THE TEL GENE-PRODUCTS - NUCLEAR PHOSPHOPROTEINS WITH DNA-BINDING PROPERTIES

The human TEL gene is involved in several 12p13 chromosomal abnormalit ies present in various human hematological malignancies, the most freq uent being the t(12;21)(p13;q22), specific for childhood acute lymphob lastic leukemia, The predicted product of TEL harbours an amino acid r egion similar to the ETS DNA binding domain. We now report the isolati on of the murine TEL cDNA and the characterization of the human TEL pr oteins. Human and murine TEL proteins are particularly homologous with in their aminoterminal regions and their ETS domains. TEL proteins are nuclear and display specific DNA binding activity toward classical ET S binding sites. In addition, we show that TEL mRNAs initiate translat ion at either of the two first in-frame ATGs (codon 1 and 43) to encod e 50 kDa and 57 kDa TEL proteins. In vivo, each of these primary trans lational products is modified by multiple phosphorylation events.