Electrical impedance measurements predict cellular transformation

Cellular transformation is the first step in cancer development. Two features of cellular transformation are proliferation in reduced serum and loss of contact inhibition. Electronic Cell-Substrate Impedance Sensing (ECIS) measurements have been used to measure cellular proliferation, cytotoxicity, apoptosis, and attachment. We have used impedance measurements to distinguish normal cells from cells transformed with a constitutively active chemokine receptor, CXCR2. CXCR2, a member of the G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) family, is normally involved in cellular activation and migration, but a single amino acid substitution leads to constitutive activity. NIH3T3 cells were transformed with a constitutively active CXCR2 (D143V_CXCR2) and growth in reduced serum and foci formation were measured using established biological assays and compared to data from ECIS. The results of this study show that impedance measurements provide a quick and reliable way of measuring cellular transformation and provide real time assessment of transformed cellular parameters. Use of the ECIS system could allow a rapid screening of anti-cancer drugs that alter cellular transformation.     

水稻悬浮细胞再生及根癌农杆菌介导转化的影响因素

已经成功报道的农杆菌介导的水稻遗传转化多以活力较高的胚性愈伤为材料,很少以水稻悬浮细胞作为受体．另外,利用农杆菌转化多数都是通过浸泡的方式进行侵染．本实验利用滴加浸染法进行农杆菌介导转化水稻悬浮细胞,探讨影响 DNA 转化效率的因素．研究显示,在转化前,将水稻悬浮细胞在愈伤诱导培养基上培养1～2周,诱导产生直径为2～3 mm的微小愈伤组织对转化非常重要.微小愈伤组织大小不应小于 2 mm;对悬浮细胞短时间培养不但会缩短植株再生时间,而且会提高转化效率．此外,侵染农杆菌的浓度、侵染时间和不同侵染方法也影响 T-DNA 插入基因组的效率．用 1 ml Ａ600值为 0.5 浓度的农杆菌悬液滴加在水稻悬浮细胞诱导的愈伤,培养3 d或直到可见农杆菌菌落,此方法可以得到较高转化效率．将再生的潮霉素抗性的转化植株在含有 50 mg/L 潮霉素的分化和生根培养基中筛选得到,并对转化植株 gus 基因的表达进行 PCR 检测.结果显示,用 Ａ600值为 0.5 浓度的农杆菌浸泡侵染 20 min和滴加浸染法,分别得到PCR阳性植株率为 70% 和92%.     

Transformation-defective mutants of polyomavirus middle T antigen associate with phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase) but are unable to maintain wild-type levels of PI 3-kinase products in intact cells.

Middle T antigen (MT) of polyomavirus causes transformation by associating with a number of cellular proteins. The association with and activation of two such proteins, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase) and pp60c-src, appears to be necessary for transformation by MT. The tyrosine kinase activity of MT-associated pp60c-src is significantly increased when assayed in vitro, and levels of phosphotyrosine-containing proteins are elevated in vivo. Similarly, levels of the PI 3-kinase products phosphatidylinositol-3,4-bisphosphate [PI(3,4)P2] and phosphatiylinositol-3,4,5-trisphosphate [PI(3,4,5)P3] are constitutively elevated in MT-transformed cells. However, the formation of a complete MT/cellular protein complex and the activation of tyrosine kinase are not sufficient to cause transformation, since the transformation-defective mutants 248m and dl1015 associate with all wild-type MT-associated proteins, including PI 3-kinase and pp60c-src, and neither mutant appears to be defective in MT-associated tyrosine kinase activity. Studies presented here compared (i) the amount of PI 3-kinase activity associated with the MT complex and (ii) levels of [3H]inositol incorporation into PI 3-kinase products in cells expressing mutant or wild-type MT. The results show that dl1015 is defective in both assays, whereas 248m is defective only for incorporation of [3H]inositol into PI(3,4,5)P2 and PI(3,4)P3. These findings identify a biochemical defect in the 248m mutant and corroborate previous results correlating transformation and elevated levels of PI 3-kinase products in vivo. In addition, they indicate that PI 3-kinase product levels are affected by factors other than simply the amount of PI 3-kinase activity associated with the MT complex.     

