Mutation screening of the c-MYB negative regulatory domain in acute and chronic myeloid leukaemia

Over-expression of the c-myb gene and expression of activated forms of myb are known to transform haemopoietic cells, particularly cells of the myeloi d lineage. Truncations or mutations that disrupt the negative regulatory do main (NRD) of the Myb protein confer an increased ability to transform cell s. Although it has proved difficult to link mutations in c-MYB to human leu kaemia, no studies investigating the presence of mutations within the c-MYB NRD have been reported. Therefore, we have performed mutational analysis o f this region, using polymerase chain reaction-single-stranded conformation polymorphism and sequence analysis, in 26 patients with acute or chronic m yeloid leukaemia, No mutations were detected, indicating that mutation of t his region of the Myb protein is not common in the pathogenesis or progress ion of these diseases.