Mode of estrogen action on cell proliferation in CAMA-1 cells: II. Sensitivity of G1 phase population

The mammary cancer cell line CAMA-1 synchronized at the G1/S boundary by thymidine block or at the G1/M boundary by nocodazole was used to evaluate 1) the sensitivity of a specific cell cycle phase or phases to 17 beta-estradiol (E2), 2) the effect of E2 on cell cycle kinetics, and 3) the resultant E2 effect on cell proliferation. In synchronized G1/S cells, E2-induced 3H-thymidine uptake, which indicated a newly formed S population, was observed only when E2 was added during, but not after, thymidine synchronization. Synchronized G2/M cells, enriched by Percoll gradient centrifugation to approximately 90% mitotic cells, responded to E2 added immediately following selection; the total E2-treated population traversed the cycle faster and reached S phase approximately 4 hr earlier than cells not exposed to E2. When E2 was added during the last hour of synchronization (ie, at late G2 or G2/M), or for 1 hr during mitotic cell enrichment, a mixed response occurred: a small portion had an accelerated G1 exit, while the majority of cells behaved the same as controls not incubated with E2. When E2 addition was delayed until 2 hr, 7 hr, or 12 hr following cell selection, to allow many early G1 phase cells to miss E2 exposure, the response to E2 was again mixed. When E2 was added during the 16 hr of nocodazole synchronization, when cells were largely at S or possibly at early G2, it inhibited entry into S phase. The E2-induced increase or decrease of S phase cells in the nocodazole experiments also showed corresponding changes in mitotic index and cell number. These results showed that the early G1 phase and possibly the G2/M phase are sensitive to E2 stimulation, late G1, G1/S, or G2 are refractory; the E2 stimualtion of cell proliferation is due primarily to an increased proportion of G1 cells that traverse the cell cycle and a shortened G1 period, E2 does not facilitate faster cell division; and estrogen-induced cell proliferation or G1/S transition occurs only when very early G1 phase cells are exposed to estrogen. These results are consistent with the constant transition probability hypothesis, that is, E2 alters the probability of cells entering into DNA synthesis without significantly affecting the duration of other cell cycle phases. Results from this study provide new information for further studies aimed at elucidating E2-modulated G1 events related to tumor growth.     

Independent fluctuations of cytidine and adenosine diphosphate reductase activities in cultured Chinese hamster fibroblasts.

The activities of CDP and ADP reductases were determined throughout the cell cycle of Chinese hamster fibroblasts synchronized by partial deprivation of isoleucine. Both enzyme activities were increased in S phase as compared to G1 phase. CDP reductase increased about 8-fold while ADP reductase increased about 2.5-fold. The ratio of CDP to ADP reductase was 0.26 at the G1 and early S phases of the cell cycle; the ratio was increased to 0.83 by late S phase. Addition of actinomycin D or cycloheximide to cell cultures in G1 phase prevented the increase of both CDP and ADP reductases activities in the latter part of the cell cycle, but the ratio of the two activities was not affected. The ratio of CDP to ADP reductase activities varied from 0.8 to 3 in different populations of exponentially growing DON cells. These results show that CDP and ADP reductase activities vary independently in growing cells. The independent variation with cell growth of CDP and ADP reductases suggests important individual functions of the deoxynucleotides during the cell cycle apart from their common role as precursors of DNA synthesis.     

Cell Cycle Synchronization at the G2/M Phase Border by Reversible Inhibition of CDK1

Chemical agents for cell cycle synchronization have greatly facilitated the study of biochemical events driving cell cycle progression. G1, S and M phase inhibitors have been developed and used widely in cell cycle research. However, currently there are no effective G2 phase inhibitors and synchronization of cultured cells in G2 phase has been challenging. Recently, a selective CDK1 inhibitor, RO-3306, has been identified that reversibly arrests proliferating human cells at the G2/M phase border and provides a novel means for cell cycle synchronization. A single-step protocol using RO-3306 permits the synchronization of >95% of cycling cancer cells in G2 phase. RO-3306 arrested cells enter mitosis rapidly after release from the G2 block thus allowing for isolation of mitotic cells without microtubule poisons. RO-3306 represents a new molecular tool for studying CDK1 function in human cells.     

Regulation of synthesis of p34cdc2 and its homologues and their relationship to p110Rb phosphorylation during cell cycle progression of normal human T cells.

