Induction of telomerase activity in v-myc-transformed avian cells

Telomerase activity is detectable in the majority of tumors or immortalized cell lines, but is repressed in most normal human somatic cells. It is generally assumed that reactivation of telomerase prevents the erosion of chromosome ends which occurs in cycling cells and, hence, hinders cellular replicative senescence. Here, we show that the expression of v-Myc oncoprotein by retroviral infection of telomerase-negative embryonal quail myoblasts and chicken neuroretina cells is sufficient for reactivating telomerase activity, earlier than telomere shortening could occur. Furthermore, the use of a conditional v-Myc-estrogen receptor protein (v-MycER) causes estrogen-dependent expression of detectable levels of telomerase activity in recently infected chick embryo fibroblasts and neuroretina cells. We conclude that the high levels of telomerase activity in v-Myc-expressing avian cells are not the mere consequence of transformation or of a differentiative block, since v-Src tyrosine kinase, which prevents terminal differentiation and promotes cell transformation, fails to induce telomerase activity.