The elevated levels of BCL-2 in cells that express AML1/ETO may prolong their life span and contribute to the development of t(8;21) leukemia..     ///    "In t(8;21) acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), the AML1 gene is juxtaposed to the ETO gene located on chromosome 8, generating an AML1/ETO fusion protein. "    ///    "however, we found that AML1/ETO activates transcription of the BCL-2 gene in U937 cells. "    ///    "Thus far, AML1/ETO has been shown to dominantly repress its target genes. "    ///    We demonstrated sequence specific binding of both AML1A and AML1/ETO to the TGTGGT sequence in the BCL-2 promoter and showed that the AML1 binding site is required for responsiveness to AML1/ETO.     ///    "Both AML1/ETO and the AML1 proteins recognize the same consensus DNA-binding motif (TGT/CGGT), which is found in the promoters of several genes involved in hematopoiesis. "    ///    This activation requires the presence of both the runt homology domain (rhd) and the C-terminal portion of AML1/ETO.     ///    The AML1/ETO fusion protein activates transcription of BCL-2.. 