Specific protein production during melanogenesis in B16/C3 melanoma cells

The mouse melanoma cell line B16/C3 offers an excellent in vitro model for studying melanocyte differentiation. Melanogenesis can be induced by serum, a hormone-supplemented serum-free medium, melanocyte stimulating hormone, and dibutyryl cAMP. The tumor promoter, 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate, 5-bromodeoxyuridine, and acidic pH inhibit this process. Using two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, we have identified four cellular proteins whose production is modulated during melanogenesis, a process which includes concomitant increases in levels of tyrosinase, the rate limiting enzyme for melanin biosynthesis, melanization, and ultimately, cell death. The production of these proteins are coordinately expressed or inhibited in response to the diverse inducers and inhibitors of melanogenesis. We conclude from these studies that these specific proteins are intimately involved in the differentiation of B16/C3 melanoma cells.     

Investigation of the regulation of pigmentation in alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone responsive and unresponsive cultured B16 melanoma cells

In vitro melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH) stimulates melanogenesis in some, but not all, melanocytes and melanoma cells. In an attempt to explain this variation in response to alpha MSH, we examined cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) accumulation, tyrosinase activity, and melanin production in primary (1 degree) murine B16 melanoma cells and in two B16 cell lines (B16 F1 and B16 F10) that are known to respond to alpha MSH. In vivo all three B16 melanoma cell types produced pigmented tumours. In vitro alpha MSH increased tyrosinase activity and melanin content in the F1 and F10 cells but not in the B16 1 degree cells. alpha MSH, however, increased cAMP production in all three cell types, confirming that the inability of B16 1 degree cells to produce melanin in response to alpha MSH is not due to a lack of alpha MSH receptors or cAMP response to alpha MSH. Further, we present evidence for a separate pathway of melanogenesis that is independent of cAMP as calmodulin antagonists, which do not elevate cAMP, increased tyrosinase activity, and melanin production in both 1 degree and F1 cells.     

Investigation of the Regulation of Pigmentation in α-Melanocyte-Stimulating Hormone Responsive and Unresponsive Cultured B16 Melanoma Cells

In vitro melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH) stimulates melanogenesis in some, but not all, melanocytes and melanoma cells. In an attempt to explain this variation in response to αMSH, we examined cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) accumulation, tyrosinase activity, and melanin production in primary (1°) murine B16 melanoma cells and in two B16 cell lines (B16 F1 and B16 F10) that are known to respond to αMSH. In vivo all three B16 melanoma cell types produced pigmented tumours. In vitro αMSH increased tyrosinase activity and melanin content in the F1 and F10 cells but not in the B16 1° cells. αMSH, however, increased cAMP production in all three cell types, confirming that the inability of B16 1° cells to produce melanin in response to αMSH is not due to a lack of αMSH receptors or cAMP response to αMSH. Further, we present evidence for a separate pathway of melanogenesis that is independent of cAMP as calmodulin antagonists, which do not elevate cAMP, increased tyrosinase activity, and melanin production in both 1° and F1 cells.     

Induction of B16 melanoma melanogenesis by a serum-free synthetic medium.

Cultured murine B16 melanoma cells normally grow as spindle-shaped cells firmly attached to tissue culture flasks. Pellets obtained from harvested B16 melanoma cells are white to grey in color. When the same cells were grown in synthetic, serum-free AIM V medium, cellular morphology and pigmentation were radically altered. Within 3 days of subculture in AIM V, cells rounded up and grew in clusters in suspension. Melanin content increased to greater than 30 times and tyrosinase activity was found to be 10-50 times higher in cells grown in AIM V medium compared to those cultured in normal medium. A concomitant increase in the level of immunoreactive tyrosinase was also induced. The individual growth factors and hormones present in AIM V medium were examined to determine which component(s) stimulates melanogenesis. Only those cells grown in the presence of 2.5% human albumin were stimulated to synthesize melanin. These findings suggest that albumin, or a component associated with albumin, has a major effect upon the regulation of melanogenesis in these cells.     

In vitro modulation of proliferation and melanization of melanoma cells by citrate

B16/F10 murine melanoma cells were grown for 24 and 36 h in Dulbecco's modified Eagle medium in presence of 10-20 mM trisodium citrate. The intracellular melanin concentration and the melanin secreted in the extracellular medium was estimated. It is observed that 20 mM citrate stimulates extracellular melanin secretion in B16/F10 melanoma cells by 200% at 36 h treatment. The intracellular melanin content increased by 90%. This stimulatory effect of citrate was totally abolished when these cells were grown in presence of 1 mM phenyl thiourea, a specific inhibitor of tyrosinase activity. Citrate (0.1-5 mM) had no effect on dopa oxidase activity either at pH 5.0 or at pH 6.8. There was no increase in the tyrosinase specific activity in presence of citrate. The increased melanin synthesis was shown to be due to stimulation of cellular tyrosine hydroxylase activity by citrate. It has been suggested that enhanced melanin synthesis results in an increased production of metabolites that are toxic to the growth of melanoma cells. We have studied the effect of citrate on cellular proliferation. Following 24 and 36 h treatment with citrate, the cells exhibited a dose-dependent decrease in proliferation. In presence of 20 mM citrate the cell number was only up to 50% of the control cultures after 36 h of incubation. The growth retardation was not due to cytotoxicity. Citrate, a natural metabolite, is a unique molecule which may be involved in the regulation of melanin biosynthetic pathway, since it enhances melanogenesis by increasing the hydroxylase activity of tyrosinase which is the regulatory enzyme of this pathway. These observations add further support to the critical role of intramelanosomal pH in regulation of melanogenesis.     

The growth of mouse melanoma cells in hormone-supplemented, serum-free medium.

A mouse melanoma line, M2R, derived from the B₁₆ transplantable tumor can be grown in a hormone-supplemented serum-free medium. Cells grown in medium supplemented with insulin, transferrin, testosterone (or progesterone), follicle-stimulating hormone, nerve growth factor (NGF) and leutinizing releasing hormone show growth rates equivalent to that seen in medium supplemented with 5% fetal calf serum (FCS). This hormone-supplemented medium will support the growth of cells indefinitely. In cells grown in hormone-supplemented medium, insulin is shown to increase incorporation of glucose into glycogen and fatty acids. Transferrin is shown to act in part as an iron transport protein, although another role in growth stimulation cannot be eliminated. It is suggested that progesterone stimulates growth via an androgenic breakdown product and thus acts in a manner similar to testosterone.     

Factors involved in supporting the growth and steroidogenic functions of bovine adrenal cortical cells maintained on extracellular matrix and exposed to a serum-free medium

Bovine adrenal cortex cells maintained on extracellular matrix (ECM)-coated dishes will proliferate actively when serum is replaced by HDL (25 micrograms protein/ml), insulin (10 ng/ml), and FGF (100 ng/ml). The cells have an absolute requirement for HDL in order to survive and grow. The omission of insulin, FGF, or both results in a slower growth rate and lower final cell density of the cultures. A requirement for transferrin (1 microgram/ml) becomes apparent only when cells have been grown for at least four generations in the absence of serum. Early passage (P1-P3) bovine adrenal cortex cells cultured in serum-free medium responded to ACTH (10(-8)M) with increased 11-deoxycortisol production; this effect was not observed in later passage cells (P7-P15). The cells' ability to utilize LDL-derived cholesterol and to respond to db cAMP (1mM) by increased steroid release was preserved in cells cultured for over 60 generations in the serum-free medium. HDL, although also able to increase steroid production in early-passage cultures exposed to ACTH or to ACTH and dibutyryl cyclic AMP (db cAMP), was 10 fold less potent than LDL. It did not support steroidogenesis in cultures not exposed to these trophic agents. The life span of bovine adrenal cortex cells grown in the serum-free medium on fibronectin (FN)- versus ECM-coated dishes was compared. Cells seeded in serum-containing medium and grown in serum-free medium had a life span of 34 versus 60 generations when maintained on fibronectin- or ECM-coated dishes, respectively. Cells seeded in the complete absence of serum in the serum-free medium on ECM- or fibronectin-coated dishes could be passaged for 26 or 13 generations, respectively. While FGF was an absolute requirement for cells cultured on fibronectin-coated dishes, it was not required when cells were maintained on ECM. These observations demonstrate the influence of the ECM not only in promoting cell growth and differentiation but also on the life span of cultured cells.     

