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C J Ingles

Publications and source records attributed to C J Ingles.

51 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Defective RNA polymerase II in the G1 specific temperature sensitive hamster cell mutant TsAF8.

TsAF8 is a temperature-sensitive (TS) mutant of BHK21 cells that arrests at nonpermissive temperatures in the mid-G1 phase of the cell cycle. TsAmaR-1 is a TS for growth mutant of CHO cells with a Ts- and alpha-amanitin-resistant (AmaR) RNA polymerase II activity. Hybrid TsAmaR-1 x TsAF8 cell lines were constructed at permissive temperatures. Such hybrid cells did not grow at nonpermissive temperatures; the two TS mutations did not complement. Two different AmaR derivatives of TsAF8 were isolated. Each contained only AmaR polymerase II activity, indicating that this RNA polymerase II gene locus in TsAF8 is functionally hemizygous, as would be expected for a locus in which the recessive TsAF8 mutation had occurred. One of these AmaR isolates of TsAF8 had at. Two different AmaR derivatives of TsAF8 were isolated. Each contained only AmaR polymerase II activity, indicating that this RNA polymerase II gene locus in TsAF8 is functionally hemizygous, as would be expected for a locus in which the recessive TsAF8 mutation had occurred. One of these AmaR isolates of TsAF8 had a partially reverted TS+ phenotype. Taken together these results suggest that the TS mutation in TsAF8 is in RNA polymerase II.

Animals↗

RNA synthesis and RNA polymerase activities in germ cells of developing rainbow trout testis.

Spermatogenesis is a complex developmental process which sequentially generates several different germ cell types. These cell types from rainbow trout (Salmo gairdnerii) testis were separated by sedimentation in serum albumin gradients and characterized on the basis of their physical properties, chronological appearance, and protein synthesis. The rate of RNA synthesis, the types of RNA made, and the RNA polymerase activities present were determined for each cell type. The rate of RNA synthesis decreased from a high level in spermatogonia and spermatocytes to a low level in early spermatids and was absent in late spermatids and mature spermatozoa. Newly synthesized RNA in spermatogonia and spermatocytes consisted of a variety of molecular weight species, including 18 S and 28 S ribosomal RNAs. The synthesis of high molecular weight RNAs, especially ribosomal RNAs, decreased drastically in early spermatids, leading to the synthesis of only small molecular weight RNAs. RNA polymerase I and II were present in all cell types but the activities of both showed large decreases between spermatocytes and middle spermatids. Both RNA polymerase activities were almost absent from spermatozoa. The activities of RNA polymerase I and II from unfractionated testis cells at different stages of hormone-induced spermatogenesis were quantitated by fractionation of the solubilized extract on DEAE-cellulose. Both polymerases showed major decreases in activity which began near the chronological mid-point of development. For polymerase I the decrease in activity was over 400 fold, for polymerase II over 200 fold. The number of RNA polymerase II molecules per testis cell, quantitated by the binding of [3H]amanitin to cell extracts, also decreased markedly during spermatogenesis. The reduction in polymerase II activity was accompanied by a parallel 200-fold decrease in[3H]amanitin binding. The reduction in polymerase activity appears, therefore, to be due to an actual reduction in the cellular content of RNA polymerase II molecules. These results suggest that transcription in maturing testes is regulated, at least in part, by the concentrations of the RNA polymerases.

Amanitins↗

Regulated synthesis of RNA polymerase II polypeptides in Chinese hamster ovary cell lines.

RNA polymerase II polypeptides present in [35S]methionine-labeled Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell extracts have been quantitatively immunoprecipitated with an anti-calf thymus RNA polymerase II serum. Analyses of the immunoprecipitates on sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gels indicated that the immunoprecipitated polymerase II of both wild type CHO cells and the alpha-amanitin-resistant mutant Ama1 had polypeptides of molecular weight 214,000, 140,000, 34,000, 25,000, 23,000, 20,500, and 16,500. In heterozygous alpha-amanitin-resistant/alpha-amanitin-sensitive hybrid CHO cells, growth in the presence of alpha-amanitin results in the inactivation of the alpha-amanitin-sensitive RNA polymerase II activity and a compensating increase in the activity of the alpha-amanitin-resistant enzyme. Determination of the rates of synthesis and degradation of RNA polymerase II polypeptides using [35S]methionine labeling and polymerase II immunoprecipitation demonstrated that this increase in activity of alpha-amanitin-resistant polymerase II resulted from a co-ordinate increase in the rate of synthesis of at least three polypeptides of RNA polymerase II. At the same time, there was an enhanced rate of degradation of the alpha-amanitin-inactivated RNA polymerase II polypeptides.