Microdosimetry of rat alveolar type II cells irradiated with alpha particles from 239PuO2

The alveolar type II cell is one of the critical cells for radiation damage in the lungs after inhalation of radioactive aerosols. With the aid of a Quantimet-970 image analyzer and a VAX-11/780 computer, we calculated the radiation dose to rat alveolar type II cells from alpha particles emitted by 239PuO2. A series of dosimetric parameters for type II cells, including track length distribution, linear energy transfer (LET), values of the specific energy for a single hit of a spherical target (z1), cellular dose, hit number, and their spatial distributions were calculated. By comparing the volume density of type II cells and lung tissue with energy deposited in alveolar type II cells, we found that the energy deposited per unit volume of type II cells was larger than that of lung tissue excluding type II cells. The z1 for spherical targets and the LET across type II cells were less than those in lung tissue excluding type II cells. The age of the rat and damage to lung by inhalation may significantly influence some of the parameters. The neoplastic transformation probability for type II cells is also discussed. The results suggest that the type II cell is an important target cell in the rat lung for exposure to inhaled 239PuO2.     

Correlated hit probability and cell transformation in an effect-specific track length model applied to in vitro alpha irradiation

In estimating the risk from low doses of alpha particles such as those emitted by radon progeny, it is important to consider the correlation between cellular inactivation and transformation that can exist at the cellular level. A phenomenological model of radiation- induced cellular inactivation and transformation at this level is presented here which incorporates aspects of a state vector model of radiation carcinogenesis and of correlated hit probabilities for inactivation and transformation. The general form of the model assumes that both inactivation and initial initiation damage are produced through the interaction of sublesions induced by radiation passing through cell nuclei, with the production of sublesions governed by hit probabilities and a characteristic probability-per-unit track length. The inactivation and initiation events are partially correlated through the use of hit probabilities. In addition, promotional events are incorporated for the case of cellular transformation based on a previously published state vector model. The model provides good fits to available data on the relationship between inactivation, transformation and LET for doses of alpha above 0.1 Gy in the range of LETs commonly produced by radon and progeny; by ”good fits” we mean here the ability to yield the correct shapes of dose-response data using parameter values that vary smoothly with LET and using inactivation parameters that are applied consistently between inactivation and transformation assays. The resulting model correctly predicts recent findings indicating an increased transformation frequency per surviving cell when a population receives a distribution of hits compared to irradiation where all cells receive the same number of hits. Received: 1 June 2001 / Accepted: 7 September 2001     

Mechanism(s) of neoplastic transformation by avian oncogenic retroviruses

Neoplastic transformation by avian oncogenic retroviruses, notably by sarcoma viruses, the best known of all, results from the expression of a specific viral gene (oncogene), presumably of cellular origin. The protein coded for by this gene appears to act on different targets controlling the various modified cellular characters. A proteic factor coded for by the cell, and derepressed or activated by the expression of the oncogene, is involved in the maintenance of morphological transformation. This factor is also produced by cells transformed by other viruses or oncogenic agents. Other cellular factors, derepressed or activated, may also act as effectors for other parameters of transformation.     

Suppression of the chemically transformed phenotype of BHK cells by a human cDNA.

Transformation of the baby hamster kidney cell line BHK SN-10 by chemical carcinogens such as nitrosylmethylurea (NMU) is mediated by the loss of a gene product critical for the suppression of malignant transformation. Somatic cell hybrids between chemically transformed BHK SN-10 cells and either normal hamster kidney or human fibroblast cells are nontransformed; therefore, a recessive mechanism underlies the malignant transformation of BHK SN-10 cells after chemical carcinogenesis (A. Stoler and N. P. Bouck, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 82:570-574, 1985). A human fibroblast cDNA library was constructed and introduced into NMU-transformed BHK SN-10 cells (NMU 34m) in order to identify a human cDNA capable of suppressing cellular transformation. NMU-transformed BHK cells were analyzed for reversion to an anchorage-dependent normal cellular phenotype after transfection with human cDNA. The human cDNA capable of inducing stable reversion of NMU 34m cells encodes the intermediate filament protein vimentin, which is apparently required for maintenance of the normal phenotype in BHK SN-10 cells.     

Human cancer cells have specifically lost the ability to induce the synergistic state caused by tumor necrosis factor plus interferon-β

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and the members of the interferon (IFN) family are major inducible cytokines that function to counteract viral infections or cellular transformation. Recently, our lab has characterized a novel antiviral state which is induced in primary human fibroblasts by co-treatment with TNF plus IFNβ. Here, we demonstrate that this synergistic state is both antiviral and cytostatic for primary human cells. Significantly, we observed that a wide spectrum of transformed human cancer cells have universally lost the ability to induce the TNF/IFNβ synergistic state, as defined by three separate criteria. We hypothesize that the ability to induce the TNF/IFNβ synergistic state is a unique feature of primary cells and is incompatible with cellular immortalization and/or transformation.     

Mobile phone base station radiation does not affect neoplastic transformation in BALB/3T3 cells

A large-scale in vitro study focusing on low-level radiofrequency (RF) fields from mobile radio base stations employing the International Mobile Telecommunication 2000 (IMT-2000) cellular system was conducted to test the hypothesis that modulated RF fields affect malignant transformation or other cellular stress responses. Our group previously reported that DNA strand breaks were not induced in human cells exposed to 2.1425 GHz Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (W-CDMA) radiation up to 800 mW/kg from mobile radio base stations employing the IMT-2000 cellular system. In the current study, BALB/3T3 cells were continuously exposed to 2.1425 GHz W-CDMA RF fields at specific absorption rates (SARs) of 80 and 800 mW/kg for 6 weeks and malignant cell transformation was assessed. In addition, 3-methylcholanthrene (MCA)-treated cells were exposed to RF fields in a similar fashion, to assess for effects on tumor promotion. Finally, the effect of RF fields on tumor co-promotion was assessed in BALB/3T3 cells initiated with MCA and co-exposed to 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA). At the end of the incubation period, transformation dishes were fixed, stained with Giemsa, and scored for morphologically transformed foci. No significant differences in transformation frequency were observed between the test groups exposed to RF signals and the sham-exposed negative controls in the non-, MCA-, or MCA plus TPA-treated cells. Our studies found no evidence to support the hypothesis that RF fields may affect malignant transformation. Our results suggest that exposure to low-level RF radiation of up to 800 mW/kg does not induce cell transformation, which causes tumor formation.     

Systematic analysis of the amino acid residues of human papillomavirus type 16 E7 conserved region 3 involved in dimerization and transformation

The human papillomavirus (HPV) E7 oncoprotein exists as a dimer and acts by binding to many cellular factors, preventing or retargeting their function and thereby making the infected cell conducive for viral replication. Dimerization of E7 is attributed primarily to the C-terminal domain, referred to as conserved region 3 (CR3). CR3 is highly structured and is necessary for E7's transformation ability. It is also required for binding of numerous E7 cellular targets. To systematically analyze the molecular mechanisms by which HPV16 E7 CR3 contributes to carcinogenesis, we created a comprehensive panel of mutations in residues predicted to be exposed on the surface of CR3. We analyzed our novel collection of mutants, as well as mutants targeting predicted hydrophobic core residues of the dimer, for the ability to dimerize. The same set of mutants was also assessed functionally for transformation capability in a baby rat kidney cell assay in conjugation with activated ras. We show that some mutants of HPV16 E7 CR3 failed to dimerize yet were still able to transform baby rat kidney cells. Our results identify several novel E7 mutants that abrogate transformation and also indicate that E7 does not need to exist as a stable dimer in order to transform cells.     

Cellular aging is a critical determinant of primary cell resistance to v-src transformation.

