Molecular analysis of a chromosomal translocation, t(9;14)(p13;q32), in a diffuse large-cell lymphoma cell line...

We have studied a translocation, t(9;14)(p13;q32), in a diffuse large-cell lymphoma cell line, KIS-1, that expresses the Ki-1 (CD30) antigen. Molecular cloning of the immunoglobulin heavy-chain locus (IGH) of this cell line revealed an unknown segment linked 5' to IGH. The breakpoint on chromosome 14 was 265 base pairs downstream from the 3' border of the JH6 joining gene segment. Class switch recombination deleted most of the constant genes of IGH (CH) and juxtaposed the C alpha 2 gene downstream of the translocation junction. Analysis of somatic cell hybrids and in situ chromosomal hybridization demonstrated that the translocated segment was normally located at band p13 of chromosome 9. The chromosome 9 sequences were transcriptionally active, giving rise to transcripts of approximately 11 kilobases. The KIS-1 cells seemed to have a small quantity of chimeric transcripts containing both chromosome 9 and C alpha 2 sequences.