Regional chromosomal localization of N-ras, K-ras-1, K-ras-2 and myb oncogenes in human cells.

The identification of transforming genes in human tumor cells has been made possible by DNA mediated gene transfer techniques. To date, it has been possible to show that most of these transforming genes are activated cellular analogues of the ras oncogene family. To better understand the relationship between these oncogenes and other human genes, we have determined their chromosomal localization by analyzing human rodent somatic cell hybrids with molecularly cloned human proto-oncogene probes. It was possible to assign N-ras to chromosome 1 and regionally localize c-K-ras-1 and c-K-ras-2 to human chromosomes 6pter-q13 and 12q, respectively. These results along with previous studies demonstrate the highly dispersed nature of ras genes in the human genome. Previous reports indicated that the c-myb gene also resides on chromosome 6. It has been possible to sublocalize c-myb to the long arm of chromosome 6 (q15-q21). The non-random aberrations in chromosomes 1, 6 and 12 that occur in certain human tumors suggest possible etiologic involvement of ras and/or myb oncogenes in such tumors.