title: Transfection of activated c-H-rasEJ/pSV2neo or pSV2neo genes into rat mammary cells: rapid stimulation of clonal diversification of spontaneous metastatic and cell-surface properties.
abstract: We examined whether the conversion of benign rat mammary cells to metastatic cells by transfection of c-H-rasEJ/pSV2neo or control pSV2neo genes results in rapid stimulation of diversification of cellular phenotypes. Transfection of c-H-rasEJ into twice-cloned, stable (greater than 1 year) rat mammary MTC.4 cells, followed quickly by cell cloning, revealed differences in transfected oncogene copy numbers and expression of p21rasEJ. No correlation between c-H-rasEJ copy numbers or the cellular amounts of p21rasEJ or total p21ras and spontaneous metastatic potentials was found. By subcloning transfected cells as soon as possible after gene transfer, we found some rearrangements and amplifications of c-H-rasEJ and heterogeneous spontaneous metastatic potentials. In addition, the expression of the mammary tumor metastasis-associated cell-surface glycoprotein gp580 on untransfected and transfected MTC.4 cells indicated that the cell populations of higher metastatic potential were also more diverse in their cell-to-cell antigen expression than untransfected or non-metastatic, transfected MTC.4 cells. In contrast, the expression of a putative metastasis-suppressor gene, nm23, was unchanged after transfection and subcloning. Control pSV2neo transfections or calcium phosphate treatment alone also resulted in the generation of cellular heterogeneity, although at an apparently lower frequency than c-H-rasEJ transfections, suggesting that transfection of activated, dominantly acting oncogenes, or in some cases control genes, can result in destabilization of transfected cells, rapid diversification and generation of heterogeneity in growth rate, spontaneous metastatic potential and antigen expression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Tumor Biology, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston 77030.
authors.forename: G L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Nicolson
authors.forename: G E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Gallick
authors.forename: W H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Spohn
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Lembo
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Tainsky
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; D002999:Clone Cells; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D005260:Female; D016147:Genes, Tumor Suppressor; D011905:Genes, ras; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008321:Mammary Glands, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D010957:Plasmids; D016283:Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras) / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D014162:Transfection; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D016283:Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras)