Expression of p21/sup ras/ in normal and malignant human tissues: lack of association with proliferation and malignancy

Journal Article · Fri May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1987 · Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.84.10.3234· OSTI ID:5402025

Chesa, P G; Rettig, W J; Melamed, M R; Old, L J; Niman, H L

Proteins encoded by cellular ras oncogenes (p21/sup ras) are expressed in a wide variety of malignant tumors, including carcinomas, lymphomas, and neuroectodermal tumors. The function of p21/sup ras/ in these tumors and the distribution and role of p21/sup ras/ in corresponding normal tissues are unclear. This immunohistochemical study examined the relationship between p21/sup ras/ expression and malignant transformation, cellular differentiation, and proliferative activity in vivo. p21/sup ras/ was found to be widely expressed in normal tissues, but within those tissues expression was often sharply restricted to cells at specific stages of differentiation; terminally differentiated cells generally showed stronger reactivity with antibodies to p21/sup ras/ than did rapidly proliferating cells. Fetal and adult tissues had corresponding patterns of p21/sup ras/ expression, and the distribution of p21/sup ras/ in neoplasms paralleled the pattern in normal tissue from which they were derived. Thus, p21/ras/ seems to play a role in many fully differentiated cell types, and levels of p21/sup ras/ expression do not correlate with proliferative activity in normal cells or, in contrast to past reports, with the transformed phenotype.

• Research Organization: Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
• OSTI ID: 5402025
• Journal Information: Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.; (United States), Vol. 84:10
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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FETUSES
HEART
INTESTINES
KIDNEYS
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