Cytogenetic telomere and telomerase studies in lumbo-sacral chordoma

Journal Article · Thu Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1994 · American Journal of Human Genetics

OSTI ID:134546

Schwartz, H S; Dahir, G A; Miller, L K ^[1]

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1. Vanderbilt Univ., Nashville, TN (United States); and others

Lumbo-sacral chordomas are rare skeletal sarcomas that originate from the remnant notochord. There are approximately 35 lumbo-sacral chordomas reported annually in the U.S.A. The understanding of this rare human cancer is limited to observations of its clinical behavior and embryonic link. We performed chromosome and molecular analyses from five surgically harvested chordomas in an effort to document genetic abnormalities and to further understand its tumor biology. Cytogenetically, four of five patients had entirely normal chromosomes. One patient had several abnormalities seen in one of 100 cells including a translocation with breakpoints at bands 5q13 and 7q22, loss of one X chromosome and an extra chromosome 14. There was no evidence of monosomy X or trisomy 14 seen with interphase in situ hybridization using biotin-labeled alpha satellite chromosome specific probes for chromosome 14/22 and X. Telomere integrity is required to protect termini from illegitimate recombination. Typically telomeric reduction occurs in senescent fibroblasts in vivo aging and several human solid tumors. A telomeric probe (TTAGGG){sub 50} was hybridized to genomic DNA isolated from chordoma cells and digested with Hinf I which allows the telomeric DNA to remain intact. The tumor DNA was paired with leukocyte DNA from age-matched controls and revealed telomere elongation in all four patients studied with molecular genetic techniques. Telomerase activity is required to maintain telomere integrity and is not present in normal somatic cells. It is determined by visualizing the sizes of the electrophoresis gel-separated radioactive telomeric fragments assembled during incubation of cytoplasmic extracts containing telomerase. Telomerase activity was detected when compared with HeLa cells, a positive control. In addition, no telomerase activity was detected from the chordoma patient`s fibroblasts.

• OSTI ID: 134546
• Report Number(s): CONF-941009--
• Journal Information: American Journal of Human Genetics, Journal Name: American Journal of Human Genetics Journal Issue: Suppl.3 Vol. 55; ISSN AJHGAG; ISSN 0002-9297
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

55 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
BASIC STUDIES
CHROMOSOMAL ABERRATIONS
DETECTION
DNA HYBRIDIZATION
FIBROBLASTS
FRAGMENTATION
GENE RECOMBINATION
HUMAN CHROMOSOMES
MUTATIONS
NUCLEOTIDES
PATIENTS
PROBES
SARCOMAS
SKELETAL DISEASES
STRUCTURE-ACTIVITY RELATIONSHIPS
TELOMERES
TUMOR CELLS