Germ-line expression of an oncogenic erbB2 allele confers resistance to erbB2-induced mammary tumorigenesis.

ABSTRACT: We have previously shown that mammary epithelial specific expression of the activated erbB2 allele under the control of the endogenous promoter in mice resulted in the formation of mammary adenocarcinomas. To assess whether mammary tumorigenesis in this model is influenced by the developmental window of expression, we generated mice that expressed the activated erbB2 allele in the germ line. Although we were able to derive viable transgenic mice that were heterozygous for the activated erbB2 allele, mice homozygous for the activated erbB2 allele died at 12.5 days of embryogenesis. These two separate lines of mice expressed activated erbB2 at equal levels in the mammary gland. Surprisingly, unlike the tumor-prone mice expressing activated ErbB2 in the mammary epithelium, mice with the germ-

SUBMITTER: Andrechek ER 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC387360 | biostudies-literature | 2004 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature