Rare occurrence of ras and p53 gene mutations in mouse stomach tumors induced by N-methyl-N-nitrosourea

The incidence of point mutations of H-, K- and N-ras and p53 oncogenes in male BALB/c mouse stomach tumors induced with N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU) was examined by direct sequencing and PCR single-strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP). A mutation of GGT to AGT at K-ras codon 12 was found by SSCP in one adenocarcinoma from a total of 19 specimens including 5 adenocarcinomas, 9 adenomatous hyperplastic regions, 1 squamous cell carcinoma and 4 normal-like stomach regions from 4 mice. No mutations were detected by direct sequencing of H-, K- and N-ras oncogenes at exons 1 (codons 12 and 13) and 2 (codon 61) in a total of 26 specimens comprising 10 adenocarcinomas, 10 adenomatous hyperplastic regions, 2 squamous cell carcinomas and 4 normal-like stomach regions from 6 mice. No mutations were detected by direct sequencing of p53 oncogene at exons 5, 6, 7 and 8 in a total of 30 specimens including 13 adenocarcinomas, 8 adenomatous hyperplastic regions, 2 squamous cell carcinomas, 1 papilloma and 6 normal-like stomach regions from 7 mice. These results suggest that ras and p53 oncogenes do not play a role in mouse stomach carcinogenesis induced by MNU.