A novel t(6;14)(q25-q27;q32) in acute myelocytic leukemia involves the BCL11B gene

Cytogenetic studies in a patient with acute myelocytic leukemia (AML) revealed as the sole karyotypic alteration a half-cryptic rearrangement, identified with 48-color combined binary ratio-labeled fluorescence in situ hybridization (pq-COBRA-FISH) as a reciprocal t(6;14)(q?;q?). The breakpoints were later assigned on the basis of G-banding to t(6;14)(q25-q26;q32). FISH experiments using genomic probes showed that the breakpoint on 14q32.2 was within bacterial artificial chromosome RP11-782I5 and revealed BCL11B as the only candidate gene in the region. BCL11B is a homolog to BCL11A (2p13), a highly conserved gene implicated in mouse and human leukemias. To our knowledge, this is the first report implicating BCL11B in hematological malignancies. Because of lack of material, the translocation partner remains unknown.