Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

Translocation of c-abl oncogene correlates with the presence of a Philadelphia chromosome in chronic myelocytic leukaemia

Abstract

The localization of cellular oncogenes near the break points of tumour-specific chromosomal aberrations suggests an involvement of these genes in the generation of neoplasms1,2. Recently, we demonstrated3 the translocation of the human cellular homologue (c-abl) of the transforming sequence of Abelson murine leukaemia virus (A-MuLV) from chromosome 9 to the Philadelphia chromosome (Ph1) in chronic myelocytic leukaemia (CML). In an attempt to investigate the significance of this translocation in the pathogenesis of CML, we have now studied two CML patients with complex translations, t(9; 11; 22) and t(1; 9; 22), and two CML Ph1-negative patients with apparently normal karyotypes. In addition to using blot hybridization with human c-abl probes and DNA from Rodent: CML cell hybrids as before, we have used in situ hybridization of these probes directly to metaphase chromosomes of CML patients. These studies show that the c-abl gene is translocated in Ph1-positive but not in Ph1-negative CML patients. CML without the Ph1 chromosome seems to be a distince entity with a different origin, and this view is supported by clinical observations including correlations which reveal a poorer prognosis4,5.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Klein, G. Nature 294, 313–318 (1981).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Rowley, J. D. Science 216, 749–751 (1982).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. de Klein, A. et al. Nature 300, 765–767 (1982).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Ezdinli, E. Z., Sokal, J. E., Crosswhite, B. S. & Sandberg, A. A. Ann. intern. Med. 72, 175–182 (1970).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Mintz, U., Vardiman, J., Golomb, H. M. & Rowley, J. D. Cancer 43, 411–416 (1979).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Rowley, J. D. Nature 243, 290–293 (1973).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Rowley, J. D. Clin. Haemat. 9, 55–86 (1980).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Sandberg, A. A. The Chromosomes in Human Cancer and Leukemia (Elsevier, New York, 1980).

    Google Scholar 

  9. Sandberg, A. A. Cancer Genet. Cytogenet. 1, 217–228 (1980).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Heisterkamp, N. et al. Nature 299, 747–750 (1982).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Heisterkanip, N., Groffen, J. & Stephenson, J. R. J. molec. appl. Genet. (in the press),

  12. Erikson, J., Martinis, J. & Croce, C. M. Nature 294, 173–175 (1981).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. McBride, O. W. et al. J. exp. Med. 155, 1480–1490 (1982).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Croce, C. M. et al. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 76, 3416–3419 (1979).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Erikson, J., Ar-Rushdi, A., Drwinga, H. L., Nowell, P. C. & Croce, C. M. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 80, 820–824 (1983).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. De la Chapelle, A. et al. Nucleic Acids Res. 11, 1133–1142 (1983).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Ferguson-Smith, M. A. La Ricerca Clin. Lab. 4, 297–335 (1974).

    Google Scholar 

  18. Mendelsohn, M. L., Mayall, B. H., Bogart, E., Moore, D. H. II & Perry, B. H. Science 179, 1126–1129 (1973).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Mayall, B. H., Carrano, A. V., Moore, D. H. II & Rowley, J. D. Cancer Res. 37, 3590–3593 (1977).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Wayne, A. W. & Sharp, J. C. Cancer Genet. Cytogenet. 5, 253–256 (1982).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Geurts van Kessel, A. H. M., van Agthoven, A. J., de Groot, P. G. & Hagemeijer, A. Hum. Genet. 58, 162–165 (1981).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Geurts van Kessel, A. H. M., Tetteroo, P. A. T., von dem Borne, A. E. G. K., Hagemejer, A. & Bootsma, D. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. (in the press).

  23. Jeffreys, A. J. & Flavell, R. A. Cell 12, 429–439 (1977).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Bernards, R. & Flavell, R. A. Nucleic Acids Res. 8, 1421–1533 (1980).

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Bartram, C., de Klein, A., Hagemeijer, A. et al. Translocation of c-abl oncogene correlates with the presence of a Philadelphia chromosome in chronic myelocytic leukaemia. Nature 306, 277–280 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1038/306277a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/306277a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing