The transcription factor gene MYB was identified recently as an oncogene that is rearranged/duplicated in some human leukemias. Here we describe a new mechanism of activation of MYB in human cancer involving gene fusion. We show that the t(6;9)(q22-23;p23-24) translocation in adenoid cystic carcinomas (ACC) of the breast and head and neck consistently results in fusions encoding chimeric transcripts predominantly consisting of MYB exon 14 linked to the last coding exon(s) of NFIB. The minimal common part of MYB deleted as the result of fusion was exon 15 including the 3 -UTR, which contains several highly conserved target sites for miR-15a/16 and miR-150 microRNAs. These microRNAs recently were shown to regulate MYB expression negatively. We suggest that deletion of these target sites may disrupt repression of MYB leading to overexpression of MYB-NFIB transcripts and protein and to activation of critical MYB targets, including genes associated with apoptosis, cell cycle control, cell growth/angiogenesis, and cell adhesion. Forced overexpression of miR-15a/16 and miR-150 in primary fusion-positive ACC cells did not significantly alter the expression of MYB as compared with leukemic cells with MYB activation/duplication. Our data indicate that the MYB-NFIB fusion is a hallmark of ACC and that deregulation of the expression of MYB and its target genes is a key oncogenic event in the pathogenesis of ACC. Our findings also suggest that the gain-offunction activity resulting from the MYB-NFIB fusion is a candidate therapeutic target.chromosome translocation ͉ fusion oncogene ͉ miRNA ͉ adenoid cystic carcinoma F usion genes are potent oncogenes resulting from chromosome rearrangements, in particular translocations. Most fusion genes identified thus far have been in hematological disorders and mesenchymal neoplasms, and only a few have been found in carcinomas (1). This paucity probably results from an inability to discover these rearrangements rather than from a true lack of such genes in carcinomas. The recent discovery that the majority of prostate cancers harbor ETS gene fusions (2) is in line with this reasoning. Finding as yet unidentified fusion oncogenes in other carcinomas could provide important insights into the molecular pathogenesis of these cancers and also might facilitate the development of new targeted therapies.We previously have identified a recurrent and tumor-specific t(6;9)(q22-23;p23-24) translocation in adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) of the head and neck (3). The translocation has been found as the sole cytogenetic anomaly in several cases, indicating that it is a primary rearrangement in this carcinoma.ACC has been known as a histologically distinctive neoplasm for nearly 150 years. It is among the most common carcinomas of the salivary glands (4) but also may arise in other exocrine glands, such as in the breast, and in the cervix, vulva, and tracheobronchial tree (5). ACC usually is an aggressive, although slowly growing, cancer with a long-term poor prognosis. Most patients (80-90%) with ACC ...

Mucoepidermoid carcinomas (MECs) of the salivary and bronchial glands are characterized by a recurrent t(11;19)(q21;p13) translocation resulting in a MECT1-MAML2 fusion in which the CREB-binding domain of the CREB coactivator MECT1 (also known as CRTC1, TORC1 or WAMTP1) is fused to the transactivation domain of the Notch coactivator MAML2. To gain further insights into the molecular pathogenesis of MECs, we cytogenetically and molecularly characterized a series of 29 MECs. A t(11;19) and/or an MECT1-MAML2 fusion was detected in more than 55% of the tumors. Several cases with cryptic rearrangements that resulted in gene fusions were detected. In fusion-negative MECs, the most common aberration was a single or multiple trisomies. Western blot and immunohistochemical studies demonstrated that the MECT1-MAML2 fusion protein was expressed in all MEC-specific cell types. In addition, cotransfection experiments showed that the fusion protein colocalized with CREB in homogeneously distributed nuclear granules. Analyses of potential downstream targets of the fusion revealed differential expression of the cAMP/CREB (FLT1 and NR4A2) and Notch (HES1 and HES5) target genes in fusion-positive and fusion-negative MECs. Moreover, clinical follow-up studies revealed that fusion-positive patients had a significantly lower risk of local recurrence, metastases, or tumor-related death compared to fusion-negative patients (P = 0.0012). When considering tumor-related deaths only, the estimated median survival for fusion-positive patients was greater than 10 years compared to 1.6 years for fusion-negative patients. These findings suggest that molecularly classifying MECs on the basis of an MECT1-MAML2 fusion is histopathologically and clinically relevant and that the fusion is a useful marker in predicting the biological behavior of MECs.

Pleiomorphic adenoma of the salivary glands is a benign epithelial tumour occurring primarily in the major and minor salivary glands. It is by far the most common type of salivary gland tumour. Microscopically, pleiomorphic adenomas show a marked histological diversity with epithelial, myoepithelial and mesenchymal components in a variety of patterns. In addition to a cytogenetic subgroup with normal karyotypes, pleiomorphic adenomas are characterized by recurrent chromosome rearrangements, particularly reciprocal translocations, with breakpoints at 8q12, 3p21, and 12q13-15, in that order of frequency. The most common abnormality is a reciprocal t(3;8)(p21;q12). We here demonstrate that the t(3;8)(p21;q12) results in promoter swapping between PLAG1, a novel, developmentally regulated zinc finger gene at 8q12, and the constitutively expressed gene for beta-catenin (CTNNB1), a protein interface functioning in the WG/WNT signalling pathway and specification of cell fate during embryogenesis. Fusions occur in the 5'-non-coding regions of both genes, exchanging regulatory control elements while preserving the coding sequences. Due to the t(3;8)(p21;q12), PLAG1 is activated and expression levels of CTNNB1 are reduced. Activation of PLAG1 was also observed in an adenoma with a variant translocation t(8;15)(q12;q14). Our results indicate that PLAG1 activation due to promoter swapping is a crucial event in salivary gland tumourigenesis.

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The genes involved in the t(12;22)(q13;q12) translocation found recurrently in malignant melanoma of soft parts have been characterized and shown to form, in four cases studied, hybrid transcripts. The deduced chimaeric protein encoded by the der(22) chromosome consists of the N-terminal domain of EWS linked to the bZIP domain of ATF-1, a transcription factor which may normally be regulated by cAMP. ATF-1 has not previously been implicated in oncogenesis. EWS was first identified as forming a hybrid transcript in Ewing's sarcoma, which links its N-terminal domain to the DNA binding domain of the FLI-1 gene. Thus the oncogenic conversion of EWS follows a common scheme of activation, exchanging its putative RNA binding domain with different DNA binding domains that appear to be tumour-specific.