Functions of the abl oncogene.

The cellular abl oncogene and those derived by viral transduction and chromosomal translocation events encode a family of closely related proteins with intrinsic tyrosine kinase activity. The known in vitro and in vivo manifestations of these tyrosine specific kinase activities are, in general, very similar to those of other members of the src gene family. The expression of the normal c-abl messages and gene products is not remarkably different among most tissues, including the haemolymphoid system. However, the broad haemopoietic transformation spectrum of the murine v-abl protein and the association of the abl oncogene with human chronic myelogenous leukaemia suggest that some special structure-function relationship for the abl protein might hold for the growth regulation of blood forming cells. This article concentrates on recent data that have pointed the way toward several testable models for the intracellular behaviour of the c-abl proteins and their altered counterparts which function in cellular transformation and other altered growth states. More detailed review articles which cover the historical development of the field (Baltimore et al, 1979; Rosenberg and Baltimore, 1980), biological properties of the Abelson murine leukaemia virus (Risser, 1982; Whitlock and Witte, 1985) and the structure of the abl gene and its products (Witte, 1983; Konopka and Witte, 1985a) are available.