APPLICATION OF DIFFERENTIAL DISPLAY POLYMERASE CHAIN-REACTION TO THE STUDY OF NEOPLASMS OF FERAL MARINE BIVALVES

Pathological conditions, especially neoplasms, in feral animals have b een shown to be indicators of environmental degradation by pollutants. A gonadal neoplasm in soft shell clam (Mya arenaria) has been identif ied among certain populations of clams in Maine, but the etiology of t hese neoplasms is unknown. We have undertaken a study of these neoplas ms to determine whether they may be a result of exposure to contaminan ts. One approach we have taken is to identify genes that are different ially expressed by neoplastic cells. Such genes may be part of the mol ecular pathway that is responsible for the neoplastic phenotype, and t heir identification could shed light on the etiology of the neoplasm. By using differential display polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR), we fo und at least four genes that are involved in biosynthetic activities r elated to cell growth and proliferation. These findings demonstrate th at ddPCR can be a useful tool to study neoplasms in feral animals, esp ecially for species that have not been genetically well characterized. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd