Intramitochondrial rodlet-like inclusions in human leukemic lymphocytes.

Some mitochondria in leukemic cells in two of nine investigated patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia and in one patient with morphologically less usual form of this disease contained unusual rodlet-like inclusion bodies. These structures were always present in the matrix of frequently dilatated intercristal spaces. The width of rodlet-like inclusions ranged between 10 and 20 nm, their maximal length was 114 nm. All observed rodlet-like inclusion bodies appeared to be composed of fine filaments 2...3 nm in width and resembled the DNA containing structures in mitochondria of few other cell types. In mitochondria of leukemic cells, however, these inclusions represent a further structural abnormality.     

Presence of a functional vitamin D receptor does not correlate with vitamin D3 phenotypic effects in myeloid differentiation

Although VDR is expressed in all the acute myeloid leukemia cell populations studied, most of these leukemias do not exhibit any phenotypic response when exposed to VD. To determine whether VD resistance is related to an altered VDR function, we performed an analysis of VDR expression, phosphorylation, DNA binding capacity and transactivation activity in several leukemic myeloid cell lines arrested at different levels of maturation. Our results indicate that VD induces a clear phenotypic effect, i.e. terminal monocytic differentiation, only in leukemic cells of M2/M3 (intermediate myeloblasts) and M5 (monoblasts) types but not in erythroid precursor cells, early leukemic myeloblasts (M0/M1 type) and promyelocytes (M3 type). VDR expression and function are evident in all the nuclear extracts obtained from the different myeloid cell lines after 12 h of VD treatment, but VD activation of monocytic differentiation is limited to a narrow differentiation window characterized by the M2 type myeloid cellular context.     

Mean diameter of nucleolar bodies in cultured human leukemic myeloblasts is mainly related to the S and G2 phase of the cell cycle

Mean diameter of nucleolar bodies (nucleoli without the perinucleolar chromatin) per cell was studied in human leukemic myeloblasts represented by K 562 and Kasumi 1 cell lines which originated from chronic and acute myeloid leukaemia. The measurement of mean diameter of nucleolar bodies in specimens stained for RNA was very simple. Such approach eliminated the variability of the perinucleolar chromatin discontinuous shell which might influence the measured nucleolar size as suggested by earlier studies. Ageing of K 562 myeloblasts produced a significant decrease of cells in S+G2 phase of the cell cycle accompanied by a significant reduction of mean diameter of nucleolar bodies (MDNoBs) per cell. In contrast, treatment of Kasumi 1 myeloblasts with histone deacetylase inhibitor - Trichostatin A - produced a large incidence of resistant cells in S+G2 phase which were characterised by a large increase of MDNoBs. Thus, MDNoBs in leukemic myeloblasts might be a helpful tool to estimate the incidence of cells in the S+G2 phase at the single cell level in smear preparations when the number of cells is very small.     

Plasma and intracellular levels of lactate dehydrogenase, phosphohexose isomerase and lysozyme activity in acute leukemia

Plasma and intracellular levels of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), phosphohexose isomerase (PHI) and lysozyme activities were investigated in 20 patients with acute myelocytic leukemia (AML), 18 patients with acute lymphatic leukemia (ALL) and 10 patients with chronic myelocytic leukemia in blast transformation (CML/BT). Though the plasma levels of LDH and PHI in all patients with acute leukemia were elevated as compared to control persons there was no distinctive pattern which could be of use in the classification of acute leukemia. On the other hand the intracellular levels of these enzymes could be of value in classifying acute leukemia. The leukemic lymphoblasts were characterized by low levels of PHI and lysozyme as compared to leukemic myeloblasts or to normal lymphocytes (p less than 0.01). The LDH/PHI ratio is also significantly higher in leukemic lymphoblasts than in leukemic myeloblasts or in normal lymphocytes (p always less than 0.01). These characteristics might also be made use of in identifying the blasts of CML/BT als "lymphoid" or "myeloid" in corresponding cases.     

Interactions between lymphocytes and hematopoietic progenitor cells in normal and leukemic human bone marrow (phase contrast observations)

Single cell observations of normal and of leukemic human bone marrow cells demonstrated cell-cell interactions of lymphocytes with hematopoietic progenitor cells. In all cases lymphocytes and target cells were from the same individual. Lymphocyte-target cell interactions occurred more frequently with normal committed progenitor cells and leukemic blast cells from acute myeloid leukemia than with precursor cells of the proliferative cell pool, including myeloblasts, promonocytes, erythroblasts and megakaryocytes. Both induction of mitosis and degeneration of the progenitor cells occurred after cell-cell interaction with almost the same frequency. Acute myeloid leukemic blast cells degenerated after contact with lymphocytes with the same frequency as normal progenitor cells (i. e. in 16% of cell contacts), but especially during mitosis. In contrast, normal and regenerating bone marrow progenitor cells from myeloproliferative diseases demonstrated no degeneration after cell-cell interaction with lymphocytes during mitosis. Otherwise the induction of mitoses by lymphocyte-target cell interactions was more frequently observed in normal progenitor cells than in leukemic blasts.     

The intermediate-sized filaments in rat kangaroo PtK2 cells. I. Morphology in situ.

The system of the intermediate-sized filaments (IF) of rat kangaroo PtK2 cells which can be specifically demonstrated by immunofluorescence microscopy using certain rabbit autoantibodies and guinea pig antibodies against bovine hoof prekeratin has been studied by electron microscopy. The characteristic ornamental, curved arrays of this system are shown after fixation in situ in both thin sections and whole-cell-preparations to represent bundles of 6 to 11 nm thick filaments extending through the whole cytoplasm, although in some cells they appear to be enriched in the perinuclear region. While many individual IF are recognized in the cytoplasm the tendency of such filaments to aggregate laterally into bundles is one of their prominent features. Among such bundle formations one form that consists of tightly packed IF cemented together in a dense osmiophilic matrix is especially conspicious. The appearance and mode of arrangement of the IF is not significantly altered in cells treated with colcemid and/or cytochalasin B. Spatial relationships of IF with microfilament-containing cables and microtubules as well as with membranous structures are also described. IF are heterogeneous in width and reveal an unstained, apparently hollow core, indicative of a tubular organization. Many IF show small, sometimes periodically arranged lateral projections which seem to be involved in IF cross-linking. Associations with polyribosomes are common. The changes in the IF system during mitosis have also been examined. The structural details of the IF as well as their possible role as cytoskeletal elements involved in the control of cell shape and cytoplasmic architecture are discussed in relation to data on various intermediate-sized filaments from other cell types. The close similarity of the IF of PtK2 cells to aggregates of prekeratin filaments is emphasized. It is suggested that PtK2 cells represent an epithelial cell line growing in a state of balanced semi-keratinization.     

Cholesterol, phospholipids, and fatty acids of normal immature neutrophils: comparison with acute myeloblastic leukemia cells and normal neutrophils.

The lipid composition of immature myeloid cells from the bone marrow of normal persons and myeloblasts from patients with acute myeloblastic leukemia was studied and compared with the lipid composition of normal mature human neutrophils. Total cholesterol, phospholipid, and fatty acid composition was determined on each cell type. The leukemic cells showed decreased total cholesterol and cholesterol-to-phospholipid ratio, increase phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylinositol, decreased phosphatidylethanolamine, and an increased percentage of unsaturated fatty acids when compared to normal mature neutrophils. A nearly identical pattern was seen in the normal immature myeloid precursors from normal bone marrow. We conclude that the altered lipid composition of acute myeloblastic leukemia cells is related to unexplained factors related to cell age and not to malignancy per se.     

Characterization of intermediate filaments and their structural organization during epithelium formation in pigmented epithelial cells of the retina in vitro

Summary Retinal pigmented epithelial cells of chicken have circumferential microfilament bundles (CMBs) at the zonula adherens region. Isolated CMBs are polygons filled with a meshwork composed primarily of intermediate filaments; they show three major components of 200000, 55000, and 42000 daltons in SDS-gel electrophoresis. Here we have characterized the 55000-dalton protein immunochemically and ultrastructurally. Immunoblotting and immunofluorescence microscopy have shown that the 55000-dalton protein is an intermediate filament protein, vimentin.Vimentin filaments changed their distribution during differentiation of pigmented epithelial cells in culture. The protein in the elongated cells showed a fibroblast-type pattern of intermediate filaments. During epithelium formation, the filaments were uniformly distributed and formed a finer meshwork at the apical level. In pigmented epithelial cells that differentiated and matured in culture, vimentin and actin exhibited their characteristic behavior after treatment with colcemid. In the central to basal region of the cell, intermediate filaments formed thick perinuclear bundles. In the apical region, however, intermediate filaments changed in organization from a nonpolarized meshwork to a polarized bundle-like structure. Simultaneously, new actin bundles were formed, running parallel to the intermediate filaments. This suggests that there is some interaction between microfilaments and intermediate filaments in the apical region of these cells.     

