Recurrent Additional Genetic Aberrations and a Novel Mechanism of CBFB-MYH11-Rearrangement in AML M4eo Are Detected Using High-Resolution Genome-Wide Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) Microarrays

Leukemia specific fusion genes such as CBFB-MYH11 play a major role in the pathogenesis of distinct AML entities. However, additional genetic aberrations seem necessary for the development of full blown leukemia. This study was performed to decipher CBFB-MYH11 rearrangements and their accompanying genetic lesions at the molecular level. Therefore, Affymetrix SNP Array 6.0 analyses, featuring >1.8 million markers for genetic variation (>906,600 SNPs and >946,000 probes for the detection of copy number variations), were performed in 35 newly diagnosed AML with inv(16) (p13q22) or t(16;16)(p13;q22) and CBFB-MYH11-rearrangement. First, as a proof of principle, additional gains and losses of chromosomal material as observed by cytogenetics were also detected by the SNP technology. This included gains of whole chromosome 8 (n=7) and 22 (n=8). In addition, a partial trisomy 13 and a partial trisomy 6 resulting from an unbalanced translocation were confirmed. In two cases a 7q deletion was observed by chromosome banding analysis. One of these was missed by SNP array as the 7q deletion occurred in a subclone only (11% of cells with 7q deletion as determined by interphase FISH). However, SNP array analyses detected loss of 7q in two additional cases which was missed by cytogenetics. Based on SNP array data the commonly deleted region was identified to range from 7q36.1 to 7q36.3 (size: 8.5 MB; physical map position 147,549,804–156,038,680). In addition to a gain of the whole chromosome 8, frequently observed as an additional aberration, in one case SNP array analyses revealed only a partial gain on 8q ranging from 8q24.13 to 8q24.3 (size: 25.3 MB; physical map position 120,986,982–146,268,936). Furthermore, a recurrent deletion (n=2) on chromosome 18 was detected by SNP array but not detected by cytogenetics. The commonly deleted region was localized in 18q23 (size: 3.1 MB; physical map position 72,481,657–75,604,994). In two cases the CBFB-MYH11 rearrangement was cryptic and could not be detected by chromosome banding analysis or FISH using two probes flanking the breakpoints within the CBFB gene, however, a CBFB-MYH11 transcript was amplified by RT-PCR. In one of these cases SNP array data revealed a small gain on 16p13 including 3′ part of the MYH11 gene (size: 71 kb; physical map position 15,654,558–15,725,636) suggesting the insertion of additional 3′ MYH11 sequences into the CBFB rearrangement leading to a CBFB-MYH11 fusion gene. Interestingly, four cases showed a deletion on 16p13 (sizes: 176 kb, 461 kb, 464 kb, 468 kb; physical map positions 15,729,932–15,906,308, 15,726,920–16,188,116, 15,725,663–16,189,984, 15,721,133–16,189,807). All included the 5′ part of the MYH11 gene, and in 3 cases, the ABCC1 gene (multidrug resistance-associated protein 1) was included in the deleted region, which could have an impact on prognosis. The patient with the smallest deletion in 16p13 also showed a deletion on 16q22 including the ′ part of CBFB (size: 35 kb, physical map position 65,672,864–65,707,954). This would be in line with findings in chronic myeloid leukemia where comparable small deletions in the breakpoint region of BCR and ABL have been described. Furthermore, large regions of copy-neutral loss of heterozygosity were observed for the whole short arm of chromosome 1 in two cases, for 17q12 to 17qter and 19q in one case each. In conclusion,

1. a novel mechanism leading to a CBFB-MYH11 fusion gene was identified: A cytogenetically cryptic insertion of additional MYH11 sequences into the CBFB locus.

2. A distinct pattern of additional aberrations was confirmed showing gains of whole chromosomes 8 and 22.

3. Small copy number changes not observable in chromosome banding analysis were detected on 7q, 8q and 18q.

4. A recurrent region of loss of heterozygosity without copy number change was found for the whole short arm of chromosome 1 suggesting that candidate genes in this region are mutated and potentially play a pathogenetic role in AML with CBFB-MYH11-rearrangement.