Determination of antihistamines based on the formation of mixed aggregates with surfactants

In order to clarify how cytoskeletons and adhesion systems change through acquisition of metastatic capacity in a cancer cell, we examined the expressions of beta- and gamma-actin, the morphology of actin microfilaments and focal contacts, and also the expression of vinculin in a salivary gland adenocarcinoma cell clone cl-1, which acquired metastatic capacity, in comparison with its original clone HSGc lacking metastatic ability. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis of Triton-insoluble fractions and combined Western blot analysis by immunostaining with anti actin-isoform antibodies showed that the expression of gamma-actin was somewhat lower than that of beta-actin in HSGc, and cl-1 expressed a comparable amount of beta-actin to HSGc, whereas gamma-actin expression by cl-1 was far less than that by HSGc. Northern blot analysis demonstrated that there was little difference in the level of beta-actin mRNA between HSGc and cl-1, while the level of gamma-actin was markedly decreased in cl-1 as compared with HSGc. In terms of morphology, cl-1 cells showed disruption of actin microfilaments and a decrease in the size and number of focal contacts on the cell surface. Furthermore, cl-1 showed decreased expression of vinculin, which became obscured even at the end of actin microfilaments. These results demonstrated that a decrease in gamma-actin, disruption of actin microfilaments, and suppression of focal contacts as well as vinculin take place in the transformation from a non-metastatic condition to a metastatic one in the human salivary gland adenocarcinoma cell clones. Thus, it was strongly suggested that these changes contribute to a decrease in cell adhesiveness and an increase in cell motility, which is probably a major cause for acquisition of metastatic potential.     

Regulation of the cfos serum response element by C/EBPbeta

Serum response element binding protein (SRE BP) is a novel binding factor present in nuclear extracts of avian and NIH 3T3 fibroblasts which specifically binds to the cfos SRE within a region overlapping and immediately 3' to the CArG box. Site-directed mutagenesis combined with transfection experiments in NIH 3T3 cells showed that binding of both serum response factor (SRF) and SRE BP is necessary for maximal serum induction of the SRE. In this study, we have combined size fractionation of the SRE BP DNA binding activity with C/EBPbeta antibodies to demonstrate that homodimers and heterodimers of p35C/EBPbeta (a transactivator) and p20C/EBPbeta (a repressor) contribute to the SRE BP complex in NIH 3T3 cells. Transactivation of the SRE by p35C/EBPbeta is dependent on SRF binding but not ternary complex factor (TCF) formation. Both p35C/EBPbeta and p20C/EBPbeta bind to SRF in vitro via a carboxy-terminal domain that probably does not include the leucine zipper. Moreover, SRE mutants which retain responsiveness to the TCF-independent signaling pathway bind SRE BP in vitro with affinities that are nearly identical to that of the wild-type SRE, whereas mutant SRE.M, which is not responsive to the TCF-independent pathway, has a nearly 10-fold lower affinity for SRE BP. We propose that C/EBPbeta may play a role in conjunction with SRF in the TCF-independent signaling pathway for SRE activation.     

Mapping of the pressure response element of the c-fos gene by direct DNA injection into beating hearts

In vivo gene transfer into various organs of postnatal animals has recently been demonstrated. We applied this technique in order to map the promoter element of the protooncogene c-fos in the myocardium that responds to left ventricular pressure overload in vivo. Beating rat hearts were directly injected with a recombinant plasmid containing a 356-base pair upstream regulatory element of the mouse c-fos gene fused to a reporter gene. Two days after the injection, the hearts were excised and buffer-perfused. Acute pressure overload was applied for 2 h by inflating an intraventricular balloon. Pressure overload increased the myocardial reporter gene activity by 3-8-fold (p < 0.01). Deletion and point mutations in the serum response element (SRE) of the c-fos promoter resulted in loss of pressure-induced reporter gene expression, indicating that the SRE is necessary for pressure response. The SRE alone was sufficient to confer pressure responsiveness to the minimal c-fos promoter, confirming that the pressure response element coincides with the SRE. A construct containing a point mutation at the p62TCF binding site of the SRE did not respond to pressure overload or to a protein kinase C activator but retained responsiveness to a calcium ionophore. This suggests that pressure overload may activate the c-fos promoter by a protein kinase C-dependent pathway. Thus, a directly injected gene can be regulated in the host cells by a physical stimulus to the intact organ. The in vivo DNA injection technique is a useful method to study complex organ physiology at the molecular level.     

Neuroendocrine cell type-specific and inducible expression of the secretogranin II gene: crucial role of cyclic adenosine monophosphate and serum response elements

