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. 1989 May;81:29–31. doi: 10.1289/ehp.898129

Oncogene activation in experimental carcinogenesis: the role of carcinogen and tissue specificity.

S J Garte 1, A E Hochwalt 1
PMCID: PMC1567536  PMID: 2759063

Abstract

Techniques of molecular biology have been used to determine the relationship of cellular oncogenes to mechanisms of experimental carcinogenesis. Model systems involving three direct-acting alkylating carcinogens, two organ sites, and two species have been employed to elucidate the relationships between carcinogenic etiology, tissue specificity, and activation of known and novel oncogenes. Dimethylcarbamyl chloride, a reactive acylating agent, induces tumors of both the rat nasal mucosa and mouse skin whose DNA is devoid of NIH 3T3 transforming activity. Beta-propiolactone-induced rat nasal carcinomas contain a novel oncogene, 6 to 9 kb in size, whereas a mouse skin carcinoma induced by this agent possesses an H-ras oncogene activated by a 61st codon A to T transversion mutation. The novel oncogene activated in rat nasal tumors induced by beta-propiolactone is distinct from one found in methylmethane sulfonate-induced tumors. The implications of these findings for understanding how oncogenes fit into general mechanism of carcinogenesis are discussed.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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