OBJECTIVETo investigate variations of mtDNA in mouse tumors and to explore the relationship between mtDNA mutations and murine carcinogenesis.

METHODSVariations of D-loop, ND3 and tRNAIle + Glu + Met gene fragments of mtDNA from six mouse tumor cell lines were analyzed by PCR-RFLP and PCR-SSCP techniques.

RESULTSND3 and tRNAIle + Glu + Met gene fragments of mtDNA from the tumors showed no variations at 27 endonuclease sites. The D-loop of mtDNA from Hca-F demonstrated an additional endonuclease site of Hinf I in contrast to the inbred mouse. Upon PCR-SSCP analysis, the D-loop of mtDNA was found to possess mutations in 4 of 6 tumors.

CONCLUSIOND-loop appears to be the hot spot for tumor mtDNA mutations, which may contribute to the carcinogenesis of murine tumors.

Animals ; Cell Line, Tumor ; DNA, Mitochondrial ; genetics ; DNA, Neoplasm ; genetics ; Electron Transport Complex I ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mice, Inbred C3H ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Mutation ; Neoplasms, Experimental ; genetics ; pathology ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length ; Polymorphism, Single-Stranded Conformational ; Proteins ; genetics ; RNA, Transfer, Glu ; genetics ; RNA, Transfer, Ile ; genetics ; RNA, Transfer, Met ; genetics