Telomere dynamics determine episodes of anticancer drug resistance in rat hepatoma cells

Clinical and experimental observations indicate that resistance to anticancer drugs may be spontaneously reversible over time, but the mechanisms of this reversal are unknown. The resistance of cultured hepatoma cells to methotrexate (MTX) and cisplatin was followed for 9 months. Cells were exposed to three treatments: MTX 200 nM for 24 h or 15 nM continuously and cisplatin 50 microM for 2 h. We investigated the relation between the temporal pattern of cell resistance and the previously reported fluctuations in cell proliferation rate, telomere length and telomerase activity. Spontaneous major peaks in resistance to each drug fell in time windows of 2-3 months (60-70 population doublings) and were at different times for each drug. The frequency of the fluctuations in drug resistance was the same as that of variations in cell growth rate, but amplitudes were unrelated. By contrast, resistance was directly related to telomere length dynamics in the same cells. MTX resistance occurred when telomeres shortened and cisplatin resistance when they were elongated. Furthermore, peaks of resistance to the continuous treatment with MTX were observed at 350-bp intervals of mean telomere length (9.06, 9.41, and 9.76 kbp) during the two 2-month phases of telomere shortening. Statistical analysis demonstrates the sinusoidal relationship between intermittent MTX resistance and telomere length. Possibly, erosion of telomeres encroaches on periodically spaced nucleosomal proteins, defining the onset of resistance phases. This evidence that resistance of tumoral cells to anticancer drugs may be intermittent and that onset of resistance is dictated by telomere length has major implications for clinical practice.

Evidence for deterministic chaos in aperiodic oscillations of proliferative activity in long-term cultured Fao hepatoma cells

The proliferative activity of long-term cultured mammalian cells exhibits traits of a complex dynamic system, with a succession of spontaneous rises and falls in proliferation rate. We analyzed three successive series of proliferation data for the Fao hepatoma cell line in long-term cultures. In the three series the proliferation rate displayed apparently disordered oscillations, which each lasted about 3–5 passages, with variable amplitude and were therefore unpredictable. Such non-linear kinetics raises the major issue of whether these fluctuations are random, or determined and coordinated. We used a graphical method of analysis of the data, which demonstrated that all troughs of proliferation were mathematically related to a common value in each series. This common value was itself related to the maximum level of proliferation of the cell line. Non-linear analysis thus confirmed that the fluctuations in proliferation rate of tumoral Fao cells are, at least in part, determined. This pattern evokes chaotic dynamics and is evidence for the flexible coordination of the complex system linking positive and negative growth regulators in long-term cultured cells.

The time-pattern of rises and falls in proliferation fades with senescence of mortal lines and is perpetuated in immortal rat hepatoma Fao cell line

Immortal cells perpetuate the rises and falls of proliferation that are progressively damped in mortal long-term cultured cells. For immortal rat hepatoma Fao cells, similar waves of proliferation occurred about every 3-4 wk. Under the same conditions, embryonic human fibroblasts and transformed but not immortalized embryonic fibroblasts display similarly recurring proliferation waves that progressively decrease in amplitude until senescence of the lines. In addition, strains of diploid normal human skin fibroblasts cultured under different culture conditions display a similar time-pattern of proliferation. Although the amplitude and baseline of these fluctuations are characteristic for each cell line, a common point was marked slow down in proliferation after every sequence of about 25 population doublings for all cells. Renewed proliferation waves of Fao cells allow about 22-23 additional population doublings each. Normal embryonic fibroblast culture and its transformed counterpart accumulate about 30 and 60 population doublings, respectively, before senescence. Normal fibroblast strains accumulate about 25 population doublings over their entire life spans. This halt in proliferation after every stretch of about 25 population doublings may correspond to a structural or functional stop following attrition of telomeric DNA. This putative stop may be bypassed once in transformed embryonic cells and repetitively in immortal cells. In support of this hypothesis, we observed rapid telomere shortening, in two steps, during divisions of mortal embryonic cells, and maintenance of long telomeres in immortal Fao cells, which may indicate episodic repair of telomeres. Alternatively, such maintenance of long telomeres may reflect survival and successive clonal growth of rare cells with long telomeres. We suggest that the balance between telomere attrition and repair processes regulates the waves of proliferation.

