Myogenic differentiation in experimental malignant schwannomas (an immunohistochemical and molecular genetic study of the "triton" tumor)
Nikitin, A.I.; Lennartz, K.; Pozharisskiĭ, K.M.; Raevskiĭ, M.F.
Arkhiv Patologii 56(5): 55-61
1994
ISSN/ISBN: 0004-1955 PMID: 7695496 Document Number: 434474
Spontaneous myogenic differentiation was observed in 2 out of 15 monolayer cultures from schwannomas induced in BD1X rats by transplacental exposure to N-enthyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU). Cells were sorted following fluorescence-activating method with monoclonal antibody (Mab) 217c. Myotubes and numerous mononucleated cells no longer expressed the Schwann cell antigens 217c and S-100 protein, but rather revealed the presence of desmin, the alpha-sarcomeric form (alpha-sr) of actin, and the cell surface antigen specified by Mab RB21-7, a glycoprotein sharing an epitope with the neural cell adhesion molecule (N-CAM). Subcutaneous reimplantation of such cells into syngeneic animals resulted in the appearance of tumours composed of both S-100 positive Schwann cells and desmin and alpha-sr-actin positive rhabdomyoblasts, thus closely resembling the human "triton" tumour. With the use of the polymerase chain reaction and allele-specific oligonucleotide hybridization, DNA isolated from individual myotubes was analysed for the presence of a T-->A transversion mutation at nucleotide 2007 of the neu gene, which is diagnostic of ENU-induced rat schwannomas. All of the amplified DNA isolated contained the mutant neu allele, thus providing direct genetic proof for the capacity of mammalian neuroectodermal cells for myogenic differentiation.