Abstract
To gain better understanding of telomerase’s possible role in the carcinogenesis of gestational trophoblastic tumors, the authors conducted RT-PCR amplification-based analysis and carried out telomeric repeat amplification to determine the levels of the human telomerase RNA (hTR) and that of telomerase enzymatic activity itself in 43 normal human placental tissues, 35 gestational trophoblastic tumor tissues and three choriocarcinoma cell lines. hTR was expressed in malignant gestational trophoblastic tumor tissues as well as choriocarcinoma cell lines. The results showed that hTR of early placenta villi and a part of hydatidiform mole were positive. But relatively low levels of the hTR could be found in placental tissues. Telomerase enzymatic activity was strongly positive in 32 of the 35 (91.4%) gestational trophoblastic tumor tissues and all the three choriocarcinoma cell lines. The enzymatic activity of telomerase itself was detectable at relatively low lelves in 14 of the 21 (66.7%) early placental villi, only three of the 22 (13.6%) term placenta were weakly positive. These results suggest that telomerase activity may be correlated with the development of trophoblastic tumors, and so, may be a useful diagnostic marker for detecting the existence of malignant trophoblastic cells.
References
Avilion, A. A., Piatyszek, M. A., Gupta, J., et al., 1996. Human telomerase RNA and telomerase activity in immortal cell lines and tumortissues.Cancer Res.,56: 645–650.
Feng, J. Funk, W. D., Wang, S. S., et al., 1995. The RNA component of human telomerase.Science,269: 1236–1241.
Roberts, D. J., Mutter G., 1994. Advances in the molecular biology of gestational trophoblastic disease.J Reproductive Medicine,39: 201–208.
Song, H. Z., and Wu, P. C., 1988. Studies in Trophoblastic Diseases in China. Pergamon Press, Oxford, U. K. P. 3–27.
Greider, C. W., and Blackburn, E. H., 1985. Identification of a specific telomere terminal transferase activity in tetrahymena extracts.Cell,43: 405–413.
Haidacher, S., Blaschitz, A., Desoye, G. et al., 1995. Immunohistochemical evidence of P53 protein in human placenta and choriocarcinoma cell line.Molecular Human Reprod,10: 983–988.
Iversen, P. L., Pirruccello, S. J. Meta J. E. et al., 1995. Antisense oligonucleotides which demonstrate tumor specific action also inhibit telomerase in vitro.Proc Am Assoc Cancer Res. 36: 412.
Kanazawa, Y., Ohkawa, K., Ueda, K., et al., 1996. Hammerhead ribozyme-mediated inhibition of telomerase activity in extract of human hepatocellular carcinoma cells.Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications,225: 570–576.
Kim, N. W., Piatyszek, M. A., Prowse, K. R., et al., 1994. Specific association of human telomerase activity with immortal cells and cancer.Science,266: 2011–2015.
Lange, T., 1994. Activation of telomerase in a human tumor.Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA,91: 2882–2885.
Norton, J. C., and Piatyszek, M. A., 1996. Inhibition of human telomerase activity by peptide nucleic acids.Nature Biotechnol,14: 615–619.
Park, J. S., Namkoong, S. E., Lee, H. Y., et al., 1992 Expression and amplification of cellular oncogenes in human developing placenta and neoplastic trophoblastic tissue.Asia-Oceania J. Obstet. Gynaecol.,18: 57–64.
Raymond, E., Sun, D., Chen, S. F. et al., 1996 Agents that target telomerase and telomeres.Current Opinion in Biotechnology,7: 583–591.
Rhyu, M. S., 1995. Telomeres, telomerase, and immumortality.J. Natl. Cancer Inst. 87: 884–894.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Project (39670753) supported by NSFC
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Wei, Z., Yi-fu, S., Xing, X. et al. Telomerase RNA and telomerase activity in trophoblastic tumors. J. Zhejiang Univ. Sci. A 1, 202–206 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1631/BF02839242
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1631/BF02839242