IDENTIFICATION OF NEW PARTNER CHROMOSOMES INVOLVED IN FUSIONS WITH THE ETV6 (TEL) GENE IN HEMATOLOGIC MALIGNANCIES

Several partner genes on different chromosomes have been reported to b e fused with the ETV6 gene (located in chromosome band 12p13), with di fferent breakpoints and different frequencies, in various hematologic malignancies, particularly acute myeloid and lymphoid leukemias and my elodysplastic syndromes. By using FISH and molecular analyses, we have analyzed five different pediatric and adult patients carrying cytogen etic abnormalities involving 12p13. Our findings demonstrate that ETV6 was rearranged in all the cases analyzed. In particular, ETV6 was dis rupted by translocations with chromosomal bands 7q22, 7q36, 9q11, and 13q12, not previously described as partners of ETV6 in translocations, thus extending its promiscuity in rearranging with different partner genes. (C) 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.