BioMAJ: a flexible framework for databanks synchronization and processing.

UNLABELLED: Large- and medium-scale computational molecular biology projects require accurate bioinformatics software and numerous heterogeneous biological databanks, which are distributed around the world. BioMAJ provides a flexible, robust, fully automated environment for managing such massive amounts of data. The JAVA application enables automation of the data update cycle process and supervision of the locally mirrored data repository. We have developed workflows that handle some of the most commonly used bioinformatics databases. A set of scripts is also available for post-synchronization data treatment consisting of indexation or format conversion (for NCBI blast, SRS, EMBOSS, GCG, etc.). BioMAJ can be easily extended by personal homemade processing scripts. Source history can be kept via html reports containing statements of locally managed databanks. AVAILABILITY: http://biomaj.genouest.org. BioMAJ is free open software. It is freely available under the CECILL version 2 license.

Unlike AML1, CBFbeta gene is not deregulated by point mutations in acute myeloid leukemia and in myelodysplastic syndromes.

The core-binding factor (CBF) complex is a heterodimeric transcription factor composed of 2 subunits, CBFalpha and CBFbeta, that play a major role in hematopoiesis. Both members of the CBF complex are frequently altered in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) by translocation, most commonly t(8;21), t(12;21), and t(3;21) for CBFalpha, located in 21q22, and inv(16)(p13;q22) for CBFbeta, located on 16q22. Recently, a new mechanism of alteration of CBFalpha, by point mutation, has been reported in myeloid malignancies, particularly in M0 AML. In the present study, we found no point mutation of the CBFbeta gene in 30 myelodysplastic syndromes and 100 AMLs, suggesting a limited role, if any, of CBFbeta point mutations in those disorders.