Melanosomal and lysosomal alterations in murine melanocytes following transfection with the v-rasHa oncogene

Abstract

Melanomas exhibiting mutated ras genes are frequently invasive and amelanotic. Transfecting melanocytes with ras oncogenes causes transformation and a loss of visible pigmentation. We analyzed murine melanocytes rendered amelanotic by transfection with the v-rasHa oncogene. Consistent with previous reports, tyrosinase and tyrosinase-related protein-1 (TRP-1) were not expressed by transformed cells. In addition, lack of expression of TRP-2 and the product of the silver locus was documented. Levels of melanosomal matrix antigens, the pink-eyed dilution locus protein and lysosome-associated membrane protein-1 were markedly reduced. Residual matrix antigens were localized by immunofluorescence to large vacuoles distributed peri-nuclearly in transfected cells. Electron microscopy demonstrated the absence of typical melanosomes and the presence of large vacuolar structures, also in a peri-nuclear distribution. Although levels of lysosomal hydrolases, such as beta-glucuronidase and cathepsin D, were diminished, marked elevations were observed in the expression of cathepsins B and L, 2 thiol proteases implicated in the acquisition of invasiveness. Our data demonstrate that transfection of melanocytes with v-rasHa is sufficient to disrupt the biogenesis of melanosomes and to up-regulate thiol protease synthesis, providing insights into the amelanotic and invasive nature of melanomas exhibiting mutations in ras genes.