Reduced UV-induced mutations in human osteosarcoma cells stably expressing transfected wild-type p53 cDNA.

We constructed the plasmid which can express human wild-type p53 cDNA and introduced it into the human osteosarcoma cell line SAOS-2 that lacks the chromosomal p53 gene. A cell clone stably expressing p53 protein was isolated and UV sensitivity and UV-induced mutation frequencies of the clone were examined. The UV sensitivity of the clone was slightly higher and UV-induced hprt mutation frequencies of the clone were markedly lower than those of parental SAOS-2 cells.