Sensitivity of melanoma cell lines to natural killer cells: a role for oncogene-modulated HLA class I expression?

N-ras and c-myc oncogenes were found to be activated in melanoma. High c-myc expression renders melanoma cell lines sensitive to lysis by natural killer (NK) cells. This effect is mediated by locus-specific downmodulation of HLA-B expression by c-myc. Cell lines with a mutation in the N-ras gene wer...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inSeminars in cancer biology Vol. 2; no. 1; p. 73
Main Authors Schrier, P I, Versteeg, R, Peltenburg, L T, Plomp, A C, van 't Veer, L J, Krüse-Wolters, K M
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published England 01.02.1991
Subjects
beta 2-Microglobulin - biosynthesis
Blotting, Northern
Cell Line
Cytotoxicity, Immunologic
Down-Regulation
Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
Genes, ras - physiology
Histocompatibility Antigens Class I - metabolism
HLA-A Antigens - metabolism
HLA-B Antigens - metabolism
HLA-C Antigens - metabolism
Humans
Killer Cells, Natural - immunology
Melanoma - immunology
Oncogenes - physiology
Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc - physiology
RNA, Messenger - analysis
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Summary:N-ras and c-myc oncogenes were found to be activated in melanoma. High c-myc expression renders melanoma cell lines sensitive to lysis by natural killer (NK) cells. This effect is mediated by locus-specific downmodulation of HLA-B expression by c-myc. Cell lines with a mutation in the N-ras gene were relatively sensitive to NK cells irrespective of HLA class I expression. These findings indicate that NK cells can kill tumor cells with activated myc or ras oncogenes in various ways, thus providing potential mechanisms to eliminate cancer cells with an activation of these oncogenes.
ISSN:1044-579X