Newly synthesized glycoconjugates from two cell lines derived from rat osteogenic sarcoma: effects of Matrigenin activity from bone

An activity isolated from bovine bone was previously shown to stimulate proteoglycan synthesis by several connective tissue cell lines from normal tissues (Matrigenin activity). The effect of this activity on glycoconjugate synthesis by two osteoblastic cell lines, ROS 17/2 and UMR-106, derived from rat osteogenic sarcoma, was examined after labelling of the cells with [3H]glucosamine and [35S]sulfate. The glycoconjugates from the cell layers and the media were separated by DEAE-Sephacel chromatography and the anionic glycoconjugates of the media were further analyzed by chromatography on Sepharose CL-2B and enzymatic digestion of the papain-released glycosaminoglycans. The ROS 17/2 cells secreted at least two distinct species of proteoglycan (one heparan sulfate rich and the other chondroitin sulfate rich), whereas the UMR-106 secreted primarily an anionic glycoprotein. The addition of Matrigenin activity to the ROS 17/2 cells resulted in stimulation of incorporation of radioactivity into the proteoglycan and hyaluronic acid, but in UMR-106 cultures it resulted in decreased incorporation into the anionic glycoprotein. The decrease in incorporation into the anionic glycoprotein from the medium was shown, by alkaline beta-elimination, to have occurred mainly in the oligosaccharide fraction, relative to control cultures.     

Detection of a calmodulin-sensitive cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase in rat parotid gland

Calmodulin coupled to Sepharose has provided a rapid and sensitive means of isolating a cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase activity which is stimulated by the calmodulin-Ca²⁺ complex, from rat parotid gland. Initial experiments established that phosphodiesterase activity sensitive to calmodulin and Ca²⁺ could not be demonstrated in crude extracts of rat parotid gland or after partial purification of rat parotid phosphodiesterase over DEAE-cellulose. However, it was possible to readily demonstrate the presence of a cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase activity regulated by calmodulin if the extracts were first purified by batch ion-exchange chromatography over DEAE-cellulose followed by affinity chromatography with calmodulin coupled to Sepharose. The batch ion-exchange chromatography step removed the major portion of free parotid calmodulin which could compete with calmodulin-coupled Sepharose for the proteins regulated by calmodulin. Thus, by employing an initial chromatography step over DEAE-cellulose to separate phosphodiesterase activity from calmodulin, it was possible to increase the recovery of calmodulin-sensitive phosphodiesterase after affinity chromatography with calmodulin coupled to Sepharose. This approach should be useful for demonstrating the presence of and for purifying other parotid proteins regulated by calmodulin.     

Cytotoxicity of vacuolar H+ -ATPase inhibitors to UMR-106 rat osteoblasts: an effect on iron uptake into cells?

Treatment of rat osteoblastic UMR-106 cells with bafilomycin A1 rhamnoside or concanamycin A, which are potent and specific inhibitors of the vacuolar H⁺-ATPase (V-ATPase), caused a rapid rounding up of the cells (within 6 hr), inhibition of cell growth (IC₅₀ = 3.3 nM and 0.5 nM, respectively, at 24 hr) and cell death at 54 hr. Since proliferating cells have an absolute requirement for iron and the V-ATPase plays a crucial role in iron uptake into cells via the transferrin cycle, the effect of the iron chelator, desferal, was tested on UMR-106 cells. A time-dependent cell rounding, suppression of cell growth followed by cell death very similar to that observed with the V-ATPase inhibitors was seen. Therefore, the in vitro and in vivo toxicity of V-ATPase inhibitors may be due, at least in part, to their preventing iron uptake into cells.     

Metabolism of 25-hydroxydihydrotachysterol3 in bone cells in vitro.

Dihydrotachysterol3, a reduced (or hydrogenated) analog of vitamin D3 in which the A ring has been rotate through 180 degrees , is, after hepatic 25-hydroxylation, converted in vivo to a dihydroxylated metabolite, termed peak H, which is at present unidentified but with good affinity for the vitamin D receptor. Although peak H is made in relatively large amounts in vivo, it has not yet been possible to synthesize it in vitro. Mass spectrometric evidence suggests that peak H is 25-hydroxylated and the presumption that it is a metabolite of 25-hydroxydihydrotachysterol3 was confirmed by the demonstration that radiolabeled peak H was formed in vivo in the rat after injection of 25-hydroxy-[10,19-3H]dihydrotachysterol3, produced from [10,19-3H]dihydrotachysterol3 in a hepatic cell model. The metabolism of 25-hydroxy-[10,19-3H]dihydrotachysterol3 was also studied in a rat osteosarcoma cell UMR-106, a known target cell for vitamin D, using high (11 microM) and low (10 nM) substrate concentrations. Metabolic products were isolated by lipid extraction, purified by high-performance liquid chromatography, and characterized by direct-probe mass spectrometry and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The formation of peak H from 25-hydroxydihydrotachysterol3 could not be demonstrated in UMR-106 cells. However, 25-hydroxydihydrotachysterol3 was metabolized to at least seven side-chain modified metabolites, each of which was extensively characterized and tentatively identified. It is concluded that the vitamin D enzyme system present in UMR-106 cells is able to metabolize dihydrotachysterol3 very efficiently to a series of metabolites but is incapable of producing peak H.     

Selection of reference genes for quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction studies in rat osteoblasts

Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) is a powerful tool to evaluate gene expression, but its accuracy depends on the choice and stability of the reference genes used for normalization. In this study, we aimed to identify reference genes for studies on osteoblasts derived from rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (bone marrow osteoblasts), osteoblasts derived from newborn rat calvarial (calvarial osteoblasts), and rat osteosarcoma cell line UMR-106. The osteoblast phenotype was characterized by ALP activity and extracellular matrix mineralization. Thirty-one candidates for reference genes from a Taqman^® array were assessed by qRT-PCR, and their expressions were analyzed by five different approaches. The data showed that several of the most traditional reference genes, such as Actb and Gapdh, were inadequate for normalization and that the experimental conditions may affect gene stability. Eif2b1 was frequently identified among the best reference genes in bone marrow osteoblasts, calvarial osteoblasts, and UMR-106 osteoblasts. Selected stable and unstable reference genes were used to normalize the gene expression of Runx2, Alp, and Oc. The data showed statistically significant differences in the expression of these genes depending on the stability of the reference gene used for normalization, creating a bias that may induce incorrect assumptions in terms of osteoblast characterization of these cells. In conclusion, our study indicates that a rigorous selection of reference genes is a key step in qRT-PCR studies in osteoblasts to generate precise and reliable data.     

Opposite effects of oxytocin on proliferation of osteosarcoma cell lines

Oxytocin stimulates proliferation of human osteoblast-like (hOB) cells and human osteosarcoma cells (SaOS-2). In contrast, oxytocin has also been shown to inhibit proliferation of other cell lines such as breast cancer cells.The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of different concentrations of oxytocin on cell proliferation in osteosarcoma cell lines of different stages of differentiation: SaOS-2, TE-85, and UMR-106.For this purpose cells were incubated with oxytocin (1–1000  pmol/l). Cell proliferation was measured by [³H]thymidine incorporation and a commercially available kit (EZ4U).Incubation with oxytocin during 24  h increased proliferation of SaOS-2 cells significantly (100  pmol/l: p < 0.01). In contrast, 24  h of incubation with oxytocin decreased proliferation of TE-85 (100  pmol/l: p < 0.01) and UMR-106 cells significantly (100  pmol/l: p < 0.01). The effects of oxytocin in SaOS-2 and TE-85, but not in UMR-106 cells, were abolished when the cells were incubated with both oxytocin and an oxytocin antagonist (1-deamino-2-d-Tyr-(Oet)-4-Thr-8-Orn-oxytocin). Instead incubation with the oxytocin antagonist alone decreased proliferation of UMR-106 cells significantly (p < 0.001). Thus oxytocin has the capacity to both stimulate and inhibit cell proliferation of osteosarcoma cells. This effect might be dependent on the stage of differentiation of the cancer cells.     

A fibroblast heparan sulphate proteoglycan with a 70 kDa core protein is linked to membrane phosphatidylinositol

Here we present evidence that a fibroblast heparan sulphate proteoglycan of approx. 300 kDa and with a core protein of apparent molecular mass 70 kDa is covalently linked to the plasma membranevia a linkage structure involving phosphatidylinositol. Phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C releases such a heparan sulphate proteoglycan only from cells labelled with [³⁵S]sulphate in the absence of serum. Cell cultures labelled with [³H]myo-inositol in the absence or presence of serum produce a radiolabelled heparan sulphate proteoglycan which was purified by gel-permeation chromatography and ion-exchange chromatography on MonoQ. Digestion with heparan sulphate lyase and analysis by gel-permeation chromatography and sodium dodecylsulphate-polyacrylamide gel-electrophoresis revealed that the³H-label is associated with a core protein of apparent mass 70 kDa.     

Further purification and characterization of newly synthesized anionic glycoconjugates secreted by cultured UMR-106 cells: evidence that the major anionic glycoconjugate secreted by these cells is similar to bone sialoprotein II.

Following incubation of UMR-106 cells for 48 h in the presence of [3H]glucosamine and [35S]sulfate, the newly synthesized anionic glycoconjugates were isolated from the culture medium by cetylpyridinium chloride/ethanol precipitation and further separated by DEAE-Sephacel chromatography into two radiolabelled fractions, a major component, UM I, and a minor component, UM II. UM I appeared to be homogeneous as shown by Sepharose CL-4B chromatography under dissociative conditions, and SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. It showed a molecular mass of approximately 93 kDa on 4-15% gels. UM I was partially degraded by brief treatment with trypsin, releasing a small, terminal peptide that contained 47.6% of 35S but no 3H. Treatment of UM I with neuraminidase and 0.1 N H2SO4 (1 h at 80 degrees C), respectively, released 27% 3H and 38.4% 3H plus 41% 35S, suggesting the presence of a significant number of sialic acid residues, as shown by Sephadex G-50 chromatography of the digests. Amino acid analysis showed that the UM I glycoconjugate was rich in acidic amino acids (12.6% aspartic acid and 21.2% glutamic acid residues) and its N-terminal sequence was Phe-Ser-Met-Lys-Asn-Phe-, which is identical to the published N-terminal amino acid sequence of rat bone sialoprotein II. Keratanase treatment of UM I released 26% of the incorporated radioactivity, suggesting the presence of keratan sulfate chains. UM II contained a chondroitinase ABC-sensitive proteoglycan.     

Identification and activation of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase in normal human osteoblastic and bone marrow stromal cells: Attenuation of MAP kinase activation by cAMP,parathyroid hormone and forskolin

The mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases (p44^mapk and p42^mapk), also known as extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1 and ERK2), are activated in response to a variety of extracellular signals, including growth factors, hormones and, neurotransmitters. We have investigated MAP kinase signal transduction pathways in normal human osteoblastic cells. Normal human bone marrow stromal (HBMS), osteoblastic (HOB), and human (TE85, MG-63, SaOS-2), rat (ROS 17/2.8, UMR-106) and mouse (MC3T3-E1) osteoblastic cell lines contained immunodetectable p44^mapk/ERK1 and p42^mapk/ERK2. MAP kinase activity was measured by 'in-gel' assay myelin basic protein as the substrate. Mainly ERK2 was rapidly activated (within 10 min) by bFGF, IGF-I and PDGF-BB in normal HOB, HBMS and human osteosarcoma cells, whereas both ERK1 and ERK2 were activated by growth factors in rat osteoblast-like cell lines, ROS 17/2.8 and UMR-106. The ERK1 activation was greater than the ERK2 in ROS 17/2.8 cells. Furthermore, ERK2 was also activated by bFGF and PDGF-BB in the mouse osteoblastic cell line, MC3T3-E1. This is the first demonstration of inter-species differences in the activation of MAP kinases in osteoblastic cells. Cyclic AMP derivatives or cAMP generating agents such as PTH and forskolin inhibited ERK2 activation by bFGF and PDGF-BB suggesting a 'cross-talk' between the two different signalling pathways activated by receptor tyrosine kinases and cAMP-dependent protein kinase. The accumulated results also suggest that the MAP kinases may be involved in mediating mitogenic and other biological actions of bFGF, IGF-I and PDGF-BB in normal human osteoblastic and bone marrow stromal cells.     

Purification and Characterization of Two Lectins from the Sea Cucumber Stichopus japonicus

Two Ca^{2 +}–dependent lectins were purified from the sea cucumber Stichopus japonicus by affinity chromatography on lactosyl-Sepharose 4B and ion-exchange chromatography on Q-Sepharose. Their molecular masses were estimated to be 13kDa (SJL-I) and 15kDa (SJL-II) on SDS-PAGE. SJL-I agglutinated rabbit erythrocytes as well as human A, B, and O-type erythrocytes, but SJL-II agglutinated only rabbit erythrocytes. Hemagglutination by SJL-I was competitively inhibited by N-acetyl-D- galactosamine and galactose-containing carbohydrates. On the other hand, only lactose, melibiose, and raffinose gave weak inhibition of hemagglutination by SJL-II, suggesting that SJL-II may have high specificity for particular complex carbohydrate(s) on the surface of rabbit erythrocytes. SJL-II was activated at ten times lower Ca²⁺ concentration than SJL-I. Both lectins lost activity in acidic pH, while SJL-I appeared more stable down to pH 4.5.     

Purification and characterization of a new trypsin inhibitor from Dimorphandra mollis seeds

A second trypsin inhibitor (DMTI-II) was purified from the seed of Dimorphandra mollis (Leguminosae-Mimosoideae) by ammonium sulfate precipitation (30–60%), gel filtration, and ion-exchange and affinity chromatography. A molecular weight of 23 kDa was estimated by gel filtration on a Superdex 75 column SDS-PAGE under reduced conditions showed that DMTI-II consisted of a single polypeptide chain, although isoelectric focusing revealed the presence of three isoforms. The dissociation constant of 1.7 × 10^–9 M with bovine trypsin indicated a high affinity between the inhibitor and this enzyme. The inhibitory activity was stable over a wide pH range and in the presence of DTT. The N-terminal sequence of DMTI-II showed a high degree of homology with other Kunitz-type inhibitors.     

Transferrin acquisition of catabolized erythrocyte iron in the rat

Rat plasma contains two isotransferrins rather than the single iron-binding protein found in plasma of other species, and it was recently proposd that differences between the biological behavior of each isotransferrin accounted for observations previously attributed to behavioral differences between each of the two transferrin iron-binding sites. The two isotransferrins were isolated from rat plasma by DEAE-Sephadex ion-exchange chromatography and isoelectric focusing. The pH-dependent iron-dissociating and reticulocyte iron-donating properties of each isotransferrin were investigated and found to be indistinguishable. Like human transferrin, one iron-binding site retains its affinity for iron below pH 6 and this property was used to investigate the $\text{in}$$\text{vivo}$ acquisition of catabolic iron in order to determine whether the process occurs at one specific or both binding sites. Plasma radioactive iron, derived from injected ⁵⁹Fe-labelled heat denatured erythrocytes was bound with high specificity to the transferrin iron-binding site that was most resistant to acidic dissociation. This finding supports Fletcher and Huehns' hypothesis that each of the two rat transferrin iron-binding sites is endowed with a separate functional role.     

Three-step purification of bacterially expressed human single-chain Fv antibodies for clinical applications

We have obtained a cell line which secretes a human monoclonal IgM (B7) reacting with the myosin heavy chain of human heart. We have constructed single-chain fragments (scFv) of B7. The scFv may be useful for the imaging of myocardial necrosis after myocarditis, cardiac drug toxicosis or graft rejection. The aim of our work was to purify the scFv for immunoscintigraphy. We describe several purification steps including immobilized metal affinity chromatography (IMAC), anti-c-myc monoclonal antibody affinity chromatography, size-exclusion chromatography with Superdex^R 75 HR 10/30 and ion-exchange chromatography (mini Q TM 30Q).     

Prednisolone enhances aminopeptidase turnover in adult rat small intestine

In adult male rats, fed prednisolone (0.75 mg/kg/day) for 7 days, brush border aminopeptidase activity was increased (P < 0.001) by 106% compared to pair-fed controls. [¹⁴C]Tyrosine was injected intraperitoneally 16 h and [³H]tyrosine 6 h before death. The ³H/¹⁴C ratio was 1.79 ± 0.21 (S.D.) in purified microvillus membranes from treated rats compared to 1.30 ± 0.16 (P < 0.01) in controls. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of brush border membranes under denaturing conditions showed that the increased double-isotope ratio in membranes from treated rats was mainly in the high molecular weight protein subunits (> 80 kDa) Detergent-solubilized aminopeptidase was purified after in vivo labeling by protein A-Sepharose-antiaminopeptidase affinity chromatography. The ³H/¹⁴C ratio in aminopeptidase was 2.42 ± 0.15 (P < 0.05) in treated rats compared to 1.63 ± 0.13 in controls. Over the experimental period steady-state isotope reutilization and protein labeling was demonstrated and there was no isotope metabolism. Total microvillus membrane lipid content was unaffected by prednisolone. We conclude that prednisolone increases brush border aminopeptidase activity by increasing enzyme turnover. Other high molecular weight brush border proteins were similarly affected.     

Synthesis and secretion of colonic glycoproteins: Evidence for shedding in vivo of low molecular weight membrane components

In vivo glycoprotein synthesis and secretion was studied in rat colonic epithelial cells using precursor labelling with radiolabelled glucosamine. Sepharose 4B gel filtration of radiolabelled glycoproteins obtained from isolated colonic epithelial cells revealed two major fractions: (1) high molecular weight mucus in the excluded fraction and (2) lower molecular weight glycoproteins in the included volume. These glycoproteins were further fractionated by affinity chromatography on concanavalin A-Sepharose. The low molecular weight [³H]glucosamine-labelled glycoproteins contained a major subfraction which specifically adhered to concanavalin A, and could be eluted with 0.2 M α-methylmannoside. Fractionation of the concanavalin A-reactive glycoproteins on Sephadex G-100 revealed a major peak with a molecular weight of 15 000. In contrast, high molecular weight mucus glycoprotein did not adhere appreciably to concanavalin A-Sepharose. Perfusion experiments indicated that colonic secretions contained both mucus and concanavalin A-reactive glycoproteins. The major concanavalin A-reactive glycoprotein in the colonic perfusate was not derived from serum, but was released directly from the colonic membrane into the lumen.     

Overexpression of BMP-2 modulates morphology, growth, and gene expression in osteoblastic cells

Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMP) play a pivotal role in growth and differentiation of osteoblastic lineage cells. BMPs are potent stimulators of bone formation in various animal models. To understand the mechanism of BMP action in bone cells, we have investigated the effects of overexpression of the BMP-2 gene on proliferation and differentiation of UMR-106 rat osteosarcoma cells. A stable UMR-106 cell line overexpressing the BMP-2 gene was established by transfection of cells using a mammalian expression vector harboring human BMP-2 cDNA followed by G418 selection. After introduction of the BMP-2 gene, UMR-106 cells appeared more spindle-shaped in morphology compared to the predominantly cuboidal appearance of the parental cells. Overexpression of BMP-2 markedly inhibited proliferation as measured by cell counting and [3H]thymidine incorporation assays. Extracellular matrix (ECM) derived from cells overexpressing BMP-2 exhibited a less supportive effect on proliferation of UMR cells than did ECM derived from parental cells. Furthermore, cell-cell communication through gap junctions was reduced more than 50% as determined by nondisruptive fluorescent dye transfer assays. Overexpression of BMP-2 significantly stimulated expression of osteocalcin and alkaline phosphatase genes, indicating its role in osteoblastic differentiation. There was little effect on osteopontin gene expression.     

