Differentiation of a medulloblastoma cell line towards an astrocytic lineage using the human T lymphotropic retrovirus-1

• Published in: Neuroscience Vol. 52; no. 4; pp. 1069 - 1079
• Main Authors: Giraudon, P., Dufay, N., Hardin, H., Reboul, A., Tardy, M., Bein, M.F.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.02.1993; Elsevier
• Subjects: adult T cell leukemia; AIDS/HIV; Astrocytes - cytology; ATL; Biological and medical sciences; Cell Cycle; Cell Differentiation; Cell Transformation, Viral; Cerebellar Neoplasms - pathology; EDTA; ethyl-enediaminetetra-acetate; Gene Products, tax - metabolism; GFAP; glial fibrillary acidic protein; Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein - analysis; glutamine synthetase; GM-CSF; granulocyte-macrophage colonystimulating factor; HTLV-1; human T cell lymphotropic virus type 1; Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 - genetics; Humans; IFN; immunofluorescence; interferon; interluekin; major histocompatibility complex; Medical sciences; Medulloblastoma - pathology; MHC; neurofilaments; Neurology; SDS; sodium dodecylsulfate; Thymidine - metabolism; TNF; Tritium; tropical spastic paraparesis or HTLV-1-associated myelopathy; TSP/HAM; Tumor Cells, Cultured; tumor necrosis factor; Tumors of the nervous system. Phacomatoses; Vimentin - analysis; Viral Proteins - analysis; tropical spastic paraparesis or HTLV-1-associated myelopathy; adult T cell leukemia; ethyl-enediaminetetra-acetate; MHC; major histocompatibility complex; TNF; IFN; GM-CSF; interluekin; HTLV-1; IF; immunofluorescence; IL; SDS; sodium dodecylsulfate; EDTA; GS; interferon; GFAP; granulocyte-macrophage colonystimulating factor; human T cell lymphotropic virus type 1; tumor necrosis factor; glutamine synthetase; neurofilaments; NF; ATL; glial fibrillary acidic protein; TSP/HAM; Human; Nervous system diseases; Neurospongioma; Retroviridae; Neuroglía; Malignant tumor; Astrocyte; Infection; Virus; Experimental disease; Cell line; Viral disease; Differentiation; HTLV-I virus
• ISSN: 0306-4522; 1873-7544
• DOI: 10.1016/0306-4522(93)90553-R

Constituent cells of medulloblastoma, the most common brain tumor occurring in childhood, resemble the primitive neuroepithelial cells normally found in the developing nervous system. However, mutational events prevent their further differentiation. We used the human T cell lymphotrophic virus type 1 to activate these deregulated immature cells by means of its transactivating protein Tax. Concomitant with viral infection was a decrease in cell proliferation characterized by inhibition of [ 3H]thymidine incorporation and in the number of cells in the G2/M phase of the cell cycle. Morphological changes suggested that medulloblastoma cells differentiated along the astrocytic lineage. The glial phenotype was confirmed by the induction of the glial fibrillary acidic protein and the glial enzyme glutamine synthetase. A direct viral effect and/or secondary effects to viral infection via paracrine/autocrine pathways could counterbalance the maturational defect in these medulloblastoma cells.