Abarrategi, AnderGambera, StefanoAlfranca, ArantzazuRodriguez-Milla, Miguel APerez-Tavarez, RaquelRouault-Pierre, KevinWaclawiczek, AlexanderChakravarty, ProbirMulero, FranciscaTrigueros, CésarNavarro, SamuelBonnet, DominiqueGarcia-Castro, Javier2020-02-212020-02-212018Sci Rep. 2018 Oct 23;8(1):15615.2045-2322http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12105/9136Mesenchymal progenitor cells (MPCs) have been hypothesized as cells of origin for sarcomas, and c-Fos transcription factor has been showed to act as an oncogene in bone tumors. In this study, we show c-Fos is present in most sarcomas with chondral phenotype, while multiple other genes are related to c-Fos expression pattern. To further define the role of c-Fos in sarcomagenesis, we expressed it in primary human MPCs (hMPCs), immortalized hMPCs and transformed murine MPCs (mMPCs). In immortalized hMPCs, c-Fos expression generated morphological changes, reduced mobility capacity and impaired adipogenic- and osteogenic-differentiation potentials. Remarkably, immortalized hMPCs or mMPCs expressing c-Fos generated tumors harboring a chondrogenic phenotype and morphology. Thus, here we show that c-Fos protein has a key role in sarcomas and that c-Fos expression in immortalized MPCs yields cell transformation and chondrogenic tumor formation.engVoRhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/AnimalsCarcinogenesisCell LineCell Transformation, NeoplasticGene Expression Regulation, NeoplasticGenes, fosHumansMesenchymal Stem CellsMiceMice, Inbred NODMice, SCIDProto-Oncogene Proteins c-fosSarcomaAtribución 4.0 Internacional30353072811561510.1038/s41598-018-33689-02045-2322Scientific reportsopen access