Stabilization of ribozyme-like cis-noncoding rRNAs induces apoptotic and nonapoptotic death in lung cells.

Bidirectional non-protein-coding RNAs are ubiquitously transcribed from the genome. Convergent sense and antisense transcripts may regulate each other. Here, we examined the convergent cis-noncoding rRNAs (nc-rRNAs) in A5 and E9 lung cancer models. Sense nc-rRNAs extending from rDNA intergenic region to internal transcribed spacer of around 10 kb in length were identified. nc-rRNAs in sense direction exhibited in vitro characteristics of ribozymes, namely, degradation upon incubation with MgCl(2) and stabilization by complementary oligonucleotides. Detection of endogenous cleavage-ligation products carrying internal deletion of hundreds to thousands nucleotides by massively parallel sequencing confirmed the catalytic properties. Transfection of oligonucleotides pairing with antisense nc-rRNAs stabilized both target and complementary transcripts, perturbed rRNA biogenesis, and induced massive cell death via apoptotic and/or nonapoptotic mechanisms depending on cell type and treatment. Oligonucleotides targeting cellular sense transcripts are less responsive. Spontaneously detached cells, though rare, also showed accumulation of nc-rRNAs and perturbation of rRNA biogenesis. Direct participation of nc-rRNAs in apoptotic and nonapoptotic death was demonstrated by transfection of synthetic nc-rRNAs encompassing the rDNA promoter. In sum, convergent cis-nc-rRNAs follow a feed-forward mechanism to regulate each other and rRNA biogenesis. This opens an opportunity to disrupt rRNA biogenesis, commonly upregulated in cancers, via inhibition of ribozyme-like activities in nc-rRNAs.

Non-coding rRNA-mediated preferential killing in cancer cells is enhanced by suppression of autophagy in non-transformed counterpart.

Interest to anticancer agents targeting rRNA biogenesis is growing. Cis-non-coding rRNAs, alternative to primary rRNA, have been shown to regulate rRNA biogenesis. We have recently detected bidirectional non-coding rRNAs that carry ribozyme-like properties. Anti-antisense oligonucleotides complementary to antisense non-coding rRNAs markedly stabilized the bidirectional transcripts and induced cell death in mouse lung cells. Here, we demonstrated that the same oligonucleotide killed mouse lung-cancer cells preferentially, compared with non-cancer sister lines, suggesting its potential utility for cancer treatment. A human version of anti-antisense oligonucleotide, complementary to an rDNA intergenic site, mediated apoptosis primarily in cancer cells. Autophagic activation was largely undifferentiable between the anti-antisense and other oligonucleotides and accounted for the undesired cytotoxicity in non-cancer cells. Co-treatment with chloroquine, an autophagy inhibitor, reduced cytotoxicity in the non-cancer cells, but retained the anti-antisense-mediated killings in cancer cells. Furthermore, the anti-antisense oligonucleotide stabilized bidirectional non-coding rRNAs predominantly in human cancer cells and perturbed rRNA biogenesis. Contributions of non-coding rRNAs to cell death were proven by transfection of in -vitro-synthesized transcripts. Taken together, cancer/non-cancer cells respond differently to stabilization of non-coding rRNAs, and such differential responses provide a window of opportunity to enhance anticancer efficacy.

miR-23b targets proline oxidase, a novel tumor suppressor protein in renal cancer.

Proline oxidase (POX) is a novel mitochondrial tumor suppressor that can suppress proliferation and induce apoptosis through the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and decreasing hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) signaling. Recent studies have shown the absence of expression of POX in human cancer tissues, including renal cancer. However, the mechanism for the loss of POX remains obscure. No genetic or epigenetic variation of POX gene was found. In this study, we identified the upregulated miR-23b in renal cancer as an important regulator of POX. Ectopic overexpression of miR-23b in normal renal cells resulted in striking downregulation of POX, whereas POX expression increased markedly when endogenous miR-23b was knocked down by its antagomirs in renal cancer cells. Consistent with the POX-mediated tumor suppression pathway, these antagomirs induced ROS, inhibited HIF signaling and increased apoptosis. Furthermore, we confirmed the regulation of miR-23b on POX and its function in the DLD1 Tet-off POX cell system. Using a luciferase reporter system, we verified the direct binding of miR-23b to the POX mRNA 3'-untranslated region. In addition, pairs of human renal carcinoma and normal tissues showed a negative correlation between miR-23b and POX protein expression, providing its clinical corroboration. Taken together, our results suggested that miR-23b, by targeting POX, could function as an oncogene; decreasing miR-23b expression may prove to be an effective way of inhibiting kidney tumor growth.

