A subset of cells expressing SV40 large T antigen contain elevated p53 levels and have an altered cell cycle phenotype

Cells transformed by the simian virus 40 (SV40) large T antigen (Tag) contain elevated levels of cellular p53 protein. To quantify this relationship, levels of p53 were measured in NIH 3T3 cells that expressed different concentrations of Tag. Using immunoblotting, average p53 levels were shown to increase linearly with Tag concentrations in these cell lines. Single-cell measurements were also performed using flow cytometry to measure p53 immunofluorescence. Surprisingly, the flow cytometry experiments showed that two distinct cell populations, based on p53 content, were present in cells expressing high levels of Tag. One cell population contained elevated p53 levels. A second population did not contain elevated p53, even though high concentrations of Tag were present in the cells. This latter cell population did not appear to arise because of mutations in either Tag or p53. The two cell populations also had phenotypic differences. In exponentially growing cells, Tag alters the cell cycle distribution (decreases the percentage of G₁ phase cells and increases the percentages of S and G₂ + M phase cells). This phenotype was maximum in the cell population containing elevated p53. A lesser phenotype was found in the cell population that did not contain elevated p53. These data show, firstly, that cells can express significant levels of Tag and not contain elevated levels of p53 and, secondly, that elevated p53 correlates with the altered cell cycle distribution produced by Tag in growing cells.     

Cell Cycle-Related Cyclin B1 Quantification

Background

To obtain non-relative measures of cell proteins, purified preparations of the same proteins are used as standards in Western blots. We have previously quantified SV40 large T antigen expressed over a several fold range in different cell lines and correlated the average number of molecules to average fluorescence obtained by cytometry and determined cell cycle phase related expression by calculation from multi-parametric cytometry data. Using a modified approach, we report quantification of endogenous cyclin B1 and generation of the cell cycle time related expression profile.

Methodology

Recombinant cyclin B1 was purified from a baculovirus lysate using an antibody affinity column and concentrated. We created fixed cell preparations from nocodazole-treated (high cyclin B1) and serum starved (low cyclin B1) PC3 cells that were either lyophilized (for preservation) or solubilized. The lysates and purified cyclin B1 were subjected to Western blotting; the cell preparations were subjected to cytometry, and fluorescence was correlated to molecules. Three untreated cell lines (K562, HeLa, and RKO) were prepared for cytometry without lyophilization and also prepared for Western blotting. These were quantified by Western blotting and by cytometry using the standard cell preparations.

Results

The standard cell preparations had 1.5×10⁵ to 2.5×10⁶ molecules of cyclin B1 per cell on average (i.e., 16-fold range). The average coefficient of variation was 24%. Fluorescence varied 12-fold. The relationship between molecules/cell (Western blot) and immunofluorescence (cytometry) was linear (r² = 0.87). Average cyclin B1 levels for the three untreated cell lines determined by Western blotting and cytometry agreed within a factor of 2. The non-linear rise in cyclin B1 in S phase was quantified from correlated plots of cyclin B1 and DNA content. The peak levels achieved in G2 were similar despite differences in lineage, growth conditions, and rates of increase through the cell cycle (range: 1.6–2.2×10⁶ molecules per cell).

Conclusions

Net cyclin B1 expression begins in G1 in human somatic cells lines; increases non-linearly with variation in rates of accumulation, but peaks at similar peak values in different cell lines growing under different conditions. This suggests tight quantitative end point control.     

HSP90高表达细胞株的建立及细胞增殖性状的改变

目的:建立稳定高表达热休克蛋白90(HSP90)细胞株,研究其对细胞增殖的影响.方法:含人HSP90 13全长基因的重组质粒pSmycHSP经亚克隆、纯化、酶切鉴定后,用电穿孔法转染到小鼠成纤维细胞系NIH-3T3细胞内.经G418筛选、克隆分离培养,用免疫细胞化学、免疫印迹鉴定阳性克隆.以转染空质粒的NIH-3T3细胞为对照,用MTT法、流式细胞术测定,分析HSP90高表达对细胞增殖和细胞周期的影响.结果:转染pSmycHSP的NIH-3T3细胞HSP90染色增强,生长速度减慢,S期DNA含量降低.结论:己建立稳定高表达热休克蛋白90(HSP90)NIH-3T3细胞株;转染pSmycHSP的NIH-3T3细胞能够有效地表达HSP90,影响细胞周期,使细胞增殖迟滞.     

