Spontaneously immortalized human T lymphocytes develop gain of chromosomal region 2p13-24 as an early and common genetic event.
To gain further insight into the molecular events responsible for the extended life span and immortalization of human lymphoid cells, we analyzed a series of spontaneously immortalized, IL2-dependent human T-cell lines using molecular cytogenetic techniques. Two of the cell lines were derived from normal spleen and three from patients with Nijmegen breakage syndrome (NBS), a recessive disorder characterized by a high incidence of lymphoid malignancies. Here we show that spontaneous immortalization of the five T-cell lines was associated with the acquisition of copy number gains involving chromosomal region 2p13-24 as common early alterations. In addition, we found an amplification of 8q21-24 after prolonged propagations in all three NBS-derived cell lines as well as early development of near-tetraploidy in two of these lines. Gains involving the short arm of chromosome 2 recently were found in several lymphoid malignancies. Therefore, the cell lines described here can be used for identification and characterization of genes involved in the pathogenesis of lymphoid neoplasms and would also provide a useful tool for better understanding the mechanisms responsible for cell immortalization.
Department of Immunology, Maria Skłodowska-Curie Memorial Cancer Center and Institute of Oncology, Warsaw, Poland. jksiwicki@coi.waw.pl
Jan Konrad
JK
Siwicki
Mattias
M
Berglund
Jolanta
J
Rygier
Barbara
B
Pienkowska-Grela
Beata
B
Grygalewicz
Sofie
S
Degerman
Irina
I
Golovleva
Krystyna H
KH
Chrzanowska
Svetlana
S
Lagercrantz
Elisabeth
E
Blennow
Göran
G
Roos
Catharina
C
Larsson
D002461:Cell Line, Transformed; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations; D002871:Chromosome Banding; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D002889:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 2 / Q000235:genetics*; D002898:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 8 / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D007621:Karyotyping; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology*