Protein degradation in 3T3 cells and tumorigenic transformed 3T3 cells

To study the relation of overall rates of protein degradation in the control of cell growth, we determined if transformation of fibroblasts to tumorigenicity affected their rates of degradation of short- and long-lived proteins. Rates of protein degradation were measured in nontumorigenic mouse Balb/c 3T3 fibroblasts, and in tumorigenic 3T3 cells transformed by different agents. Growing 3T3 cells, and cells transformed with Moloney sarcoma virus (MA-3T3) or Rous sarcoma virus (RS-3T3), degraded short- and long-lived proteins at similar rates. Simian virus 40 (SV-3T3)- and benzo(a)pyrene (BP-3T3)-transformed cells had slightly lower rates of degradation of both short- and long-lived proteins. Reducing the serum concentration in the culture medium from 10% to 0.5%, immediately caused about a twofold increase in the rate of degradation of long-lived proteins in 3T3 cells. Transformed lines increased their rates of degradation of long-lived proteins only by different amounts upon serum deprivation, but none of them to the same extent as did 3T3. Greater differences in the degradation rates of proteins were seen among the transformed cells than between 3T3 cells and some transformed cells. Thus, there was no consistent change in any rate of protein degradation in 3T3 cells due to transformation to tumorigenicity.     

3-Bromo-3-deazaneplanocin and 3-bromo-3-deazaaristeromycin: Synthesis and antiviral activity

As an outgrowth of our program to explore 3-deazaadenine carbocyclic nucleosides, 3-bromo-3-deazaneplanocin (5) and 3-bromo-3-deazaaristeromycin (6) have been synthesized from a readily available cyclopentenol and cyclopentanone and either 4-amino- or 4-chloro-1H-imidazo[4,5-c]pyridine (6-amino- or 6-chloro-3-deazaadenine) in 5 steps and 7 steps, respectively. Antiviral analysis found 5 to display significant activity towards a number of (-)-ssRNA and a few dsDNA viruses. Compound 6 was less active than 5 against selected examples of those viruses affected by 5.     

Ether-linked lipids of Balb/c3T3, SV3T3 and concanavalin A-selected SV3T3 revertant cells

Ether-linked lipids were analyzed in Balb/c3T3, SV3T3 and Concanavalin A-selected SV3T3 revertant cells. The three cell lines were found to contain significant quantities of alk-1-enyl- and alkyl-linked phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and phosphatidylcholine (PC) and small amounts of alkyldiacylglycerols. Compared to 3T3 cells, SV3T3 cells contain a higher amount of alk-1-enyl-linked PC, while in SV3T3 revertant cells the concentrations of the various ether lipids are similar to those of 3T3 cells. The major difference in the composition of ether groups of SV3T3 cells, compared to 3T3 cells, is an increase of 18:0 accompanied by a decrease of 18:1 in the alk-1-enyl-linked PE and PC. Alk-1-enyl-linked PC of SV3T3 revertant cells also shows an increase of 18:0, while the decrease of 18:1 was not statistically significant.     

The discovery of a 3-phosphomonoesterase that hydrolyzes phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate in NIH 3T3 cells

Phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate (PtdIns(3)P), a recently described phospholipid, has been linked to polyoma virus-induced cellular transformation and platelet-derived growth factor-mediated mitogenesis. PtdIns(3)P, in contrast to phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate (PtdIns(4)P), and phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PtdIns(4,5)P2), is resistant to hydrolysis by bovine brain phospholipase C gamma. We present here the identification of a phosphomonoesterase activity from the soluble fraction of NIH 3T3 cells which removes the phosphate from the D-3 position of PtdIns(3)P. This enzyme is specific as it has little or no activity on the monoester phosphates of PtdIns(4)P, PtdIns(4,5)P2, or inositol 1,3-bisphosphate and is tentatively designated phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphatase (PtdIns 3-phosphatase). The enzyme does not require added metal ions for activity and is maximally active in the presence of EDTA. It is inhibited by Ca2+, Mg2+, Zn2+, and the phosphatase inhibitor VO4(3-). In addition, there is no phospholipase C activity toward PtdIns(3)P in the soluble fraction of NIH 3T3 cells. In view of the absence of a phospholipase C activity that hydrolyzes PtdIns(3)P, we propose that PtdIns(3)P is not a precursor for a soluble inositol phosphate messenger but that it instead may act directly to control certain cellular processes or as a precursor for other phosphatidylinositols. PtdIns 3-phosphatase may thus terminate a metabolic signal or regulate precursor levels for other phosphatidylinositols that are phosphorylated in the D-3 position.     

Antioxidants-induced rearrangements of actin cytoskeleton in 3T3 and 3T3-SV40 fibroblasts

Effect of antioxidants on actin cytoskeleton in 3T3 fibroblasts and 3T3 fibroblasts transformed with SV40 virus (3T3-SV40 cells) was studied. Antioxidants used were as follows: N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC), (-)-2-oxo-4-thiazolidine-carboxylic acid (OTZ), and glutathione in the reduced form (GSH). Both NAC and OTZ are precursors of GSH in the cell, but, in contrast to NAC, OTZ reduces inside the cell forming L-cysteine. The presence of NAC (5-20 mM) in the culture medium of both cell types resulted in loosening of monolayer, fragmentation of stress fibers, and the appearance of amorphous actin structures. As 3T3-SV40 cells contain less actin stress fibers than 3T3 cells, the NAC-induced rearrangements of actin cytoskeleton were stronger in these cells than in 3T3 cells. In contrast to NAC, OTZ (10-20 mM) did not destroy monolayer and did not induce any visible disappearance of stress fibers either in 3T3 or 3T3-SV40 cells. However, in the presence of OTZ, amorphous actin-containing structures were observed in 3T3-SV40 cells. The effect of glutathione on both cell types was similar to that of NAC. The time required for GSH-induced alterations of actin cytoskeleton (about 5 h) was consistent with the increase in the intracellular level of reactive oxygen species (4 h after addition of GSH to the culture medium). Upon removal of the antioxidants from the medium, actin filament structures were reconstructed. However, within 24 h after withdrawal of NAC or GSH, only a partial reconstruction of stress fibers was observed in 3T3 cells. On the contrary, 3T3-SV40 cells demonstrated formation of well-structured actin fibers similar to normal fibroblasts. These results suggest that GSH can act as a pro-oxidant in the absence of oxidative stress.     

Cell density and amino acid transport in 3T3, SV3T3, and SV3T3 revertant cells

The transport of selected neutral and cationic amino acids has been studied in Balb/c 3T3, SV3T3, and SV3T3 revertant cell lines. After properly timed preincubations to control the size of internal amino acid pools, the activity of systems A, ASC, L, and Ly⁺ has been discriminated by measurements of amino acid uptake (initial entry rate) in the presence and absence of sodium and of transportspecific model substrates. L-Proline, 2-aminoisobutyric acid, and glycine were primarily taken up by system A; L-alanine and L-serine by system ASC; L-phenylalanine by system L; and L-lysine by system Ly⁺ in SV3T3 cells. L-Proline and L-serine were also preferential substrates of systems A and ASC, respectively, in 3T3 and SV3T3 revertant cells. Transport activity of the Na⁺-dependent systems A and ASC decreased markedly with the increase of cell density, whereas the activity of the Na⁺-independent systems L and Ly⁺remained substantially unchanged. The density-dependent change in activity of system A occurred through a mechanism affecting transport maximum (V_max) rather than substrate concentration for half-maximal velocity (K_m). Transport activity of systems A and ASC was severalfold higher in transformed SV3T3 cells than in 3T3 parental cells at all the culture densities that could be compared. In SV3T3 revertant cells, transport activity by these systems remained substantially similar to that observed in transformed SV3T3 cells. The results presented here add cell density as a regulatory factor of the activity of systems A and ASC, and show that this control mechanism of amino acid transport is maintained in SV40 virus-transformed 3T3 cells that have lost density-dependent inhibition of growth, as well as in SV3T3 revertant cells that have resumed it.     

Hyaluronate degradation in 3T3 and simian virus-transformed 3T3 cells

The cellular control of hyaluronate levels was examined in cultures of simian virus 40-transformed 3T3 (SV3T3) and 3T3 cells which are known to differ in their metabolism of hyaluronate. When [3H]hyaluronate was added to cultures of the two cell lines, four times more ligand was bound per mg of protein by the SV3T3 cells than by the 3T3 cells. Of the bound [3H] hyaluronate, 40% was degraded by the SV3T3 cells to oligosaccharides characteristic of the breakdown of hyaluronate, but only 2% was degraded by 3T3 cells. Hyaluronidase activity was found in the cell layer and medium of the SV3T3 cultures, but was not detectable in 3T3 cells. The SV3T3 enzyme was active only at acidic pH, but at neutral pH the secreted SV3T3 hyaluronidase was thermally more stable then the cell-associated enzyme. In contrast, both cell lines were found to contain similar amounts of beta-glucuronidase and beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase activity. We conclude that the elevated capacity of SV3T3 cells to degrade hyaluronate may be partially responsible for their lack of the hyaluronate-containing pericellular coat which is prominent around 3T3 cells.     

Differential adaptive response to hyperosmolarity of 3T3 and transformed SV3T3 cells

Both 3T3 and simian virus 40-transformed 3T3 (SV3T3) cells were used to investigate differences in population kinetics, protein synthesis, monovalent ion levels, and amino acid accumulations between normal and transformed cells exposed to hyperosmolarity at 0.5 Osm. Under similar culture conditions, SV3T3 cells were found to be more sensitive in their proliferative response than normal cells to the hyperosmolar treatment. In the normal 3T3 cells, the increase in transport of amino acids was less sustained and was associated with higher levels of accumulated amino acids. The equilibrium distribution of intracellular monovalent cations and the rate of protein synthesis also returned faster to baseline values in the normal cells than in the transformed cells. Two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2D-PAGE) analysis revealed the induction of a 69-kDa polypeptide in the 3T3 cells but not in the SV3T3 cells after exposure to hyperosmolarity. On electrofocusing and relative mass analysis, this polypeptide closely migrated with the 70-kDa heat shock protein (hsp) family, although it was unrelated immunologically to the inducible 72-kDa hsp.     

Preparation of 3-deoxy-3-deuteroestrone and 3-deoxy-4-14C-estrone

3-Deoxy-3-deuteroestrone (1,3,5(10)-estratrien-17-one-3-d) and 3-deoxy-4-¹⁴C-estrone (1 ,3 ,5(10)-estratrien-17-one-¹⁴C) have been prepared. The mechanism of reductive dehalogenation of aryl iodides with lithium aluminum deuteride is discussed. The ¹³C-NMR spectrum of 3-deoxy-3-deuteroestrone is discussed.     

Type 3 IP3 receptors driving oncogenesis

Type 3 Inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP₃) receptors (IP₃R3s) have been identified as anti-oncogenic channels by propelling pro-apoptotic Ca²⁺ signals to mitochondria. Yet, recent studies (Rezuchova et al, Cell Death Dis, 2019; Ueasilamongkol et al, Hepathology, 2019; Guerra et al, Gut, 2019) revealed that IP₃R3 upregulation drives oncogenesis via ER-mitochondrial Ca²⁺ crosstalk, adding complexity to IP₃R3’s role in cancer.     

