Molecular cloning of a rearranged HRAS1 oncogene in chromosome mediated gene transfer associated with elevated tumorigenicity

We describe the molecular cloning of the rearranged HRAS1 oncogene found in association with the increased tumorigenic potential of the chromosome mediated gene transfectant E65.5. The rearrangement occurs immediately 3' to the c-Ha-ras coding region, removing the variable numbered tandem repeat (VNTR) but not altering the HRAS1 transcription unit. The novel 3' DNA sequence contains a short open reading frame but shows no homology to any previously cloned elements. Sequence analysis identifies a number of short DNA motifs consistent with the activity of an aberrant recombinogenic mechanism.