Evidence for increased alpha MSH receptor binding in the F1 variant of B16 melanoma cells grown in dialyzed fetal calf serum

The specific binding of an alpha MSH analogue (Ac-[Nle4, D-Phe7] alpha MSH4-11 NH2) was enhanced in the presence of 10% dialyzed fetal calf serum (FCS) as compared with 10% FCS (nondialyzed) in the F1 variant of B16 melanoma cells. The replenishment of dialyzed serum with adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) or insulin had no effect on the increased level of alpha MSH receptor binding in these cells. However, 10 nM alpha MSH or 1 microM ACTH under identical conditions significantly decreased the level of alpha MSH binding. Competitive binding studies involving the alpha MSH analogue revealed that the specificity of the receptor was restricted to the complete molecule of alpha MSH, our analogue, beta MSH and ACTH1-24, ACTH4-10, which contains the amino acid sequence responsible for biological activity, showed a very low affinity for the receptor. Furthermore, we observed an interesting phenomenon unique to dialyzed FCS in that once the cells were grown to confluence and melanin was produced, the cells were no longer viable. However, in McCoy's medium, which is deficient in tyrosine, the cells did not produce melanin and remained viable.     

Evidence for a calcium/calmodulin involvement in density-dependent melanogenesis in murine B16 melanoma cells.

Previous work from our laboratory has shown that both cyclic AMP and calcium/calmodulin appear to be involved in the regulation of melanogenesis in murine B16 melanoma cells. In these cells as in murine Cloudman S91 cells, melanogenic responsiveness to melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH) varies with cell density in culture. Our objective in this study was to learn more about the intracellular systems involved in the control of melanogenesis, particularly the role played by calcium. The melanogenic response to alpha MSH was compared to the response to drugs affecting intracellular free calcium and calmodulin over a range of cell densities in B16F1 cells. alpha MSH-stimulated melanin production was extremely density-dependent but alpha MSH-stimulated cyclic AMP production was independent of cell density. The melanogenic response to agents that increased intracellular calcium (A23187) or inhibited intracellular calmodulin varied with cell density. A drug (TMB8) that lowered intracellular free calcium, however, increased melanogenesis independently of cell density. At high cell density it was found that an elevation in calcium decreased melanogenesis, whereas agents that reduced calcium or inhibited calmodulin activity increased melanogenesis. At low cell density, however, the inhibitory response to A23187 was lost and in some experiments even stimulated melanogenesis. These data suggest that the calcium/calmodulin signalling system has an inhibitory influence on melanogenesis, and its expression, which depends upon cell density, may also modulate the response to stimulatory agents such as alpha MSH.     

Growth of preadipocyte cell lines and cell strains from rodents in serum-free hormone-supplemented medium

Ob17 is a clonal cell line isolated from the epididymal fat pad of C57 BL/6J ob/ob mouse that differentiates into adiposelike cells in serum-supplemented medium. In serum-free medium, this cell line shows increased growth under the addition of insulin, transferrin, fibroblast growth factor (FGF), and a factor present in extract of rat submaxillary gland (SMGE). This medium is referred to as 4F. Epidermal growth factor or nerve growth factor cannot replace SMGE, whereas partially purified platelet extract can substitute for FGF but only partially for SMGE. 4F Medium is able to support the proliferation of cells from other established preadipocyte clonal lines, HGFu and 3T3-F442A, and also of preadipocyte cells isolated from the stromal-vascular fraction of rat and mouse adipose tissues. In each case 4F medium is insufficient to support the differentiation of these cells into adipocytes. Ob17 cells grown and maintained in serum-free hormone-supplemented medium retain the ability to convert to adiposelike cells after serum addition. This serum requirement for differentiation cannot be substituted by the addition of growth hormone or of other putative adipogenic factors, or both. The results are discussed with respect to the requirements for growth and differentiation of the 3T3-L1 and 1246 preadipocyte cell lines previously described.     

