M C Tran | PubMed Health

PubMed1999

Sequence-dependent conformational changes in DNA induced by polynuclear platinum complexes.

In this work, the B-->Z transition of poly(dG-dC).poly(dG-dC) and the B-->A transition of poly(dG).poly(dC) and of calf thymus (CT) DNA fragments modified by antitumor bifunctional polynuclear platinum complexes were investigated by circular dichroism (CD). The transition from the B- to Z-form of DNA was inducible with all three compounds studied, as indicated by an inversion of the B-form spectra. The B-->A transition in poly(dG).poly(dC) was induced easily by platinum complex binding alone, while the B-->A transition in CT DNA was induced by ethanol but inhibited by coordination of all polynuclear platinum compounds used here. It was shown that the compound [¿cis-PtCl(NH3)2¿2 mu-¿H2N(CH2)6NH2¿] (NO3)2 (1,1/c,c) was most effective at inhibiting the B-->A transition in CT DNA, and [¿trans-PtCl(NH3)2¿2 mu-¿trans-Pt(NH3)2(H2N(CH2)6NH2)2¿] (NO3)4 (1,0,1/t,t,t) was least effective, while the effectiveness of [¿trans-PtCl(NH3)2¿2 mu-¿H2N(CH2)6NH2¿] (NO3)2 (1,1/t,t) fell between the two. This corresponded to the relative amounts of interstrand crosslinks in double-stranded DNA caused by each compound.

Animals↗

PubMed1997

Sensitization of human umbilical vein endothelial cells to Shiga toxin: involvement of protein kinase C and NF-kappaB.

Infection of humans with Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Shigella dysenteriae 1 is strongly associated with vascular endothelial cell damage and the development of hemolytic-uremic syndrome. The cytotoxic effect of Shiga toxins on vascular endothelial cells in vitro is enhanced by prior exposure to bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or either of the host cytokines tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF) and interleukin-1beta (IL-1). The purpose of this study was to examine individual signal transduction components involved in the sensitization of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) to Shiga toxin 1. The results demonstrate that class I and II protein kinase C (PKC) isozymes are required for sensitization of HUVEC to Shiga toxin by phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) or LPS but not by TNF or IL-1. Thus, the specific competitive inhibitor of class I/II PKC, 1-O-hexadecyl-2-O-methyl-rac-glycerol (AMG), prevented only the action of PMA and LPS on HUVEC. Additional data obtained with ATP binding site inhibitors which affect all PKCs (i.e., classes I, II, and III) suggest that TNF may utilize class III PKC isozymes in the Shiga toxin sensitization of HUVEC. Transcriptional activator NF-kappaB did not appear to be involved in the sensitization of HUVEC to Shiga toxin by LPS, TNF, IL-1, or PMA. Thus, the specific serine protease inhibitor L-1-tosylamido-2-phenylethyl chloromethyl ketone (TPCK) did not inhibit the sensitization of HUVEC to Shiga toxin by LPS, TNF, IL-1, or PMA despite its ability to inhibit NF-kappaB activation and the induction of the NF-kappaB-dependent tissue factor gene by these agents. Finally, all-trans retinoic acid partially inhibited the sensitization of HUVEC to Shiga toxin, by unknown mechanisms which also appeared to be independent of NF-kappaB activation. These results indicate that PKC plays a role in the sensitization of HUVEC to Shiga toxin in response to some, but not all, sensitizing agents. In contrast, NF-kappaB activation appears not to be involved in the sensitization of HUVEC to Shiga toxin by LPS, TNF, IL-1, or PMA.

Bacterial Toxins↗