title: Amplification of the c-myc gene in human medulloblastoma cell lines and xenografts.
abstract: Cultured cell lines and xenografts derived from 7 human medulloblastomas were evaluated for amplification of the c-myc, N-myc, epidermal growth factor receptor, and gli genes by Southern blot analysis. Karyotypes of the original biopsies and early passaged cells demonstrated double minute chromosomes in 4 of the 7 cases. All 7 samples (3 cell lines and 4 xenografts) from the 4 tumors with double minute chromosomes contained amplification of the c-myc gene. Cell lines and xenografts derived from the 3 biopsies without double minute chromosomes failed to demonstrate amplification of the 4 genes which were tested, but a rearrangement of the c-myc gene occurred in 1 of the 3 tumors. These observations demonstrate that the c-myc gene is often amplified and/or rearranged in human medulloblastomas and suggest that amplification of this gene provides a growth advantage for medulloblastoma cells in vitro and in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Preuss Laboratory for Brain Tumor Research, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710.
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Bigner
authors.forename: H S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Friedman
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Vogelstein
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Oakes
authors.forename: D D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Bigner
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D002528:Cerebellar Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D002871:Chromosome Banding; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005260:Female; D005784:Gene Amplification; D006801:Humans; D007621:Karyotyping; D008297:Male; D008527:Medulloblastoma / Q000235:genetics*; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc; D011519:Proto-Oncogenes; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous
chemical_list: D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases