DNA amplification at 11q13.5-q14 in human breast cancer

Band q13 of chromosome 11 is frequently amplified in human breast cancers, but the gene(s) responsible for the emergence of this amplicon remain(s) elusive as yet. As a tribute to the complexity of the amplification events involving 11q13 sequences in human breast cancer, we have now studied a more telomeric region at 11q13.5-q14 defined by a new transcription unit, D11S833E. We have observed that amplicons present in cell lines and primary tumors amplified for both BCL1 and D11S833E could be interrupted between these two loci. Such discontinuities were demonstrated by using a probe for the KRN1 gene, which we have localized between the BCL1/FGF4 region and D11S833E. In fact, KRN1 was not present in 4 out of 10 amplicons bearing both BCL1 and D11S833E. Furthermore, we have observed tumors in which D11S833E could be amplified in the absence of amplification of other known markers of 11q13. Therefore, D11S833E defines a new and independent amplification unit in this region.