Heterozygous inactivation of TGF-beta1 increases the susceptibility to chemically induced mouse lung tumorigenesis independently of mutational activation of K-ras.

Mice heterozygous for deletion of the transforming growth factor beta1 (TGF-beta1) gene show an enhanced rate of lung tumorigenesis following carcinogen treatment. Since the growth inhibitory activity of TGF-beta1 in epithelial cells is associated with K-ras p21, and K-ras mutations commonly occur in chemically-induced mouse lung tumors, we postulated that tumors in heterozygous TGF-beta1 mice might be more likely to have K-ras mutations compared with tumors in wildtype TGF-beta1 mice. Urethane-induced lung tumors in AJBL6 TGF-beta1 +/- and +/+ mice were examined for K-ras mutations by polymerase chain reaction/single strand conformation polymorphism analysis and sequencing. Mutation frequencies were similar in both genotypes: 12/18 +/- tumors (67%) and 10/16 +/+ tumors (62%). Mutations occurred in 80% +/- and 75% +/+ carcinomas, but in only 50% of the adenomas of both TGF-beta1 genotypes. Codon 61 A-->G transition mutations were predominant, occurring in 61% +/- and 44% +/+ tumors. Three +/- (17%) and three +/+ (19%) tumors showed codon 12 mutations, mostly G-->A transitions. Two +/- tumors had both codon 61 and codon 12 mutations. Interestingly, carcinomas with mutations in codon 61 were larger than those with codon 12 changes. It appears that the mechanism of enhanced susceptibility of TGF-beta1+/- mice to urethane-induced lung carcinogenesis does not involve selective development of tumors with K-ras mutations.

Fez1/lzts1 alterations in gastric carcinoma.

PURPOSE: Loss of heterozygosity (LOH) involving the short arm of chromosome 8 (8p) is a common feature of the malignant progression of human tumors, including gastric cancer. We have cloned and mapped a candidate tumor suppressor gene, FEZ1/LZTS1, to 8p22. Here we have analyzed whether FEZ1/LZTS1 alterations play a role in the development and progression of gastric carcinoma. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: We examined Fez1/Lzts1 expression in 8 gastric carcinoma cell lines by Western blot, and in 88 primary gastric carcinomas by immunohistochemistry. Twenty-six of these 88 primary gastric carcinomas were also microdissected and tested for LOH at the FEZ1/LZTS1 locus and for mutation of the FEZ1/LZTS1 gene. Furthermore, we studied the FEZ1/LZTS1 gene regulation and transcriptional control and the methylation status of the 5' region of the gene in all 8 gastric carcinoma cell lines. RESULTS: Fez1/Lzts1 protein was barely detectable in all of the gastric cancer cell lines tested and was absent or significantly reduced in 39 of the 88 (44.3%) gastric carcinomas analyzed by immunohistochemistry, with a significant correlation (P < 0.001) to diffuse histotype. DNA allelotyping analysis showed allelic loss in 3 of 17 (18%) and microsatellite instability in 4 of 17 (23.5%) cases informative for D8S261 at the FEZ1/LZTS1 locus. When we compared the presence of LOH with Fez1/Lzts1 expression, we found loss of protein expression in all three of the tumors with allelic imbalance at D8S261. A missense mutation was detected in one case that did not express Fez1/Lzts1. Hypermethylation of the CpG island flanking the Fez1/Lzts1 promoter was evident in six of the eight cell lines examined as well as in the normal control. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings support FEZ1/LZTS1 as a candidate tumor suppressor gene at 8p in a subtype of gastric cancer and suggest that its inactivation is attributable to several factors including genomic deletion and methylation.

Presence of potential nickel-responsive element(s) in the mouse MTH1 promoter.

