Epstein–Barr virus growth-transformed cells are converted to malignancy following transfection of a 1.3-kb CATR1 antisense construct independent of a change in the level of c- myc expression followed by a 8;14 chromosomal translocation

Epstein–Barr virus growth-transformed cells are converted to malignancy following transfection of a 1.3-kb CATR1 antisense construct independent of a change in the level of c-myc expression followed by a 8;14 chromosomal translocation

Departments of ^*Medical Biochemistry, ^‡Pathology, and ^§Medical Microbiology and Immunology, ^†Center for Molecular Environmental Health, ^¶Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, and ^‖Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Ohio State University Medical Center, Columbus OH 43210

Communicated by Leo A. Paquette, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH (received for review November 5, 1997)

Abstract

The AGLCL Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) growth-transformed cell line is incapable of inducing tumors in nude mice. When the cells were transfected with a 1.3-kb CATR1 antisense cDNA construct, progressively growing lymphomas could be induced in nude mice. Chromosome analysis of the parental, transfected, and tumor cells revealed that a chromosomal translocation t(8;14)(q24.1;q32) had occurred in the transfected cells and was retained in cells derived from tumors. Moreover, enhanced c-myc expression, usually associated with this translocation, was either unchanged or under-expressed. These data suggest that the malignant transformation of the EBV growth-transformed cells was independent of c-myc expression and suggest that the CATR1 gene may act synergistically with the chromosomal translocation facilitating the conversion of AGLCL cells from a growth-transformed state to a malignant phenotype.

Footnotes

↵ ** To whom reprint requests should be addressed at: Department of Medical Biochemistry, 363B Hamilton Hall, 1645 Neil Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210.
Data deposition: The sequence reported in this paper has been deposited in the GenBank database (accession no. U25433).
ABBREVIATIONS:

EBV,

Epstein–Barr virus;

BL,

Burkitt’s lymphoma;

LCL,

lymphoblastoid cell line;

SCC,

squamous cell carcinoma;

MMS,

methyl methanesulfonate;

MNNG,

N-methyl-N-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine;

RT-PCR,

reverse transcription–PCR