Abnormal protein synthesis in malignant melanoma cells

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Oncology
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• Neoplastic cells in various animal tumor systems exhibit abnormal proteins.
• Abnormal proteins have been identified in murine malignant melanoma.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the nature of abnormal proteins found in murine malignant melanoma.
• To determine the molecular basis of these abnormal proteins.

Main Methods:

• Preparative gel electrophoresis for protein isolation.
• Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis for protein analysis.
• Amino acid analysis, terminal analysis, and peptide mapping were performed.

Main Results:

• Abnormal proteins from murine malignant melanoma were isolated and characterized.
• These proteins share similarities with analogous proteins in normal tissues.
• Analysis supports the theory of deleted sequences in abnormal protein synthesis.

Conclusions:

• Abnormal proteins in neoplastic cells may result from errors in protein synthesis.
• Deleted sequences during attempted normal protein synthesis are a likely cause of these abnormal proteins in cancer.