MESSENGER-RNA PHENOTYPING OF THE MAJOR LIGANDS AND RECEPTORS OF THE EGF SUPERGENE FAMILY IN HUMAN OVARIAN EPITHELIAL-CELLS

mRNA amplification phenotyping (MAPPing) was used to determine the lev el of mRNA expression of the major EGF-related ligands (EGF, TGF-alpha , and Amphiregulin) and receptors (EGF-receptor and erbB-2) of the EGF supergene family in three ovarian carcinoma lines (OVCA 429 and 433, and NIH:OVCAR-8) under serum-supplemented and reduced serum (minimal m edium with 2% fetuin) growth conditions. mRNA levels of TGF-alpha, EGF -R, and erbB-2 were particularly high, and increased approximately 2-3 orders of magnitude when grown in serum, consistent with an autocrine involvement of these genes in ovarian epithelial growth in vitro. Mor eover, even when grown without serum, OVCA 429 and NIH:OVCAR-8 express ed elevated levels of mRNA for erbB-2.