Direct mutagenesis of Ha-ras-1 oncogenes by N-nitroso-N-methylurea during initiation of mammary carcinogenesis in rats

Induction of mammary carcinomas in rats by a single exposure to a carcinogen during sexual development often involves malignant activation of the Ha-ras-1 locus. Each of the Ha-ras-1 oncogenes present in tumours induced by N-nitroso-N-methylurea, but not in those induced by 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene, became activated by the same G----A transition, the type of mutation induced by N-nitroso-N-methylurea. These results are consistent with the notion that Ha-ras-1 oncogenes are directly activated by the carcinogen during initiation of neoplasia.     

Evidence against Ha-ras-1 involvement in sporadic and familial melanoma

It was recently reported that different rare alleles at the Ha-ras-1 locus occurred at a significantly higher combined frequency in cancer patients than in an unaffected population. In particular, melanoma patients were reported to have a significantly higher frequency of such alleles. We have examined the frequency of rare Ha-ras-1 alleles in a large number of cases of sporadic melanoma. Our results indicate that the distribution of rare alleles in this population does not differ from that found in normal populations. Also, to test the hypothesis that a hereditary predisposition to melanoma could be inherited via an allele at the Ha-ras-1 locus, we examined the transmission of the segment of the short arm of chromosome 11 (11p) carrying the Ha-ras-1 locus in a number of families previously shown to exhibit a hereditary predisposition to melanoma and its precursor lesion, the dysplastic nevus syndrome (DNS). Our genetic linkage results thus obtained strongly exclude the association of a predisposition to melanoma or the precursor lesion with the inheritance of the Ha-ras-1 locus or the segment of chromosome 11 on which it is located. These results imply that hereditary predisposition to melanoma is associated with genes other than the Ha-ras-1 locus, contradicting the original suggestion of Krontiris et al., made on the basis of either an inadequate sample size or other misleading experimental factors.     

Identification and nucleotide sequence of a human locus homologous to the v-myc oncogene of avian myelocytomatosis virus MC29

Avian myelocytomatosis virus MC29 is a replication-defective acute leukaemia virus which induces a variety of tumours in chickens including sarcomas, renal and hepatic carcinomas, and myelocytomatosis. The oncogenic potential of the virus is mediated by the gene v-myc, acquired from sequences (c-myc) present in normal uninfected chicken DNA. Sequences closely related to chicken c-myc have been highly conserved throughout evolution, from Drosophila to vertebrates. The hypothesis that c-myc may be involved in neoplastic transformation has been strengthened by the finding that B-cell lymphomas induced in chickens by avian leukosis virus (ALV) are often associated with increased expression of c-myc resulting from integration of the ALV provirus adjacent to the c-myc gene. More recently, it has been demonstrated that the malignant human cell line HL-60, derived from the peripheral blood leukocytes of a patient with acute promyelocytic leukaemia, expresses elevated levels of myc-related mRNA associated with an amplification of the c-myc gene. To explore the relationship of the human cellular myc gene with the corresponding viral oncogene from MC29, and to provide a framework for the analysis of the mechanism and significance of c-myc amplification in human tumours, we have isolated and determined the nucleotide sequence of a genomic clone prepared from a normal human library which contains all domains sharing homology with v-myc.     

Aberrant regulation of ras proteins in malignant tumour cells from type 1 neurofibromatosis patients.

Defects in the NF1 gene have been implicated in the inherited disorder neurofibromatosis type 1, which is characterized by several developmental abnormalities including an increased frequency of benign and malignant tumours of neural crest origin (neurofibromas and neurofibrosarcomas respectively). The NF1 gene encodes a ubiquitous protein homologous to p120GAP, the GTPase-activating protein (GAP) for the products of the ras protooncogenes. When expressed in non-mammalian systems, the region of the NF1 gene homologous to p120GAP produces a protein with GAP-like activity. Here we present evidence that the ras proteins in malignant tumour cell lines from patients with type 1 neurofibromatosis are in a constitutively activated state, as judged by the guanine nucleotide bound to them, and are necessary for cellular proliferation. These cells contain p21ras and p120GAP that are both functionally wild type, but barely any functional NF1 protein. Our results show that the NF1 protein is normally essential for correct negative regulation of ras proteins in the cell, even in the presence of normal p120GAP, and they support the hypothesis that NF1 is a tumour-suppressor gene whose product acts upstream of ras.     

