Induction of Mammary Tumors by Expression of Polyomavirus Middle T Oncogene: A Transgenic Mouse Model for Metastatic Disease

作者：Chantale T. Guy, Robert D. Cardiff, William J. Muller · 发表于：Molecular and Cellular Biology · 年份：1992 · DOI：10.1128/mcb.12.3.954-961.1992 · 被引用次数：891 · 研究领域：Polyomavirus and related diseases、RNA Interference and Gene Delivery、Advanced biosensing and bioanalysis techniques

The effect of mammary gland-specific expression of the polyomavirus middle T antigen was examined by establishing lines of transgenic mice that carry the middle T oncogene under the transcriptional control of the mouse mammary tumor virus promoter/enhancer. By contrast to most transgenic strains carrying activated oncogenes, expression of polyomavirus middle T antigen resulted in the widespread transformation of the mammary epithelium and the rapid production of multifocal mammary adenocarcinomas. Interestingly, the majority of the tumor-bearing transgenic mice developed secondary metastatic tumors in the lung. Taken together, these results suggest that middle T antigen acts as a potent oncogene in the mammary epithelium and that cells that express it possess an enhanced metastatic potential.