Transcription activation mediated by chromosomal inversion in rat cells

To investigate the relationship between the local configuration of a gene and its level of expression, we constructed a rat cell line, Hy5, carrying a mutant polyomavirus middle T oncogene (pmt) whose overexpression converted the cells to the transformed state. The structure of the transgene was such that pmt was able to undergo chromosomal inversion at a relatively high rate by a cross-over in flanking pBR322 sequences. Hy5 cells became spontaneously transformed at a rate of 10(-5) per cell generation and all of the transformants analysed had sustained pmt inversion. CpG sequences were partially methylated in the Hy5 insert but appeared demethylated in transformants. In two subclones derived from untransformed Hy5 cells, the pmt insert was densely methylated, transcriptionally inactive and unable to undergo homologous recombination. Our results suggest that DNA repair associated with recombinational events leads to a heritable hypomethylation of the locus which is responsible for its activation.