Characterization of rebound depolarization in hippocampal neurons

Rebound depolarization (RD) following hyperpolarizing pulses is found in several neuronal cell types where it takes part in the regulation of neuronal firing behavior. During whole-cell current and voltage clamp recordings in slice preparations, we investigated the modulation of RD by different stimulation patterns and its underlying ionic currents in rat CA1 pyramidal cells. RD was mainly carried by the hyperpolarization-activated cation current I(h) (about two-third) and T-type calcium currents (about one-third), respectively. RD increased with increasing hyperpolarizing amplitude and stimulation frequency, whereas RD substantially decreased with longer pulse duration and, less pronounced, with increasing pulse number. The pulse duration-related decrease of RD was due to a decrease of the driving force of I(h). In conclusion, we showed that RD is differentially modulated by precedent hyperpolarization. Since RD amplitude was high enough to generate action potentials, RD may serve, even under physiologic conditions, as an inhibition-excitation converter.     

RD114-pseudotyped retroviral vectors kill cancer cells by syncytium formation and enhance the cytotoxic effect of the TK/GCV gene therapy strategy

BACKGROUND: Wild-type RD114 virus is capable of generating syncytia during its replication, and it is believed that cell-free viruses direct the fusion of neighboring cells. The RD114 envelope (Env) that mediates this fusion event is now widely used to pseudotype retroviral and lentiviral vectors in gene therapy. Indeed, vectors pseudotyped with RD114 Env are very efficient to transfer genes into human hematopoietic cells, and they are resistant to human complement inactivation. In this study, we have tested the potential of RD114-pseudotyped vectors produced from the FLYRD18 packaging cell line to induce syncytia. METHODS: RD114-pseudotyped vectors produced from the FLYRD18 packaging cells were added on tumor cell lines, and the formation of syncytia was assessed by microscopy after cell fixation and methylene blue staining. The kinetics of syncytium formation was analyzed by time-lapse microscopy. Finally, the cytotoxic effect of RD114-pseudotyped vectors was measured by the MTT assay on tumor cells, and in combination with the TK/GCV strategy. RESULTS: We have found that these vectors were able to mediate cell-to-cell fusion of human tumor cell lines. A few hours after addition of the vector, cells started to aggregate to form syncytia that eventually evolved toward cell death 48 h postinfection. RD114-pseudotyped vectors were very efficient at killing human cancer cells, and they were also able to enhance dramatically the cytotoxic effect of the TK/GCV strategy. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that RD114-pseudotyped vectors used alone, or in combination with a suicide gene therapy approach, have great potential for the treatment of cancer.     

On the role of mechanosensitive mechanisms eliciting reactive hyperemia

We hypothesized that changes in hemodynamic forces such as pressure (P) and flow (F) contribute importantly to the development of reactive hyperemia. To exclude the effects of vivo factors, isolated rat skeletal muscle arterioles ( approximately 130 microm) were utilized. We found that changes in P or P + F following occlusions elicited reactive dilations (RD). The peak of RD (up to approximately 45 microm), but not the duration of RD, increased to changes in P (80 to 10, then back to 80 mmHg) as a function of the length of occlusions (30, 60, and 120 s). However, changes in P + F (80-10 -80 mmHg + 25-0-25 microl/min) increased both the peak and duration of RD (from approximately 25 to 90 s) with longer occlusions. When only P changed, inhibition of nitric oxide synthesis or endothelium removal (E-) reduced only the peak of RD, whereas when P + F were changed, both the peak and duration of RD became reduced. Inhibition of stretch-activated cation channels by gadolinium reduced the peak but enhanced the duration of RD (both to P or P + F) that was unaffected by N(G)-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (l-NAME) or by E-. When only P changed, inhibition of tyrosine kinases by genistein reduced peak RD but did not affect the RD duration. However, when P + F changed, genistein reduced both the peak and the duration of RD, additional l-NAME reduced the peak RD, but did not affect the duration of RD. Thus in isolated arterioles an RD resembling the characteristics of reactive hyperemia can be generated that is elicited by deformation, stretch, pressure, and flow/shear stress-sensitive mechanisms and is, in part, mediated by nitric oxide.     

