Biomedical subjects

P D Drew

Publications and source records attributed to P D Drew.

26 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed1993

Regulation of MHC class I and beta 2-microglobulin gene expression in human neuronal cells. Factor binding to conserved cis-acting regulatory sequences correlates with expression of the genes.

MHC class I molecules are coexpressed with beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2-M) on many somatic cells. However, these proteins are normally not present on cells of the central nervous system (CNS). Cells derived from human neuroblastomas were used as a model for investigating the molecular basis for the paucity of MHC class I and beta 2-M gene expression in neural cells and for the induction of these genes by two cytokines, IFN-gamma, and TNF-alpha. These cytokines independently increased MHC class I and beta 2-M cell surface expression on the neuroblastoma cell lines. IFN-gamma or TNF-alpha also increased MHC class I and beta 2-M steady-state RNA levels and the expression of MHC class I and beta 2-M CAT reporter constructs transiently transfected into the neuroblastoma cell lines, indicating that the cytokines acted by increasing the transcription of these genes. MHC class I and beta 2-M genes share two conserved regulatory elements, an NF kappa B-like site and the IFN consensus sequence, that act as a constitutive enhancer and an IFN-responsive element, respectively. Low MHC class I and beta 2-M gene expression in these cells was accounted for by undetectable to low factor binding activity specific for the above regulatory elements of these genes. TNF-alpha increased factor binding activity specific for the NF kappa B-like elements and IFN-gamma increased factor binding activity specific for the IFN consensus sequence elements of the MHC class I and beta 2-M genes, but not vice versa. Taken together, our results indicated that IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha increased MHC class I and beta 2-M gene expression in the neuroblastoma cell lines by inducing factor binding to the regulatory elements present in both genes.

Base Sequence↗

PubMed1993

Retinoic acid induction of major histocompatibility complex class I genes in NTera-2 embryonal carcinoma cells involves induction of NF-kappa B (p50-p65) and retinoic acid receptor beta-retinoid X receptor beta heterodimers.

Retinoic acid (RA) treatment of human embryonal carcinoma (EC) NTera-2 (NT2) cells induces expression of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I and beta-2 microglobulin surface molecules. We found that this induction was accompanied by increased levels of MHC class I mRNA, which was attributable to the activation of the two conserved upstream enhancers, region I (NF-kappa B like) and region II. This activation coincided with the induction of nuclear factor binding activities specific for the two enhancers. Region I binding activity was not present in undifferentiated NT2 cells, but binding of an NF-kappa B heterodimer, p50-p65, was induced following RA treatment. The p50-p65 heterodimer was produced as a result of de novo induction of p50 and p65 mRNAs. Region II binding activity was present in undifferentiated cells at low levels but was greatly augmented by RA treatment because of activation of a nuclear hormone receptor heterodimer composed of the retinoid X receptor (RXR beta) and the RA receptor (RAR beta). The RXR beta-RAR beta heterodimer also bound RA responsive elements present in other genes which are likely to be involved in RA triggering of EC cell differentiation. Furthermore, transfection of p50 and p65 into undifferentiated NT2 cells synergistically activated region I-dependent MHC class I reporter activity. A similar increase in MHC class I reporter activity was demonstrated by cotransfection of RXR beta and RAR beta. These data show that following RA treatment, heterodimers of two transcription factor families are induced to bind to the MHC enhancers, which at least partly accounts for RA induction of MHC class I expression in NT2 EC cells.

Animals↗

PubMed1993

A regulatory element in the beta 2-microglobulin promoter identified by in vivo footprinting.

