This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend 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 HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Walker, C. Articles by Everitt, J. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Walker, C. Articles by Everitt, J.

Wilms' Tumor Suppressor Gene Expression in Rat and Human Mesothelioma¹

Department of Carcinogenesis, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Science Park-Research Division, Smithville, Texas 78957 [C. W., X. Y.]; Chemical Industry Institute of Toxicology, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709 [F. R., J. E.]; and National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland 20892 [H. P., D. M. M.]

Induction of mesothelioma in the rat is an important animal model for assessing the carcinogenic potential of fibers and for understanding the molecular basis underlying the development of these tumors. Mesotheliomas and nephroblastoma (Wilms' tumor) have many developmental, biochemical, and histological similarities; however, the expression of the Wilms' tumor suppressor gene, WT-1, has not been well characterized in the rat, and its expression pattern in rat or human mesothelioma has not been described. We report that WT-1 transcripts (3.2 kilobases) could be detected by Northern analysis in adult rat testis, spleen, kidney, lung, heart, and glomerular mesangial cells. Normal adult mesothelial cells also expressed this gene. Rat mesothelioma cell lines expressed WT-1 transcripts of 3.2 kilobases and an additional 2.8-kilobase transcript, previously only reported to be expressed in the testis. Normal and transformed rat mesothelial cells expressed all four of the WT-1 splice variants, except testis, which only expressed WT-1 splice variants containing exon 5. Seven of seven human mesothelioma cell lines examined also expressed WT-1 transcripts, suggesting that expression of this gene may be useful in the diagnosis of these tumors.

¹ This work was supported in part by the Department of Health and Human Services, NIEHS Grant ES 06658-01 (to C. W.) and by a grant from the North American Insulation Manufacturers Association (to J. E.).

² To whom requests for reprints should be addressed, at Department of Carcinogenesis, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Science Park-Research Division, P.O. Box 389, Smithville, TX 78957.

³ Present address: Toxicology and Nutrition Institute, Zeist, The Netherlands.

Received 3/ 2/94. Accepted 5/ 4/94.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				O. A. Elisseeva, Y. Oka, A. Tsuboi, K. Ogata, F. Wu, E. H. Kim, T. Soma, H. Tamaki, M. Kawakami, Y. Oji, et al. Humoral immune responses against Wilms tumor gene WT1 product in patients with hematopoietic malignancies Blood, May 1, 2002; 99(9): 3272 - 3279. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				G. J. Gordon, W. B. Coleman, and J. W. Grisham Temporal Analysis of Hepatocyte Differentiation by Small Hepatocyte-Like Progenitor Cells during Liver Regeneration in Retrorsine-Exposed Rats Am. J. Pathol., September 1, 2000; 157(3): 771 - 786. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Robinson, M. Callow, S. Stevenson, B. Scott, B. W. S. Robinson, and R. A. Lake Serologic Responses in Patients with Malignant Mesothelioma . Evidence for Both Public and Private Specificities Am. J. Respir. Cell Mol. Biol., May 1, 2000; 22(5): 550 - 556. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				H. I. Pass, B. W. Robinson, J. R. Testa, and M. Carbone Emerging Translational Therapies for Mesothelioma* Chest, December 1, 1999; 116 (2009): 455S - 460S. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. A. Goodglick, C. A. Vaslet, N. J. Messier, and A. B. Kane Growth Factor Responses and Protooncogene Expression of Murine Mesothelial Cell Lines Derived from Asbestos-Induced Mesotheliomas Toxicol Pathol, November 1, 1997; 25(6): 565 - 573. [Abstract] [PDF]