Multiple hormone secretion and gene expression in clones isolated from rat insulinoma cell lines

Current evidence suggests that a multipotential endodermal cell may give rise to all islet cell phenotypes. Five (N1-N5) and twenty-one (m1-m21) pluripotent rat islet cell clones were isolated from two hormone-producing cell line (RIN-r, RINm5F) derived from a radiation-induced islet tumor. To investigate the characteristics of these clones, we analyzed the hormone expression and secretion by Northern blot, immunocytochemistry, and radioimmunoassay. Increased expression and secretion of insulin and glucagon were observed in these clones. The present examination might also be proof of the secretion of both insulin and glucagon in the single cell of the m21 clone isolated from RINm5F. These cell lines also overexpress the Ha-ras proto-oncogene. In order to determine whether or not the overexpression was caused by gene translocation, the insulin and Ha-ras gene loci in N3 isolated from RIN-r were assigned by in situ hybridization. Both of the genes were located on the long arm of chromosome 1, but no gene translocation was observed. These findings suggest that the expression of insulin and Ha-ras is not affected by chromosomal translocation, but it may be functionally linked in these clones. Overexpression of these three genes may indicate that these clones have the same characteristics as the embryonic immature islet cell.