Difference in allelic expression of genes probably associated with tumor progression in murine fibrosarcomas and cell lines.

Allelic expression was examined by single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis in murine fibrosarcomas from inter-subspecific F1 mice between C57BL/6 and MSM. Ten genes encoding p53, mdm2, E-cadherin, 72 kD metalloproteinase and its inhibitor (Timp2), thymidine kinase and four glucose transporters (Gluts) were examined. These genes were chosen because of their probable association with tumor development and progression. In some of the tumors and cell lines, p53, E-cadherin and Glut3 genes showed remarkable differences in allelic expression, one allele being poorly expressed. The allele-specificity persisted in nine cell lines obtained by repeated transplantations from one tumor. These results suggest that expression of some genes is allele-specific in tumor cells and the pattern of specificity is stable. Such a decrease or a loss of expression in one of the alleles may be functionally equivalent to the loss of heterozygosity of the gene, and therefore this may confer malignant properties on tumor cells. It is also suggested that differential expression of two alleles is a common event in tumor cells.