Morphological and functional effects of antisense RNA to the deleted in colorectal carcinoma (DCC) gene in a pancreatic carcinoma cell line

To investigate the role of the deleted in colorectal carcinoma gene (DCC) i n cells of pancreatic origin (MiaPaCa-2) we established cell lines stably e xpressing DCC antisense RNA. Expression of DCC antisense RNA led to strikin g alterations in the MiaPaCa-2 cell line. Antisense transfectants had nearl y lost adherence and had acquired a spherical morphology. The ordered struc ture of actin bundles in the parental cell line had been lost largely in DC C antisense RNA expressing cell clones. Moreover, the antisense DCC transfe cted cells displayed a decreased growth rate, a decrease of cells in G1 pha se and an accumulation in S phase of the cell cycle. These heavily altered characteristics of MiaPaCa-2 cells expressing DCC antisense RNA point to a yet unknown role for DCC in an important intracellular pathway. (C) 1999 El sevier Science ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.