title: Immortalization of ameloblastoma cells via reactivation of telomerase function: Phenotypic and molecular characteristics.
abstract: Ameloblastoma (AM) is recognized as a benign tumour but locally invasive with a high risk of recurrence. In vitro model systems for studying AM are limited due to the fact that AM cells grow poorly and begin to senesce early. Japanese researchers have reported the construction of an AM cell line, AM-1, by exposing cells to human papillomavirus 16 (HPV16) but retaining the potential of transformation. In this study, we used a retroviral infection method to over-express the human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) gene to acquire immortality of hTERT(+)-AM cells. Furthermore, it was revealed both by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot that the pathway of immortalization was loss of p16, not p53 or p21. Also, there was no evidence indicating that the hTERT(+)-AM cells underwent malignant transformation by the nude mouse tumorigenicity assay. Taken together, this hTERT-immortalized cell line may be a potentially valuable and reliable cell model for further study of the invasive properties of AM in vitro.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and maxillofacial Surgery, Guanghua School and Hospital of Stomatology and Institute of Stomatological Research, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510055, China. taoqian@mail.sysu.edu.cn
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Tao
authors.forename: Biao
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lv
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Qiao
authors.forename: Chao-qun
authors.initials: CQ
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Zhi-feng
authors.initials: ZF
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000564:Ameloblastoma / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D002461:Cell Line, Transformed / Q000821:virology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002472:Cell Transformation, Viral; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D052162:Human papillomavirus 16; D006801:Humans; D007573:Jaw Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D019098:Telomerase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014162:Transfection / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; C509186:TERT protein, human; D019098:Telomerase