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Biomedical subjects

N Hay

Publications and source records attributed to N Hay.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1998

Progression of LNCaP prostate tumor cells during androgen deprivation: hormone-independent growth, repression of proliferation by androgen, and role for p27Kip1 in androgen-induced cell cycle arrest.

The molecular mechanism of androgen-independent growth of prostate cancer after androgen ablation was explored in LNCaP cells. An androgen-dependent clonal subline of the LNCaP human prostate carcinoma cell line, LNCaP 104-S, progressed to a slow growing stage (104-R1) and then to a faster growing stage (104-R2) during more than 2 yr of continuous culture in the absence of androgen. Androgen-induced proliferation of 104-S cells is inhibited by the antiandrogen Casodex, while proliferation of 104-R1 and 104-R2 cells is unaffected by Casodex. This indicates that proliferation of 104-R1 and 104-R2 cells is not supported by low levels of androgen in the culture medium. Compared with LNCaP 104-S cells, both 104-R1 and 104-R2 cells express higher basal levels of androgen receptor (AR), and proliferation of these two cell lines is paradoxically repressed by androgen. After continuous passage in androgen-containing medium, 104-R1 cells reverted back to an androgen-dependent phenotype. The mechanism of androgenic repression of 104-R1 and 104-R2 sublines was further evaluated by examining the role of critical regulatory factors involved in the control of cell cycle progression. At concentrations that repressed growth, androgen transiently induced the expression of the cyclin-dependent kinase (cdk) inhibitor p21waf1/cip1 in 104-R1 cells, while expression of the cdk inhibitor p27Kip1 was persistently induced by androgen in both 104-R1 and 104-R2 cells. Induced expression of murine p27Kip1 in 104-R2 cells resulted in G1 arrest. Specific immunoprecipitates of Cdk2 but not Cdk4 from androgen-treated 104-R1 cells contained both p21waf1/cip1 and p27Kip1. This observation was confirmed by in vitro assay of histone H1 and Rb (retinoblastoma protein) phosphorylation by the proteins associated with the immune complex. Furthermore, inhibition of Cdk2 activity correlated with the accumulation of p27Kip1 and not p21waf1/cip1. From these results we conclude that androgenic repression of LNCaP 104-R1 and 104-R2 cell proliferation is due to the induction of p27Kip1, which in turn inhibits Cdk2, a factor critical for cell cycle progression and proliferation.

Androgens↗
PubMed1997

The PI 3-kinase/Akt signaling pathway delivers an anti-apoptotic signal.

Serum and certain growth factors have the ability to inhibit programmed cell death (apoptosis) and promote survival. The mechanism by which growth factors deliver an anti-apoptotic signal and the mechanism by which this survival signal is uncoupled from mitogenesis are not clear. We studied five downstream effectors of growth factor receptors--Ras, Raf, Src, phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase), and Akt (PKB)--for their abilities to block apoptosis. Activated forms of Ras, Raf, and Src, although transforming, were not sufficient to deliver a survival signal upon serum withdrawal. In contrast, inhibition of PI 3-kinase accelerated apoptosis, and an activated form of the serine/threonine kinase Akt, a downstream effector of PI 3-kinase, blocked apoptosis. The ability of Akt to promote survival was dependent on and proportional to its kinase activity. In Rat1a fibroblasts, activated Akt did not alter Bcl-2 or Bcl-X(L) expression but inhibited Ced3/ICE-like activity. Thus, the PI 3-kinase/Akt (PKB) signaling pathway transduces a survival signal that ultimately blocks Ced3/ICE-like activity. These results suggest that uncoupling of survival and mitogenesis can be explained by differing abilities of distinct mitogens to efficiently induce the PI 3-kinase/Akt signaling pathway.

Androstadienes↗
PubMed1997

Structural analysis of the mouse prosaposin (SGP-1) gene reveals the presence of an exon that is alternatively spliced in transcribed mRNAs.

