title: Oncogene-mediated multistep transformation of C3H10T1/2 cells.
abstract: We have examined the response of the mouse embryonic cell line C3H10T1/2 to transfection with the activated human c-H-ras oncogene and the gag-myc oncogene from avian myelocytomatosis virus 29. C3H10T1/2 cells are not morphologically transformed following transfection with the gag-myc oncogene. A low level of focus formation is observed following transfection of the c-H-ras oncogene. When C3H10T1/2 cells are cotransfected with the ras and myc oncogenes, focus formation is increased by an average of 13 fold. In addition, C3H10T1/2 ras/myc foci have a distinct, transformed morphology which correlates with an increased potential for anchorage-independent growth. Although morphological transformation in this system is largely a function of ras oncogene expression, our studies demonstrate that it is potentiated by the presence of a functional gag-myc protein. Oncogene-mediated multistep transformation, which was first described in primary embryo cultures, is not a general property of established cell lines. The C3H10T1/2 cell line is an exception and provides a model system in which partially transformed phenotypes, in a progression toward malignant transformation, can be isolated and studied.
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Taparowsky
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Heaney
authors.forename: J T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Parsons
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000209:etiology* / Q000235:genetics; D003260:Contact Inhibition; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000473:pathology*; D015683:Gene Products, gag; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D009857:Oncogenes; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D016283:Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras); D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D012191:Retroviridae Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D015683:Gene Products, gag; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012191:Retroviridae Proteins; D016283:Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras)