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PubMed1989

vav, a novel human oncogene derived from a locus ubiquitously expressed in hematopoietic cells.

A novel human oncogene, designated vav, was generated by a genetic rearrangement during gene transfer assays. The vav oncogene directs the synthesis of a 3.0 kb mRNA from which we isolated a 2.8 kb-long complementary DNA copy. Nucleotide sequence analysis of this vav oncogene cDNA clone revealed that its 5' 167 bp were derived from pSV2neo DNA cotransfected as a selectable marker during gene transfer. The remaining 2597 bp were unrelated to genes included in current data banks, indicating that the vav oncogene is likely to be derived from a novel human locus. The vav oncogene cDNA clone encompasses a 2391 bp long open reading frame (ORF) capable of directing the synthesis of a 797 amino acid long polypeptide. The predicted vav oncogene protein sequence exhibits several motifs reminiscent of transcriptional factors. They include a highly acidic amino-terminal region separated from two putative nuclear localization signals by a proline-rich sequence, presumably a hinge region. In addition, we identified two zinc-finger-like domains, one of which conforms to the canonical pattern Cys-X2-Cys-X13-Cys-X2-Cys previously found to confer trans-activating activity to the adenovirus E1A protein. Transcription of its normal allele, the vav proto-oncogene, has been exclusively observed in cells of hematopoietic origin, including those of erythroid, lymphoid and myeloid lineages. These findings raise the possibility that this novel locus might play an important role in hematopoiesis.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1998

Expression of lymphomagenic oncogenes in T-cell lymphomas of HPV 16 transgenic mice.

We have previously established that a dimer repeat of the complete HPV 16 genome is sufficient to cause multiple organ malignancies, either carcinomas or T-cell lymphomas, in transgenic mice. Here, we report the expression of oncogenes supporting the notion that these tumors arose via multiple oncogenic pathways. In these mice, the transgenic HPV 16 genome cosegregated with the tumor phenotype. E6/E7 expression was observed in both carcinomas and T-cell lymphomas, while E2 expression was observed only in T-cell lymphomas. Some of the T-cell lymphomas revealed E2 expression alone, implying that oncogenic pathways of HPV other than the one involving E6/E7 existed in these transgenic mice. To establish that this is the case, expression of genes downstream from E6/E7 and oncogenes involved in T-cell lymphoma formation were analyzed. p53 mutations were observed in two of five tumors that lacked E6 expression. High levels of c-myc gene expression were observed in five of six tumors with E7 expression, suggesting that a pathway involving E7, inactivation of Rb, and activation of c-myc is important in tumorigenesis of HPV 16 in these transgenic animals. High levels of expression of the c-Pim gene were also noted in two of three c-myc-expressing T-cell lymphomas, suggesting cooperation between these two proto-oncogenes. Activation of Hox-11, Tal2/SCL-2, and Rbtn1/Ttg1 expression, which are highly associated with human T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL), was observed in three of three T-cell lymphomas with E2 expression but not E6/E7 expression, showing that pathways to tumor formation not involving E6/E7 exist in these transgenic animals. At least two oncogenic pathways to tumors in HPV 16 transgenic mice exist, one involving E6/E7 and c-myc and the other involving E2 and lymphomagenic oncogenes.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

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.

Adenovirus Early Proteins↗
PubMed1988

Structure, expression and alternative splicing of the human c-ets-1 proto-oncogene.

The avian acute leukemia virus E26 induces a mixed erythroid-myeloid leukemia in chicken and carries two distinct oncogenes, v-myb and v-ets. It was shown that there exist two ets loci in humans, c-ets-1 and c-ets-2, which were mapped to human chromosome 11 and 21, respectively. The human c-ets-1 proto-oncogene locus was shown to translocate from chromosome 11 to 9 or 4 in certain patients with acute monocytic leukemia. In order to understand the functional role of c-ets-1 proto-oncogene, we have made a cDNA library from MOLT-4 cells and isolated seven c-ets-1 positive cDNA clones. Analysis of two cDNA clones revealed a complete open reading frame of the c-ets-1 proto-oncogene. Except for 81 nucleotides at the 5'-end (downstream of initiation codon) and 39 nucleotides at the 3'-end (upstream of termination codon), the c-ets-1 cDNA is approximately 82% homologous to v-ets oncogene sequences and encodes a 441-residue protein (c-ets-1a) which contains contiguous 5' and 3' regions of the v-ets oncogene as in the case of chicken. Sequence analysis also revealed alternative splicing, giving rise to another related c-ets-1 polypeptide (c-ets-1b) lacking 87 amino acids. Our results suggest that differential RNA splicing allows the synthesis of at least two related c-ets-1 polypeptides from a single c-ets-1 proto-oncogene.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1991

Tumorigenesis in transgenic mice: identification and characterization of synergizing oncogenes.

Transgenic mice carrying oncogenes present a useful model with which to assess the tissue-specific action of oncogenes. These mice are usually predisposed to a specific type of neoplastic growth. The tumors that arise are usually monoclonal in origin and become only apparent after a variable latency period, suggesting that additional events are required for tumor formation. Identification of these additional events is highly relevant: it might give access to the genes that can synergize with a preselected oncogene in tumorigenesis and could facilitate the identification of the biochemical pathways in which these genes act. Retroviruses can be instrumental in identifying cooperating oncogenes. Proto-oncogene activation or tumor suppressor gene inactivation by insertional mutagenesis is an important mechanism by which the non-acute transforming retroviruses can induce tumors in several species. Owing to the sequence tag provided by the provirus, the relevant proto-oncogene can be directly identified by cloning of the DNA flanking the proviral insertion site. We have exploited this potential of retroviruses by infecting E mu-pim-1 and E mu-myc transgenic mice, which are predisposed to lymphomagenesis, with Moloney murine leukemia virus (MuLV). A strong acceleration of tumor induction ensued upon infection of these mice with MuLV. More importantly, it allowed us to identify a number of additional common insertion sites marking both previously known as well as new (putative) oncogenes. In a significant portion of the tumors more than one oncogene was found to be activated, indicating that within this system the synergistic effect of at least three genes can be established.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Comparison of the computed three-dimensional structures of oncogenic forms (bound to GDP) of the ras-gene-encoded p21 protein with the structure of the normal (non-transforming) wild-type protein.

The ras-oncogene-encoded p21 protein becomes oncogenic if amino acid substitutions occur at critical positions in the polypeptide chain. The most commonly found oncogenic forms contain Val in place of Gly 12 or Leu in place of Gln 61. To determine the effects of these substitutions on the three-dimensional structure of the whole p21 protein, we have performed molecular dynamics calculations on each of these three proteins bound to GDP and magnesium ion to compute the average structures of each of the three forms. Comparisons of the computed average structures shows that both oncogenic forms with Val 12 and Leu 61 differ substantially in structure from that of the wild type (containing Gly 12 and Gln 61) in discrete regions: residues 10-16, 32-47, 55-74, 85-89, 100-110, and 119-134. All of these regions occur in exposed loops, and several of them have already been found to be involved in the cellular functioning of the p21 protein. These regions have also previously been identified as the most flexible domains of the wild-type protein and have been bound to be the same ones that differ in conformation between transforming and nontransforming p21 mutant proteins neither of which binds nucleotide. The two oncogenic forms have similar conformations in their carboxyl-terminal domains, but differ in conformation at residues 32-47 and 55-74. The former region is known to be involved in the interaction with at least three downstream effector target proteins. Thus, differences in structure between the two oncogenic proteins may reflect different relative affinities of each oncogenic protein for each of these effector targets. The latter region, 55-74, is known to be a highly mobile segment of the protein. The results strongly suggest that critical oncogenic amino acid substitutions in the p21 protein cause changes in the structures of vital domains of this protein.

Cell Transformation, Neoplastic↗
PubMed2000

Induction of oocyte maturation by jun-N-terminal kinase (JNK) on the oncogenic ras-p21 pathway is dependent on the raf-MEK signal transduction pathway.

