Radiation cell survival and growth delay studies in multicellular spheroids of small-cell lung carcinoma

The radiation sensitivity of two small-cell lung carcinoma cell lines growing as multicellular spheroids in static culture was determined using clonogenic cell survival and growth delay as endpoints. Growth delay determination suggested that clonogenic cell kill was less than was obtained by direct assay of cell survival. Recovery from potentially lethal damage was assayed in one line (HC12) but was not demonstrable, and clonogenic cell survival decreased with time in treated spheroids with diameters greater than 300 microns which contained a hypoxic cell population. Microscopic examination of the treated spheroids showed the emergence of an abnormal giant-cell population, and the progressive clonogenic cell loss that occurred after treatment was thought to be due to oxygen and nutrient deprivation of the remaining viable cells by this doomed cell population. Correction of the growth delay measurements for changes in cell size and clonogenic cell population allowed correlation of the growth delay and cell survival data.     

Purification and characterization of six cytochromes P-450 from hepatic microsomes of immature female rats

Six rat hepatic cytochromes P-450, named P-450IF-1-6, were purified from hepatic microsomes of immature female rats by high-performance liquid chromatography with anion-exchange, cation-exchange, and hydroxylapatite columns. The purified forms, except for P-450IF-4, gave a single protein-staining band on SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, with a minimum molecular weight of 50,000 for P-450IF-1, 49,000 for P-450IF-2, 47,000 for P-450IF-3, 53,500 for P-450IF-5, and 54,000 for P-450IF-6. The CO-reduced spectral maximum of these forms was at 450 nm for P-450IF-1, 448 nm for P-450IF-2, 451 nm for P-450IF-3, 449 nm for P-450IF-4, 449 nm for P-450IF-5, and 450 nm for P-450IF-6. All of these cytochromes had the low-spin state of heme in the oxidized form. P-450IF-4 had high metabolic activity for both benzphetamine and 7-ethoxycoumarin. P-450IF-5 had moderate activity toward 7-ethoxycoumarin. P-450IF-3 catalyzed the hydroxylation of testosterone at the 7 alpha-position effectively, but the other forms did not hydroxylate testosterone. Analysis of the NH2-terminal sequence showed that P-450IF-1, 2, 3, 5, and 6 differed structurally from each other. The sequences of P-450IF-1 and IF-2 were somewhat homologous, but the NH2-terminal sequences of the other forms were all different. Based on these results, we concluded that P-450IF-1 corresponded to one of the phenobarbital-inducible forms in male rat liver. P-450IF-2 was a female-specific form and its concentration was low.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

The ATP-dependent interaction of eukaryotic initiation factors with mRNA

The interaction of three protein synthesis initiation factors, eukaryotic initiation factor (eIF)-4A, -4B, and -4F, with mRNA has been examined. Three assays specifically designed to evaluate this interaction are RNA-dependent ATP hydrolysis, retention of mRNAs on nitrocellulose filters, and cross-linking to periodate-oxidized mRNAs. The ATPase activity of eIF-4A is only activated by RNA which is lacking in secondary structure, and the minimal size of an oligonucleotide capable of effecting an optimal activation is 12-18 bases. In the presence of ATP, eIF-4A is capable of binding mRNA. Consistent with the ATPase activity, this binding shows a definite preference for single-stranded RNA. In the absence of ATP, eIF-4F is the only factor to bind capped mRNAs, and this binding, unlike that of eIF-4A, is sensitive to m7GDP inhibition. The activities of both eIF-4A and eIF-4F are stimulated by eIF-4B, which seems to have no specific independent activity in our assays. Evidence from the cross-linking studies indicates that in the absence of ATP, only the 24,000-dalton polypeptide of eIF-4F binds to the 5' cap region of the mRNA. From the data presented in conjunction with the current literature, a suggested sequence of factor binding to mRNA is: eIF-4F is the first initiation factor to bind mRNA ind an ATP-independent fashion; eIF-4B then binds to eIF-4F, if in fact it was not already bound prior to mRNA binding; and finally, eIF-4A binds to the eIF-4F X eIF-4B X mRNA complex and functions in an ATP-dependent manner to allow unwinding of the mRNA.     