Dose-response of two cellular proliferation phenotypes produced by simian virus 40 large T antigen

Abstract. A set of cell lines was constructed by infection of established murine fibroblasts with recombinant retroviruses encoding the simian virus 40 large T antigen (Tag) gene. By immunofluorescence flow cytometry, it was shown that these cell lines expressed Tag over at least a 20-fold concentration range. Using these cells, the dose-response relationship between Tag concentration and a phenotype detected by flow cytometry that measures the rate at which proliferating cells transit the cell cycle (i.e. cell-cycling phenotype) was determined. This relationship between Tag concentration and phenotype was not linear. Instead, the cell-cycling phenotype became saturated at relatively low Tag concentrations, i.e. a further increase in Tag concentration did not change the phenotype. The dose-response relationship between Tag and a second phenotype, colony formation in soft agar, was also determined. Colony formation in soft agar is a measurement of cell transformation. In contrast to the cell-cycling phenotype, transformation was linearly related to Tag over the entire 20-fold Tag concentration range. This phenotype did not saturate at high Tag concentrations. Therefore, the dose-response relationship between Tag concentration and the cell-cycling phenotype was different from that between Tag concentration and cellular transformation. Since the Tag gene is comprised of multiple genetic domains that independently affect cellular proliferation, one possibility is that the differences in dose-response of the two phenotypes indicate that different genetic domains of the gene are necessary for production of each phenotype.     

长链非编码RNA Linc00673过表达对胃癌MGC-803细胞增殖与凋亡的影响*

目的: 探讨长链非编码RNA Linc00673过表达对胃癌细胞增殖和凋亡的影响及其机制。方法: 将重组慢病毒表达质粒pLVX-Linc00673和对照空载体质粒pLVX-NC在293T细胞中进行慢病毒包装与扩增,将重组慢病毒转染胃癌细胞MGC-803建立稳定过表达 Linc00673的细胞系,实时荧光定量PCR方法检测Linc00673基因的表达; MTT实验和克隆形成实验观察细胞的生长增殖;流式细胞术检测细胞周期和细胞凋亡;qPCR检测细胞周期相关调控基因表达;免疫印迹法检测PI3K/Akt信号通路关键分子及肿瘤增殖相关蛋白的表达。结果: Linc00673在胃癌细胞系MGC-803、BGC-823和AGS中的表达量显著高于正常胃粘膜细胞GES-1(P＜0.05)。建立了稳定过表达Linc00673的MGC-803细胞系,Linc00673的表达量比对照空载体组高200倍。Linc00673过表达促进MGC-803细胞增殖和克隆形成(P＜0.05),抑制细胞凋亡并影响细胞周期G1→S期进程(P＜0.01);Linc00673过表达可影响MGC-803细胞周期调节基因CCNG2、p19和CDK1的表达;免疫印迹结果显示,Linc00673过表达不仅促进PI3K/Akt信号通路关键分子pAKT及其下游靶点NF-κB和Bcl-2蛋白的表达,而且上调肿瘤相关因子β-catenin和EZH2蛋白的表达。结论: Linc00673过表达可能通过PI3K/Akt信号通路促进MGC-803细胞增殖、抑制凋亡。     

Cell density related gene expression: SV40 large T antigen levels in immortalized astrocyte lines

Background

Gene expression is affected by population density. Cell density is a potent negative regulator of cell cycle time during exponential growth. Here, we asked whether SV40 large T antigen (Tag) levels, driven by two different promoters, changed in a predictable and regular manner during exponential growth in clonal astrocyte cell lines, immortalized and dependent on Tag.

Results

Expression and cell cycle phase fractions were measured and correlated using flow cytometry. T antigen levels did not change or increased during exponential growth as a function of the G₁ fraction and increasing cell density when Tag was transcribed from the Moloney Murine Leukemia virus (MoMuLV) long terminal repeat (LTR). When an Rb-binding mutant T antigen transcribed from the LTR was tested, levels decreased. When transcribed from the herpes thymidine kinase promoter, Tag levels decreased. The directions of change and the rates of change in Tag expression were unrelated to the average T antigen levels (i.e., the expression potential).

