Fgf-8, activated by proviral insertion, cooperates with the Wnt-1 transgene in murine mammary tumorigenesis.
We have used mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) infection of Wnt-1 transgenic mice to accelerate mammary tumorigenesis and to molecularly tag insertionally activated proto-oncogenes that cooperate oncogenically with Wnt-1 (G. M. Shackleford, C. A. MacArthur, H. C. Kwan, and H. E. Varmus, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 90:740-744, 1993). Here we report the identification and characterization of a 31-kb genomic locus that contains clonal MMTV integrations in 8 of 80 mammary tumors from MMTV-infected Wnt-1 transgenic mice. Two genes were identified within this locus, one of which was transcriptionally activated by MMTV insertions. This activated gene is identical to androgen-induced growth factor (AIGF/Fgf-8) (A. Tanaka, K. Miyamoto, N. Minamino, M. Takeda, B. Sato, H. Matsuo, and K. Matsumoto, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 89:8928-8932, 1992), the eighth member of the fibroblast growth factor (FGF) family. Transcriptional activation of Fgf-8 was found in all tumors with MMTV insertions in this locus. Fgf-8 mRNA was absent in normal mammary glands and was detected only in adult testis and ovary and in midgestational embryos. The sequences of Fgf-8 genomic and cDNA clones revealed five coding exons, in contrast to the three coding exons found in other FGF genes. cDNAs encoding three isoforms of the FGF-8 protein were isolated. The three corresponding mRNAs resulted from the alternative use of two 5' splice sites and two 3' splice sites for the second and third exons, respectively. These results implicate Fgf-8 as the third FGF gene found to cooperate with Wnt-1 in MMTV-induced murine mammary tumorigenesis, suggesting that FGFs and Wnts are strong collaborators in this process.
MacArthur
C A
CA
Department of Pediatrics, University of Southern California School of Medicine, Los Angeles.
Shankar
D B
DB
Shackleford
G M
GM
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D017931:DNA Primers; D005091:Exons; D005260:Female; D051524:Fibroblast Growth Factor 8; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000235:genetics*; D008325:Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000235:genetics* / Q000821:virology; D008324:Mammary Tumor Virus, Mouse / Q000235:genetics; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D011533:Proviruses / Q000235:genetics*; D012326:RNA Splicing; D016662:Virus Integration; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D051155:Wnt1 Protein; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins
D017931:DNA Primers; C496457:Fgf8 protein, mouse; D006133:Growth Substances; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D051155:Wnt1 Protein; C495246:Wnt1 protein, mouse; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins; D051524:Fibroblast Growth Factor 8; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors