Preferential expression of c-kit protooncogene transcripts in small cell lung cancer.
As an initial step to understand rapid growth of small cell lung cancer (SCLC), a complementary DNA library prepared from a SCLC cell line was screened with viral oncogene probes encoding protein-tyrosine kinases, which are known to play an important role in regulation of cell growth. Fifteen clones hybridizing with v-fms probe were isolated, and, by partial sequence analysis, four of them were identified to be c-kit protooncogenes. Northern blot study demonstrated that most of the SCLC tumors and cell lines expressed c-kit transcripts, while non-SCLC tumors and cell lines did not. Neither amplification nor rearrangement of the c-kit gene was demonstrated in SCLC cell lines by Southern blot analysis, however. Our results suggested that c-kit expression in SCLC reflects the unique biological nature of the tumor cells different from non-SCLC and further suggested that the c-kit product may participate in autocrine or paracrine stimulation of SCLC growth.
Sekido
Y
Y
First Department of Internal Medicine, Nagoya University School of Medicine, Japan.
Obata
Y
Y
Ueda
R
R
Hida
T
T
Suyama
M
M
Shimokata
K
K
Ariyoshi
Y
Y
Takahashi
T
T
D001483:Base Sequence; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000235:genetics; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000235:genetics*; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics*; D015723:Gene Library; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016281:Oncogene Protein gp140(v-fms) / Q000235:genetics; D009856:Oncogene Proteins, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics*; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D016281:Oncogene Protein gp140(v-fms); D009856:Oncogene Proteins, Viral; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; C058682:v-ros protein, Avian sarcoma virus UR2