Uncoupling of genomic instability and tumorigenesis in a mouse model of Burkitt's lymphoma expressing a conditional box II-deleted Myc protein.

Burkitt's lymphomas (BL) are characterized by the constitutive expression of c-Myc protein. In total, 50-60% of all BL cells carry mutant c-Myc proteins. Using a mouse model of spontaneously immortalized pro-B-lymphocytes (Ba/F3), we have investigated genomic instability mediated by the conditional expression of either wild-type (WT) or deletion box II Delta106-Myc proteins. We found that both proteins mediate common as well as differing types of chromosomal rearrangements as documented by spectral karyotyping (SKY). A higher level of genomic instability is induced by the Delta106-Myc protein. To examine the tumorigenic potential of WT or Delta106-driven Ba/F3 cells, in vivo tumorigenesis studies were performed in SCID mice. Under the experimental conditions of this study, WT but not Delta106-Myc expressing Ba/F3 cells triggered tumorigenesis in SCID mice. Therefore, the genomic instability phenotype induced by Delta106-Myc can be genetically uncoupled from its tumorigenic potential.