Oncogenic activating mutations are associated with local copy gain.
Although activating mutations and gains in copy number are key mechanisms for oncogene activation, the relationship between the two is not well understood. In this study, we focused on KRAS copy gains and mutations in non-small cell lung cancer. We found that KRAS copy gains occur more frequently in tumors with KRAS activating mutations and are associated with large increases in KRAS expression. These copy gains tend to be more focal in tumors with activating mutations than in those with wild-type KRAS. Fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis revealed that some tumors have homogeneous low-level gains of the KRAS locus, whereas others have high-level amplification of KRAS, often in only a fraction of tumor cells. Associations between activating mutation and copy gains were also observed for other oncogenes (EGFR in non-small cell lung cancer, BRAF and NRAS in melanoma). Activating mutations were associated with copy gains only at the mutated oncogene locus but not other oncogene loci. However, KRAS activating mutations in colorectal cancer were not associated with copy gains. Future work is warranted to clarify the relationship among the different mechanisms of oncogene activation.
Modrek
Barmak
B
Department of Bioinformatics, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California, USA.
Ge
Lin
L
Pandita
Ajay
A
Lin
Eva
E
Mohan
Sankar
S
Yue
Peng
P
Guerrero
Steve
S
Lin
William M
WM
Pham
Thinh
T
Modrusan
Zora
Z
Seshagiri
Somasekar
S
Stern
Howard M
HM
Waring
Paul
P
Garraway
Levi A
LA
Chant
John
J
Stokoe
David
D
Cavet
Guy
G
D000483:Alleles; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000235:genetics; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000235:genetics; D018628:Gene Dosage / Q000235:genetics*; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics; D050505:Mutant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics*; D009857:Oncogenes / Q000235:genetics*; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000235:genetics; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D048493:Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016283:Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras) / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018631:ras Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
C117307:KRAS protein, human; D050505:Mutant Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D066246:ErbB Receptors; C482119:BRAF protein, human; D048493:Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf; C501009:HRAS protein, human; D016283:Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras); D018631:ras Proteins