McCaffrey R, Smoler D F, Baltimore D
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1973 Feb;70(2):521-5. doi: 10.1073/pnas.70.2.521.
Cells from a patient with childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia contain an apparent DNA polymerase activity that was not found in any other cells except thymus cells. The enzyme has the properties of terminal transferase, an enzyme known to be found in thymocytes. The cells also contain the three major DNA polymerases found in growing cells. The results suggest that these tumor cells arose from a block in the differentiation of thymocytes. Terminal transferase may be a marker for the origin of leukemic cells.
一名儿童急性淋巴细胞白血病患者的细胞含有一种明显的DNA聚合酶活性,除胸腺细胞外,在其他任何细胞中均未发现这种活性。该酶具有末端转移酶的特性,末端转移酶是一种已知存在于胸腺细胞中的酶。这些细胞还含有生长细胞中发现的三种主要DNA聚合酶。结果表明,这些肿瘤细胞源于胸腺细胞分化受阻。末端转移酶可能是白血病细胞起源的一个标志物。