SGP-1/prosaposin can be secreted or targeted to the lysosomes where it is processed into smaller saposins A, B, C, and D required for the hydrolysis of glycosphingolipids. The deficiency of saposins B and C results in variant forms of metachromatic leukodystrophy and Gaucher's disease, respectively, which are characterized by lysosomal storage of undegraded glycosphingolipids. A required step to correct these genetic defects, or to understand the targeting mechanism of SGP-1 to the lysosomes, or to the extracellular space as well as its interaction with specific glycosphingolipids, is the analysis of the gene encoding this protein. Thus our investigation dealt with the molecular cloning of the mouse SGP-1 gene. Sequence analysis revealed that the mouse SGP-1 gene consists of 15 exons ranging from nine base pairs to 298 base pairs and 14 introns, which ranged from 89 base pairs to >8 kb in length. Our data show that saposin A is encoded by the exons 3, 4, and 5, saposin B by exons 6, 7, 8, and 9, saposin C by exons 10 and 11, and saposin D by exons 12, 13, and 14. The translation start codon is located within exon 1, and the translation stop codon is located within exon 15. The exon/intron boundaries were in accordance to the AG/GT consensus sequences. Our data also revealed that the SGP-1 gene has an exon consisting of the nine base pairs (CAG GAT CAG) encoding the three amino acids of saposin B, which may be alternatively spliced in the SGP-1 mRNA. The presence of the different forms of alternatively spliced mRNAs in various tissues was analyzed by RT-PCR. This approach demonstrated that prosaposin mRNAs of brain, heart, and muscle contain the nine base pairs of exon 8, whereas the transcripts from testis, lung, pancreas, spleen, and kidney do not contain this exon 8. Sequence comparison between the human and mouse prosaposin showed that exon 11 of mouse SGP-1 consists of 279 base pairs, whereas the human prosaposin gene consists of 187 base pairs. The extra 93 base pairs encode 31 amino acids corresponding to a proline-rich region located between saposin C and saposin D in the mouse prosaposin molecule. Finally, the availability of these genomic clones provides a starting point for further studies on the genetic role of specific sequences on the structure and function of SGP-1/prosaposin and its derived saposin proteins. In conclusion, we cloned and sequenced the mouse prosaposin (SGP-1) gene. The structural analysis of this gene revealed the presence of an exon that is alternatively spliced in transcribed mRNAs in a tissue-specific manner.

Alternative Splicing↗
PubMed1997

Transcription enhancer factor 1 interacts with a basic helix-loop-helix zipper protein, Max, for positive regulation of cardiac alpha-myosin heavy-chain gene expression.

The M-CAT binding factor transcription enhancer factor 1 (TEF-1) has been implicated in the regulation of several cardiac and skeletal muscle genes. Previously, we identified an E-box-M-CAT hybrid (EM) motif that is responsible for the basal and cyclic AMP-inducible expression of the rat cardiac alpha-myosin heavy chain (alpha-MHC) gene in cardiac myocytes. In this study, we report that two factors, TEF-1 and a basic helix-loop-helix leucine zipper protein, Max, bind to the alpha-MHC EM motif. We also found that Max was a part of the cardiac troponin T M-CAT-TEF-1 complex even when the DNA template did not contain an apparent E-box binding site. In the protein-protein interaction assay, a stable association of Max with TEF-1 was observed when glutathione S-transferase (GST)-TEF-1 or GST-Max was used to pull down in vitro-translated Max or TEF-1, respectively. In addition, Max was coimmunoprecipitated with TEF-1, thus documenting an in vivo TEF-1-Max interaction. In the transient transcription assay, overexpression of either Max or TEF-1 resulted a mild activation of the alpha-MHC-chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) reporter gene at lower concentrations and repression of this gene at higher concentrations. However, when Max and TEF-1 expression plasmids were transfected together, the repression mediated by a single expression plasmid was alleviated and a three- to fourfold transactivation of the alpha-MHC-CAT reporter gene was observed. This effect was abolished once the EM motif in the promoter-reporter construct was mutated, thus suggesting that the synergistic transactivation function of the TEF-1-Max heterotypic complex is mediated through binding of the complex to the EM motif. These results demonstrate a novel association between Max and TEF-1 and indicate a positive cooperation between these two factors in alpha-MHC gene regulation.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Intrinsic fluorescence studies of the chaperonin GroEL containing single Tyr --> Trp replacements reveal ligand-induced conformational changes.

