Neoplastic transformation by the human gene N-myc.
Amplification and abundant expression of a gene known as N-myc are found frequently in advanced stages of human neuroblastoma and may play a role in the genesis of several malignant human tumors. Previous studies have shown that N-myc can cooperate with a mutant allele of the proto-oncogene c-Ha-ras to transform embryonic rat cells in culture. Here we show that N-myc can also act alone to elicit neoplastic growth of an established line of rat fibroblasts (Rat-1). We used recombinant DNA vectors to express either N-myc or its kindred gene c-myc in transfected cells. Both genes caused morphological transformation, anchorage-independent growth, and tumorigenicity. We noticed two variables that appeared to influence the ability to isolate cells transformed by N-myc and c-myc: the abundance in which the genes were expressed and biological selection to eliminate untransformed cells from the cultures. Our findings sustain the belief that N-myc is an authentic proto-oncogene, lend further credibility to the role of N-myc in the genesis of human tumors, and establish a convenient assay that can be used to explore further the properties of both N-myc and c-myc.
Small
M B
MB
Hay
N
N
Schwab
M
M
Bishop
J M
JM
D000818:Animals; D002455:Cell Division; D002460:Cell Line; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; D005347:Fibroblasts; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D006801:Humans; D009374:Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000235:genetics*; D009857:Oncogenes; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D011519:Proto-Oncogenes; D051381:Rats; D014162:Transfection
C000715470:MAS1 protein, human; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins