Cytogenetic and Array-CGH Characterization of a Simple Case of Reciprocal t(3;10) Translocation Reveals a Hidden Deletion at 5q12.

Chromosome deletions, including band 5q12, have rarely been reported and have been associated with a wide range of clinical manifestations, such as postnatal growth retardation, intellectual disability, hyperactivity, nonspecific ocular defects, facial dysmorphism, and epilepsy. In this study, we describe for the first time a child with growth retardation in which we identified a balanced t(3;10) translocation by conventional cytogenetic analysis in addition to an 8.6 Mb 5q12 deletion through array-CGH. Our results show that the phenotypic abnormalities of a case that had been interpreted as "balanced" by conventional cytogenetics are mainly due to a cryptic deletion, highlighting the need for molecular investigation in subjects with an abnormal phenotype before assuming the cause is an apparently simple cytogenetic rearrangement. Finally, we identify PDE4D and PIK3R1 genes as the two major candidates responsible for the clinical features expressed in our patient.

MYEOV gene overexpression in primary plasma cell leukemia with t(11;14)(q13;q32).

Primary plasma cell leukemia (pPCL) is an uncommon form of plasma cell dyscrasia, and the most aggressive of the human monoclonal gammopathies. The t(11;14)(q13;q32) rearrangement is the most common alteration in pPCL, promoting cyclin D1 (CCND1) gene overexpression caused by its juxtaposition with the immunoglobulin heavy locus chromosome region. The myeloma overexpressed (MYEOV) gene maps very close to the CCND1 gene on chromosome 11, but its overexpression is rarely observed in multiple myeloma. The present study describes a case of pPCL with t(11;14) characterized by a breakpoint on der(11), unlike the one usually observed. Droplet digital polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed overexpression of CCND1 and MYEOV. To the best of our knowledge, MYEOV gene overexpression has never been previously described in pPCL.

Overexpression of the LSAMP and TUSC7 genes in acute myeloid leukemia following microdeletion/duplication of chromosome 3.

The 3q13.31 microdeletion syndrome is characterized by developmental delay, postnatal growth above the mean, characteristic facial features, and abnormal male genitalia. Moreover, a frequent deletion in the 3q13.31 chromosome region has been identified in patients who are affected by osteosarcomas. Among the genes located within the deleted region, the involvement of the limbic system-associated membrane protein gene (LSAMP), together with a non-coding RNA tumor suppressor candidate 7 gene (TUSC7), has been suggested. We describe the case of an adult acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patient with a novel chromosomal rearrangement characterized by a 3q13.31 microdeletion and an extra copy of the 3q13.31-q29 chromosomal region translocated to the long arm of the Y chromosome. This karyotypic aberration seems to cause LSAMP and TUSC7 gene expression dysregulation. In conclusion, we report the first case of LSAMP and TUSC7 gene overexpression, possibly due to a position effect in an AML patient bearing a 3q13.31 cryptic deletion.

BCR-ABL1 e6a2 transcript in chronic myeloid leukemia: biological features and molecular monitoring by droplet digital PCR.

The BCR-ABL1 fusion on the Philadelphia (Ph) chromosome is a hallmark of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). More than 95 % of BCR-ABL1 transcripts in CML are either e13a2 or e14a2 (major breakpoint cluster region or M-bcr), whereas rare BCR-ABL1 transcripts are occasionally observed, accounting for less than 1 % of CML cases. Among these, a very rare fusion transcript joining the first 6 exons of BCR to exon 2 of ABL1 (e6a2) has been reported in various hematological malignancies characterized by an aggressive clinical course. We report a new case of blast crisis (BC) CML with an e6a2 fusion transcript characterized by many eosinophil precursors with abnormal granules. Moreover, fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis revealed genomic deletions of 1.3 megabases and 342 kilobases on der(9) of chromosome 9 and 22 sequences, respectively. The fusion transcript was quantified at diagnosis and during follow-up using digital droplet polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) technology. The patient was treated with Dasatinib (140 mg/day), resulting in a 3-log reduction of the e6a2 transcript molecular burden from the third month after treatment. In this twentieth e6a2 case, characterized by marked eosinophilic dysplasia, deletions on der(9), and responsive to tyrosine kinase inhibitors therapy, we demonstrate that for molecular response monitoring of rare fusion transcripts associated with CML, ddPCR is a very useful technology.

Absolute quantification of the pretreatment PML-RARA transcript defines the relapse risk in acute promyelocytic leukemia.

