N-myc amplification causes down-modulation of MHC class I antigen expression in neuroblastoma.
Amplification of the N-myc gene is correlated with increased metastatic ability of human neuroblastomas. We show here that overexpression of the N-myc gene in a rat neuroblastoma cell line following gene transfer causes down-modulation of class I histocompatibility antigen expression and increases in the in vivo growth rate and metastatic ability of these cells. N-myc-mediated down-modulation of MHC class I antigen expression could be reversed by treatment with interferon without affecting the steady state level of N-myc mRNA. No effect on MHC class I antigen expression was found when the N-myc gene was expressed in rat fibroblasts, indicating that some of the effects caused by N-myc gene amplification are cell-type-specific.
D000818:Animals; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics*; D002455:Cell Division; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000276:immunology; D005784:Gene Amplification; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D006649:Histocompatibility Antigens / Q000235:genetics*; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000494:pharmacology; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D010641:Phenotype; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc; D051381:Rats; D014162:Transfection
D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D006649:Histocompatibility Antigens; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc; D007371:Interferon-gamma