Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Two new estrogen-supersensitive variants of the MCF-7 human breast cancer cell line

  • Report
  • Published:
Breast Cancer Research and Treatment Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

Two new estrogen-sensitive variants of MCF-7 human breast cancer cells, CG-4 and CG-5, are described in this report. These cells were derived from a casual contamination by MCF-7 cells of primary cultures from a human adenocarcinoma of the breast and a pleural effusion of a patient with advanced breast cancer, respectively. Careful characterization of these variants revealed chromosomal properties highly similar to and alloenzyme phenotypes identical to those of MCF-7 cells which were simultaneously cultured in the laboratory. MCF-7, CG-4 and CG-5 cells were tested for estrogen responsiveness under identical growth conditions, that is in the presence of culture medium supplemented with 5% charcoal-treated serum. While the number of MCF-7 cells increases by about 40% over the controls in the presence of physiological concentrations of estradiol, the number of CG-4 cells doubles and the number of CG-5 cells triples. All these cell lines have approximately the same number of estrogen, androgen, glucocorticoid, and progesterone receptor sites/cell. Since several difficulties arise in demonstrating the estrogen responsive growth stimulation of currently available human breast cancer cells, these two new variants, characterized by a high and reproducible estrogen responsiveness, afford a new model for studying the mechanisms by which estrogen regulates cell proliferation. The problems related to the careful characterization of every established cell line are discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Engel LW, Young NA: Human breast carcinoma cells in continuous culture: a review. Cancer Res 38:4327–4339, 1978

    Google Scholar 

  2. Lasfargues EY, Ozello L: Cultivation of human breast carcinomas. J Natl Cancer Inst 21:1131–1144, 1958

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Nordqvist RE, Ishmael RB, Lovig CA, Hyder DM, Hoge AF: The tissue culture and morphology of human breast tumor cell line BOT-2. Cancer Res 35:3100–3105, 1975

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Hackett AJ, Smith HS, Springer EL, Owens RB, Nelson-Rees WA, Riggs JL, Gardner MB: Two syngeneic cell lines from human breast tissue: the aneuploid mammary epithelial (HS 578T) and the diploid myoepithelial (HS 578Bst) cell lines. J Natl Cancer Inst 58:1795–1806, 1977

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Lasfargues EY, Coutinho WG, Redfield ES: Isolation of two human tumor epithelial cell lines from solid breast carcinomas. J Natl Cancer Inst 61:967–978, 1978

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Soule HD, Vasquez A, Long A, Albert S, Brennan M: A human cell line from a pleural effusion derived from a breast carcinoma. J Natl Cancer Inst 51:1409–1413, 1973

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Cailleau R, Young R, Olivé M, Reeves WJ Jr: Breast tumor cell lines from pleural effusions. J Natl Cancer Inst 53:661–674, 1974

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Young RK, Cailleau R, Mackay D: Establishment of epithelial cell line MDA-MB-157 from metastatic pleural effusion of human breast carcinoma. In Vitro 9:239–245, 1974

    Google Scholar 

  9. Lippman ME, Bolan G, Huff K: The effects of estrogens and antiestrogens on hormone-responsive human breast cancer in long-term tissue culture. Cancer Res 36:4595–4601, 1976

    Google Scholar 

  10. Engel LW, Young NA, Tralka TS, Lippman ME, O'Brien SJ, Joyce MJ: Establishment and characterization of three new continuous cell lines derived from human breast carcinomas. Cancer Res 38:3352–3364, 1978

    Google Scholar 

  11. Keydar I, Chen I, Karby S, Weiss FR, Delarea J, Radu M, Chaitcik S, Brenner HJ: Establishment and characterization of a cell line of human breast carcinoma origin. Eur J Cancer 15:659–670, 1979

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Reed MV, Gey GO: Cultivation of normal and malignant human lung tissue. Lab Invest 11:638–652, 1962

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Bassin RH, Plata EJ, Gerwin BI, Mattern CF, Haapala DK, Chu EW: Isolation of continuous epithelioid cell line HBT-3, from a human breast carcinoma. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med 141:673–680, 1972

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Plata EJ, Aoki T, Robertson DD, Chu EW, Gerwin B: An established cultured cell line (HBT-39) from human breast carcinoma. J Natl Cancer Inst 50:849–862, 1973

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Nelson-Rees WA, Flandermeyer RR: HeLa cultures defined. Science 191:96–98, 1976

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Nelson-Rees WA, Flandermeyer RR: Inter and intraspecies contamination of human breast tumor cell lines HBC and BrCa-5 and other cell cultures. Science 195:1343–1344, 1977

