Interspersion of mouse satellite deoxyribonucleic acid sequences

DNA sequences with homology to the major (A + T)-rich mouse satellite component were localized in CsCl gradients by hybridization with a labeled satellite cRNA probe. Although, as expected, most of the hybridization was to DNA in the satellite-rich shoulder, substantial radioactive cRNA hybridized with DNA from denser regions of the gradient. Further examination revealed that hybridization to main-band DNA was not due to physical trapping of satellite DNA in the gradient, and melting experiments argue that the associated radioactivity was due to true RNA/DNA hybridization. Nearest-neighbor analysis of hybridized [alpha-32P]CTP-labeled l-strand cRNA indicates that hybridization to main-band DNA is by the satellite cRNA and not a contaminant. Together, these data argue that mouse satellite-like sequences are interspersed within the main-band fraction of DNA. For the support of this contention, total mouse DNA, purified main-band DNA, and purified satellite DNA were digested with EcoRI, sedimented in a sucrose gradient, and hybridized with labeled satellite cRNA. Mouse satellite DNA is not cleaved with EcoRI, so that purified EcoRI-digested satellite DNA sediments as a high molecular weight component. When total mouse DNA is digested with EcoRI, the majority of satellite-like sequences remain as high molecular weight DNA; however, significant amounts of satellite-like sequences sediment with the bulk of the lower molecular weight digested DNA, lending further credence to the argument that satellite-like sequences are interspersed with main-band DNA.     

Self-renaturing fractions in the separated strands of mouse satellite deoxyribonucleic acid

Pyrimidine- and purine-rich strands of Mus musculus satellite DNA prepared by alkaline CsCl-gradient centrifugation can self-renature to a variable extent to give partial duplexes with high thermal stability. These duplexes were purified by treatment with nuclease S(1) followed by hydroxylapatite chromatography, and have been shown by pyrimidine-tract analysis to be very similar in sequence to total reassociated satellite DNA. It is believed that the self-renaturing fractions result from variable contamination of each strand with fragments of the other, rather than from molecular inversions. The predominantly single-stranded properties of these fractions may be partly due to the ability of mouse satellite DNA strands to reassociate in non-stoicheiometric proportions.     

Lysophosphatidic acid and autotaxin stimulate cell motility of neoplastic and non-neoplastic cells through LPA1

Autotaxin (ATX) is a tumor cell motility-stimulating factor originally isolated from melanoma cell supernatant that has been implicated in regulation of invasive and metastatic properties of cancer cells. Recently, we showed that ATX is identical to lysophospholipase D, which converts lysophosphatidylcholine to a potent bioactive phospholipid mediator, lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), raising the possibility that autocrine or paracrine production of LPA by ATX contributes to tumor cell motility. Here we demonstrate that LPA and ATX mediate cell motility-stimulating activity through the LPA receptor, LPA(1). In fibroblasts isolated from lpa(1)(-/-) mice, but not from wild-type or lpa(2)(-/-), cell motility stimulated with LPA and ATX was completely absent. In the lpa(1)(-/-) cells, LPA-stimulated lamellipodia formation was markedly diminished with a concomitant decrease in Rac1 activation. LPA stimulated the motility of multiple human cancer cell lines expressing LPA(1), and the motility was attenuated by an LPA(1)-selective antagonist, Ki16425. The present study suggests that ATX and LPA(1) represent potential targets for cancer therapy.     

Methylation of satellite sequences in mouse spermatogenic and somatic DNAs.

The distribution of 5-methyl cytosine (5-MeC) residues in a highly repetitive sequence, mouse major satellite, was examined in germinal versus somatic DNAs by digestion with the methylation sensitive isoschizomers Msp I and Hpa II and Southern blot analysis, using a cloned satellite probe. DNA from liver, brain, and a mouse fibroblast cell line, C3H 10T1/2, yielded a multimeric hybridization pattern after digestion with Msp I (and control Eco RI) but were resistant to digestion with Hpa II, reflecting a high level of methylation of the satellite sequences. In contrast, DNA from mature sperm was undermethylated at these same sequences as indicated by the ability of Hpa II to generate a multimeric pattern. DNAs from purified populations of testis cells in different stages of spermatogenesis were examined to determine when during germ cell differentiation the undermethylation was established. As early as in primitive type A, type A, and type B spermatogonia, an undermethylation of satellite sequences was observed. This suggest that this highly specific undermethylation of germ cell satellite DNA occurs very early in the germ cell lineage, prior to entry into meiosis.     

Interaction of serum and cell spreading affects the growth of neoplastic and non-neoplastic fibroblasts

Both growth factor availability and cell-to-cell contact have been mechanisms used to explain cell growth regulation at high cell density. Recently Folkman and colleagues have shown that changes in cell shape, rather than cell-to-cell contact, can regulate the growth of fibroblasts. However, in those studies the relation between serum and shape regulation of growth was not studied, nor were neoplastic and non-neoplastic cells compared. In this report we have studied these aspects by varying cell spreading and serum concentration independently for 2 non-neoplastic and 3 neoplastic cell lines. Cell spreading (projected cell area) was controlled by decreasing the adhesiveness of tissue culture plastic plates with poly (hydroxyethyl methacrylate) [poly (HEMA)]. Cell growth was measured as the increase in cell number/day. We have found that more spreading increased net growth of both neoplastic and non-neoplastic cells, while less spreading (toward rounded configuration) depressed growth. There were also quantitative differences between neoplastic and non-neoplastic cells. Neoplastic cells continued to grow under conditions of cell rounding, which completely prevented the growth of their non-neoplastic counterparts. Some neoplastic cells also tended to show little or no increase in net cell number for serum concentrations above 10% as cells became more spread; in contrast, all non-neoplastic cells grew more with increasing concentrations of serum as they became well spread. Thus, in normal cells, it appears that the sensitivity of cells to humoral factors is governed by cell spreading. This interaction between serum and cell shape is less prominent in some neoplastic cells.     

The complexity of satellite deoxyribonucleic acid in a higher plant.

Purified satellite DNA from melon (Cucumis melo) was shown to contain at least two components from thermal-denaturation and renaturation studies. Two components were separated after partial renaturation, a fast-renaturing fraction similar in complexity to mouse satellite DNA, and one with 6000 times greater complexity. Both components renatured very accurately, indicating a minimum of sequence divergence. Centrifugation of the purified satellite DNA in Ag+/Cs2SO4 gradients resolved two major and several minor fractions. The two major fractions were only slightly enriched for fast- or slow-renaturing sequences.