Up-regulation of specific tyrosinase mRNAs in mouse melanomas with the c2j gene substituted for the wild-type tyrosinase allele: utilization in design of syngeneic immunotherapy models.
The expression of cell-specialization genes is likely to be changing in tumor cells as their differentiation declines. Functional changes in these genes might yield unusual peptide epitopes with anti-tumor potential and could occur without modification in the DNA sequence of the gene. Melanomas undergo a characteristic decline in melanization that may reflect altered contributions of key melanocytic genes such as tyrosinase. Quantitative reverse transcriptase-PCR of the wild-type (C) tyrosinase gene in transgenic (C57BL/6 strain) mouse melanomas has revealed a shift toward alternative splicing of the pre-mRNA that generated increased levels of the Delta1b and Delta1d mRNA splice variants. The spontaneous c2j albino mutation of tyrosinase (in the C57BL/6 strain) changes the pre-mRNA splicing pattern. In c2j/c2j melanomas, alternative splicing was again increased. However, while some mRNAs (notably Delta1b) present in C/C were obligatorily absent, others (Delta3 and Delta1d) were elevated. In c2j/c2j melanomas, the percentage of total tyrosinase transcripts attributable to Delta3 reached approximately 2-fold the incidence in c2j/c2j or C/C skin melanocytes. The percentage attributable to Delta1d rose to approximately 2-fold the incidence in c2j/c2j skin, and to 10-fold that in C/C skin. These differences provide a basis for unique mouse models in which the melanoma arises in skin grafted from a C/C or c2j/c2j transgenic donor to a transgenic host of the same or opposite tyrosinase genotype. Immunotherapy designs then could be based on augmenting those antigenic peptides that are novel or overrepresented in a tumor relative to the syngeneic host.
Le Fur
N
N
Institute for Cancer Research, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA 19111, USA.
Silvers
W K
WK
Kelsall
S R
SR
Mintz
B
B
D000483:Alleles; D000818:Animals; D007167:Immunotherapy; D008546:Melanoma, Experimental / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D014442:Monophenol Monooxygenase / Q000235:genetics*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics*; D015854:Up-Regulation
D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014442:Monophenol Monooxygenase