Immortalized Neuronal and Neuroendocrine Cell Lines by Targeted Oncogenesis in Transgenic Mice Using the PNMT Promoter

Abstract Phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PNMT) is the terminal enzyme in the catecholamine biosynthetic pathway, converting norepinephrine to epinephrine. In transgenic mice, 2 kb of the human PNMT promoter directs the expression of the simian virus 40 (SV4O) early region in three classes of retinal neurons and in chromaffin cells of the adrenal medulla. These transgenic animals develop retinal and adrenal medullary tumors between 3 and 4 months of age. We have adapted these tumor cells to cell culture and have derived immortalized retinal neuronal and adrenal chromaffin cell lines. These cell lines express a number of cell- and tissue-specific markers indicative of the differentiated cells of origin.