Chromosomal translocation t(15;17) in human acute promyelocytic leukemia fuses RAR alpha with a novel putative transcription factor, PML.
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Kakizuka A, Miller WH Jr, Umesono K, Warrell RP Jr, Frankel SR, Murty VV, Dmitrovsky E, Evans RM
Chromosomal translocation t(15;17) in human acute promyelocytic leukemia fuses RAR alpha with a novel putative transcription factor, PML.
Cell. 1991 Aug 23;66(4):663-74.
- PubMed ID
- 1652368 [ View in PubMed]
- Abstract
A unique mRNA produced in leukemic cells from a t(15;17) acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) patient encodes a fusion protein between the retinoic acid receptor alpha (RAR alpha) and a myeloid gene product called PML. PML contains a cysteine-rich region present in a new family of apparent DNA-binding proteins that includes a regulator of the interleukin-2 receptor gene (Rpt-1) and the recombination-activating gene product (RAG-1). Accordingly, PML may represent a novel transcription factor or recombinase. The aberrant PML-RAR fusion product, while typically retinoic acid responsive, displays both cell type- and promoter-specific differences from the wild-type RAR alpha. Because patients with APL can be induced into remission with high dose RA therapy, we propose that the nonliganded PML-RAR protein is a new class of dominant negative oncogene product. Treatment with RA would not only relieve this inhibition, but the activated PML-RAR protein may actually promote myelocyte differentiation.