title: The role of Ha-ras oncogenes in growth factor independence in rat mammary carcinoma cells.
abstract: To determine if activation of the c-Ha-ras-1 gene is involved in the acquisition of growth factor independence in 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA)--and N-nitrosomethylurea (NMU)--induced rat mammary carcinomas, three strategies were used. First, Ha-ras DNA from growth factor-independent DMBA-induced rat mammary tumor cells was amplified using the polymerase chain reaction and examined for the presence of mutations in the first and second exons of Ha-ras-1 by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis, allele-specific oligonucleotide hybridization, and direct sequencing. No mutations were found in the codon 12/13 or codon 61 regions of the Ha-ras-1 gene. Second, a similar analysis of an NMU-induced mammary carcinoma showed that it harbored an activating mutation in codon 12 of Ha-ras-1. When analyzed for growth factor requirements, these cells were found to express limited growth potential in all media tested, in contrast to growth factor-independent cells, which proliferated extensively in the presence or absence of exogenous growth factors. Third, growth factor-dependent rat mammary tumor cells and spontaneously immortalized rat normal mammary epithelial cells were transfected with an activated form of the Ha-ras-1 (T24) gene, and the growth factor requirements of the transfected cells were examined. The ras-transfected cells retained the growth factor requirements of the normal cells. In addition, ras-transfected cells were transplanted into syngeneic rats and nude mice, and no tumors developed after 6 mo in vivo. These results indicate that, in rat mammary tumor cells, neither growth factor independence in vitro nor transplantability are directly mediated by Ha-ras oncogenes. The results also suggest that ras activation and growth factor independence may be associated with independent pathways to malignancy in rat mammary tumorigenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chiodino
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Ethier
mesh_terms: D015127:9,10-Dimethyl-1,2-benzanthracene; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D003062:Codon / Q000235:genetics; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005091:Exons; D011905:Genes, ras; D008325:Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D008770:Methylnitrosourea; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D051381:Rats; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D003062:Codon; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D015127:9,10-Dimethyl-1,2-benzanthracene; D008770:Methylnitrosourea