P33INGlb蛋白的结构及其基因分子生物学

生长抑制因子-1（Inhibitor of growth 1,INGI）是最近发现的一种Ⅱ型抑癌基因,其中P33INGlb是ING1基因的主要转录产物以及重要的抑癌基因,将P33INGlb基因正义表达载体转染入正常双倍体成纤维细胞,可抑制细胞生长,而P33INGlb的反义表达载体可促进细胞的恶性转化,P33INGlb的这些生物学特性与其特殊结构关系很大,本文就P33INGlb蛋白及其各种结构的基因生物学机制进行综述。     

Cancer-related inflammation

The mediators and cellular effectors of inflammation are important constituents of the local environment of tumours. In some types of cancer, inflammatory conditions are present before a malignant change occurs. Conversely, in other types of cancer, an oncogenic change induces an inflammatory microenvironment that promotes the development of tumours. Regardless of its origin, 'smouldering' inflammation in the tumour microenvironment has many tumour-promoting effects. It aids in the proliferation and survival of malignant cells, promotes angiogenesis and metastasis, subverts adaptive immune responses, and alters responses to hormones and chemotherapeutic agents. The molecular pathways of this cancer-related inflammation are now being unravelled, resulting in the identification of new target molecules that could lead to improved diagnosis and treatment.     

Tumour necrosis factor-alpha in murine autoimmune 'lupus' nephritis

The (NZB x NZW)F1 hybrid mouse develops a severe autoimmune disease similar to systemic lupus erythematosus in humans. Both the human and murine form of the disease show strong associations with alleles of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) gene products. The severe form of the disease found in F1 mice is due, in part, to dominant NZW gene(s) mapping with the H-2 complex (the murine MHC). Here we present evidence that the tumour necrosis factor (TNF-alpha) gene, which is located within the H-2 complex (the murine major histocompatibility complex), could be involved in the pathogenesis of lupus nephritis in F1 mice. Thus, a restriction fragment length polymorphism in the TNF-alpha gene correlates with the reduced levels of TNF-alpha produced by NZW mice. Furthermore, replacement therapy with recombinant TNF-alpha induces a significant delay in the development of the nephritis.     

Synergistic response to oncogenic mutations defines gene class critical to cancer phenotype

Understanding the molecular underpinnings of cancer is of critical importance to the development of targeted intervention strategies. Identification of such targets, however, is notoriously difficult and unpredictable. Malignant cell transformation requires the cooperation of a few oncogenic mutations that cause substantial reorganization of many cell features and induce complex changes in gene expression patterns. Genes critical to this multifaceted cellular phenotype have therefore only been identified after signalling pathway analysis or on an ad hoc basis. Our observations that cell transformation by cooperating oncogenic lesions depends on synergistic modulation of downstream signalling circuitry suggest that malignant transformation is a highly cooperative process, involving synergy at multiple levels of regulation, including gene expression. Here we show that a large proportion of genes controlled synergistically by loss-of-function p53 and Ras activation are critical to the malignant state of murine and human colon cells. Notably, 14 out of 24 'cooperation response genes' were found to contribute to tumour formation in gene perturbation experiments. In contrast, only 1 in 14 perturbations of the genes responding in a non-synergistic manner had a similar effect. Synergistic control of gene expression by oncogenic mutations thus emerges as an underlying key to malignancy, and provides an attractive rationale for identifying intervention targets in gene networks downstream of oncogenic gain- and loss-of-function mutations.     

Cyclin D1与p21WAF1在鼻咽癌中的表达

目的探讨鼻咽上皮癌变过程中周期蛋白CyclinD1与抑癌基因p21（wild—type p53 activated fragment 1,p21wAF1）蛋白的表达及其意义。方法应用免疫组化方法检测47例鼻咽癌组织、21例癌旁上皮组织和14例正常鼻咽粘膜中Cyclin D1与p21WAF1蛋白表达。结果从鼻咽正常粘膜、癌旁粘膜上皮组织到癌组织,Cyclin D1表达阳性率逐渐增加,并且差异有显著意义（均为P〈0．05）。p21WAF1蛋白在以上组织中阳性率较高,且各组间差异无显著性。结论Cyclin D1、p21WAF1蛋白与鼻咽部上皮细胞恶性增生密切相关,p21wA兀蛋白表达可能与细胞周期调控的反馈机制有关。     

nm23-H1基因与人早幼粒白血病细胞HL-60增殖的相关性分析

目的探讨nm23-H1基因的表达与白血病细胞HL-60增殖之间的关系。方法：以25ng／mL阿糖胞苷处理HL-60细胞，MTT法测定细胞生长抑制率，NBT还原比色法判断细胞分化状况，RT-PCR检测nm23-H1基因表达的变化；构建nm23-H1基因的真核表达质粒pEGFP-N1-nm23-H1，转染HL-60细胞，通过细胞生长曲线和血清依赖性实验检测nm23-H1基因的过表达对HL-60细胞生长的影响。结果：小剂量Ara-C对HL-60细胞的生长呈时间依赖性抑制，作用4d后细胞NBT还原能力增强且nm23-H1基因的表达下调；转染nm23-H1基因的HL-60细胞生长加快、血清依赖性下降。结论：Ara-C对HL-60细胞增殖的抑制作用与下调nm23-H1基因的表达有-定关系；nm23-H1基因在HL-60细胞中的过表达有促细胞增殖的作用，即增高了HL-60细胞的恶性程度。     

Immunodeficiency virus rev trans-activator modulates the expression of the viral regulatory genes

The pathogenic human retrovirus human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) encodes two trans-acting nuclear proteins, tat and rev, whose functional expression is essential for viral replication in vitro. The tat protein greatly enhances the expression of both structural and regulatory genes of HIV-1 (linked to the viral long-terminal-repeat promoter element), whereas the rev gene product (previously termed art or trs) has only been shown to be required for the synthesis of structural proteins. Here, we demonstrate that rev also moderates the expression of regulatory genes of HIV-1. It decreases the expression of messenger RNAs that encode the full-length form of the viral tat gene product or the rev protein itself, and induces the synthesis of a previously unreported, truncated tat protein. These actions of rev are mediated by a dramatic shift in the ratio of spliced to unspliced cytoplasmic HIV-1 mRNA. Therefore rev not only activates the synthesis of the viral structural proteins, but also modulates the level and quality of HIV-1 regulatory gene expression.     

Tat protein of HIV-1 stimulates growth of cells derived from Kaposi's sarcoma lesions of AIDS patients

Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) is frequently associated with human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) infection. Supernatants from HIV-1-infected T cells carrying the CD4 antigen promote the growth of cells derived from KS lesions of AIDS patients (AIDS-KS cells), and the HIV-1 tat gene, introduced into the germ line of mice, induces skin lesions closely resembling KS. Here we report that the tat gene product (Tat) is released from both HIV-1-acutely infected H9 cells and tat-transfected COS-1 cells. These Tat-containing supernatants specifically promote growth of AIDS-KS cells which are inhibited by anti-Tat antibodies; recombinant Tat has the same growth-promoting properties. Therefore a viral regulatory gene product can be released as a biologically active protein and directly act as a growth stimulator. These and previous data indicate that extracellular Tat could be involved in the development or progression, or both, of KS in HIV-1-infected individuals.     

细胞自噬与高迁移率族蛋白B-1(HMGB1)介导肿瘤耐药的研究进展

恶性肿瘤可通过多种细胞机制,产生对抗癌药物和放疗的抗性,即所谓耐药现象.细胞自噬是肿瘤细胞耐药的一个重要原因.高迁移率族蛋白B-1(HMGB1)是高度保守的非组蛋白DNA结合蛋白,在DNA结构、基因转录、基因重组、DNA损伤修复以及细胞存活等方面发挥重要的调控作用;HMGB1在细胞内的功能,与其氧化还原状态和细胞定位息...     

p53抗体与恶性肿瘤

p53基因是人类肿瘤中突变频率最高的抑癌基因,几乎发生于所有的恶性肿瘤.突变基因编码的p53蛋白释放入血,可诱发机体自身免疫应答,产生p53自身抗体.在肿瘤病人和高危人群中检测血清p53抗体可以反映早期p53基因突变,作为一种新的肿瘤生物学指标,p53抗体有望在恶性肿瘤的早期诊断、治疗、预后、监测、复发等方面发挥重要作用.     

HIV-1感染与树突状细胞相互作用的研究进展(综述)

树突状细胞(dendritic cells，DC)是目前所知的机体内功能最强的抗原呈递细胞，在免疫应答中发挥重要作用。在AIDS发病机制中有关人类免疫缺陷病毒(HIV)与宿主细胞之间的作用已经有很多报道，但对树突状细胞与HIV感染之间的作用了解较少。近年来的研究发现HIV-1能诱导树突状细胞分化，改编细胞基因表达，上调细胞因子和趋化因子的产生活化T细胞，而不同的DC亚群表达不同的甘露糖C-型凝集素受体(MCLRs)结合HIVgp120，从而促进病毒感染复制和扩散。     

恶性胸膜间皮瘤中间皮素表达的临床病理相关性及其预后意义

通过探讨间皮素(MSLN)与恶性胸膜间皮瘤临床病理之间的相关性及其预后意义.采用R 3.6.3对美国公共癌症基因数据库(TCGA)进行数据挖掘和分析,利用Oncomine数据库对非癌组织与癌组织中MSLN的表达量进行比较分析,采用基因表达谱动态分析(GEPIA)构建Kaplan-Meier生存模型探究MSLN表达量对恶...