Two mutants of GroEL containing the single tyrosine to tryptophan replacement of either residue 203 or 360 in the apical domain have been purified, characterized, and used for fluorescence studies. Both mutants can facilitate the in vitro refolding of rhodanese in an ATP- and GroES-dependent manner, producing yields of recoverable activity comparable to the wild-type chaperonin. Y203W shows some increased hydrophobic exposure and easier urea-induced disassembly compared with wild-type or Y360W, although the unfolding of all the species was similar at high concentrations of urea. Intrinsic fluorescence studies of the two mutants reveal that nucleotide binding (ADP or AMP-PNP (adenosine 5'-(beta,gamma-imino)triphosphate)) induces conformational changes in the tetradecamer that are independent of the presence of the co-chaperonin, GroES. The K1/2 for this transition is approximately 5 microM for both mutants. Energy transfer experiments show that the tryptophan fluorescence of the Y360W mutant is partially quenched ( approximately 50%) upon binding of the fluorescent, hydrophobic probe 4,4'-bis(1-anilino-8-naphthalenesulfonic acid), while the fluorescence of the Y203W mutant is significantly quenched ( approximately 75%). These results are discussed in relation to the molecular mechanism for GroEL function.

Adenosine Diphosphate↗
PubMed1996

Deletion of a nonconserved region of Bcl-2 confers a novel gain of function: suppression of apoptosis with concomitant cell proliferation.

The Bcl-2 protein coded by the proto-oncogene bcl-2 is expressed in a variety of embryonic and postnatal tissues and is overproduced in several types of tumours. Bcl-2 expression suppresses apoptosis induced by a multitude of stimuli in diverse cell types without exerting significant effects on cell proliferation, and is believed to contribute to oncogenesis by extending cell survival. In certain B-cell lymphomas, chromosomal translocations result in a gain of function of Bcl-2 by overexpression. Here, we report that a deletion of a nonconserved region of human Bcl-2 (residues 51-85) confers a novel gain of function that not only suppresses apoptosis induced by the tumor suppressor protein p53 and the Myc oncoprotein but also permits continued cell proliferation. Our result raises the possibility that mutations within the bcl-2 gene may contribute to oncogenesis by both suppressing apoptosis and facilitating cell proliferation.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1996

Apoptosis induced by differentiation or serum deprivation in an immortalized central nervous system neuronal cell line.

To characterize the nature of programmed cell death (PCD) induced in neuronal cells during development, three regulators of apoptosis were investigated: one, the bcl-2-related genes, modulate cell survival, and the other two, the interleukin-1 beta converting enzyme (ICE)-related enzymes and the tumor suppressor protein p53, have been implicated as mediators of apoptosis. These regulators were studied in H19-7 cells, an SV40 Tts-immortalized rat hippocampal neuronal cell line that can be differentiated with basic fibroblast growth factor at the nonpermissive temperature, resulting in a rapid attrition of cells by apoptosis. PCD occurred by two mechanisms in H19-7 cells: The first was initiated by removal of serum from undifferentiated cells, and the second was a consequence of neuronal differentiation. In differentiated H19-7 cells, the survival time was increased by both human bcl-2 and bcl-xL, and this could be reversed by bcl-xs. Addition of a peptide inhibitor of the ICE enzyme family to H19-7 cells resulted in a transient protection against differentiation-associated apoptosis, whereas no further protection was observed in the BCL-2- or BCL-XL-expressing cells. Shifting the differentiated cells to 33 degrees C to inactivate p53 did not significantly affect the apoptotic process, indicating that apoptosis induced by neuronal differentiation is not dependent on the continued presence of p53. By contrast, in undifferentiated cells, cell loss induced by transfer to serum-free media occurred more rapidly on inactivation of large T, consistent with p53 involvement. This medium-induced decrease in cell survival could not be rescued by the ICE inhibitor but was partially rescued by BCL-2 or BCL-XL. Furthermore, studies involving expression of BCL-2 and BCL-XL alone or together revealed differences in the survival dependent on the cellular environment. These results suggest that apoptosis of neuronal cells occurs by at least two processes: one in undifferentiated cells initiated by removal of serum and one linked to differentiation. The data implicate the ICE enzyme family but not p53 in apoptosis induced by differentiation and demonstrate that either BCL-2 or BCL-XL can prolong the survival of differentiated neuronal cells.