The inductive effect of a human DNA sequence (HALF1) on the differentiation of a variant rat hepatoma cell (C2) is restricted to episomal forms of the molecule

HALF1, a 4.3 kb human DNA sequence, was originally identified as a double-stranded, closed-circular DNA molecule in revertants from a dedifferentiated rat hepatoma cell (C2) transfected with human liver DNA. Here we report its specific properties in inducing the transition to the hepatic phenotype. (i) In vitro recircularized HALF1 induces reversion after a minimum time lag of 7 days post-transfection. (ii) After induction, the presence of HALF1 is not required for maintaining the induced hepatic state. (iii) HALF1 is detected as a sequence integrated in high molecular mass DNA of human liver. (iv) HALF1 monomer or dimer plasmid constructs do not induce reversion when integrated into the genome of transfectants. (v) Short ubiquitous RNA transcripts (approximately 400 bases) are detected with specific HALF1 probes. These results indicate that the reversion process is linked to the presence of HALF1 extrachromosomal molecules.

Reversion and cell hybridization of a dedifferentiated rat hepatoma cell: dissociation of mechanisms establishing the hepatic traits

The expression of a mouse serum albumin (MSA) gene introduced into differentiated and dedifferentiated variant cells of a rat hepatoma line depends on the overall differentiated state of the recipient cell. Thus, the transcription rate of this mouse gene is very high in differentiated cells compared to that in the variant. Furthermore, the activation of its expression is observed during the course of reversion of the variant cell. In well-differentiated hybrids between the variant and cells of the original line, the expression of the MSA gene depends on the phenotype of the transfected parental cell: transcription of this foreign gene is detected only in hybrids in which it was initially integrated into the genome of the differentiated parent. Gene dosage effects are not involved as the copy number of the MSA gene is identical in both types of transfected cells. These results demonstrate that the establishment of the liver phenotype in differentiated hybrids and revertants is due to different mechanisms.

Cloning of a human DNA sequence that restores expression of hepatic functions in a dedifferentiated rat hepatoma cell

In a study of the regulation of gene expression in liver cells, a strain of dedifferentiated cells (C2) derived from the rat hepatoma line H4IIEC3 was transfected with DNA from human liver. After growth of these C2 variants in a glucose-free medium, revertants were selected which were characterized by the expression of a complete set of liver functions. A 4.3 kb human DNA sequence was detected with an Alu sequence probe in cells of four independent revertant clones and was shown to be an extrachromosomal, covalently closed duplex DNA. This molecule, called HALF1 for reversion inducing sequence, was cloned and transfected into C2 cells. Analyses of the transfectants indicated a correlation between the introduction of this cloned genomic human DNA sequence and the recovery of hepatic traits.

Correlation between reversion of a dedifferentiated rat hepatoma line and the recovery of tumorigenicity

The injection into athymic nude mice of well-differentiated cells of the H4IIEC3 rat hepatoma line leads to tumor take and growth. Animals given injections of cells of a "dedifferentiated" variant subclone, however, do not develop tumors, whereas revertant clones are malignant. Nevertheless, tumors are obtained by increasing the number of injected dedifferentiated cells, and the cells from these tumors do express liver-specific messenger RNAs. Finally, the differentiated state of these tumor cells is stable in vitro. This correlation between the differentiated state of the cells and tumorigenicity is also observed in somatic hybrids between the variant cells and the differentiated ancestors. These hybrids express the hepatic functions and give rise to tumors. The only in vitro character of transformation which distinguishes the two types of cells is anchorage independence of growth. Since two other independent variants develop tumors, it is established that the nonmalignant state is not simply due to the lack of expression of liver-specific traits. There is strong evidence that different mechanisms are responsible for the dedifferentiated state of the two classes of variants, and this supports the hypothesis that the correlation between the dedifferentiated state of the nonmalignant variant and its nontumorigenic phenotype relies on the level of regulation specifically affected in this clone.