Figure 1.

Nf2 heterozygous mice are cancer prone. (A) Survival curve showing the decreased survival of Nf2 heterozygotes on an F₁ (C57BL/6 × 129/Sv) background (blue diamonds), compared to that of their wild-type F₁ siblings (black squares). (B) Histological section through an osteosarcoma in a Nf2 heterozygote. The tumor (os) is growing out of a vertebral bone and pressing on the spinal cord (sc) and associated spinal ganglion (g). This tumor is very well differentiated, with a high ratio of calcified bone matrix to cell nucleus (100×). (C) Histological section of a hepatocellular carcinoma in an Nf2 heterozygote. Note the trabecular nature of the tumor itself (hc), manifested as nests of cells with spaces in between. Normal liver on the right (li) is being compressed by the tumor (200×). (D) Loss of Nf2 heterozygosity in tumors from Nf2 +/− animals. Southern blotting of paired tail [(g) germ line] and tumor (t) samples. (Top band) The wild-type allele; (bottom band) the mutant allele.