Transformation of mouse BALB 3T3 cells by enterobacterial plasmid misrepair gene mucAB.
The enterobacterial plasmid misrepair gene mucAB, ligated to the metal-inducible mammalian MT-1 promoter, was introduced into the genome of mouse BALB 3T3 cells. In the presence of zinc ions, MucA but not MucB protein was produced, and the whole-cell population of each mucAB+ clone started to show the transformation phenotype in a few days. Foci appeared in the transformed cell population after 4 weeks, and cells from the foci produced tumors in nude mice, indicating malignant transformation by the mucA product. Growth of mucAB+ cells was stimulated by zinc-induced expression of mucA. The transformation phenotype was reversed by removing zinc ions from the culture, indicating that the transformation was due not to MucA-mediated mutation in the mouse genome but to the direct transforming activity of MucA protein.
Radiobiology Division, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan.
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Tosu
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Tanooka
D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002455:Cell Division; D002460:Cell Line; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics*; D004260:DNA Repair; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D004274:DNA, Recombinant; D015870:Gene Expression; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009374:Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000235:genetics
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004274:DNA, Recombinant