La3+-promoted proliferation is interconnected with apoptosis in NIH 3T3 cells

Lanthanum ion (La(3+)) has been reported to affect proliferation or apoptosis of different cells. In the present study, La(3+) was confirmed to promote both proliferation and apoptosis of NIH 3T3 cells at the same concentrations. La(3+) was shown to promote proliferation by helping the cells to pass through the G1/S restriction point and enter S phase, however, the proliferating cells induced by incubation with La(3+) eventually underwent apoptosis. The proliferation and apoptosis of NIH 3T3 cells induced by La(3+) were well correlated with cell cycle alterations. La(3+) caused the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2; while inhibition of ERK phosphorylation by 2'-amino-3'-methoxyflavone (PD98059) suppressed both proliferation and apoptosis induced by La(3+). Based on the above experimental results, we postulated that La(3+)-promoted proliferation of NIH 3T3 cells could be interconnected with the cell apoptosis, possibly through cell cycle machinery. Our results thus support the recent hypothesis that proliferation and apoptosis of cell are intrinsically coordinated.     

Synthesis of 3-deaza-3-nitro-2'-deoxyadenosine

Photoactivable deoxyadenosine mimic, 3-deaza-3-nitro-2'-deoxyadenosine (2), was prepared using two different synthetic routes. The first route involved base catalyzed glycosylation of 3-deaza-3-nitroadenine, which was prepared by regioselective nitration of 3-deazaadenine. In the second route, the convertible nucleoside 6-O-(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)-3-deaza-2'-deoxyadenosine (28) was used to introduce 6-NH2 group in the last step.     

In vivo metabolism of 3-deoxy-3-fluoro-D-glucose

Recent studies have demonstrated that 3-deoxy-3-fluoro-D-glucose (3-FG) is metabolized to 3-deoxy-3-fluoro-D-sorbitol (3-FS), via aldose reductase, and 3-deoxy-3-fluoro-D-fructose (3-FF), via the sorbitol dehydrogenase reaction with 3-FS, in rat cerebral tissue (Kwee, I. L., Nakada, T., and Card, P. J. (1987) J. Neurochem. 49, 428-433). However, the biochemistry of 3-FG in other mammalian organs has not been investigated making the application of 3-FG as a metabolic tracer uncertain. To address this issue we investigated 3-FG metabolism and distribution in isolated cell lines and in rabbit tissues in vivo with 19F NMR and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. In general, the production of 3-FS is well correlated with the known distribution of aldose reductase in all the systems studied. Further metabolism of 3-FS to 3-FF was verified to occur in cerebral tissue. Surprisingly, two new fluorinated compounds were found in the liver and kidney cortex. These compounds are identified as 3-deoxy-3-fluoro-D-gluconic acid, which is produced via glucose dehydrogenase activity on 3-FG, and 3-deoxy-3-fluoro-D-gluconate-6-phosphate. Based on enzyme studies, it is argued that the 3-deoxy-3-fluoro-D-gluconate-6-phosphate is derived directly from 3-deoxy-3-fluoro-D-gluconic acid and not as a product of pentose phosphate activity. Direct oxidation and reduction are the major metabolic routes of 3-FG, not metabolism through glycolysis or the pentose phosphate shunt. Thus, 3-FG metabolism coupled with 19F NMR appears to be very useful for monitoring aldose reductase and glucose dehydrogenase activity in vivo.     

Growth, thermal and spectral properties of Er3+-Doped and Er3+/Yb3+-Codoped Li3Ba2La3(WO4)8 crystals

This paper reports the growth and spectral properties of Er(3+)-doped and Er(3+)/Yb(3+)-codoped Li(3)Ba(2)La(3)(WO(4))(8) crystals. The Er(3+): Li(3)Ba(2)La(3)(WO(4))(8) crystal with dimensions of 56 mm × 28 mm × 9 mm and Er(3+)/Yb(3+): Li(3)Ba(2)La(3)(WO(4))(8) crystal with dimensions of 52 mm × 24 mm × 8 mm were obtained by the top-seeded solution growth (TSSG) method. Thermal expansion coefficients and thermal conductivity of both crystals were measured. The spectroscopic characterizations of both crystals were investigated. The spectroscopic analysis reveals that the Er(3+)/Yb(3+): Li(3)Ba(2)La(3)(WO(4))(8) crystal has much better optical properties than the Er(3+): Li(3)Ba(2)La(3)(WO(4))(8) crystal, thus it may become a potential candidate for solid-state laser gain medium material.     

