scholarly journals Rearrangements of the MLL gene in therapy-related acute myeloid leukemia in patients previously treated with agents targeting DNA- topoisomerase II

Blood ◽  
1993 ◽  
Vol 82 (12) ◽  
pp. 3705-3711 ◽  
Author(s):  
HJ Super ◽  
NR McCabe ◽  
MJ Thirman ◽  
RA Larson ◽  
MM Le Beau ◽  
...  

Chromosome band 11q23 is frequently involved in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) de novo, as well as in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and lymphoma. Five percent to 15% of patients treated with chemotherapy for a primary neoplasm develop therapy-related AML (t-AML) that may show rearrangements, usually translocations involving band 11q23 or, less often, 21q22. These leukemias develop after a relatively short latent period and often follow the use of drugs that inhibit the activity of DNA-topoisomerase II (topo II). We previously identified a gene, MLL (myeloid-lymphoid leukemia or mixed-lineage leukemia), at 11q23 that is involved in the de novo leukemias. We have studied 17 patients with t-MDS/t-AML, 12 of whom had cytogenetically detectable 11q23 rearrangements. Ten of the 12 t-AML patients had received topo II inhibitors and 9 of these, all with balanced translocations of 11q23, had MLL rearrangements on Southern blot analysis. None of the patients who had not received topo II inhibitors showed an MLL rearrangement. Of the 5 patients lacking 11q23 rearrangements, some of whom had monoblastic features, none had an MLL rearrangement, although 4 had received topo II inhibitors. Our study indicates that the MLL gene rearrangements are similar both in AML that develops de novo and in t-AML. The association of exposure to topo II- reactive chemotherapy with 11q23 rearrangements involving the MLL gene in t-AML suggests that topo II may play a role in the aberrant recombination events that occur in this region both in AML de novo and in t-AML.

Blood ◽  
1993 ◽  
Vol 82 (12) ◽  
pp. 3705-3711 ◽  
Author(s):  
HJ Super ◽  
NR McCabe ◽  
MJ Thirman ◽  
RA Larson ◽  
MM Le Beau ◽  
...  

Abstract Chromosome band 11q23 is frequently involved in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) de novo, as well as in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and lymphoma. Five percent to 15% of patients treated with chemotherapy for a primary neoplasm develop therapy-related AML (t-AML) that may show rearrangements, usually translocations involving band 11q23 or, less often, 21q22. These leukemias develop after a relatively short latent period and often follow the use of drugs that inhibit the activity of DNA-topoisomerase II (topo II). We previously identified a gene, MLL (myeloid-lymphoid leukemia or mixed-lineage leukemia), at 11q23 that is involved in the de novo leukemias. We have studied 17 patients with t-MDS/t-AML, 12 of whom had cytogenetically detectable 11q23 rearrangements. Ten of the 12 t-AML patients had received topo II inhibitors and 9 of these, all with balanced translocations of 11q23, had MLL rearrangements on Southern blot analysis. None of the patients who had not received topo II inhibitors showed an MLL rearrangement. Of the 5 patients lacking 11q23 rearrangements, some of whom had monoblastic features, none had an MLL rearrangement, although 4 had received topo II inhibitors. Our study indicates that the MLL gene rearrangements are similar both in AML that develops de novo and in t-AML. The association of exposure to topo II- reactive chemotherapy with 11q23 rearrangements involving the MLL gene in t-AML suggests that topo II may play a role in the aberrant recombination events that occur in this region both in AML de novo and in t-AML.


Blood ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 83 (10) ◽  
pp. 2780-2786 ◽  
Author(s):  
J Pedersen-Bjergaard ◽  
JD Rowley

Abstract Two general types of clonal chromosome abnormality are observed in de novo acute myeloid leukemia (AML): the unbalanced aberrations with visible gain or loss of chromosome material and the balanced aberrations without such visible gain or loss. AML can be induced by therapy with cytostatic drugs and radiation. The alkylating agents reacting directly with DNA induce AML which often presents as myelodysplasia with unbalanced aberrations, primarily loss of chromosome material. Cytostatic agents targeting DNA-topoisomerase II, frequently administered together with alkylating agents or cisplatin, induce the same type of leukemia. In addition, they often induce another type with a more rapid onset and with specific balanced chromosome aberrations rarely observed after therapy with alkylating agents alone. All of the most important chromosome aberrations found in de novo AML are now also found in therapy-related AML (t-AML); thus, t- AML may serve as a model in the search for mechanisms leading to the development of AML in general. Unbalanced chromosome aberrations with partial deletions or with loss of whole chromosomes may develop as a result of alkylation of DNA or other cellular targets. Balanced chromosome aberrations, on the other hand, may develop as illegitimate recombinations related to the activity of DNA-topoisomerase II. The balanced translocations contribute to malignant transformation by the formation of abnormal chimeric genes, whereas deletions may contribute by the loss of putative tumor suppressor genes. In either situation, the chromosome changes provide the altered cells with a proliferative advantage compared with normal cells.


1998 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 1890-1896 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Dissing ◽  
M M Le Beau ◽  
J Pedersen-Bjergaard

PURPOSE To evaluate the frequency of inversion of chromosome 16 (inv[16]) and the type of rearrangement of the CBFB and MYH11 genes in therapy-related acute myeloid leukemia (t-AML) and to evaluate a possible relationship to specific types of previous chemotherapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS Cytogenetic studies were performed in 180 consecutive patients with therapy-related myelodysplasia (t-MDS) or t-AML in Copenhagen and in 270 consecutive patients in Chicago. Leukemic cells were available for studies of the molecular biology in 72 patients, including four with inv(16). RESULTS An inv(16)(p13q22) was observed in only two of 180 cases of t-MDS and t-AML in Copenhagen and in only four of 270 cases of t-MDS and t-AML in Chicago. Four patients with t-AML and inv(16) previously had received combination chemotherapy, which included an alkylating agent, and in two a DNA topoisomerase II inhibitor was included (mitoxantrone and etoposide). One patient had received paclitaxel followed by etoposide and one patient had received radiotherapy only. One patient, previously treated with mitoxantrone and cyclophosphamide for breast cancer, presented a new and, to our knowledge not previously reported, type of fusion transcript, with breakpoint at nt 399 of the CBFB gene and at nt 2134 of the MYH11 gene. Two patients previously treated with alkylating agents both presented the less common type D transcript, whereas the most common A transcript, observed in 80% of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) de novo with inv(16), only was observed in the patient treated with paclitaxel and etoposide for leiomyosarcoma. Bone marrow or blood cells from 68 patients with t-MDS and t-AML without an inv(16) all were found to be negative for chimeric rearrangement between the CBFB gene and the MYH11 gene. CONCLUSION The present study and a review of the literature shows that inv(16) is an uncommon aberration in t-AML and, like balanced translocations to chromosome bands 11q23 and 21q22 and the t(15;17), often is associated with prior chemotherapy with DNA topoisomerase II inhibitors. Breakpoints within the MYH11 gene may vary between t-AML and AML de novo.


Blood ◽  
1993 ◽  
Vol 81 (12) ◽  
pp. 3197-3203 ◽  
Author(s):  
SP Hunger ◽  
DC Tkachuk ◽  
MD Amylon ◽  
MP Link ◽  
AJ Carroll ◽  
...  

Abstract Chromosome band 11q23 is a site of recurrent translocations and interstitial deletions in human leukemias. Recent studies have shown that the 11q23 gene HRX is fused to heterologous genes from chromosomes 4 or 19 after t(4;11)(q21;q23) and t(11;19)(q23;p13) translocations to create fusion genes encoding proteins with structural features of chimeric transcription factors. In this report, we show structural alterations of HRX by conventional Southern blot analyses in 26 of 27 de novo leukemias with cytogenetically diverse 11q23 abnormalities. The sole case that lacked HRX rearrangements was a t(11;17)-acute myeloid leukemia with French-American-British M3-like morphology. We also analyzed 10 secondary leukemias that arose after therapy with topoisomerase II inhibitors and found HRX rearrangements in 7 of 7 with 11q23 translocations, and in 2 of 2 with unsuccessful karyotypes. In total, we observed HRX rearrangements in 35 leukemias involving at least nine distinct donor loci (1q32, 4q21, 6q27, 7p15, 9p21–24, 15q15, 16p13, and two 19p13 sites). All breakpoints localized to an 8-kb region that encompassed exons 5–11 of HRX, suggesting that fusion proteins containing similar portions of HRX may be consistently created in leukemias with 11q23 abnormalities. We conclude that alteration of HRX is a recurrent pathogenetic event in leukemias with 11q23 aberrations involving many potential partners in a variety of settings including acute myeloid leukemia, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, chronic myelogenous leukemia in blast crisis, and topoisomerase II inhibitor- induced secondary leukemias of both the myeloid and lymphoid lineages.


