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P Tambourin

Publications and source records attributed to P Tambourin.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Molecular cloning and characterization of MPL, the human homolog of the v-mpl oncogene: identification of a member of the hematopoietic growth factor receptor superfamily.

We have cloned the human homolog of the v-mpl oncogene transduced in the myeloproliferative leukemia retrovirus, which presents striking homologies with members of the hematopoietin receptor superfamily. We obtained two types of clones, MPLP and MPLK, which had the same 5' extremity but differed at their 3' ends. The resulting deduced polypeptides are composed of a common extracellular domain with a putative signal sequence and a common transmembrane domain, but they differ in their cytoplasmic domain after a stretch of 9 common amino acids. The extracellular domain of MPL contains the consensus sequences described for the members of the hematopoietin receptor superfamily. In addition, as for murine interleukin 3 and human and murine granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor type beta receptors, this domain can be divided into two subunits. An additional motif specific for MPL could be displayed by hydrophobic cluster analysis in the first subdomain. When RNAs from various hematopoietic cell lines were analyzed by Northern blot, MPL was detected only in the human erythroleukemia (HEL) cell line as a major 3.7-kilobase (kb) mRNA (MPLP) and a minor 2.8-kb mRNA (MPLK). However, study of MPL expression by PCR analysis indicated that MPL is expressed at a low level in a large number of cells of hematopoietic origin and that the two types of mRNAs (P and K) were always found to be coexpressed.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Substitution of leucine for isoleucine in a sequence highly conserved among retroviral envelope surface glycoproteins attenuates the lytic effect of the Friend murine leukemia virus.

Friend murine leukemia virus is a replication-competent retrovirus that contains no oncogene and that exerts lytic and leukemogenic properties. Thus, newborn mice inoculated with Friend murine leukemia virus develop severe early hemolytic anemia before appearance of erythroleukemia. To identify the retroviral determinants regulating these effects, we used chimeric infectious constructions and site-directed point mutations between a virulent Friend murine leukemia virus strain and a naturally occurring variant attenuated in lytic and leukemogenic effects. We found that severe hemolytic anemia was always associated with higher numbers of blood reticulocytes with budding retroviral particles. Furthermore, a remarkably conservative leucine to isoleucine change in the extracellular SU component of the retroviral envelope was sufficient to attenuate this lytic effect. Also, this leucine at position 348 of the envelope precursor protein was located within the only stretch of five amino acids that is conserved in the extracellular SU component of all murine, feline, and primate type C and type D retroviral envelopes. This observation suggested an important structural function for this yet undescribed conserved sequence of the envelope. Lastly, we observed that lytic and leukemogenic effects were attenuated by a deletion of a second repeat in the transcriptional enhancer region of the viral long terminal repeats of the variant strain.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Erythropoietin: sites of synthesis and regulation of secretion.

Erythropoietin (Epo) is a glycoprotein that promotes the proliferation and differentiation of erythrocyte precursors. The major site of Epo production is the kidney, while the liver is the main extrarenal site of Epo production. Within these organs, the cells synthesizing Epo were identified by using in situ hybridization in hypoxic animals with an increased Epo mRNA expression. Epo-producing cells in the kidney were peritubular cells, most likely endothelial cells of the cortex and outer medulla. Glomerular and tubular cells were not labeled. In three patients with renal adenocarcinomas associated with polycythemia, in situ hybridization showed a strong labeling of the tumor cells. Epo secretion is stimulated by hypoxia, which is detected by an oxygen sensor located in the kidney. This oxygen sensor has been recently shown to be an heme protein. At the Epo gene level, studies to identify cis-acting DNA sequences, and trans-activation factors for inducible kidney and liver Epo expression are being pursued.

Animals↗

A putative truncated cytokine receptor gene transduced by the myeloproliferative leukemia virus immortalizes hematopoietic progenitors.

The myeloproliferative leukemia virus (MPLV) is an acute leukemogenic murine replication-defective retrovirus. By sequencing the envelope gene of a biologically active MPLV clone, we found that this region comprises a novel oncogene named v-mpl in phase with two parts of the Friend murine leukemia virus envelope gene. The MPLV env region could encode an env-mpl fusion polypeptide that presents the characteristics of a transmembrane protein. We show that in vitro infection of bone marrow cells with helper-free MPLV readily yields immortalized factor-independent hematopoietic cell lines of different lineages. In mice, the c-mpl proto-oncogene is expressed in hematopoietic tissues as a 3 kb mRNA. Since v-mpl shares strong structural analogies with the hematopoietin receptor superfamily, it is likely that MPLV has transduced a truncated form of an as yet unidentified hematopoietic growth factor receptor.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Solubilization and hydrodynamic characteristics of the erythropoietin receptor. Evidence for a multimeric complex.

