DEVELOPMENT OF NEUROEPITHELIAL TUMORS OF THE ADRENAL-MEDULLA IN TRANSGENIC MICE EXPRESSING A MOUSE HYPOTHALAMIC GROWTH HORMONE-RELEASING HORMONE PROMOTER-SIMIAN VIRUS-40 T-ANTIGEN FUSION GENE
Fp. Giraldi et al., DEVELOPMENT OF NEUROEPITHELIAL TUMORS OF THE ADRENAL-MEDULLA IN TRANSGENIC MICE EXPRESSING A MOUSE HYPOTHALAMIC GROWTH HORMONE-RELEASING HORMONE PROMOTER-SIMIAN VIRUS-40 T-ANTIGEN FUSION GENE, Endocrinology, 134(3), 1994, pp. 1219-1224
Expression of the mouse OH-releasing hormone (GRH) gene is restricted
to neurons within the hypothalamus and to placenta. In an attempt to g
enerate immortalized mouse hypothalamic neurons expressing GRH, the pr
oximal 872-nucleotide segment of the 5'-flanking region of the hypotha
lamic mouse GRH gene was cloned by polymerase chain reaction and ligat
ed to a 2.7-kilobase DNA sequence encoding the simian virus-40 (SV40)
T-antigen, so that regulation of SV40 T-antigen expression was depende
nt on sequences within the mGRH 5'-flanking region. This region contai
ns both TATA and CAAT boxes. The mouse GRH/SV40 T-antigen fusion gene
was injected into 1-cell mouse embryos, and SV40 T-antigen incorporati
on in the mouse genome was found in 11 of 77 live births (3 males and
8 females). Although no evidence of hypothalamic tumors was found, all
mice that expressed the transgene also developed tumors originating i
n the adrenal medulla. Gene copy number varied from 1-20 and was inver
sely proportional to survival, which ranged from 7-16 weeks. Corticost
erone levels were normal. The male transgenic mice were fertile, and t
heir progeny expressed the transgene and developed similar tumors. Mic
roscopic examination of the tumors revealed a primitive neuroectoderma
l neoplasm that exhibited hematogenous and lymph node metastases and c
ontained 100 ng norepinephrine, 2.85 ng epinephrine, and 1.1 ng dopami
ne/mg tumor tissue. Primary culture of dispersed tumor cells released
norepinephrine into the medium (180 pg/ml.24 h). Cell lines from 2 tum
ors were established and exhibited characteristics similar to those of
mixed neuroblastoma or primitive neuroectodermal tumors. In conclusio
n, the proximal 872 nucleotides of the hypothalamic mouse GRH promoter
contain elements directing tissue-specific expression limited to earl
y adrenal neuroectodermal cells. Other GRH DNA sequences appear to be
required for restricted expression of mouse GRH within the hypothalamu
s.