Exaggerated precocious centromere separation in cells of a human breast cancer line treated with a green tea extract.

  • Authors:
    • T C Hsu
    • Y Zhao
    • R Y Wang
    • R Dickerson
    • J C Liang
    • X Wang
    • Y Wu
  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: March 1, 1998     https://doi.org/10.3892/ijo.12.3.617
  • Pages: 617-637
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Abstract

In a breast cancer cell line, MDA-MB-468, established in our laboratory, an average of 3% of the mitotic cells exhibited a phenomenon known as centromere splaying, which is a characteristic feature of cells of patients with Roberts syndrome. However, centromere splaying in cells of Roberts syndrome patients is limited to i) the centromere region and ii) chromosomes with large amounts of heterochromatin. When the breast cancer cells were treated with an extract of green tea GTE-TP91, up to 45% of the metaphases were observed to exhibit this behavior; and the precocious centromere separation was highly exaggerated, affecting all chromosomes in such metaphases. Apparently, as the sister centromeres continued to pull apart, they carried the chromatids with them, except for the telomere regions, giving a ring-like configuration. Eventually, the sister chromatids became completely separated. Whether this bizarre phenomenon was induced by the polyphenols contained in this green tea extract GTE-TP91 is not known, but this phenomenon, upon further investigation, may throw some light on chromosomal proteins, centromere behavior, telomere behavior and related questions.

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Mar 1998
Volume 12 Issue 3

Print ISSN: 1019-6439
Online ISSN:1791-2423

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Spandidos Publications style
Hsu T, Zhao Y, Wang R, Dickerson R, Liang J, Wang X and Wu Y: Exaggerated precocious centromere separation in cells of a human breast cancer line treated with a green tea extract.. Int J Oncol 12: 617-637, 1998
APA
Hsu, T., Zhao, Y., Wang, R., Dickerson, R., Liang, J., Wang, X., & Wu, Y. (1998). Exaggerated precocious centromere separation in cells of a human breast cancer line treated with a green tea extract.. International Journal of Oncology, 12, 617-637. https://doi.org/10.3892/ijo.12.3.617
MLA
Hsu, T., Zhao, Y., Wang, R., Dickerson, R., Liang, J., Wang, X., Wu, Y."Exaggerated precocious centromere separation in cells of a human breast cancer line treated with a green tea extract.". International Journal of Oncology 12.3 (1998): 617-637.
Chicago
Hsu, T., Zhao, Y., Wang, R., Dickerson, R., Liang, J., Wang, X., Wu, Y."Exaggerated precocious centromere separation in cells of a human breast cancer line treated with a green tea extract.". International Journal of Oncology 12, no. 3 (1998): 617-637. https://doi.org/10.3892/ijo.12.3.617