Characterization of an acute T lymphoblastic leukemia expressing the gamma/delta T-cell receptor

Leukemic cells of a 20 year old patient, suffering from acute lymphoblastic leukemia, were characterized by surface marker and functional analysis. A significant cell population within this type of leukemia expresses concomitantly the CD4 and CD8 antigen on the same cell and might represent a new differentiation stage of T-cells with the gamma/delta receptor. The leukemic cells show a distinct pattern of growth response to mitogens and lymphokines, which might correlate to their differentiation stage. Moreover, a "natural killer"-like activity can be induced in these cells by IL-2.     

Identification of the cytoskeletal proteins in lens-forming cells, a special epithelioid cell type

Proteins of contractile and cytoskeletal elements have been studied in bovine lens-forming cells growing in culture as well as in bovine and murine lenses grown in situ by immunofluorescence microscopy using antibodies to the following proteins: actin, myosin, tropomyosin, α-actinin, tubulin, prekeratin, vimentin, and desmin. Lens-forming cells contain actin, myosin, tropomyosin, and α-actinin which in cells grown in culture are enriched in typical cable-like structures, i.e. microfilament bundles. Antibodies to tubulin stain normal, predominantly radial arrays of microtubules. In the epithelioid lens-forming cells of both monolayer cultures grown in vitro and lens tissue grown in situ intermediate-sized filaments of the vimentin type are abundant, whereas filaments containing prekeratin-like proteins (‘cytokeratins’) and desmin filaments have not been found. The absence of cytokeratin proteins observed by immunological methods is supported by gel electrophoretic analyses of cytoskeletal proteins, which show the prominence of vimentin and the absence of detectable amounts of cytokeratins and desmin. This also correlates with electron microscopic observations that typical desmosomes and tonofilament bundles are absent in lens-forming cells, as opposed to a high density of vimentin filaments. Our observations show that the epithelioid lens-forming cells have normal arrays of (i) microfilament bundles containing proteins of contractile structures; (ii) microtubules; and (iii) vimentin filaments, but differ from most true epithelial cells by the absence of cytokeratins, tonofilaments and typical desmosomes. The question of their relationship to other epithelial tissues is discussed in relation to lens differentiation during embryogenesis. We conclude that the lens-forming cells either represent an example of cell differentiation of non-epithelial cells to epithelioid morphology, or represent a special pathway of epithelial differentiation characterized by the absence of cytokeratin filaments and desmosomes. Thus two classes of tissue with epithelia-like morphology can be distinguished: those epithelia which contain desmosomes and cytokeratin filaments and those epithelioid tissues which do not contain these structures but are rich in vimentin filaments (lens cells, germ epithelium of testis, endothelium).     

Differential targets and subcellular localization of antitumor alkyl-lysophospholipid in leukemic versus solid tumor cells

Synthetic alkyl-lysophospholipids represent a family of promising anticancer drugs that induce apoptosis in a variety of tumor cells. Here we have found a differential subcellular distribution of the alkyl-lysophospholipid edelfosine in leukemic and solid tumor cells that leads to distinct anticancer responses. Edelfosine induced rapid apoptosis in human leukemic cells, including acute T-cell leukemia Jurkat and Peer cells, but promoted a late apoptotic response, preceded by G(2)/M arrest, in human solid tumor cells such as cervix epitheloid carcinoma HeLa cells and lung carcinoma A549 cells. c-Jun amino-terminal kinase (JNK) and caspase-3 were accordingly activated at earlier times in edelfosine-treated Jurkat cells as compared with drug-treated HeLa cells. Both leukemic and solid tumor cells took up this alkyl-lysophospholipid and expressed the two putative edelfosine targets, namely cell surface Fas death receptor (also known as APO-1 or CD95) and endoplasmic reticulum CTP: phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase. However, edelfosine was mainly located to plasma membrane lipid rafts in Jurkat and Peer leukemic cells and to endoplasmic reticulum in solid tumor HeLa and A549 cells. Edelfosine induced translocation of Fas, Fas-associated death domain-containing protein, and JNK into membrane rafts in Jurkat cells, but not in HeLa cells. In contrast, edelfosine inhibited phosphatidylcholine biosynthesis in both HeLa and A549 cells, but not in Jurkat or Peer leukemic cells, before the triggering of apoptosis. These data indicate that edelfosine targets two different subcellular structures in a cell type-dependent manner, namely cell surface lipid rafts in leukemic cells and endoplasmic reticulum in solid tumor cells.     

