PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

A Strasser

Publications and source records attributed to A Strasser.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

Bcl-2 and Fas/APO-1 regulate distinct pathways to lymphocyte apoptosis.

Activation of the cell surface receptor Fas/APO-1 (CD95) induces apoptosis in lymphocytes and regulates immune responses. The cytoplasmic membrane protein Bcl-2 inhibits lymphocyte killing by diverse cytotoxic agents, but we found it provided little protection against Fas/APO-1-transduced apoptosis in B lymphoid cell lines, thymocytes and activated T cells. In contrast, the cowpox virus protease inhibitor CrmA blocked Fas/APO-1-transduced apoptosis, but did not affect cell death induced by gamma-radiation or serum deprivation. Signalling through Fas/APO-1 did not down-regulate Bcl-2 or induce its antagonists Bax and Bcl-xS. In Fas/APO-1-deficient lpr mice, Bcl-2 transgenes markedly augmented the survival of antigen-activated T cells and the abnormal accumulation of lymphocytes (although they did not interfere with deletion of auto-reactive cells in the thymus). These data raise the possibility that Bcl-2 and Fas/APO-1 regulate distinct pathways to lymphocyte apoptosis.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Lineage switch of a mouse pre-B cell line (SPGM-1) to macrophage-like cells after incubation with phorbol ester and calcium ionophore.

The mouse CD5 positive pre-B cell line SPGM-1 can be induced to switch its lineage commitment towards macrophage differentiation by treatment with a combination of phorbol ester and a calcium ionophore. When cultured with these reagents the pre-B cells ceased to proliferate and rapidly became adherent to plastic surfaces. This morphological change was accompanied by the loss of pre-B cell-specific surface markers, such as PB76 and most prominently the mu heavy chain of the immunoglobulin receptor complex. In addition, the mRNA of the surrogate light chain lambda 5 disappeared while the induction of lysozyme mRNA could be detected. Differentiated SPGM-1 cells phagocytosed latex beads and showed nonspecific esterase activity. The high efficiency and speed of differentiation in this cellular system makes SPGM-1 a highly suitable model for studying the phenomenon of lineage switching during hemopoesis.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Mice lacking the c-rel proto-oncogene exhibit defects in lymphocyte proliferation, humoral immunity, and interleukin-2 expression.

The c-rel proto-oncogene, which is expressed predominantly in hemopoietic cells encodes a subunit of the NF-kappa B-like family of transcription factors. In mice with an inactivated c-rel gene, whereas development of cells from all hemopoietic lineages appeared normal, humoral immunity was impaired and mature B and T cells were found to be unresponsive to most mitogenic stimuli. Phorbol ester and calcium ionophore costimulation, in contrast to certain membrane receptor-mediated signals, overcame the T cell-proliferative defect, demonstrating that T cell proliferation occurs by Rel-dependent and -independent mechanisms. The ability of exogenous interleukin-2 to restore T Cell, but not B cell, proliferation indicates that Rel regulates the expression of different genes in B and T cells that are crucial for cell division and immune function.

Aging↗
PubMed1995

Nitro-L-arginine augments the endothelin-1 content of cerebrospinal fluid induced by cerebral ischemia.

The effect of nitro-L-arginine (NLA), inhibitor of NO synthase, on ET-1 content in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and on the vascular system was investigated in global ischemia/reperfusion of Mongolian gerbils. The results indicate that NLA induced a prolonged (2-3-fold) increase of ET-1 concentration above that seen in the CSF of untreated animals during ischemia/reperfusion. Both the transient and prolonged rise of ET-1 content observed in the CSF coincided with the reduction in the cerebral blood flow seen in untreated and NLA-treated gerbils, respectively, at the time of reperfusion.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

DH element reading frame selection is influenced by an Ig heavy chain transgene, but not by bcl-2.

