Terminal differentiation in a non-small-cell bronchopulmonary carcinoma correlates with increased expression of p53.

We studied the pharmacomodulating effects of a marine substance, bistramide D, which is capable of inducing terminal differentiation on the expression of the c-erb-B1, ras, src, myc and p53 genes in the NSCLC-N6 cell line established from a non-small cell lung carcinoma. Analysis (subsequent to treatment) demonstrated that among the genes for which it was possible to detect expression, namely c-erb-B1, c-myc and p53, only the expression of the p53 gene varied significantly. The increase of the expression rate of the p53 gene underlines its prominent role in the control of cell proliferation and differentiation.