Mesenchymal-epithelial conversions induced by 5-azacytidine: appearance of cytokeratin Endo-A messenger RNA.
When mouse-teratocarcinoma-derived fibroblasts (1246 cell line) are subjected to treatment with the inhibitor of DNA methylation, 5-Azacytidine (5 AzaC), they transiently express at 55-kilodalton intermediate-filament protein recognized by the epithelial-specific monoclonal antibody, TROMA-1, although they retain a fibroblastic morphology. However, rare clones (e.g., the 1339 cell line) that permanently express the antigen recognized by TROMA-1 can be derived from the 5 AzaC-treated 1246 population, and these clones have an epithelial phenotype. In the present study, we used cloned DNA probes to demonstrate that, in 1246 fibroblasts, 5 AzaC induces the appearance of Endo-A mRNA. High levels of Endo-A mRNA were also detected in the epithelial derivative, cell line 1339. In both cases, the capping site of the Endo-A mRNA was found to be the same as that in epithelial cells which normally express this RNA.
D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D001374:Azacitidine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002460:Cell Line; D003238:Connective Tissue / Q000378:metabolism*; D004848:Epithelium / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D007633:Keratins / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D011247:Pregnancy; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism*; D013724:Teratoma / Q000378:metabolism; D014328:Trophoblastic Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D007633:Keratins; D001374:Azacitidine