The HOXD11 gene is fused to the NUP98 gene in acute myeloid leukemia with t(2;11)(q31;p15)

Cancer Res. 2002 Jan 1;62(1):33-7.

Abstract

The nucleoporin gene, NUP98, has been reported to be fused to seven partner genes in hematological malignancies with 11p15 translocations. We report here a novel NUP98 partner gene, HOXD11, not HOXD13, in a pediatric patient with de novo AML having t(2;11)(q31;p15), using a cDNA panhandle PCR. The HOXD11 gene is one of the HOXD cluster genes and contains 2 exons, encoding a protein of 338 amino acids with a homeodomain. Reverse transcription (RT)-PCR analysis showed that two alternatively spliced 5'-NUP98 transcripts were fused in frame to the HOXD11 gene. Both proteins consist of an NH(2)-terminal phenylalanine-glycine repeat motif of NUP98 and COOH-terminal homeodomain of HOXD11. RT-PCR analysis in various leukemic cell lines showed that expression of the HOXD11 gene was significantly more frequent in BCR-ABL-positive than in BCR-ABL-negative leukemic cell lines (P = 0.028). Our results revealed that t(2;11)(q31;p15) was not a single chromosomal abnormality and that the NUP98-HOXD fusion genes encode similar fusion proteins, which suggests that the NUP98-HOXD11 as well as NUP98-HOXD13 fusion protein play a role in leukemogenesis through similar mechanisms.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Artificial Gene Fusion
  • Base Sequence
  • Blotting, Southern
  • Chromosomes, Human, Pair 11*
  • Chromosomes, Human, Pair 2*
  • DNA, Neoplasm / genetics
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Leukemic
  • Homeodomain Proteins / biosynthesis
  • Homeodomain Proteins / genetics*
  • Humans
  • Leukemia, Myelomonocytic, Acute / genetics*
  • Male
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Nuclear Pore Complex Proteins / biosynthesis
  • Nuclear Pore Complex Proteins / genetics*
  • RNA, Messenger / genetics
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Transcription Factors / biosynthesis
  • Transcription Factors / genetics*
  • Translocation, Genetic / genetics*

Substances

  • DNA, Neoplasm
  • HOXD11 protein, human
  • Homeodomain Proteins
  • Nuclear Pore Complex Proteins
  • RNA, Messenger
  • Transcription Factors
  • nuclear pore complex protein 98