A sodium-dependent neutral-amino-acid transporter mediates infections of feline and baboon endogenous retroviruses and simian type D retroviruses

The type D simian retroviruses cause immunosuppression in macaques and have been reported as a presumptive opportunistic infection in a patient with AIDS. Previous evidence based on viral interference has strongly suggested that the type D simian viruses share a common but unknown cell surface receptor with three type C viruses: feline endogenous virus (RD114), baboon endogenous virus, and avian reticuloendotheliosis virus. Furthermore, the receptor gene for these viruses has been mapped to human chromosome 19q13.1-13.2. We now report the isolation and characterization of a cell surface receptor for this group of retroviruses by using a human T-lymphocyte cDNA library in a retroviral vector. Swiss mouse fibroblasts (NIH 3T3), which are naturally resistant to RD114, were transduced with the retroviral library and then challenged with an RD114-pseudotyped virus containing a dominant selectable gene for puromycin resistance. Puromycin selection yielded 12 cellular clones that were highly susceptible to a beta-galactosidase-encoding lacZ(RD114) pseudotype virus. Using PCR primers specific for vector sequences, we amplified a common 2.9-kb product from 10 positive clones. Expression of the 2.9-kb cDNA in Chinese hamster ovary cells conferred susceptibility to RD114, baboon endogenous virus, and the type D simian retroviruses. The 2.9-kb cDNA predicted a protein of 541 amino acids that had 98% identity with the previously cloned human Na+-dependent neutral-amino-acid transporter Bo. Accordingly, expression of the RD114 receptor in NIH 3T3 cells resulted in enhanced cellular uptake of L-[3H]alanine and L-[3H]glutamine. RNA blot (Northern) analysis suggested that the RD114 receptor is widely expressed in human tissues and cell lines, including hematopoietic cells. The human Bo transporter gene has been previously mapped to 19q13.3, which is closely linked to the gene locus of the RD114 receptor.     

Coxsackievirus B3 adapted to growth in RD cells binds to decay-accelerating factor (CD55).

A coxsackievirus B3 (CB3) isolate adapted to growth in RD cells shows an alteration in cell tropism as a result of its capacity to bind a 70-kDa cell surface molecule expressed on these cells. We now show that this molecule is the complement regulatory protein, decay-accelerating factor (DAF) (CD55). Anti-DAF antibodies prevented CB3 attachment to the cell surface. Radiolabeled CB3 adapted to growth in RD cells bound to CHO cells transfected with human DAF, whereas CB3 (strain Nancy), the parental strain, did not bind to DAF transfectants. These results indicate that growth of CB3 in RD cells selected for a virus strain that uses DAF for cell surface attachment.     

The human RD protein is closely related to nuclear RNA-binding proteins and has been highly conserved

We have isolated cDNA clones encoding the human RD protein, which is closely related to several known nuclear RNA-binding proteins. The RD protein contains a 60-amino acid (aa) tract almost entirely of alternating basic and acidic aa, (RD)_n, primarily arginine (Arg; R) and aspartic acid (Asp; D). The protein also contains an ‘RNP sequence domain’. Arg-rich tracts and the RNP sequence domain are both features of nuclear RNA-binding proteins. However, we have been unable to detect RNA-binding by the human RD protein. The very strong evolutionary conservation of the mammalian RD protein as sequence suggests that it plays an important role in the cell.     

Engraftment of NOD/SCID mice with human CD34(+) cells transduced by concentrated oncoretroviral vector particles pseudotyped with the feline endogenous retrovirus (RD114) envelope protein

Oncoretrovirus vectors pseudotyped with the feline endogenous retrovirus (RD114) envelope protein produced by the FLYRD18 packaging cell line have previously been shown to transduce human hematopoietic progenitor cells with a greater efficiency than similar amphotropic envelope-pseudotyped vectors. In this report, we describe the production and efficient concentration of RD114-pseudotyped murine leukemia virus (MLV)-based vectors. Following a single round of centrifugation, vector supernatants were concentrated approximately 200-fold with a 50 to 70% yield. Concentrated vector stocks transduced prestimulated human CD34(+) (hCD34(+)) cells with approximately 69% efficiency (n = 7, standard deviation = 4.4%) using a single addition of vector at a low multiplicity of infection (MOI = 5). Introduction of transduced hCD34(+) cells into irradiated NOD/SCID recipients resulted in multilineage engraftment with long-term transgene expression. These data demonstrate that RD114-pseudotyped MLV-based vectors can be efficiently concentrated to high titers and that hCD34(+) cells transduced with concentrated vector stocks retain in vivo repopulating potential. These results highlight the potential of RD114-pseudotyped oncoretrovirus vectors for future clinical implementation in hematopoietic stem cell gene transfer.     

