Background information
HHCM is a 467 amino acid protein that has oncogenic transforming capabilities on a variety of different cell lines. When HHCM was transfected into BRL-1 (Buffalo rat liver) or NIH3T3 cells, the cells exhibited significant morphological changes, anchorage independent growth and loss of contact inhibition. When the cells were inoculated into rats and mice, they became highly tumorigenic. HHCM gene-related DNA sequences were found in at least nineteen hepatomas of Asian origin. The gene encoding HHCM maps to human chromosome 8, which is made up of nearly 146 million bases and encodes about 800 genes. Translocation of portions of chromosome 8 with amplifications of the c-Myc gene are found in some leukemias and lymphomas, and are typically associated with a poor prognosis.
