ONCOGENE EXPRESSION IN HUMAN-LEUKEMIA

  • 1 January 1984
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 64  (6) , 1234-1239
Abstract
The transforming genes of retroviruses (v-onc) are derived from normal cellular genes referred to as proto-oncogenes. These cellular genes have the capacity for conversion to oncogenes (c-onc) that are capable of inducing or maintaining the transformed state when they are overly expressed or altered by mutation or rearrangement. To study the possible involvement of these genes in human leukemia, their expression were analyzed. In a variety of fresh samples. A number of oncogenes are expressed in different leukemic types and although the transcript size did not vary for each gene, the copy number did. The myc gene (2.4 kb [kilobase] transcript) and the rasHa gene (1.5 kb transcript) were universaly expressed. But in contrast to rasHa, the myc signal intesnity varied. Myb (4.5 kb transcript) was expressed in all samples except B cell diseases. Low levels of abl expression (multiple mRNA species) were detected in all leukemic types analyzed . Sis gene (4.2 kb transcript) expression was restricted was restricted to 1 patient sample with chronic myelogenous leukemia in blast transformation.