title: Melanocytic differentiation of human neuroblastoma: expression of a human melanosome-associated antigen.
abstract: Five human neuroblastoma cell lines were examined for expression of a human melanosome-associated antigen (HMSA). Only cell line SK-N-SH reacted with a monoclonal antibody, HMSA-2, shown to recognize melanosomal glycoproteins. To further characterize the melanocytic lineages of SK-N-SH, three morphologically distinct clones designated SK-N-SH-N (neuroblast type), SK-N-SH-F (fibroblast type), and SK-N-SH-EP (epithelial type) were established by colony formation cloning. By fluorescence-activated cell sorter analysis and tyrosinase assay, we found that only SK-N-SH-EP and SK-N-SH-F reacted with HMSA-2 and had tyrosinase activity. These results suggest that epithelial-type and fibroblast-type cells appear to possess the melanocytic potential, but not neuroblast-type cells. Furthermore, SK-N-SH-EP was found to spontaneously convert to neuroblast-type or fibroblast-type cells, whereas SK-N-SH-N and SK-N-SH-F clones have remained morphologically stable. Our results suggest that at least one neuroblastoma cell line, SK-N-SH, may be an excellent model for investigating clonal maturation and the melanocytic differentiation of neuroblastoma.
authors.affiliation: Oncology Research Group, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Maeda
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Feyles
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: McGarry
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Jerry
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000276:immunology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002469:Cell Separation; D002999:Clone Cells / Q000201:enzymology; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D008544:Melanocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology; D014442:Monophenol Monooxygenase / Q000378:metabolism; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D014442:Monophenol Monooxygenase