PURPOSE: We have previously found that microinjection of activated MEK (mitogen activated kinase kinase) and ERK (mitogen-activated protein; MAP kinase) fails to induce oocyte maturation, but that maturation, induced by oncogenic ras-p21 and insulin-activated cell ras-p21, is blocked by peptides from the ras-binding domain of raf. We also found that jun kinase (JNK), on the stress-activated protein (SAP) pathway, which is critical to the oncogenic ras-p21 signal transduction pathway, is a strong inducer of oocyte maturation. Our purpose in this study was to determine the role of the raf-MEK-MAP kinase pathway in oocyte maturation and how it interacts with JNK from the SAP pathway. METHODS: We microinjected raf dominant negative mutant mRNA (DN-raf) and the MEK-specific phosphatase, MKP-T4, either together with oncogenic p21 or c-raf mRNA, into oocytes or into oocytes incubated with insulin to determine the effects of these raf-MEK-MAP kinase pathway inhibitors. RESULTS: We found that oocyte maturation induced by both oncogenic and activated normal p21 is inhibited by both DN-raf and by MKP-T4. The latter more strongly blocks the oncogenic pathway. Also an mRNA encoding a constitutively activated MEK strongly induces oocyte maturation that is not inhibited by DN-raf or by MKP-T4. Surprisingly, we found that oocyte maturation induced by JNK is blocked both by DN-raf and MKP-T4. Furthermore, we discovered that c-raf induces oocyte maturation that is inhibited by glutathione-S-transferase (GST), which we have found to be a potent and selective inhibitor of JNK. CONCLUSION: We conclude that there is a strong reciprocal interaction between the SAP pathway involving JNK and the raf-MEK-MAP kinase pathway and that oncogenic ras-p21 can be preferentially inhibited by MEK inhibitors. The results imply that blockade of both MEK and JNK-oncogenic ras-p21 interactions may constitute selective synergistic combination chemotherapy against oncogenic ras-induced tumors.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

The meaning of the c-kit proto-oncogene product in malignant transformation in human mammary epithelium.

To evaluate the relationship between the c-kit proto-oncogene product and malignant transformation of human breast tissue, we examined the immunohistochemical expression of the c-kit proto-oncogene product in both malignant and non-malignant breast tissues. The immunohistochemical expression of the c-kit proto-oncogene product in 40 primary breast cancer tissues (22 axillary lymph nodes negative, 18 lymph nodes positive), in 18 corresponding axillary lymph nodes, and in 10 distant metastastic tissues were studied using an anti-c-kit proto-oncogene product antibody in comparison with 20 normal and 20 benign breast tissues. The mean values of immunoreactive score (IRS) were compared. The IRS of the c-kit proto-oncogene product in normal mammary epithelia was 5.90 +/- 1.37 (mean +/- s.d.). In benign tissues, the c-kit proto-oncogene product was detected heterogeneously with a reduced IRS (4.05 +/- 1.82). In primary breast cancer tissues, the expression of the c-kit proto-oncogene product was often deleted and the average IRS (0.90 +/- 1.73) was significantly reduced compared to those of the normal breast tissues or benign breast disease tissues, but no significant difference was shown between the breast cancer groups. The c-kit proto-oncogene product may correlate with growth control or the differentiation of normal breast epithelium. This result suggests that the loss of expression of this protein might correlate with malignant breast cancer progression, but it is most likely involved at an early stage of human breast cancer development.

Breast↗
PubMed1990

[The immunohistochemistry of cellular oncogenes in precancer and cancer of the lung].