The murine MTH1 gene codes for MTH1, an 8-oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine 5'-triphosphate pyrophosphohydrolase (8-oxo-dGTPase) which hydrolyzes 8-oxo-dGTP, a promutagenic product of reactive oxygen species' attack on the nucleotide pool. This gene is regulated by oxidative stress. Therefore, we hypothesized that MTH1 expression can be affected by carcinogenic nickel(II), known to induce such stress. Three plasmid constructs, carrying different upstream regions of the mouse MTH1 and the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) reporter gene, were transiently transfected into NIH 3T3 cells and the CAT protein was measured in nickel(II) acetate-treated and untreated cells. Nickel concentration-dependent increase of CAT protein level was observed for low Ni(II) concentrations, up to 400 microM Ni(II), in cells transfected with pHI103 plasmid (-5969 to +530 of the MTH1 sequence) only. Cells transfected with the pHI104 (-1331 to +530) or pHI108 (-151 to +530) plasmids did not respond to nickel(II) whatsoever. This finding demonstrated that the MTH1 sequence between -5969 and -1331 contained element(s) responsive to nickel(II) treatment. DNA sequencing revealed the presence of AP-1, NF-kappaB, and ATF-1 binding sites in both the -5969 to -1331 and -1331 to +530 regions. In contrast, two (CA)n repeats (-5642 to -5582 and -2078 to -2031), a family of B2 (-5428 to -5247) and B1 (-4559 to -4420) short interspersed repeated elements, and an (AT)n repeat (-5243 to -5230) were identified only in the -5969 to -1331 sequence. The results suggest that up-regulation of murine MTH1 expression by nickel(II) is controlled by the repeat sequences, potential candidates for nickel-responsive elements.

K-ras mutations in mouse lung tumors of extreme age: independent of paternal preconceptional exposure to chromium(III) but significantly more frequent in carcinomas than adenomas.

Preconceptional exposure of male NIH Swiss mice to chromium(III) chloride resulted in increased incidence of neoplastic and non-neoplastic changes in their progeny, including lung tumors in females [Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol. 158 (1999) 161-176]. Since mutations in the K-ras protooncogene are frequent, early changes in mouse lung tumors, we investigated possible mutational activation of this gene as a mechanism for preconceptional carcinogenesis by chromium(III). These offspring had lived until natural death at advanced ages (average 816+/-175 days for controls, 904+/-164 for progeny of chromium-treated fathers). Mutations of K-ras, analyzed by single-strand conformation polymorphism and sequencing, were, in codon 12, wild type GGT (glycine), to GAT (aspartic acid); to GTT (valine); and to CGT (arginine); and in codon 61, wild-type CAA (glutamine), to CGA (arginine). K-ras mutation frequencies in lung tumors were very similar in control progeny (4/14) and in progeny of chromium-treated fathers (5/15). Thus, germline mutation or tendency to spontaneous mutation in K-ras does not seem to be part of the mechanism of preconceptional carcinogenesis here. However, an additional interesting observation was that K-ras mutations were much more frequent in lung carcinomas (8/16) than in adenomas (1/13) (P=0.02), for all progeny combined. This was not related to age of the tumor-bearing mice or the size of the tumors. K-ras mutations may contribute to malignant tumor progression during aging, of possible relevance to the putative association of such mutations with poor prognosis of human lung adenocarcinomas.

The p53 gene in patients under the age of 40 with gastric cancer: mutation rates are low but are associated with a cardiac location.

BACKGROUND: Determining both the frequency and the spectrum of p53 gene mutation in young patients with gastric cancer might provide clues to the host related genetic mechanism(s) in gastric carcinogenesis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: p53 mutations were assessed (by means of polymerase chain reaction-single strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP), followed by DNA sequencing) in a cohort of 105 consecutive Italian patients in whom gastric cancer was ascertained before the age of 41. RESULTS: A low prevalence of p53 mutations (eight of 105) was observed, with no significant difference between intestinal (three of 31; 10%) and diffuse (five of 74; 7%) phenotypes. A significantly higher prevalence of p53 mutations was associated with the cardiac location (odds ratio, 7.09; confidence interval, 1.56 to 32.11). In all but one case, p53 mutations were associated with a stage higher than I. All eight mutations were located at CpG sites, where G : C to A : T transitions have been associated with frequent methylation at the C5 position of cytosine. CONCLUSIONS: These findings show that, unlike what has been consistently demonstrated in the general population, p53 mutations are uncommon in gastric cancer occurring in young patients, and in such patients, p53 alterations are significantly associated with the cardiac location.

Ki-ras and the characteristics of mouse lung tumors.

