title: Hepatoma cell line HepG2.2.15 demonstrates distinct biological features compared with parental HepG2.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the biological features of hepatitis B virus (HBV)-transfected HepG2.2.15 cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  The cell ultrastructure, cell cycle and apoptosis, and the abilities of proliferation and invasion of HBV-transfected HepG2.2.15 and the parent HepG2 cells were examined by electron microscopy, flow cytometry, 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide and trans-well assay. Oncogenicity of the two cell lines was compared via subcutaneous injection and orthotopic injection or implantation in nude mice, and the pathological analysis of tumor formation was performed. Two cytoskeletal proteins were detected by Western blotting.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with HepG2 cells, HepG2.2.15 cells showed organelle degeneration and filopodia disappearance under electron microscope. HepG2.2.15 cells proliferated and migrated slowly in vitro, and hardly formed tumor and lung metastasis in nude mice. Flow cytometry showed that the majority of HepG2.2.15 cells were arrested in G1 phase, and apoptosis was minor in both cell lines. Furthermore, the levels of cytoskeletal proteins F-actin and Ezrin were decreased in HepG2.2.15 cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HepG2.2.15 cells demonstrated a lower proliferation and invasion ability than the HepG2 cells due to HBV transfection.
authors: Department of Pathology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, Heilongjiang Province, China.
authors: Ran
authors: R
authors: Zhao
authors: Tian-Zhen
authors: TZ
authors: Wang
authors: Dan
authors: D
authors: Kong
authors: Lei
authors: L
authors: Zhang
authors: Hong-Xue
authors: HX
authors: Meng
authors: Yang
authors: Y
authors: Jiang
authors: Yi-Qi
authors: YQ
authors: Wu
authors: Zu-Xi
authors: ZX
authors: Yu
authors: Xiao-Ming
authors: XM
authors: Jin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000473:pathology*; D002453:Cell Cycle; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure / Q000821:virology; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D056945:Hep G2 Cells / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation