Nonlethal G0-ts mutant tsJT60 becomes lethal at the nonpermissive temperature after transformation: a hint for new cancer chemotherapeutics

tsJT60 is a nonlethal temperature-sensitive (ts) mutant of a Fischer rat cell line (3Y1) classified as a G0 mutant; i.e., the ts defect is not expressed within the cell growth cycle but is expressed only between the G0 and S phase. tsJT60 clones transformed with oncogenes such as adenovirus E1A, polyoma large T, polyoma middle T, v-Ki-ras, and LTR activated c-myc, or with a chemical carcinogen N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine, grew well at 34 degrees C. However, most of these clones grew slowly at 40 degrees C, producing many floating dead cells, and some clones were killed at 40 degrees C. When they were cultured under conditions inadequate for growth of untransformed cells, such as high cell density or serum restriction, they were killed at 40 degrees C. These and previous results from SV40- and adenovirus-transformed tsJT60 clones favour the idea that transformed tsJT60 cells occasionally enter the G0 phase and are metabolically imbalanced at 40 degrees C during self-stimulation from the G0 to S phase. We propose that a drug which exclusively block, G0-G1 transition would be cytocidal to transformed cells but cytostatic to normal cells.     

Platelet-activating factor stimulates metabolism of phosphoinositides via phospholipase A2 in primary cultured rat hepatocytes

Addition of platelet-activating factor (PAF) to cells doubly labeled with [14C]glycerol plus [3H]arachidonic acid resulted in a transient decrease of [14C]glycerol-labeled phosphatidylinositol (PI) and a transient increase of [14C]glycerol-labeled lysophosphatidylinositol (LPI). [3H]Arachidonate-labeled PI, on the other hand, decreased in a time-dependent manner. The radioactivity in phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine, sphingomyelin, and phosphatidylserine did not change significantly. The 3H/14C ratio decreased in PI in a time-dependent manner, suggesting the involvement of a phospholipase A2 activity. Although PAF also induced a gradual increase of diacylglycerol (DG), the increase of [14C]glycerol-labeled DG paralleled the loss of triacyl [14C]glycerol and the 3H/14C ratio of DG was 16 times smaller than that of PI. Thus, DG seemed not to be derived from PI. In myo- [3H]inositol-prelabeled cells, PAF induced a transient decrease of [3H]phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bis-phosphate (TPI) and [3H]phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate (DPI) at 1 min. PAF stimulation of cultured hepatocytes prelabeled with 32Pi induced a transient decrease of [32P]polyphosphoinositides at 20 sec to 1 min. [32P]LPI appeared within 10 sec after stimulation and paralleled the loss of [32P]PI. [3H]Inositol triphosphate, [3H]inositol diphosphate, and [3H]inositol phosphate, which increased in a time-dependent manner upon stimulation with adrenaline, did not accumulate with the stimulation due to PAF. These observations indicate that PAF causes degradation of inositol phospholipids via phospholipase A2 and induces a subsequent resynthesis of these phospholipids.     

Identification of the cell surface molecule involved in sexual cell fusion of Dictyostelium discoideum

Dictyostelium discoideum was used as a model system for elucidating the molecular mechanism of sexual cell fusion. In heterothallic strains NC4 and HM1 of D. discoideum, complements in mating type, amoeboid cells acquire fusion competence only under certain environmental conditions, such as the presence of excess water and a certain period of darkness, to fuse sexually. The surface of cells which acquired fusion competence was found to possess specific antigens. Monovalent antibodies prepared from rabbit antiserum against fusion-competent NC4 cells inhibit the sexual cell fusion of these cells completely. Two specific antigenic proteins, 39 and 138 k Da in relative molecular mass and specific for fusion-competent cells, were detected. Only one, the 138-k Da protein, was capable of neutralizing the fusion-inhibitory activity of the monovalent antibody. These results show that the 139-k Da protein is the one involved in the sexual cell fusion of NC4 and HM1 strains in D. discoideum.     

Synergism between protein kinase C activator and fatty acids in stimulating superoxide anion production in guinea pig polymorphonuclear leukocytes

Treatment of guinea pig polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNL) with various fatty acids elicited superoxide anion (O2-) production and an increase in intracellular Ca2+ [( Ca2+]i). Both responses, however, were seldom observed when PMNL were treated at lower concentrations. But, simultaneous addition of 1-oleoyl-2-acetylglycerol (OAG), a protein kinase C activator, caused an increase in O2- production even at the lower concentrations of fatty acids. In contrast to the synergism in O2- production, [Ca2+]i remained at almost the basal level irrespective of the presence of OAG. Among saturated fatty acids, those with carbon numbers of 14 to 18 were most effective in stimulating O2- production in combination with OAG. Unsaturated fatty acids with a carbon number of 18 were almost equally effective irrespective of the number of double bonds.     

A killer factor produced by the cellular slime mold Polysphondylium pallidum

A killer strain was discovered in cellular slime molds. The wild isolate CK-8 of Polysphondylium pallidum kills all other strains in Polysphondylium and Dictyostelium, as far as could be determined, except strain CK-8 itself and its complementary mating type strain CK-9. Growth-phase cells of CK-8 excrete a killer factor which is sensitive to heat, above 60°C for 5 min, and trypsin. The apparent molecular mass of the factor was determined at 10 000–12 000.Abbreviations BSS Bonner's salt solution - CM conditioned medium     

Roles of the complement receptor type 1 (CR1) and type 3 (CR3) on phagocytosis and subsequent phagosome-lysosome fusion in Salmonella-infected murine macrophages

Abstract The receptors involved in the recognition of Salmonella typhimurium and S. typhi by murine macrophages were identified, and their relevance to phagosome-lysosome fusion was also investigated. Phagocytosis of S. typhimurium by murine macrophages was dependent on the opsonization with normal fresh serum, although the opsonin had no triggering activity in phagosome-lysosome fusion. In contrast, the opsonization of S. typhi with normal fresh serum efficiently triggered both phagocytosis and following phagosome-lysosome fusion. Anti-murine CR1 antibody suppressed phagocytosis of S. typhimurium by 36%, whereas anti-CR3 antibody, mannan, and advanced glycosylation endproducts (AGE)-BSA all failed to prevent phagocytosis of S. typhimurium , suggesting that CR1 may only contribute to the recognition of S. typhimurium and may possibly play a minor role. Other receptors involved may also influence the outcome phagocytosis in terms of phagosome-lysosome fusion. In the case of S. typhi , only anti-CR3 antibody significantly inhibited not only phagocytosis of S. typhi but also following phagosome-lysosome fusion. Treatment with K76COONa, an inhibitor of C3bINA (I factor), resulted in a marked inhibition of phagosomelysosome fusion in S. typhi -infected macrophages, although no significant inhibition was observed on phagocytosis of S. typhi . These results suggest that S. typhimurium and S. typhi may be recognized at least in part by CR1 and CR3, respectively, and that the recognition by CR3 but not CR1 is functionally associated with subsequent phagosomelysosome fusion in murine macrophages.     

Inhibition of rat brain adenylate cyclase activity by benzodiazepine through the effects on Gi and catalytic proteins

The effect of benzodiazepines on adenylate cyclase system was examined in rat brain. Micromolar concentrations of diazepam inhibited the enzyme activity in synaptic membranes in dose- and time-dependent manners. The inhibitory effect of diazepam was more evident on the enzyme activity in the presence of guanylyl-5'-imidodiphosphate (GppNHp) or NaF-AlCl3 than on that in the basal state. In the pertussis toxin-treated membranes, the effect of diazepam in the presence of GppNHp or NaF-AlCl3 was markedly suppressed. In addition, other benzodiazepines, such as medazepam, flurazepam, flunitrazepam, and clonazepam, had similar effects to those of diazepam, whereas Ro15-1788, an antagonist of a high affinity receptor in the central nervous system, had no effect on adenylate cyclase activity and did not antagonize the effect of diazepam. These findings indicate that benzodiazepines inhibit rat brain adenylate cyclase activity through the effects on both a low affinity benzodiazepine receptor coupled with the inhibitory GTP-binding regulatory protein (Gi) and catalytic protein.     

Biochemical and physiological characteristics of Xenorhabdus species,symbiotically associated with entomopathogenic nematodes including Steinernema kushidai and their pathogenicity against Spodoptera litura (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

The symbiotic bacterium strain, SK-1 isolated from Steinernema kushidai, a new species of entomopathogenic nematode, was compared with other strains of Xenorhabdus species. Like other Xenorhabdus nematophilus strains, this new strain is gram-negative, facultatively anaerobic, peritrichously flagellated rod and negative for catalase and nitrate reduction. It can be distinguished from the other Xenorhabdus spp. by differences in reactions to phenylalanine deaminase, no acid production from myo-inositol and utilizations of inosine, dl-malate, formate and methanol. Intra-haemocoelic injection of actual cells or liquid culture supernatant into sixth instar larvae of Spodoptera litura for either Phase I or II variants were not pathogenic. Other strains of X. nematophilus showed pathogenicity for whole cell injections. The supernatants of strain D-1 and ATCC 19061, which are symbionts of Steinernema carpocapsae were pathogenic, however pathogenicity decreased and then terminated by increases in temperature.     

SV40 T-antigen is required for maintenance of immortal growth in SV40-transformed human fibroblasts.

Two lines of immortal human fibroblasts were isolated following transfection of TIG-3 cells with plasmid DNA, pMT-1ODtsA, that contained SV40 early gene with a deletion in replication origin and ts mutation in coding sequence for T-antigen. These cells continued proliferation at 34 degrees C, over 565 population doubling level (PDL) which is far over the limited division potential of untransformed normal TIG-3 of 70-80 PDL. When the culture temperature was shifted to 40 degrees C after 70 PDL, they ceased proliferation immediately. One of these immortal clones, SVts8, lost its ts phenotype after retransformation with wtT-antigen gene. These results indicated that the function of intact T-antigen is required for maintenance of immortal proliferation, at least in one of the SV40 transformed immortal clones.