Amino Acid Chloromethyl Ketones↗
PubMed1996

p21 Disrupts the interaction between cdk2 and the E2F-p130 complex.

In nonproliferating or growth-arrested cells, the transcription factor E2F remains bound to the retinoblastoma-related protein p130. Accumulation of this E2F-p130 complex correlates with an arrest of the cell cycle progression. Progression through G1 phase is associated with a cyclin-dependent binding of the cyclin-dependent kinase cdk2 to the E2F-p130 complex. By fractionating mouse L-cell extracts, we have obtained a partially purified preparation of the E2F-p130 complex that also contains cdk2. Incubation of this complex with recombinant p21 results in a disruption of the interaction between cdk2 and the E2F-p130 complex in extracts of a cell line that expresses a temperature-sensitive mutant of p53. Incubation at the permissive temperature (32 degrees C) results in an induction of p21 synthesis. An increase in the level of p21 in these cells correlates with a loss of cdk2 from the cdk2-containing E2F-p130 complex. We also show that the expression of a reporter gene containing E2F sites in the promoter region is reduced by the coexpression of p21. Since p21 is believed to be a mediator of p53, we speculated that the p21-mediated disruption of the cdk2-containing E2F-p130 complex plays a role in the growth suppression function of p53.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Adhesive pre-coated brackets, a comparative clinical study.

The adhesive pre-coated bracket system along with the application of light curing for orthodontic bracket placement were compared with a conventional adhesive system, in a prospective randomized study. Of 38 consecutive patients requiring fixed orthodontic appliances, half were treated with adhesive pre-coated brackets and half with a no-mix adhesive. The timings for the clinical stages involved in bracket placement, were recorded. This also included the time and reliability of bracket identification and orientation. The peri-bracket flash distribution, time taken for clean up at the subsequent visit, the site, and number of bracket failures at the time of bracket placement and during the first 3 months, were recorded. The study showed that although the time taken to place and cure the adhesive pre-coated system was longer than for the no-mix system, this difference was not statistically significant. However, this difference in time was compensated for in the time taken for bracket orientation in the control group and subsequent clean up at the second visit. Both the bracket failure rate and peri-bracket flash scores were reduced in the adhesive pre-coated group as compared with the control and these differences were statistically significantly. Other advantages of the adhesive pre-coated system are reported.

Adhesives↗
PubMed1995

Blockage of the early events of mitogenic signaling by interferon-gamma in macrophages in response to colony-stimulating factor-1.

Inhibition of cell proliferation is an important biologic function of interferons (IFNs), which has been exploited in therapeutic treatment of certain hematologic malignancies. However, the molecular mechanism was not clear. We have recently shown that IFNs (alpha/beta and gamma) inhibit protein kinase C (PKC)-dependent (such as PDGF and phorbol ester) but not PKC-independent (such as epidermal growth factor) activation of Raf-1 and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK/ERKs) in fibroblasts (Xu et al, Mol Cell Biol 14:8018, 1994), suggesting a novel mechanism by which IFNs execute their antiproliferative function. Monocytes/macrophages are primary targets in vivo for IFN-gamma, the major activity of macrophage-activating factor. In the present study, mechanism of IFN-gamma-induced antiproliferative action in macrophages in response to colony-stimulating factor-1 (CSF-1) has been investigated. Our results show that antiproliferative effect of IFN-gamma overrode mitogenic effect of CSF-1 and phorbol ester, as measured by early gene expression, DNA synthesis and cell proliferation. Although activation, phosphorylation, and turnover of the CSF-1 receptor and CSF-1-induced increase in diacylglycerol production remained normal, IFN-gamma blocked CSF-1-stimulated activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases, Raf-1 kinase, increase in GTP-bound Ras and tyrosine phosphorylation, and activation of protein kinase C delta (PKC-delta). PKC-delta was required for CSF-1-induced mitogenic signaling and a primary target for IFN-gamma-induced inhibition. Interestingly, although phorbol myristate acetate stimulated Ras activation, PKC-delta did not appear to be an upstream activator of Ras. These studies clearly indicated that IFN-gamma specifically inhibits PKC-delta activation, resulting in blockage of the early events of mitogenesis in macrophages in response to CSF-1.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Myc-mediated apoptosis requires wild-type p53 in a manner independent of cell cycle arrest and the ability of p53 to induce p21waf1/cip1.

Deregulated expression of the c-myc proto-oncogene can lead to apoptosis under certain physiological conditions. By introducing a conditionally active Myc allele into primary embryo fibroblasts null for p53, and into fibroblasts without endogenous p53 expression but ectopically expressing a temperature-sensitive p53 allele, we show that expression of wild-type p53 is required for susceptibility to Myc-mediated apoptosis. Although ectopic expression of wild-type p53 blocked cells in the G1 phase of the cell cycle, G1 arrest by isoleucine starvation, in a manner independent of p53, did not confer susceptibility to apoptosis. Thus, growth arrest per se is not sufficient to induce Myc-mediated apoptosis; instead, a property intrinsic to p53 is specifically required. Moreover, apoptosis did not require induction of p53 target proteins, including the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21waf1/cip1. Therefore, the role of p53 in apoptosis may be distinct from its role in cell cycle arrest.

Alleles↗
PubMed1994

Increased androgen receptor activity and altered c-myc expression in prostate cancer cells after long-term androgen deprivation.

Proliferation of LNCaP 104-S cells, a clonal subline of the human prostate cancer cell line, was very slow in androgen-depleted medium but increased 10-13-fold in the presence of 0.1 nM of a synthetic androgen, R1881. This induction of proliferation was diminished at higher concentrations of R1881, indicating the biphasic nature of the androgen effect. After 20-30 passages in androgen-depleted medium, these cells progressed to 104-I cells, which exhibited much lower proliferative sensitivity to 0.1 nM R1881. After another 20-30 passages, LNCaP 104-I cells gave rise to 104-R cells, which proliferated rapidly without additional androgen. Proliferation of 104-R cells was induced 2-fold by 0.01 nM R1881 but was repressed by 0.1 nM R1881 and above. Thus, androgen induction and repression of proliferation could be seen at lower concentrations of androgen as the cells progressed. During the transition of 104-S cells to 104-R cells, the androgen receptor mRNA level increased 2.5-fold whereas the androgen receptor protein level increased 15-fold in the absence of androgen. Androgen receptor transcriptional activity, measured by androgen induction of prostate-specific antigen mRNA and chloramphenicol acetyltransferase activity in transfected cells, increased up to 20-fold during the progression. LNCaP cells, therefore, appear to be able to adapt to reduced androgen availability by increasing their sensitivity to androgen, raising questions concerning the therapeutic strategies used against prostate cancer. Androgen induction of c-myc expression in 104-R cells occurred at a 10-fold lower concentration (0.01 nM) than in 104-S cells (0.1 nM). In all stages, cell proliferation and c-myc expression were repressed by androgen at a high concentration (20 nM), but the repression of cell proliferation was blocked by retroviral overexpression of c-myc.

Androgens↗
PubMed1993

Sequence-specific transcriptional activation by Myc and repression by Max.

The c-Myc oncoprotein, which is required for cellular proliferation, resembles in its structure a growing number of transcription factors. However, the mechanism of its action in vivo is not yet clear. The discovery of the specific cognate DNA-binding site for Myc and its specific heterodimerization partner, Max, enabled the use of direct experiments to elucidate how Myc functions in vivo and how this function is modulated by Max. Here we demonstrate that exogenously expressed Myc is capable of activating transcription in vivo through its specific DNA-binding site. Moreover, transcriptional activation by Myc is dependent on the basic region, the integrity of the helix-loop-helix and leucine zipper dimerization motifs located in the carboxy-terminal portion of the protein, and the regions in the amino terminus conserved among Myc family proteins. In contrast to Myc, exogenously expressed Max elicited transcriptional repression and blocked transcriptional activation by Myc through the same DNA-binding site. Our results suggest a functional antagonism between Myc and Max which is mediated by their relative levels in the cells. A model for the activity of Myc and Max in vivo is presented.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1993

Myc-mediated apoptosis is blocked by ectopic expression of Bcl-2.

