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Helicobacter Pylori Membrane Protein 1: A New Carcinogenic Factor of Helicobacter Pylori¹

Saitama Cancer Center, Saitama 362-0806, Japan [M. S., M. K., S. O., N. S., H. F.], and Division of Clinico Bio-Regulatory Science, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8707, Japan [M. Y., Y. W.]

Considering a suspected link between Helicobacter pylori infection and human stomach cancer, a new H. pylori gene for membrane protein 1 (HP-MP1) was recently cloned. Because HP-MP1 induces release of inflammatory cytokines and tumor necrosis factor- acts as both initiator and tumor promoter, we studied the possible involvement of HP-MP1 in carcinogenesis of H. pylori. Two cell lines, BALB/3T3 cells as control and v-Ha-ras-transfected BALB/3T3 cells (Bhas 42 cells) as putative initiated cells, were each transfected with HP-MP1, urease B genes, or vector alone. All of the Bhas/mpl clones showed strong expression of tumor necrosis factor- gene and produced tumors in 100% of nude mice. Two Bhas/ure clones showed weak tumorigenicity; the other Bhas and BALB clones showed none. Results indicate strong carcinogenic activity of HP-MP1 in cooperation with viral Ras protein and weak activity of urease B.