RESPONSE OF COLON-CANCER CELL-LINES TO THE INTRODUCTION OF APC, A COLON-SPECIFIC TUMOR-SUPPRESSOR GENE

The APC gene, mutations in which are responsible for the inherited col on cancer syndrome adenomatous polyposis coli (APC), is described as a tumor suppressor gene. A full-length, wild-type APC gene was introduc ed by transfection into three human colon carcinoma cell lines, each c haracterized for mutations at loci involved in colon tumor formation. The response of each cell line to the introduction of APC differed wit h the genotype of the cell line. Some of the cell clones derived from these transfections displayed altered morphologies; some showed suppre ssion of tumorigenicity based on growth in soft agar and tumor formati on in nude mice. One cell line, SW480, could not be stably transfected with the APC gene. These results provide the first direct evidence th at the APC gene can alter the transformation properties of colon carci noma cells.