Blood ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 96 (13) ◽  
pp. 4360-4362 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda D. Pegram ◽  
Maureen D. Megonigal ◽  
Beverly J. Lange ◽  
Peter C. Nowell ◽  
Janet D. Rowley ◽  
...  

The partner gene of MLL was identified in a patient with treatment-related acute myeloid leukemia in which the karyotype suggested t(3;11)(q25;q23). Prior therapy included the DNA topoisomerase II inhibitors, teniposide and doxorubicin. Southern blot analysis indicated that the MLL gene was involved in the translocation. cDNA panhandle polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used, which does not require partner gene-specific primers, to identify the chimeric transcript. Reverse-transcription of first-strand cDNAs with oligonucleotides containing known MLL sequence at the 5′ ends and random hexamers at the 3′ ends generated templates with an intra-strand loop for PCR. In-frame fusions of either MLLexon 7 or exon 8 with the GMPS (GUANOSINE 5′-MONOPHOSPHATE SYNTHETASE) gene from chromosome band 3q24 were detected. The fusion transcript was alternatively spliced. Guanosine monophosphate synthetase is essential for de novo purine synthesis. GMPS is the first partner gene ofMLL on chromosome 3q and the first gene of this type in leukemia-associated translocations.


Blood ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 87 (5) ◽  
pp. 1912-1922 ◽  
Author(s):  
PL Broeker ◽  
HG Super ◽  
MJ Thirman ◽  
H Pomykala ◽  
Y Yonebayashi ◽  
...  

Abstract A major unresolved question for 11q23 translocations involving MLL is the chromosomal mechanism(s) leading to these translocations. We have mapped breakpoints within the 8.3-kb BamHI breakpoint cluster region in 31 patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) de novo and in 8 t-AML patients. In 23 of 31 leukemia de novo patients, MLL breakpoints mapped to the centromeric half (4.57 kb) of the breakpoint cluster region, whereas those in eight de novo patients mapped to the telomeric half (3.87 kb). In contrast, only two t-AML breakpoints mapped in the centromeric half, whereas six mapped in the telomeric half. The difference in distribution of the leukemia de novo breakpoints is statistically significant (P = .02). A similar difference in distribution of breakpoints between de novo patients and t-AML patients has been reported by others. We identified a low- or weak-affinity scaffold attachment region (SAR) mapping just centromeric to the breakpoint cluster region, and a high-affinity SAR mapping within the telomeric half of the breakpoint cluster region. Using high stringency criteria to define in vitro vertebrate topoisomerase II (topo II) consensus sites, one topo II site mapped adjacent to the telomeric SAR, whereas six mapped within the SAR. Therefore, 74% of leukemia de novo and 25% of t-AML breakpoints map to the centromeric half of the breakpoint cluster region map between the two SARs; in contrast, 26% of the leukemia de novo and 75% of the t-AML patient breakpoints map to the telomeric half of the breakpoint cluster region that contains both the telomeric SAR and the topo II sites. Thus, the chromatin structure of the MLL breakpoint cluster region may be important in determining the distribution of the breakpoints. The data suggest that the mechanism(s) leading to translocations may differ in leukemia de novo and in t-AML.


Blood ◽  
1993 ◽  
Vol 81 (12) ◽  
pp. 3197-3203 ◽  
Author(s):  
SP Hunger ◽  
DC Tkachuk ◽  
MD Amylon ◽  
MP Link ◽  
AJ Carroll ◽  
...  

