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Rearrangement of the PAX3 paired box gene in the paediatric solid tumour alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma

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Abstract

We have determined that PAX3 (found previously to be mutated in Waardenburg syndrome) is the chromosome 2 locus rearranged by the t(2;13)(q35;q14) translocation of the paediatric solid tumour alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma. The rearrangement breakpoints occur within an intron downstream of the paired box and homeodomain–encodingregions. Upstream PAX3 sequences hybridize to a novel transcript in t(2;13)–containing lines. Cloning and characterization of this novel transcript indicate that the translocation juxtaposes the PAX3 DNA binding elements with chromosome 13 sequences, suggesting formation of a hybrid transcription factor. Therefore, PAX3 gene alterations are associated with two completely unrelated human diseases.

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Barr, F., Galili, N., Holick, J. et al. Rearrangement of the PAX3 paired box gene in the paediatric solid tumour alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma. Nat Genet 3, 113–117 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1038/ng0293-113

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