Conclusions

These data show that Tag expression potential in these lines varies depending on the vector and clonal variation, but that the observed level depends on cell density and cell cycle transit time. The hypothetical terms, expression at zero cell density and expression at minimum G₁ phase fraction, were introduced to simplify measures of expression potential.

     

Flow cytometric analysis of the cell cycle: Mathematical modeling and biological interpretation

Estimation of the repartition of asynchronous cells in the cell cycle can be explained by two hypotheses: the cells are supposed to be distributed into three groups: cells with a 2c DNA content (G0/1 phase), cells with a 4c DNA content (G2 + M phase) and cells with a DNA content ranging from 2c to 4c (S phase); there is a linear relationship between the amount of fluorescence emitted by the fluorescent probe which reveals the DNA and the DNA content. According to these hypotheses, the cell cycle can be represented by the following equation: [formula: see text] All the solutions for this equation are approximations. Non parametric methods (or graphical methods: rectangle, peak reflect) only use one or two phase(s) of the cell cycle, the remaining phase(s) being estimated by exclusion. In parametric methods (Dean & Jett, Baisch II, Fried), the DNAT(x) distribution is supposed to be known and is composed of two gaussians (representative of G0/1 and G2 + M) and a P(x,y) function representative of S phase. Despite the generality, these models are not applicable to all sample types, particularly heterogeneous cell populations with various DNA content. In addition, the cell cycle is dependent on several regulation points (transition from quiescence to proliferation, DNA synthesis initiation, mitosis induction) and biological perturbations can also lead to cytokinesis perturbations. Before the emergence of flow cytometry, the current view of cell cycle resided in the assessment of cell proliferation (increase in cell number) or the kinetic of molecules incorporation (DNA precursors).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

人P2X7真核表达载体的构建及稳定转染细胞株的建立

目的：构建人P2X7基因的真核表达载体,并通过转染获得稳定表达P2X7分子的HEK293细胞株。方法：以人脑组织P2X7cDNA为模板扩增出P2X7基因,插入到真核表达载体pEGFP-N1中,构建重组质粒pEGFP-N1/P2X7。用X-fect试剂盒将重组质粒转染HEK293细胞,通过G418辅助荧光筛选建立稳定表达P2X7-EGFP细胞株。经流式细胞仪、Western blot和激光共聚焦显微镜检测,了解人P2X7在HEK293细胞中的表达水平及细胞内定位。结果：重组质粒pEGFP-N1/P2X7构建正确,建立了稳定表达人P2X7的HEK293细胞系。Western blot和流式细胞仪检测证实,P2X7在HEK293细胞系中成功表达,激光共聚焦显微镜检测显示P2X7-EGFP定位在细胞膜上。结论：重组载体pEGFP-N1/P2X7构建成功并建立了稳定表达人P2X7的HEK293细胞系,为进一步研究P2X7离子通道结构和功能奠定基础。     

Measurement of proliferation nuclear and membrane markers in tumor cells by flow cytometry

Nuclear and membrane markers that have been related to proliferative activity were measured by flow cytometry. The markers studied were transferrin receptor (TR), Ki-67 antigen, and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Two-color analysis for DNA via propidium iodide binding and for antigen expression via either a direct or indirect immunofluorescence assay was performed on three different cell lines and a solid human tumor model. The three cell lines tested were MCF-7 (breast), K-562 (leukemia), and A431 (a squamous cell). The solid tumor was obtained by subcutaneous injection of A431 cells into an athymic nude mouse. Our results demonstrate that TR are cell-cycle specific and can be readily measured in the cell lines. Ki-67 antigen is also cell-cycle specific in the cell lines tested, but the mean channel specific fluorescence uptake varies in the cell types. Finally, the EGFR was observed only in the A431 cell line, with most cells equally expressing this receptor. A bimodal distribution of EGFR was observed in A431 cells obtained from a solid tumor grown in an athymic nude mouse system. This suggests that cell line analysis may not always represent what might be observed under in vivo conditions. There are advantages to flow cytometry measurements of these factors which might be useful in predicting how patients should be treated and possibly the prognosis of cancer patients.     

Characterisation and Gene Expression Profiling of a Stable Cell Line Expressing a Cell Cycle GFP Sensor

The use of stable cell lines expressing fusions with green fluorescent protein(GFP) has increased significantly in recent years. In this study we have useda range of complimentary analytical techniques to examine the characteristicsof a cell line stably expressing a EGFP cell cycle sensor relative to parentalU2OS cells. Analysis of cell cycle duration and cell cycle phase distribution bycell growth assays and flow cytometry revealed that the two cell lines hadidentical doubling times and cell cycle distributions. Measurement of EGFPfusion protein mRNA by quantitative RT-PCR indicated a EGFP sensorexpression level equivalent to endogenous Cyclin B1 (7000 copies/cell in G2).Microarray analysis showed a 0.9% (>2 fold at p     

Correlating cell cycle with metabolism in single cells: combination of image and metabolic cytometry.

BACKGROUND: We coin two terms: First, chemical cytometry describes the use of high-sensitivity chemical analysis techniques to study single cells. Second, metabolic cytometry is a form of chemical cytometry that monitors a cascade of biosynthetic and biodegradation products generated in a single cell. In this paper, we describe the combination of metabolic cytometry with image cytometry to correlate oligosaccharide metabolic activity with cell cycle. We use this technique to measure DNA ploidy, the uptake of a fluorescent disaccharide, and the amount of metabolic products in a single cell. METHODS: A colon adenocarcinoma cell line (HT29) was incubated with a fluorescent disaccharide, which was taken up by the cells and converted into a series of biosynthetic and biodegradation products. The cells were also treated with YOYO-3 and Hoechst 33342. The YOYO-3 signal was used as a live-dead assay, while the Hoechst 33342 signal was used to estimate the ploidy of live cells by fluorescence image cytometry. After ploidy analysis, a cell was injected into a fused-silica capillary, where the cell was lysed. Fluorescent metabolic products were then separated by capillary electrophoresis and detected by laser-induced fluorescence. RESULTS: Substrate uptake measured with metabolic cytometry gave rise to results similar to those measured by use of laser scanning confocal microscopy. The DNA ploidy histogram obtained with our simple image cytometry technique was similar to that obtained using flow cytometry. The cells in the G(1) phase did not show any biosynthetic activity in respect to the substrate. Several groups of cells with unique biosynthetic patterns were distinguished within G(2)/M cells. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first report that combined metabolic and image cytometry to correlate formation of metabolic products with cell cycle. A complete enzymatic cascade is monitored on a cell-by-cell basis and correlated with cell cycle.     

LTF基因在鼻咽癌细胞系中生物学功能的初步研究

目的:初步探讨野生型LTF基因在鼻咽癌细胞系中的生物学功能。方法:野生型LTF导入鼻咽癌细胞系,G418筛选,RT-PCR和Western-blotting分别在mRNA和蛋白质水平进行验证,得到稳定表达LTF基因的鼻咽癌细胞系。流式细胞术、平板克隆形成实验和MTT法分别检测细胞周期、细胞的克隆形成能力和细胞生长曲线。结果:成功导入LTF并稳定表达的鼻咽癌细胞系,G0-G1期细胞百分比例明显增加(72.01%vs 62.31%),G2-M期细胞百分比例减少(6.26%vs 10.81%);克隆形成能力降低(39.5%vs 59.7%),体外瘤细胞增殖能力降低(P0.05)。结论:LTF基因可阻滞细胞周期、抑制鼻咽癌细胞系的增殖能力和克隆形成率,同时为进一步的体内试验研究奠定基础。     

Different expression profiles of human cyclin B1 in normal PHA-stimulated T lymphocytes and leukemic T cells

BACKGROUND: In a previous work, we demonstrated with flow cytometry (FCM) methods that accumulation of human cyclin B1 in leukemic cell lines begins during the G(1) phase of the cell cycle (Viallard et al. , Exp Cell Res 247:208-219, 1999). In the present study, FCM was used to compare the localization and the kinetic patterns of cyclin B1 expression in Jurkat leukemia cell line and phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-stimulated normal T lymphocytes. METHODS: Cell synchronization was performed in G(1) with sodium n-butyrate, at the G(1)/S transition with thymidine and at mitosis with colchicine. Cells (leukemic cell line Jurkat or PHA-stimulated human T-lymphocytes) were stained for DNA and cyclin B1 and analyzed by FCM. Western blotting was used to confirm certain results. RESULTS: Under asynchronous growing conditions and for both cell populations, cyclin B1 expression was essentially restricted to the G(2)/M transition, reaching its maximal level at mitosis. When the cells were synchronized at the G(1)/S boundary by thymidine or inside the G(1) phase by sodium n-butyrate, Jurkat cells accumulated cyclin B1 in both situations, whereas T lymphocytes expressed cyclin B1 only during the thymidine block. The cyclin B1 fluorescence kinetics of PHA-stimulated T lymphocytes was strictly similar when considering T lymphocytes blocked at the G(1)/S phase transition by thymidine and in exponentially growing conditions. These FCM results were confirmed by Western blotting. The detection of cyclin B1 by Western blot in cells sorted in the G(1) phase of the cell cycle showed that cyclin B1 was present in the G(1) phase in leukemic T cells but not in normal T lymphocytes. Cyclin B1 degradation was effective at mitosis, thus ruling out a defective cyclin B1 proteolysis. CONCLUSIONS: We found that the leukemic T cells behaved quite differently from the untransformed T lymphocytes. Our data support the notion that human cyclin B1 is present in the G(1) phase of the cell cycle in leukemic T cells but not in normal T lymphocytes. Therefore, the restriction point from which cyclin B1 can be detected is different in the two models studied. We hypothesize that after passage through a restriction point differing in T lymphocytes and in leukemic cells, the rate of cyclin B1 synthesis becomes constant in the S and G(2)/M phases and independent from the DNA replication cycle.     

Variation of mitochondrial size during the cell cycle: A multiparameter flow cytometric and microscopic study.

BACKGROUND: Changes in mitochondrial structure and size are observed in response to alterations in cell physiology. Flow cytometry provides a useful tool to study these changes in intact cells. We have used flow cytometry and digital fluorescence microscopy to analyze the variations in mitochondrial size in relation to specific phases of the cell cycle. METHODS: Supravital staining of rat fibroblasts was done with Hoechst 33342 and rhodamine 123, and cells were analyzed in a dual-laser flow cytometer. Synchronized cells at various stages of the cell cycle were analyzed for changes in mitochondrial size. These cells were also examined by electron microscopy, digital fluorescence microscopy and computerized image analysis to compare the lengths of the mitochondria. RESULTS: By using fluorescence pulse width analysis, we observed two populations of mitochondria in intact cells. The percentage of cells with small and large mitochondria at specific stages of the cell cycle indicated that mitochondrial size increases during the cell cycle; early G1 phase cells had the smallest mitochondria and the mitotic phase cells had the largest mitochondria. These results were confirmed by microscopic analysis of cells. CONCLUSIONS: Flow cytometry can distinguish the relative mitochondrial size in intact cells, and in combination with digital microscopy it can be used to study mitochondrial variation during the cell cycle.     

Quantitative Analysis of Centromeric FISH Spots during the Cell Cycle by Image Cytometry

Two-color fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with chromosome enumeration DNA probes specific to chromosomes 7, 11, 17, and 18 was applied to CAL-51 breast cancer cells to examine whether the fluorescence intensity of FISH spots was associated with cell cycle progression. The fluorescence intensity of each FISH spot was quantitatively analyzed based on the cell cycle stage determined by image cytometry at the single-cell level. The spot intensity of cells in the G₂ phase was larger than that in the G_0/1 phase. This increased intensity was not seen during the early and mid S phases, whereas the cells in the late S phase showed significant increases in spot intensity, reaching the same level as that observed in the G₂ phase, indicating that alpha satellite DNA in the centromeric region was replicated in the late S phase. Thus, image cytometry can successfully detect small differences in the fluorescence intensities of centromeric spots of homologous chromosomes. This combinational image analysis of FISH spots and the cell cycle with cell image cytometry provides insights into new aspects of the cell cycle. This is the first report demonstrating that image cytometry can be used to analyze the fluorescence intensity of FISH signals during the cell cycle.     

