Increase of histidine decarboxylase activity in murine myelomonocytic leukemia cells (WEHI-3B) in parallel to their differentiation into macrophages

When cells of mouse myelomonocytyc leukemia cell line, WEHI-3B, were cultured in the presence of actinomycin D plus the serum which was obtained from mice injected with bacterial endotoxin, i.e., lipopolysaccharide, their histidine decarboxylase (l-histidine carboxy-lyase, EC 4.1.1.22) (HDC) activity increased about 100-fold with a peak at 48 h. According to the increase in HDC activity, the expression of surface antigens associated with macrophages, such as Mac II, Mac III and Ia, increased markedly on WEHI-3B cells as well as their morphological changes to macrophages. Histamine levels in the culture medium increased concomitantly with the increase in the HDC activity in WEHI-3B cells, whereas the histamine contents inside the cells did not increase remarkably. Furthermore, the addition of lipopolysaccharide to the culture medium caused an additional 2-fold increase in the HDC activity of WEHI-3B cells. These results indicate that the increase in HDC activity in WEHI-3B cells may represent an event in the process of the differentiation to macrophages.     

Increase of histidine decarboxylase activity in murine myelomonocytic leukemia cells (WEHI-3B) in parallel to their differentiation into macrophages

When cells of mouse myelomonocytic leukemia cell line, WEHI-3B, were cultured in the presence of actinomycin D plus the serum which was obtained from mice injected with bacterial endotoxin, i.e., lipopolysaccharide, their histidine decarboxylase (L-histidine carboxy-lyase, EC 4.1.1.22) (HDC) activity increased about 100-fold with a peak at 48 h. According to the increase in HDC activity, the expression of surface antigens associated with macrophages, such as Mac II, Mac III and Iad, increased markedly on WEHI-3B cells as well as their morphological changes to macrophages. Histamine levels in the culture medium increased concomitantly with the increase in the HDC activity in WEHI-3B cells, whereas the histamine contents inside the cells did not increase remarkably. Furthermore, the addition of lipopolysaccharide to the culture medium caused an additional 2-fold increase in the HDC activity of WEHI-3B cells. These results indicate that the increase in HDC activity in WEHI-3B cells may represent an event in the process of the differentiation to macrophages.     

Purification of a factor inducing differentiation in murine myelomonocytic leukemia cells. Identification as granulocyte colony-stimulating factor

A naturally occurring inducer of terminal differentiation in a murine myelomonocytic leukemia cell line (WEHI-3B) was purified to apparent homogeneity from medium conditioned by lungs from mice injected with bacterial endotoxin. The factor was purified over 400,000-fold by sequential fractionation using salting out chromatography, chromatography on phenyl-Sepharose, gel filtration on Bio-Gel P-60 in 1 M acetic acid, reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography on a phenyl-silica column, and high performance liquid chromatography on a gel filtration column. During the first two steps, the differentiation-inducing factor was separated completely from a known proliferative regulator for normal myeloid cells, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, but it co-purified through all remaining steps with a distinct granulocyte-specific colony-stimulating factor. The purified factor showed a single protein band of Mr = 24,000-25,000 on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels coincident with both differentiation-inducing and granulocyte colony-stimulating activity. The granulocyte-specific colony-stimulating factor was active on WEHI-3B cells and normal granulocytic progenitor cells in vitro at the same half-maximally active concentration of 3 X 10(-12) M.     

