Molecular cloning and nucleotide sequence analysis of a transforming gene from human gastrocarcinoma cell line.

Mouse and rat fibroblasts were transfected with total DNA from human gastrocarcinoma cell line BGC-823. It was shown by hybridization assay that the genome of one of the rat secondary foci contains transforming genes from the human gastrocarcinoma cell line, which are homologous to the protooncogene c-Ha-ras in the normal cells. The genomic library of the rat secondary foci was constructed, using lambda phage EMBL3 as the vector. The transforming gene Ha-ras of the human gastrocarcinoma cell was thus cloned by screening the library with the probes of human Alu repeat sequence and c-Ha-ras. The nucleotide sequences of the first and second exons were analysed by M13-dideoxy method. The result shows that the nucleotide sequence of the transforming gene is the same as that of the normal protooncogene except one nucleotide difference in the first exon.