Expression of the fos oncogene in B16 melanoma cells exhibiting different metastatic abilities.

Expression of the c-fos oncogene in B16 melanoma with high and low metastatic abilities was investigated. In Northern blot analysis, a highly metastatic B16-F10 melanoma cell line showed a higher extent of transcription of the fos gene than did a low metastatic B16-F1 cell line. Immunohistochemical studies revealed that B16-F10 cells stained more strongly than B16-F1 cells, both in vitro and in vivo, using the antibody against fos proteins. These results suggest that fos product may be involved in the regulation of gene expressions related to metastasis of B16 melanoma.