Interferon yield and MHC antigen expression of human medulloblastoma cells and its suppression during dibutyryl cyclic AMP-induced differentiation: do medulloblastoma cells derive from bipotent neuronal and glial progenitors?

• Published in: Cellular and molecular neurobiology 1998-10, Vol.18 (5), p.497-507
• Main Authors: Park, K C, Shimizu, K, Hayakawa, T
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Bucladesine - pharmacology; Cell Differentiation - drug effects; Cell Lineage; Cell Size; Cerebellar Neoplasms - immunology; Cerebellar Neoplasms - metabolism; Cerebellar Neoplasms - pathology; Child, Preschool; Female; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic - drug effects; Histocompatibility Antigens Class I - biosynthesis; Histocompatibility Antigens Class I - genetics; Humans; Interferon Inducers - pharmacology; Interferon-beta - biosynthesis; Interferon-beta - genetics; Medulloblastoma - immunology; Medulloblastoma - metabolism; Medulloblastoma - pathology; Neoplasm Proteins - biosynthesis; Neoplasm Proteins - genetics; Nerve Tissue Proteins - biosynthesis; Nerve Tissue Proteins - genetics; Neuroglia - cytology; Neurons - cytology; Newcastle disease virus - physiology; Poly I-C - pharmacology; Stem Cells - cytology; Tumor Cells, Cultured - drug effects
• ISSN: 0272-4340
• DOI: 10.1023/A:1026327309345

1. Human medulloblastoma (ONS-76), a central nervous system (CNS)-derived undifferentiated cell line, was found to possess glial characteristics as defined by responses in the interferon (IFN) system; ONS-76 cells produced as much IFN-beta as human fibroblast and glioma cells by viral infection and poly(I):poly(C) induction. 2. Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I antigens were also induced under IFN-beta stimulation. ONS-76 cells expressed neurofilament protein, as shown by Northern blot analysis, and morphological differentiation was induced by dibutyryl cyclic AMP (dcAMP). 3. Expression of IFN-beta and MHC class I antigens was suppressed in ONS-76 cells during the dcAMP-induced differentiation. 4. These results showed that ONS-76 cells possessed a glial property in IFN system responses and a neuronal property in cytoskeleton protein, suggesting that the precursors of medulloblastoma may be characterized as bipotent neuronal and glial progenitors in CNS.