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Induction of telomerase activity in v-myc-transformed avian cells

Oncogene volume 18, pages 1515–1519 (1999)Cite this article

Abstract

Telomerase activity is detectable in the majority of tumors or immortalized cell lines, but is repressed in most normal human somatic cells. It is generally assumed that reactivation of telomerase prevents the erosion of chromosome ends which occurs in cycling cells and, hence, hinders cellular replicative senescence. Here, we show that the expression of v-Myc oncoprotein by retroviral infection of telomerase-negative embryonal quail myoblasts and chicken neuroretina cells is sufficient for reactivating telomerase activity, earlier than telomere shortening could occur. Furthermore, the use of a conditional v-Myc-estrogen receptor protein (v-MycER) causes estrogen-dependent expression of detectable levels of telomerase activity in recently infected chick embryo fibroblasts and neuroretina cells. We conclude that the high levels of telomerase activity in v-Myc-expressing avian cells are not the mere consequence of transformation or of a differentiative block, since v-Src tyrosine kinase, which prevents terminal differentiation and promotes cell transformation, fails to induce telomerase activity.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to SA La Rocca and F Tatò for telling us of their unpublished data and for providing reagents. We also thank K Moelling for anti-Myc antibodies. This work was supported by grants from CNR Target Project on Biotechnology and AIRC.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Istituto di Neurobiologia, Università La Sapienza, Rome, Italy

    Andrea Levi

  2. Istituto di Biologia Cellulare, Università La Sapienza, Rome, Italy

    Germana Falcone & Stefano Alemà

  3. Istituto di Medicina Sperimentale, CNR, Università La Sapienza, Rome, Italy

    Maria Laura Falchetti & Ettore D'Ambrosio

  4. Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale, Università La Sapienza, Rome, Italy

    Roberto Verna

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  1. Maria Laura Falchetti
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  2. Germana Falcone
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  4. Roberto Verna
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  5. Stefano Alemà
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  6. Andrea Levi
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Falchetti, M., Falcone, G., D'Ambrosio, E. et al. Induction of telomerase activity in v-myc-transformed avian cells. Oncogene 18, 1515–1519 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.onc.1202438

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