Comparison of cellular protooncogene activation and transformation-related activity of human melanocytes and metastatic melanoma.
Two cell lines (NH and HM1), established from patients with metastatic melanomas, were evaluated for the presence of activated cellular protooncogenes. Northern blot analysis demonstrated increased expression of the c-myc gene (from 9 to 14 times) in NH and HM1 cell lines by densitometric comparison with human melanocyte cell lines. Analysis of the expression of 13 additional cellular protooncogenes revealed either no detectable levels (c-fms, c-abl, v-src, c-erb A1, c-erb B, v-mos, TGF beta, and c-myb) or unaltered expression levels (cH-ras, N-ras, c-fos, and c-sis) in normal human melanocytes and metastatic melanomas. Elevated expression of the c-myc gene was also detected in two long-term cultured melanoma cell lines (RPMI 7951 and SKMEL-30). Analysis of c-myc expression by in situ hybridization in HM1 cells showed that expression was not localized to a sub-population of cycling cells and all cells were overexpressing c-myc mRNA. Differences in relative abundance of c-myc transcripts suggests a relationship with the ability of DNA from these cell lines to efficiently transform NIH 3T3 cells and form colonies on soft agar.
Husain
Z
Z
Laboratory of Molecular Dermatologic Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115.
FitzGerald
G B
GB
Wick
M M
MM
D015152:Blotting, Northern; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics; D015870:Gene Expression; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D016259:Genes, myc / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008544:Melanocytes / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008545:Melanoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016283:Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras) / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011519:Proto-Oncogenes / Q000235:genetics*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary; D014162:Transfection; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc; C501009:HRAS protein, human; D016283:Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras)