Harvey murine sarcoma virus: influences of coding and noncoding sequences on cell transformation in vitro and oncogenicity in vivo.

The rat-derived Harvey murine sarcoma virus (Ha-MuSV) contains a transduced ras oncogene activated by two missense mutations and flanked by rat retroviruslike VL30 sequences. Ha-MuSV induces focal transformation of mouse NIH 3T3 cells in vitro and tumors (fibrosarcomas and splenic erythroleukemias) in newborn mice. We have used these two assays to study the contribution of coding and noncoding viral sequences to the biological activity of Ha-MuSV. A good correlation was found between the in vitro and in vivo assays. In several different isogenic Ha-MuSV variants, those with a rasH gene that had one or both of the Ha-MuSV missense mutations were much more active biologically than the corresponding proto-oncogene. A Ha-MuSV variant that encoded the proto-oncogene protein induced lymphoid leukemias (with thymomas), with a relatively long latent period, rather than the fibrosarcomas and erythroleukemias characteristic of Ha-MuSV with one or both missense mutations. A VL30-derived segment with enhancer activity was identified downstream from v-rasH. A mutant Ha-MuSV from which this 3' noncoding segment was deleted expressed lower levels of the wild-type viral protein, displayed impaired transforming activity in vitro, and induced lymphoid leukemias (with thymomas). 5' noncoding rat c-rasH sequences were found to increase the biological activity of the virus when substituted for the corresponding segment of v-rasH. We conclude that (i) the biological activity of Ha-MuSV can be influence significantly by noncoding sequences located outside the long terminal repeat as well as by coding sequences, (ii) VL30 sequences positively regulate the expression of v-rasH, (iii) relatively low biological levels of ras, whether resulting from low-level expression of wild type v-rasH or high-levels of ras proto-oncogene protein, induce a type of tumor that differs from tumors induced by high biological levels of ras, and (iv) the in vivo pathogenicity of the Ha-MuSV variants correlated with their transforming activity on NIH 3T3 cells.     

Promoter-independent regulation of vimentin expression in mammary epithelial cells by val(12)ras and TGFbeta

The 1,029 series of mammary epithelial cell lines (D6, GP+E, r3 and r3T) are progressively more transformed: the latter two by val(12)ras. These cell lines respond to TGFbeta by undergoing early events of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), including morphological changes and redistribution of E-cadherin. Tumors formed by r3T cells in the choroid of the eye express vimentin, a late marker of EMT, possibly in response to TGFbeta. In vitro, vimentin expression is induced in all the cell lines by TGFbeta treatment, whereas cytokeratin expression is only slightly affected. Surprisingly, ras transformation results in a 10-fold suppression of vimentin expression. Neither suppression of vimentin by ras transformation nor induction by TGFbeta is mediated by the vimentin promoter in r3T cells. In transient transfection assays, several human vimentin promoter constructs are more active in the low-expressing r3T cell line than in the vimentin-expressing mesenchymal cell line NIH3T3. In the r3T cells, there is no effect of TGFbeta treatment for 9 days on the activity of either promoter. Azacytidine treatment does not affect vimentin expression in either NIH3T3 or r3T, suggesting that promoter methylation is not the mechanism of suppression by ras. Finally, the half-life of the vimentin mRNA is similar in both the r3T cells and NIH3T3 cells. We conclude that the suppression of vimentin expression by ras, and the relief of this suppression by TGFbeta, occurs in a promoter-independent fashion, possibly through sequences in the first or second intron.     

Tumorigenicity of the met proto-oncogene and the gene for hepatocyte growth factor.

The met proto-oncogene is the tyrosine kinase growth factor receptor for hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor (HGF/SF). It was previously shown that, like the oncogenic tpr-met, the mouse met proto-oncogene transforms NIH 3T3 cells. We have established NIH 3T3 cells stably expressing both human (Methu) and mouse (Metmu) met proto-oncogene products. The protein products are properly processed and appear on the cell surface. NIH 3T3 cells express endogenous mouse HGF/SF mRNA, suggesting an autocrine activation mechanism for transformation by Metmu. However, the tumor-forming activity of Methu in NIH 3T3 cells is very low compared with that of Metmu, but efficient tumorigenesis occurs when Methu and HGF/SFhu are coexpressed. These results are consistent with an autocrine transformation mechanism and suggest further that the endogenous murine factor inefficiently activates the tumorigenic potential of Methu. The tumorigenicity observed with reciprocal chimeric human and mouse receptors that exchange external ligand-binding domains supports this conclusion. We also show that HGF/SFhu expressed in NIH 3T3 cells produces tumors in nude mice.     

