Open AccessNeural stem cell‐like gene expression in a mouse ependymoma cell line transformed by human BK polyomavirus
Author(s) -
Aizawa Takako,
Hasegawa Koichi,
Ohkumo Tsuyoshi,
Haga Seiichi,
Ikeda Kazuhiko,
Yoshikawa Kazuaki
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
cancer science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.035
H-Index - 141
eISSN - 1349-7006
pISSN - 1347-9032
DOI - 10.1111/j.1349-7006.2010.01775.x
Subject(s) - nestin , biology , glial fibrillary acidic protein , neurosphere , neural stem cell , microbiology and biotechnology , cell culture , stem cell , neurofilament , stem cell marker , cellular differentiation , adult stem cell , immunology , gene , immunohistochemistry , genetics
Ependymomas often show characteristics similar to those of neural stem cells in vivo and in vitro . However, few ependymoma cell lines that exhibit neural stem cell‐like properties have been reported. In this study, we have characterized a novel cell line, designated Vn19, established from ependymoma that arose in mice inoculated intracerebrally with human BK polyomavirus. Transplanted Vn19 cells in nude mice ubiquitously expressed viral large T antigen in the nucleus and coexpressed neuronal and glial marker proteins in vivo . Remarkably, individual Vn19 cells in dispersed cultures simultaneously expressed marker proteins of neural stem cells (nestin, Bmi1, CD133), neurons (βIII tubulin, neurofilament‐M) and glial cells (glial fibrillary acidic protein, A2B5, S100β, O4). Ubiquitous and homogenous expression of these multilineage marker proteins was also observed in cloned Vn19 cells. The Vn19 cells formed neurosphere‐like aggregates when cultured in the presence of growth factors. Quantitative RT‐PCR analysis revealed that expression of mRNA for nestin, neurofilament‐H and glial fibrillary acidic protein significantly increased in Vn19 cells cultured under growth factor‐deprived conditions. Among MAGE (melanoma antigen) family genes, MAGE‐A (A1‐8), MAGE‐B (B1‐3), MAGE‐D1, MAGE‐E1, MAGE‐G1 (necdin‐like 2) and MAGE‐H1 were expressed in the Vn19 cells, in which neither necdin nor MAGEL2 was detectable. These results suggest that this murine ependymoma cell line recapitulates the gene expression profile in ependymal cells undergoing malignant transformation. ( Cancer Sci 2011; 102: 122–129)