Expression of the beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2-m) and major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I genes is coordinately regulated. By ligation-mediated polymerase chain reaction, we have analyzed in vivo factor binding to the promoter region of the murine beta 2-m gene. In adult spleen, in which beta 2-m is expressed, strong protection was found in three elements. Two of these elements, the beta 2-m NF-kappa B binding site and the interferon consensus sequence, are homologous to the regulatory elements of the MHC class I genes and were also found to be protected in spleen. A third protected element, PAM, identified in this work, is unique to the beta 2-m gene. None of the elements showed protection in brain tissue, in which neither the beta 2-m nor the MHC class I gene is expressed. In vivo footprinting was also performed with F9 embryonal carcinoma cells, in which expression of the beta 2-m and MHC class I genes is induced at a low level only upon stimulation with retinoic acid (RA). No in vivo protection was detected before and after RA treatment of F9 cells, indicating that RA induction of beta 2-m (and MHC class I) expression occurs without detectable in vivo factor occupancy, whereas EL4 T lymphocytes expressing beta 2-m at a high level exhibited strong protection similar to that in spleen. Despite the lack of in vivo occupancy, the nuclear factors specific for each of the three elements were present in brain tissue and F9 cells as well as in spleen tissue and EL4 cells. We show that PAM, an element identified by its in vivo protection, binds nuclear factors ranging from 40 to 50 kDa in size and is capable of enhancing transcription of a reporter in F9 and other cells. Taken together, these results indicate that in vivo factor occupancy for the beta 2-m and MHC class I promoters is coordinated and occurs through a mechanism other than mere expression of relevant factors.

Animals↗

PubMed1990

Induction of cytochrome P-450 RNA by porphyrogenic agents: on the nature of the coordinate induction with delta-aminolevulinate synthase in tissues of the chicken embryo.

1. We determined by cDNA-RNA solution hybridization analyses that in ovo administration of allylisopropylacetamide in combination with diethyl 1,4-dihydro-2,4,6-trimethyl-3,5-pyridinedicarboxylate increased the concentrations of cytochrome P-450 RNA in liver, kidney, and intestine of 18-day-old chicken embryos. 2. Similarly, the administration of testosterone to embryos caused elevations in the cytochrome P-450 RNA levels in liver and kidney. 3. The increases in cytochrome P-450 RNA concentrations occurred only in those tissues where elevations in delta-aminolevulinate (ALA) synthase activity and mRNA content were measured (liver, kidney and intestine) but not in tissues where the activity and RNA levels of ALA synthase did not change (heart, brain, lung). 4. The increases in the concentrations of the cytochrome P-450 RNA were not affected by loading embryos with ALA and FeCl3 at the time of administration of the inducers.

5-Aminolevulinate Synthetase↗

PubMed1989

Regulation of production of delta-aminolaevulinate synthase in tissues of chick embryos. Effects of porphyrogenic agents and of haem precursors.

Studies conducted by several groups have established that porphyrogenic agents which caused elevations in chick-embryo liver delta-aminolaevulinate (ALA) synthase activity also increased the concentrations of the enzyme's RNA, and that haemin inhibited these elevations. We have determined in this study, using immune-blot analyses, that administration in ovo of allylisopropylacetamide (AIA) in combination with diethyl 1,4-dihydro-2,4,6-trimethyl,3,5-pyridinedicarboxylate (DDC) increased the mass of ALA synthase in intestine and kidney of chick embryos. Furthermore, the molecular mass of the subunit of the enzyme in those tissues appeared identical with that of liver ALA synthase. Using a synthetic oligonucleotide complementary to ALA synthase mRNA, we determined by solution hybridization and Northern-blot analyses that AIA and DDC also increased the concentrations of ALA synthase mRNA in intestine and kidney and that testosterone elevated the concentration of the RNA in kidney. In analyses of RNA obtained from chick-embryo liver, intestine, kidney, heart, brain and lung, the probe bound primarily in each case to a single 2.3 kb RNA. Finally, the haem precursors ALA and FeCl3, when injected together into the fluid surrounding embryos, inhibited both the elevations in ALA synthase mass and RNA concentration brought about by porphyrogenic agents in liver, kidney and intestine. Thus the results indicated that: (1) certain porphyrogenic agents increased ALA synthase mass and RNA in chick-embryo intestine and kidney, in addition to liver; (2) ALA and FeCl3 inhibited the elevations; and (3) the sizes of ALA synthase's subunit as well as the enzyme's mRNA appeared identical, in each case, in all tissues examined.