Rat embryo cells immortalized with transfected oncogenes are transformed by gamma irradiation.

Cesium-137 gamma rays were used to transform rat embryo cells (REC) which were first transfected with activated c-myc or c-Ha-ras oncogenes to produce immortal cell lines (REC:myc and REC:ras). When exposed to 6 Gy of 137Cs gamma rays, some cells became morphologically transformed with focus formation frequencies of approximately 3 x 10(-4) for REC:myc and approximately 1 x 10(-4) for REC:ras, respectively. Cells isolated from foci of gamma-ray-transformed REC:myc (REC:myc:gamma) formed anchorage-independent colonies and were tumorigenic in nude mice, but foci from gamma-ray-transformed REC:ras (REC:ras:gamma) did not exhibit either of these criteria of transformation. Similar to the results with gamma irradiation, we observed a sequence-dependent phenomenon when myc and ras were transfected into REC, one at a time. REC immortalized by ras transfection were not converted to a tumorigenic phenotype by secondary transfection with myc, but REC transfected with myc were very susceptible to transformation by subsequent ras transfection. This suggests that myc-immortalized cells are more permissive to transformation via secondary treatments. In sequentially transfected REC, myc expression was high whether it was transfected first or second, whereas ras expression was highest when the ras gene was transfected secondarily into myc-containing REC. Molecular analysis of REC:ras:gamma transformants showed no alterations in structure of the transfected ras or of the endogenous ras, myc, p53, or fos genes. The expression of ras and p53 was increased in some isolates of REC:ras:gamma, but myc and fos expression were not affected. Similarly, REC:myc:gamma transformants did not demonstrate rearrangement or amplification of the transfected or the endogenous myc genes, or of the potentially cooperating Ha-, Ki-, or N-ras genes. Northern hybridization analysis revealed increased expression of N-ras in two isolates, REC:myc:gamma 33 and gamma 41, but no alterations in the expression of myc, raf, Ha-ras, or Ki-ras genes in any REC:myc transformant. DNA from several transformed REC:myc:gamma cell lines induced focus formation in recipient C3H 10T1/2 and NIH 3T3 cells. The NIH 3T3 foci tested positive when hybridized to a probe for rat repetitive DNA. A detailed analysis of the NIH 3T3 transformants generated from REC:myc:gamma 33 and gamma 41 DNA failed to detect Ha-ras, Ki-ras, raf, neu, trk, abl, fms, or src oncogenes of rat origin.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

A transforming ras gene can provide an essential function ordinarily supplied by an endogenous ras gene.

Microinjection of monoclonal antibody Y13-259, which reacts with all known mammalian and yeast ras-encoded proteins, has previously been shown to prevent NIH 3T3 cells from entering the S phase (L. S. Mulcahy, M. R. Smith, and D. W. Stacey, Nature [London] 313:241-243, 1985). We have now found several transformation-competent mutant v-rasH genes whose protein products in transformed NIH 3T3 cells are not immunoprecipitated by this monoclonal antibody. These mutant proteins are, however, precipitated by a different anti-ras antibody. Each of these mutants lacks Met-72 of v-rasH. In contrast to the result for cells transformed by wild-type v-rasH, Y13-259 microinjection of NIH 3T3 cells transformed by these mutant ras genes did not prevent the cells from entering the S phase. These results imply that a transformation-competent ras gene can supply a normal essential function for NIH 3T3 cells. When the proteins encoded by the mutant ras genes were overproduced in Escherichia coli, several mutant proteins that lacked Met-72 failed to bind Y13-259 in a Western blot. However, a ras protein from a mutant lacking amino antibody, but a ras protein from a mutant lacking amino acids 72 to 84 did not. These results suggest that Y13-259 may bind to a higher ordered structure that has been restored in the mutant lacking amino acids 72 to 82.     

The involvement of activated ras genes in determining the transformed phenotype

Activated ras oncogenes have been identified in a wide range of tumours. All examples of ras gene activation in tumours so far result from amino acid substitution at Gly12 or Gln61. To learn more about how mutations in ras genes lead to transformation, we have analysed transforming growth factor production in NIH/3T3 cells transformed by each of the three ras genes. These results show that the transformed phenotype of these cells results from a combination of the presence of the mutant ras protein and TGF alpha production. In a second series of experiments we have shown that the mutation of a ras gene in a tumour cell line can lead to tumour progression towards a more aggressive phenotype.     

Ras (proto)oncogene induces N-linked carbohydrate modification: temporal relationship with induction of invasive potential

The effect of expression of the ras oncogene on protein glycosylation was studied. VSV G-protein and class I histocompatibility antigens were analysed to monitor ras-mediated changes in glycosylation. Transient expression of the c-Ha-ras oncogene, introduced into NIH 3T3 cells by the DEAE-dextran method, altered protein glycosylation within 25 h of transfection. The same result was obtained after dexamethasone-induced expression of p21-ras in stable NIH 3T3 transfectants containing either an activated Ha-ras oncogene or a normal N-ras proto-oncogene under control of the glucocorticoid-inducible MMTV promoter. The alteration of cell surface carbohydrates, induced by the ras (proto)oncogene and the subsequent acquisition of invasive potential, occurred prior to morphological transformation.     

大鼠催乳素基因真核细胞可表达性质粒的构建及应用研究

７３５ｂｐ的ＰＲＬｃＤＮＡ片段从质粒ＰＲＬ－ＳＰ６５＃１中回收后,用粘性末端连接法将其重组到真核表达载体ｐｃＤＮＡ３上,筛选出正向连接重组体ｐｃＤＮＡ３－ＰＲＬＳ和反向连接重组体ｐｃＤＮＡ３－ＰＲＬＡＳ。将重组体ｐｃＤＮＡ３－ＰＲＬｓ和空载体ｐｃＤＮＡ３分别转入ＮＩＨ３Ｔ３细胞系,用Ｇ４１８筛选出阳性细胞后与未转染的ＮＩＨ３Ｔ３细胞在加Ｅ２和不加Ｅ２的情况下,用原位杂交的方法,分别用ＰＲＬｃＤＮＡ探针和原癌基因ｃ－Ｈ－ｒａｓｃＤＮＡ探针进行检测,未转染的ＮＩＨ３Ｔ３细胞在加Ｅ２和不加Ｅ２时都几乎无催乳素基因的表达,同样,转入空载体的ＮＩＨ３Ｔ３细胞也无ＰＲＬ的表达,而转入重组体ｐｃＤＮＡ３－ＰＲＬＳ的ＮＩＨ３Ｔ３细胞则有大量的ＰＲＬ基因的表达,与对照组相比有显著差异（Ｐ＜０．０１）。正常和转入空载体的ＮＩＨ３Ｔ３细胞有一定程度的原癌基因ｃ－Ｈ－ｒａｓ的表达,当分别加入Ｅ２和转入重组体ｐｃＤＮＡ３－ＰＲＬＳ后,ＮＩＨ３Ｔ３细胞中的ｃ－Ｈ－ｒａｓ基因表达水平都显著升高（Ｐ＜０．０５）。     

In vitro establishment is not a sufficient prerequisite for transformation by activated ras oncogenes

Activated ras genes transform REF52 cells only at low frequencies and adenovirus early region 1A collaborates with ras oncogenes to convert REF52 cells to a tumorigenic phenotype. While failure to transform did not result from an absence of ras gene expression, E1A appeared to enhance expression of transfected ras genes by approximately tenfold. However, enhanced ras expression alone does not account for collaboration by E1A since overexpression of T24 Ha-ras p21 induced morphological crisis and cell growth arrest rather than stable transformation. These results indicate that E1A contributes complementing biochemical activities that enable ras genes to transform REF52 and suggest that the role of E1A in primary cell transformation may extend beyond facilitating in vitro establishment.     

Reversal of transformed phenotype by monoclonal antibodies against Ha-ras p21 proteins

The transforming activities of p21 ras proteins have been determined by micro-injection of these proteins into NIH3T3 cells. In order to facilitate functional studies on the effect of ras proteins on malignant transformation and normal cellular growth, analysis has been made with three monoclonal antibodies (YA6-172, Y13-238 and Y13-259) as originally reported by Furth et al. (J virol 43 (1982) 294). Purified immunoglobulin of Y13-259 has the highest titer of binding to bacterially synthesized p21 ras proteins. Experimental analyses indicate that only Y13-259 antibody will neutralize the transforming activity of the co-injected bacterially synthesized ras protein and the neutralization effect was blocked by co-injection of excess ras protein. In addition, micro-injection of Y13-259 immunoglobulin into transformed NIH3T3 cells (obtained by DNA transfection of NIH3T3 cells with molecularly cloned ras gene) reversed their transformed phenotypes. These results indicate that both bacterially synthesized p21 ras proteins and the natural ras proteins produced in NIH3T3 cells were neutralized by Y13-259 antibody.     

