title: Overexpression of the human melanoma-associated antigen ME491 partially suppresses in vivo malignant phenotypes of H-ras-transformed NIH3T3 cells in athymic nude mice.
abstract: H-ras-transformed NIH3T3 cells that overexpressed a human melanoma-associated antigen ME491 (44-3H) were generated by transfection with the cloned ME491 antigen gene followed by a 'panning' selection, and effects of the antigen overexpression on H-ras-mediated malignant phenotypes were studied. Although in vitro growth properties of the 44-3H overexpresser cells, both anchorage-dependent and -independent, were practically the same as those of the 44-1C control cells, 44-3H cells exhibited less malignant phenotypes in athymic nude mice (in vivo), i.e. decreased tumourigenicity after subcutaneous inoculation and prolonged survival time after intraperitoneal inoculation, compared with 44-1C cells. These results suggested that overexpression of ME491 antigen partially suppressed malignant phenotypes of H-ras-transformed NIH3T3 cells in athymic nude mice through co-operating with a factor(s) or mechanism(s) that exist in vivo but not in vitro. Thus, ME491 antigen might act as a tumour suppressor under some circumstances.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Kobe University School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hotta
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hara
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Miyamoto
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Homma
mesh_terms: D016475:3T3 Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D000818:Animals; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000502:physiology*; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000502:physiology*; D002461:Cell Line, Transformed; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D016147:Genes, Tumor Suppressor; D011905:Genes, ras; D008545:Melanoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D010641:Phenotype; D010980:Platelet Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000502:physiology*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D060149:Tetraspanin 30
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; C554586:CD63 protein, human; C554587:Cd63 protein, mouse; D010980:Platelet Membrane Glycoproteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D060149:Tetraspanin 30