Involvement of the MLL gene in adult T-lymphoblastic leukemia.

While the MLL "recombinome" is relatively well characterized in B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (BCP ALL), available data for adult acute T-lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) are scarce. We performed fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) for an MLL split signal on 223 adult T-ALL samples obtained within the framework of the German Multicenter ALL 07/2003 therapy trial. Three biphenotypic leukemias (T-ALL/AML) were also included in the analysis. Samples showing any alteration by FISH were further investigated to characterize the MLL aberration. In addition, they were investigated for common genetic lesions known in T-ALL. Twenty-two cases (9.5%) showed an abnormal MLL signal by FISH analysis. Most of these appeared to be deletions or gains but in five cases (2.1%) a chromosomal translocation involving the MLL gene was identified. The translocation partners and chromosomal breakpoints were molecularly characterized. Three T-ALLs had an MLL-AF6/t(6;11) and two biphenotypic leukemias had an MLL-ELL/t(11;19). The chromosomal breakpoints in two of the MLL-AF6-positive cases were located outside the classical MLL major breakpoint cluster known from BCP ALL. In conclusion, the spectrum of MLL translocation partners in adult T-ALL much more resembles that of AML than that of BCP ALL and thus the mechanisms by which MLL contributes to leukemogenesis in adult T-ALL appear to differ from those in BCP ALL. Proposals are made for the diagnostic assessment of MLL fusion genes in adult T-ALL.

Molecular characterization of TCF3::PBX1 chromosomal breakpoints in acute lymphoblastic leukemia and their use for measurable residual disease assessment.

The translocation t(1;19)(q23;p13) with the resulting chimeric TCF3::PBX1 gene is the third most prevalent recurrent chromosomal translocation in acute lymphoblastic leukemia and accounts for 3-5% of cases. The molecular background of this translocation has been incompletely studied, especially in adult cases. We characterized the chromosomal breakpoints of 49 patients with TCF3::PBX1 and the corresponding reciprocal PBX1::TCF3 breakpoints in 15 cases at the molecular level, thus providing an extensive molecular overview of this translocation in a well-defined study patient population. Breakpoints were found to be remarkably clustered not only in TCF3 but also in PBX1. No association with DNA repeats or putative cryptic recombination signal sequence sites was observed. A simplified detection method for breakpoint identification was developed and the feasibility of patient-specific chromosomal break sites as molecular markers for detecting measurable residual disease (MRD) was explored. A highly sensitive generic real-time PCR for MRD assessment using these breakpoint sequences was established that could serve as a useful alternative to the classical method utilizing rearranged immune gene loci. This study provides the first extensive molecular data set on the chromosomal breakpoints of the t(1;19)/TCF3::PBX1 aberration in adult ALL. Based on the obtained data a generic MRD method was developed that has several theoretical advantages, including an on average higher sensitivity and a greater stability of the molecular marker in the course of disease.

DNA methylation in the IGF2 intragenic DMR is re-established in a sex-specific manner in bovine blastocysts after somatic cloning.

The recent identification of an intragenic differentially methylated region (DMR) within the last exon of the bovine Insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2) gene provides a diagnostic tool for in-depth investigation of bovine imprinting and regulatory mechanisms which are active during embryo development. Here, we used bisulfite sequencing to compare sex-specific DNA methylation patterns within this DMR in bovine blastocysts produced in vivo, by in vitro fertilization and culture, SCNT, androgenesis or parthenogenesis. In in vivo derived embryos, DNA methylation was removed from this intragenic DMR after fertilization, but partially replaced by the time the embryo reached the blastocyst stage. Among embryos developing in vivo, the level of DNA methylation was significantly lower in female than in male blastocysts. This sexual dimorphism was also found between parthenogenetic and androgenetic embryos, and followed the donor cell sex in SCNT derived blastocysts and is evidence for correct methylation reprogramming in SCNT embryos.

Evidence-based RT-PCR methods for the detection of the 8 most common MLL aberrations in acute leukemias.

MLL aberrations are detected in around 5-10% of acute myeloid and lymphatic leukemias and an additional 5% of acute myeloid leukemias show a partial internal MLL duplication (PTD). MLL rearrangements are important for therapy stratification, assessment of minimal residual disease and for targeted therapies. However, no truly evidence-based RT-PCR methods for the detection of most of these aberrations have been published yet. Based on the large data collection of MLL genomic breakpoints in acute leukemias comprising more than 1.600 cases at the Diagnostic Center for Acute Leukemias (DCAL) in Frankfurt, Germany that provide an overview over the experimentally observed fusion transcript variants, we developed RT-PCR methods for the reliable detection of the 8 most common MLL aberrations (MLL-AF4, MLL-AF6, MLL-AF9, MLL-AF10, MLL-ENL, MLL-ELL, MLL-EPS15, MLL PTD), together accounting for around 90% of MLL-r cases. The easily implementable RT-PCRs should enable a reliable detection of these MLL fusion transcripts by RT-PCR.

Fine structure of translocation breakpoints within the major breakpoint region in BCR-ABL1-positive leukemias.

The chromosomal translocation t(9;22)(q34;q22), with expression of the BCR-ABL1 fusion gene is the cytogenetic and molecular hallmark of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and a subset of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Basically two types of BCR-ABL1 chimeric mRNA transcripts have been observed: (1) e13a2/e14a2 transcripts in CML and ALL, resulting from chromosomal breaks in the major breakpoint cluster region (M-bcr) of the BCR gene and (2) e1a2 transcripts in ALL resulting from breaks in the minor breakpoint cluster region (m-bcr) of the BCR gene. To gain a better understanding of this molecular alteration, we developed a long-distance inverse PCR (LDI PCR) method for M-bcr breakpoint identification in BCR-ABL1-positive cases and were thus able to identify the chromosomal breakpoints within the M-bcr in 62 BCR-ABL1-positive samples. The corresponding reciprocal breakpoints were identified and molecularly characterized in 45 of these cases. In 2 samples, the breaks were located 5' to the ABL1 locus and in one case, the der(9) break was identified on 9q34.13 several hundred kB 3' telomeric to ABL1. The analysis of breaks revealed no significant clustering and no association with repetitive elements (Alu, L1, L2) or recombination signal sequence sites. The established LDI PCR permits fast, relatively easy and unbiased identification of breakpoints in the M-bcr region of BCR and also enables the molecular analysis of more complex translocations with breakpoints outside the ABL1 gene locus or other BCR fusion genes.

The bovine IGF2 gene is differentially methylated in oocyte and sperm DNA.

The insulin-like growth factor 2 gene (IGF2) encodes an essential growth factor and is imprinted in various mammalian species. Differentially methylated regions (DMRs) are often located within CpG islands and are critically involved in the regulation of monoallelic Igf2 expression in the mouse. Only partial sequence information is available for the bovine IGF2 gene and no DMR has currently been identified. The goal of this study was to identify a DMR within the bovine IGF2 gene as a prerequisite for further studies on gene-specific methylation patterns during preimplantation development. Here we describe the sequence analysis of a CpG-rich DNA fragment from the 5' untranslated region spanning exons and introns 4 and 5 and the identification of a previously unknown DMR in exon 10 of the bovine IGF2 gene. Bisulfite analysis revealed that this DMR is differentially methylated in mature oocytes and sperm. The identification of an intragenic DMR within a developmentally important gene such as the bovine IGF2 gene provides a useful tool to evaluate the methylation patterns of embryos derived in vivo and in vitro. Our study is the first report of a differentially methylated region in a bovine imprinted gene discovered by the analysis of female and male gametes.