Gene activation of molecules with carcinoembryonic antigen determinants in fetal development and in adenocarcinoma of the colon.
"Fingerprints" of 0.9% NaCl solution extracts obtained from fetal guts and individual adenocarcinoma of the colon show a randomized pattern of expression of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) determinants by CEA radioimmunoassay and isoelectric focusing. All CEA-containing antigens found in a pool of 20 primary adenomas were found at some stage in fetal development. No single CEA-reacting peak was typical of any one period of fetal development. When fetal gut profiles were grouped according to trimester in utero, however, an expanded gene pool was found in the second trimester which correlates well with maximum gastrointestinal growth and differentiation. Isoelectric focusing-CEA radioimmunoassay profiles of individual primary adenomas were similar to but never identical with individual fetal gut profiles. "Fingerprints" of metastatic adenomas of entodermal origin showed quantitative and qualitative increases in molecules with CEA determinants unlike these latter categories. Such data suggest that both integrator and controller gene activities may be lost in metastatic disease. Rather than "phase-specific gene sets" on different chromosomes being activated by various oncogenic modalities, it is more probable that individual chromosomes are involved in oncogenesis. While more data are needed to confirm this idea, it is safe to say that the expression of molecules with CEA determinants need not be caused by either derepressive or reexpressive gene activation. These data point to the individuality of gene expression of molecules with CEA determinants both in fetal development and in early neoplasia. Since CEA-reacting molecules were not found in tumors of ectodermal or mesodermal origin by these methods, such products should be termed carcino-developmental antigens of entodermal or colonic origin.
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D000328:Adult; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D003106:Colon / Q000276:immunology; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D000939:Epitopes; D005333:Fetus / Q000276:immunology*; D005796:Genes; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans
D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen; D000939:Epitopes