Many oncogenes are transcribed in the D98AH2 derivative of the HeLa carcinoma cell line

As a first step in an ongoing study on the correlation of oncogene expression and tumorigenicity in hybrids made by fusing D98AH2 (D98) carcinoma cells with normal diploid human fibroblasts, we determined which oncogenes are expressed in the D98 cells. Northern blot determinations of the RNA levels of 21 oncogenes revealed moderate to abundant transcripts of 13 oncogenes. The remaining eight oncogenes for which no RNA was found normally show a very restricted pattern of expression among cell types. The presence of RNAs for nine of the 13 that were transcribed was not unexpected as they have been found in many other cell types. Three of the oncogene RNAs that were detected in D98 cells have not been well characterized for tissue or cell type specificity. FOS RNA was unexpectedly detected at high levels in nonsynchronized D98 cells suggesting aberrant expression of this oncogene. A comparison of human oncogene RNAs described by other workers with those observed in the D98 cells revealed no alterations in the sizes of the RNAs. Abundant transcripts of human papilloma virus 18, which is frequently associated with human cervical tumors, were also found in the D98 cells. Despite the high levels of oncogene specific RNAs detected, transfection of murine NIH3T3 cells with DNA of D98 cells did not result in malignant transformation of the murine fibroblasts.