5-Aminolevulinate Synthetase↗

PubMed1989

Regulation of the stability of chicken embryo liver delta-aminolevulinate synthase mRNA by hemin.

The effect of hemin on the stability of delta-aminolevulinate (ALA) synthase mRNA was investigated in primary cultures of chicken embryo hepatocytes. Hepatocytes were first incubated with allylisopropylacetamide (AIA) to increase the starting level of ALA synthase mRNA, and then the cells were incubated with alpha-amanitin (1 microgram/ml) to block further transcription of ALA synthase RNA. The rates of depletion of the enzyme's mRNA were then determined by liquid hybridization analyses in cells incubated with or without hemin (10 microM) in the culture medium. The analyses indicated that hemin increased the rate of ALA synthase mRNA degradation. The half-life of the messenger in hepatocytes incubated with hemin was 80 min compared with 220 min in cells incubated without additional hemin in the culture medium. The results thus indicated a novel mechanism by which hemin modulated the biogenesis of ALA synthase in liver.

5-Aminolevulinate Synthetase↗

PubMed1987

Biogenesis of embryonic chick liver delta-aminolevulinate synthase: regulation of the level of mRNA by hemin.

The effects of hemin on the concentration of the mRNA for delta-aminolevulinate synthase (ALA synthase) and on the association of the messenger with polysomes were investigated in primary cultures of embryonic chick hepatocytes incubated with allylisopropylacetamide (AIA). A synthetic 24-mer DNA complementary to ALA synthase mRNA was used to determine by solution hybridization the effects of AIA and of AIA plus hemin on the ALA synthase-specific RNA sequences in the cells. The results indicated that ALA synthase mRNA concentrations increased significantly in hepatocytes incubated for 5 h with AIA (0.075 mg/ml), and that hemin in the medium (2 or 10 microM) blocked the increase in the messenger. When delta-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) and FeCl3 were added into the culture medium (1 mM and 5 microM, respectively), the increase in ALA synthase mRNA brought on by AIA was also inhibited. Neither ALA nor FeCl3, when individually added to the cultures, was as effective as the combination of the two. The results with ALA + FeCl3 suggested that stimulation of intracellular production of heme was also effective in blocking the increase in ALA synthase mRNA caused by AIA. Finally, the distributions of ALA synthase mRNA were compared in polysomes isolated from hepatocytes which had been incubated with AIA for 5 h in the presence and absence of 10 microM hemin in the medium. Although a drop was detected in the concentration of ALA synthase mRNA in polysomes from hepatocytes incubated with hemin for 30 min, the decrease was explained by the effect of hemin on the mRNA concentration in the cells.

5-Aminolevulinate Synthetase↗

PubMed1986

Regulation of production of embryonic chick liver delta-aminolevulinate synthase: effects of testosterone and of hemin on the mRNA of the enzyme.

The effects of testosterone and of hemin on the concentration of the mRNA of embryonic chick liver ALA synthase were investigated. Using cDNA-RNA liquid hybridization analyses, we determined that testosterone, when injected into the fluid surrounding chick embryos, caused a dose-dependent increase in the concentration of ALA synthase mRNA in liver. Similarly, addition of testosterone (5 micrograms/ml) or of 75 micrograms/ml of allylisopropylacetamide (AIA) into the medium of chick embryo hepatocytes maintained in culture caused an increase in the concentration of ALA synthase mRNA. Hemin (2 or 5 microM), when added to the culture medium, inhibited the elevations of ALA synthase mRNA concentration brought on by testosterone and by AIA.

5-Aminolevulinate Synthetase↗