Primary cell cultures are in general resistant to the transforming effect of a single oncogene, a finding considered consistent with the multistage theory of carcinogenesis. In the present studies, we examined whether cellular age, differentiation stage, and/or tissue origin of primary cells plays a role in determining their response to v-src transformation. To study the role of cellular age, rat mammary fibroblasts were isolated from a 50-day-old female rat and infected with a recombinant retrovirus carrying a v-src gene after 2, 7, 14, 21, and 28 days of continuous growth. To determine whether cellular differentiation is important, fibroblasts were isolated from embryos at 12 and 16 days of gestation, from newborns, and from a 30-day-old rat and similarly infected. Finally, the role of primary-cell histogenesis was assessed by infecting primary cultures of fibroblasts isolated from the mammary gland, dermis, and lungs of a mature rat. When compared to 3Y1 cells, all preparations of primary cultures exhibited considerable resistance to v-src transformation. However, whereas primary cells isolated from different tissues responded similarly to the transforming effect of the oncogene, major differences were observed when cells were transduced at different stages of their in vitro life span. v-src was capable of inducing formation of foci and growth in soft agar in early-passage cells but failed to do so in primary cultures infected after 14 days of continuous passaging. Similarly, both the number of foci and the number of colonies in soft agar decreased with tissue donor age. The differential response of young and senescing cells could not be explained by mutations in v-src provirus, by differences in functional v-src expression, or by growth stimulation or suppression via paracrine mechanisms. Furthermore, v-src cooperated with an immortalizing gene, like simian virus 40 large T, polyomavirus large T, E6 and E7 of human papillomavirus, or an activated p53 mutant, to induce anchorage-independent growth of primary cultures but failed to do so with cytoplasmic transforming genes, like v-abl, v-ras, or v-raf, which did not confer indefinite division potential. These studies indicate that cellular aging is a critical determinant of primary-cell resistance to v-src transformation. It is suggested that v-src requires a nuclear auxiliary function for transformation which is present in early-passage cells, particularly when these cells are derived from embryonic tissue, but is lost as cells approach replicative senescence. This auxiliary function is provided by nuclear oncogenes but not cytoplasmic transforming genes.     

Stabilization of the tumor suppressor p53 during cellular transformation by simian virus 40: influence of viral and cellular factors and biological consequences.

To understand the process and biological significance of metabolic stabilization of p53 during simian virus 40 (SV40)-induced cellular transformation, we analyzed cellular and viral parameters involved in this process. We demonstrate that neither large T expression as such nor the cellular phenotype (normal versus transformed) markedly influence the stability of p53 complexed to large T in SV40 abortively infected BALB/c mouse fibroblasts. In contrast, metabolic stabilization of p53 is an active cellular event, specifically induced by SV40. The ability of SV40 to induce a cellular response leading to stabilization of p53 complexed to large T is independent from the cellular phenotype and greatly varies between different cells. However, metabolic stability was conferred only to p53 in complex with large T, whereas the free p53 in these cells remained metabolically unstable. Comparative analyses of cellular transformation in various cells differing in stability of p53 complexed to large T upon abortive infection with SV40 revealed a strong correlation between the ability of SV40 to induce metabolic stabilization and its transformation efficiency. Our data suggest that metabolic stabilization and the ensuing enhanced levels of p53 are important for initiation and/or maintenance of SV40 transformation.     

Cellular neoplastic transformation induced by 916 MHz microwave radiation

There has been growing concern about the possibility of adverse health effects resulting from exposure to microwave radiations, such as those emitted by mobile phones. The purpose of this study was to investigate the cellular neoplastic transformation effects of electromagnetic fields. 916 MHz continuous microwave was employed in our study to simulate the electromagnetic radiation of mobile phone. NIH/3T3 cells were adopted in our experiment due to their sensitivity to carcinogen or cancer promoter in environment. They were divided randomly into one control group and three microwave groups. The three microwave groups were exposed to 916 MHz EMF for 2 h per day with power density of 10, 50, and 90 w/m(2), respectively, in which 10 w/m(2) was close to intensity near the antenna of mobile phone. The morphology and proliferation of NIH/3T3 cells were examined and furthermore soft agar culture and animal carcinogenesis assay were carried out to determine the neoplastic promotion. Our experiments showed NIH/3T3 cells changed in morphology and proliferation after 5-8 weeks exposure and formed clone in soft agar culture after another 3-4 weeks depending on the exposure intensity. In the animal carcinogenesis study, lumps developed on the back of SCID mice after being inoculated into exposed NIH/3T3 cells for more than 4 weeks. The results indicate that microwave radiation can promote neoplastic transformation of NIH/3T3cells.     

