B-Cell CLL/Lymphoma 8 (Bcl8)

A probe derived from the BCL8 locus detected a transcript in human testis and prostate, whereas no expression was found in spleen, thymus, or blood leukocytes. Analysis of the BCL8 cDNA clones isolated from human testis cDNA library showed that the BCL8 gene generates a major transcript of 2.6 kb and a less prominent 4.5-kb species due to differential polyadenylation. BCL8 expression was detected in all patients carrying 15q11-q13 abnormalities and in a fraction of randomly selected DLCL patients. These results suggested that the BCL8 gene is not normally expressed in lymphoid tissues, but its expression can be activated by chromosomal translocation or by other mechanisms in DLCL. Ectopic expression of BCL8 in a significant proportion of DLCL suggests an important role for this gene in the molecular pathogenesis of B-cell lymphoma.