Mouse B cell precursors containing Ig DHJH junctions in one particular reading frame are selectively lost during B cell development. In this register, arbitrarily referred to as reading frame 2, DHJH junctions give rise to an open reading frame starting upstream of the DH element and including the DHJH-peptide fused to the constant region of IgM. Expression of this protein, called D mu, has been strongly implicated in the loss of B cell precursors containing reading frame 2 DHJH junctions. In an attempt to elucidate the means of D mu counterselection, we have examined the reading frame distribution of DHJH junctions in peripheral B cells from mice transgenic for either the human bcl-2 oncogene or for a functionally rearranged Ig mu heavy chain. In bcl-2 transgenic mice, reading frame 2 accounted for < 5% of the DHJH junctions in peripheral B cells, a value not significantly different from controls. Reading frames 1 and 3 were equally represented among the remaining junctions. By contrast, the reading frame distribution of endogenous DHJH junctions in splenic B cells from Ig mu heavy chain transgenic mice showed no evidence of bias against D mu encoding DHJH junctions. Reading frames 2 and 3 accounted for 27% and 30% of the sequenced DHJH junctions, respectively, and the remaining 43% were reading frame 1. Thus although the presence of BCL-2 cannot prevent the selective loss of reading frame 2 DHJH B cells, a functional mu heavy chain can. These results suggest that D mu-expressing B cell precursors may be selectively lost because of the premature and inappropriate cessation of heavy chain gene rearrangement rather than because of the induction of an apoptotic process which can be blocked by BCL-2.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Perturbed development of T and B cells in mice expressing an Hlx homeobox transgene.

Within the lymphoid compartment of mice, the Hlx homeobox gene is expressed only at early stages of B-lymphoid differentiation. To determine whether Hlx influences lymphopoiesis, transgenic mice were developed to enforce Hlx expression throughout the B and T cell lineages. The strain with the highest transgene expression in both cell types (Hlx-94) exhibited marked perturbations in both B and T cell development. In these mice, the thymus lacked almost all mature CD4+8- and CD8+4- cells and the medulla was greatly shrunken, whereas nearly one-half the T cells in the periphery were CD4+8+, a cell type normally confined to the thymus. The peripheral CD4+8+ cells had some features of mature T cells, including responsiveness to mitogens. Presumably these cells had emigrated prematurely from the thymus and generated mature T cells in the periphery. Bone marrow transplantation experiments indicated that the defects was intrinsic to the Hlx-94 hematopoietic cells rather than support cells. Although thymocyte development in Hlx-94 mice was blocked at the stage when selection normally occurs, analysis of lymphocyte populations in the progeny of crosses with mice transgenic for an anti-HY T cell receptor indicated that neither positive nor negative selection of T cells was markedly affected. In addition to T cell defects, Hlx-94 mice had subnormal numbers of B lymphoid cells in the bone marrow and spleen, and their surface phenotype suggested that B cell development after the pro-B stage was impeded. Furthermore, the B cell response to stimulation with LPS was impaired. These striking developmental defects suggest that the Hlx gene may help to govern lymphoid maturation.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Differential regulation of macrophage differentiation in response to leukemia inhibitory factor/oncostatin-M/interleukin-6: the effect of enforced expression of the SCL transcription factor.

The physiologic program of macrophage differentiation normally proceeds in a coordinated manner in response to several different growth factors. Although the utilization of common receptor subunits may explain in part overlapping biologic functions, mechanisms by which unique actions are mediated remain obscure. We examined growth factor-induced macrophage differentiation in M1 leukemia cells that simultaneously display receptors for interleukin-6 (IL-6), leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and Oncostatin-M (OSM). Differentiation induced by all three factors was associated with decreased expression of transcription factors myb and SCL, increased expression of macrophage markers, and suppression of proliferation. Cell lines were established in which SCL expression was enforced. In the absence of growth factors, cells were indistinguishable from parental cells. However, LIF (or OSM)-induced macrophage differentiation was perturbed; there was failure to undergo morphologic differentiation, disturbed expression of lysozyme and Mac1 alpha, and failure to suppress proliferation. Surprisingly the perturbation of macrophage differentiation did not apply to induced expression of macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) or granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) receptors. This dissociation of elements normally coordinated in a macrophage differentiation program applied at a clonal level. There was no disturbance of IL-6-induced macrophage differentiation. These data directly implicate SCL in components of the macrophage differentiation program (suggesting that LIF receptor/gp130 heterodimers utilize an SCL-inhibitable pathway while gp130 homodimers do not) and demonstrate differential-regulation of components of the mature macrophage phenotype.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

scl, a gene frequently activated in human T cell leukaemia, does not induce lymphomas in transgenic mice.

