Transcriptional activation of an unrearranged and untranslocated c-myc oncogene by translocation of a C lambda locus in Burkitt.

We have studied somatic cell hybrids between mouse myeloma cells and IARC-BL2 Burkitt lymphoma human cells carrying a t(8;22) chromosome translocation for the presence and expression of human immunoglobin lambda chains and for the c-myc oncogene. The results indicate that the c-myc oncogene remains on the 8q+ chromosome and that the excluded and rearranged C lambda allele translocates from chromosome 22 to this chromosome 8. As a result of the translocation, transcriptional activation of the c-myc oncogene on the rearranged chromosome 8 (8q+) occurs, while the c-myc oncogene in the normal chromosome 8 is transcriptionally silent. These findings suggest that the translocation of a rearranged immunoglobulin locus to the 3' side of an unrearranged c-myc oncogene may enhance its transcription and contribute to malignant transformation.