Selective inhibition of proliferation in v-abl- and bcr-abl-transformed cells by a nucleoside analog.

The nucleoside analog acyclovir (9-[2-hydroxy-ethoxy)methyl]guanine or acycloguanosine; ACV) inhibited the in vitro transformation of NIH 3T3 cells by Abelson murine leukemia virus and the proliferation of abl- and bcr-abl-transformed hemopoietic murine cell lines. This effect is selective since ACV at the same concentration had no effect on the src and Ha-ras transformation of NIH 3T3 cells or on the proliferation of hemopoietic cells transformed by those oncogenes. The inhibitory effect on proliferation of abl-transformed cells correlated with the extent of ACV triphosphate formation and incorporation into cellular DNA that was greater than that in normal or other oncogene-transformed cells. The increased ACV triphosphate formation might be due to a higher level of 5'-nucleotidase, the enzyme responsible for trace levels of ACV phosphorylation in uninfected cells.     

Envelope-induced cell transformation by ovine betaretroviruses

Ovine betaretroviruses include Jaagsiekte sheep retrovirus (JSRV) and enzootic nasal tumor virus (ENTV). JSRV and ENTV represent a unique class of oncogenic retroviruses that induce tumors of the respiratory tract. JSRV and ENTV are highly related but induce different diseases. Expression of the JSRV envelope (Env) induces transformation of rodent fibroblasts in vitro and phosphorylation of Akt, a central player in the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI-3K)/Akt signal transduction pathway. However, little information is available on the molecular biology of ENTV. In this study, we initially assessed whether the ENTV Env has the same properties as the homologous JSRV protein. We performed entry and interference assays using retroviral vectors pseudotyped with either the JSRV or the ENTV Env and sheep choroid plexus cells, choroid plexus cells stably expressing the JSRV Env protein, human 293T cells, mouse NIH 3T3 cells, or NIH 3T3 cells expressing human hyaluronidase 2 (HYAL2), the cellular receptor for JSRV. The results obtained indicated that ENTV and JSRV share the same receptor in sheep cells and that they can use human HYAL2 as a cellular receptor in mouse cells. The ENTV Env induces transformation of rodent fibroblasts in vitro. As with the JSRV Env, the tyrosine at position 590 is critical for ENTV Env-induced cell transformation, and Akt is phosphorylated in ENTV Env-transformed cells but not in the parental cell lines. Thus, ovine betaretroviruses share a common mechanism of cell transformation. We further investigated the relevance of Akt activation in cells transformed by ovine betaretroviruses. A PI-3K inhibitor blocked Akt phosphorylation in JSRV Env-transformed cells, suggesting a possible involvement of PI-3K in JSRV and ENTV Env-induced cell transformation. In addition, phosphorylated Akt was detected in a cell line derived from a lung tumor of a sheep with naturally occurring ovine pulmonary adenocarcinoma.     

Tracking mechanics and volume of globular cells with atomic force microscopy using a constant-height clamp

To understand the role of physical forces at a cellular level, it is necessary to track mechanical properties during cellular processes. Here we present a protocol that uses flat atomic force microscopy (AFM) cantilevers clamped at constant height, and light microscopy to measure the resistance force, mechanical stress and volume of globular animal cells under compression. We describe the AFM and cantilever setup, live cell culture in the AFM, how to ensure stability of AFM measurements during medium perfusion, integration of optical microscopy to measure parameters such as volume and track intracellular dynamics, and interpretation of the physical parameters measured. Although we use this protocol on trypsinized interphase and mitotic HeLa cells, it can also be applied to other cells with a relatively globular shape, especially animal cells in a low-adhesive environment. After a short setup phase, the protocol can be used to investigate approximately one cell per hour.     

