Coinfection with viruses carrying the v-Ha-ras and v-myc oncogenes leads to growth factor independence by an indirect mechanism

Multiple changes in oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes in human retinoblastoma

PURPOSE

To present data to support the hypothesis that human retinoblastoma tumors form by a multistep process.

METHODS

Survey of the karyotype of 90 human retinoblastomas, with emphasis on changes in chromosomal regions known to contain oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes.

CONCLUSION

The data support the hypothesis that retinoblastoma occurs after multiple and often varied steps, similar to other human malignancies.

Dissemination and tissue invasiveness in murine acute leukemia associated with acquisition of p53 mutation and loss of wild-type p53

Approximately 60% of mice treated with split-dose radiation develop leukemias that disseminate widely through the body, whereas 40% of the treated mice incur leukemias that are contained entirely within the thymus. We studied the status of p53 in non-cultured samples of thymic leukemias and in cell lines established from these leukemias. In those mice with disseminated disease, primary samples were also obtained from visceral leukemic organs, and cell lines were established from these leukemic organs for further study. Using single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP), nucleic acid sequencing, and immunochemical analysis, we found that mutation of both p53 alleles occurred in leukemic cell lines developed from nine of 10 disseminated leukemias; mutation of one p53 allele with the other remaining wild-type occurred in one disseminated leukemia. A p53 mutation unique for each mouse was found in all cell lines established from the different leukemic organs of each mouse. The same mutation was also found in the non-cultured leukemic tissues of each mouse, indicating that the mutations originated in vivo and were clonal. Seven of seven non-disseminating thymomas possessed wild-type p53 only. Hence, in vivo dissemination and tissue invasiveness were associated with the loss of wild-type p53 by mutation of both alleles or by mutation and loss of heterozygosity, as revealed by studies of cell lines established from them. The selective in vivo dissemination of leukemia cells possessing p53 mutations had a parallel in vitro. Leukemia cell lines from mice harboring disseminating leukemia were established more readily (success rate greater than 80%) than lines from mice harboring thymic nondisseminating leukemia (success rate less than 10%). Additionally, while mice with disseminating leukemia harbored a mixture of wild-type and mutant p53-encoding thymoma cells, only cell lines possessing mutant p53 became established in culture. Mutations found in thymoma cell lines were always detectable by SSCP and sequencing of DNA extracted from non-cultured thymoma tissue. However, in non-cultured leukemic tissue of visceral organs, the clonal p53 mutations found in cell lines established from them were often not detectable by SSCP or sequencing but were detectable by immunochemical analysis or polymerase chain reaction amplification. This indicates an unexpected degree of masking of mutant genes by wild-type genes present in the leukemic tissue. Masking was evident even in leukemic organs that were grossly larger than normal organs. Hence, routine screening of leukemic tissue by SSCP and sequencing may result in a highly significant underestimation of the incidence of p53 mutations.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Association of induction of a fully tumorigenic phenotype in murine radiation-induced T-lymphoma cells with loss of differentiation antigens, gain of CD44, and alterations in p53 protein levels

We investigated the mechanism of radiation induction of murine thymic lymphomas by studying the characteristics of primary x-ray-induced thymic lymphoma (PXTL) cell lines and of their oncogene-induced, progressed progeny. It is widely thought that proto-oncogene alterations are associated with the induction of murine lymphomas; however, few, if any primary murine radiation-induced lymphomas possess (proto-)oncogene alterations. Independently derived cell lines grown directly (i.e., without in vivo transplantation) from thymic lymphomas of irradiated C57BL/6 mice possess the properties of immortalized pre-T cells and lack many of the characteristics of "tumor cells". PXTL cells are poorly tumorigenic upon transplantation, do not clone in methylcellulose cultures, are growth factor dependent and autocrine, and lack consistent chromosome and oncogene abnormalities. However, the thymic lymphomas are malignant and cause the death of each afflicted mouse. PXTL cells expressed two immunologically distinct forms of the tumor suppressor protein p53 that have moderately increased stability (t1/2 = 1 h) when compared with p53 of normal splenic T lymphocytes. Early PXTL cells could progress in vitro to a fully tumorigenic phenotype after infection with retroviruses encoding the c-myc and v-ras oncogenes. Progressed T-lymphoma cells acquired growth factor independence, a highly transplantable and tumorigenic phenotype, and the ability to quantitatively clone in methylcellulose cultures. Progressed lymphoma cells coordinately downregulated the expression of five T-cell differentiation markers, upregulated the expression of CD44 (Pgp-1), and harbored vastly elevated levels of two immunologically distinct forms of p53. Our results suggest that the early thymic lymphomas consist of differentiation-inhibited, immortal pre-T cells that are precursors to progressed, fully tumorigenic T-lymphoma cells.

Hemopoietic lineage switch: v-raf oncogene converts Emu-myc transgenic B cells into macrophages

Hemopoietic lineage commitment can be breached by concomitant expression of the c-myc and v-raf oncogenes. Switching to the myeloid lineage occurred frequently when B lineage cells, from either lymphomas or preleukemia bone marrow cells of Emu-myc transgenic mice, were infected with a retrovirus bearing v-raf. Cloned pre-B and B cell lines changed into either mature or immature macrophages as assessed by morphology, adherence, phagocytic activity, surface markers, and lysozyme production, but retained clonotypic immunoglobulin gene rearrangements. Although expression of the Emu-myc transgene was reduced or abolished in the more differentiated lines, the lines remained tumorigenic. The converted lines produced the myeloid growth factor GM-CSF, and most had karyotypic alterations. These results suggest that constitutive myc plus raf expression can provoke genetic reprogramming in lymphocytes.

Retention or loss of v-mil sequences after propagation of MH2 virus in vivo or in vitro

During propagation of the defective avian retrovirus MH2 in the presence of replication-competent helper virus, deletion of portions of the viral genome occurred frequently. After transformation of quail cells in vitro, v-mil sequences were lost, leading to populations of MH2 viruses which were highly deficient for mil gene expression but which could transform macrophage and fibroblast cells in vitro with high efficiency. In contrast, after induction of tumors in quail with mil-deficient MH2 viral stocks, a majority of the tumor DNAs contained mil+ proviruses, suggesting that there is selection for retention of the v-mil gene in vivo and that the mil protein may play a role in the oncogenicity of MH2 virus. We also isolated MH2-transformed cell lines which contained deleted proviruses arising from packaging and subsequent integration of the subgenomic v-myc-encoding mRNA. Some of these cell lines produced viruses which encoded abnormal v-myc proteins and had altered in vitro transforming properties. These altered phenotypes may be caused by mutations within the v-myc gene.