Codon 12 mutations are frequent in the Ki-ras oncogene in human lung adenocarcinomas, but the effects of these alterations have not been well characterized in lung epithelial cells. Murine primary lung tumors derived from peripheral epithelial cells also may present Ki-ras mutations and are useful models for study of early phases of tumor development. One hypothesis is that Ki-ras mutation and/or a Ki-ras p21 increase could enhance Ki-ras p21-GTP and cell-cycle stimulation through raf-1 and extracellularly regulated protein kinases (Erks). We examined lung tumors 1-7 mm in largest dimension initiated in male Swiss mice by N-nitrosodimethylamine for pathologic type, Ki-ras mutations and levels of total Ki-ras p21, Ki-ras p21 bound to GTP, raf-1, Erk1 and Erk2 and their phosphorylated (activated) forms, and proliferating cell nuclear antigen. Total Ki-ras p21 and activated ras-GTP were not significantly greater in tumors than in normal lung or in tumors with versus those without Ki-ras mutations. Carcinomas with Ki-ras mutations were significantly smaller than those without mutations. Carcinomas were significantly larger than adenomas only for tumors without mutations. High levels of Erk2 and correlation of Erk2 amount with ras-GTP were specific characteristics of tumors with Ki-ras mutations. Size of all tumors correlated with ras-GTP but not with proliferating cell nuclear antigen. Raf-1 was expressed mainly in alveolar macrophages in normal lung but was focally upregulated in papillary areas of some tumors. The results indicate that Ki-ras influences the characteristics of lung tumors, but a linear ras-raf-Erk-cell-cycle control sequence does not adequately characterize tumorigenic events in this model. Mol. Carcinog. 28:156-167, 2000.

Genetic and immunohistochemical analyses of p53 independently predict regional metastasis of gastric cancers.

Either p53 gene mutation or immunohistochemical detection of p53 protein has not been consistently shown to have prognostic significance in human cancers, including gastric carcinomas. One hypothesis to explain this inconsistency is that some p53 mutations and p53 protein accumulation are not indicative of tumor progression. To test this hypothesis, we categorized p53 status in 105 gastric carcinomas according to types of mutations, numerical scores of immunohistochemical staining (IHC), or combinations thereof. The p53 status was then correlated with metastasis to liver or peritoneum. Gastric cancers with no p53 mutations were significantly less likely to metastasize than tumors with mutations. Intermediate IHC scores were inversely associated with metastasis. A substantial number of gastric cancers (31 of 105) showed positive p53 immunostaining without detectable mutations (p53-/IHC+), which suggested an accumulation of wild-type p53 protein, and also a significantly lower risk for metastasis. After adjusting for depth of invasion and lymph node involvement, the p53-/IHC+ combination predicted low metastatic risk better than either p53- or IHC+ with intermediate scores. These findings suggest that an accumulation of wild-type p53 protein occurs in gastric cancer cells and represents a stress-response mechanism that lowers metastatic potential.

The von Hippel-Lindau tumor suppressor targets to mitochondria.

Subcellular localization of von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) tumor suppressor may clarify its role in tumorigenesis. In rat kidney, we observed a granular cytoplasmic immunostaining of VHL, as seen in human tissues. The green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged VHL also appeared as cytoplasmic granules in vitro and was colocalized with a mitochondrion-selective dye. Immunogold electron microscopy localized VHL specifically to the mitochondrion. Mitochondria retaining GFP-VHL fusion protein, mimicking an insertional VHL mutant, displayed abnormal phenotypes. Among these, small mitochondria have been observed in clear cell renal carcinomas known to have frequent VHL alterations. Thus, VHL may contribute to tumorigenesis through mitochondria-based action.

Origin of spurious multiple bands in the amplification of microsatellite sequences.

Multiple band artifacts are seen commonly in the analyses of short repetitive sequences, also known as microsatellites, using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). In this study, the conditions of PCR were examined for five microsatellite loci (D2S119, D2S123, D5S409, D11S904, and interferon alpha) in an attempt to eliminate this artifact. In addition, and a possible mechanism for the formation of the multiple band artifact in non-denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was also explored. The intensity of multiple bands increased when the numbers of PCR cycles were increased. The multiple bands were abolished simply by reducing PCR cycle numbers and were reproduced from single specific PCR products undergoing alternate denaturation and reassociation without primer extension. This finding suggests that formation of multiple bands in non-denaturing gel electrophoresis is a result of improper annealing of PCR fragments, rather than being the result of polymerase slippage and 3' non-template extension, as has been reported previously.