Animals↗

Temperature-sensitive RNA polymerase II mutations in Chinese hamster ovary cells.

Mutant Chinese hamster ovary cell lines temperature-sensitive (TS) for growth and containing TS mutations in RNA polymerase II (nucleosidetriphosphate:RNA nucleotidyltransferase, EC 2.7.7.6) have been isolated. Wild-type cells were treated with the mutagen N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine and a population of cells possessing mutations in RNA polymerase II was initially selected by isolating alpha-amanitin-resistant clones at 34 degrees . Of 168 such alpha-amanitin-resistant isolates screened for temperature sensitivity, nine were TS for growth at 39.5 degrees . By examining the behavior of the alpha-amanitin resistance of these TS cell lines in somatic cell hybrids, the TS mutation in a number of them was shown to be in RNA polymerase II. Hybrid cells obtained by the fusion of the TS and alpha-amanitin-resistant cells with cells possessing alpha-amanitin-sensitive polymerase II grew at both 34 degrees and 39.5 degrees ; the TS mutations were recessive. At 34 degrees all the hybrids were alpha-amanitin-resistant and possessed a mixture of alpha-amanitin-resistant and sensitive polymerase II. At 39.5 degrees the alpha-amanitin-resistant polymerase II activities in hybrids of four of the TS cell lines were lost; these four lines were alpha-amanitin-sensitive and possessed only alpha-amanitin-sensitive polymerase II. Temperature-insensitive revertants of two of these mutants were isolated. Reversion of the TS phenotype for mutants TsAma(R)-1 and TsAma(R)-8 was accompanied by an alteration in the level of alpha-amanitin resistance of the RNA polymerase II activities in the revertant cells. Together these data provide convincing evidence that TS mutations in RNA polymerase II can be coselected with alpha-amanitin resistance.

Amanitins↗

Regulation of RNA polymerase II activity in alpha-amanitin-resistant CHO hybrid cells.

CHO hybrid cell lines obtained by fusing cells of wild-type sensitivity to alpha-amanitin with mutant cells containing RNA polymerase II activity resistant to alpha-amanitin have both sensitive (wild-type) and resistant forms of RNA polymerase II. When these hybrids were grown in medium containing alpha-amanitin, the sensitive form of polymerase II was inactivated, and the activity resistant to alpha-amanitin increased proportionally. The total polymerase II activity level therefore remained constant. This regulation of RNA polymerase II activity occurred independently of that of RNA polymerase I and was similar to that observed previously in the alpha-amanitin-resistant rat myoblast mutant clone Ama102 (Somers, Pearson, and Ingles, 1975a). A sensitive radioimmunoassay was developed to quantitate the total mass of RNA polymerase II enzyme. Under conditions of regulation of the enzymatic activity when hybrids grown in alpha-amanitin exhibited a 2-3 fold increase in the activity of the alpha-amanitin-resistant enzyme, no major change in the enzyme mass was detected immunologically. However, quantitation of the alpha-amanitin-inactivated polymerase II of wild-type sensitivity by 3H-amanitin binding indicated that the loss of its enzymic activity was accompanied by a loss of 3H-amanitin binding capacity in the cell lysates. All these results taken together indicate that a mechanism for regulating the intracellular level of RNA polymerase II exists and that it involves changes in the concentration of enzyme.

Amanitins↗

Alpha-Amanitin resistance of RNA polymerase II in mutant Chinese hamster ovary cell lines.