The effects of ras gene expression on glucocorticoid receptors in mouse fibroblasts

Analysis of induction of glutamine synthetase activity by dexamethasone showed a 2-fold increase in NIH3T3 but no change in NIH3T3 ras (EJ-ras) cells. The observed increase could be abolished by the antagonist RU486. The lack of response in ras transformed cells might reflect oncoprotein effects on the glucocorticoid receptor (GR). Several GR parameters were studied in order to clarify this point. Total GR level was the same for both cells; cytoplasmic receptor level however, was 3 times lower in NIH3T3 ras than in NIH3T3 cells. Hormone-receptor binding affinity, specificity, thermostability, sedimentation coefficient, molecular weight as well as the cytoplasmic GR transformation ratio were similar for the two cell lines. On the other hand, the fraction of the total receptor pool involved with the recycling process was approximately 20% lower in NIH3T3 ras than in NIH3T3 cells. After 24 h of dexamethasone treatment, no GR down regulation was observed in NIH3T3 ras cells, whereas normal NIH3T3 cells exhibited a decrease of GR binding capacity around 80%. Further studies are necessary to define the mechanisms underlying the association between glucocorticoid insensitivity, and modifications in the GR nuclear/cytoplasmic ratio, in the recycling GR fraction and in the down-regulation process observed in ras transformed cells.     

Lipid signalling pathways in normal and ras-transfected NIH/3T3 cells

The role of ras oncogenes in cellular signalling pathways involving phospholipid breakdown was studied in untransfected and proto-H-ras and mutated H-, K- and N-ras transfected NIH/3T3 cells. When the cells were grown at low cell densities, all of the ras transfected cells had 2-4 fold higher diacylglycerol (DAG) levels compared to growing NIH/3T3 cells. At high cell densities, DAG levels decreased in the former and increased in contact inhibited NIH/3T3 cells. In this regard, only cells transformed by mutated cellular and viral H-ras oncogenes (but not by the H-ras proto-oncogene) had elevated DAG levels compared to contact inhibited NIH/3T3 cells. The basal levels of inositol phosphates in ras transfected cells were not significantly different from NIH/3T3 cells and did not vary with cell density. Thus, the elevated DAG levels are not a consequence of increased phosphoinositide hydrolysis. The latter was stimulated by serum and bombesin only in normal and proto-H-ras transfected cells. In contrast, stimulation by bradykinin was observed only in cells transformed by mutated cellular ras oncogenes. Furthermore, aluminum fluoride stimulated phosphoinositide breakdown in the latter cells indicating that there was no uncoupling of the G protein from phospholipase C. Treatment of ras transfected cells with dibutyryl cyclic AMP (DB-cAMP), which causes an inhibition of growth and a reversal of the transformed morphology, did not alter the basal levels of inositol phosphates, DB-cAMP, however, did lower DAG levels in some of the transformed cell lines, but elevated DAG levels in low density NIH/3T3 cells. These findings indicate that the ras gene product p21 is not involved in phosphoinositide hydrolysis and that DAG levels do not correlate with cell growth in either normal or ras transfected NIH/3T3 cells. Thus, p21 appears to alter cell growth through mechanism(s) independent of lipid signalling pathways.     

Genetic transformation of somatic cells. XI. The autonomic replication of the cloned DNA of the bovine papilloma virus in NIH/3T3 mouse fibroblasts and the changes in the growth characteristics of the transformed cells

Mouse fibroblasts NIH 3T3 were transfected with the plasmid pBPV (142-6) containing full genome of bovine papilloma virus 1, and focuses of morphological transformation were selected 2-3 weeks later. DNA molecules, containing BPV-1 sequences, were isolated from extrachromosomal fraction of transformed clones suggesting stable autonomous replication of BPV in 3T3 NIH cells. In some rescued plasmids deletions spanning E6, 7 genes of BPV were found. It is suggested that these genes are not essential for morphological transformation and autonomous replication in 3T3 NIH cells. BPV-transformed clones are able to grow in the medium containing low concentration (0.5%) of serum.     

Image analysis of Feulgen-stained NIH/3T3 cells transformed with DNA of 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide treated human breast epithelial cells.

