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Lymphoma

The 3D nuclear organization of telomeres marks the transition from Hodgkin to Reed–Sternberg cells

Leukemia volume 23, pages 565–573 (2009)Cite this article

Abstract

To get an insight into the transition from mononuclear Hodgkin cells (H cells) to diagnostic multinuclear Reed–Sternberg cells (RS cells), we performed an analysis of the three-dimensional (3D) structure of the telomeres in the nuclei of the Hodgkin cell lines HDLM-2, L-428, L-1236 and lymph node biopsies of patients with Hodgkin's disease. Cellular localization of key proteins of the telomere-localized shelterin complex, the mitotic spindle and double-stranded DNA breaks was also analyzed. RS cells show significantly shorter and significantly fewer telomeres in relation to the total nuclear volume when compared with H cells; in particular, telomere-poor ‘ghost’ nuclei are often adjacent to one or two nuclei displaying huge telomeric aggregates. Shelterin proteins are mainly cytoplasmic in both H and RS cells, whereas double-stranded DNA breaks accumulate in the nuclei of RS cells. In RS cells, multipolar spindles prevent proper chromosome segregation. In conclusion, a process of nuclear disorganization seems to initiate in H cells and further progresses when the cells turn into RS cells and become end-stage tumor cells, unable to divide further because of telomere loss, shortening and aggregate formation, extensive DNA damage and aberrant mitotic spindles that may no longer sustain chromosome segregation. Our findings allow a mechanistic 3D understanding of the transition of H to RS cells.

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Acknowledgements

This research is supported by the NCIC/Canadian Cancer Society (grants 16100 to SM and 017116 to RJW) and by the Centre de Recherche Clinique du CHUS (grant PAFI 90914 to HK). We thank Mary Cheang, PhD, University of Manitoba Biostatistics Unit, for statistical analysis of data.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Département de Médicine, CHUS, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada

    H Knecht

  2. Département de Pathologie, CHUS, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada

    B Sawan

  3. Manitoba Institute of Cell Biology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

    D Lichtensztejn & S Mai

  4. Département de Microbiologie et Infectiologie, CHUS, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada

    B Lemieux & R J Wellinger

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  1. H Knecht
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  6. S Mai
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Correspondence to H Knecht.

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Supplementary Information accompanies the paper on the Leukemia website (http://www.nature.com/leu)

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Knecht, H., Sawan, B., Lichtensztejn, D. et al. The 3D nuclear organization of telomeres marks the transition from Hodgkin to Reed–Sternberg cells. Leukemia 23, 565–573 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/leu.2008.314

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