A number of mutant Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell lines resistant to the cytotoxic action of alpha-amanitin have been isolated. The alpha-amanitin sensitivity of the different mutant cell lines varied widely, but correlated well with the alpha-amanitin sensitivity of the RNA polymerase II activity in each of these mutant cell lines. In comparison with the RNA polymerase II of wild-type cells, three mutants, Ama39, Ama6, and Amal, required respectively 2- to 3-fold, 8- to 10-fold, and about 800-fold higher concentrations of alpha-amanitin for inhibition of their polymerase II activity. Determination of the equilibrium dissociation constants (KD) for complexes between 0-[3H]methyl-demethyl-gamma-amanitin and RNA polymearse II indicated that differences in alpha-amanitin sensitivity were reflected in differences in the ability of the enzymes to bind amanitin. Hybrids formed by fusion of mutants with cells of wild-type sensitivity contained both mutant and wild-type polymerase II activities. Thus, each of the different alpha-amanitin resistance mutations was expressed co-dominantly. A test for complementation between two of these mutations by measurement of both the alpha-amanitin sensitivity and the [3H]amanitin binding by RNA polymerase II in Ama6 X Amal hybrid cells did not reveal any wild-type RNA polymerase II activity. These data provide evidence that the mutation to alpha-amanitin resistance involves structural changes in the gene coding for the alpha-amanitin binding subunit of RNA polymerase II. These changes appear to account for the alpha-amanitin-resistant phenotypes of these mutant cells.

Amanitins↗

Human diploid fibroblast mutants with altered RNA polymerase II.

Clones resistant to the cytotoxic action of alpha-amanitin have been isolated from a strain of fetal human lung diploid fibroblasts. Resistant clones were recovered at a frequencey of 5 X 10(-8) after single-step selections following mutagenesis with the mutagen ethyl methane sulfonate. Following propagation in drug-free medium, the clones retained the selected phenotype and in both growth and plating experiments showed a 10-50-fold higher resistance than wild-type cells to the cytotoxicity of 0.25 microgram/ml alpha-amanitin. The alpha-amanitin sensitivity of RNA polymerase II purified from the mutant cells suggests the presence of two forms of the enzyme, one similar to that found in wild-type cells and a second form with increased resistance to alpha-amanitin inhibition. These results are consistent with previous evidence that alpha-amanitin resistance behaves as a codominant marker in mammalian cells.

Amanitins↗

The RNA polymerase II of an alpha-amanitin-resistant Chinese hamster ovary cell line.

Amal, an alpha-amanitin-resistant mutant of the Chinese hamster ovary cell line, contains an RNA polymerase activity which elutes from DEAE-Sephadex at a salt concentration characteristic of an RNA polymerase II, but which is not sensitive to alpha-amanitin at levels where the polymerase II of wild-type cells is strongly inhibited. This result suggests that Amal owes its amanitin-resistant phenotype to a mutation affecting one of its genes for RNA polymerase II. To test this hypothesis, we purified the enzyme from Amal and then compared its properties with those of the wild-type enzyme. The mutant enzyme is indeed a polymerase II, and is over 600 times less sensitive to alpha-amanitin and more thermolabile than the wild-type enzyme.

Amanitins↗

Isolation and characterization of an alpha-amanitin-resistant rat myoblast mutant cell line possessing alpha-amanitin-resistant RNA polymerase II.

Cultures of the rat skeletal muscle myoblast cell line, L6, were treated with the mutagen ethylmethanesulfonate and grown in the presence of alpha-amanitin, an inhibitor of RNA polymerase II in vitro. One clonal cell line, Ama102, resistant tc the cytotoxic action of 2 mu-g/ml of alpha-amanitin was isolated and extensively characterized. Ama102 cells were about 30-fold more resistant to alpha-amanitin than their Ama+ parent cells based on a comparison of the concentration of alpha-amanitin required to reduce their plating efficiencies to similar extents. The RNA polymerase activities from Ama+ and Ama102 cells were solubilized and separated by DEAE-Sephadex chromatography. Whereas all of the Ama+ RNA polymerase II activity was inhibited by 0.1 mu-g/ml of alpha-amanitin, about 30% of the activity in the Ama102 RNA polymerase II peak was resistant to this concentration of alpha-amanitin and was inhibited only by much higher concentrations (25 mu-g/ml) of alpha-amanitin. This alpha-amanitin-resistant activity in Ama102 cells was identified as a bona fide RNA polymerase II by its chromatographic behavior on DEAE-Sephadex, salt optimum, preference for denatured DNA as template, insensitivity to inhibition by potassium phosphate, thermal inactivation kinetics, and inactivation by anti-RNA polymerase II antiserum. Both RNA polymerase IIa and IIb from Ama102 cells exhibited the partial alpha-amanitin resistance, as did this activity when purified further on phosphocellusose. Unlike the parental Ama+ cells, Ama102 cells neither fused at confluence nor showed an increase in the specific activity of creatine kinase. The altered sensitivity of the Ama102 RNA polymerase II to alpha-amanitin appears to account for the drug-resistant phenotype of these cells.

Amanitins↗