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c-Maf nuclear oncoprotein is frequently expressed in multiple myeloma

Leukemia volume 21, pages 1572–1574 (2007)Cite this article

c-Maf is the cellular homolog of v-maf, the transforming gene of the avian retrovirus AS42, first isolated from a spontaneous fibrosarcoma in chicken.1 The genes are members of the basic leucine zipper transcription factors belonging to the AP1 superfamily. c-Maf is expressed at high levels in myeloma cells carrying translocation t(14;16) (q32;q23), which fuses the immunoglobulin heavy chain (14q32) and c-maf gene (16q23) loci.2 Recent gene expression profiling of myeloma cell lines revealed that c-Maf transactivated cyclin D2, a promoter of cell cycle progression, thus enhanced proliferation of myeloma cells.3 In addition, ARK5 was identified as a transcriptional target for the c-Maf in MM.4

The t(14;16) involving the c-maf oncogene was found in 25% of myeloma cell lines2 but only 2–6% of primary MM samples.5, 6 Patients harboring t(14;16) appear to have a worse outcome.6 Hurt et al.3 demonstrated high levels of c-maf expression by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in 13 of 28 (46%) MM cell lines, of which only six had t(14;16) translocations. Furthermore, c-maf mRNA expression was detected in 13 of 26 (50%) myelomas purified from bone marrow aspirates but was not found in plasma cells purified from normal bone marrows.3

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References

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by a grant from Cancer Research Society Inc. and a grant from Leukemia and Lymphoma Research Society of Canada to HC.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Laboratory Hematology, Toronto General Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

    Hong Chang, Q Qi & B Patterson

  2. Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, Toronto General Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

    Hong Chang, Q Qi & B Patterson

  3. Department of Biostatistics, University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

    W Xu

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  1. Hong Chang
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Correspondence to Hong Chang.

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Chang, H., Qi, Q., Xu, W. et al. c-Maf nuclear oncoprotein is frequently expressed in multiple myeloma. Leukemia 21, 1572–1574 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.leu.2404669

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