Retroviral-mediated expression of telomerase in normal human cells provides a selective growth advantage

  • Authors:
    • Heidi L. Forsythe
    • Lynne W. Elmore
    • Keith O. Jensen
    • Melissa R. Landon
    • Shawn E. Holt
  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: June 1, 2002     https://doi.org/10.3892/ijo.20.6.1137
  • Pages: 1137-1143
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Abstract

Retroviral infection of hTERT, the catalytic component of telomerase, into BJ fibroblasts (population doubling 28) resulted in reconstitution of telomerase activity, telomere maintenance, and extension of in vitro lifespan. The hTERT-infected cells also exhibited increased growth rate and colony forming efficiency relative to controls, while remaining contact-inhibited and maintaining a p53-mediated damage response following γ-irradiation. All single cell-derived BJ-hTERT clones grew faster than the hTERT mass cultures and maintained telomeres; however, neither telomerase activity levels nor mean telomere length correlated with the growth rate. Introduction of hTERT rescued aged BJ fibroblasts from senescence via a telomere-dependent mechanism and provided renewed proliferative potential. Collectively, our data indicate that both early and late in the cellular lifespan of human cells, ectopic expression of telomerase using a retroviral system provides a growth advantage while maintaining normal cellular characteristics.

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June 2002
Volume 20 Issue 6

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

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Spandidos Publications style
Forsythe HL, Elmore LW, Jensen KO, Landon MR and Holt SE: Retroviral-mediated expression of telomerase in normal human cells provides a selective growth advantage. Int J Oncol 20: 1137-1143, 2002.
APA
Forsythe, H.L., Elmore, L.W., Jensen, K.O., Landon, M.R., & Holt, S.E. (2002). Retroviral-mediated expression of telomerase in normal human cells provides a selective growth advantage. International Journal of Oncology, 20, 1137-1143. https://doi.org/10.3892/ijo.20.6.1137
MLA
Forsythe, H. L., Elmore, L. W., Jensen, K. O., Landon, M. R., Holt, S. E."Retroviral-mediated expression of telomerase in normal human cells provides a selective growth advantage". International Journal of Oncology 20.6 (2002): 1137-1143.
Chicago
Forsythe, H. L., Elmore, L. W., Jensen, K. O., Landon, M. R., Holt, S. E."Retroviral-mediated expression of telomerase in normal human cells provides a selective growth advantage". International Journal of Oncology 20, no. 6 (2002): 1137-1143. https://doi.org/10.3892/ijo.20.6.1137