Chemical forms of selenium present in rat and ram spermatozoa

In vivo and in vitro studies were conducted to investigate the chemical forms by ion-exchange chromatography of selenium (Se) present in rat and ovine spermatozoa. After injection with ⁷⁵Se-selenite, the form of ⁷⁵Se in rat sperm was selenocysteine, but selenocysteine and selenomethionine (SeMet) were present in ovine sperm. Presumably, synthesis of SeMet by rumen microbes are responsible for its presence in ovine sperm. In vitro incubation of ram sperm with selenocysteine or SeMet produced no changes, but incubation with selenite produced a compound that eluted one fraction before SeMet from the ion-exchange column. After treatment of this fraction with mercaptoethanol, it eluted in a later fraction upon rechromatography, suggesting it to be selenodicysteine. This compound is apparently formed because of high levels of cysteine in semen. Cysteine, reduced glutathione, and oxidized glutathione were also found in semen. The significance of the results is discussed.     

An improved method for large scale purification of human holo-transcobalamin II

25 mg of human holo-transcobalamin II with a specific cobalamin-binding capacity of 0.95 mol cobalamin/mol TC II was purified from 122 kg Cohn fraction III with a yield of 73% and a purification factor of 9.34 · 10⁵. Consecutive purification steps comprised CM-Sephadex batchwise ion-exchange chromatography, affinity chromatography, using cyanocobalamin as a ligand, thermolabilly attached to 3.3′-diaminodipropylamine-substituted CH-Sepharose, and gel filtration. The high yield of the purification procedure was achieved by improving the stability of apo-transcobalamin II in the eluate of the CM-Sephadex, and by a few other modifications of a former procedure. In the latter, rapid denaturation of apo-transcobalamin II prohibited the use of long term affinity chromatography, which is obligatory for processing large amounts of Cohn fraction. In addition, subfractionation of transcobalamin II into smaller fragments which occurred in SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in previous studies, was now reduced, indicating that proteolysis in the CM-Sephadex eluate had been prevented effectively.     

Purification and Characterization of an Acid Phosphatase from Mycoplasma fermentans

An acid phosphatase associated with the cell membranes of Mycoplasma fermentans was released from the membranes with Triton X-100, then purified by ion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-Sephacel and CM-Sepharose, followed by affinity chromatography on Con A-Sepharose. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the purified enzyme revealed a single band with a molecular mass of 31.2 kilodaltons. The enzyme activity toward p-nitrophenyl phosphate was enhanced remarkably by Cu²⁺, Co²⁺ and Mg²⁺, but the activity was not inhibited by EDTA. The enzyme dephosphorylated O-phospho-l -tyrosine as well as p-nitrophenyl phosphate, but not O-phospho-l -threonine, O-phospho-l -serine, glucose-1-phosphate, phosphoryl choline and adenosine triphosphate. The level of the O-phospho-l -tyrosine phosphatase activity was the highest in Mycoplasma faucium and the second highest in Mycoplasma fermentans of all tested human mycoplasmas.     

Equilibrium Dialysis Measurements of the Ca2+-Binding Properties of Recombinant Radish Vacuolar Ca2+-Binding Protein Expressed in Escherichia coli

Vacuoles of radish (Raphanus sativus) contained a Ca²⁺-binding protein (RVCaB) of 43 kDa. We investigated the Ca²⁺-binding properties of the protein. RVCaB was expressed in Escherichia coli and was purified from an extract by ion-exchange chromatography, nitrocellulose membrane filtration, and gel-filtration column chromatography. Ca²⁺-binding properties of the recombinant protein were examined by equilibrium dialysis with ⁴⁵Ca²⁺ and small dialysis buttons. The protein was estimated to bind 19Ca²⁺ ions per molecule with a K _d for Ca²⁺ of 3.4 mM. Ca²⁺ was bound to the protein even in the presence of high concentrations of Mg²⁺ or K⁺. The results suggested that the protein bound Ca²⁺ with high ion selectivity, high capacity, and low affinity.