title: Relationship between bcl-2 and myc gene expression in human neuroblastoma.
abstract: We have investigated the relationship between the expression of bcl-2 and myc family genes in primary human neuroblastoma (NB) tumors and cell lines. Of 20 NB tumors examined, bcl-2 transcripts were expressed at variable levels in 16 tumors of all clinical stages. Of the 2 tumors with N-myc amplification, one expressed bcl-2 at a high level, whereas the other did so at a low level. In contrast, all NB tumors showed the expression of c-myc and/or N-myc transcripts. Similarly, of 9 NB cell lines with N-myc amplification examined, 6 expressed bcl-2 at high levels, whereas the other 3 expressed it at barely detectable levels. The 3 cell lines without N-myc amplification also expressed bcl-2 protein at high levels. All NB cell lines tested expressed either c-myc or N-myc protein. These data suggest that in NB, there is no significant association between bcl-2 expression and advanced tumor stages or N-myc amplification. The data also show that bcl-2 expression does not always coincide with myc expression in NB, suggesting that bcl-2- independent mechanisms may exist in the bcl-2-negative NB tumor cells in order to suppress the cell death promoting action of high myc expression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Pennsylvania, School of Medicine, Philadelphia 19104, USA.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ikegaki
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Katsumata
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tsujimoto
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nakagawara
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Brodeur
mesh_terms: D002453:Cell Cycle; D005784:Gene Amplification; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D016259:Genes, myc; D006801:Humans; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000235:genetics*; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm