Mapping of constitutional translocation breakpoints in renal cell cancer patients: identification of KCNIP4 as a candidate gene

Our group and others had previously developed a high throughput procedure to map translocation breakpoints using chromosome flow sorting in conjunction with microarray-based comparative genomic hybridization (arrayCGH). Here we applied both conventional positional cloning and integrated arrayCGH procedures to the mapping of constitutional chromosome anomalies in four patients with renal cell cancer (RCC), three with a chromosome 3 translocation, and one with an insertion involving chromosome 3. In one of these patients, who was carrying a t(3;4)(p13;p15), the KCNIP4 gene was found to be disrupted. KCNIP4 belongs to a family of potassium channel–interacting proteins and is highly expressed in normal kidney cells. In addition, KCNIP4 splice variants have specifically been encountered in RCC.