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Biomedical subjects

E Wintersberger

Publications and source records attributed to E Wintersberger.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1983

Butyrate inhibits mouse fibroblasts at a control point in the G1 phase.

Butyrate block 3T6 cells in the G1 phase of the cell cycle approximately 5--6 h prior to the start of the S phase. Serum factors are required before as well as after the butyrate-sensitive steps in G1 in order to allow cells to start DNA synthesis. 3T6 cells infected with SV40 or with polyoma virus are also blocked at the same stage in G1 in the presence of the fatty acid. However, events before as well as after the butyrate-sensitive step do not require serum in virus-infected cells. The sensitivity of the initiation of cellular DNA synthesis to increasing concentrations of butyrate is the same for serum-stimulated or for virus-infected cells. A similar and parallel effect on DNA synthesis is observed if cells are incubated in the presence of very small amounts of cycloheximide. After release of the cycloheximide-induced G1 arrest about 4--6 h have to pass before cells enter the S phase. Cells stably transformed by SV40 are considerably more resistant to low cycloheximide concentrations and to butyrate. These data are discussed in the light of the hypothesis that both low concentrations of cycloheximide and sodium butyrate block cells at a control point in G1 by interference with the synthesis of one or more rapidly turning over, cell cycle-specific proteins.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Does hydroxyurea inhibit DNA replication in mouse cells by more than one mechanism?

Cell-free DNA synthesis was performed in a lysed cell system from mouse cell cultures. The in vitro reaction was totally inhibited by N-ethylmaleimide but unaffected by hydroxyurea or fluorodeoxyuridine when these compounds were added to the incubation mixture. However, in a preparation obtained from cells which had been blocked by hydroxyurea before lysis, the rate of DNA synthesis was markedly reduced. This effect could not have been caused by the depletion of the precursor pools as all necessary triphosphates were added to the in vitro incubation mixture. Analysis by alkaline density gradients showed that the ligation of primary synthesis products is retarded in hydroxyurea-pretreated lysed cells and that small fragments accumulate. These results suggest that hydroxyurea interferes with the processing of early replication products, preventing the formation of longer intermediates. Its mechanism is either independent from the well-known inhibition of ribonucleoside diphosphate reductase or it may be the result of an as-yet-unknown function of this enzyme in a later step of replication. This observation could help to explain why cells appear to be blocked by hydroxyurea in the early part of the S phase (rather than at the G1/S border proper) and also why DNA repair synthesis is relatively insensitive to the drug.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

Replicon fusion in mouse cells is very sensitive to DNA damage induced by N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine.

Incubation of mouse cells with N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine causes a strong inhibition of DNA replication the extent of which varies with the cell line used. Analysis of the products synthesized in drug-treated cells indicates a particularly severe effect on the joining of replicons while other steps in DNA synthesis like initiation and chain elongation are much less affected. The data indicate that replicon fusion may be extremely sensitive to changes in the topology of DNA induced by the introduction of rare single-strand breaks during repair of N-methylated purines produced by incubation of cells with small amounts of the methylating agent.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

Methods for the detection of single-strand breaks in DNA under neutral conditions and their application in a study on the mechanism of repair of N-methylated purines in mouse cells.

Considering enzymatic activities found in bacteria and in animal cells, there are two possible mechanisms for repair of N-methylated purines produced by methylating agents such as the mutagen and carcinogen N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine. Both mechanisms involve first an enzymatic removal of the methylated bases by glycosylases. The resulting apurinic sites could then be repaired by (a) direct insertion of the correct bases purine insertases or (b) opening of the polynucleotide chain by apurinic endonuclease followed by repair synthesis. As the methods commonly used to detect lesions induced by methylating agents involve alkali, it was thus far not possible to decide between the above possibilities because apurinic sites are by themselves alkali labile. In this paper I describe two methods which avoid alkali and therefore allow the clarification of some aspects of the repair reaction. One of these methods makes use of 95% formamide at 40 degrees C in place of alkali to denature DNA with pre-existing single-strand breaks, the other measures the capacity of DNA scissions with free 3'-OH groups to act as primer for Escherichia coli DNA polymerase I. Results obtained with both methods make it unlikely that purine insertases play a major role in the repair of apurinic sites. Kinetics of production and repair of single-strand breaks, produced in 3T6 mouse fibroblasts by incubation with N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine, were also examined using the methods of alkaline elution and alkaline sucrose gradient centrifugation.

Alkalies↗
PubMed1981

Effect of sodium butyrate on induction of cellular and viral DNA syntheses in polyoma virus-infected mouse kidney cells.

