Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

BG-1 ovarian cell line: An alternative model for examining estrogen-dependent growth in vitro

  • Cellular Models
  • Published:
In Vitro Cellular & Developmental Biology - Animal Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

Examination of estrogen-responsive processes in cell culture is used to investigate hormonal influence on cancer cell growth and gene expression. Most experimental studies have used breast cancer cell lines, in particular MCF7 cells, to investigate estrogen responsiveness. In this study we examined an ovarian cancer cell line, BG-1, which is highly estrogen-responsive in vitro. This observation, plus the fact that the cells are of ovarian rather than mammary gland origin, makes it an attractive alternative model. 17β-Estradiol, epidermal growth factor, and insulin-like growth factor induced proliferation of BG-1 and MCF7 cells. Viability was dependent on these growth factors in BG-1 cells, but not in MCF7 cells. Therefore, we examined the differences between these two cell lines with respect to estrogen and growth factor receptors. BG-1 cells have twice as many estrogen receptors as MCF7 cells, and BG-1 cells have higher insulin-like growth factor-1 and epidermal growth factor receptor levels than MCF7 cells. This may also explain why BG-1 cells proliferate 56% more robustly in serum and show more serum dependence in culture. In both BG-1 and MCF7 cells, epidermal growth factor receptor number is low (<20 000/cell), while insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor level was highest in estrogen receptor positive cell lines. For example, insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor was higher in BG-1 and MCF7 cells than in estrogen receptor negative cells (HeLa>MDA-MB-435>HBL100). In conclusion, BG-1 cells are an excellent model for understanding hormone responsiveness in ovarian tissue and an alternative for examining estrogen receptor-mediated and insulin-like growth factor-1/epidermal growth factor/estrogen cross-talk processes because of their sensitivity to these factors.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Caron de Fromentel, C.; Nordeux, P. C.; Soussi, T., et al. Epithelial HBL-100 cell line derived from milk of an apparently healthy woman harbours SV40 genetic information. Exp. Cell Res. 160:83–94; 1985.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chomczynski, P.; Sacchi, N. Single step method of RNA isolation by acidic guanidinium thiocyanate-phenol-chloroform extraction. Anal. Biochem. 162:156–159; 1987.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Clinton, G. M.; Rougeot, C.; Derancourt, J., et al. Estrogens increase the expression of fibulin-1, an extracellular matrix secreted by human ovarian cancer cells. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 93:316–320; 1996.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Couse, J. F.; Curtis, S. W.; Washburn, T. F., et al. Analysis of transcription and estrogen insensitivity in the female mouse after targeted disruption of the estrogen receptor gene. Mol. Endocrinol. 9:1441–1454; 1995.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dickson, R. B.; Lippman, M. E. Estrogenic regulation of growth and polypeptide growth factor secretion in human breast carcinoma. Endocr. Rev. 8:29–43; 1987.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • DuPont, W. D.; Page, D. L. Menopausal estrogen replacement therapy and breast cancer. Arch. Intern. Med. 151:67–72; 1991.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Geisinger, K. R.; Kute, T. E.; Pettenati, M. J., et al. Characterization of a human ovarian carcinoma cell line with estrogen and progesterone receptors. Cancer 63:280–288; 1989.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gey, G. O.; Coffman, W. D.; Kubieck, M. T. Tissue culture studies of the proliferative capacity of cervical carcinoma and normal epithelium. Cancer Res. 12:264–265; 1952.

    Google Scholar 

  • Iacobelli, S.; Scambia, G.; Natoli, V., et al. Estrogen stimulates cell proliferation and the increase of a 52,000 dalton glycoprotein in human breast cancer cells. J. Steroid Biochem. 20:747–752; 1984.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ignar-Trowbridge, D. M.; Pimentel, M.; Parker, M. G., et al. Peptide growth factor cross-talk with the estrogen receptor requires the A/B domain and occurs independently of protein kinase C or estradiol. Endocrinology 137:1735–1744; 1996.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ignar-Trowbridge, D. M.; Pimentel, M.; Teng, C. T., et al. Crosstalk between peptide growth factor and estrogen receptor signaling systems. Environ. Health Perspect. 103:35–38; 1995.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kato, S.; Endoh, H.; Masuhiro, Y., et al. Activation of the estrogen receptor through phosphorylation by mitogen activated protein kinase. Science 270:1491–1494; 1995.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Katzenellenbogen, B. S.; Kendra, K. L.; Norman, M. J., et al. Proliferation, hormonal responsiveness, and estrogen receptor content of MCF-7 human breast cancer cells grown in the short-term and long-term absence of estrogens. Cancer Res. 47:4355–4360; 1987.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Korach, K. S. Estrogen action in the mouse uterus: characterization of the cytosol and nuclear receptor systems. Endocrinology 104:1324–1332; 1979.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Laidlaw, I. J.; Clarke, R. B.; Howell, A., et al. The proliferation of normal human breast tissue implanted into athymic nude mice is stimulated by estrogen but not progesterone. Endocrinology 136:164–171; 1995.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Long, L.; Rubin, R.; Baserga, R., et al. Loss of the metastatic phenotype in murine carcinoma cells expressing an antisense RNA to the insulin-like growth factor receptor. Cancer Res. 55:1006–1009; 1995.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Luster, M. I.; Pfeifer, R. W.; Tucker, A. N. The immunotoxicity of natural and environmental estrogens. In: Dean, J. H.; Luster, M.; Munson, A. E., ed. Immunotoxicology and immunopharmacology. New York: Raven Press; 1985:315–326.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pastan, I. Regulation of cellular growth. Adv. Metab. Dis. 8:7–16; 1975.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Reddy, K. B.; Yee, D.; Hilsenbeck, S. G., et al. Inhibition of estrogen-induced breast cancer cell proliferation by reduction in autocrine transforming growth factor α expression. Cell Growth Differ. 5:1275–1282; 1994.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Richards, J. S. Maturation of ovarian follicles: actions and interactions of pituitary and ovarian hormones on follicular cell differentiation. Physiol. Rev. 60:51–89; 1980.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Seshadri, R.; McLeay, W. R.; Horsfall, D. J., et al. Prospective study of the prognostic significance of epidermal growth factor receptor in primary breast cancer. Int. J. Cancer 69:3–27; 1996.

    Google Scholar 

  • Soule, H. D.; Vasquex, J.; Long, A., et al. A human cell line from a pleural effusion derived from a breast carcinoma. J. Natl. Cancer Inst. 51:1409–1416; 1973.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sporn, M. B.; Todaro, G. J. Autocrine secretion and malignant transformation of cells. N. Engl. J. Med. 303:878–880; 1980.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Steinberg, K. K.; Thacker, S. B.; Smith, S. J., et al. A meta-analysis of the effect of estrogen replacement therapy on the risk of breast cancer. JAMA (J. Am. Med. Assoc.) 265:1985–1990; 1991.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • van der Burg, B. Sex steroids and growth factors in mammary cancer. Acta Endocrinol. 125:38–41; 1991.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Webster, N. J. G.; Resnik, J. L.; Reichart, D. B., et al. Repression of the insulin receptor promoter by the tumor suppressor gene product p53: a possible mechanism for receptor overexpression in breast cancer. Cancer Res. 56:2781–2788; 1996.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, R. D.; Fidler, I. J.; Price, J. Relative malignant potential of human breast carcinoma cell lines established from pleural effusions and a brain metastasis. Invasion Metastasis 11:204–215; 1991.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Molecular Carcinogenesis, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, 27709, North Carolina

    William S. Baldwin, John I. Risinger & J. Carl Barrett

  2. Laboratory of Reproductive and Developmental Toxicology, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, 27709, North Carolina

    Sylvia W. Curtis, Clay A. Cauthen & Kenneth S. Korach

Authors
  1. William S. Baldwin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Sylvia W. Curtis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Clay A. Cauthen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. John I. Risinger
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Kenneth S. Korach
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. J. Carl Barrett
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Baldwin, W.S., Curtis, S.W., Cauthen, C.A. et al. BG-1 ovarian cell line: An alternative model for examining estrogen-dependent growth in vitro . In Vitro Cell.Dev.Biol.-Animal 34, 649–654 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11626-996-0015-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11626-996-0015-9

Key words

Search

Navigation