Interviewee: Matt Ridley. The gene BCL2 is associated with the development of certain forms of leukemia that affect B-cells. If the gene is swapped onto a different chromosome, its protein is over-produced, resulting in B cells that do not function or self-destruct as they should. (DNAi Location: Genome > Tour > Genome spots > Chromosome 18, Leukemia > A Chromosome 18 story)

On chromosome 18, there's an oncogene called BCL2. An oncogene is a gene involved in cancer. In people with a certain kind of leukemia, this gene has been moved in its entirety from chromosome 18 to chromosome 14. This is a gross rearrangement of the chromosomes that is one kind of mutation. Once the gene is on chromosome 14, it's more active. That means the overproduction of a certain kind of white cell, which leads to the leukemia.

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