Cascade control of Escherichia coli glutamine synthetase. Purification and properties of PII protein and nucleotide sequence of its structural gene

A procedure was developed to purify large quantities of PII protein from an Escherichia coli strain which contains a multicopy plasmid harboring the structural gene of PII (the glnB gene). Ultraviolet spectra of uridylylated and unuridylylated PII were obtained using the purified PII and empirical formulas to calculate the concentration of protein and the average number of uridylylated subunits per molecule were derived. A continuous fluorometric assay for the measurement of uridylylated PII (PIID) and adenylyltransferase (ATase) was also established. Rate measurements at various concentrations of PIID and at a fixed concentration of ATase showed that a tetrameric PIID molecule interacts with only one ATase molecule at a time. The complete nucleotide sequence of the glnB gene was determined and parts of the deduced amino acid sequence were confirmed by the results of amino acid sequence analysis of peptides. The PII subunit consists of 103 amino acids (Mr = 11,580). Two tyrosines reside at positions 46 and 51, where Tyr51 is the site of uridylylation. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the upstream region showed no obvious sites for the binding of RNA polymerase, indicating that the glnB gene is a part of an as yet unidentified operon.     

Evidence for ligand- and pH-dependent conformational changes in liposome-associated mannose 6-phosphate receptor

Digestion of mannose 6-phosphate receptor preparations with trypsin and chymotrypsin was found to produce characteristic polypeptide "fingerprints" of the receptor. Lengthy digestions with both proteases produced fragments of the receptor which appeared to be resistant to further proteolysis. This suggests the occurrence of distinct structural domains within the receptor protein. Liposome-associated mannose 6-phosphate receptor preparations were made using phosphatidylcholine and purified receptor. Receptor molecules were oriented in the liposomes with greater than 90% of ligand-binding sites on the outside surfaces of the liposomes. Liposome-associated mannose 6-phosphate receptor was labeled with 125I at pH 7.5 and 5.4 in the presence or absence of sugar phosphate ligands. Limited trypsin digestion was used to analyze 125I-labeled receptor preparations. Peptide fragments having molecular weights of approximately 60,000 and 23,000 were found to be most prominently labeled. At pH 7.5 the labeling of the 60-kDa fragment was enhanced strongly by the presence of mannose 6-phosphate. This ligand-induced enhancement of 125I-labeling was saturable, had a K1/2 value of 0.4 mM, required the presence of phosphatidylcholine, and did not occur at pH 5.4. Incorporation of 125I into both polypeptide fragments was significantly reduced at pH 5.4. These results suggest the occurrence of ligand- and pH-dependent conformational changes in domains of the mannose 6-phosphate receptor which may be necessary for proper function of this membrane receptor in receptor-mediated endocytosis.     

Spin trap determination of free radical burst kinetics in stimulated neutrophils

Electron spin resonance spin-trapping methods were used to investigate the free radical production kinetics of neutrophils stimulated with phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) and opsonized zymosan (OPZ). Using the spin trap 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-N-oxide, the principle spin adduct observed is DMPO-OH (trapped hydroxyl radical). The DMPO-OH ESR signal amplitude was observed to decay exponentially. In such cases a simple method may be used to analyze the raw kinetics amplitude data to yield true production rate and net production data. The method, pitfalls, and self-consistency criteria are illustrated with PMA and OPZ-stimulated neutrophils at 25 and 37 degrees C under varying oxygen tensions, and with noise-free simulated data. The simulations demonstrate that rate results are relatively insensitive to the precise choice of decay time constant, tc, while net production results are very sensitive to the choice of tc used to analyze the raw data. OPZ (0.6-2.4 mg/ml) yields a strong, sharp neutrophil burst which peaks in 2 min or less while PMA yields a slower burst which peaks in 3.4-14 min for PMA concentrations of 500-50 ng/ml, respectively. Increased oxygen tension during the PMA experiments increased the spin adduct lifetime. The methods presented are applicable to other cell systems or spin adducts which exhibit first order decay.     