The product of the c-myc proto-oncogene is an important positive regulator of cell growth and proliferation. Recently, c-Myc has also been demonstrated to be a potent inducer of apoptosis when expressed in the absence of serum or growth factors. To further examine Myc-induced apoptosis, we coexpressed the proto-oncogene bcl2, which has been shown to block apoptosis in other systems, with c-myc in serum-deprived Rat 1a fibroblasts. Here we report that ectopic expression of bcl2 specifically blocks apoptosis induced by constitutive c-myc expression. Constitutive c-myc expression in serum-deprived Rat 1a cells caused a > 15-fold increase in the number of dead cells, accompanied by DNA fragmentation. However, coexpression of bcl2 with c-myc in these cells led to a 10-fold increase in the number of live cells and a significant decrease in DNA fragmentation. Thus, Bcl-2 effectively inhibits Myc-induced apoptosis in serum-deprived Rat 1a fibroblasts without blocking entry into the cell cycle. These results imply that apoptosis serves as a protective mechanism to prevent tumorigenicity elicited by deregulated Myc expression. This protective mechanism is abrogated, however, by Bcl-2 and therefore may explain the synergism between Myc and Bcl-2 observed in certain tumor cells.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Repeated CT elements bound by zinc finger proteins control the absolute and relative activities of the two principal human c-myc promoters.

Transcription of the human proto-oncogene c-myc is governed by two tandem principal promoters, termed P1 and P2. In general, the downstream promoter, P2, is predominant, which is in contrast to the promoter occlusion phenomenon usually observed in genes containing tandem promoters. A shift in human c-myc promoter usage has been observed in some tumor cells and in certain physiological conditions. However, the mechanisms that regulate promoter usage are not well understood. The present studies identify regulators which are required to promote transcription from both human c-myc promoters, P1 and P2, and have a role in determining their relative activities in vivo. A novel regulatory region located 101 bp upstream of P1 was characterized and contains five tandem repeats of the consensus sequence CCCTCCCC (CT element). The integrity of the region containing all five elements is required to promote transcription from P1 and for maximal activity from P2 in vivo. A single copy of this same element, designated CT-I2, also appears in an inverted orientation 53 bp upstream of the P2 transcription start site. This element has an inhibitory effect on P1 transcription and is required for P2 transcription. The transcription factor Sp1 was identified as the factor that binds specifically to the tandem CT elements upstream of P1 and to the CT-I2 element upstream of P2. In addition, the recently cloned zinc finger protein ZF87, or MAZ, was also able to bind these same elements in vitro. The five tandem CT elements can be functionally replaced by a heterologous enhancer that only in the absence of CT-I2 reverses the promoter usage, similar to what is observed in the translocated c-myc allele of Burkitt's lymphoma cells.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1993

c-Myc induces the expression and activity of ornithine decarboxylase.

The role of the product of the c-myc protooncogene in the regulation of cellular proliferation and differentiation is well established. Recent reports that c-Myc can serve as a sequence-specific transcriptional activator have begun to elucidate the mechanism by which c-Myc exerts such a profound effect on the mitotic status of a cell. To identify a potential target gene for Myc-mediated trans-activation, we examined the regulation of the ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) gene by c-Myc. ODC is the first and rate-limiting enzyme involved in the synthesis of the polyamines and has been shown to be required for entry into and progression through the cell cycle. Using a conditionally active c-Myc-estrogen receptor chimeric protein, we found estrogen-dependent activation of ODC expression and enzymatic activity. The induction of ODC mRNA expression was not dependent upon de novo protein synthesis. These data suggest that one downstream pathway for Myc-directed cell cycle control is the induction of ODC expression.

3T3 Cells↗