Biomedical subjects

P S Frisa

Publications and source records attributed to P S Frisa.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2000

Molecular quantification of cell cycle-related gene expression at the protein level.

BACKGROUND: Immunofluorescence cytometry of antigen and DNA content provides relative measurements of the cell cycle phase distribution of a specific epitope. Measurement of correlated expression of epitopes on signaling and regulatory proteins will be useful in the study of the complex pathways involved in cell cycle regulation and carcinogenesis. However, to formulate regulatory pathway models, measurements of molecules per cell would be more useful than relative measurements of intensity. Here, we report on a system in which the relationship between molecules and fluorescence is determined for a reference set of cell lines that are then used to directly calculate the number of molecules for unknowns. To demonstrate the process, we calculated the cell cycle phase distribution of SV40 large T antigen (Tag) in the reference cells. METHODS: A set of cell line clones expressing different levels of Tag were isolated. Quantitative Western blots of these cells and purified, recombinant Tag were performed. Cells from the same sample were stained and analyzed by flow cytometry for Tag and DNA. The relationship between molecules and fluorescence was established and calculations were performed for the phase distributions of Tag. RESULTS: The five cell lines had 0.11, 0.27, 1.06, 2.44, and 2.63 x 10(6) molecules of Tag per cell, determined by Western blot. The average coefficient of variation was 10.6%. The relationship of molecules to fluorescence fit a linear equation (r(2) = 0.96) over the range, 0.11 - 2.63 x 10(6) molecules, however, the same equation did not fit the relationship between 0 molecules, defined by isotype staining controls, and the lowest expressing cell line. To calculate the phase distributions of molecules in the lowest cell line, a second linear equation from 0 to 110,000 molecules was used. CONCLUSIONS: This work describes a system where fixed cells expressing various levels of a target antigen quantified by Western blots can be used to standardize flow cytometric measurements of gene expression in absolute terms.

Animals↗

PubMed1996

Immortalization and characterization of proximal tubule cells derived from kidneys of spontaneously hypertensive and normotensive rats.

Epithelial cell lines from the proximal tubule of SHR and WKY rats were generated by microdissection, cell growth on 3T3 cell feeder layers, and transduction of the SV40 large T-antigen gene. The cell lines that formed confluent, electrically-resistive monolayers (basal conductance 1 to 20 mS/cm2) were selected for further study. Of these, cell lines generated from one rat did not show evidence of T-antigen expression or integration, and apparently immortalized spontaneously. Cell lines from three other rats expressed high levels of T-antigen, and showed evidence of integration of one or more copies of T-antigen. All cell lines formed polarized monolayers with apical microvilli, tight junctional complexes, and convolutions of the basolateral plasma membrane. Most cell lines grew in the absence of extracellular glucose indicating a capacity for gluconeogenesis. Sodium succinate cotransport and P2-purinergic receptor mediated signaling were demonstrated in all lines tested. The cell lines also showed that Na/H exchanger activity is regulated by angiotensin II. The results indicate that these cell lines express a proximal tubular phenotype, and are morphologically and functionally similar to primary cultures. These rat cell lines represent a new, potentially useful cell model for elucidating the cellular and molecular mechanisms of genetic differences in proximal tubule Na+ reabsorption.

3T3 Cells↗

PubMed1996

Stepwise transformation of astrocytes by simian virus 40 large T antigen and epidermal growth factor receptor overexpression.

We have investigated the transformed phenotype of neonatal mouse cortical astrocytes immortalized by retrovirus-mediated transfer of the SV40 large T antigen gene. Expression of T antigen was driven by the Moloney murine leukemia virus long terminal repeat. Cell lines were selected based on coexpression of neomycin resistance, which provides a selection method believed to be unbiased for transformation state. Astrocyte cell lines derived in this manner express T antigen over a relatively narrow range (approximately 4-fold), are contact inhibited, are able to enter a quiescent state in the presence of growth factors, and do not readily form colonies in soft agar. Compared to mortal astrocytes, the population growth rate is increased 3-fold, saturation densities are 4-fold higher, and the genome is relatively unstable as measured by the presence of DNA-aneuploid stem lines and by changes in DNA ploidy over time. However, changes in transformation phenotype occur at a low rate, making the cell lines amenable to experimentation. Most often, the growth phenotype remained unchanged during months of culture. Transfection of an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene was used to generate a subline that was conditionally transformed (colony formation in soft agar was dependent on transforming growth factor alpha). v-raf transfection was used to generate constitutive transformation. Thus, these cell lines appear to be excellent experimental models for progressive transformation. With them, untested hypotheses of brain tumor progression derived from human genetic studies may be tested experimentally.

