Alternative splicing of the K-ras gene in mouse tissues and cell lines. Exp Lung Res 2001;27(3):255-67
Date
04/11/2001Pubmed ID
11293328DOI
10.1080/019021401300054028Scopus ID
2-s2.0-0035080810 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 29 CitationsAbstract
The mRNA from the K-ras protooncogene is alternatively spliced into 2 transcripts, K-ras4A and K-ras4B, which possess 2 alternative fourth coding exons. In the present study, expression of K-ras4A and K-ras4B transcripts in 8 organs, including heart, brain, spleen, lung, liver, skeletal muscle, kidney, and testis, from BALB/c mice were determined by Northern blot hybridization. K-ras4B, observed in all organs, accounted for approximately 90% to 99% of total K-ras mRNA. K-ras4A was detected only in lung, liver, and kidney. In addition, K-ras expression in lungs and K-ras4A/K-ras4B ratios in lung, liver, spleen, and kidney from A/J, BALB/c, C3H/HeJ, and C57BL/6J mice were determined. A/J lungs expressed K-ras mRNA 2-fold higher than C3H/HeJ or C57BL/6J lungs, whereas K-ras mRNA expression in BALB/c lungs was intermediate. Higher percentages of K-ras4A mRNA were found in lungs and kidneys from A/J and BALB/c mice, as compared with those from C3H/HeJ and C57BL/6J mice. Levels of K-ras4A and K-ras4B mRNAs were also examined in 20 NIH 3T3 cell lines transformed by DNA from spontaneous A/J mouse lung tumors. K-ras4A was expressed 2- to 3-fold higher in these cell lines than in nontransformed NIH 3T3 cells and in C10 cell lines. These results suggest that: (1) there may be functional differences between the protein encoded by K-ras4A and that encoded by K-ras4B in each tissue type, and in tumor cells; and (2) K-ras mRNA expression and K-ras4A/K-ras4B ratios detected in lung tissues from different strains of mice correlate with susceptibility to tumor induction.
Author List
Wang Y, You M, Wang YMESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
3T3 CellsAlternative Splicing
Animals
Base Sequence
Cell Line
Cell Transformation, Neoplastic
DNA Primers
Genes, ras
Lung Neoplasms
Male
Mice
Mice, Inbred A
Mice, Inbred BALB C
Mice, Inbred C3H
Mice, Inbred C57BL
RNA, Messenger
Species Specificity
Tissue Distribution