The scl gene is implicated in human T cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (T-ALL) through its involvement in the t(1;14)(p32;q11) chromosomal translocation and, more frequently, as a result of a tumour-specific interstitial deletion on chromosome 1. The consequence of both these chromosomal alterations is overexpression of scl in the leukaemic cells. Despite the strong inference of a role in human T-ALL, scl has not yet been demonstrated to be causally involved in neoplastic transformation. We attempted to do this by generating transgenic mice in which scl expression was directed to the T cell lineage using the CD2 enhancer and the strong SR alpha viral promoter (CD2-scl mice). Three transgenic lines, all of which expressed the scl transgene at a high level, were bred and analysed. No alterations in T cell development were seen in the mice. Unexpectedly CD2-scl mice did not develop tumours, nor did the transgene enhance tumourigenesis by Moloney murine leukaemia virus. These findings throw into question the mechanism by which aberrant scl expression contributes to T cell leukaemogenesis.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Modulation of striatal dopamine release in cerebral ischemia by L-arginine.

The effect of L-arginine, the precursor of nitric oxide, on ischemic dopamine release from the striatum was investigated in Mongolian gerbils subjected to bilateral carotid artery occlusion (15 min) alone or with reflow (2 h). Dopamine and its metabolites were measured in the striatal extracellular space dialysate after continuous perfusion (2 microliters/min) of artificial extracellular fluid in the presence or absence of 15 mmol/liter L- or D-arginine or 1 mmol/liter nitro-L-arginine. L-Arginine but not D-arginine increased the striatal content of dopamine in pre- and postischemia whereas it lowered the levels of dopamine and 3-methoxytyramine induced by ischemia. In contrast, nitro-L-arginine reduced the preischemic levels of dopamine and 3,4-dihydroxyphenyl-acetic acid, and had no effect on the ischemic release of dopamine. These findings indicate that L-arginine stereospecifically modified the ischemic release and metabolism of dopamine. The data also suggest that the basal level of nitric oxide is not involved in dopamine release during ischemia but may participate in regulating dopamine release under physiological conditions.

3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid↗
PubMed1995

Bcl-2 and thermotolerance cooperate in cell survival.

Apoptosis is a normal physiological process of cell death that can also be experimentally induced by a variety of cytotoxic stimuli. The protein product of the oncogene bcl-2 is an effective inhibitor of apoptosis in mammalian cells, including that caused by exposure to heat. Transient heat resistance can be induced by prior exposure of cells to mild heat treatment. This thermotolerant state is believed to be mediated by an increase in the steady-state concentration of one or several heat shock proteins. Using both morphological and long-term end points, i.e., the appearance of apoptotic cells as assessed by nuclear morphology and clonogenic cell survival, we show that bcl-2 expression confers on thermotolerant cells an even greater resistance to heat-induced cell death. bcl-2 expression does not alter either the steady-state or heat-induced expression of heat shock proteins in cells, nor is bcl-2 itself a stress-inducible protein. The results suggest bcl-2 and the thermotolerant state act via independent mechanisms to inhibit apoptosis and provide evidence that two separate pathways can collaborate to promote cell survival.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Effect of nitro-L-arginine on cerebral blood flow and monoamine metabolism during ischemia/reperfusion in the mongolian gerbil.

Inhibition of nitric oxide synthase with nitro-L-arginine (i.p., 40 mg/kg body weight) in contrast to L-arginine (300 mg/kg body weight) delayed the initial recovery of cerebral blood flow (CBF) and altered dopamine (DA) metabolism in brain ischemia/reperfusion of Mongolian gerbils. Similar changes but more severe were observed with pargyline (monoamine oxidase inhibitor). Data suggest nitric oxide involvement in postischemic CBF recovery and modulation of DA metabolism due to nitro-L-arginine-induced CBF reduction.

3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid↗
PubMed1994

L-arginine induces dopamine release from the striatum in vivo.

Recent reports indicate that induction of nitric oxide (NO) evokes dopamine (DA) release from the striatum in vitro. In this study, we used L-arginine (L-Arg) to demonstrate the in vivo stimulation of DA release from the striatum of Mongolian gerbils using microdialysis. The content of DA in the striatal extracellular fluid (ECF) increased 7-15-fold in the presence of L-Arg in the perfusate as compared with that of the controls (DA level in drug-free perfusate varied from 0.050 +/- 0.009 to 0.092 +/- 0.023 pmol 10 microliters-1). Simultaneous perfusion of L-Arg with nitro-L-arginine (NLA), an inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase, markedly reduced the L-Arg effect on DA release from the striatum. The NLA-perfused animals contained DA levels significantly lower than those observed in the control striatal dialysate. These findings indicate for the first time that DA release in vivo can be induced by L-Arg, the precursor of NO. The data strongly suggest that NO may modulate striatal DA release.

Amino Acid Oxidoreductases↗
PubMed1994

DNA damage can induce apoptosis in proliferating lymphoid cells via p53-independent mechanisms inhibitable by Bcl-2.

The roles of p53 as an inducer and Bcl-2 as an inhibitor of apoptotic death were explored in lymphoid cells. Lymphocytes from p53-/- mice were radioresistant, but unexpectedly, cycling T lymphoma cells and mitogenically activated T lymphocytes from these animals underwent apoptosis after irradiation or genotoxic drug treatment. Hence, p53 is not the only mediator of apoptosis provoked by DNA damage. Irradiated p53-/- lymphoblasts expressing Bcl-2 were subject to growth arrest but resisted apoptosis. Their accumulation in G1 as well as G2 is suggestive of a p53-independent DNA-damage G1 checkpoint. Since Bcl-2 increased the clonogenic survival of the irradiated cells, expression of survival genes may pose a greater impediment to genotoxic cancer therapy than loss of p53.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Insights from transgenic mice regarding the role of bcl-2 in normal and neoplastic lymphoid cells.

The bcl-2 gene was first discovered by molecular analysis of the 14;18 chromosome translocation which is the hallmark of most cases of human follicular lymphoma. To date, it is unique among proto-oncogenes because, rather than promoting cell proliferation, it fosters cell survival. This review summarizes the impact of constitutive bcl-2 expression on the development and function of lymphocytes as well as their malignant transformation. Expression of a bcl-2 transgene in the B lymphoid compartment profoundly perturbed homeostasis and, depending on the genetic background, predisposed to a severe autoimmune disease resembling human systemic lupus erythematosus. T lymphoid cells from bcl-2 transgenic mice were remarkably resistant to diverse cytotoxic agents. Nevertheless, T lymphoid homeostasis was unaffected and tolerance to self was maintained. Expression of high levels of Bcl-2 facilitated the development of B lymphoid tumours but at relatively low frequency and with long latency. Co-expression of myc and bcl-2, on the other hand, promoted the rapid onset of novel tumours which appeared to derive from a lympho-myeloid stem or progenitor cell. Introduction of the bcl-2 transgene into scid mice facilitated the survival and differentiation of pro-B but not pro-T cells, suggesting that a function necessary to supplement or complement the action of Bcl-2 is expressed later in the T than the B lineage. Crosses of the bcl-2 transgenic mice with p53-/- mice have addressed whether loss of p53 function and gain of bcl-2 function are synergistic for lymphoid cell survival.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Bcl-2 expression promotes B- but not T-lymphoid development in scid mice.

Expression of antigen receptors is vital for the development of B and T lymphocytes. In mice with the scid mutation, which are unable to make productive rearrangements of their immunoglobulin and T-cell receptor (TCR) genes, lymphopoiesis aborts at an early stage. The death of the immature lymphocytes by apoptosis is postulated to result from a failure to receive a survival signal induced by receptor engagement. Consistent with this hypothesis, introduction of immunoglobulin or TCR transgenes into scid mice promoted an increase in B- or T-lymphoid cells, respectively. As the protein encoded by the bcl-2 gene can inhibit cell death, we tested whether lymphopoiesis could be rescued in scid mice by crossing in a bcl-2 transgene. Strikingly, the bcl-2/scid mice accumulated almost normal numbers of B-lymphoid cells which lacked surface immunoglobulin but expressed markers of maturity. T-cell development remained blocked. Introducing a TCR transgene enabled bcl-2/scid mice to develop normal numbers of CD4+8+ thymocytes even in the absence of immunological selection, suggesting that T cells become competent to respond to bcl-2 protein only after the TCR complex is displayed at the cell surface.

Animals↗