This Article Order Full text via Infotrieve Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Trojanowski, J. Q. Articles by Bigner, D. D. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Trojanowski, J. Q. Articles by Bigner, D. D.

American Journal of Pathology, Vol 126, 358-363, Copyright © 1987 by American Society for Investigative Pathology

REGULAR ARTICLES

A rapidly dividing human medulloblastoma cell line (D283 MED) expresses all three neurofilament subunits

JQ Trojanowski, HS Friedman, PC Burger and DD Bigner

The majority of cells in a rapidly dividing human medulloblastoma cell line (D283 MED) are shown to express the two high-molecular-weight human neurofilament (NF) subunits, whereas a minority express the low- molecular-weight NF subunit. These three polypeptides are integral subunits of the intermediate filaments (IFs) found in normal neurons. Other cell type-specific IF proteins (keratin, desmin, and glial filament polypeptides) are not present in D283 MED cells. Further, the immunocytochemical, immunochemical and ultrastructural data suggest that the neurofilaments in these cells are abnormal, possibly because of a paucity of the low-molecular-weight NF subunit. This is the first human cell line derived from a central nervous system tumor that is capable of expressing all three NF triplet proteins. It is a unique model system for studies of normal and abnormal human NF metabolism as well as for probing the cell biology of medulloblastomas.