BAALC, short for Brain and Acute Leukemia, Cytoplasmic, is a gene highly expressed in CD34-positive hematopoietic stem cells. It serves as a marker of the mesodermal lineage, especially muscle, with its protein expressed in developing and mature muscle cells [4]. BAALC is also associated with the Ras signaling pathway and MYC targets [2]. Genetic models could potentially be valuable in further exploring its functions.

High BAALC expression is an adverse prognostic factor in multiple types of leukemia. In acute myeloid leukemia (AML), it is associated with CD34 positivity, absence of NPM1 gene mutation, presence of RUNX1 gene mutation, and poor patient outcomes [2]. It confers chemoresistance in leukemia cells, for example, through the physical interaction with DBN1 which anchors cells in the bone marrow, and by upregulating ATP-binding cassette proteins in an ERK-dependent manner [1,3]. In adult B-precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia, high BAALC expression predicts primary therapy resistance and is associated with an immature, chemoresistant leukemic phenotype [5].

In conclusion, BAALC is crucial in hematopoiesis and leukemogenesis, with high expression being closely related to poor prognosis and chemoresistance in leukemia. The study of BAALC in genetic models, especially KO/CKO mouse models, could potentially offer more insights into its functions and provide new strategies for treating leukemia.

References:

1. Maki, Hiroaki, Yoshimi, Akihide, Shimada, Takashi, Ikegawa, Masaya, Kurokawa, Mineo. 2021. Physical interaction between BAALC and DBN1 induces chemoresistance in leukemia. In Experimental hematology, 94, 31-36. doi:10.1016/j.exphem.2020.12.003. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33453340/

2. Verma, Deepak, Kumar, Rajive, Ali, M Shadab, Singh, Amar Ranjan, Chopra, Anita. 2022. BAALC gene expression tells a serious patient outcome tale in NPM1-wild type/FLT3-ITD negative cytogenetically normal-acute myeloid leukemia in adults. In Blood cells, molecules & diseases, 95, 102662. doi:10.1016/j.bcmd.2022.102662. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35429905/

3. Morita, K, Masamoto, Y, Kataoka, K, Murata, S, Kurokawa, M. 2015. BAALC potentiates oncogenic ERK pathway through interactions with MEKK1 and KLF4. In Leukemia, 29, 2248-56. doi:10.1038/leu.2015.137. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26050649/

4. Satoskar, Anjali A, Tanner, Stephan M, Weinstein, Michael, Qualman, Stephen J, de la Chapelle, Albert. . Baalc, a marker of mesoderm and muscle. In Gene expression patterns : GEP, 5, 463-73. doi:. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15749074/

5. Kühnl, Andrea, Gökbuget, Nicola, Stroux, Andrea, Thiel, Eckhard, Baldus, Claudia D. 2010. High BAALC expression predicts chemoresistance in adult B-precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia. In Blood, 115, 3737-44. doi:10.1182/blood-2009-09-241943. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20065290/