A comparison of the rate of DNA synthesis in myeloblasts from peripheral blood and bone marrows of patients with acute nonlymphocytic leukemia

Durations of S-phase (Ts) and total cell cycle times (Tc) were measured from the peripheral blood (PB) and bone marrow aspirates (BM) of five patients with acute nonlymphocytic leukemia (ANLL). Intravenous bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) was used as the first label for S-phase cells and a monoclonal anti-BrdU antibody was used to detect the positive cells. Tritiated thymidine [( 3H]Tdr) was used as a second label in vitro, and the Ts was calculated by counting the number of cells labeled either by BrdU or by [3H]Tdr or by both. Our data demonstrate that the duration of S-phase in myeloblasts obtained from BM is quite similar to that of circulating leukemic cells. Finally, the most accurate assessment of percentage of myeloblasts actively engaged in DNA synthesis can be obtained only from bone marrow biopsies following in vivo labeling.     

Detection of minimal disease in acute leukemia using flow cytometry: studies in a rat model for human acute leukemia

The study was made using a rat model for human acute myelocytic leukemia (BNML), which shows striking similarities with human acute myelocytic leukemia (AML). A monoclonal antibody (MCA-Rm124), raised against BNML cells, allowed the recognition of the leukemic cell fraction. The discriminative capacity of the monoclonal antibody is based on differences in labeling intensities between normal and leukemic cells. After i.v. cellular transfer of leukemia, the growth of the leukemic cell population in the bone marrow, the liver, and the spleen was monitored using MCA-Rm124 and flow cytometry. For the bone marrow and the liver, a clonogenic assay for leukemic cells was used to quantify the cell content in these organs. A good correlation was found between the bioassay-derived data and the flow-cytometry-derived data. The doubling times of the leukemic cell population were not equal for the two organs studied, indicating that a number of different processes contribute to the net cell production per organ. Apart from their application in the detection of residual leukemia, monoclonal antibodies might be employed in the analysis of the growth kinetics of the "invisible" leukemic cell population.     

Regeneration of actin bundles in Chara: polarized growth and orientation by endoplasmic flow

Strong irradiation of localized areas of the alga Chara produces chloroplast damage and extensive loss of the actin bundles responsible for cytoplasmic streaming. Immunofluorescence using a monoclonal antibody binding to the actin bundles has been used to follow their regrowth. Bundle regeneration is polarized so that new bundles develop from the ends of the actin bundles delivering endoplasm to the damaged area and not from bundles removing endoplasm. According to the previously established polarity of the actin filaments this growth is occurring from the "barbed" but not the "pointed" ends of the component filaments. The frequently irregular orientation of the regenerated bundles contrasts with the straight, parallel arrangement of the bundles before destruction. The arrangement of the regenerated bundles is suggested to depend on orientation by passive endoplasmic flow rather than a cortical template. As a result, bundles follow sweeping curves and can form a U-turn connecting oppositely polarized bundles normally separated by the neutral line. In addition to development in continuity with the free ends of pre-existing bundles, visualization of small, discrete fluorescent structures suggests that bundles can begin to form in isolation within the damaged areas. The results are discussed in terms of the polarized actin polymerisation seen in vitro, additional controls which may operate on bundle growth in vivo, and the ability of flow to orient F-actin. The relevance of the findings to normal cell ontogeny is assessed.     

Ultrastructural Studies of Carboxyl-Terminal Truncation Mutants of the Neuronal Intermediate Filament Protein Peripherin

Abstract: We have prepared carboxyl-terminal truncation mutants of the neuronal intermediate filament (IF) protein peripherin and examined the assembly characteristics of these mutant proteins in SW13 cells in the presence and absence of vimentin. In the absence of vimentin, tailless peripherin protein (Per-C424) self-assembles into bundles and clumps as observed by immunofluorescence, whereas a peripherin mutant that is missing the tail as well as a small portion of the rod (Per-C356) appears as spherical aggregates. Similar phenotypes are observed when vimentin-positive cells are transfected with Per-C424 or Per-C356. In these cells, the entire IF network is disrupted, and vimentin colocalizes with the mutant peripherin proteins. To examine the morphology of the bundles and clumps formed by Per-C424 at the electron microscopic level, we prepared stable cell lines expressing different levels of this mutant protein. By immunofluorescence, Per-C424 appears as either clumps or bundles of filaments depending on the expression level of the mutant protein. However, under electron microscopy, it is apparent that both clumps and bundles are composed of tightly packed IFs. We were unable to obtain stable cell lines expressing Per-C356, indicating that this mutant may prevent cell proliferation. Using a vector containing an internal ribosomal entry site, we prepared a construct that expresses Per-C356 and green fluorescent protein as a single mRNA, and we were able to isolate cells that expressed Per-C356 by fluorescence-activated cell sorting. Electron microscopic analysis of these cells showed that these aggregates are solid and contain no obvious filamentous structures.     

