January 2001, Volume 15, Issue 1, Pages 141 - 147

Original Manuscript

Development and characterization of T cell leukemia cell lines established from SCL/LMO1 double transgenic mice DS Chervinsky1, DH Lam2,3, X-F Zhao1, MP Melman3 & PD Aplan3 1Department of Cancer Genetics, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, USA     2Department of Immunology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, USA     3Genetics Department, Medicine Branch, Division of Clinical Sciences, National Cancer Institute, Gaithersburg, MD, USA     Correspondence to: PD Aplan, National Cancer Institute, Division of Clinical Sciences, Advanced Technology Center, 8717 Grovemont Circle, Gaithersburg, MD 28077, USA; Fax: 301-402-3134

Keywords

leukemia;   cell line;   SCL;   LMO1;   mouse

Abstract

We have established a panel of nine immortal cell lines from T cell malignancies which arose in mice transgenic for the SCL and LMO1 genes. Cells from the primary malignancies initially grew very slowly in vitro, loosely attached to a stromal layer, before gaining the ability to proliferate independently. Upon gaining the ability to proliferate in the absence of a stromal layer, these cell lines grew rapidly, doubling every 14-23 h, to a very high density, approaching 107 cells/ml. Whereas the tumors which arise in SCL/LMO1 double transgenic mice are typically diploid or pseudodiploid, the cell lines were all grossly aneuploid, suggesting the possibility that additional genetic events were selected for in vitro. Given that SCL and LMO1 gene activation are both commonly seen in human patients with T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, these cell lines may be a useful in vitro model for the human disease. Leukemia (2001) 15, 141-147.

Received 14 April 2000; Accepted 19 September 2000

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