Biomedical subjects

E Shtivelman

Publications and source records attributed to E Shtivelman.

10 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1992

A human gene (AHNAK) encoding an unusually large protein with a 1.2-microns polyionic rod structure.

We report here the identification and partial characterization of a human gene (designated AHNAK) that encodes an unusually large protein (approximately 700 kDa). AHNAK is expressed by means of a 17.5-kilobase mRNA in diverse cellular lineages but is typically repressed in cell lines derived from human neuroblastomas and in several other types of tumors. Unique-sequence domains at the two ends of the protein flank a large internal domain (approximately 4300 amino acids) composed of highly conserved repeated elements, most of which are 128 amino acids in length. The repeated elements in turn display a redundant motif, marked by the recurrence of proline at every seventh residue. Within these sequences, hydrophobic and hydrophilic residues alternate in a manner that is incompatible with a helical coiled-coil structure. Instead, we propose a structure resembling a beta-strand but with a periodicity of 2.33. The structure would engender a polyionic rod approximately 1.2 microns long. Preliminary evidence indicates that the protein resides predominantly within the nucleus, but no function has yet been discerned.

Adrenal Gland Neoplasms↗

PubMed1991

Expression of CD44 is repressed in neuroblastoma cells.

We have used cDNA subtractive cloning to identify a group of human genes that are expressed in diverse differentiated derivatives of neural crest origin but not in neuroblastoma cell lines. One of these genes was identified as CD44, which encodes an integral membrane glycoprotein that serves as the principal receptor for hyaluronate and participates in specific cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix interactions. The repression of CD44 expression in neuroblastoma cell lines might be relevant to their high metastatic potential. We have cloned full-length cDNAs corresponding to CD44 trancscripts and identified a novel splice variant of CD44 lacking 31 amino acids of the extracellular domain. As a first step toward analysis of CD44 downregulation in neuroblastoma cells, we have mapped the CD44 RNA initiation site and analyzed the structure of the upstream regulatory region. We constructed a series of plasmids containing different amounts of CD44 upstream regulatory region linked to the bacterial chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene and then analyzed their ability to promote transcription in neuroblastoma and melanoma cells. We found that a DNA segment including about 150 bp of the CD44 upstream region and the 5' end of the gene itself was sufficient to induce substantial transcription of the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene in both neuroblastoma and melanoma cells. Several upstream cis-acting elements contribute to the downregulation of CD44 in neuroblastoma cells, the most prominent being a 120-bp DNA fragment located 450 bp upstream to the RNA initiation site. Our data suggest that multiple factors might be involved in downregulation of CD44 in neuroblastoma cells.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1990

Effects of translocations on transcription from PVT.

We have previously described a transcription unit on human chromosome 8, designated as PVT, that is consistently disrupted by the minority forms of translocations [t(2;8) and t(8;22)] in Burkitt's lymphoma. PVT begins 57 kilobase pairs downstream of the proto-oncogene MYC and is more than 200 kilobase pairs in length. In order to explore the pathogenic impact of translocations affecting PVT, we have characterized further the structure and transcription of the locus. In normal cells, PVT is transcribed into a variety of RNAs, the diversity of which remains unexplained. Alleles of PVT affected by translocations give rise to additional RNAs. These RNAs arise from a fusion of the first exon of PVT on chromosome 8 to the constant region of an immunoglobulin light chain on either chromosome 2 or chromosome 22. We have found no evidence that any of the normal or abnormal transcripts of PVT give rise to a protein. Our results suggest that the pathogenic effects of the variant translocations in Burkitt's lymphoma are not executed by a gene situated in a vicinity of the chromosomal breakpoints. Instead, our data leave open the possibility that the effects of the translocations may be mediated by activation of the relatively distant MYC gene.

Base Sequence↗

PubMed1989

Identification of a human transcription unit affected by the variant chromosomal translocations 2;8 and 8;22 of Burkitt lymphoma.

Chromosomal translocations in Burkitt lymphoma and mouse plasmacytomas typically lie within or near the protooncogene MYC. In some instances, however, these tumors contain variant translocations with breakpoints located more distant from and downstream of MYC, in a domain commonly known as pvt-1. Until now, there has been no evidence that pvt-1 marks the location of a functional gene. Here we report the identification of a large transcriptional unit in human DNA that includes pvt-1. We have designated this unit as PVT. PVT begins 57 kilobase pairs downstream of MYC and occupies a minimum of 200 kilobase pairs of DNA. Some of the translocations that occur downstream of MYC in Burkitt lymphoma transect PVT; others lie between the two genes. None of the translocations we have studied appear to enhance transcription from an intact allele of PVT (indeed, they may inactivate that transcription), but some are associated with the production of abundant and anomalous 0.8- to 1.0-kilobase RNAs that contain the 5' exon of PVT and sequences transcribed from the constant region of an immunoglobulin gene (the reciprocal participant in the translocation). Identification of PVT should facilitate the exploration of how translocations downstream of MYC and insertions of retroviral DNA in the vicinity of pvt-1 might contribute to tumorigenesis.

Base Composition↗

PubMed1989

The PVT gene frequently amplifies with MYC in tumor cells.

