Ozen M, Imam S A, Datar R H, Multani A S, Narayanan R, Chung L W, von Eschenbach A C, Pathak S
Department of Cell Biology, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, USA.
Prostate. 1998 Sep 1;36(4):264-71. doi: 10.1002/(sici)1097-0045(19980901)36:4<264::aid-pros8>3.0.co;2-f.
Telomeres that protect chromosomes at both ends are shortened with each somatic cell division through replication-dependent sequence loss at DNA termini. The chromosomes with shortened telomeres tend to become unstable, leading to cell death. Due largely to reactivation/upregulation of telomerase, a ribonucleoprotein that adds nucleotide sequences onto chromosome ends, cancer cells become immortal and neoplastically transformed.
The purpose of the present study was to study three newly established human prostate cancer cell lines and three prostate-derived fibroblastic cell cultures at different passages for telomeric DNA signal intensity, telomeric restriction fragment length (TRFL), telomerase activity, and spontaneous apoptotic index.
Compared with the three fibroblastic cell cultures, the three new prostate cancer cell lines showed: 1) telomerase activity, 2) stronger telomeric signals, 3) relatively longer TRFLs, and 4) much lower apoptotic indices. On the other hand, three fibroblastic cell cultures showed: 1) no telomerase activity, 2) weaker telomeric signals, 3) shorter TRFLs (fibroblasts derived from surrounding tissue of prostate tumor showed intermediate TRFLs), and 4) comparatively higher apoptotic indices.
Based on these results, we conclude that telomeric DNA signal intensity, TRFL, and telomerase activity can be used to distinguish prostate cancer cells from adjacent fibroblasts.
位于染色体两端起保护作用的端粒，会随着每一次体细胞分裂，因DNA末端依赖复制的序列丢失而缩短。端粒缩短的染色体往往会变得不稳定，从而导致细胞死亡。癌细胞因端粒酶（一种能在染色体末端添加核苷酸序列的核糖核蛋白）的重新激活/上调，而具有永生性并发生肿瘤转化。
本研究旨在对三种新建立的人前列腺癌细胞系和三种不同传代的前列腺来源的成纤维细胞培养物进行端粒DNA信号强度、端粒限制性片段长度（TRFL）、端粒酶活性及自发凋亡指数的研究。
与三种成纤维细胞培养物相比，三种新的前列腺癌细胞系表现出：1）端粒酶活性；2）更强的端粒信号；3）相对更长的TRFL；4）低得多的凋亡指数。另一方面，三种成纤维细胞培养物表现出：1）无端粒酶活性；2）较弱的端粒信号；3）较短的TRFL（来自前列腺肿瘤周围组织的成纤维细胞显示出中等长度的TRFL）；4）相对较高的凋亡指数。
基于这些结果，我们得出结论，端粒DNA信号强度、TRFL和端粒酶活性可用于区分前列腺癌细胞与相邻的成纤维细胞。
