SEQUENCE VARIATION IN THE SRC GENE-PRODUCT AFFECTS METASTASIS FORMATION - THE CENTRAL, BUT NOT EXCLUSIVE, ROLE OF THE TUMOR IMMUNE-RESPONSE

Sequence variation in the src gene product could, in principle, influe nce metastasis formation through either of 2 effects: an alteration in tumor antigenicity or a non-immune-mediated change in one or more src -associated functions. Our present results establish that both mechani sms underlie the difference in relative levels of metastasis formation induced by the v-src vs. the c-src (527) oncogene. A point that emerg es from this analysis is the segregation, within a chicken line genoty pically uniform at the major histocompatibility (B) complex (MHC), of a phenotype defined by strong resistance to secondary v-src-induced tu mor challenge. The pattern of segregation is consonant with the possib ility that a gene unlinked to the MHC governs immune response levels t o v-src-encoded tumor antigen. (C) 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.