Expression of N-myc in teratocarcinoma stem cells and mouse embryos

The N-myc gene, which is distantly related to the proto-oncogene c-myc, was first detected as an amplified sequence in human neuroblastoma cell lines and tumours. It has since been revealed that there is up to a 300-fold amplification of N-myc DNA in almost 50% of advanced metastatic human neuroblastomas, whereas amplification is not detected in less advanced tumours that have a better prognosis (ref.3 and M.S., unpublished data). Although expression of N-myc is detectable in all neuroblastoma cell lines and tumours examined, its level is greatly enhanced when the N-myc gene is amplified. Recently, it has been shown that on co-transfection with the c-Ha-ras (EJ) gene, N-myc can induce the malignant transformation of rat embryo fibroblasts. Taken together, these data imply a function for N-myc in the development and/or progression of human neuroblastomas. Surveys indicate that N-myc also may be amplified and/or expressed in two other types of human tumours and cell lines derived from them: retinoblastomas and small cell lung cancers. Here, we report that N-myc is expressed at high levels in mouse and human teratocarcinoma stem cells, thus identifying another tumour cell type that expresses the N-myc gene. In addition, we found that N-myc is abundantly expressed in mouse embryos at mid-gestation and that its expression appears to decrease as the embryo approaches term. In the adult mouse, N-myc is expressed at an approximately fivefold lower level in the brain than in teratocarcinoma stem cells and embryos, and at even lower levels in the adult testis and kidney. Our data represent the first demonstration of expression of the N-myc gene in normal cells, and suggest that N-myc may be involved in mammalian embryogenesis.