Loss and acquisition of duck hepatitis B virus integrations in lineages of LMH-D2 chicken hepatoma cells.

Hepatocellular carcinoma is the culmination of a series of genetic events which progressively alter the phenotype of a hepatocyte toward malignancy. Hepadnaviral DNA integrations are agents of genetic change which can promote the process of hepatocarcinogenesis. We previously characterized episomally derived duck hepatitis B virus (DHBV) integrations in LMH-D2 cells that replicate wild-type DHBV. In an effort to understand how integrations function as agents of progressive genetic change, we have studied integrations of DHBV DNA in three lineages of LMH-D2 cells through three generations of subclones. Our data have established several features of the integration process. First, single and multiple integrations occur continuously through successive cell generations. Second, the integration frequency can vary dramatically in subclones of the same cell line. Third, integrations can be lost from successive generations of cells and loss of an integration can be accompanied by loss of cellular DNA associated with the integration. Finally, certain subclones which acquire greater plating efficiency have been distinguished by unique new integration patterns. These results provide a basis for DHBV integrations to function as activators of protooncogenes, as well as agents of the loss of tumor suppressor genes during hepatocellular carcinogenesis.