Animals↗

PubMed1994

Immortalization of immature and mature mouse astrocytes with SV40 T antigen.

The ability of neonatal astrocytes to promote neurite outgrowth in vitro and in vivo diminishes as astrocytes mature. This property correlates with the developmental loss of the central nervous system's ability to regenerate after injury. Cell lines representative of immature and mature astrocytes would be useful for studies to determine differences between these two populations. Previous work on immortalization of bipotential neural/glial precursors and fully differentiated glial cells suggests that immortalization of astrocytes at timed intervals of culture may yield cell lines trapped in different maturation states. To test this, neonatal mouse cortical astrocytes were immortalized by retrovirus-mediated transfer of the SV40 T antigen (Tag) gene at 2, 6 and 17 days of culture. The clonal cell lines express Tag and are contact-inhibited. Three phenotypes that change as a function of astrocyte maturation were examined to determine the fidelity with which the cell lines represent immature and mature astrocytes. These were: (1) cell morphology, growth pattern and size, (2) level of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) expression, and (3) neurite outgrowth promotion. First, immature and mature lines resemble mortal type 1 astrocytes of corresponding ages with respect to morphology and growth pattern, and retain a quantitative difference in cell size (mature cells are larger). Second, the pattern of GFAP expression is preserved, with immature lines expressing lower levels than mature cell lines, but the overall GFAP levels are significantly lower in immortalized cell lines compared to mortal cells. Finally, promotion of neurite outgrowth from embryonic chick retinal ganglion cells on monolayers of the cell lines was examined. While all neurite outgrowth measures are significantly greater for the immortalized lines than for control 3T3 cells, they are attenuated relative to mortal astrocytes. The age-related pattern of stronger outgrowth support on immature astrocytes is retained for neurite initiation, but not retained for mean neurite length. Thus, SV40 Tag-immortalized astrocytes have a complex phenotype characterized by retention of age-related differences in morphology, growth pattern and cell size, and by a marked attenuation of some astrocyte-specific characteristics but retention of age-related differences in the expression level of these same characteristics, and finally, loss of the ability to support neurite extension at level characteristic of immature astrocytes.

3T3 Cells↗

PubMed1982

Developmentally regulated interconversions between end product-inhibitable and noninhibitable forms of a first pathway-specific enzyme activity can be mimicked in vitro by protein dephosphorylation-phosphorylation reactions.

During the life cycle of Blastocladiella emersonii, dramatic shifts occur in the sensitivity of the first hexosamine biosynthetic pathway-specific enzyme [amidotransferase; 2-amino-2-deoxy-D-glucose-6-phosphate ketol-isomerase (amino-transferring), EC 5.3.1.19] to end product inhibition. These shifts are developmentally correlated with changes in the utilization of the end product (uridine-5'-diphospho-N-acetylglucosamine) for chitin synthesis [Selitrennikoff, C. P., Dalley, N. E. & Sonneborn, D. R. (1980) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 77, 5998-6002]. Alterations in amidotransferase sensitivity to end product inhibition can be mimicked by in vitro protein dephosphorylation-phosphorylation reactions, as follows: (i) Zoospore end product-inhibitable amidotransferase activity can be converted to a noninhibitable form by an endogenous (zoospore) protein phosphatase (phosphoprotein phosphohydrolase EC 3.1.3.16) reaction; this noninhibitable form can be converted back to an inhibitable form either by an endogenous cAMP-independent protein kinase (ATP:protein phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.1.37) reaction or with an added cAMP-dependent protein kinase. (ii) Noninhibitable amidotransferase activity from growing cells can also be converted to the inhibitable form with added protein kinase.

Blastocladiella↗