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Gartler SM, Farber RA: Biochemical identification of cells in culture. A. Human cell lines by enzyme polymorphism.In PF Kruse and MK Patterson (eds). Tissue Culture, Methods and Application. Academic Press, New York, 1973, pp 797–804

    Google Scholar 

  18. O'Brien SJ, Kleiner G, Olson R, Shannon JE: Enzyme polymorphisms as genetic signatures in human cell cultures. Science 195:1345–1348, 1977

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Buehring GC, Hackett AJ: Human breast tumor cell lines: identity evaluation by ultrastructure. J Natl Cancer Inst 53:621–625, 1974

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Chalbos D, Vignon F, Rochefort H: Effects of estrogens on cell growth and protein synthesis in the T47D human breast cancer cell line.In Growth of Cells in Hormonally Defined Medium. Proceedings of the 9th Cold Spring Harbor Conference on Cell Proliferation, September 1–6, 1981, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, New York, in press

  21. Allegra JC, Lippman ME: The effects of 17B estradiol and tamoxifen on the ZR-75-1 human breast cancer cell line in defined medium. Eur J Cancer 16:1007–1015, 1980

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Edwards DP, Adams DJ, Savage N, McGuire WL: Estrogeninduced synthesis of specific proteins in human breast cancer cells. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 93:804–812, 1980

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Foley JF, Aftonomos BT: Growth of human breast neoplasms in cell culture. J Natl Cancer Inst 34:217–229, 1964

    Google Scholar 

  24. Zakharov AF, Egolina NA: Differential spiralization along mammalian mitotic chromosomes. Chromosoma 38:341–366, 1972

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Zakharov AF, Baranoskaya LI, Ibramova AI, Benjusch VA, Deminstseva VS, Oblapenko NG: Differential spiralization along mammalian mitotic chromosomes. II. 5-bromodeoxyuridine and 5-bromodeoxycytidine-revealed differentiation in human chromosomes. Chromosoma 44:343–359, 1974

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Dutrillaux B, Laurent C, Couturier J, Lejeune J: Coloration par l'acridine orange des chromosomes préalablement traités par le 5-bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU). CR Acad Sci (Paris): 3179–3181, 1973

  27. Dutrillaux B, Fosse AM: Sur la segmentation chromosomique induite par le BrdU (5-bromodeoxyuridine). Ann Génét 17:207–211, 1974

    Google Scholar 

  28. Horwitz KB, McGuire WL: Estrogen control of progesterone receptors in human breast cancer. Correlation with nuclear processing of estrogen receptor. J Biol Chem 253:2223–2228, 1978

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Scatchard G: The attraction of proteins for small molecules and ions. Ann NY Acad Sci 51:660–672, 1949

    Google Scholar 

  30. Gartler SM: Genetic markers as tracers in cell culture. Natl Cancer Inst Monograph 26:167–195, 1966

    Google Scholar 

  31. Nelson-Rees WA, Flandermeyer RR, Hawthorne PK: Distinctive banded marker chromosomes of human tumor cell lines. Int J Cancer 16:74–82, 1975

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Nelson-Rees WA, Flandermeyer RR, Hawthorne PK: Banded marker chromosomes as indicators of intraspecies cellular contamination. Science 184:1093–1098, 1974

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Horwitz KB, Zava DT, Thilagar AK, Jensen EM, McGuire WL: Steroid receptor analysis of nine human breast cancer cell lines. Cancer Res 38:2434–2437, 1978

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratorio di Endocrinologia Molecolare, Università Cattolica del S. Cuore Largo Gemelli, 8-00168, Roma, Italy

    Clara Natoli M.D. & Vittoria Natoli Sc.D.

  2. Istituto di Istologia ed Embriologia Generale, Università Cattolica del S. Cuore Largo Gemelli, 8-00168, Roma, Italy

    Gigliola Sica M.D.

  3. Istituto di Genetica Umana, Università Cattolica del S. Cuore Largo Gemelli, 8-00168, Roma, Italy

    Angelo Serra Ph.D.

  4. Laboratorio di Endocrinologia Molecolare, Università Cattolica del S. Cuore Largo Gemelli, 8-00168, Roma, Italy

    Stefano Iacobelli M.D.

Authors
  1. Clara Natoli M.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Gigliola Sica M.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Vittoria Natoli Sc.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Angelo Serra Ph.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Stefano Iacobelli M.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Natoli, C., Sica, G., Natoli, V. et al. Two new estrogen-supersensitive variants of the MCF-7 human breast cancer cell line. Breast Cancer Res Tr 3, 23–32 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01806231

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01806231

Keywords

Search

Navigation