Sodium butyrate inhibited initiation of viral and cellular DNA replication in polyoma virus-infected mouse kidney cells. Ongoing viral or cellular DNA replication, however, was not affected by the presence of the substance. Butyrate had no effect on T-antigen synthesis and on the stimulation of transcription, one of the earliest reactions of the infected cells to the appearance of T-antigen, nor did it inhibit expression of late viral genes (synthesis of viral capsid proteins). In addition to blocking the onset of DNA synthesis, butyrate also inhibited stimulation of the activities of enzymes involved in DNA synthesis. When butyrate was removed, viral and cellular DNA syntheses were induced in parallel after a lag period of approximately 4 h. At the same time, the activities of enzymes involved in DNA synthesis increase. If protein synthesis was inhibited during part of the lag period, the initiation of DNA synthesis was retarded for the same time interval, suggesting that the proteins involved in the initiation of DNA replication had to be made. We have developed an in vitro system for measuring DNA synthesis in crude nuclear preparations which mimics the status of DNA replication in intact cells and may help in future experiments to study the requirements for initiation of cellular and viral DNA synthesis and the possible involvement of T-antigens in this reaction.

Animals↗
PubMed1980

Increased rate of RNA synthesis: early reaction of primary mouse kidney cells to infection with polyoma virus of simian virus 40.

The rate of transcription in isolated nuclei of primary mouse kidney cells increases by a factor of about 1.5 between 5 and 8 h after infection with polyoma virus or simian virus 40. This process requires intact virus and is inhibited by cycloheximide and actinomycin D. It appears to involve the activity of all three nuclear RNA polymerases, and evidence was obtained for an increase in the rate of synthesis of most, if not all, species of RNA that were already produced in resting cells before infection. The additional synthesis of a few new RNA species not made in uninfected cells, however, cannot be excluded. The increase in the rate of transcription seems to precede an increase in the rate of translation in infected cells. Our additional finding that large and small tumor antigens (T-antigens) are synthesized at the same time after infection suggests that these cellular reactions are early consequences of the action of one or both of these T-antigens in the infected cell. Experiments with simian virus 40 mutants provided strong evidence for an involvement of large-T-antigen but not of small t-antigen. These studies furthermore indicate that the increase in the transcription rate is a prerequisite for the induction of DNA replication in simian virus 40-infected mouse kidney cells.

Animals↗
PubMed1978

Yeast DNA polymerases: antigenic relationship, use of RNA primer and associated exonuclease activity.

Highly purified preparation of DNA polymerases A and B from yeast were compared with respect to antigenic relationship, ability to use ribonucleotide primers and associated nuclease activity. The following results were obtained. 1. Antiserum directed against DNA polymerase A inhibits this enzyme but does not interfere with activity of DNA polymerase B or of mitochondrial DNA polymerase, nor does it precipitate the latter two enzymes. 2. DNA polymerase A is capable of using oligo(ribouridylic acid) as a primer for the polymerization of dTMP. This reaction is not catalyzed by polymerase B to any significant extent. 3. Whereas DNA polymerase A is devoid of nuclease activity, DNA polymerase B catalyses an exonucleolytic release of mononucleotide units from the 3' end of polynucleotides. The results of several experiments suggest that this nuclease activity is associated with the DNA polymerase B molecule.

DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase↗
PubMed1977

Nuclear localisation of DNA polymerase alpha and DNA synthesis in polyoma virus infected mouse cells.

Studies using inhibitors of DNA synthesis have shown that DNA polymerase alpha is located in nuclei of polyoma virus infected mouse cells to the same degree as these nuclei are engaged in DNA replication. These results indicate that either the enzyme is actively transported into nuclei concomitant with the onset of DNA synthesis, or that it is bound much more strongly in nuclei during DNA replication. In any case, these observations support the hypothesis that DNA polymerase alpha is involved in the replication of cellular and viral DNA.

Animals↗
PubMed1976

Synthesis of yeast histones in the cell cycle.

The yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, contains four types of histones resembling histones H3, H2b, H2a, and H4 of animal cells. These proteins are synthesized primarily, if not exclusively, in the S-phase of the cell cycle. This result is discussed with reference to the insensitivity of ongoing DNA replication in yeast to inhibitors of protein synthesis.

Cell Division↗
PubMed1976

Induction of DNA polymerase in polyoma virus-infected mouse cells requires transcription and translation.

The induction of DNA polymerase activity and of DNA synthesis in polyoma virus-infected mouse kidney cells is inhibited by actinomycin D and cycloheximide, even in cells that are already T-antigen positive. This indicates that the induction of the DNA-synthesizing apparatus requires transcription and translation. The increase in cellular DNA polymerase activity and in the DNA synthesizing capacity follows the appearance of T-antigen only after a characteristic lag period of several hours.

Animals↗
PubMed1975

DNA polymerases in polyoma virus-infected mouse kidney cells.

Infection of arrested mouse kidney cells by polyoma virus results in the induction of the cellular 6-8S DNA polymerase activity. Levels of this enzyme increase two- to threefold in the cytoplasm but seven- to tenfold in nuclei and nuclear extract, suggesting an accumulation of the enzyme in the nucleus. Experiments using the inhibitor of DNA synthesis, fluordeoxyuridine, indicate that this accumulation is linked to active DNA synthesis. The activity and cellular distribution of the small 3.4S DNA polymerase remains unchanged.

Cell Fractionation↗