Microsatellite instability and/or loss of heterozygosity in young gastric cancer patients in Italy.

Gastric cancers are rarely diagnosed before the age of 40 years and the incidence reaches a peak during the 7th decade in the general population. A molecular mechanism of early tumor onset may be determined by comparing microsatellite instability (MSI), indicative of error-prone mismatch repair, and loss of heterozygosity (LOH) between gastric cancers in patients < or = 40 years of age and those of older ages. Three to 5 chromosomal loci, where MSI and/or LOH are commonly found in gastric cancers in the general population, were examined in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded samples from 102 patients < or = 40 years of age using a polymerase chain reaction-based non-radioactive screening method. MSI and/or LOH at a minimum of 1 locus were detected in 11/102 patients. The frequency of MSI and/or LOH at the D11S904 locus was significantly higher than that at the D2S119, D2S123, D5S409 and IFNA regions. No preferential genetic changes at the D11S904 locus were observed in elderly patients. Among several clinicopathological variables, a statistically significant association with MSI and/or LOH was observed only for tumors located at the cardia, compared with tumors at the antrum and the corpus. Our findings suggest that a unique mechanism may be involved in increasing the susceptibility of the D11S904 locus for either MSI or LOH, especially for cardia tumors in young patients. Early onset of gastric cancers in patients < or = 40 years of age is associated with genetic changes at preferential chromosomal loci, including D11S904.

Patients younger than 40 years with gastric carcinoma: Helicobacter pylori genotype and associated gastritis phenotype.

BACKGROUND: In the general population, Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), particularly the cagA positive strain, has been associated with intestinal-type gastric carcinoma. Gastric carcinomas are rarely observed in patients age < or = 40 years. Host-related factors have been thought to be more important than environmental agents in these early-onset cancers. The aim of this study was to ascertain the possible role of H. pylori infection and that of cagA positive strains in the development of gastric carcinoma in these young patients. METHODS: In this case-control study, 105 gastric carcinoma patients (male-to-female ratio = 1.1; mean age, 34.4 years; range, 16-40 years) and an equal number of controls (matched for gender and age) were retrospectively selected from the same geographic area. The phenotypes of gastritis and H. pylori were histologically assessed, and the presence of the ureC gene, which is indicative of H. pylori infection, and the cagA genotype were determined by polymerase chain reaction. Gastric carcinoma risk was calculated by both univariate and multivariate statistical methods, taking into account the cancer phenotype, the gastritis phenotype detected in both patients and controls, and the H. pylori genotype. RESULTS: For 74 diffuse and 31 intestinal gastric carcinomas, multivariate logistic regression analysis produced results consistent with those of univariate statistical tests, showing a significant association between gastric carcinoma and both H. pylori infection (odds ratio [OR] = 2.79; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.52-5.11) and cagA positive status (OR = 2.94; 95% CI = 1.56-5.52). CONCLUSIONS: In young Italian patients with gastric carcinoma, the significant association with cagA positive H. pylori infection suggests that the bacterium has an etiologic role in both diffuse-type and intestinal-type gastric carcinoma.

Comparison of the polymorphic regions of the cytochrome P450 CYP2E1 gene of humans and patas and cynomolgus monkeys.

Cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) metabolizes low molecular weight toxicants. CYP2E1 gene polymorphisms have been linked to risk of various cancers and liver disease in humans. Since the patas monkey is a promising model for study of cancer-related alcohol/nitrosamine interactions, we examined CYP2E1 in this monkey for characteristics of two regions that are polymorphic in humans, an RsaI site in the 5' promoter region and a DraI site in intron 6. Another monkey species often used in biomedical research, the cynomolgus monkey, was also examined. Human DNA primers used to amplify a 413 bp segment around the RsaI site also amplified a segment of similar size (409 bp) from DNA of 25 patas monkeys, whereas a product of approximately 800 bp was amplified from DNA of eight cynomolgus monkeys. RsaI did not cut the amplified DNA product from either monkey species. Sequencing revealed that the patas RsaI site was identical to that in humans with the c2c2 CYP2E1 genotype, GTAT. The equivalent cynomolgus sequence, CTAC, has not been observed in humans. Thus, the patas monkey appears to be a useful model for CYP2E1 c2c2 humans, and this genotype, present in 2-25% of humans, may be more primitive than c1c1. For the DraI site, the human primers amplified DNA products similar in size to those from humans, from all patas and cynomolgus monkey DNA samples; none were cut by DraI. Thus, both monkey species appeared to be generally similar to humans of CYP2E1 CC DraI genotype, which is the rarer form of the gene.

Nickel(II) acetate-treated Chinese hamster ovary cells differentially express Vimentin, hSNF2H homologue, and H ferritin.

In probing the possible non-genotoxic molecular mechanism(s) of nickel(II)-induced carcinogenesis, we performed a non-radioactive mRNA differential display analysis for nickel(II) acetate-treated Chinese hamster ovary cells (CHO-K1-BH4). Three out of thirty differentially expressed cDNAs had sequences highly similar to known genes. Down-regulation of vimentin and a hSNF2H homologue and up-regulation of ferritin heavy chain were confirmed by Northern blot analysis. The expression of these mRNAs was time- and nickel(II) concentration-dependent. For vimentin, the decrease in mRNA level was concurrent with a decrease in the protein level. For ferritin, the increase in mRNA had no effect on the protein level. Dysregulation of these gene products signifies their involvement in the epigenetic effects of carcinogenic nickel(II) compounds.

Microsatellite instability is infrequent in azoxymethane-induced rat intestinal tumors: An assessment by capillary electrophoresis.

A rat model of colon cancer in which tumors are induced by azoxymethane (AOM) is frequently used to study putative environmental agents that may modify the risk of human colon cancer development. In order to evaluate the usefulness of this model for human risk assessment, a comparison of the molecular changes associated with tumorigenesis in the rat model with those in human colon cancer is desirable. Microsatellite instability (MSI), an alteration in length of short repetitive DNA sequences associated with defective DNA mismatch repair, is an important molecular characteristic of many human colon tumors. Intestinal tumors were induced in male Fischer 344 rats injected with 15 mg/kg body wt AOM in four weekly doses. Thirteen intestinal tumors were examined for MSI at 10 different microsatellite loci, using a capillary electrophoresis (CE) method for accurate assessment of DNA length. This method was shown to have a resolution of 1 bp for a 140-bp PCR product and to be capable of detecting one mutant sequence within a background of 10 wild-type sequences. The CE method also readily distinguished a known MSI-positive human tumor sample from its matching control sample. Among the 13 rat intestinal tumors examined, only one had MSI, which was present at only a single locus. We conclude that, unlike sporadic human colon tumors in which 15-30% of tumors have MSI (usually at multiple loci), MSI is very rare in AOM-induced rat intestinal tumors.

Nonradioactive mRNA differential display in polyacrylamide mini-gels.

Nonradioactive methods in comparison to those using radionuclides are now becoming popular because of safety, environmental, and cost concerns. The modified technique described here is much faster, easier, and safer than the conventional procedure utilizing radioactive material and large-formatted polyacrylamide gel, or other nonradioactive DD techniques. Also, it maintains good reproducibility and specificity. This DD protocol offers a rapid and reliable nonradioactive method for comparing gene expression patterns in various research.

von Hippel-Lindau gene mutations in N-nitrosodimethylamine-induced rat renal epithelial tumors.

BACKGROUND: Mutations in the von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) gene are common in human clear cell kidney cancers. Carcinogens in cigarette smoke, especially nitrosamines, are known to induce kidney tumors of a variety of histologic types in rodents--but with no evidence of VHL mutations; however, none of these tumors resembled human clear cell carcinomas. We examined N-nitrosodimethylamine-induced kidney tumors of the clear or mixed clear/granular cell type in Wistar rats to assess the presence of VHL mutations. METHODS: Sections of eight clear or mixed clear/granular cell kidney tumors that had been formalin fixed and paraffin embedded were microdissected. DNA was extracted from the microdissected tissue, and exons 1-3 of the rat VHL gene were examined by use of polymerase chain reaction and cycle sequencing techniques. RESULTS: Four VHL gene mutations (three G:C to A:T and one A:T to G:C) were detected in three of the tumors in contrast to no mutations in 40 previously reported rat kidney tumors of other histologic types (three of eight tumors versus none of 40; two-sided Fisher's exact test; P=.003). Only tumors showing prominent swollen clear cell cytology with a signet-ring appearance had VHL mutations. CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this is the first report of VHL mutations in kidney tumors after direct chemical exposure and provides a possible molecular pathway linking tobacco smoking to kidney cancer.