NEOPLASTIC TRANSFORMATION OF PROSTATIC AND UROGENITAL EPITHELIUM BY THE POLYOMA-VIRUS MIDDLE T-GENE

Male transgenic twice expressing the polyomavirus middle T (PyV-MT) ge ne exhibited growth and developmental abnormalities in prostatic and o ther urogenital epithelium. Expression of PyV-MT was directed to these tissues by a novel, androgen-inducible expression vector based on the rat C3(1) gene. Epithelial growth disturbances (hyperplasia, dysplasi a, and invasive carcinoma) were observed is the ventral and dorsal pro state, coagulating gland epididymis, and vas deferens. The abnormaliti es were characterized by histological disorganization, nuclear pleomor phism, increased mitoses, and abnormal DNA content, Transgene transcri ption was detected in affected tissues, indicating that the C3(1)-base d vector targeted androgen-sensitive urogenital tissues, especially th e prostate, These results demonstrated that expression of a gene, the protein of which is known to interact with cellular proteins involved in signal transduction, dramatically disrupted urogenital growth and d evelopment.