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

Journal Article · Fri May 01 04:00:00 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), Journal Name: Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.; (United States) Vol. 84:10; ISSN PNASA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
ADULTS
AGE GROUPS
ANIMAL CELLS
ANIMAL TISSUES
ANIMALS
ANTIBODIES
BIOCHEMISTRY
BODY
CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM
CELL PROLIFERATION
CHEMISTRY
CYTOCHEMISTRY
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
DISEASES
DISTRIBUTION
ENDOCRINE GLANDS
FETUSES
GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT
GENES
GLANDS
GONADS
HEART
INTESTINES
KIDNEYS
LIVER
MALE GENITALS
MAMMALS
MAMMARY GLANDS
MAN
MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES
MUSCLES
NEOPLASMS
ONCOGENES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
PANCREAS
PRIMATES
PROTEINS
SKIN
STOMACH
TESTES
TISSUE DISTRIBUTION
TISSUES
TUMOR CELLS
VERTEBRATES