Malignant mesotheliomas (MMs) are aggressive tumors that develop most frequently in the pleura of patients exposed to asbestos. In contrast to many other cancers, relatively few molecular alterations have been described in MMs. The most frequent numerical cytogenetic abnormality in MMs is loss of chromosome 22. The neurofibromatosis type 2 gene (NF2) is a tumor suppressor gene assigned to chromosome 22q which plays an important role in the development of familial and spontaneous tumors of neuroectodermal origin. Although MMs have a different histogenic derivation, the frequent abnormalities of chromosome 22 warranted an investigation of the NF2 gene in these tumors. Both cDNAs from 15 MM cell lines and genomic DNAs from 7 matched primary tumors were analyzed for mutations within the NF2 coding region. NF2 mutations predicting either interstitial in-frame deletions or truncation of the NF2-encoded protein (merlin) were detected in eight cell lines (53%), six of which were confirmed in primary tumor DNAs. In two samples that showed NF2 gene transcript alterations, no genomic DNA mutations were detected, suggesting that aberrant splicing may constitute an additional mechanism for merlin inactivation. These findings implicate NF2 in the oncogenesis of primary MMs and provide evidence that this gene can be involved in the development of tumors other than nervous system neoplasms characteristic of the NF2 disorder. In addition, unlike NF2-related tumors, MM derives from the mesoderm; malignancies of this origin have not previously been associated with frequent alterations of the NF2 gene.
In rice, many dwarf mutants have been isolated and characterized. We have investigated the relationship between dwarfism and the gibberellin (GA)-mediated control of physiological processes. Twenty-three rice cultivars and mutants (9 normal, 3 semi-dwarf, 11 dwarf) were analyzed in terms of two GA-mediated processes, namely, elongation of shoots and production of α-amylase activity in the endosperm. As a result, we identified four different groups (groups N, T, D and E). Two-dimensional plotting of the extent of induction of α-amylase in the endosperm versus the extent of enhancement of shoot elongation upon treatment with exogenous gibberellic acid (GA3) provided a useful method for the rapid allocation of large numbers of dwarf mutants of rice to the various groups. Members of group N (normal type), which included all normal cultivars and semi-dwarf mutants, showed a slight increase in elongation of shoots and a remarkable increase in production of α-amylase with the application of GA3 during germination. All of the dwarf mutants were classified as being members of the other three groups. Members of group T (Tan-ginbozu type), including three dwarf mutants, were highly responsive to exogenous GA3 in terms of elongation of shoots and production of α-amylase, with associated lower levels of endogenous GA. In contrast, members of the other three groups, including group N, had normal levels of endogenous GAs. Members of group D (Daikoku type) were only slightly responsive to exogenous GA3, an indication that they are GA-insensitive mutants. Members of group E (Ebisu type) had responses to GA3 similar to those of group N, not only in terms of elongation of shoots but also in terms of α-amylase production, an indication that they are dwarf mutants that can be considered as neither GA-deficient nor GA-insensitive mutants. We also examined a GA-insensitive mutant selected from among 19 near-isogenic dwarf lines of 'Shiokari', and we concluded that the d-1 gene is associated with the phenotype of GA-insensitive dwarf mutants.
Squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) of the mouse skin, as well as several types of preinvasive carcinoma precursor lesions, were produced by complete carcinogenesis protocols with benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P). Groups of mice were studied histologically at several time points. Tumors and precursor lesions were systematically counted on microscope slides. The main feature of tumor development using this ubiquitous human carcinogen was the sequential appearance of in situ flat lesions with progressive degrees of dysplasia. These changes, preceding the development of SCCs, were observed 20 weeks after beginning the carcinogen treatments. At this time point, in situ lesions outnumbered SCC approximately 10:1 at the higher total carcinogen dose examined. Ten weeks later, this ratio was approximately 1:1. With the lower total carcinogen dose protocol, progression was delayed since at 27 weeks preinvasive lesions outnumbered SCCs approximately 8:1. In addition to the in situ lesions, papillomas and keratoacanthomas were noted with the high B[a]P dose protocol, but tended to disappear at the end of the experiment, also indicating their probable role as SCC precursors. A study of histochemical markers showed that gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase (GGT) and keratin 13, although good markers of malignant changes in early papillomas produced by two-stage carcinogenesis protocols, were mainly negative in dysplastic lesions produced by complete carcinogenesis with B[a]P. Immunohistochemical detection of p53 showed that 50% of SCCs were positively stained, whereas only 3% of in situ lesions were p53 immunoreactive. Similarly, 62% of SCCs were immunohistochemically positive for cyclin D, but no precursor lesions were positive. Molecular analysis of the tumors showed the absence of H-ras mutations. No amplification of the cyclin-D-1 gene was detected in eight SCCs examined. Collectively, these findings indicate that preinvasive in situ lesions are frequent during early stages of carcinogenesis when B[a]P is used in a complete carcinogenesis protocol. Although the absence of p53 immunoreactivity in this mouse model differs from the observed changes in human premalignant squamous lesions, the sequence of morphological changes and the final incidence of p53 and cyclin D staining abnormalities are very similar to the well-known alterations that take place during human squamous carcinogenesis.
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