Structures of glycosphingolipids isolated from human granulocytes. The presence of a series of linear poly-N-acetyllactosaminylceramide and its significance in glycolipids of whole blood cells

Structures of glycolipids isolated from human granulocytes were elucidated by fast atom bombardment-mass spectrometry, methylation analysis, and exo- and endoglycosidase treatment. All neutral glycolipids, with saccharide residues ranging from 2 to 10, were found to have linear N-acetyllactosaminyl backbones. The majority of neutral glycolipids contain one or two fucosyl residues attached to N-acetylglucosamine residues through the Fuc alpha 1----3 linkage and were reactive with the monoclonal antibody specific to Gal beta 1----4(Fuc alpha 1----3)GlcNAc, the Lex structure. Their general structure can be expressed as follows: (formula; see text) where n = 0-3. Glycolipids containing sialic acid (gangliosides) were also found to have linear N-acetyllactosaminyl backbones with sialic acid joined to this backbone by either alpha 2----3 or alpha 2----6 linkage. The gangliosides have the following general structure: (formula; see text) where n = 0-3. The ceramide was composed of sphingosine with d18:1 as the long-chain base and C16:0 (as a major component) or C24:1 (as a minor component) fatty acid. Analysis of glycolipids isolated from granulocytes, erythrocytes, and whole blood cells revealed that, among the glycolipids prepared from the whole blood cells, dihexaosylceramide, lactoneotetraosylceramide, and the above described linear lactoneo series neutral glycolipids are present in granulocytes but barely present in erythrocytes.     

Derivation of murine induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) and assessment of their differentiation toward osteogenic lineage

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have generated hope and excitement because of the potential they possess for generating patient‐specific embryonic‐like stem cells (ESCs). Although many hurdles remain to be solved before the cells can be applied clinically; studies directed toward understanding factors that control differentiation of the cells toward various cell lineages are prerequisites for their future application. In the present study, we generated murine iPSC and assessed their differentiation toward osteogenic lineage. Murine tail tip fibroblasts were reprogrammed into embryonic‐like state by transduction with defined factors (Oct3/4, Sox2, c‐Myc, and klf4) carried in a retroviral vector. The reprogrammed cells expressed ESC markers, gave rise to three germ layers as demonstrated by teratoma formation and immunofluorescence staining. These data confirmed that the reprogrammed cells exhibited ESC‐like state. Treatment of iPSCs‐derived embryoid bodies (EBs) with transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF‐β1) in the presence of retinoic acid enhanced generation of MSC‐like cells. The MSCs‐like cells expressed putative makers associated with MSCs; the cells deposited calcium in vitro when cultured in osteogenic medium. Interestingly MSCs‐like cells generated from iPSC directed EBs by treatment with retinoic acid and TGF‐β1 deposited more calcium in vitro than cells derived without TGF‐β1 treatment. Taken together, the data demonstrate that iPSC give rise to MSCs‐like state and that the cells have potential to differentiate toward osteoblasts. In addition, brief treatment of iPSC‐derived EBs with TGF‐β1 may be an approach for directing iPSC toward MSC‐like state. J. Cell. Biochem. 109: 643–652, 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Protein kinases associated with proliferation and differentiation in murine erythroleukaemic cells.

1. The changes in electrophoretic distribution of cytosolic protein kinases have been studied in relation to proliferation, differentiation and transformation in murine erythroleukaemic cells, using a non-denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis system. 2. Native molecular masses of the major forms were determined by Ferguson plots. 3. A two dimensional electrophoresis method was developed for determination of the subunit molecular masses. 4. These studies suggest that the major bands of activity contain components which may correspond to cGMP dependent protein kinase, cAMP dependent protein kinase and protein kinase C. 5. On hexamethylene bisacetamide induced differentiation of the cells, changes in proportions of the different forms were observed.     

Binding kinetics of ecotropic (Moloney) murine leukemia retrovirus with NIH 3T3 cells.

A quantitative analysis of the binding kinetics of intact Moloney murine leukemia retrovirus (MoMuLV) particles with NIH 3T3 cells was performed with an immunofluorescence flow cytometry assay. The virus-cell binding equilibrium dissociation constant (KD), expressed in terms of virus particle concentration, was measured to be 8.5 (+/- 6.4) x 10(-12) M at 4 degrees C and was three- to sixfold lower at temperatures above 15 degrees C. The KD of virus binding is about 1,000-fold lower than the KD of purified MoMuLV envelope. The association rate constant was determined to be 2.5 (+/- 0.9) x 10(9) M-1 min-1 at 4 degrees C and was 5- to 10-fold higher at temperatures above 15 degrees C. The apparent dissociation rate constant at 4 degrees C was 1.1 (+/- 0.4) x 10(-3) min-1 and was doubled for every 10 degrees C increase in temperature over the range tested (15 to 37 degrees C).     

