An abnormal expression of a tumor-activated multigenic set in cells from cancer prone patients with inherited Fanconi's anemia (FA) and retinoblastoma (Rb)

Abstract

Normal skin fibroblasts from patients genetically predisposed for cancer express certain phenotypic properties usually associated with transformed cells, suggesting that these cells are engaged in a cancer progression process. Previously, we have shown that a subgenomic fraction, which we called Ta DNA (‘tumor-activated DNA’) was preferentially expressed in all human tumor cells (Hanania et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 78 (1981) 6504–6508; Hanania et al, EMBO J., 2 (1983) 1621–1624). Here, we show that Ta DNA transcripts are present in Fanconi's anemia (FA) and retinoblastoma (Rb) fibroblasts, at a level hardly lower than in tumor cells. In contrast, a few Ta DNA transcripts can be detected in normal cells.