Modification of histocompatibility antigen expression in cells expressing activated oncogenes: implications for tumour development.
The down-regulation of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) antigen expression which occurs in tumours may be an important element in tumour progression - the increasing malignancy of tumours - which is so much a feature of cancer - if it allowed the avoidance of T-cell immunity. Obviously, this downregulation could be due to a wide variety of mechanisms. An interesting possibility is that some oncogenes may directly influence MHC gene expression, perhaps at several different levels. The way in which oncogenes work-through signal transduction and transcription controls-suggests how this could happen. Three examples of oncogenes for which there is evidence that there expression modulates MHC gene expression are adenovirus EIA, myc and ras.
Morris
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Department of Biological Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, U.K.
D000818:Animals; D015536:Down-Regulation; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006649:Histocompatibility Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000494:pharmacology; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology*; D009857:Oncogenes; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
D006649:Histocompatibility Antigens; D007371:Interferon-gamma