Molecular genetics of pre-B acute lymphoblastic leukemia sister cell lines during disease progression - RNA-seq

Retaining the mutational pattern of tumors, immortalized cell lines represent excellent tools for the molecular study of genetic aberrations. Tumors can consist of subclones which develop under selective forces driven by mutational alterations. This explains why after therapy, relapsed clones can be genetically distinct from clones at diagnosis. We analyzed the mutational patterns of pairs of cell lines raised at early and late phases of development from patients with a hematopoietic tumor named pre-B acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). All cell lines tested showed mutations that typically occur in this tumor. We also observed clonal differences in sister cell lines, genetic aberrations developing during disease progression. Especially noteworthy was the presence of two mutations which are hitherto undescribed in cell lines.