Transformation and morphological changes of murine L cells by transfection with a mutated form of beta-catenin.
To shed light on the oncogenic nature of mutant beta-catenin, we introduced a form of the cDNA that lacked an entire exon 3 into L cells derived from murine s.c. tissue. Aberrant beta-catenin protein accumulated in the cytoplasm and nuclei of these cells (designated L-MT), whereas in L cells transfected with wild-type beta-catenin (designated L-N), normal beta-catenin protein was expressed at a level similar to that of parental cells. L-MT cells also changed morphologically from a fibroblast-like appearance to a more cuboidal shape. Their rate of proliferation was the same as that of L cells and L-N cells, but the saturation density of L-MT cells appeared to increase in association with a multilayer growth pattern. Furthermore, L-MT cells required a lower concentration of serum in the growth medium than did parental cells. These alterations in cell growth and morphology suggested that mutated beta-catenin was stabilized in the transfected cells and induced the oncogenic phenotype.
Nagasawa
Y
Y
Department of Medical Genetics, Biomedical Research Center, Osaka University Medical School, Japan.
Miyoshi
Y
Y
Iwao
K
K
Shinomura
Y
Y
Matsuzawa
Y
Y
Nakamura
Y
Y
D000818:Animals; D002455:Cell Division; D048429:Cell Size; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics*; D002999:Clone Cells; D003470:Culture Media / Q000494:pharmacology; D016895:Culture Media, Serum-Free; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics; D005091:Exons / Q000235:genetics; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000502:physiology; D007739:L Cells; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017384:Sequence Deletion; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014162:Transfection; D051176:beta Catenin
C495267:CTNNB1 protein, mouse; D003470:Culture Media; D016895:Culture Media, Serum-Free; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D051176:beta Catenin; D004247:DNA