Open AccessEEN encodes for a member of a new family of proteins containing an Src homology 3 domain and is the third gene located on chromosome 19p13 that fuses to MLL in human leukemia
Author(s) -
Chi Wai Eric So,
Carlos Caldas,
Meng-Min Liu,
SaiJuan Chen,
QiuHua Huang,
Long-Jun Gu,
Mai Har Sham,
Leanne M. Wiedemann,
Chan Li
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.011
H-Index - 771
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.94.6.2563
Subject(s) - biology , sh3 domain , gene , genetics , homology (biology) , fusion protein , caenorhabditis elegans , exon , gene family , syt1 , microbiology and biotechnology , proto oncogene tyrosine protein kinase src , peptide sequence , hspa2 , gene expression , signal transduction , recombinant dna
The MLL gene, the closest human homologue to the Drosophila trithorax gene, undergoes chromosomal translocation with a large number of different partner genes in both acute lymphoid and acute myeloid leukemias. We have identified a new partner gene, EEN, fused to MLL in a case of acute myeloid leukemia. The gene is located on chromosome 19p13, where two other MLL partner genes, ENL and ELL/MEN have also been identified. The deduced protein of 368 aa contains a central alpha-helical region and a C-terminal Src homology 3 (SH3) domain most similar to the C-terminal SH3 domain found in the Grb2/Sem-5/Drk family of genes. Sequence analysis of the fusion MLL/EEN transcript in our patient reveals that exon 6 of MLL is fused to the N-terminal end of EEN, a fusion that would create a chimeric protein that includes the major functional domain of EEN. EEN is expressed in a variety of tissue types and encodes a protein of approximately 46 kDa. The EEN protein is the human homologue of a member of a recently described murine SH3 domain-containing protein family. It is also highly related to a putative gene identified in Caenorhabditis elegans, and a number of similar sequences are present in the EST databases of several species.