Chromosome band 11q23 is a site of recurrent translocations and interstitial deletions in human leukemias. Recent studies have shown that the 11q23 gene HRX is fused to heterologous genes from chromosomes 4 or 19 after t(4;11)(q21;q23) and t(11;19)(q23;p13) translocations to create fusion genes encoding proteins with structural features of chimeric transcription factors. In this report, we show structural alterations of HRX by conventional Southern blot analyses in 26 of 27 de novo leukemias with cytogenetically diverse 11q23 abnormalities. The sole case that lacked HRX rearrangements was a t(11;17)-acute myeloid leukemia with French-American-British M3-like morphology. We also analyzed 10 secondary leukemias that arose after therapy with topoisomerase II inhibitors and found HRX rearrangements in 7 of 7 with 11q23 translocations, and in 2 of 2 with unsuccessful karyotypes. In total, we observed HRX rearrangements in 35 leukemias involving at least nine distinct donor loci (1q32, 4q21, 6q27, 7p15, 9p21–24, 15q15, 16p13, and two 19p13 sites). All breakpoints localized to an 8-kb region that encompassed exons 5–11 of HRX, suggesting that fusion proteins containing similar portions of HRX may be consistently created in leukemias with 11q23 abnormalities. We conclude that alteration of HRX is a recurrent pathogenetic event in leukemias with 11q23 aberrations involving many potential partners in a variety of settings including acute myeloid leukemia, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, chronic myelogenous leukemia in blast crisis, and topoisomerase II inhibitor- induced secondary leukemias of both the myeloid and lymphoid lineages.


Blood ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 87 (5) ◽  
pp. 1912-1922 ◽  
Author(s):  
PL Broeker ◽  
HG Super ◽  
MJ Thirman ◽  
H Pomykala ◽  
Y Yonebayashi ◽  
...  

A major unresolved question for 11q23 translocations involving MLL is the chromosomal mechanism(s) leading to these translocations. We have mapped breakpoints within the 8.3-kb BamHI breakpoint cluster region in 31 patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) de novo and in 8 t-AML patients. In 23 of 31 leukemia de novo patients, MLL breakpoints mapped to the centromeric half (4.57 kb) of the breakpoint cluster region, whereas those in eight de novo patients mapped to the telomeric half (3.87 kb). In contrast, only two t-AML breakpoints mapped in the centromeric half, whereas six mapped in the telomeric half. The difference in distribution of the leukemia de novo breakpoints is statistically significant (P = .02). A similar difference in distribution of breakpoints between de novo patients and t-AML patients has been reported by others. We identified a low- or weak-affinity scaffold attachment region (SAR) mapping just centromeric to the breakpoint cluster region, and a high-affinity SAR mapping within the telomeric half of the breakpoint cluster region. Using high stringency criteria to define in vitro vertebrate topoisomerase II (topo II) consensus sites, one topo II site mapped adjacent to the telomeric SAR, whereas six mapped within the SAR. Therefore, 74% of leukemia de novo and 25% of t-AML breakpoints map to the centromeric half of the breakpoint cluster region map between the two SARs; in contrast, 26% of the leukemia de novo and 75% of the t-AML patient breakpoints map to the telomeric half of the breakpoint cluster region that contains both the telomeric SAR and the topo II sites. Thus, the chromatin structure of the MLL breakpoint cluster region may be important in determining the distribution of the breakpoints. The data suggest that the mechanism(s) leading to translocations may differ in leukemia de novo and in t-AML.


Blood ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 96 (13) ◽  
pp. 4360-4362 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda D. Pegram ◽  
Maureen D. Megonigal ◽  
Beverly J. Lange ◽  
Peter C. Nowell ◽  
Janet D. Rowley ◽  
...  

Abstract The partner gene of MLL was identified in a patient with treatment-related acute myeloid leukemia in which the karyotype suggested t(3;11)(q25;q23). Prior therapy included the DNA topoisomerase II inhibitors, teniposide and doxorubicin. Southern blot analysis indicated that the MLL gene was involved in the translocation. cDNA panhandle polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used, which does not require partner gene-specific primers, to identify the chimeric transcript. Reverse-transcription of first-strand cDNAs with oligonucleotides containing known MLL sequence at the 5′ ends and random hexamers at the 3′ ends generated templates with an intra-strand loop for PCR. In-frame fusions of either MLLexon 7 or exon 8 with the GMPS (GUANOSINE 5′-MONOPHOSPHATE SYNTHETASE) gene from chromosome band 3q24 were detected. The fusion transcript was alternatively spliced. Guanosine monophosphate synthetase is essential for de novo purine synthesis. GMPS is the first partner gene ofMLL on chromosome 3q and the first gene of this type in leukemia-associated translocations.


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