Chromosome Translocation Can Occur on Either Side of the C-myc Oncogene in Burkitt Lymphoma Cells

In Burkitt lymphoma cells reciprocal chromosomal translocations are observed between the long arm of chromosome 8 (8q24) and either the long arm of chromosome 14 (14q32), the short arm of chromosome 2 (2p12) or the long arm of chromosome 22 (22q11). Gene mapping studies have shown that c-myc, the cellular homologue of the viral myc oncogene, is localized at 8q24 (ref 3-5) and that the three immunoglobulin gene loci map at the breakpoints involved in the translocation: immunoglobulin heavy-chain genes are located at 14q32 (refs 6, 7), kappa light chains at 2p12 (ref. 8) and delta light chains at, or close to, 22q11 (ref 9, 10). This correlation suggests an association of immunoglobulin gene rearrangements with the occurrence of these specific translocations. By using in situ hybridization we have examined the translocation point with respect to c-myc in two cell lines containing 2;8 translocation, and report here that the c-myc gene remains on the chromosome 8 involved in the reciprocal exchange with chromosome 2. We have also confirmed that the c-myc gene moves from the translocated chromosome 8 in a cell line having a 8;14 translocation. These results show that chromosomal breakage can occur on either side of the c-myc gene in Burkitt lymphoma cells.