A cell membrane alteration specifically induced by SV40 transformation.

Transformation of mouse 3T3 cells by SV40 results in a specific membrane modification which renders cells resistant to the killing action of the lipophilic antibiotic Amphotericin B. This alteration is under genetic cellular control and is specific for SV40 transformation since transformation with polyoma or mouse sarcoma viruses does not confer resistance to the antibiotic. Analogous resistance is induced by SV40 transformation of primary human fibroblast cells. The acquired resistance is not due to decreased binding of Amphotericin B and is partially reversed if cells are grown in the presence of cholesterol. The results are interpreted as a specific change of sterol structure of the membrane or the loss of a minor cholesterol fraction responsible for the killing action of the antibiotic.     

High-LET ion radiolysis of water: visualization of the formation and evolution of ion tracks and relevance to the radiation-induced bystander effect

Ionizing radiation-induced bystander effects, commonly observed in cell populations exposed to high-linear energy transfer (LET) radiations, are initiated by damage to a cellular molecule which then gives rise to a toxic signal exported to neighboring cells not directly hit by radiation. A major goal in studies of this phenomenon is the identification of this initial radiation-induced lesion. Liquid water being the main constituent of biological matter, reactive species produced by water radiolysis in the cellular environment are likely to be major contributors to the induction of this lesion. In this context, the radiation track structure is of crucial importance in specifying the precise location and identity of all the radiolytic species and their subsequent signaling or damaging effects. We report here Monte Carlo track structure simulations of the radiolysis of liquid water by four different impacting ions 1H+, 4He2+, 12C6+ and 20Ne10+, with the same LET ( approximately 70 keV/ microm). The initial radial distribution profiles of the various water decomposition products (eaq(-), *OH, H*, H2 and H2O2) for the different ions considered are presented and discussed briefly in the context of track structure theory. As an example, the formation and temporal evolution of simulated 24 MeV 4He2+ ion tracks (LET approximately 26 keV/microm) are reported for each radiolytic species from 1 ps to 10 micros. The calculations reveal that the ion track structure is completely lost by approximately 1 micros.     

Chemical carcinogen alteration of SV40 virus induced transformation of normal human cell populations in vitro.

The frequency of simian papovirus 40 (SV40) induced transformation of human cells was enhanced after pretreatment with either napthylamine-2,N-methyl-N'-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG), N-acetyl-2-fluorenylacetamide (N-Ac-AAF), benzo[a]pyrene (BP), aflatoxin B1, propane sultone (PS), beta-propiolactone, 4-nitroquinoline oxide (4-NQO), methylmethane sulfonate (MMS) or diethyl nitrosamine (DEN). Posttreatment with 4-NQO, MMS, MNNG or DEN inhibited transformation; while posttreatment with either aflatoxin B1, beta-propiolactone or napthylamine-2 did not alter transformation similar to the action of N-Ac-AAF and BP. All carcinogens that altered transformation after pretreatment damaged cellular DNA. Pretreatment or posttreatment with carcinogens 3-methylcholanthrene (3-MCA) or 7,12-dimethylbenzanthrene (7,12-DMBA), that did not damage cellular DNA also did not enhance transformation. Moreover, pre- or posttreatment with other weak or non-carcinogens that did not damage cellular DNA did not alter virus induced transformation. All foci formed in the co-carcinogen treated cultures whether the carcinogen inhibited or enhanced transformation were virus directed. While a similar pattern of response existed for carcinogens that either enhance or inhibit transformation, each of the carcinogens that enhanced or inhibited foci formation damaged cellular DNA. Moreover, those carcinogens that enhanced focus formation, compared to the carcinogens that inhibited focus formation, exhibited similar DNA damage profiles.