Structure and Transforming Potential of the Human cot Oncogene Encoding a Putative Protein Kinase

A new transforming gene has been molecularly cloned from hamster SHOK cells transformed with DNA extracted from a human thyroid carcinoma cell line and named the cot (cancer Osaka thyroid) oncogene. cDNA sequencing disclosed that this oncogene codes for a protein with 415 amino acid residues, and computer matching showed 42 to 48% similarity matches with serine protein kinases. Its gene product was identified as a 52-kDa protein by transcription and translation in vitro. Expression of cot cDNA under transcriptional control by a retroviral long terminal repeat induced morphological transformation of NIH 3T3 cells as well as SHOK cells. Protein kinase activity associated with constructed p60gag-cot was detected by immune complex kinase assay with anti-gag antiserum. The cot oncogene was overexpressed in transformed SHOK cells and found to have a rearranged 3' end in the last coding exon, which probably resulted in a deletion and an altered C' terminus in the transforming protein. This DNA rearrangement appeared to have occurred during transfection of the tumor DNA into hamster SHOK cells and not in the original thyroid tumor.