In this study we performed absolute quantification of the PML-RARA transcript by droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) in 76 newly diagnosed acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) cases to verify the prognostic impact of the PML-RARA initial molecular burden. ddPCR analysis revealed that the amount of PML-RARA transcript at diagnosis in the group of patients who relapsed was higher than in that with continuous complete remission (CCR) (272 vs 89.2 PML-RARA copies/ng, p = 0.0004, respectively). Receiver operating characteristic analysis detected the optimal PML-RARA concentration threshold as 209.6 PML-RARA/ng (AUC 0.78; p < 0.0001) for discriminating between outcomes (CCR versus relapse). Among the 67 APL cases who achieved complete remission after the induction treatment, those with >209.6 PML-RARA/ng had a worse relapse-free survival (p = 0.0006). At 5-year follow-up, patients with >209.6 PML-RARA/ng had a cumulative incidence of relapse of 50.3% whereas 7.5% of the patients with suffered a relapse (p < 0.0001). Multivariate analysis identified the amount of PML-RARA before induction treatment as the sole independent prognostic factor for APL relapse.Our results show that the pretreatment PML-RARA molecular burden could therefore be used to improve risk stratification in order to develop more individualized treatment regimens for high-risk APL cases.

Myelodysplastic syndrome with 5q deletion following IgM monoclonal gammopathy, showing gene mutation MYD88 L265P.

Patients affected by monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) very rarely develop a myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). However, it was also demonstrated that MGUS patients had a significantly increased risk of developing MDS compared to the general population. We report a case of 5q-syndrome following a MGUS IgMk with mutation of MYD88 L256P. To our knowledge, this is the first case of del(5q) MDS following MGUS IgMk with the MYD88 L256P mutation in which there is coexistence of the markers of the two clonal diseases, but as an expression of distinct pathological features.

ADAMTS2 gene dysregulation in T/myeloid mixed phenotype acute leukemia.

BACKGROUND: Mixed phenotype acute leukemias (MPAL) include acute leukemias with blasts that express antigens of more than one lineage, with no clear evidence of myeloid or lymphoid lineage differentiation. T/myeloid (T/My) MPAL not otherwise specified (NOS) is a rare leukemia that expresses both T and myeloid antigens, accounting for less than 1% of all leukemias but 89% of T/My MPAL. From a molecular point of view, very limited data are available on T/My MPAL NOS. CASE PRESENTATION: In this report we describe a T/My MPAL NOS case with a complex rearrangement involving chromosomes 5 and 14, resulting in overexpression of the ADAM metallopeptidase with thrombospondin type 1 motif, 2 (ADAMTS2) gene due to its juxtaposition to the T cell receptor delta (TRD) gene segment. CONCLUSION: Detailed molecular cytogenetic characterization of the complex rearrangement in the reported T/My MPAL case allowed us to observe ADAMTS2 gene overexpression, identifying a molecular marker that may be useful for monitoring minimal residual disease. To our knowledge, this is the first evidence of gene dysregulation due to a chromosomal rearrangement in T/My MPAL NOS.

5'RUNX1-3'USP42 chimeric gene in acute myeloid leukemia can occur through an insertion mechanism rather than translocation and may be mediated by genomic segmental duplications.

BACKGROUND: The runt-related transcription factor 1 (RUNX1) gene is a transcription factor that acts as a master regulator of hematopoiesis and represents one of the most frequent targets of chromosomal rearrangements in human leukemias. The t(7;21)(p22;q22) rearrangement generating a 5'RUNX1-3'USP42 fusion transcript has been reported in two cases of pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and further in eight adult cases of myeloid neoplasms. We describe the first case of adult AML with a 5'RUNX1-3'USP42 fusion gene generated by an insertion event instead of chromosomal translocation. METHODS: Conventional and molecular cytogenetic analyses allowed the precise characterization of the chromosomal rearrangement and breakpoints identification. Gene expression analysis was performed by quantitative real-time PCR experiments, whereas bioinformatic studies were carried out for revealing structural genomic characteristics of breakpoint regions. RESULTS: We identified an adult AML case bearing a ins(21;7)(q22;p15p22) generating a 5'RUNX1-3'USP42 fusion gene on der(21) chromosome and causing USP42 gene over-expression. Bioinformatic analysis of the genomic regions involved in ins(21;7)/t(7;21) showed the presence of interchromosomal segmental duplications (SDs) next to the USP42 and RUNX1 genes, that may underlie a non-allelic homologous recombination between chromosome 7 and 21 in AML. CONCLUSIONS: We report the first case of a 5'RUNX1-3'USP42 chimeric gene generated by a chromosomal cryptic insertion in an adult AML patient. Our data revealed that there may be a pivotal role for SDs in this very rare but recurrent chromosomal rearrangement.

Lymphoid enhancer binding factor-1 (LEF1) expression as a prognostic factor in adult acute promyelocytic leukemia.

Lymphoid enhancer-binding factor 1 (LEF1) is a downstream effector of the Wnt/ ß-catenin signaling pathway. High LEF1 expression has been reported as a prognostic marker in hematologic malignancies. We evaluated the prognostic significance of LEF1 expression in 78 adult acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) patients. APL samples were dichotomized at the median value and divided into: LEF1(low) and LEF1(high). LEF1(high) patients had lower WBC counts at baseline and were less likely to carry a FLT3-ITD than LEF1(low) patients. Early death occurred only in the LEF1(low) group. Moreover, LEF1(low) expression was associated with a high Sanz score. Survival analysis of 61 APL patients < 60 years revealed that the LEF1(high) group had a significantly longer overall survival (OS). Cox analysis for OS confirmed only LEF1 expression as an independent prognostic factor. Of the 17 patients over the age of 60, those in the LEF1(high) group showed a higher median survival. In silico analysis identified 9 differentially expressed, up-modulated genes associated with a high expression of LEF1; the majority of these genes is involved in the regulation of apoptosis. Our study provides evidence that LEF1 expression is an independent prognostic factor in APL, and could be used in patients risk stratification.

