Molecular localization of the t(11;22)(q24;q12) translocation of Ewing sarcoma by chromosomal in situ suppression hybridization.

Chromosome translocations are associated with a variety of human leukemias, lymphomas, and solid tumors. To localize molecular markers flanking the t(11;22) (q24;q12) breakpoint that occurs in virtually all cases of Ewing sarcoma and peripheral neuroepithelioma, high-resolution chromosomal in situ suppression hybridization was carried out using a panel of cosmid clones localized and ordered on chromosome 11q. The location of the Ewing sarcoma translocation breakpoint was determined relative to the nearest two cosmid markers on 11q, clones 23.2 and 5.8, through the analysis of metaphase chromosome hybridization. By in situ hybridization to interphase nuclei, the approximate physical separation of these two markers was determined. In both Ewing sarcoma and peripheral neuroepithelioma, cosmid clone 5.8 is translocated from chromosome 11q24 to the derivative chromosome 22 and a portion of chromosome 22q12 carrying the leukemia inhibitory factor gene is translocated to the derivative chromosome 11. The physical distance between the flanking cosmid markers on chromosome 11 was determined to be in the range of 1000 kilobases, and genomic analysis using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis showed no abnormalities over a region of 650 kilobases in the vicinity of the leukemia inhibitory factor gene on chromosome 22. This approach localizes the Ewing sarcoma breakpoint to a small region on chromosome 11q24 and provides a rapid and precise technique for the molecular characterization of chromosomal aberrations.