Diverse tumorigenesis associated with aberrant development in mice overexpressing hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor.
Hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor (HGF/SF) is a mesenchymally derived, multifunctional paracrine regulator possessing mitogenic, motogenic, and morphogenetic activities in cultured epithelial cells containing its tyrosine kinase receptor, Met. c-met has been implicated in oncogenesis through correlation of expression with malignant phenotype in specific cell lines and tumors. Paradoxically, however, HGF/SF can also inhibit the growth of some tumor cells. To elucidate the oncogenic role of HGF/SF in vivo, transgenic mice were created such that HGF/SF was inappropriately targeted to a variety of tissues. HGF/SF transgenic mice developed a remarkably broad array of histologically distinct tumors of both mesenchymal and epithelial origin. Many neoplasms arose from tissues exhibiting abnormal development, including the mammary gland, skeletal muscle, and melanocytes, suggesting a functional link between mechanisms regulating morphogenesis and those promoting tumorigenesis. Most neoplasms, especially melanomas, demonstrated overexpression of both the HGF/SF transgene and endogenous c-met, and had enhanced Met kinase activity, strongly suggesting that autocrine signaling broadly promotes tumorigenesis. Thus, subversion of normal mesenchymal-epithelial paracrine regulation through the forced misdirection of HGF/SF expression induces aberrant morphogenesis and subsequent malignant transformation of cells of diverse origin.
Takayama
H
H
Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892-4255, USA.
LaRochelle
W J
WJ
Sharp
R
R
Otsuka
T
T
Kriebel
P
P
Anver
M
M
Aaronson
S A
SA
Merlino
G
G
D000818:Animals; D004847:Epithelial Cells; D015870:Gene Expression; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor / Q000502:physiology*; D008648:Mesoderm / Q000166:cytology; D008668:Metallothionein / Q000235:genetics; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009024:Morphogenesis; D009374:Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000235:genetics*; D019859:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism
D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor; D008668:Metallothionein; D019859:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases