Expression of the mammalian c-fes protein in hematopoietic cells and identification of a distinct fes-related protein.

The avian c-fps and mammalian c-fes proto-oncogenes are cognate cellular sequences. Antiserum raised against the P140gag-fps transforming protein of Fujinami avian sarcoma virus specifically recognized a 92,000-Mr protein in human and mouse hematopoietic cells which was closely related in structure to Snyder-Theilen feline sarcoma virus P87gag-fes. This polypeptide was apparently the product of the human c-fes gene and was therefore designated p92c-fes. Human p92c-fes was associated with a tyrosine-specific protein kinase activity in vitro and was capable of both autophosphorylation and phosphorylation of enolase as an exogenous protein substrate. The synthesis of human and mouse p92c-fes was largely, though not entirely, confined to myeloid cells. p92c-fes was expressed to relatively high levels in a multipotential murine myeloid cell line, in more mature human and mouse granulocyte-macrophage progenitors, and in differentiated macrophage like cells as well as in the mononuclear fraction of normal and leukemic human peripheral blood. p92c-fes was not found in erythroid cells, with the exception of a human erythroleukemia line which retains the capacity to differentiate into macrophage like cells. These results suggest a normal role for the p92c-fes tyrosine kinase in hematopoiesis, particularly in granulocyte-macrophage differentiation. In addition, a distinct 94,000-Mr polypeptide, antigenically related to p92c-fes, was identified in a number of hematopoietic and nonhematopoietic human and mouse cells and was also found to be associated with a tyrosine-specific protein kinase activity.     

A virus-specific CD4+ cell-mediated cytolytic activity revealed by CD8+ cell elimination regularly develops in uncloned human antiviral cell lines

Antiviral HLA class II-restricted cytotoxic CD4+ clones have been relatively well characterized in vitro but their significance in the immune response remains unknown. Here anti-influenza A and anti-EBV CD4+ CTL have been studied by using permanent cell lines either untreated or depleted of CD8+ cells. In bulk cultures, HLA class I-restricted anti-viral CD8+ CTL account for all of the detectable killer cell activity, whereas after elimination of CD8+ cells an HLA class II-restricted killer activity mediated by CD4+/2H4-/4B4+ cells was consistently observed. The CD4+ CTL were fully differentiated in all of the cultures tested from the third in vitro passage because they could be demonstrated immediately after elimination of CD8+ cells. These CD4+ killer cells were equivalent to the CD8+ cells in terms of their lytic capacity. The absence of any class II-restricted antiviral activity in bulk cultures seems to be related to the very small numbers of CD4+ cells present in these antiviral cell lines. However, CD4+ cytolytic activity could not be detected during the first two in vitro passages, even when limiting dilution analysis of the CTL precursors were performed, showing that the killer function of Th cells differentiate only after several in vitro stimulations.     

Plasmid segregation into minicells is associated with membrane attachment and independent of plasmid replication.

The role of plasmid replication in the segregation of plasmids into Escherichia coli minicells was investigated with temperature-sensitive replication mutants derived from E. coli plasmids ColE1 and pSC101. For as long as six generations of growth, at permissive or nonpermissive temperatures (when greater than 80% of plasmid replication was inhibited), the same amount of previously 3H-labeled plasmid DNA segregated into minicells. Density gradient separations of wild-type and temperature-sensitive plasmid DNA from both replicons segregated into the minicells showed that about 20 to 25% was stably associated with the minicell membrane at both temperatures. Electron microscopy showed this DNA to consist of circular plasmid molecules attached to the minicell membrane. These combined findings suggest that segregation of plasmids into minicells and their association with the minicell membrane are interrelated and independent of plasmid replication.     

Multimodal distribution of warfarin binding to protein in serum of male-sprague dawley rats

The serum protein binding of racemic warfarin was determined in 209 adult male Sprague-Dawley rats. Statistical analysis of a histogram of warfarin free fraction values (ratio of concentrations of free and free plus bound drug) revealed modes at free fraction values of 0.0040, 0.0112, and 0.0166, with more than one-half of the animals included in the Gaussian component with the lowest free fraction mode. Since the total clearance of warfarin is proportional to the free fraction value and since the intrinsic clearance of warfarin in these rats is relatively constant, the trimodal distribution of free fraction values reflects a corresponding distribution of warfarin clearance values.     

Bovine Leukemia Virus-Induced Lymphocytosis and Increased Cell Survival Mainly Involve the CD11b+ B-Lymphocyte Subset in Sheep

In this study, we show that bovine leukemia virus (BLV)-induced persistent lymphocytosis (PL) results from the in vivo expansion of the CD11b⁺ B-lymphocyte population. This subset shares phenotypic characteristics with murine and human B-1 cells. BLV interactions with the sheep B-1-like subset were explored. We found that B-1- and B-2-like cells are initially infected to similar extents. However, in long-term-infected sheep, the viral load is higher in B-1-like cells and only B-1- and not B-2-like cells show increased ex vivo survival compared to that in uninfected sheep. Ex vivo viral expression was found in both B-1- and B-2-like cells, indicating that both cell types support viral replication. Finally, cycloheximide and a protein kinase C inhibitor (H7) that blocks the ex vivo activation of viral expression did not affect the increased survival in B-1-like cells, suggesting that resistance to apoptosis is acquired in vivo. Collectively, these results indicate a peculiar susceptibility of sheep B-1-like cells to BLV transforming effects and further support the involvement of increased survival in BLV pathogenesis.     

Fat-1 transgenic mice with elevated omega-3 fatty acids are protected from allergic airway responses

Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) have been implicated in the alleviation of asthma. Recent studies have demonstrated that the n-3 PUFA derived lipid mediators, protectin D1 and resolvin E1, may act as potent resolution agonists in airway inflammation. The effects of the n-3 PUFA tissue status itself on asthma pathogenesis remains to be further investigated. In this study allergic airway inflammation induced by allergen sensitization and aerosol challenge in Fat-1 and wild-type mice was investigated. Fat-1 transgenic mice displayed increased endogenous lung n-3 PUFA. When allergen-sensitized and aerosol-challenged, these animals had decreased airway inflammation with decreased leukocyte accumulation in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and lung parenchyma. The Fat-1 mice had a shift to the right in the dose-response relationship for methacholine induced bronchoconstriction with a significant increase in the log ED200. The Fat-1 mice had lower BALF concentrations of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1α, IL-2, IL-5, IL-9, IL-13, G-CSF, KC and RANTES. Furthermore, increased lung tissue amounts of the counter-regulatory mediators protectin D1 and resolvin E1 were found in Fat-1 mice after bronchoprovocative challenge. These results therefore demonstrate a direct protective role for lung n-3 PUFA in allergic airway responses and an increased generation of protectin D1 and resolvin E1 in this context.     

TCR zeta down-regulation under chronic inflammation is mediated by myeloid suppressor cells differentially distributed between various lymphatic organs

T cell AgR zeta chain down-regulation associated with T cell dysfunction has been described in cancer, infectious, and autoimmune diseases. We have previously shown that chronic inflammation is mandatory for the induction of an immunosuppressive environment leading to this phenomenon. To identify the key immunosuppressive components, we used an in vivo mouse model exhibiting chronic inflammation-induced immunosuppression. Herein, we demonstrate that: 1) under chronic inflammation secondary lymphatic organs display various immunological milieus; zeta chain down-regulation and T cell dysfunction are induced in the spleen, peripheral blood, and bone marrow, but not in lymph nodes, correlating with elevated levels of Gr1(+)Mac-1(+) myeloid suppressor cells (MSC); 2) MSC are responsible for the induction of such an immunosuppression under both normal and inflammatory conditions; and 3) normal T cells administered into mice exhibiting an immunosuppressive environment down-regulate their zeta expression. Such an environment is anticipated to limit the success of immunotherapeutic strategies based on vaccination and T cell transfer, which are currently under investigation for immunotherapy of cancer.     

Cellular penetration of fluorescently labeled superoxide dismutases of various origins.

BACKGROUND: Using fluorescently labeled superoxide dismutase (SOD) and flow cytometry, we have shown previously that the enzyme CuZn SOD (EC 1.15.1.1) from bovine erythrocytes binds rapidly to the cell surface with slow uptake into the cell during the following hours. The degree of labeling was most important for monocytes in comparison to other blood cells (erythrocytes, lymphocytes, and neutrophils) and fibroblasts. In agreement with the flow-cytometric findings, the inhibition of superoxide production was more important for SOD-pretreated monocytes than for neutrophils, as demonstrated with the cytochrome c reduction assay. It was thus of interest to confirm the observed differences between monocytes and neutrophils with confocal laser microscopy, study in greater detail the kinetics of binding, penetration, and intracellular localization of the enzyme, and compare the results obtained with bovine CuZn SOD with those from SODs of other origins and carrying different active sites. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Recombinant human (rh), bovine, and equine CuZn SODs, as well as rh and E. coli Mn SODs, were studied before use with respect to specific activity and purity (HPLC, SDS-PAGE electrophoresis). Fluorescein isothiocyanate was covalently conjugated to the various SODs for study with high-resolution confocal scanning laser microscopy. Superoxide production by monocytes and neutrophils was measured with the cytochrome c assay. RESULTS: As expected from our experiments with flow cytometry, only rare neutrophils were labeled with FITC-SOD, even with the longest incubation time of 3 hr and the highest dose of 1500 units/ml. In addition, they showed a localized fluorescence pattern that was quite different from the diffuse punctate fluorescence pattern of monocytes. Lymphocytes were not labeled at all. The rapid binding to the cellular surface of monocytes was confirmed, and even after 5 min of preincubation, FITC-SOD was found on a small percentage of monocytes. This was correlated with a reduction in superoxide release after phorbolmyristate acetate (PMA) stimulation by 40%. An interesting finding was the perinuclear accumulation of the penetrated SOD after the longest pretreatment of 3 hr, suggesting a barrier against further progression. Indeed, through confocal microscopy we were able to exclude any fluorescence at the nuclear level. While the fluorescence labeling patterns and the kinetics of penetration were quite similar for bovine, equine, and rh CuZn SOD, the Mn SODs showed poor labeling, correlated with a weak inhibitory effect on cytochrome c reduction, which was not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: The rapid binding of native CuZn SODs on the surface of monocytes, leading to reduced superoxide release by these cells, explains the observation that beneficial effects of injected SOD lasted for months despite rapid clearance of the enzyme from the bloodstream, according to pharmacodynamic studies. The preferential binding to monocytes, in contrast to neutrophils, may play a role in chronic inflammatory diseases in which the monocytes are in an activated state. The differences in binding capacity between CuZn SODs and Mn SODs, correlated with different inhibitory effects of superoxide production by monocytes, may also have therapeutic significance.     

Discovery and SAR of substituted 3-oxoisoindoline-4-carboxamides as potent inhibitors of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) for the treatment of cancer

Through conformational restriction of a benzamide by formation of a seven-membered hydrogen-bond with an oxindole carbonyl group, a series of PARP inhibitors was designed for appropriate orientation for binding to the PARP surface. This series of compounds with a 3-oxoisoindoline-4-carboxamide core structure, displayed modest to good activity against PARP-1 in both intrinsic and cellular assays. SAR studies at the lactam nitrogen of the pharmacophore have suggested that a secondary or tertiary amine is important for cellular potency. An X-ray structure of compound 1e bound to the protein confirmed the formation of a seven-membered intramolecular hydrogen bond. Though revealed previously in peptides, this type of seven-membered intramolecular hydrogen bond is rarely observed in small molecules. Largely due to the formation of the intramolecular hydrogen bond, the 3-oxoisoindoline-4-carboxamide core structure appears to be planar in the X-ray structure. An additional hydrogen bond interaction of the piperidine nitrogen to Gly-888 also contributes to the binding affinity of 1e to PARP-1.