The P190, P210, and P230 Forms of the <i>BCR/ABL</i> Oncogene Induce a Similar Chronic Myeloid Leukemia–like Syndrome in Mice but Have Different Lymphoid Leukemogenic Activity

The product of the Philadelphia chromosome (Ph) translocation, the BCR/ABL oncogene, exists in three principal forms (P190, P210, and P230 BCR/ABL) that are found in distinct forms of Ph-positive leukemia, suggesting the three proteins have different leukemogenic activity. We have directly compared the tyrosine kinase activity, in vitro transformation properties, and in vivo leukemogenic activity of the P190, P210, and P230 forms of BCR/ABL. P230 exhibited lower intrinsic tyrosine kinase activity than P210 and P190. Although all three oncogenes transformed both myeloid (32D cl3) and lymphoid (Ba/F3) interleukin (IL)-3–dependent cell lines to become independent of IL-3 for survival and growth, their ability to stimulate proliferation of Ba/F3 lymphoid cells differed and correlated directly with tyrosine kinase activity. In a murine bone marrow transduction/transplantation model, the three forms of BCR/ABL were equally potent in the induction of a chronic myeloid leukemia (CML)–like myeloproliferative syndrome in recipient mice when 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)–treated donors were used. Analysis of proviral integration showed the CML-like disease to be polyclonal and to involve multiple mye