Structures of glycosphingolipids isolated from human embryonal carcinoma cells. The presence of mono- and disialosyl glycolipids with blood group type 1 sequence

Structures of glycolipids present in the human embryonal carcinoma cell PA1, were elucidated by fast atom bombardment-mass spectrometry, methylation analysis, and exo- and endoglycosidase digestion. PA1 cells contain globotriaosylceramide, sialosylgangliotriaosylceramide, sialylated and nonsialylated lacto-N-neotetraosylceramide, and the following glycolipids with a blood group type 1 sequence: (formula; see text) The two former glycolipids, lacto-N-tetraosylceramide and sialosyllacto-N-tetraosylceramide, reacted with monoclonal antibodies, K21 and K4, respectively. K21 and K4 antigens are present in many of the human embryonal carcinoma cells but not in a variety of other cell lines, suggesting that sialylated but not fucosylated blood group type 1 sequences are characteristic markers for human embryonal carcinoma cells and malignant teratocarcinomas.     

Synthesis of glycolipids and phospholipids in hamster cells: dependence on cell density and the cell cycle.

Sakiyama et al. ('72) reported the isolation of a line of hamster cells (NIL 1c1) which contains only three glycolipids, hematoside, ceramide monohexoside and ceramide dihexoside. The incorporation of radiolabeled palmitate into hematoside during 24 hours was three fold higher in normal confluent, non growing cells than sparse, growing ones. Polyoma transformed cells did not exhibit this effect. We have continued studies with the untransformed cell line and have found that the higher incorporation of radiolabeled palmitate into hematoside by normal confluent cells is not due to a higher rate of turnover of hematoside at confluence but represents a true chemical increase. We have also found that this increase is not a gradual process during cell growth but instead occurs only when the cells become confluent and stop growing. The increase of hematoside at confluence is not due to a higher rate of synthesis of hematoside during G1, relative to the other phases of the cell cycle. We found the rate of synthesis of hematoside to be constant throughout the cell cycle. The rate of synthesis of phosphatidyl choline, phosphatidyl ethanolamine, phosphatidyl serine, phosphatidyl inositol and sphingomyelin was also studied as a function of the cell cycle. We found no large differences in the synthetic rate of any given phospholipid species throughout the cell cycle although the rate of synthesis of the glycerophospholipids was somewhat higher during late G1 and S. We did, however, find major differences in the rates of synthesis of the different phospholipid species.     

Synthesis of a series of novel dihydroartemisinin derivatives containing a substituted chalcone with greater cytotoxic effects in leukemia cells

Fifteen dihydroartemisinin derivatives containing a substituted chalcone linked by either ether or ester were synthesized and investigated for their cytotoxicity in human leukemia HL-60 and mouse lymphoma P388 cells. These derivatives have greater antiproliferative and cytotoxic effects in both cell lines than dihydroartemisinin. Dihydroartemisinin chalcones linked by ether are more cytotoxic than dihydroartemisinin chalcones linked by ester with apoptosis induction abilities.     

Genome structure of Abelson murine leukemia virus variants: proviruses in fibroblasts and lymphoid cells.