Branch specificity of bovine colostrum CMP-sialic acid: Gal beta 1----4GlcNAc-R alpha 2----6-sialyltransferase. Sialylation of bi-, tri-, and tetraantennary oligosaccharides and glycopeptides of the N-acetyllactosamine type

Using 500-MHz 1H NMR spectroscopy we have investigated the branch specificity that bovine colostrum CMP-NeuAc:Gal beta 1----4GlcNAc-R alpha 2----6-sialyltransferase shows in its sialylation of bi-, tri-, and tetraantennary glycopeptides and oligosaccharides of the N-acetyllactosamine type. The enzyme appears to highly prefer the galactose residue at the Gal beta 1----4GlcNAc beta 1----2Man alpha 1----3 branch for attachment of the 1st mol of sialic acid in all the acceptors tested. The 2nd mol of sialic acid becomes linked mainly to the Gal beta 1----4GlcNAc beta 1----2Man alpha 1----6 branch in bi- and triantennary substrates, but this reaction invariably proceeds at a much lower rate. Under the conditions employed, the Gal beta 1----4GlcNAc beta 1----6Man alpha 1----6 branch is extremely resistant to alpha 2----6-sialylation. A higher degree of branching of the acceptors leads to a decrease in the rate of sialylation. In particular, the presence of the Gal beta 1----4GlcNAc beta 1----6Man alpha 1----6 branch strongly inhibits the rate of transfer of both the 1st and the 2nd mol of sialic acid. In addition, it directs the incorporation of the 2nd mol into tetraantennary structures toward the Gal beta 1----4GlcNAc beta 1----4Man alpha 1----3 branch. In contrast, the presence of the Gal beta 1----4GlcNAc beta 1----4Man alpha 1----3 branch has only minor effects on the rates of sialylation and, consequently, on the branch preference of sialic acid attachment. Results obtained with partial structures of tetraantennary acceptors indicate that the Man beta 1----4GlcNAc part of the core is essential for the expression of branch specificity of the sialyltransferase. The sialylation patterns observed in vivo in glycoproteins of different origin are consistent with the in vitro preference of alpha 2----6-sialyltransferase for the Gal beta 1----4GlcNAc beta 1----2Man alpha 1----3 branch. Our findings suggest that the terminal structures of branched glycans of the N-acetyllactosamine type are the result of the complementary branch specificity of the various glycosyltransferases that are specific for the acceptor sequence Gal beta 1----4GlcNAc-R.     

Stimulated neutrophils produce an ethanolamine plasmalogen analog of platelet-activating factor

Human neutrophils stimulated by ionophore A23187 incorporate [3H]acetate into platelet-activating factor and an additional product which is chromatographically similar to phosphatidylethanolamine and accounts for approximately 25% of the [3H]acetate-containing lipids. Three general approaches indicated the sn-1 moiety of the unknown phospholipid is primarily alk-1'-enyl-linked: 1) approximately 80% of the intact phospholipid as well as its derivatives was highly sensitive to hydrolysis by HCl, 2) 80% of the product which resulted from treating the unknown with phospholipase C and acetylating the free hydroxyl group at the sn-3 position, chromatographed with authentic 1-O-alk-1'-enyl-2,3-diacetylglycerol, and 3) catalytic hydrogenation of the diacetylglycerol product described in 2) resulted in a product which chromatographed with alkyldiacetylglycerol and was not sensitive to strong acid. Treatment of the intact phospholipid with phospholipase A2 resulted in the release of 88% of the radiolabel into the acidified aqueous phase of the extraction mixture, indicating the moiety in the sn-2 position remained as acetate and had not been elongated to fatty acid. The head group was determined to be phosphoethanolamine based upon its complete conversion to the dinitro- and trinitrophenyl derivatives by the amine-derivatizing reagents fluorodinitrobenzene and trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid, respectively. From these data is was concluded that the unknown product is 1-O-alk-1'-enyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (80%), and 1-O-alkyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (10%). Sonicates prepared from neutrophils stimulated with ionophore A23187 contained an acetyltransferase activity capable of utilizing 1-O-alk-1'-enyl-2-lyso-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine and [14C]acetyl-CoA to produce the product identified as 1-O-alk-1'-enyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine.     

Absence of heat shock protein synthesis in isolated mitochondria and plastids from maize

Examination of the proteins synthesized by isolated mitochondria, chloroplasts, or proplastids from maize tissues showed that a heat treatment at 40 degrees C does not induce or enhance the synthesis of any protein when compared to preparations treated at the control temperature of 28 degrees C. These observations are consistent with the results obtained by labeling proteins in vivo under sterile conditions. In vivo labeling in the presence of cycloheximide during heat shock showed no heat shock protein synthesis. Labeling in the presence of chloramphenicol during heat shock showed a similar heat shock protein pattern as in the absence of the inhibitor. It is concluded that maize organelles do not synthesize heat shock proteins and that, if present, they may be due to bacterial contamination.