Leukemia  1989 Jul;3(7):511-5 

c-myc amplification coexistent with activating N-ras point mutation in the
biphenotypic leukemic cell line RED-3.

Mallet MK, Mane SM, Meltzer SJ, Needleman SW.

Department of Medicine, University of Maryland Hospital, Baltimore 21201.

While activation of the protooncogene c-N-ras is observed regularly in acute
myelogenous leukemia, amplification of c-myc in AML cells or derived lines is
uncommon. In particular, concurrent ras/myc activation, which has been shown to
be critical in several elegant models of malignancy, has been demonstrated in a
very small number of human tumors or derivative cell lines. A cell line, RED-3,
is described which was derived from cells of a patient with aggressive acute
leukemia which exhibits many markers of lineage infidelity. DNA from this cell
line contains an activating point mutation of c-N-ras as well as 20-30-fold
amplification of c-myc. After HL-60, this is the second example of ras/myc
activation in AML derived cells and demonstrates that this lesion is not unique
to HL-60. Rather, it may be important in leukemogenesis in a small proportion of
AML patients.

PMID: 2659902 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]