In yeast, the protein kinase p34cdc2 plays a role in regulating both the G2 to M and G1 to S phase transitions. The discovery of multiple homologues of the protein in cells of higher eukaryotic organisms suggests that different cell cycle regulatory events may be performed by different kinases in such cells. Here, the synthesis and metabolism of the human forms of these proteins are described in a normal human cell type, peripheral blood T lymphocytes that have been stimulated to enter the cell cycle in vitro. Using a carboxyl-terminus antiserum specific for true p34cdc2, the protein could first be found in T cells at about 24 to 30 h after stimulation, just before the initiation of DNA synthesis. Three forms of the enzyme could be resolved by denaturing gel electrophoresis: an unphosphorylated form with an apparent molecular mass of 34,500 daltons and two phosphorylated derivatives. In cells synchronized at G2/M phase with nocodazole, p34 was almost entirely in the unphosphorylated form whereas the phosphorylated derivatives were more predominant in cultures arrested at the G1/S border with aphidicolin. The relationship of p34 synthesis to the phosphorylation of p110Rb, an event known to be associated with passage through late G1 and/or the G1/S phase transition, was also investigated. It was noted that p110Rb phosphorylation began before p34 synthesis first became detectable. Furthermore, it appeared that the two events could be largely uncoupled by treating cells with deferoxamine (10 microM), an iron chelating agent that arrests T cells at a point in late G1 phase but substantially before the G1 to S phase transition. Under these conditions, p110Rb phosphorylation was almost completely accomplished in the absence of significant p34 synthesis, a finding that suggests that most or all of p110 phosphorylation is performed by kinases other than p34. Because of this observation, extracts were next examined for p34-like molecules using an antibody against the so-called PSTAIRE domain found in all cdc2 homologues identified to date. A species of protein with a mobility slightly less than true p34 was found, even in resting T cells. Upon stimulation, this protein increased slightly in amount, and a second protein with a mobility greater than p34, a putative p33cdk2, was seen. Not only was the appearance of these proteins not inhibited by deferoxamine but they accumulated in cultures treated with the drug, suggesting that p33, and not p34, may be the G1 phase kinase for p110Rb.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Synchronization of the cell cycle using Lovastatin

Synchronization by Lovastatin arrests many cell types reversibly in the G1 phase of the cell cycle. Here we show that Lovastatin (10 µM) mediates cell cycle arrest in human breast cancer cells, MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231, where 85% of cells accumulate in the G1 phase of the cell cycle. Addition of mevalonate (at 100X the Lovastatin concentration) releases the cells from the G1 arrest and allows for synchronous entry into late G1, S and G2/M phases of the cell cycle. The expressions of different cyclins as a marker for different phases of the cell cycle are detected by western blot analysis and indicative of synchronous transition into each of cell cycle phases following the initial G1 arrest. Due to its level of synchrony and high yield of synchronous populations of cells, Lovastatin method of cell synchronization can be used for examining gene expression patterns in a variety of different cell lines.     

Genetic ablation of the CDP/Cux protein C terminus results in hair cycle defects and reduced male fertility

Murine CDP/Cux, a homologue of the Drosophila Cut homeoprotein, modulates the promoter activity of cell cycle-related and cell-type-specific genes. CDP/Cux interacts with histone gene promoters as the DNA binding subunit of a large nuclear complex (HiNF-D). CDP/Cux is a ubiquitous protein containing four conserved DNA binding domains: three Cut repeats and a homeodomain. In this study, we analyzed genetically targeted mice (Cutl1(tm2Ejn), referred to as Delta C) that express a mutant CDP/Cux protein with a deletion of the C terminus, including the homeodomain. In comparison to the wild-type protein, indirect immunofluorescence showed that the mutant protein exhibited significantly reduced nuclear localization. Consistent with these data, DNA binding activity of HiNF-D was lost in nuclear extracts derived from mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) or adult tissues of homozygous mutant (Delta C(-/-)) mice, indicating the functional loss of CDP/Cux protein in the nucleus. No significant difference in growth characteristics or total histone H4 mRNA levels was observed between wild-type and Delta C(-/-) MEFs in culture. However, specific histone genes (H4.1 and H1) containing CDP/Cux binding sites have reduced expression levels in homozygous mutant MEFs. Stringent control of growth and differentiation appears to be compromised in vivo. Homozygous mutant mice have stunted growth (20 to 50% weight reduction), a high postnatal death rate of 60 to 70%, sparse abnormal coat hair, and severely reduced fertility. The deregulated hair cycle and severely diminished fertility in Cutl1(tm2Ejn/tm2Ejn) mice suggest that CDP/Cux is required for the developmental control of dermal and reproductive functions.     

Relationship between changes of the steroid receptor and synchronization in human endometrial adenocarcinoma cells in vitro

It has been reported that the response of target cells to steroid hormone (SH) stimulation may depend on their position in the cell cycle. The DNA and RNA contents of malignant cells of the endometrium cultured in vitro were measured using flow cytometry (FCM). We also measured estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) levels of cells at different positions in the cell cycle. The G1 and S phases of the cell cycle were investigated using cells synchronized by sodium n-butyrate (G1 block), methotrexate (S block), and excess thymidine (S block). For DNA measurements, the cells were stained with propidium iodide following RNase treatment. For RNA measurements (double-stranded RNA) the cells were treated with DNase. We found that S phase synchronization by methotrexate was 136.2% of control (100%). Using the excess thymidine block and release procedure, the S phase fraction was 185.1% of control. G1 phase synchronization by sodium n-butyrate was 134% of control. The estrogen receptor level in G1 phase synchronized cells increased to 5.94 fmol/micrograms DNA in the cytosol and 12.35 fmol/micrograms DNA in the nuclear fraction. These levels represent a sevenfold total increase over that of the control estrogen receptor level. Cells in S phase showed no significant increase in estrogen receptor levels over control cells. Based on this study, the functional increase of the steroid receptor was most significant in the G1 phase.     

Cell cycle-dependent nuclear export of Cdh1p may contribute to the inactivation of APC/C(Cdh1)

Cdh1p is a substrate-specific subunit of the anaphase-promoting complex (APC/C), which functions as an E3 ubiquitin ligase to degrade the mitotic cyclin Clb2p and other substrates during the G(1) phase of the cell cycle. Cdh1p is phosphorylated and thereby inactivated at the G(1)/S transition predominantly by Cdc28p-Clb5p. Here we show that Cdh1p is nuclear during the G(1) phase of the cell cycle, but redistributes to the cytoplasm between S phase and the end of mitosis. Nuclear export of Cdh1p is regulated by phosphorylation and requires active Cdc28p kinase. Cdh1p binds to the importin Pse1p and the exportin Msn5p, which is necessary and sufficient to promote efficient export of Cdh1p in vivo. Although msn5delta cells are viable, they are sensitive to Cdh1p overexpression. Likewise, a mutant form of Cdh1p, which is constitutively nuclear, prevents accumulation of Clb2p and leads to cell cycle arrest when overexpressed in wild-type cells. Taken together, these results suggest that phosphorylation-dependent nuclear export of Cdh1p by Msn5p contributes to efficient inactivation of APC/C(Cdh1).     

肝癌细胞与内皮细胞的粘附力学特性研究

采用细胞同步技术和微管吸吮技术,从细胞周期的角度研究不同细胞周期肝癌细胞(hepatocellularcarcinoma cells,HCC)与脐静脉内皮细胞(HUVEC)的粘附力学特性。结果表明,未同步化肝癌细胞各周期时相的细胞百分比为:G_0/G_1期,53.51％;G_2/M期,11.01％;S期,35.48％。采用胸腺嘧啶脱氧核苷、秋水仙碱顺序阻断和胸腺嘧啶脱氧核苷双阻断后释放培养的方法可分别获得G_1期和S期的肝癌细胞,其平均同步率分别为69.02％和96.50％。G_1期肝癌细胞与人脐静脉内皮细胞的粘附力比S期相应值明显降低(P<0.01),与未同步化肝癌细胞组比较也得到同样结果,而S期与未同步化肝癌细胞组的粘附力值无明显差别。肝癌细胞与脐静脉内皮细胞的粘附力随着粘附时间的变化而变化,在30～60min内迅速增长,60min之后维持在较稳定的水平,即300×10~(10)N左右。提示:在肝癌细胞与内皮细胞的粘附过程中,S期细胞可能起的作用更大;肝癌细胞和内皮细胞上粘附分子表达呈现时间效应,从而体现出粘附和去粘附的行为特征。