Wilms Tumor Locus on 11p13 Defined by Multiple CpG Island-Associated Transcripts

Wilms tumor is an embryonal kidney tumor involving complex pathology and genetics. The Wilms tumor locus on chromosome 11p13 is defined by the region of overlap of constitutional and tumor-associated deletions. Chromosome walking and yeast artificial chromosome (YAC) cloning were used to clone and map 850 kilobases of DNA. Nine CpG islands, constituting a "CpG island archipelago," were identified, including three islands that were not apparent by conventional pulsed-field mapping, and thus were at least partially methylated. Three distinct transcriptional units were found closely associated with a CpG island within the boundaries of a homozygous DNA deletion in a Wilms tumor.