A gene expressed exclusively in acute B lymphoblastic leukemias

• Published in: Genomics (San Diego, Calif.) Calif.), 2004, Vol.83 (1), p.85-94
• Main Authors: Vialle-Castellano, Alexandra, Laduron, Sandra, De Plaen, Etienne, Jost, Edgar, Dupont, Sophie, Ameye, Geneviève, Michaux, Lucienne, Coulie, Pierre, Olive, Daniel, Boon, Thierry, van Baren, Nicolas
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: ALL; Alternative Splicing; Biological and medical sciences; BLACE gene; Blotting, Northern; Burkitt Lymphoma - genetics; Burkitt Lymphoma - pathology; cDNA cloning; Cell Line, Tumor; Chromosome Mapping; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 7 - genetics; DNA, Complementary - chemistry; DNA, Complementary - genetics; DNA, Complementary - isolation & purification; Exons; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gene expression; Gene Expression Profiling; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Genes - genetics; Genes. Genome; Genetics of eukaryotes. Biological and molecular evolution; Hematologic and hematopoietic diseases; Humans; Immunotherapy; In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; Introns; Leukemias. Malignant lymphomas. Malignant reticulosis. Myelofibrosis; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Molecular and cellular biology; Molecular genetics; Molecular Sequence Data; Neoplasm Proteins - genetics; Quantitative RT-PCR; Radiation Hybrid Mapping; RNA, Messenger - genetics; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; Sequence Analysis, DNA
• ISSN: 0888-7543; 1089-8646
• DOI: 10.1016/S0888-7543(03)00209-X

Representational difference analysis, a cDNA subtraction approach, was used to identify genes that are expressed in acute leukemia but not in normal hematological tissues. We isolated a cDNA fragment from a cell line derived from a B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia bearing two Philadelphia chromosomes. The cDNA derives from an orphan gene that was named BLACE. BLACE is located in region 7q36 and encodes a major 5.3-kb transcript and several alternatively spliced minor transcripts. Significant expression of BLACE was detected by RT-PCR and quantitative RT-PCR in bone marrow samples from B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients. BLACE was not or was scarcely expressed in other types of hematological malignancies, in normal tissues, and in solid tumors.