Operative material obtained from patients with lung cancer and precancer, carcinoids, secondary tuberculosis, chronic nonspecific diseases and pulmonary lymphosarcoma was examined immunohistochemically. Expression of the oncogenes was higher in lung carcinoma than in the foci of lung epithelium regeneration, metaplasia and dysplasia. All the oncogenes in precancer and cancer may be divided into two groups by the degree of their expression: oncogenes the activation of which occurs in the same way at certain stages of tumour progression regardless of the lung carcinoma histogenesis and oncogenes expressed at certain stages depending upon the carcinoma histogenesis. The majority of oncogenes studied may be included into the second group (C-myc, ras, sis, src) and only one c-fos into the first group. The oncogenes expression may occur at the precancerous stage and precede the morphological changes in cells and tissues. The expression of some oncogenes (C-myc, sis) takes place not only in the tumour parenchyma but in the cancer stroma as well thus making the immunohistochemical method most reliable that permits one to study a true expression of oncogenes by cancer cells.

Chronic Disease↗
PubMed1988

[(Proto)-oncogenes, cellular growth and development].

In the past few years, one realizes that number of genes whose products are involved in regulating normal cell growth and development are also capable of inducing malignancy. These genes are called oncogenes and include 1 degree the cellular oncogenes (c-onc) or proto-oncogenes and 2 degrees the viral oncogenes (v-onc) which are most likely derived from c-onc and which are the transforming genes of several strains of animal retrovirus. The c-onc are present in the genome of all vertebrate cells and show a remarkable degree of evolutionary conservation, suggesting that they serve essential cellular functions. The analysis of biological properties of both types of oncogenes is of importance to understand the role of proto-oncogenes in normal cell proliferation and/or differentiation and development and to determine how alterations in their structures play a role in malignant transformation. In order to give an overview of the diversity of oncogene activities, several oncogene products involved in growth control, signal transduction, gene expression and development will be described.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Rapid induction of an experimental metastatic phenotype in first passage rat embryo cells by cotransfection of EJ c-Ha-ras and c-myc oncogenes.

First passage rat embryo cells were transfected with plasmids carrying a mutated EJ c-Ha-ras oncogene alone or in combination with the c-myc oncogene. Three days later, unselected cultures were harvested and injected into nude mice either subcutaneously to assay for tumorigenicity or intravenously to assay for metastasis to the lung. The results indicate that a transcriptionally-enhanced EJ-c-Ha-ras oncogene alone can convert normal rat cells to a tumorigenic but not metastatic phenotype. Co-transfection of a c-myc oncogene with the EJ c-Ha-ras oncogene was necessary to produce the rapid, phenotypic conversion of normal cells to transformed cells with both tumorigenic and metastatic potential. No tumors were observed in animals injected with c-myc-transfected cells. Cell lines established from EJ c-Ha-ras-induced shoulder tumors were metastatic when reinjected intravenously into nude mice. These results support the hypothesis that the cooperative action of c-Ha-ras and c-myc oncogenes is more potent in inducing malignant transformation than either oncogene acting alone. Our results also suggest that the phenotypic conversion of normal cells to tumorigenic cells with experimental metastatic potential by ras and myc oncogenes can be completed within 3-4 cell divisions after transfection.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

The human met oncogene is a member of the tyrosine kinase family.

Prolonged exposure of a nontumorigenic human osteogenic sarcoma cell line (HOS) with the direct acting carcinogen N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) gave rise to morphologically transformed cells which were tumorigenic in nude mice and termed MNNG-HOS. We have shown that DNA from MNNG-HOS cells will transform NIH/3T3 cells and have isolated greater than 35 kb of human DNA containing an oncogene, termed met. The activated met oncogene expresses a novel 5.0 kb RNA transcript which is a hybrid RNA derived from a DNA rearrangement involving two distinct genetic loci termed met and tpr (translocated promoter region). The met proto-oncogene has been localized to 7q21-q31 by in situ hybridization. This locus expresses a 9.0 kb RNA in fibroblast and epithelial cell lines, but is not commonly expressed in cell lines derived from the hematopoietic cell lineage. In contrast, the tpr locus is on chromosome 1, and expresses a 10.0 kb RNA in all human cell lines tested. The novel 5.0 kb met oncogene RNA is 3' co-terminal with the 9.0 kb met proto-oncogene RNA, while the 5' portion of this RNA uses at least two exons derived from the 10.0 kb tpr RNA. These exons are small and are presumably in the promoter region of both tpr and tpr-met transcripts. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the 3' end of met shows that it is a member of the tyrosine kinase family of genes. Peptide antibody to the C-terminal coding region of met immunoprecipitates a 65 kilodalton (kd) polypeptide (p65) in both MNNG-HOS cells and met transformed NIH/3T3 cells. This product also has tyrosine kinase activity in vitro and is presumed to correspond to the tpr-met product. The same antibody detects three larger met-related polypeptides of 160, 140, and 110 kd in human fibroblasts and epithelial cells by in vivo labeling with [35S]methionine. However, only one of the three met proto-oncogene polypeptides, p140, appears to be phosphorylated in the in vitro kinase assay. High levels of in vitro 32P incorporation into p140 met are observed in 4 out of 30 human epithelial cancer cell lines tested. Activation of the met oncogene in MNNG-HOS cells results from a DNA rearrangement possibly mediated in vitro by MNNG. The mode of activation of met may therefore be similar to the epidermal growth factor (EGF)R/v-erbB oncogene; or the bcr/c-abl rearrangement present in the Philadelphia chromosome translocation which is found in chronic myelogenous leukemias.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1989

