeloid leukemia 1 (AML1; also known as runt-related transcription factor 1, or RUNX1). This gene was originally cloned from the breakpoint of the t(8;21) reciprocal chromosome translocation and was later recognized as one of the most frequent targets of leukemia-associated gene aberrations. Gene-targeting experiments revealed that transcriptionally active AML1 is essential for the establishment of definitive hematopoiesis. More specifically, this gene functions in the emergence of the hematopoietic progenitor cells from the hemogenic endothelium by budding in the aorta-gonad-mesonephros region, and its expression points to the sites with strong potential for the emergence of hematopoietic stem cells. This review discusses aspects of the biologic properties of AML1 in early hematopoietic development.
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PMID:RUNX1/AML1: a central player in hematopoiesis. 1172 59

Forced dimerization or oligomerization has emerged as a powerful mechanism for unleashing the oncogenic properties of chimeric transcription factors in acute leukemias. Fusion of transcriptional regulators with a variety of heterologous partner proteins as a consequence of chromosomal rearrangements induces inappropriate self-association, leading to aberrant transcriptional properties and leukemogenesis. Forced dimerization/oligomerization may alter the association of a DNA-binding protein for its transcriptional cofactors, or the dimerization motifs themselves may constitutively recruit transcriptional effector molecules. Oligomerized chimeras may also sequester essential partners or cofactors to exert dominant-negative effects on target gene expression. A key mechanistic feature, and one with major clinical implications, is the nature of the transcriptional cofactors that are recruited by the dimerized oncoprotein. Chimeric RARalpha and acute myeloid leukemia 1 (AML1) proteins induce constitutive repression after the recruitment of corepressors, whereas inappropriate maintenance of target gene expression by mixed-lineage leukemia (MLL) chimeras may result from the recruitment of coactivators or the basal transcriptional machinery. Molecular therapies directed at enzymatic activities of the aberrantly recruited cofactors, or antagonism of dimerization itself, represent promising avenues of current and future investigation.
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PMID:Dimerization: a versatile switch for oncogenesis. 1513 Sep 40


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