Secretogranin II, an acidic protein in the chromogranin/secretogranin family, is widely distributed in neuroendocrine secretory granules. What factors govern such widespread, yet selective, expression? The 5' deletions localized neuroendocrine cell type-specific expression to the proximal mouse secretogranin II promoter: such expression was abolished after deletion past the cAMP response element (CRE; [-67 bp]TGACGTCA[-60 bp]), and transfer of the CRE to a neutral promoter conferred 3.4- to 5.3-fold neuroendocrine selectivity. Thus, the CRE is, at least partly, sufficient to confer tissue-specific expression. Substantial (48-59%) loss of cell type-specific expression also occurred upon deletion past the serum response element (SRE; [-302 bp]GATGTCC[-296 bp]), and transfer of the SRE to a neutral promoter also conferred neuroendocrine selectivity. Expression of both the endogenous gene and the transfected secretogranin II promoter was up-regulated after secretagogues, and the degree of trans-activation of the transfected promoter (2.2- to 5.4-fold) paralleled activation of the endogenous gene (1.8- to 3.2-fold). The 5' promoter deletions revealed complete loss of secretagogue responses after deletion past the CRE. Transfer of the CRE to a neutral promoter conferred secretagogue responses (by 2.2- to 18.6-fold). Substantial (59-74%) falls in secretagogue responses also occurred after deletion past the promoter's SRE. Transfer of the SRE to a neutral promoter conferred secretagogue responses (by 2.7- to 8.3-fold). We conclude that the CRE is a crucial determinant of cell type-specific constitutive and secretagogue-inducible expression of the secretogranin II gene and that the SRE also plays a substantial role in both processes.     

Terminal differentiation of murine erythroleukemia cells: physical stabilization of end-stage cells

An important limitation in the use of the murine erythroleukenia (MEL) cell system as an in vitro system for the study of terminal erythroid differentiation has been the inability to produce significant numbers of cells which represent the end-point of the pathway in vitro. We show here that a major reason for the failure to observe end-stage cells in vitro is that such cells are physically unstable under the standard culture conditions used for MEL cell differentiation. Modification of these culture conditions by the addition of either bovine serum albumin or Ficoll leads to physical stabilization of end-stage cells. Under such culture conditions, uniform cultures of terminally differentiated MEL cells with morphological characteristics similar to those of normal mouse orthochromatophilic erythroblasts and reticulocytes are observed. Examination of physical and biochemical parameters of these cell populations give values which are similar to values characteristic of mouse reticulocytes. A physically stabilized MEL cell shows a narrow cell volume distribution with an average value of approximately 100 mum(3), similar to the cell volume distribution observed for mouse reticulocytes, while a typical MEL cell culture treated with DMSO but without a stabilizing agent exhibits a broader, more heterogeneous cell volume distribution with an average value of approximately 500 mum(3). Globin mRNA levels and levels of globin synthesis reach values almost equal to those in mouse reticulocytes in cultures of physically stabilized MEL cells while differentiating cultures not treated with a stabilizing agent reach substantially lower values for these parameters. We suggest that the ability to produce populations of MEL cells which undergo complete terminal erythroid differentiation in vitro will allow the analysis of the molecular mechanisms which control the terminal stages of the erythroid differentiation process.     

Accelerated mRNA decay in conditional mutants of yeast mRNA capping enzyme

Current models of mRNA decay in yeast posit that 3' deadenylation precedes enzymatic removal of the 5' cap, which then exposes the naked end to 5' exonuclease action. Here, we analyzed gene expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells bearing conditional mutations of Ceg1 (capping enzyme), a 52 kDa protein that transfers GMP from GTP to the 5' end of mRNA to form the GpppN cap structure. Shift of ceg1 mutants to restrictive temperature elicited a rapid decline in the rate of protein synthesis, which correlated with a sharp reduction in the steady-state levels of multiple individual mRNAs. ceg1 mutations prevented the accumulation of SSA1 and SSA4 mRNAs that were newly synthesized at the restrictive temperature. Uncapped poly(A)+ SSA4 mRNA accumulated in cells lacking the 5' exoribonuclease Xrn1. These findings provide genetic evidence for the long-held idea that the cap guanylate is critical for mRNA stability. The deadenylation-decapping-degradation pathway appears to be short-circuited when Ceg1 is inactivated.     

beta-Actin is confined to structures having high capacity of remodelling in developing and adult rat cerebellum

Neurons undergo complex morphological changes during differentiation and in cases of plasticity. A major determinant of cell morphology is the actin cytoskeleton, which in neurons is comprised of two actin isoforms, non-muscle gamma- and beta-actin. To better understand their respective roles during differentiation and plasticity, their cellular and subcellular localization was examined in developing and adult cerebellar cortex. It was observed that gamma-actin is expressed at a constant level throughout development, while the level of beta-actin expression rapidly decreases with age. At the light microscopic level, gamma-actin staining is ubiquitous and the only developmental change observed is a relative reduction of its concentration in cell bodies and white matter. In contrast, beta-actin staining almost completely disappears from the cytoplasm of cell bodies, primary dendrites and axons. In young cerebellar cultures, gamma-actin is found in the cell body, neurites and growth cones, while beta-actin is mainly found in growth cones, as previously reported in other primary neuronal culture systems [Kaech et al. (1997), J. Neuroscience, 17, 9565-9572; Bassell et al., (1998), J. Neuroscience, 18, 251-265]. Electron microscopy of post-embedding immunogold-labelled tissue confirms the widespread distribution of gamma-actin, and also reveals an increased concentration of gamma-actin in dendritic spines in the adult. During development, beta-actin accumulation is observed in actively growing structures, e.g., growth cones, filopodia, cell bodies and axonal tracts. In the adult cerebellar cortex, beta-actin is preferentially found in dendritic spines, structures which are known to retain their capacity for morphological modifications in the adult brain. This differential subcellular localization and developmental regulation of the two actin isoforms point to their different roles in neurons.