Figure 5: ZKSCAN-1 MET is tumorigenic.
From: Activating MET kinase rearrangements in melanoma and Spitz tumours
(a) Melan-a stably transduced with a ZKSCAN1-MET expression construct were injected into NOD/SCID/interleukin 2 receptor γ null mice (1.5 million cells, bilateral flank injections) with matched GFP-transduced controls. All six injection sites with ZKSCAN1-MET expressing melan-a cells developed tumours within 5 weeks (black circles), whereas no tumours developed at the sites injected with GFP-transduced controls (n=6) after 12 weeks (blue triangles). (b) Tumour formation 28 days after injection with ZKSCAN1-MET expressing melan-a cells. Scale bar, 0.5 cm. (c) Histopathology of ZKSCAN1-MET tumour (× 4) demonstrates tumour cells diffusely within the skin and subcutaneous tissue. Scale bar, 500 μm. (d) At high power (× 20) tumour cells have hyperchromatic and irregularly sized nuclei and mitoses are present. Scale bar, 10 μm. (e) Tumour cells have variable positivity for the kinase domain of MET (× 20). Scale bar, 10 μm. (f) Tumour cells have variable levels of p-MET positivity (× 20). Scale bar, 10 μm.
