ESTABLISHMENT AND CHARACTERIZATION OF A CELL-LINE (CUMC-3) DERIVED FROM A HUMAN SQUAMOUS CARCINOMA OF THE UTERINE CERVIX

A new cell line, CUMC-3, has been derived from an invasive nonkeratini zing squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix in a 32-year-old pa tient. It has been maintained in long-term culture for 59 months, and passaged over 310 times. Monolayer-cultured cells were polygonal in sh ape, showing a pavement-like arrangement and a tendency to pile up wit hout contact inhibition. The epithelial nature of the cultured CUMC-3 cells was also confirmed by transmission electron microscopy which dem onstrated the presence of desmosomes and tonofilaments. The cells were highly tumorigenic in nude mice and the transplanted tumors were poor ly differentiated squamous carcinoma which closely resembled the origi nal tumor. Cultured cells obtained from the CUMC-3-derived nude mouse tumor, CUMC-3N, also were studied for its characterization. Repeated c hromosome analysis revealed a stable clone with the modal chromosome n umber of 78. The metaphase of this cell line had multiple structural a berrations of chromosomes 1, 3, 8, 10, 11, 20, and X and showed severa l markers of unknown origin. The results of isozyme analyses were dist inct from the HeLa cell line, The identical genetic signature was demo nstrated both in CUMC-3 and in CUMC-3N cells. Cultured CUMC-3 cells pr oduced human chorionic gonadotropin P-subunit and tumor antigen of squ amous cell carcinoma (TA-4). Cytosol estrogen receptors were found in this cell line but progesterone receptors were not measured, HLA typin g of CUMC-3 cells indicated the presence of DR4, DR8, DQw3, and DQw6. The result of oncogene analysis using Southern blotting technique reve aled no amplification of oncogene c-myc. Analysis of the DNA samples e xtracted from the CUMC-3 cells showed the presence of human papillomav irus type 16 DNA. Using the single-strand conformation polymorphism te chnique, we have screened CUMC-3 cells for p53 mutation in exons 4 to 9. No mobility shift was observed in this cell line. This cell line ma y be useful in studying the in vitro and in vivo properties of human c ervical carcinoma. (C) 1995 Academic Press, Inc.