Characterization of CFTR expression in a human pulmonary mucoepidermoid carcinoma cell line, NCI-H292 cells

The NCI-H292 cell, a human pulmonary mucoepidermoid carcinoma cell line, is commonly used for studying bacterial and viral infections of airway epithe lial cells. Dysfunction of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance re gulator (CFTR) is the main cause of fetal lung infection in cystic fibrosis patients. In this study, we examined CFTR expression in NCI-H292 cells to determine whether NCI-H292 cells possess sufficient, normally functioning C FTR, The results of RT-PCR and Northern blotting analysis indicated that th e CFTR gene expression level was much lower in NCI-H292 cells than in T84 c ells. However, Western blotting analysis showed that protein expression in NCI-H292 cells was comparable to that in T84 cells. Furthermore, whole-cell and cell-attached patch clamp electrophysiological techniques indicated th at the Cl- current induced by intracellular cAMP elevation in NCI-H292 cell s was comparable to that in T84 cells. These findings suggest that NCI-H292 cells with a low level of CFTR gene expression possess enough functional C FTR to show a physiological response. (C) 1999 Federation of European Bioch emical Societies.