Overview:

Anaplastic large cell lymphomas are associated with chromosomal aberrations involving the anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene, resulting in the expression of novel chimeric ALK proteins with transforming properties. In most of these tumors, the t(2;5)(p23;q35) generates the NPM-ALK fusion gene. Genes other than NPM have been demonstrated to fuse to the ALK gene. Two different ALK rearrangements involving the TRK-fused gene (TFG) in which the same portion of ALK was fused to different length fragments of the 5' TFG region. These two rearrangements encoded chimeric proteins of 85 kd (TFG-ALK(S)) and 97 kd (TFG-ALK(L)), respectively. TFG can provide an alternative to NPM as a fusion partner responsible for activation of the ALK and the pathogenesis of ALCL.

Gene Aliases:

TFG: HMSNP; SPG57; TF6
ALK: ALK (Ki-1), CD246

Genbank Number:

NM_001195478
NM_004304

References:

1. Hernández L. et al: TRK-fused gene (TFG) is a new partner of ALK in anaplastic large cell lymphoma producing two structurally different TFG-ALK translocations. Blood. 1999 Nov 1;94(9):3265-8.

2. Hernández L. et al: Diversity of genomic breakpoints in TFG-ALK translocations in anaplastic large cell lymphomas: identification of a new TFG-ALK(XL) chimeric gene with transforming activity. Am J Pathol. 2002 160(4):1487-94. 2002.