This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Heenen, M. Articles by Galand, P. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Heenen, M. Articles by Galand, P.

Nuclear Binding of Tritiated Actinomycin in Basal Cell Carcinoma and in Normal Human Epidermis¹

Department of Dermatology [M.H.], Laboratory of Molecular Cytology and Embryology [A.M.P.], and Institut de Recherche Interdisciplinaire en Biologie Humaine et Nucléaire (LMN) [P. G.], School of Medicine, University of Brussels, Brussels, Belgium

The ability of fixed histological samples from normal epidermis and from basal cell carcinoma to bind actinomycin D-³H was measured by autoradiography. Significantly higher nuclear fixation of the labeled antibiotic was measured in all cases in basal cell carcinoma, fixed with formalin or with alcohol:acetic acid. This suggests that chromatin in the carcinoma is less repressed than in normal basal cells, a conclusion which is in agreement with our present knowledge of this particular type of epidermal tumor, known to be able to evolve towards more or less well-characterized differentiated epidermal adnexae.

¹ Work was performed thanks to a grant from the Caisse Générale d'Epargne et de Retraite (Fonds Cancer).

Received 1/ 9/73. Accepted 7/17/73.