Enzymatic amplification staining for flow cytometric analysis of cell surface molecules

BACKGROUND: Flow cytometric analysis is a powerful technique for the single cell assessment of cell surface expression of selected molecules. The major deficiency of flow cytometry has been its relative insensitivity. Only molecules expressed in abundance have been readily observed. METHODS: We have developed an enzymatic amplification procedure for the analysis of cell surface molecules by flow cytometry. Transformed and nontransformed cells expressing MHC class I, CD5, CD3, CD4, CD6, CD7, CD34, CD45, MHC class II, Fas ligand, and phosphatidylserine were assessed. RESULTS: Our enzymatic amplification technology increased the fluorescence signal between 10 and 100-fold for all surface molecules tested. CONCLUSIONS: Enzymatic amplification staining produces a significant enhancement in the resolving power of flow cytometric analysis of cell surface molecules. Using this technique, we have been able to detect the presence of molecules that could not be observed by the standard procedure.     

The relationship between thrombomodulin expression and cell cycle stages in cultured rabbit endothelial cells

Cultured rabbit endothelial cells have significant but variable amounts of thrombomodulin (TM), both on their surface as well as inside the cell. To determine if variations in TM antigen is cell cycle related, cells with very high levels of TM antigen were identified and staged according to the intracellular distribution and relative amounts of the antigen, using immunofluorescence techniques. After staging, the nuclear DNA content of each of these cells was determined by measuring the propidium iodide (PI) fluorescence intensity cytophotometrically. Stages 1, 2, and 3, which exhibited TM immunofluorescence in the golgi area, clustered to the G1 phase of the cell cycle. Cells without discernible golgi fluorescence (stages 4 and 5) but with variable amounts of cytoplasmic and surface fluorescence appeared to have little or no relationship to the cell cycle.     

Simultaneous assessment of chromatin structure, DNA content, and antigen expression by dual wavelength excitation flow cytometry.

7-aminoactinomycin D (7-AMD) efficiently discriminates between cells in the G0 and G1 phases of the cell cycle (Stokke et al., Cancer Res. 48:6708, 1988). The fluorescence and light scatter of cells stained with 7-AMD, Hoechst 33258 (H33258), and fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-labeled antibodies were measured by dual wavelength excitation flow cytometry (488 nm, ultraviolet). The H33258 fluorescence was found to reflect DNA content in the presence of 7-AMD, although energy transfer caused an approximately 50% reduction in H33258 fluorescence intensity. However, energy transfer was more pronounced in dead cells, permitting exclusion of such cells during analysis. The G0, G1, S, and G2 phases of the cell cycle could be identified in the 7-AMD versus H33258 fluorescence histograms, as was demonstrated with mitogen-stimulated B lymphocytes and a mixture of unstimulated B lymphocytes and a proliferating B-cell line. One hour fixation with paraformaldehyde was compatible with prefixation labeling of surface antigens with indirectly FITC-labeled antibodies as well as postfixation labeling of intracellular antigens. Studies of expression of some surface and nuclear activation-associated antigens confirmed that cell cycle-resolved antigen expression and the time course of appearance of such antigens could be assessed accurately. Phycoerythrin could be used to label a second antigen.     

Regulation of the G2/M phase of the cell cycle by sperm associated antigen 8 (SPAG8) protein

Sperm associated antigen 8 (SPAG8), a testis‐specific protein produced during male germ cell differentiation, was isolated from a human testis expression library using antibodies found in the serum obtained from an infertile woman. It was found to have a close functional relationship with microtubules. In this study, we generated a stably expressing SPAG8 CHO‐K1 cell line. Immunofluorescence confocal microscopy showed that SPAG8 was concentrated at the microtubule‐organizing center (MTOC) during prophase. As the cells progressed into metaphase, it co‐localized with α‐tubulin on the spindle. In anaphase, it was detected on both astral microtubules and mid‐zone. Following cytokinesis, SPAG8 resumed its localization on the MTOC. Meanwhile, flow cytometry analysis found that SPAG8 prolonged the G2/M phase of CHO‐K1 cells stably expressing SPAG8. Furthermore, 3‐(4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay showed that SPAG8 inhibited the proliferation of the stable cells. SPAG8 might be involved in the regulation of cell cycle by changing the phosphorylation level of Tyr15 on cdc2. These results suggest that SPAG8 might play a role in cell division during spermatogenesis. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.