Acute myeloid leukemia with t(16;16) (p13;q22) showing a new CBFB-MYH11 fusion transcript associated with an atypical leukemic blasts morphology.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cases with inv(16)(p13q22) or t(16;16)(p13;q22) are characterized by multiple CBFB-MYH11 fusion transcripts, type A being the most frequent. Rare fusion variants are frequently correlated with an atypical cytomorphology, but their biologic and prognostic significance is unclear. We report a case of acute myeloid leukemia with a balanced t(16;16)(p13;q22) and additional monosomy 13 showing a new CBFB-MYH11 fusion transcript variant. The patient also showed an atypical morphology of bone marrow blasts, since about 15% of all blasts showed bilobed nuclei but there was no pathologic eosinophilia. The biologic and prognostic implications of this rare association are discussed.

Analysis of copy number variations among diverse cattle breeds.

Genomic structural variation is an important and abundant source of genetic and phenotypic variation. Here, we describe the first systematic and genome-wide analysis of copy number variations (CNVs) in modern domesticated cattle using array comparative genomic hybridization (array CGH), quantitative PCR (qPCR), and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH). The array CGH panel included 90 animals from 11 Bos taurus, three Bos indicus, and three composite breeds for beef, dairy, or dual purpose. We identified over 200 candidate CNV regions (CNVRs) in total and 177 within known chromosomes, which harbor or are adjacent to gains or losses. These 177 high-confidence CNVRs cover 28.1 megabases or approximately 1.07% of the genome. Over 50% of the CNVRs (89/177) were found in multiple animals or breeds and analysis revealed breed-specific frequency differences and reflected aspects of the known ancestry of these cattle breeds. Selected CNVs were further validated by independent methods using qPCR and FISH. Approximately 67% of the CNVRs (119/177) completely or partially span cattle genes and 61% of the CNVRs (108/177) directly overlap with segmental duplications. The CNVRs span about 400 annotated cattle genes that are significantly enriched for specific biological functions, such as immunity, lactation, reproduction, and rumination. Multiple gene families, including ULBP, have gone through ruminant lineage-specific gene amplification. We detected and confirmed marked differences in their CNV frequencies across diverse breeds, indicating that some cattle CNVs are likely to arise independently in breeds and contribute to breed differences. Our results provide a valuable resource beyond microsatellites and single nucleotide polymorphisms to explore the full dimension of genetic variability for future cattle genomic research.

Analysis of recent segmental duplications in the bovine genome.

BACKGROUND: Duplicated sequences are an important source of gene innovation and structural variation within mammalian genomes. We performed the first systematic and genome-wide analysis of segmental duplications in the modern domesticated cattle (Bos taurus). Using two distinct computational analyses, we estimated that 3.1% (94.4 Mb) of the bovine genome consists of recently duplicated sequences (>or= 1 kb in length, >or= 90% sequence identity). Similar to other mammalian draft assemblies, almost half (47% of 94.4 Mb) of these sequences have not been assigned to cattle chromosomes. RESULTS: In this study, we provide the first experimental validation large duplications and briefly compared their distribution on two independent bovine genome assemblies using fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH). Our analyses suggest that the (75-90%) of segmental duplications are organized into local tandem duplication clusters. Along with rodents and carnivores, these results now confidently establish tandem duplications as the most likely mammalian archetypical organization, in contrast to humans and great ape species which show a preponderance of interspersed duplications. A cross-species survey of duplicated genes and gene families indicated that duplication, positive selection and gene conversion have shaped primates, rodents, carnivores and ruminants to different degrees for their speciation and adaptation. We identified that bovine segmental duplications corresponding to genes are significantly enriched for specific biological functions such as immunity, digestion, lactation and reproduction. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that in most mammalian lineages segmental duplications are organized in a tandem configuration. Segmental duplications remain problematic for genome and assembly and we highlight genic regions that require higher quality sequence characterization. This study provides insights into mammalian genome evolution and generates a valuable resource for cattle genomics research.

Evolutionary formation of new centromeres in macaque.

A systematic fluorescence in situ hybridization comparison of macaque and human synteny organization disclosed five additional macaque evolutionary new centromeres (ENCs) for a total of nine ENCs. To understand the dynamics of ENC formation and progression, we compared the ENC of macaque chromosome 4 with the human orthologous region, at 6q24.3, that conserves the ancestral genomic organization. A 250-kilobase segment was extensively duplicated around the macaque centromere. These duplications were strictly intrachromosomal. Our results suggest that novel centromeres may trigger only local duplication activity and that the absence of genes in the seeding region may have been important in ENC maintenance and progression.