Process-induced cell cycle oscillations in CHO cultures: Online monitoring and model-based investigation

The influence of process strategies on the dynamics of cell population heterogeneities in mammalian cell culture is still not well understood. We recently found that the progression of cells through the cell cycle causes metabolic regulations with variable productivities in antibody-producing Chimese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. On the other hand, it is so far unknown how bulk cultivation conditions, for example, variable nutrient concentrations depending on process strategies, can influence cell cycle-derived population dynamics. In this study, process-induced cell cycle synchronization was assessed in repeated-batch and fed-batch cultures. An automated flow cytometry set-up was developed to measure the cell cycle distribution online, using antibody-producing CHO DP-12 cells transduced with the cell cycle-specific fluorescent ubiquitination-based cell cycle indicator (FUCCI) system. On the basis of the population-resolved model, feeding-induced partial self-synchronization was predicted and the results were evaluated experimentally. In the repeated-batch culture, stable cell cycle oscillations were confirmed with an oscillating G1 phase distribution between 41% and 72%. Furthermore, oscillations of the cell cycle distribution were simulated and determined in a (bolus) fed-batch process with up to cells/ml. The cell cycle synchronization arose with pulse feeding only and ceased with continuous feeding. Both simulated and observed oscillations occurred at higher frequencies than those observable based on regular (e.g., daily) sample analysis, thus demonstrating the need for high-frequency online cell cycle analysis. In summary, we showed how experimental methods combined with simulations enable the improved assessment of the effects of process strategies on the dynamics of cell cycle-dependent population heterogeneities. This provides a novel approach to understand cell cycle regulations, control cell population dynamics, avoid inadvertently induced oscillations of cell cycle distributions and thus to improve process stability and efficiency.     

Soluble collagen VI drives serum-starved fibroblasts through S phase and prevents apoptosis via down-regulation of Bax

We previously showed that soluble, pepsin-solubilized collagen VI increases de novo DNA synthesis in serum-starved HT1080 and 3T3 fibroblasts up to 100-fold compared with soluble collagen I, reaching 80% of the stimulation caused by 10% fetal calf serum. Here we show that collagen VI also inhibits apoptotic cell death in serum-starved cells as evidenced by morphological criteria, DNA laddering, complementary apoptosis assays (terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and fluorescence-activated cell sorting), and quantification of apoptosis-regulating proteins. In the presence of starving medium alone or collagen I, the proapoptotic Bax was up-regulated 2-2.5-fold, compared with soluble collagen VI and fetal calf serum, whereas levels of the antiapoptotic Bcl-2 protein remained unaffected. In accordance with its potent stimulation of DNA synthesis, soluble collagen VI carries serum-starved HT1080 and Balb 3T3 fibroblasts through G(2) as shown by fluorescence-activated cell sorting analysis, whereas cells exposed to medium and collagen I where arrested at G(1)-S. This was accompanied by a 2-3-fold increase in cyclin A, B, and D1 protein expression. Collagen VI-induced inhibition of apoptotic cell death may be operative during embryogenesis, wound healing, and fibrosis when elevated tissue and blood levels of collagen VI are observed, thus initiating a feedback loop of mesenchymal cell activation and proliferation.     

Visual pigments in a living fossil,the Australian lungfish <Emphasis Type="Italic">Neoceratodus forsteri</Emphasis>

Background  

One of the greatest challenges facing the early land vertebrates was the need to effectively interpret a terrestrial environment. Interpretation was based on ocular adaptations evolved for an aquatic environment millions of years earlier. The Australian lungfish Neoceratodus forsteri is thought to be the closest living relative to the first terrestrial vertebrate, and yet nothing is known about the visual pigments present in lungfish or the early tetrapods.     

Soluble Collagen VI Induces Tyrosine Phosphorylation of Paxillin and Focal Adhesion Kinase and Activates the MAP Kinase Erk2 in Fibroblasts

Signals from the extracellular matrix can modulate cellular differentiation and gene expression. We have shown previously that in contrast to other extracellular matrix molecules pepsin-solubilized collagen VI (CVI) can stimulate DNA synthesis of various mesenchymal cell types, apparently independent of integrin-mediated signal transduction. In order to further elucidate collagen VI-induced signaling events, we exposed mouse 3T3 fibroblasts and human HT1080 fibrosarcoma cells to soluble CVI. CVI induced tyrosine phosphorylation of proteins that associate with focal adhesions, such as paxillin, focal adhesion kinase (FAK), and p130CAS. Furthermore, it activated the mitogen-activated protein kinase, erk2. Kinetic analysis showed that these phosphorylations were transient, reaching a maximum after 5 min for transformed HT1080 cells and 30 min for 3T3 fibroblasts. These effects were partly inhibited by a beta1-integrin function blocking antibody and by single chains of CVI. Our results indicate that soluble fragments of native collagen VI, a ubiquitous component of the interstitial extracellular matrix, can mediate stimulation of DNA synthesis via tyrosine phosphorylation of paxillin, FAK, p130CAS, and erk2 in the absence of classical growth factors. Thus, CVI may serve as a matrix-derived sensor that allows for rapid reconstitution of a tissue defect by activating nearby mesenchymal cells.     

Acute toxicity effects of ibuprofen on behaviour and haematological parameters of African catfish Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822)

Indiscriminate discharge of pharmaceutical waste into the aquatic ecosystem may pose serious health challenges to aquatic biota. The effect of acute exposure to ibuprofen was evaluated using changes in behaviour and haematological parameters under static bio-assay method in Clarias gariepinus. Test specimens were exposed to acute concentrations of ibuprofen (0.28, 0.33, 0.38, 0.43 and 0.48 mg l^?1) for 24, 48, 72 and 96 h durations respectively. Behavioural and phenotypic changes were observed in surviving fish. There were significant (p < 0.05) concentration and duration-dependent increases in erythrocyte (RBC), haemoglobin (Hb), pack cell volume (PCV) and leukocytes (WBC) in treated fish compared to the control. Insignificant decreases (p > 0.05) in mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH) and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC) were observed in treated fish compared to the control. Ibuprofen elicited dose and duration- dependent decrease in neutrophil counts with the decreases being significant (p < 0.05) in the higher doses of 0.43 and 0.48 mg l^?1. Ibuprofen did not elicit any significant changes in monocytes, basophils and eosinophils. Changes observed in this study showed that ibuprofen negatively affected the health of the fish and we recommend that discharge of ibuprofen into the aquatic environment should be monitored and controlled.     

Selectins Mediate Small Cell Lung Cancer Systemic Metastasis

Metastasis formation is the major reason for the extremely poor prognosis in small cell lung cancer (SCLC) patients. The molecular interaction partners regulating metastasis formation in SCLC are largely unidentified, however, from other tumor entities it is known that tumor cells use the adhesion molecules of the leukocyte adhesion cascade to attach to the endothelium at the site of the future metastasis. Using the human OH-1 SCLC line as a model, we found that these cells expressed E- and P-selectin binding sites, which could be in part attributed to the selectin binding carbohydrate motif sialyl Lewis A. In addition, protein backbones known to carry these glycotopes in other cell lines including PSGL-1, CD44 and CEA could be detected in in vitro and in vivo grown OH1 SCLC cells. By intravital microscopy of murine mesenterial vasculature we could capture SCLC cells while rolling along vessel walls demonstrating that SCLC cells mimic leukocyte rolling behavior in terms of selectin and selectin ligand interaction in vivo indicating that this mechanism might indeed be important for SCLC cells to seed distant metastases. Accordingly, formation of spontaneous distant metastases was reduced by 50% when OH-1 cells were xenografted into E-/P-selectin-deficient mice compared with wild type mice (p = 0.0181). However, as metastasis formation was not completely abrogated in selectin deficient mice, we concluded that this adhesion cascade is redundant and that other molecules of this cascade mediate metastasis formation as well. Using several of these adhesion molecules as interaction partners presumably make SCLC cells so highly metastatic.     

The HML-1 antigen of intestinal lymphocytes is an activation antigen.

The Ag recognized by the mAb HML-1 is expressed on more than 90% of human intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes, whereas in other lymphoid tissues it is rarely or not expressed. In the present study, we have investigated the percentage of HML-1-positive cells in the human intestinal lamina propria and the coexpression of HML-1 with different T cell subset markers. In addition, we studied the inducibility of HML-1 on PBL which normally are HML-1-negative. Flow cytometric analysis of isolated intestinal lamina propria lymphocytes (LPL) showed that about 40% of the cells expressed HML-1, the majority belonging to the CD8-positive subpopulation. Virtually all LPL expressed CD45RO, whereas the percentage of CD29-positive cells was only about 50%, similar to PBL. There were only few cells expressing CD45RA or Leu-8 in the lamina propria. HML-1-positive cells were almost exclusively CD45RA-negative, but were found in both the CD29-positive and the CD29-negative subpopulation of LPL. In vitro stimulation of PBL showed that the expression of HML-1 was inducible on T cells by mitogens, phorbolester, Ag, and rIL-2. Expression of HML-1 was induced with a different time course and with differences in the response to the investigated stimuli compared with CD25. Activated HML-1-positive PBL were also predominantly CD45RA-negative. The findings show that HML-1 is an Ag, which is expressed in vivo on a specific subset of previously activated T cells in the unique environment of the intestinal mucosa, and which can be induced in vitro by different activation signals on PBL.