title: Characterization of an early passage Merkel cell polyomavirus-positive Merkel cell carcinoma cell line, MS-1, and its growth in NOD scid gamma mice.
abstract: Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is an aggressive skin cancer with a high mortality rate. The majority of MCC (70-80%) harbor clonally integrated Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCV) in the tumor genome and express viral T antigen oncoproteins. The characterization of an early passage MCV-positive MCC cell line MS-1 is described, and its cellular, immunohistochemical, and virological features to MCV-negative (UISO, MCC13, and MCC26) and MCV-positive cell lines (MKL-1 and MKL-2) were compared. The MS-1 cellular genome harbors integrated MCV, which preserves an identical viral sequence from its parental tumor. Neither VP2 gene transcripts nor VP1 protein are detectable in MS-1 or other MCV-positive MCC cell lines tested. Mapping of viral and cellular integration sites in MS-1 and MCC tumor samples demonstrates no consistent viral or cellular gene integration locus. All MCV-positive cell lines show cytokeratin 20 positivity and grow in suspension. When injected subcutaneously into NOD scid gamma (NSG) mice, MS-1 forms a discrete macroscopic tumor. Immunophenotypic analysis of the MS-1 cell line and xenografts in mice show identical profiles to the parental tumor biopsy. Hence, MS-1 is an early passage cell line that provides a useful in vitro model to characterize MCV-positive MCC.
authors.affiliation: Cancer Virology Program, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Guastafierro
authors.forename: Huichen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Mamie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Thant
authors.forename: John M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Kirkwood
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Patrick S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shuda
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000957:Antigens, Viral, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D015266:Carcinoma, Merkel Cell / Q000821:virology*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor / Q000821:virology; D019070:Cell Lineage; D006801:Humans; D053554:Keratin-20 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D059965:Merkel cell polyomavirus / Q000254:growth & development*; D051379:Mice; D016688:Mice, Inbred NOD; D016513:Mice, SCID; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D027601:Polyomavirus Infections / Q000821:virology; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000821:virology*; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous; D014412:Tumor Virus Infections / Q000821:virology; D015678:Viral Structural Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D016662:Virus Integration / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000957:Antigens, Viral, Tumor; D053554:Keratin-20; D015678:Viral Structural Proteins