Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 11, 2026

The Soft Agar Colony Formation Assay
Published on: October 27, 2014
Identification of RASSF8 as a candidate lung tumor suppressor gene
F S Falvella1, G Manenti, M Spinola
1Department of Experimental Oncology and Laboratories, Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Milan, Italy.
Abstract:
The RASSF8 gene, which maps close to the KRAS2 gene, contains a RAS-associated domain and encodes a protein that is evolutionarily conserved from fish to humans. Analysis of the RASSF8 transcript revealed a complex expression pattern of 5'-UTR mRNA isoforms in normal lung and in lung adenocarcinomas (ADCAs), with no apparent differences. However, RASSF8 gene transcript levels were approximately seven-fold-lower in lung ADCAs as compared to normal lung tissue. Expression of RASSF8 protein by transfected lung cancer cells led to inhibition of anchorage-independent growth in soft agar in A549 cells and reduction of clonogenic activity in NCI-H520 cells. These results raise the possibility protein encoded by RASSF8 is a novel tumor suppressor for lung cancer.
Related Concept Videos
The Ras Gene
Ras is a superfamily...
The Retinoblastoma Gene
The first-ever tumor suppressor gene called Rb was identified in retinoblastoma - a rare eye tumor in children. In inherited forms of the disease, a child inherits one defective copy of the Rb gene, which predisposes them to retinoblastoma. However,...
Loss of Tumor Suppressor Gene Functions
When the tumor suppressor genes develop mutations or are lost, cells start growing out of control, leading to cancer. However, a single functional copy of the tumor suppressor gene is enough for the cells to maintain their normal functions and cell...
Abnormal Proliferation
lncRNA - Long Non-coding RNAs
Rous Sarcoma Virus (RSV) and Cancer
RSV is a retrovirus that contains two copies of a plus-strand RNA genome. Its genome consists of four main open...