title: Different levels of v-Ha-ras p21 expression in primary keratinocytes transformed with Harvey sarcoma virus correlate with benign versus malignant behavior.
abstract: Primary mouse keratinocytes transformed with an activated ras oncogene transduced by helper-free Harvey sarcoma virus (HaSV) form predominantly benign tumors. In contrast, keratinocytes transformed with helper-associated HaSV form malignant tumors. We report here that this different tumorigenic behavior correlated with a much higher level of v-Ha-ras p21 protein in cells transformed with the helper-associated virus. The high level of v-ras expression in these cells was due to viral spread beyond the initial infection. The low level of v-ras p21 expression that resulted from single-hit infection with helper-free virus, together with the intrinsic heterogeneity of primary keratinocytes, explains, at least in part, the different tumorigenic behavior of keratinocytes transformed by the two types of viruses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Brissette
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Missero
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Yuspa
authors.forename: G P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Dotto
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002472:Cell Transformation, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000235:genetics*; D011905:Genes, ras / Q000235:genetics*; D006251:Harvey murine sarcoma virus / Q000502:physiology*; D015603:Keratinocytes / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D016283:Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras) / Q000235:genetics*; D012513:Sarcoma, Experimental / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D016283:Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras)