Identification and molecular characterisation of a CALM-AF10 fusion in acute megakaryoblastic leukaemia

The t(10;11)(p13;q14-21) is a non-random translocation described in acute lymphoblastic and myeloid leukaemias. It results in the fusion of the gene CALM, which encodes a clathrin assembly protein, on 11q14 to the gene AF10, a putative transcription factor on 10p13. Here we describe for the first time, the occurrence of a CALM-AF10 fusion in a case of acute megakaryoblastic leukaemia. Fluorescence in situ hybridisation and reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction were used to confirm the presence of a CALM-AF10 fusion. A novel splice variant of CALM missing nt 1927-2091 was also detected. Though CALM is a cytoplasmic protein, the chimaeric fusion product is able to localise to both the nucleus and cytoplasm. Analysis of the fusion variants suggests, however, that the critical fusion product is likely to be cytoplasmic and contain the interactive leucine zipper of AF10.