title: Spontaneous and induced differentiation of human melanoma cells.
abstract: Malignant melanoma cells can differentiate spontaneously in vivo and in vitro into cells with a finite lifespan. Analysis of differentiating cells from primary melanomas in culture revealed a flat, fibroblast-like morphology and expression of the fibroblast-associated marker leucine aminopeptidase (LAP). Differentiation was also observed in a minor sub-population of permanent cell lines derived from metastatic lesions. An experimental model of melanoma cell differentiation was then developed, using the pyrimidine analog bromodeoxyuridine (BUdR). BUdR-treated cells had a flat morphology, were contact-inhibited, had up to 20-fold increased surface area, expressed LAP, no longer proliferated anchorage-independently in soft agar, and 3 out of 4 cell lines were non-tumorigenic in athymic nude mice. Our results show that models of differentiation of melanoma cells can be established that help to define pathways of differentiation.
authors: Wistar Institute of Anatomy and Biology, Philadelphia, PA 19104.
authors: I
authors: I
authors: Valyi-Nagy
authors: I M
authors: IM
authors: Shih
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Györfi
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Greenstein
authors: I
authors: I
authors: Juhasz
authors: D E
authors: DE
authors: Elder
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Herlyn
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001973:Bromodeoxyuridine / Q000494:pharmacology; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D015870:Gene Expression; D016259:Genes, myc; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007931:Leucyl Aminopeptidase / Q000378:metabolism; D008545:Melanoma / Q000473:pathology*; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm; D007931:Leucyl Aminopeptidase; D001973:Bromodeoxyuridine