Stage Specific Transforming Genes in Lymphoid Neoplasms

Abstract

The NIH 3T3 transfection assay has now been employed successfully for over five years in the identification of activated transforming genes of neoplasms from multiple species. The first genes to be identified utilizing this assay were members of the ras gene family, including ras^H and ras^K which had been retrovirally transduced by Harvey and Kirsten Sarcoma Viruses, and ras^N, first identified in a human neuroblastoma cell line, SK-N-SH, a ras family member which had not been transduced by a retrovirus. To date, ras genes have been found to be activated in 10–20% of all neoplasms tested. As ras genes are transcribed in virtually all cells at most stages of differentiation, it is not surprising that these genes fall “at risk” to neoplastic transformation at some low level in tumors representative of every lineage and stage of differentiation (Reviewed in 1).