Expression of c-myc, c-Ha-ras1, and c-erbB-2 proto-oncogenes in normal and malignant human breast epithelial cells.

Short-term cultures of normal human mammary epithelial cells were used to determine the extent to which c-myc, c-Ha-ras1, and c-erbB-2 proto-oncogenes were expressed in proliferating normal cells. This level of expression was compared with that of primary tumor cells, malignant effusion cells, or permanently established breast cancer cell lines. Pure preparations of epithelial organoids from seven different reduction mammoplasty tissue samples yielded proliferating normal epithelial cells upon short-term tissue culture. In every sample, proto-oncogene transcript levels increased upon short-term culture of the epithelial cells. These levels often exceeded by 10-fold the levels measured in uncultured organoids from the same tissue. In four of the seven cultured normal breast samples, at least one of the proto-oncogenes increased its expression to a level equaling or exceeding that found in a proliferating breast cancer cell line, MCF7. One effusion metastasis sample and two primary ductal adenocarcinomas were also examined for proto-oncogene expression. The effusion metastasis sample expressed high levels of c-erbB-2 messenger RNA, in accord with its amplified gene copy number; otherwise, the levels of proto-oncogene transcripts were low in unprocessed tumor and uncultured organoids, but they increased with proliferation of the tumor cells in culture. These results indicate that the variable expression of these proto-oncogenes observed in breast biopsy specimens needs to be controlled for cellular growth rate or proliferation index. Furthermore, these findings suggest that dysregulated proto-oncogene expression, rather than overexpression per se, needs to be evaluated as a possible mechanism contributing to the development of human breast cancer.

Blotting, Northern↗
PubMed1989

Oncogenes and onco-suppressor genes: their involvement in cancer.

We review the involvement of two groups of genes, oncogenes and onco-suppressor genes, in malignant transformation. Approximately 40 oncogenes have been described mainly through studies on retroviruses and by in vitro functional analyses such as transfection of transforming genes into 'normal' cells. Because they are more difficult to identify, only a handful of onco-suppressor genes have been described so far, but potentially they could number as many as oncogenes. Where these genes have been isolated and sequenced, they have been shown to be highly conserved among species, suggesting that these genes play an essential role in the normal cell. Although some of properties of oncogenes have been identified, we do not know in detail the role these genes play in normal cells or how genetic damage contributes to malignancy. The effect of oncogene expression on a cell depends both on the cell type and on the oncogene, and in some circumstances oncogenes act as onco-suppressor genes and vice versa. The elucidation of the mechanism of action of oncogenes and onco-suppressor genes will not only increase our understanding of these important genes but might also provide the framework for a biological approach to the treatment of cancer.

Cell Transformation, Neoplastic↗
PubMed1990

The current state of oncogenes and cancer: experimental approaches for analyzing oncogenetic events in human cancer.