Transduction of bone-marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells by using lentivirus vectors pseudotyped with modified RD114 envelope glycoproteins

Bone-marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have attracted considerable attention as tools for the systemic delivery of therapeutic proteins in vivo, and the ability to efficiently transfer genes of interest into such cells would create a number of therapeutic opportunities. We have designed and tested a series of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-based vectors and vectors based on the oncogenic murine stem cell virus to deliver and express transgenes in human MSCs. These vectors were pseudotyped with either the vesicular stomatitis virus G (VSV-G) glycoprotein (GP) or the feline endogenous virus RD114 envelope GP. Transduction efficiencies and transgene expression levels in MSCs were analyzed by quantitative flow cytometry and quantitative real-time PCR. While transduction efficiencies with virus particles pseudotyped with the VSV-G GP were found to be high, RD114 pseudotypes revealed transduction efficiencies that were 1 to 2 orders of magnitude below those observed with VSV-G pseudotypes. However, chimeric RD114 GPs, with the transmembrane and extracellular domains fused to the cytoplasmic domain derived from the amphotropic Moloney murine leukemia virus 4070A GP, revealed about 15-fold higher titers relative to the unmodified RD114 GP. The transduction efficiencies in human MSCs of HIV-1-based vectors pseudotyped with the chimeric RD114 GP were similar to those obtained with HIV-1 vectors pseudotyped with the VSV-G GP. Our results also indicate that RD114 pseudotypes were less toxic than VSV-G pseudotypes in human MSC progenitor assays. Taken together, these results suggest that lentivirus pseudotypes bearing alternative Env GPs provide efficient tools for ex vivo modification of human MSCs.     

An immortal cell line to study the role of endogenous cftr in electrolyte absorption

Summary The intact human reabsorptive sweat duct (RD) has been a reliable model for investigations of the functional role of “endogenous” CFTR (cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator) in normal and abnormal electrolyte absorptive function. But to overcome the limitations imposed by the use of fresh, intact tissue, we transformed cultured RD cells using the chimeric virus Ad5/SV40 1613 ori-. The resultant cell line, RD2(NL), has remained differentiated forming a polarized epithelium that expressed two fundamental components of absorption, a cAMP activated Cl⁻ conductance (G_cl) and an amiloride-sensitive Na⁺ conductance (G_Na). In the unstimulated state, there was a low level of transport activity; however, addition of forskolin (10⁻⁵ M) significantly increased the Cl⁻ diffusion potential (V_t) generated by a luminally directed Cl⁻ gradient from − 15.3 ± 0.7 mV to −23.9 ± 1.1 mV,n=39; and decreased the transepithelial resistance (R_t) from 814.8 ± 56.3 Ω.cm² to 750.5 ± 47.5 Ω.cm²,n=39, (n=number of cultures). cAMP activation, anion selectivity (Cl⁻>I⁻>gluconate), and a dependence upon metabolic energy (metabolic poisoning inhibited G_Cl), all indicate that the G_Cl expressed in RD2(NL) is in fact CFTR-G_Cl. The presence of an apical amiloride-sensitive G_Na was shown by the amiloride (10⁻⁵ M) inhibition of G_Na as indicated by a reduction of V_t and equivalent short circuit current by 78.0 ± 3.1% and 77.9 ± 2.6%, respectively, and an increase in R_t by 7.2 ± 0.8%,n=36. In conclusion, the RD2(NL) cell line presents the first model system in which CFTR-G_Cl is expressed in a purely absorptive tissue. It provides an opportunity to study the properties and role of CFTR in the context of absorptive function in immortalized epithelial cells.     

Response of human rhabdomyosarcoma cell lines to retinoic acid: relationship with induction of differentiation and retinoic acid sensitivity

The ability of retinoids to induce growth inhibition associated with differentiation of diverse cell types makes them potent anti-cancer agents. We examined the effect of retinoic acid (RA) in cell lines derived from rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), a malignant soft-tissue tumor committed to the myogenic lineage, but arrested prior to terminal differentiation. We showed that several RMS derived cell lines, including RD human rhabdomyosarcoma cells, are resistant to the growth-inhibitory and differentiation effects of RA. We established that this RA-resistance correlates with reduced expression and activity of RA-receptors in RD cells. We stably expressed either RARalpha, RARbeta, RARgamma, or RXRalpha expression vector into RD cells and found that only RARbeta or RARgamma induced a significant RA growth arrest without promoting differentiation indicating that changes in the amounts of RARs and RXRs are not sufficient to determine the RA myogenic response of rhabdomyosarcoma cells. Activation of RD cell differentiation by ectopic MRF4 expression enhanced RA-receptor activity and led to RA induction of differentiation. These studies demonstrate that RA-resistance of RD cells is linked to their lack of differentiation and suggest that the differentiation-promoting activity of RA requires factors other than RAR-RXR heterodimers.     

Integrin alpha2beta1 modulates EGF stimulation of Rho GTPase-dependent morphological changes in adherent human rhabdomyosarcoma RD cells

The ability of cells to undergo shape changes is essential for diverse cellular functions including cell growth, differentiation, and movement. The present study examines how an integration of the function of alpha2beta1 integrin with that of the receptor for epidermal growth factor (EGFR) modulates EGF-stimulated morphological changes in human rhabdomyosarcoma RD transfectant cells. Upon EGF stimulation, RD transfectant cells that lacked alpha2beta1 integrin expression (RDpF) underwent contraction; in contrast, expression of alpha2beta1 on RD cells (RDX2C2) resulted in transient cell spreading. Integrin alpha2 cytoplasmic domain played a critical role in the observed alpha2beta1-mediated conversion from a cell rounding to a cell spreading phenotype. Thus, the expression of an alpha2 cytoplasmic domain deletion variant (X2C0) or a chimeric alpha2beta1 containing the cytoplasmic domain of alpha4 (X2C4) or alpha5 (X2C5), instead of alpha2, failed to mediate spreading upon EGF stimulation. Using dominant negative (DN) mutants of RhoGTPases, results revealed that RhoA activation was required for both EGF-stimulated responses of cell rounding and spreading, Cdc42 functioned in the re-spreading of cells after undergoing EGF-stimulated contraction, and Rac1 was required in alpha2beta1-mediated RD cell spreading. Therefore, alpha2beta1 integrin function can switch the Rho GTPase-dependent cell shape changes in RD cells from an EGF-stimulated cell contraction to a spreading morphology. Together, results show that integrin alpha2 cytoplasmic domain plays an indispensable role in the ability of integrin alpha2beta1 to modulate EGF stimulation of Rho-GTPase-dependent morphological changes in RD cells.     

An In Vitro Model of Skeletal Muscle Volume Regulation

Introduction

Hypertonic media causes cells to shrink due to water loss through aquaporin channels. After acute shrinkage, cells either regulate their volume or, alternatively, undergo a number of metabolic changes which ultimately lead to cell death. In many cell types, hypertonic shrinkage is followed by apoptosis. Due to the complex 3D morphology of skeletal muscle and the difficulty in obtaining isolated human tissue, we have begun skeletal muscle volume regulation studies using the human skeletal muscle cell line TE671RD. In this study we investigated whether hypertonic challenge of the human skeletal muscle cell line TE671RD triggered cell death or evoked a cell volume recovery response.

Methods

The cellular volume of TE671RD cells was calculated from the 2D surface area. Cell death was assessed by both the trypan blue live/dead assay and the TUNEL assay.

Results

Medium osmolality was increased by addition of up to 200mM sucrose. Addition of 200mM sucrose resulted in mean cell shrinkage of 44±1% after 30mins. At later time points (2 and 4 hrs) two separate cell subpopulations with differing mean cell volume became apparent. The first subpopulation (15±2% of the total cell number) continued to shrink whereas the second subpopulation had an increased cell volume. Cell death was observed in a small proportion of cells (approximately 6-8%).

Conclusion

We have established that a substantial proportion of TE671RD cells respond to hypertonic challenge with RVI, but that these cells are resistant to hypertonicity triggered cell death.     

Retinal Detachment Model in Rodents by Subretinal Injection of Sodium Hyaluronate

Subretinal injection of sodium hyaluronate is a widely accepted method of inducing retinal detachment (RD). However, the height and duration of RD or the occurrence of subretinal hemorrhage can affect photoreceptor cell death in the detached retina. Hence, it is advantageous to create reproducible RDs without subretinal hemorrhage for evaluating photoreceptor cell death. We modified a previously reported method to create bullous and persistent RDs in a reproducible location with rare occurrence of subretinal hemorrhage. The critical step of this modified method is the creation of a self-sealing scleral incision, which can prevent leakage of sodium hyaluronate after injection into the subretinal space. To make the self-sealing scleral incision, a scleral tunnel is created, followed by scleral penetration into the choroid with a 30 G needle. Although choroidal hemorrhage may occur during this step, astriction with a surgical spear reduces the rate of choroidal hemorrhage. This method allows a more reproducible and reliable model of photoreceptor death in diseases that involve RD such as rhegmatogenous RD, retinopathy of prematurity, diabetic retinopathy, central serous chorioretinopathy, and age-related macular degeneration (AMD).     

Nucleotide composition of the RNA from RD-114 virions

The 70S and 4S RNA components of a C-type oncornavirus, RD-114, released from a human rhabdomyosarcoma cell line (RD) after transplantation in a kitten, were analyzed for nucleotide constituents. Minor nucleotides were detected only in the 4S RNA populations, and two of these nucleotides were identified as 5,6-dihydro-UMP and pseudo-UMP. The base composition of the RD-114 70S RNA differs from that of the 70S RNA from RD-FeLV (the virus released from the RD cell line after deliberate infection with a feline leukemia virus).     

In vitro response of cells from three patients with hairy cell leukemia to a recombinant leukocyte interferon

Mononuclear cells from the peripheral blood of two patients and from the spleen of one patient, all of whom had hairy cell leukemia, were cultured with a recombinant human leukocyte interferon (RD alpha 2-IFN). The IFN was added at concentrations of 10, 100, 1,000, and 10,000 IU/ml, and the cells were cultured for 1, 3, and 7 days. A cytocidal effect of IFN was observed only on cultured cells from the spleen at day 7. Electron-microscopic observations demonstrated that RD alpha 2-IFN induced the formation of tubuloreticular structures (TRSs) and annulate lamellae (ALs) in hairy cells, as well as in co-isolated non-leukemic cells, from all three patients. Ultrastructural examination revealed a close proximity between ALs and TRSs in co-isolated non-leukemic cells. A variability with respect to the induction of TRSs in hairy cells was observed among the three patients. In two of the three patients, the percentage of hairy cells with TRSs increased with the duration of incubation and with the dose of IFN. In the third patient, few hairy cells showed TRSs after 7 days of incubation with IFN. Our findings indicate that leukemic hairy cells may be heterogenous in their response to IFN.     

Cell adhesive activity of two animal lectins through different recognition mechanisms

Cell adhesive activity of two animal lectins, frog (Rana catesbeiana) S-type 14K lectin and echinoidin (a C-type lectin from sea urchin plasma), was studied with human rhabdomyosarcoma (RD) cells. RD cells attached to and spread on plastic plates coated with each lectin. Cell adhesion by the frog lectin was completely inhibited by the addition of lactose or asialofetuin glycopeptide. Echinoidin-induced cell adhesion was only inhibited by peptide GRGDS. Since echinoidin is known to contain an RGD-sequence, our results clearly indicate that this sequence is active as the cell adhesive signal. These results suggest that some of the animal lectins may function as a cell adhesive molecule rather than using the carbohydrate-recognition mechanism.     

The electrical breakdown of cell and lipid membranes: the similarity of phenomenologies

The current responses of human erythrocyte and L-cell membranes being subject to rectangular voltage pulses of 150-700 mV amplitude and 5 X 10(-3)-10 s duration were recorded by means of the patch-clamp method. The behaviour of planar lipid bilayer membranes of oxidized cholesterol and UO2(2+)-modified bilayers of azolectin in a high electric field was investigated for comparison. The gradual growth in the conductance (reversible electrical breakdown) was found for both the cell membranes and lipid bilayers of the compositions studied, with the application of voltage pulses of sufficient duration, to be completed by its drastic enhancement (irreversible breakdown). The time interval preceding the irreversible breakdown and the rate of increase in conductance during the reversible breakdown are determined by the amplitude of the voltage applied. The recovery of the initial properties of the membrane following the reversible breakdown consists of the two stages, the latter substantially differing by their characteristic times. The first very rapid stage (tau much less than 1 ms) reflects the lowering of the conductance of small pores with decreasing voltage across the membrane. The diminishing of the number and mean radii of the pores resulting in their complete disappearance occurs only at the second stage of membrane healing, which lasts several seconds or even minutes. The phenomenological similarity of the cell and lipid membrane breakdown indicates that pores developed during the electrical breakdown of biological membranes arise in their lipid matrices. The structure and the properties of the pores are discussed.