Effects of Dietary n-3 Fatty Acids on the Phospholipid Molecular Species of Monkey Brain

Y-79 human retinoblastoma cells grown in serum-free medium in monolayer culture have previously been shown to undergo differentiation in response to dibutyryl cyclic AMP (Bt2cAMP). We report here that Y-79 cells treated in this manner also express very high levels of functional D2 dopamine receptors. In control Y-79 cells, cultured in suspension, D2 dopamine receptors, quantified via saturation analysis with the D2 antagonist [3H]methylspiperone, are expressed at a level of approximately 3 fmol/10(6) cells (approximately 1,800 receptor sites/cell). Differentiation is initiated by attachment of the cells to the culture dish with poly-D-lysine and fibronectin and continued culture in serum-free medium. After 8 days in serum-free culture, differentiation is further induced with continuous Bt2cAMP treatment. Using this differentiation protocol, D2 receptor levels increase up to a maximum of 30 fmol/10(6) cells (18,000 receptors/cell) on day 20, the limit of culture viability. Cultures of 15-17 days (7-9 days of Bt2cAMP treatment) expressing receptor levels of 15-20 fmol/10(6) cells are used for pharmacological and functional characterization of D2 dopamine receptors. The pharmacology of competition for [3H]methylspiperone binding to differentiated Y-79 (dY-79) cell membranes by a series of dopaminergic antagonists verifies the D2 receptor nature of this site, exhibiting appropriate affinities and the following rank order of potency: YM-09151-2 approximately spiperone greater than domperidone approximately (+)-butaclamol approximately fluphenazine greater than chlorpromazine greater than (-)-sulpiride greater than (+)-sulpiride greater than promethazine greater than (+)-SCH 23390 much greater than (-)-butaclamol.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Evidence for a Calcium/Calmodulin Involvement in Density-Dependent Melanogenesis in Murine B16 Melanoma Cells

Previous work from our laboratory has shown that both cyclic AMP and calcium/calmodulin appear to be involved in the regulation of melanogenesis in murine B16 melanoma cells. In these cells as in murine Cloudman S91 cells, melanogenic responsiveness to melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH) varies with cell density in culture. Our objective in this study was to learn more about the intracellular systems involved in the control of melanogenesis, particularly the role played by calcium. The melanogenic response to αMSH was compared to the response to drugs affecting intracellular free calcium and calmodulin over a range of cell densities in B16F1 cells. αMSH-stimulated melanin production was extremely density-dependent but αMSH-stimulated cyclic AMP production was independent of cell density. The melanogenic response to agents that increased intracellular calcium (A23187) or inhibited intracellular calmodulin varied with cell density. A drug (TMB8) that lowered intracellular free calcium, however, increased melanogenesis independently of cell density. At high cell density it was found that an elevation in calcium decreased melanogenesis, whereas agents that reduced calcium or inhibited calmodulin activity increased melanogenesis. At low cell density, however, the inhibitory response to A23187 was lost and in some experiments even stimulated melanogenesis. These data suggest that the calcium/calmodulin signalling system has an inhibitory influence on melanogenesis, and its expression, which depends upon cell density, may also modulate the response to stimulatory agents such as αMSH.     

The guanine nucleotide exchange factor CNrasGEF regulates melanogenesis and cell survival in melanoma cells

cAMP-dependent Ras activation has been demonstrated in numerous cell types, particularly of neuronal (including melanoma cells) and endocrine origin, but the Ras activator involved has not been identified. In B16 melanoma cells, cAMP activates the Ras/Erk pathway, leading initially to stimulation but subsequently to long term (>24-h) inhibition of melanogenesis (dendrite extension and melanin production). Here we identify CNrasGEF as the Ras guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) involved. We demonstrate that CNrasGEF is expressed endogenously in B16 melanoma cells and that cAMP-mediated activation of Ras and Erk1/2 in these cells can be augmented by CNrasGEF overexpression and reduced by its knockdown by RNA interference. Moreover, we show that CNrasGEF participates in the regulation of melanogenesis. Knockdown of CNrasGEF leads to increased dendrite extension and melanin production observed approximately 50 h after forskolin/isobutylmethylxanthine treatment, suggesting that CNrasGEF inhibits melanogenesis in the long term. Independently, we find that overexpression of CNrasGEF leads to apoptosis, whereas its knockdown by RNAi enhances cell proliferation, independent of cAMP. Collectively, these results suggest that CNrasGEF regulates melanogenesis but that it also has a distinct role in regulating cell proliferation/apoptosis.     

Calcium Plays a Complex Role in the Regulation of Melanogenesis in Murine B16 Melanoma Cells

To learn more of the role of calcium in the regulation of melanogenesis, we have used direct manipulation of medium calcium and pharmacological modulation of intracellular calcium to examine the consequences on unstimulated and cyclic AMP elevated tyrosinase activity and melanin synthesis and distribution in B16 melanoma cells. In unstimulated cells, calcium is clearly inhibitory to tyrosinase activity. However, in cells stimulated with cAMP-elevating agents the requirement for extracellular calcium was changed such that cells required a minimum of 0.4–0.6 mmol medium calcium for maximum tyrosinase response to these agents. Paradoxically, pharmacologically increasing intracellular calcium in cAMP-stimulated cells with ionophore inhibited tyrosinase activity, and the calcium-lowering agent TMB8 and the calcium channel blocker verapamil both stimulated tyrosinase activity. When melanin synthesis was measured in cAMP-stimulated cells, TMB8 was found to significantly increase the sensitivity and the maximum melanogenic response to α-MSH, suggesting the presence of at least one level of endogenous calcium inhibitory control operative in these cells. In addition, TMB8 changed the distribution of melanin between the cell and the medium such that, in the presence of α-MSH and TMB8, significantly more melanin was secreted into the medium. These data suggest that calcium is required for several steps in melanogenesis, having an apparently inhibitory effect on pre-tyrosinase activity in unstimulated cells, but also showing evidence of a positive role in cyclic AMP-stimulated tyrosinase activity, as well as a further possible inhibitory role in melanin movement or secretion.     

A serum-free, chemically-defined medium for function and growth of primary neonatal rat heart cell cultures

A serum-free, chemically defined medium for supporting rhythmic contraction, maximum survival, and moderate growth of cardiac cells was achieved by using a combination of hormones and growth supplements in a mixture of equal volumes of Ham's F12 and Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium. The hormones and growth supplements included insulin, transferrin, selenium, fetuin, bovine serum albumin, hydrocortisone (HC), L-thyroxine (T4), and epidermal growth factor (EGF). Cardiac cells were grown on fibronectin-precoated plates using the above serum-free medium. Cells grown in this medium exhibited a higher beating rate and were maintained for a longer time compared to those cells grown in serum. The effects of T4, EGF, and HC on beating rate and survival time of both cultures of mixed cell population and enriched myoblast cell population were studied. In the enriched myoblast cell cultures grown in serum-supplemented medium, the beating rate ranged from 40 to 200 beats/min, and these cultures survived for 30 d. When these enriched cell cultures were grown in serum-free hormone-supplemented medium, the beating rate ranged from 190 to 240 beats/min, and these cultures survived for more than 90 d. These results show that some hormones affect growth, whereas others affect function.     

Reversible effects of dibutyryl cAMP on laminin and type IV collagen secretion from retinoic acid treated F9 cells

The effects of dibutyryl cAMP on the differentiation of embryonal carcinoma F9 cells were studied mainly using the secretion of laminin and type IV collagen as the marker. For this purpose, F9 cells were labeled with 35S-methionine and radioactive proteins in the medium were analyzed by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Treatment of F9 cells with retinoic acid alone induced differentiation into cells secreting type IV collagen. The combination of retinoic acid and dibutyryl cAMP stimulated laminin secretion in addition to type IV collagen secretion. This effect of dibutyryl cAMP was observed only 16 h after adding dibutyryl cAMP. Immunofluorescence staining demonstrated that the majority of the cells in culture were converted into cells secreting laminin under these conditions. In contrast to the irreversible effect of retinoic acid, the effect of dibutyryl cAMP on laminin and type IV collagen secretion was reversible at least during the first 5 days of maintaining cells in the medium containing retinoic acid plus dibutyryl cAMP. Removal of dibutyryl cAMP from the culture medium decreased the protein secretion to the basal levels within 2 days. This reversibility was not due to a change in cell number. An in vitro translation assay also suggested the reversible effect of dibutyryl cAMP on the levels of laminin mRNA. Coinciding with variations of the protein secretion, a reversible and homogeneous change in the morphology of retinoic acid generated F9 cells was observed by dibutyryl cAMP.     

The modulation of transcobalamin II (TC-II) production by cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate in the murine macrophage cell line J774: relationship to growth behavior

We undertook a study to define the role of cyclic AMP [cAMP] in modulating the secretion of transcobalamin II (TC-II) in the mouse macrophage like cell line J774. J774 was observed to secrete large amounts of TC-II, particularly in the presence of 8-bromo cAMP or cholera toxin or when grown in medium supplemented with low concentrations of horse serum (1% or 5%) or in serum-free medium. Variant cell lines derived from J774 and deficient either in adenylate cyclase (ac -) or cAMP-dependent protein kinase (pk -) activity showed very low and intermediate levels of basal secretory activity of TC-II, respectively, compared to J774. Maximum secretory activity of TC-II was observed in J774 under conditions in which growth was poorest (in the presence of 8-bromo-cAMP or 1% or 5% horse serum-supplemented medium or in serum-free medium). Cells grown in serum-free medium were found to have elevated basal adenylate cyclase activity and cAMP levels compared to those grown in medium supplemented with 20% horse serum. The data from this study demonstrate a negative correlation between growth activity and TC-II secretion in the J774 cell line. The stimulatory effect of exogenous cAMP on TC-II secretion by J774, the reduced secretory activity of the variant lines ac- and pk- and the observed increase in cell cAMP levels under conditions of serum starvation in which TC-II secretion is considerably enhanced, suggest that cell cAMP is an important modulator of TC-II secretion and growth behavior in the J774 cell line.     

Serum catecholamines desensitize beta-adrenergic receptors of cultured C6 glioma cells

C6 glioma cells grown in medium containing fetal bovine serum have a decreased beta-adrenergic receptor number and beta-receptor-stimulated cyclic AMP accumulation as compared to cells grown in a serum-free, defined medium. The decreased number of receptors and decreased cAMP accumulation are attributable to a suppression of receptor binding and response by serum as opposed to increases produced by growth in the defined medium. Serum, when added to cells grown in the absence of serum, stimulated cellular cyclic AMP levels to 2-3 times basal levels. This direct stimulatory effect was blocked by incubation of the cells with the beta-adrenergic antagonist propranolol and was partially reversed by dialysis of the serum. In contrast, addition of serum to cells that have been grown with serum fails to stimulate cyclic AMP accumulation. The decrease in receptors following growth in serum can be mimicked by growing cells in serum-free medium in the presence of beta-adrenergic agonists such as isoproterenol or norepinephrine. Radioenzymatic assays indicate that fetal bovine serum contains approximately 0.3 nM norepinephrine and lower concentrations of epinephrine. It thus appears that growth of C6 cells in serum-containing media desensitizes the beta-adrenergic receptor/cyclic AMP system of these cells. This desensitized state appears to result primarily from the action of catecholamines present in serum. These data indicate that retained catecholamines are one component in serum that can modify expression of beta-adrenergic receptors and hormonal response of cultured glioma cells.