Analysis of the microheterogeneity of the glycan chain of rat transferrin

To investigate the microheterogeneity of the glycan chain of rat transferrin, either the protein moiety was labeled with 125I or the sialyl residues with 3H. The molecule was then subjected to Con A chromatography. Three components were obtained. Each was enzymatically desialylated and sialyl/protein molar ratios were calculated. The native protein as well as the 3 components were also subjected to isoelectric focusing. The results indicated that rat transferrin may have 3 types of glycan chain: The major type (60%) corresponds to a molecular species with triantennary branching, while 30% consists of molecules with biantennary and 10% with tetraantennary branching. The last species has not been previously described.     

Collagen increases the synthesis of membrane-associated proteoglycans produced by Sertoli cells.

Sertoli cells in culture produce two isoforms of proteoglycans which are found in the culture medium and associated with the cell membrane. The amount of both types of proteoglycans increased when Sertoli cells were plated on type I collagen-coated dishes as compared to uncoated dishes. The effect is due to an increase in the synthesis of proteoglycans rather than a diminished rate of degradation of these molecules. The collagen substrate also affects the distribution of these macromolecules; an increase in the amount of membrane-associated proteoglycans occurs at the expense of the proteoglycans released to the culture medium.     

Modulation of the adhesion of hemopoietic progenitor cells to the rgd site of fibronectin by interleukin 3

The integrins are a class of adhesion molecules which have been implicated in the homing of hemopoietic stem cells and in their restriction within the bone marrow. Integrins function as mediators of cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) interactions and also of cell-cell interactions. They are unique membrane receptors which are capable of activation, change in affinity, and change in expression. Because of their broad potential for modulation we examined the effect of a cytokine growth factor which is present constitutively in the marrow, interleukin 3 (IL3), on integrin-mediated adherence of hemopoietic progenitor cells to the matrix component fibronectin (FN). The multipotential murine cell line B6Sut and the committed granulocyte progenitor cell line FDCP-1 were used. Both of these cell lines have been shown to bind to FN-coated dishes and to dishes coated with the 120 kDa and 40 kDa chymotryptic fragments of FN. It was found that after a brief withdrawal of IL3 the cells lost 80% adherence to the 120 kDa FN fragment containing the RGD cell binding site. This loss of binding was not related to a loss of viability, appeared unrelated to the growth/survival activity of IL3, and was quickly reversible by readdition of the growth factor. Adhesion of these cells to the RGD site was likely mediated by α5b?1 integrin which was identified in the cell membrane of both cell lines, but present in low copy number in B6Sut cells. Two antibodies against the external and internal domains of α5 and one antibody against b?1 were used to study expression of the integrin. By flow cytometry the expression of α5 was found to decrease in both cell lines by 4 h in the absence of IL3. The relative mean fluorescence intensity for B6Sut cells decreased from 1.0 (control cells always in the presence of IL3) to 0.6 over 4 h, and for FDCP-1 cells the decrement was from 1.0 to 0.8. The loss of RGD-mediated adhesion in the absence of IL3 appeared to proceed through this decrement in expression of the integrin; a loss of affinity of the receptor for its substrate was not detected. The general modulation of integrin activity by growth factors is of great interest because of its potential negative impact on the endothelium in cytokine-treated patients, and also because of its potential positive impact on engraftment during clinical bone marrow transplantation. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Bone marrow ribonucleic acid polymerase. Effect of testosterone on nucleotide incorporation into nuclear RNA.

The incorporation of 3H-UTP into RNA by isolated rat bone marrow nuclei is stimulated by testosterone. This effect is hormone and tissue specific. Using alpha-amanitine and different ionic strength conditions it was found that testosterone enhances preferentially RNA polymerase I activity. The sedimentation pattern of RNA isolated from bone marrow nuclei shows that the synthesis of RNA species within the 14-30 S range is mainly stimulated by the hormone.