title: Mouse mammary tumor virus-like env sequences in human breast cancer.
abstract: Mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) has long been known as a causal agent of breast cancer in mice. To date, varied MMTV-like envelope gene (env) sequences have been identified in up to 74% of human breast cancers. However, the role and origin of these MMTV-like sequences in human breast cancer remain uncertain. Our study was initiated to study the integration of MMTV-like env sequences in human breast cancer. PCR screening has identified 28 (56%) Australian breast cancer specimens and 7 (87.5%) human breast cancer cell lines to be positive for MMTV-like env sequence. In the MCF-7 genome, a fragment containing an MMTV-like env sequence of approximately 1.9 kb plus a downstream rodent-like sequence of approximately 200 bp was found to be integrated into a bacterial-like beta-lactamase sequence by insertional mutagenesis. The identified MMTV-rodent fragment is present in some MCF-7 sublines but absent in the screened specimens and other cell lines. Sporadic mutations found in this fragment indicate it has multiple copies in the MCF-7 genome. Sequence analysis has identified a novel ORF of approximately 1.6 kb which is 94-99% identical to MMTV env genes. RT-PCR was performed on the MCF-7 cDNA but no MMTV-like env transcript was detected. This is the first report to reveal the locus of MMTV-like env sequence in human cells. The MMTV-like env sequence was shown to be distinct from the human endogenous retroviral sequences and is closely related to rodents.
authors.affiliation: School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia. mythmok@mythmok.com
authors.forename: Myth T S
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Mok
authors.forename: James S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Lawson
authors.forename: Barry J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Iacopetta
authors.forename: Noel J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Whitaker
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D004279:DNA, Viral; D015752:Genes, env; D006801:Humans; D008324:Mammary Tumor Virus, Mouse / Q000235:genetics*; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53