Overexpression of which anti-apoptotic protein, resulting from a characteristic translocation, contributes to the survival of neoplastic B lymphocytes in follicular lymphoma?

• A BAX upregulated by t(14;18)(q32;q21)
• B FLIP upregulated by trisomy of chromosome 3
• C p53 stabilized by deletion of chromosome 17p
• D BCL-2 upregulated by juxtaposition to the Ig heavy chain promoter in t(14;18) ✓

Explanation

The t(14;18)(q32;q21) translocation places the anti-apoptotic BCL-2 gene next to the immunoglobulin heavy chain locus, driving constitutive BCL-2 expression. BCL-2 prevents BAX and BAK oligomerization in the mitochondrial outer membrane, blocking cytochrome c release and conferring survival advantage to germinal center D cells, giving rise to follicular lymphoma. Option C is wrong because p53 is pro-apoptotic when functional; its loss promotes tumors like Li-Fraumeni sarcomas, not follicular lymphoma.

Reference: Robbins and Cotran Pathologic Basis of Disease, 10th ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

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