The development of cancer is a multistage process. The activation of proto-oncogenes and the inactivation of tumor suppressor genes play a critical role in the induction of tumors. Using human cell model systems of carcinogenesis, we have studied how oncogenes, tumor suppressor genes, and recessive cancer susceptibility genes participate in this multistep process. Normal human cells are resistant to the transforming potential of oncogenes, such as ras oncogenes, which are activated by specific point mutations. Since as many as 40% of some tumor types contain activated ras oncogenes, a preneoplastic transition in multistage carcinogenesis must involve changing from an oncogene-resistant stage to an oncogene-susceptible stage. The analysis of such critical steps in carcinogenesis using rodent systems has usually not represented the human disease with fidelity. In order to study this carcinogenic process, we have developed human cell, in vitro systems that represent some of the genetic changes that occur in cellular genes during human carcinogenesis. Using these systems, we have learned some of the functions of dominant activated-transforming oncogenes, tumor suppressor genes, and cellular immortalization genes and how they influence the carcinogenic process in human cells. Using our understanding of these processes, we are attempting to clone critical genes involved in the etiology of familial cancers. These investigations may help us to develop procedures that allow us to predict, in these cancer families, which individuals are at high risk for developing cancer.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Molecular evolutionary rates of oncogenes.

Using nine sets of viral and cellular oncogenes, the rates of nucleotide substitutions were computed by using Gojobori and Yokoyama's (1985) method. The results obtained confirmed our previous conclusion that the rates of nucleotide substitution for the viral oncogenes are about a million times higher than those for their cellular counterparts. For cellular oncogenes and most viral oncogenes, however, the rate of synonymous substitution is higher than that of nonsynonymous substitution. Moreover, the pattern of nucleotide substitutions for viral oncogenes is more similar to that for functional genes (such as cellular oncogenes) than for pseudogenes. This implies that nucleotide substitutions in viral oncogenes may be functionally constrained. Thus, our observation supports that nucleotide substitutions for the oncogenes in those DNA and RNA genomes are consistent with Kimura's neutral theory of molecular evolution (Kimura 1968, 1983).

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Oncogene expression in human hepatoma cells PLC/PRF/5.

The expression of 7 cellular oncogenes in a human hepatoma cell line PLC/PRF/5 was studied using Northern blot analyses. Among the oncogenes tested, c-abl, c-fes, c-fms, c-myc, c-Ha-ras and c-sis were expressed. The oncogene c-Ki-ras was not expressed. The length of the mRNAs expressed was almost consistent with published data. Compared to the oncogene expression in Daudi lymphoma cells, the same kind of oncogenes were expressed in PLC/PRF/5 cells, but the intensity of the signal in each oncogene expression was stronger in Daudi cells than in PLC/PRF/5 cells. Considering the cellular localization and the function of each oncogene, the oncogene survey in hepatoma cells broadens the knowledge of hepatocarcinogenesis and the character of human hepatoma cells.

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular↗
PubMed1988

Expression of proto-oncogenes in neural tissues.

Several proto-oncogenes have been shown to be expressed in tissues of neural origin. In most cases, their expression is developmentally regulated and they encode proteins similar in their sequence to a variety of known proteins involved in transferring information from the cell surface to the nucleus. Some of the proto-oncogenes, including src and yes, are expressed preferentially in neural tissues and one of them, src+, is expressed there exclusively. Many of neurally expressed proto-oncogenes, including src, yes, ras and myc, are also found in organs containing epithelial cells involved in ion transport. It is possible that proteins encoded by these proto-oncogenes are themselves involved in some aspects of ion transport. Among defined categories of neurons expressing proto-oncogenes, cerebellar Purkinje cells are most frequently mentioned. They express at least 3 proto-oncogenes, src, yes, myc, as well as protein kinase C. Purkinje cells make an attractive model for functional studies of these proteins. Although an integrated picture-illuminating cooperative action of proto-oncogenes in neural or other tissues is missing, it is hoped that discovery of new classes of proto-oncogenes, and functional interactions among them, may help us to understand not only oncogenesis but also biology of the nervous system.

Animals↗