We have prepared full-length DNA clones of the Abelson murine leukemia virus (A-MuLV) genome. A specific probe homologous to the central portion of the A-MuLV genome was prepared by nick translation of a subcloned restriction fraction from the cloned DNA. The probe was used to examine the genome structure of several A-MuLV variants. The conclusions are: (i) three viruses coding for Abelson-specific proteins of molecular weight 120,000, 100,000, and 90,000 had genomes indistinguishable in size, suggesting that the shorter proteins are the result of early translational termination; (ii) compared with the genome encoding the 120,000-dalton (120K) protein, a genome coding for a 160K protein was 0.8 kilobase larger in the A-MuLV-specific region; and (iii) a genome coding for a 92K protein had a 700-base pair deletion internal to the coding region. This mutant was transformation defective: its 92K protein lacked the protein kinase activity normally associated with the A-MuLV protein, and cells containing the virus were not morphologically transformed. In addition, we determined the number of A-MuLV proviruses in each of several transformed fibroblast and lymphoid cells prepared by infection in vitro. These experiments show that a single copy of the A-MuLV provirus is sufficient to transform both types of cells and that nonproducer cells generally have only one integrated provirus.     

Identification of a novel calcium-binding protein (CP22) in multidrug-resistant murine and hamster cells

Analysis of cytoplasmic extracts of multidrug-resistant murine and hamster cells by SDS gel and 2D gel electrophoresis showed that they expressed an abundant 22 kDa protein which was absent from the drug-sensitive parent lines. SDS gel electrophoresis in the presence of EGTA and direct binding tests with 45Ca2+ showed that the resistance-associated protein is a specific calcium-binding protein. Thus the development of multidrug resistance in both colchicine-selected hamster cells and adriamycin-selected murine cells is associated with a major change in calcium metabolism. These observations provide the first molecular basis for the hypothesis that Ca2+ plays a central role in the development of the multidrug resistance phenomenon.     

Analysis of nuclear sugar-binding components in undifferentiated and in vitro differentiated human promyelocytic leukemia cells (HL60)

The nuclear sugar-binding components (i.e., lectin-like molecules) were analyzed using isolated and membrane-depleted nuclei after incubation in the presence of fluorescein-labeled neoglycoproteins. This analysis was performed before and during the in vitro differentiation of HL60 cells into monocytes by PMA treatment and into granulocytes by DMSO treatment. The nucleoli of undifferentiated and differentiated HL60 cells were not labeled, unlike the nucleoli of other mammalian cells studied so far. This peculiarity allowed us to quantitatively analyze by flow cytometry the changes in the lectin activity associated with the extranucleolar territories enriched in ribonucleoprotein complexes. The neoglycoprotein binding was found to be significantly lower in differentiated than in undifferentiated cells. The decrease in neoglycoprotein binding was observed within the first 24 h of DMSO or PMA treatment, just before the arrest of DNA synthesis. Taking into account that the granulocytic differentiation required 72 h of chemical treatment, the extra-nucleolar lectins might be involved in modulation of the DNA synthesis rather than in phenotypic differentiation. These data are discussed in an attempt to reconcile the association of lectins with RNP complexes and their possible involvement in modulation of HL60 cell proliferation.     

Molecular cloning of a novel alpha2,3-sialyltransferase (ST3Gal VI) that sialylates type II lactosamine structures on glycoproteins and glycolipids

A novel member of the human CMP-NeuAc:beta-galactoside alpha2, 3-sialyltransferase (ST) subfamily, designated ST3Gal VI, was identified based on BLAST analysis of expressed sequence tags, and a cDNA clone was isolated from a human melanoma line library. The sequence of ST3Gal VI encoded a type II membrane protein with 2 amino acids of cytoplasmic domain, 32 amino acids of transmembrane region, and a large catalytic domain with 297 amino acids; and showed homology to previously cloned ST3Gal III, ST3Gal IV, and ST3Gal V at 34, 38, and 33%, respectively. Extracts from L cells transfected with ST3Gal VI cDNA in a expression vector and a fusion protein with protein A showed an enzyme activity of alpha2, 3-sialyltransferase toward Galbeta1,4GlcNAc structure on glycoproteins and glycolipids. In contrast to ST3Gal III and ST3Gal IV, this enzyme exhibited restricted substrate specificity, i.e. it utilized Galbeta1,4GlcNAc on glycoproteins, and neolactotetraosylceramide and neolactohexaosylceramide, but not lactotetraosylceramide, lactosylceramide, or asialo-GM1. Consequently, these data indicated that this enzyme is involved in the synthesis of sialyl-paragloboside, a precursor of sialyl-Lewis X determinant.     

Proteoglycan biosynthesis in murine monocytic leukemic (M1) cells before and after differentiation

Murine monocytic leukemic (M1) cells were cultured in the presence of [3H]glucosamine and [35S]sulfate. Labeled proteoglycans were purified by anion exchange chromatography and characterized by gel filtration and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in combination with chemical and enzymatic degradation. M1 cells synthesize a single predominant species of proteoglycan which distributes almost equally between the cell and medium after 17 h labeling. The cell-associated proteoglycan has an overall size of about 135 kDa and contains three to five chondroitin sulfate chains (28-31 kDa each) attached to a chondroitinase-generated core protein of 28 kDa. The synthesis and subsequent secretion of this proteoglycan was enhanced 4-5-fold in cells induced to differentiate into macrophages. This was not a phenomenon of arrest in the G0/G1 stage of the cell cycle, since density inhibited undifferentiated cells arrested at this stage did not increase proteoglycan synthesis. The chondroitin sulfate chains contained exclusively chondroitin 4- and 6-sulfate; however, the ratio of these two disaccharides differed between the medium- and cell-associated proteoglycans, and changed during progression of the cells into a fully differentiated phenotype. Pulse-chase kinetics indicate the presence of two distinct pools of proteoglycan; one that is secreted very rapidly from the cell after a approximately 1-h lag, and a second pool that is turned over in the cell with a half-time of approximately 3.5 h. Subtle differences in the glycosylation patterns of the medium- and cell-associated species are consistent with synthesis of two pools. Papain digestion suggests that the chondroitin sulfate chains are clustered on a small protease resistant peptide. The data suggest that this proteoglycan is similar to the serglycin proteoglycan family.     

Embryonal lactosaminoglycan. The structure of branched lactosaminoglycans with novel disialosyl (sialyl alpha 2----9 sialyl) terminals isolated from PA1 human embryonal carcinoma cells

Lactosaminoglycan glycopeptides were isolated from human PA1 embryonal carcinoma cells and their structures were elucidated. The glycopeptides were digested by Escherichia freundii endo-beta-galactosidase before and after the modifications by exoglycosidases. The core glycopeptides and oligosaccharides thus obtained and the intact glycopeptides were analyzed by methylation, fast atom bombardment-mass spectrometry, and high-performance liquid chromatography. Based on these experiments, the structures of PA1 lactosaminoglycans were found to have the following unique features. 1) Three lactosaminoglycan fractions of different molecular weights were isolated by Sephadex G-50 gel filtration. Lactosaminoglycans of the highest molecular weight (GpI) have tetra-antennary cores, those of intermediate molecular weight (GpII) have triantennary cores and those of low molecular weight (GpIII) have triantennary and tetra-antennary cores. 2) GpI is composed of 22-26 lactosaminyl units and 7-9 branched galactose residues, GpII is composed of 16-22 lactosaminyl units and 5-7 branched galactose residues, and GpIII is composed of 12-16 lactosaminyl units and 3-4 branched galactose residues. 3) Each branch is short and is composed of the Gal beta 1----4GlcNAc beta 1----6 structure. 4) Sialic acid is preferentially linked to nonreducing terminal regions and a significant amount of the novel disialosyl structure, NeuNAc alpha 2----9NeuNAc alpha 2----3/6Gal, is present at the terminals of the longer polylactosaminyl side chains. 5) These lactosaminoglycans are carried by cell surface glycoproteins of Mr = 80,000 approximately 120,000, as evidenced by lectin-agarose chromatography.