The nuclear phenotypes of Feulgen-stained NIH/3T3 cells transformed with 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide (4NQO) treated, human breast epithelial cell (HBEC) DNA were studied by scanning microspectrophotometry and image analysis and compared with data obtained for nontransformed cells and for NIH/3T3 cells under ras oncogene transfecting situations. The Feulgen-DNA content of the individual nuclei (NQ1, NQ2, and NQ3 phenotypes) of the transformed cells was found not to be deeply affected, although presence of chromatin structures resembling double minutes could be verified in part of the metaphases of the transformed cells. On the other hand, the chromatin supraorganization of these cells showed some changes involving increased (NQ2, NQ3) or decreased (NQ1) levels of condensation. The changes in chromatin packing states, however, were of small magnitude compared with those reported for NIH/3T3 cells transfected with a c-H-ras oncogene or an N-ras-containing MCF-7 cell DNA. It was assumed that the transformation of the NIH/3T3 cells is not always necessarily accompanied by high levels of chromatin condensation. The transformation of the NIH/3T3 cells induced by the 4NQO-treated HBEC DNA and particularly the changes in chromatin condensation in these transformed cells could not be attributed merely to a ras activation elicited by the carcinogen. It is suggested that a more complex transforming mechanism is involved, probably owing to the fact that a whole genomic DNA of the 4NQO-treated HBEC has been used for transfection.     

Mechanisms of oncogene-mediated alterations in metastatic ability.

Transfected ras oncogenes have been shown to induce metastatic properties in some cells. This altered behavior is likely due to changes in ras-mediated signal transduction pathways, resulting in altered expression of genes important to metastasis. Clarification of the mechanisms by which ras is able to induce metastatic ability in model systems will improve our understanding of tumor progression, even in those cells in which ras activation has not been implicated. Many of the consequences of ras expression also have been detected in cells that have become metastatic in the absence of altered ras, suggesting that there is a set of common changes that can lead to metastasis, with multiple signals capable of eliciting these changes. We have identified several changes in metastatic, ras-transformed NIH 3T3 cells that may contribute to their increased malignancy, including expression of proteolytic enzymes and their inhibitors, and adhesive and calcium-binding proteins. Not all cells, however, respond in this way to expression of oncogenic ras. We have found that murine LTA cells, which are tumorigenic but nonmetastatic, are ras resistant and remain nonmetastatic when expressing high levels of transfected ras, in contrast to NIH 3T3 cells, which are ras sensitive and become both tumorigenic and metastatic in response to comparable levels of ras. LTA cells differ in their patterns of gene expression in response to ras when compared with NIH 3T3 cells, suggesting that the two cell lines process the ras signal differently. Here we review our results with ras-transfected NIH 3T3 and LTA cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

A chimeric EGF-R-neu proto-oncogene allows EGF to regulate neu tyrosine kinase and cell transformation.

The neu oncogene, characterized by Weinberg and colleagues, is a transforming gene found in ethylnitrosourea-induced rat neuro/glioblastomas; its human proto-oncogene homologue has been termed erbB2 or HER2 because of its close homology with the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-R) gene (c-erbB1). Expression of the rat neu oncogene is sufficient for transformation of mouse NIH 3T3 fibroblasts in culture and for the development of mammary carcinomas in transgenic mice, but the neu proto-oncogene has not been associated with cell transformation. We constructed a vector for expression of a chimeric cDNA and hybrid protein consisting of the EGF-R extracellular, transmembrane and protein kinase C-substrate domains linked to the intracellular tyrosine kinase and carboxyl terminal domain of the rat neu cDNA. Upon transfection with the construct, NIH 3T3 cells gave rise to EGF-R antigen-positive cell clones with varying amounts of specific EGF binding. Immunofluorescence and immunoprecipitation using neu- and EGF-receptor specific antibodies demonstrated a correctly oriented and positioned chimeric EGF-R-neu protein of the expected apparent mol. wt on the surface of these cells. EGF or TGF alpha induced tyrosine phosphorylation of the chimeric receptor protein, stimulated DNA synthesis of EGF-R-neu expressing cells and led to a transformed cell morphology and growth in soft agar. In contrast, the neu proto-oncogene did not show kinase activity or transforming properties when expressed at similar levels in NIH 3T3 cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Activation of ras and myc proto-oncogenes in human breast carcinoma and neuroblastoma

DNA from human breast carcinoma (SK-BR-3) and neuroblastoma (LA-N-1) cell lines are capable of inducing foci of transformed NIH 3T3 cells after DNA-mediated gene transfer. The blot hybridization analysis of DNA from primary and secondary NIH 3T3 transformants identified additional sequences homologous to the c-Ha-ras 1 oncogene, and revealed amplification of nucleotide sequences homologous to the v-myc oncogene. Restriction fragments of the amplified myc-related sequences correspond to c-myc (SK-BR-3) and N-myc (LA-N-1) loci of the human genome. The results show that active Ha-ras oncogenes can coexist with altered myc oncogenes in breast carcinomas and neuroblastomas. This suggests that a multi-step mechanism involves both ras and myc genes and their cooperation in the development of these tumors.