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SV40 infection induces telomerase activity in human mesothelial cells

Oncogene volume 21, pages 1434–1442 (2002)Cite this article

Abstract

Mesotheliomas are malignant tumors of the pleural and peritoneal membranes which are often associated with asbestos exposure and with Simian virus 40 (SV40) infection. Telomerase activity is repressed in somatic cells and tissues but is activated in immortal and malignant cells. We evaluated telomerase activity in seven primary malignant mesothelioma biopsies and matched lung specimens and 20 mesothelioma cell lines and eight corresponding primary tumor cultures. All the tumor biopsies, and nearly all primary cell mesothelioma cultures and cell lines were telomerase positive. The findings in cell lines paralleled those observed in primary cultures in cases where paired samples were available. Next, we found that SV40, a DNA tumor virus present in ∼50% of mesothelioma biopsies in the USA, induced telomerase activity in primary human mesothelial cells, but not in primary fibroblasts. Telomerase activity became detectable as early as 72 h following wild-type (strain 776) SV40 infection, and a clear DNA ladder was detectable 1 week after infection. The amount of telomerase activity increased during passage in cell culture and appeared to parallel increases in the cellular amounts of the SV40 large T-antigen. Thus, SV40 infection leads to telomerase activity before the infected mesothelial cells become transformed and immortalized. SV40 infection of human fibroblasts did not cause detectable telomerase activity. We also determined that the SV40 small t-antigen (tag) plays an important role in inducing telomerase activity because this activity was undetectable or minimal in mesothelial cells infected and/or transformed by SV40 tag mutants. Asbestos alone did not induce telomerase activity, and asbestos did not influence telomerase activity in mesothelial cells infected with SV40. Induction of telomerase activity by SV40 may be related to the very high rate of mesothelial cell immortalization that is characteristically associated with SV40 infection of mesothelial cells.

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Abbreviations

SV40:

Simian virus 40

Tag:

SV40 large tumor antigen

tag:

SV40 small tumor antigen

HM:

primary human mesothelial cells

HF:

primary human fibroblasts

MM:

malignant mesothelioma

M.O.I.:

multiplicity of infection

TRAP:

telomeric repeat amplification protocol

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Dr Kathleen Rundell for the critical reading of this manuscript. This work was supported by grants: ACS 8632 through a generous donation from Mr Dean Butchkovitz, by a grant from the Charlotte Geyer Foundation and by the Riviera Country Club, Illinois (to M Carbone); and by grants NCI CA-45745 and CA-06927, a gift from the Local #14 Mesothelioma Fund of the International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators & Asbestos Workers in memory of Hank Vaughan and Alice Haas, and an appropriation from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (to JR Testa).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pathology, Cancer Immunology Program, Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, 60153, Illinois, IL

    Rudy Foddis, Maurizio Bocchetta, Elizabeth Stekala, Paola Rizzo & Michele Carbone

  2. USA

    Rudy Foddis, Maurizio Bocchetta, Elizabeth Stekala, Paola Rizzo & Michele Carbone

  3. Human Genetics Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, 19111, Pennsylvania, PA, USA

    Assunta De Rienzo, Alessandra Tosolini & Joseph R Testa

  4. Tumor Cell Biology Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, 19111, Pennsylvania, PA, USA

    Dominique Broccoli, Jennifer V Grobelny & Joseph R Testa

  5. Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, 10021, NY, USA

    Suresh C Jhanwar

  6. Aerodigestive Program, Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University, Detroit, 48201, Michigan, MI, USA

    Harvey I Pass

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  1. Rudy Foddis
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Correspondence to Michele Carbone.

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Foddis, R., De Rienzo, A., Broccoli, D. et al. SV40 infection induces telomerase activity in human mesothelial cells. Oncogene 21, 1434–1442 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.onc.1205203

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