title: Dissociation of proto-oncogene induction from growth response in normal human fibroblasts.
abstract: Proto-oncogenes are cellular homologues of viral oncogenes that are known to be associated with regulation of growth and differentiation. The c-myc and c-fos proto-oncogenes have been extensively studied by using established cell lines but to a lesser extent by using normal cells. Using physiologic growth modulators, we have shown that mitotic stimulation of normal human dermal fibroblasts is associated with induction of c-myc and c-fos, but that growth inhibition of these cells is not necessarily accompanied by their down-regulation. When treated with both serum and interferon-alpha during quiescence, fibroblasts were delayed in their progress into the S-phase of the cell cycle as compared to cells treated with serum alone and displayed substantial growth inhibition as measured by cell number at the end of 1 week. However, this growth inhibition was not preceded by down-regulation or delay in induction of c-myc and c-fos mRNA. The above studies suggest that in normal fibroblasts growth inhibition is not necessarily dependent on down-regulation of transcription of either c-myc or c-fos and that interferon may act to inhibit cell growth either through a post-transcriptional effect on cellular proto-oncogenes necessary for cell proliferation or through induction of other, as yet unrecognized gene(s) associated with growth arrest.
authors.affiliation: USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts 02111.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yaar
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Peacocke
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Gilchrest
mesh_terms: D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000502:physiology; D002455:Cell Division / Q000235:genetics; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007370:Interferon Type I / Q000502:physiology*; D016274:Oncogene Protein p55(v-myc) / Q000235:genetics; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D011519:Proto-Oncogenes / Q000502:physiology*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D007370:Interferon Type I; C000715470:MAS1 protein, human; D016274:Oncogene Protein p55(v-myc); D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos