The expression of transformation-related protein p53 and p53-containing mRNA in murine RAW117 large cell lymphoma cells of differing metastatic potential.

The relationship between the expression of a transformation-related cellular-encoded phosphoprotein, p53, and the potential to form distant metastases was investigated in Abelson murine leukemia virus-transformed murine large cell lymphoma sublines of differing metastatic behaviors. Low metastasis RAW117-P and high metastasis RAW117-H10 cells were labeled with 35S-methionine, and several anti-p53 monoclonal antibodies were used to immunoprecipitate p53 from the cell lysates. Using these procedures, similar amounts of p53 were detected in the RAW117-P and -H10 cells. In addition, the expression of 2.0 Kb mRNA containing p53-specific sequences was equivalent in RAW117-P and -H10 cells. The results indicate that p53 expression, although apparently required for neoplastic transformation, is not quantitatively related to metastatic behavior in RAW117 large cell lymphoma cells.