elk , Tissue-Specific ets -Related Genes on Chromosomes X and 14 Near Translocation Breakpoints

The myb - ets -containing acute leukemia virus, E26, transforms myeloblasts and erythroblasts in culture and causes a mixed erythroid and myeloid leukemia in chicks. Genes ( ets -1, ets -2, and erg ) with variable relatedness to the v- ets oncogene of the E26 virus have been identified, cloned, and characterized in several species. Two new members ( elk -1 and elk -2) of the ets oncogene superfamily have now been identified. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the elk -1 cDNA clone revealed that this gene encodes a 428-residue protein whose predicted amino acid sequence showed 82% similarity to the 3′ region of v- ets . The elk or related sequences appear to be transcriptionally active in testis and lung. The elk cDNA probe detects two loci in the human genome, elk -1 and elk -2, which map to chromosome regions Xp11.2 and 14q32.3, respectively. These loci are near the translocation breakpoint seen in the t(X;18) (p11.2;q11.2), which is characteristic of synovial sarcoma, and the chromosome 14q32 breakpoints seen in ataxia telangiectasia and other T cell malignancies. This suggests the possibility that rearrangements of elk loci may be involved in pathogenesis of certain tumors.