Transgenic mice bearing the human c-myc gene activated by an immunoglobulin enhancer: a pre-B-cell lymphoma model.
Transgenic mice carrying a fusion gene in which the mouse immunoglobulin enhancer has been inserted into an otherwise normal human c-myc gene develop a narrow spectrum of pre-B-cell lymphomas. Tumor occurrence is correlated with expression of the transgene in organs in which large numbers of pre-B cells predominate. These tumors, which arise stochastically, are virtually all lymphoblastic lymphomas of the pre-B-cell type. Evidently the isolated enhancer targets oncogene expression and tumorigenesis to the early B-cell population in preference to more mature B-cell populations. The transgene also confers enhanced in vitro growth properties on nontransformed pre-B cells as observed in bone marrow cultures derived from transgenic animals. These cultured cells represent a population in which the activating function of c-myc can be uncoupled from secondary oncogenic events occurring in vivo.
Schmidt
E V
EV
Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115.
Pattengale
P K
PK
Weir
L
L
Leder
P
P
D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004742:Enhancer Elements, Genetic; D005803:Genes, Immunoglobulin; D006801:Humans; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000235:genetics*; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D010641:Phenotype; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000235:genetics; D011519:Proto-Oncogenes; D011995:Recombination, Genetic