Bacterial Metabolism of 3-Hydroxy-3-Methylglutaric Acid

An organism belonging to Pseudomonadaceae and capable of utilizing 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutarate as sole carbon source has been isolated from soil. Whole-cell preparations catalyze the oxidation of acetoacetate, acetate, glyoxylate, and citric acid cycle intermediates. Cell-free extracts of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutarate-grown cells show an adenosine triphosphate, coenzyme A (CoA), and Mg(2+)-dependent conversion of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutarate to 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA. Succinyl-CoA-generating system has no effect on the activation and catabolism of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutarate.     

Calcium transport and exchange in mouse 3T3 and SV40-3T3 cells

The kinetics of Ca++ uptake have been evaluated in 3T3 and SV40-3T3 mouse cells. The data reveal at least two exchangeable cellular compartments in the 3T3 and SV40-3T3 cell over a 50-min exposure to 45Ca++. A rapidly exchanging compartment may represent surface-membrane-localized Ca++ whereas a more slowly exchanging compartment is presumably intracellular. The transition of the 3T3 cell from exponential growth (at 3 day's incubation) to quiescence (at 7 days) is characterized by a 7.5-fold increase in the size of the fast component. Quiescence of the 3T3 cell is also characterized by a 3.2-fold increase in the unidirectional Ca++ influx into the slowly exchanging compartment and a 3.6-fold increase in its size. The increase in size of the slow compartment at quiescence may result from a redistribution of intracellular Ca++ to a more readily exchangeable compartment, possibly reflecting a release of previously bound Ca++. In contrast, no significant change in any of these parameters is observed in the proliferatively active SV40-3T3 cells after corresponding period of incubation, even though these cells attained higher growth densities and underwent postconfluence.     

Effect of alpha-lipoic acid on 3T3 and 3T3-SV40 fibroblasts: Comparison with N-acetylcysteine

In this study, we have investigated the intracellular level of reduced glutathione, cell-cycle phase distribution, and microfilament and microtubule structures in normal (3T3) and transformed (3T3-SV40) fibroblasts exposed to alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) in concentrations of 0.7–5 mM. It was found that ALA treatment increased the glutathione content in transformed cells, but did not affect its level in normal cells; moreover, it also induced the cell-cycle arrest of 3T3 cells (but not 3T3-SV40 cells) and disrupted actin microfilaments in cells of both lines. The ALA effect was compared to that of N-acetylcysteine (NAC), another antioxidant we examined previously. The findings allow us to assert that each of these antioxidants impacts on distinct target molecules in normal and transformed cells and activates different signal and metabolic pathways in these cells. However, intermediate steps of ALA and NAC action may be common (altered intracellular level of glutathione, reorganization of actin cytoskeleton, etc.).     

Ins(1,4,5)P3 metabolism and the family of IP3-3Kinases

The release of Ca2+ from intracellular stores is triggered by the second messenger inositol (1,4,5)-trisphosphate (Ins(1,4,5)P3). The regulation of this process is critically important for cellular homeostasis. Ins(1,4,5)P3 is rapidly metabolised, either to inositol (1,4)-bisphosphate (Ins(1,4)P2) by inositol polyphosphate 5-phosphatases or to inositol (1,3,4,5)-tetrakisphosphate (Ins(1,3,4,5)P4) by one of a family of inositol (1,4,5)P3 3-kinases (IP3-3Ks). Three isoforms of IP3-3K have now been identified in mammals; they have a conserved C-terminal catalytic domain, but divergent N-termini. This review discusses the metabolism of Ins(1,4,5)P3, compares the IP3-3K isoforms and addresses potential mechanisms by which their activity might be regulated.