The line of human colon carcinoma cells known as COLO320-DM contains an amplified and abnormal allele of the proto-oncogene MYC (DMMYC). Exon 1 and most of intron 1 of MYC have been displaced from DMMYC by a rearrangement of DNA. The RNA transcribed from DMMYC is a chimera that begins with an ectopic sequence of 176 nucleotides and then continues with exons 2 and 3 of MYC. The template for the ectopic sequence represents exon 1 of a gene known as PVT, which lies 50 kilobase pairs downstream of MYC. We encountered three abnormal configurations of MYC and PVT in the cell lines analyzed here: (i) amplification of the genes, accompanied by insertion of exon 1 and an undetermined additional portion of PVT within intron 1 of MYC to create DMMYC; (ii) selective deletion of exon 1 of PVT from amplified DNA that contains downstream portions of PVT and an intact allele of MYC; and (iii) coamplification of MYC and exon 1 of PVT, but not of downstream portions of PVT. We conclude that part or all of PVT is frequently amplified with MYC and that intron 1 of PVT represents a preferred boundary for amplification affecting MYC.

Alleles↗

PubMed1988

bcr genes and transcripts.

Human chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) is a clonal hematologic disorder. CML is characterized by the t(9:22) chromosome translocation which results in translocation of the oncogene abl from chromosome 9 into the breakpoint cluster region (bcr) gene on chromosome 22. We cloned and characterized the cDNA of the normal bcr gene. The bcr gene codes for a protein of 1271 amino acids. The open reading frame is preceded by a region high in GC. At the 5' of this region we identified several GC motifs which are probably involved in the initiation of bcr transcription. bcr transcripts of 7.0 and 4.5 kb are expressed in all cell types examined. These transcripts share all cDNA sequences analysed, including the 5' untranslated region. The latter as well as 902 or 927 amino acids are included within the CML-specific bcr-abl mRNA transcribed from the chimeric bcr-abl gene on chromosome 22. In addition to the complete bcr gene, the human genome contains 3 bcr-related genes containing the last seven exons of the intact bcr gene. One of these genes was analysed in detail and showed high sequence homology with the latter. The three bcr-related genes were probably derived from the intact gene by subsequent steps of duplication.

Base Sequence↗

PubMed1987

Mapping of four distinct BCR-related loci to chromosome region 22q11: order of BCR loci relative to chronic myelogenous leukemia and acute lymphoblastic leukemia breakpoints.

A probe derived from the 3' region of the BCR gene (breakpoint cluster region gene) detects four distinct loci in the human genome. One of the loci corresponds to the complete BCR gene, whereas the others contain a 3' segment of the gene. After HindIII cleavage of human DNA, these four loci are detected as 23-, 19-, 13-, and 9-kilobase-pair fragments, designated BCR4, BCR3, BCR2, and BCR1, respectively, with BCR1 deriving from the original complete BCR gene. All four BCR loci segregate 100% concordantly with human chromosome 22 in a rodent-human somatic cell hybrid panel and are located at chromosome region 22q11.2 by chromosomal in situ hybridization. The BCR2 and BCR4 loci are amplified in leukemia cell line K562 cells, indicating that they fall within the amplification unit that includes immunoglobulin lambda light chain locus (IGL) and ABL locus on the K562 Philadelphia chromosome (Ph1); additionally, in chronic myelogenous leukemia-derived mouse-human hybrids retaining a Ph1 chromosome in the absence of the 9q+ and normal chromosome 22, BCR2 and BCR4 loci are retained, whereas the 3' region of BCR1 and the BCR3 locus are lost, indicating that BCR3 is distal to BCR1 on chromosome 22. Similarly, in mouse-human hybrids retaining a Ph1 chromosome derived from an acute lymphoblastic leukemia-in the absence of the 9q+ and 22, only BCR2 and BCR4 loci are retained, indicating that the breakpoint in this acute lymphoblastic leukemia, as in chronic myelogenous leukemia, is proximal to the BCR1 3' region, but distal to the IGLC locus and the BCR2 and BCR4 3' loci. Thus, the order of loci on chromosome 22 is centromere----BCR2, BCR4, and IGL----BCR1----BCR3----SIS, possibly eliminating BCR2 and BCR4 loci as candidate targets for juxtaposition to the ABL gene in the acute lymphoblastic leukemia Ph1 chromosome.

Chromosome Aberrations↗

PubMed1987

bcr-abl RNA in patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia.

The major consequence of the formation of the Philadelphia (Ph1) chromosome characteristic of leukemia cells of patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) is fusion of c-abl and bcr genes. Using a sensitive RNase protection technique, we analyzed mRNA from a large number of CML patients. In most, we identified one or both species of bcr-abl chimeric transcripts. These two mRNAs vary in the specific bcr exon joined to abl exon II and are translated into slightly different proteins. The amounts of the fused mRNA within leukemia cells vary considerably between individuals and do not correlate with the phase of the disease.

Exons↗

PubMed1986

Alternative splicing of RNAs transcribed from the human abl gene and from the bcr-abl fused gene.

The primary structure of normal abl protein was determined by sequencing the coding region of its cDNA. abl contains two alternative 5' exons spliced to a common set of 3' exons to yield the two major abl RNA transcripts. These transcripts initiate in different promoter regions and give rise to proteins that vary in their N-termini. In the human cell line K562, abl is translocated from chromosome 9 to within the bcr gene on chromosome 22. Within the fused bcr-abl gene, abl exon II alternatively splices to two adjacent bcr exons. This phenomenon is seen in many patients with chronic myeloid leukemia.

Abelson murine leukemia virus↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Fused transcript of abl and bcr genes in chronic myelogenous leukaemia.

Human chronic myelogenous leukaemia is characterized by a reciprocal translocation between chromosomes 9 and 22 resulting in an abbreviated form of chromosome 22 and the transfer of the abl cellular oncogene from chromosome 9 into the bcr gene of chromosome 22. Characterization of an 8-kilobase RNA specific to chronic myelogenous leukaemia shows it to be a fused transcript of the two genes. The fused protein that would be produced is probably involved in the malignant process.

Base Sequence↗