title: JKT-1 is not a human seminoma cell line.
abstract: The JKT-1 cell line has been used in multiple independent studies as a representative model of human testicular seminoma. However, no cell line for this specific tumour type has been independently confirmed previously; and therefore, the seminomatous origin of JKT-1 must be proven. The genetic constitution of the JKT-1 cells was determined using flow cytometry and spectral karyotyping, as well as array comparative genomic hybridization and fluorescent in situ hybridization. Marker profiling, predominantly based on differentially expressed proteins during normal germ cell development, was performed by immunohistochemistry and Western blot analyses. Moreover, genome wide affymetrix mRNA expression and profiling of 157 microRNAs was performed, and the status of genomic imprinting was determined. A germ cell origin of the JKT-1 cells was in line with genomic imprinting status and marker profile (including positive staining for several cancer-testis antigens). However, the supposed primary tumour, from which the cell line was derived, being indeed a classical seminoma, was molecularly proven not to be the origin of the cell line. The characteristic chromosomal anomalies of seminoma, e.g. gain of the short arm of chromosome 12, as well as the informative marker profile (positive staining for OCT3/4, NANOG, among others) were absent in the various JKT-1 cell lines investigated, irrespective of where the cells were cultured. All results indicate that the JKT-1 cell line is not representative of human seminoma. Although it can originate from an early germ cell, a non-germ cell derivation cannot be excluded.
authors: Department of Pathology, Erasmus MC-University Medical Center Rotterdam, Josephine Nefkens Institute, Daniel den Hoed Cancer Center.
authors: Jeroen
authors: J
authors: de Jong
authors: Hans
authors: H
authors: Stoop
authors: Ad J M
authors: AJ
authors: Gillis
authors: Ruud J H L M
authors: RJ
authors: van Gurp
authors: Ellen
authors: E
authors: van Drunen
authors: H Berna
authors: HB
authors: Beverloo
authors: Yun-Fai Chris
authors: YF
authors: Lau
authors: Dominik T
authors: DT
authors: Schneider
authors: Jon K
authors: JK
authors: Sherlock
authors: John
authors: J
authors: Baeten
authors: Shingo
authors: S
authors: Hatakeyama
authors: Chikara
authors: C
authors: Ohyama
authors: J Wolter
authors: JW
authors: Oosterhuis
authors: Leendert H J
authors: LH
authors: Looijenga
mesh_terms: D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007621:Karyotyping; D008297:Male; D008954:Models, Biological; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D018239:Seminoma; D013736:Testicular Neoplasms