Molecular cytogenetic characterization of two murine cancer cell lines derived from salivary gland

Abstract

Here two murine salivary gland cancer (SGC) cell lines WR21 and SCA-9 were studied for the first time in detail by high-resolution molecular cytogenetic approaches. This study revealed that these cell lines are models for human SGCs of initial stage myoepithelioid or mucoepidermoid (WR21) and of advanced stage mucoepidermoid (SCA-9) tumors. Besides, three genes most likely playing a role in SGC development (FGF10, ELAVL1/HUR and SEL1) were identified. All of them were involved in translocation events in these in vitro models and thus were most likely activated. Overall, the present study highlights the necessity not only to establish but also to genetically characterize murine tumor cell lines. Without such a characterization they cannot be used in a reasonable way in research.