PHENOTYPE OF MICE LACKING FUNCTIONAL DELETED IN COLORECTAL-CANCER (DCC) GENE

The DCC (Deleted in colorectal cancer) gene was first identified as a candidate for a tumour-suppressor gene on human chromosome 18q. More r ecently, in vitro studies In rodents have provided evidence that DCC m ight function as a receptor for the axonal chemoattractant netrin-1. I nactivation of the murine Dcc gene caused defects in axonal projection s that are similar to those observed in netrin-1-deficient mice but di d not affect growth, differentiation, morphogenesis or tumorigenesis i n mouse intestine. These observations fail to support a tumour-suppres sor function for Dcc, but are consistent with the hypothesis that DCC Is a component of a receptor for netrin-1.