Cytoplasmic actomyosin fibrils in tissue culture cells

Summary A special cell line derived from a rat mammary adenocarcinoma (RMCD cells) displays a distinct pattern of actomyosin fibrils (AM fibrils) visible with phase contrast, Nomarski interference and polarized light optics. It was shown that the cytoplasmic AM fibrils are arranged as bundles of highly parallel F-actin filaments. The chemical nature of the filaments was identified by incubation with heavy meromyosin from rabbit skeletal muscle.These cytoplasmic actomyosin fibrils actively contract under isotonic conditions. This was shown by contraction experiments under polarized light optics, by cinematographic analysis and by direct proof of the contractility of AM fibrils isolated by laser micro-dissection. Thus, cytoplasmic AM fibrils can be assumed to represent structures essential for motive force generation in contraction processes in non-muscle cells.We thank Dr. W. Meier-Ruge and Mr. W. Bielser (Basic Medical Research Departments, Sandoz AG, Basle, Switzerland) for making the laser equipment available to us and for their kind cooperation during this investigation. Supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Bonn-Bad Godesberg.     

Identification of a human endothelial cell antigen with monoclonal antibody 44G4 produced against a pre-B leukemic cell line

Staining of a variety of human tissue sections (lymph node, tonsil, spleen, thymus, kidney, lung, and liver) by the indirect immunoperoxidase method indicated that mAb 44G4, produced against a human pre-B leukemic cell line, was strongly reactive with vascular endothelium. All other cell types observed in these tissues were unreactive. Immunofluorescence staining of endothelial cells isolated from umbilical cord vein and grown in culture confirmed that mAb 44G4 recognized a surface membrane component of vascular endothelium. Granulocytes, monocytes, B and T lymphocytes, and T lymphocytes cultured in the presence of PHA for 72 h did not express the 44G4 Ag. mAb 44G4 reacted weakly with leukemic cells from 28 of 41 patients with non-T cell acute lymphocytic leukemia and 4 of 7 patients with acute myelocytic leukemia, whereas 8 of 10 cases of T cell acute lymphocytic leukemia were negative. Moderate reactivity with leukemic cell lines of pre-B and myelomonocytic origin was also observed. The level of 44G4 Ag on umbilical endothelial cells was three to five times that of leukemic cell lines and 25 times the average levels observed on leukemic cells isolated from patients. Immunoprecipitation of lysates prepared from surface-iodinated endothelial cells and the immunizing pre-B leukemic cell line revealed that the 44G4 Ag from both cell types was composed of two subunits of apparent m.w. 95,000 linked by disulfide bond(s). Comparison of the cellular localization and subunit structure of 44G4 to that of known Ag suggests that it represents a previously undescribed marker of endothelial cells.     

Modulation of myosin filament organization by C-protein family members.

We have analyzed the interactions between two types of sarcomeric proteins: myosin heavy chain (MyHC) and members of an abundant thick filament-associated protein family (myosin-binding protein; MyBP). Previous work has demonstrated that when MyHC is transiently transfected into mammalian nonmuscle COS cells, the expressed protein forms spindle-shaped structures consisting of bundles of myosin thick filaments. Co-expression of MyHC and MyBP-C or -H modulates the MyHC structures, resulting in dramatically longer cables consisting of myosin and MyBP encircling the nucleus. Immunoelectron microscopy indicates that these cable structures are more uniform in diameter than the spindle structures consisting solely of MyHC, and that the myosin filaments are compacted in the presence of MyBP. Deletion analysis of MyBP-H indicates that cable formation is dependent on the carboxy terminal 24 amino acids. Neither the MyHC spindles nor the MyHC/MyBP cables associate with the endogenous actin cytoskeleton of the COS cell. While there is no apparent co-localization between these structures and the microtubule network, colchicine treatment of the cells promotes the formation of longer assemblages, suggesting that cytoskeletal architecture may physically impede or regulate polymer formation/extension. The data presented here contribute to a greater understanding of the interactions between the MyBP family and MyHC, and provide additional evidence for functional homology between MyBP-C and MyBP-H.