A comparative analysis of neuroblastic and substrate-adherent human neuroblastoma cell lines

• Published in: Journal of pediatric surgery 1996-02, Vol.31 (2), p.315-318
• Main Authors: La Quaglia, Michael P., Manchester, Karen M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Antigens, Differentiation; beta 2-Microglobulin - genetics; beta 2-Microglobulin - metabolism; Biological and medical sciences; Biomarkers, Tumor; Blotting, Northern; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Genes, MHC Class I - physiology; Humans; In Vitro Techniques; Medical sciences; Neuroblastoma - genetics; Neuroblastoma - metabolism; Neurology; Phenotype; Tumor Cells, Cultured; Tumors of the nervous system. Phacomatoses
• ISSN: 0022-3468; 1531-5037
• DOI: 10.1016/S0022-3468(96)90025-1

In human neuroblastoma cell cultures, two phenotypes with differing biological properties have been described: neuroblastic (N) and substrate-adherent (Schwannian or S). In nude mice, N cells are rapidly growing, clonigenic in soft agar, and tumorigenic, whereas S cells are not. The difference in malignant properties between these two cell types and their ability to interconvert in vitro may have clinical relevance. In an attempt to identify genes that may be important in the phenotypic differences and the interconversion, the authors analyzed five representative N and three S cell lines for differential expression of six genes relevant to uncontrolled growth. β 2-microglobulin was the only gene measured that showed differential expression between the N and S cell lines. This finding supports the theory that β 2-microglobulin and class I MHC expression are markers for differentiation as well as the use of β 2-microglobulin as a differentiation marker in neuroblastoma. The data also suggest that a disregulation of the β 2-microglobulin gene may be partly responsible for the tumorigenicity of the N phenotype.