Differential induction of cytolytic susceptibility by E1A, myc, and ras oncogenes in immortalized cells.

The E1A oncogene of adenovirus serotypes 2 and 5 induces susceptibility to the cytolytic effects of natural killer lymphocytes and activated macrophages when expressed in infected and transformed mammalian cells (cytolysis-susceptible phenotype). E1A and the oncogenes v-myc, long-terminal-repeat-promoted c-myc, and activated c-ras share the ability to immortalize transfected low-passage rodent cells. The cytolytic phenotypes of well-characterized rodent cell lines immortalized by these three oncogenes were defined. In contrast to target cells expressing the intact E1A gene, myc- and ras-expressing, immortalized primary transfectants were resistant to lysis by both types of killer cell populations. The same patterns of susceptibility (E1A) and resistance (myc and ras) to cytolysis were observed in oncogene-transfected continuous rat (REF52) and mouse (NIH 3T3) cell lines, indicating that differences in the cytolytic phenotypes associated with expression of these oncogenes are not due to cell selection during immortalization. The results suggest that the E1A oncogene may possess a functional domain that is different from those of other oncogenes, such as myc and ras, and that the activity linked to this postulated domain is dissociable from the process of immortalization.