A transfected H-ras oncogene does not inhibit differentiation of cardiac and skeletal muscle from embryonal carcinoma cells.
P19 embryonal carcinoma (EC) cells can be induced to differentiate in vitro into a variety of cell types, including cardiac and skeletal myocytes. We have isolated P19 cells stably transformed with either the activated human H-ras oncogene or with a chimeric gene in which the H-ras oncogene was controlled by a muscle-specific promoter. These P19 lines exhibited ubiquitous and muscle-specific expression of the activated H-ras protein, respectively. In both lines of P19 cells, normal cardiac and skeletal muscle differentiation was observed. Since the activated H-ras prevents differentiation of myoblast cell lines, our results suggest that the EC-derived muscle progenitor cell differs from continuous myoblast cell lines, perhaps by lacking a complementing oncogene responsible for myoblast immortalization.
Rudnicki
M A
MA
Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ont., Canada.
Reuhl
K R
KR
McBurney
M W
MW
D000199:Actins / Q000235:genetics; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics; D054278:Embryonal Carcinoma Stem Cells; D015870:Gene Expression; D011905:Genes, ras / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D009132:Muscles / Q000166:cytology*; D009206:Myocardium / Q000166:cytology*; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D010957:Plasmids; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D014162:Transfection / Q000235:genetics*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D000199:Actins; D012333:RNA, Messenger