白细胞介素2受体α链基因转录起始点和5'调控区结合蛋白的初步研究

 借助于5'和3'末端删切后重建的IL-2R a链基因调控区次级克隆,在体外合成有放射性同位素参入的反意义RNA探针与总RNA进行液相杂交,结果表明TPA或PHA分别活化的T细胞在IL-2R a链表达过程中都在不同程度上有选择地利用了调控区内分别为-58(5')和+1(3')位两个转录起始点中3'转录起始点。热休克使PHA活化细胞更明显地利用+1位点。PHA诱导Jurkat细胞表达IL-2RamRNA斑点杂交证实,Jurkat细胞在活化16小时表达IL-2Ra基本达到高峰,至24小时已明显下降。根据这一规律提取PHA诱导活化15小时的Jurkat细胞S100和NE,进行有关结合蛋白的研究,初步结果显示磷酸纤维素柱的KCI洗脱组分中存在着DNA结合蛋白,有关结合蛋白性质的研究正在进行中。     

山莨菪碱对经有限蛋白水解后的脑突触膜Ca~(2+)-ATPase的影响

 从猪脑中提取钙调蛋白和突触质膜,我们研究了山莨菪碱对经有限蛋白水解和磷脂酶A_2处理后的突触膜Ca~(2+)-ATPase活性影响。发现药物对不同预处理后的Ca~(2+)-ATPase表现出不同影响并调节钙调蛋白对它的激活作用。     

人U_1和U_2snRNA基因定位缺失和取代突变

 用寡聚核苷酸诱导的定位突变法,将人U_1和U_2snRNA基因的5'-端调控区域的一段能与SV_(40)T抗原相结合的DNA删去,造成缺失突变,改变这段DNA核苷酸的排列顺序,造成取代突变。突变株用原位杂交法筛选,由限制性内切酶电泳图谱分析和DNA顺序测定得到证实。突变率约为5％。     

Sperm DNA and sex chromosome differences between two geographical populations of the creeping vole, Microtus oregoni

The relative DNA content of the "O" and Y chromosome-bearing sperm is presented for the creeping vole, Microtus oregoni. The animals had been trapped in Oregon and in Washington State. The two populations had very similar autosomal chromosome relationships but differed greatly in the size of their X chromosome (which is not carried by vole sperm) and in their Y chromosome. The greater size and banding differences of the Y chromosome of the Washington State vole compared to the Oregon vole paralleled the greater differences in sperm DNA between the Y-bearing sperm and the sperm carrying no sex chromosome (O). The actual DNA differences between O and Y sperm was 12.5% for the sperm from the Washington State voles and 9.1% for sperm from the Oregon voles. The difference in sperm DNA content (12.5%) for Washington State voles was far greater than the difference shown for other voles or other mammals.     

Characterization of differentiated syrian golden hamster pancreatic duct cells maintained in extended monolayer culture

Summary Epithelial cells isolated from fragments of hamster pancreas interlobular ducts were freed of fibroblast contamination by plating them on air-dried collagen, maintaining them in serum-free Dulbecco's modified Eagle's (DME):F12 medium suppleneted with growth factors, and selecting fibroblast-free aggregates of duct cells with cloning cylinders. Duct epithelial cells plated on rat type I collagen gel and maintained in DME:F12 supplemented with Nu Serum IV, bovine pituitary extract, epidermal growth factor, 3,3′, 5-triodothyronine, dexamethasone, and insulin, transferrin, selenium, and linoleic acid conjugated to bovine serum albumin (ITS⁺), showed optimal growth as monolayers with a doubling time of about 20 h and were propagated for as long as 26 wk. Early passage cells consisted of cuboidal cells with microvilli on their apical surface, complex basolateral membranes, numerous elongated mitochondria, and both free and membrane-bound ribosomes. Cell grown as monolayers for 3 mo. were more flattened and contained fewer apical microvilli, mitochondria, and profiles of rough surfaced endoplasmic reticulum; in addition, there were numerous autophagic vacuoles. Functional characteristics of differentiated pancreatic duct cells which were maintained during extended monolayer culture included intracellular levels of carbonic anhydrase and their capacity to generate cyclic AMP (cAMP) after stimulation by 1×10⁻⁶ M secretin. From 5 to 7 wk in culture, levels of carbonic anhydrase remained stable but after 25 to 26 wk decreased by 1.9-fold. At 5 to 7 wk of culture, cyclic AMP increased 8.7-fold over basal levels after secretin stimulation. Although pancreatic duct cells cultured for 25 to 26 wk showed lower basal levels of cAMP, they were still capable of generating significant levels of cAMP after exposure to serretin with a 7.0-fold increase, indicating that secretin receptors and the adenyl cyclase system were both present and functional. These experiments document that pancreatic duct monolayer cultures can be maintained in a differentiated state for up to 6 mo. and suggest that this culture system may be useful for in vitro physiologic and pathologic studies. This research was supported by grant CA34051 from the National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD.     

A protein-free medium for the growth of hybridomas and other cells of the immune system

Summary A protein-free medium, termed ABC, has been developed which essentially eliminates the need for serum proteins. ABC supports the long-term growth of murine hybridomas as well as other transformed cells of the immune system. The requirement of hybridoma growth for transferrin has been met by substituting the soluble organo-iron compound, sodium nitroprusside. Substantial improvement in the growth of hybridomas was afforded by the inclusion of 18 trace elements complexed to disodium ethylene diaminetetraacetate (EDTA). The medium was further improved by the inclusion of components not found in Ham's F12 medium or by raising the concentrations of existing low molecular weight components. Murine hybridomas can be cultured routinely in this protein-free medium in an anchorage-independent manner with doubling times generally under 24 h. Visualized on electrophoretic gels, levels of monoclonal antibody taken from those cultures often exceeded 80% of the total protein. The medium was also able to support the growth of HuT 78 and H9 cells as well as certain other transformed cells of the immune system. In addition, normal human peripheral blood lymphocytes, activated with phytohemagglutinin and cultured with 50 U/ml recombinant interleukin 2, could be grown for 2 wk with a 50-fold expansion over input cell number.     

Chinese hamster ovary cells continuously secrete a cysteine endopeptidase

Summary The protease activity in serum-free conditioned medium of chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells was measured using peptidyl (or aminoacyl)-4-methylcoumaryl-7-amides (MCAs) as the substrates. Aminopeptidase increased in level as amounts of nonviable cells increased during cultivation in serum-free medium, indicating that the activity seems to be originated from intracellular proteases. The activity toward Boc-Leu-Arg-Arg-MCA, which was strongly inhibited by p-chloromercuribenzonate and N-ethylmaleimide, was the strongest among those toward peptidyl-MCAs in the conditioned medium within 48 h-cultivation in serum-free medium. In contrast to the case of aminopeptidase activity, the endopeptidase activity decreased in level after 48 h-cultivation although amounts of nonviable cells increases. Thus, CHO cells continuously secrete the cysteine proteases. This work was supported by the management of the Research Association for Biotechnology as a part of the R&D of Basic Technology for Future Industries sponsored by NEDO (New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization).     

Fibronectin,not laminin,mediates heparin-dependent heparin-binding growth factor type I binding to substrata and stimulation of endothelial cell growth

Summary Fibronectin and heparin-binding growth factors (HBGF) are essential for growth of cultured endothelial cells. The stimulation of endothelial cell growth by HBGF type one (HBGF-1) in particular requires heparin or a similar glycosaminoglycan. The requirement for fibronectin and heparin for HBGF-1-stimulated endothelial cell growth may be related. HBGF-1 absorbed to the natural subcellular matrix of endothelial cells supports cell growth. [¹²⁵I]HBGF-1 specifically associates with a sequentially reconstituted matrix of collagen-fibronectin-heparin, and HBGF-1 absorbed to the reconstituted matrix supports growth of the endothelial cells. A reconstituted matrix of collagen-laminin-heparin neither supported binding of [¹²⁵I]HBGF-1 nor HBGF-1-stimulated endothelial cell growth. Association kinetics of [¹²⁵I]HBGF-1 to heparinlike sites and membrane receptor sites on endothelial cell monolayers suggest that fibronectin-heparinlike binding sites in the subcellular matrix may be an obligatory reservoir of active HBGF-1 that binds to specific cell membrane receptors. This work was carried out in the laboratory of Dr. W. L. McKeehan and supported in part by grants CA37589, DK35310 and DK38639 from the Public Health Service, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, DC.     

Endothelium specific Weibel-Palade bodies in a continuous human cell line,EA.hy926

Summary Weibel-Palade bodies are ultrastructurally defined organelles found only in vascular endothelial cells. Because endothelium in corpo is very dispersed, isolation and further characterization of this organelle has been dependent on increasing the number of cells in culture. However, primary isolates of endothelial cells have a limited replication potential and tend to senesce in culture. In this report, EA.hy926, a continuously replicating cell line derived from human endothelium, is shown to contain Weibel-Palade bodies. Electron micrographs demonstrate the ultrastructural characteristics of these tissue-specific organelles and their cytoplasmic distribution in EA.hy926 cells. Von Willebrand factor, which has been shown to exist in Weibel Palade bodies, is demonstrated by immunofluorescence in discrete rod-shaped organelles whose size, shape, and distribution are consistent with that of Weibel-Palade bodies in primary endothelial cell cultures. Rapid release of von Willebrand factor can be induced by calcium ionophore, and large multimeric forms of the protein are found in EA.hy926 cells. These two properties are consistent with the function currently ascribed to Weibel Palade bodies: storage of multimerized von Willebrand factor. Thus ultrastructural, immunologic, and functional data establish the existence of this as yet poorly understood tissue-specific organelle in a continuous, vigorously replicating human cell line.