title: Zinc finger protein GFI-1 has low oncogenic potential but cooperates strongly with pim and myc genes in T-cell lymphomagenesis.
abstract: The gfi-1 gene encodes a zinc finger containing protein that is specifically expressed in T-lymphocytes and is a frequent target of proviral insertion in T-cell lymphoma provoked by infection with MoMuLV--a non acute transforming retrovirus. Expression of a gfi-1 transgene targeted to T-cells by the lck proximal promoter provokes a reduction of peripheral CD4 and CD8 positive T-cells but nevertheless weakly predisposes transgenic animals for the development of T-cell lymphoma. Forced coexpression of the serine/threonine kinase Pim-1 can partially restore normal T-cell numbers in double pim-1/gfi-1 transgenic mice. Moreover, the combinatorial expression of Pim-1 and Gfi-1 leads to accelerated development of T-cell lymphoma with a mean latency period of 114 days. A similar accelerated rate of lymphoma development was observed when lck-gfi-1 mice were crossed with mice that carry a L-myc gene targeted to be expressed at high levels in T-cells. The results show that gfi-1 can act with low activity as a dominant oncogene when overexpressed but also demonstrate that it is most efficient only in the presence of a cooperative partner protein as for example Pim-1 or L-Myc. In addition, the results suggest that Pim-1 and Gfi-1 are acting synergistically in both T-cell lymphomagenesis and T-cell development.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Zellbiologie (Tumorforschung), IFZ, Universitätsklinikum Essen, Germany.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Karsunky
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gau
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zevnik
authors.forename: H P
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Elsässer
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Möröy
mesh_terms: D017668:Age of Onset; D000818:Animals; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics*; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D016259:Genes, myc; D019860:Lymphocyte Specific Protein Tyrosine Kinase p56(lck) / Q000235:genetics; D008221:Lymphoid Tissue / Q000166:cytology; D016399:Lymphoma, T-Cell / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008811:Mice, Inbred DBA; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc / Q000502:physiology*; D051573:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-pim-1; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D014157:Transcription Factors; D016335:Zinc Fingers / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C079873:Gfi1 protein, mouse; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D019860:Lymphocyte Specific Protein Tyrosine Kinase p56(lck); C496636:Pim1 protein, mouse; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D051573:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-pim-1