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Amplification of the c-myc Gene in Human Medulloblastoma Cell Lines and Xenografts¹

Preuss Laboratory for Brain Tumor Research [D. D. B.] and Departments of Pathology [S. H. B., H. S. F., D. D. B.], Surgery [D. D. B., W. J. O.], and Pediatrics [H. S. F., W. J. O.], Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, and the Oncology Center [B. V.], The Johns Hopkins University of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205

Cultured cell lines and xenografts derived from 7 human medulloblastomas were evaluated for amplification of the c-myc, N-myc, epidermal growth factor receptor, and gli genes by Southern blot analysis. Karyotypes of the original biopsies and early passaged cells demonstrated double minute chromosomes in 4 of the 7 cases. All 7 samples (3 cell lines and 4 xenografts) from the 4 tumors with double minute chromosomes contained amplification of the c-myc gene. Cell lines and xenografts derived from the 3 biopsies without double minute chromosomes failed to demonstrate amplification of the 4 genes which were tested, but a rearrangement of the c-myc gene occurred in 1 of the 3 tumors. These observations demonstrate that the c-myc gene is often amplified and/or rearranged in human medulloblastomas and suggest that amplification of this gene provides a growth advantage for medulloblastoma cells in vitro and in vivo.

¹ This investigation was supported in part by grants CA-11898, NS-20023, NS-00958, CA-44640, CA-43722, CA-43460, ACS CH-403, and CA-09243.

² To whom requests for reprints should be addressed, at Department of Pathology, Duke University Medical Center, Cytogenetics Section, P. O. Box 3712, Durham, NC 27710.

Received 8/21/89. Revised 1/ 8/90.

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