T Cell Leukemia/Lymphoma 1A is expressed during B-cell differentiation and, when over-expressed, acts as an oncogene in mouse (Tcl1a) and human (TCL1A) B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) and T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia (T-PLL).
T-cell leukemia/lymphoma 1 (TCL1) is an oncogene overexpressed in T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia and in B-cell malignancies including B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia and lymphomas.
Because overexpression of the TCL1 gene in murine B cells leads to a CD5(+) B cell lymphoproliferative disorder with many of the features of human B-CLL, we studied leukemias emerging in these mice to examine the extent to which their BCRs resemble those in B-CLL.