In order to study the erythropoietin receptor in its native state, we solubilized erythropoietin-receptor complexes from spleen cell membranes of mice infected with the anemia strain of Friend virus using mild detergents. Among 11 tested detergents, Triton X-100 and Lubrol PX were the most effective. Triton X-100 was therefore selected for this study. The solubilized complexes appeared to be well representative of the total membrane receptor population as indicated by cross-linking experiments and affinity measurements. The hydrodynamic characteristics of the complexes were determined by gel filtration chromatography and ultracentrifugation through sucrose gradients prepared with H2O or D2O. Although erythropoietin-receptor-detergent complexes exhibited some heterogeneity, we determined the following minimal hydrodynamic values: sedimentation coefficient (s20,w): 11.7 +/- 0.8 S, Stokes radius: 7.7 +/- 0.2 nm, partial specific volume: 0.774 +/- 0.017 ml/g, giving a molecular mass of 458 +/- 66 kDa. The contribution of the detergent was estimated to be 28% from the measured partial specific volume, giving an estimated molecular mass of 330 +/- 48 kDa for the erythropoietin-receptor complex. The minimal molecular mass value was significantly greater than those obtained by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under denaturing conditions, strongly suggesting that the erythropoietin receptors were present as multimeric complexes. The nature of these complexes is discussed. Beside this major component our results revealed the presence of higher-molecular-mass erythropoietin binding components. We also demonstrated that erythropoietin-receptor complexes could be precipitated with anti-erythropoietin antibodies. This property should greatly improve the purification of erythropoietin receptors.

Animals↗

Tumor cells are the site of erythropoietin synthesis in human renal cancers associated with polycythemia.

One to five percent of human renal cell carcinomas are associated with polycythemia. It is generally assumed that polycythemia results from the secretion of erythropoietin (Epo) by the malignant cells. However, there is no direct proof supporting this hypothesis. Three patients with typical renal adenocarcinoma and polycythemia were studied. All three exhibited high Epo serum levels as measured by radioimmunoassay (RIA). A strong Epo signal was observed on Northern blot analysis of total RNA extracted from the renal tumors. The Epo message seemed to be of normal size and no Epo gene rearrangement was observed with the restriction enzymes tested. Using the in situ hybridization technique, a significant labeling was constantly observed on the tumor cells. Immunohistochemical studies showed that these tumor cells, known to be of tubular origin, were labeled by an anti-cytokeratin antibody and therefore were of epithelial nature. Thus, this study demonstrated that malignant cells of tubular origin were able to produce Epo constitutively, whereas in the mouse hypoxic kidney, peritubular cells (probably capillary endothelial cells) were the major site of Epo synthesis.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Alternative splicing of the Evi-1 zinc finger gene generates mRNAs which differ by the number of zinc finger motifs.

Evi-1 is a common integration site for endogenous ecotropic virus in myeloid leukemias of the AKXD mouse strain. This gene encodes a zinc finger protein with ten finger motifs. Myeloblastic leukemias obtained after infection with F-MuLV frequently exhibit proviral integration in the Fim-3 region which is genetically linked to Evi-1. This proviral integration always results in the expression of two mRNA transcripts, 5.7 kb and 4.7 kb long. We isolated two classes of cDNAs from a myeloblastic cell line with a F-MuLV provirus integrated in Fim-3. By sequence analysis, we found that one Evi-1 cDNA (E29) had an internal deletion of 972 nucleotides when compared to the full-length sequence previously published by Morishita et al. (1988). This deletion eliminated the 6th and 7th Evi-1 finger domains and was bordered by consensus donor and acceptor splice sequences. The E29 clone most likely resulted from alternative splicing of the Evi-1 gene. This was confirmed by Northern blot analysis and S1 mapping experiments. Therefore, the Evi-1 gene codes potentially for at least two proteins of 1042 and 718 amino acids differing in the numbers of their zinc-finger motifs.

Animals↗

Rearrangements of the Pim-1, c-myc, and p53 genes in Friend helper virus-induced mouse erythroleukemias.

The Friend helper leukemia virus (F-MuLV) induces in mice leukemias of the erythroid, lymphoid, and myeloblastic lineages. Erythroleukemic cell DNAs were examined for genetic alterations at loci described as common proviral integration regions in MuLV-induced myeloid or lymphoid leukemias or in Friend complex-induced erythroleukemias. No alteration of the Fim-1, Fim-2, Fim-3, pvt-1, and Spi-1 loci were detected in 17 erythroleukemias, p53 gene rearrangement was observed in 6 (30%) erythroleukemias and was always associated with a loss of the germ line allele. Interestingly, genetic alterations were also detected at two loci, c-myc and Pim-1, previously described as common provirus integration regions in T lymphoid leukemias. Rearrangements of these two genes were often associated with p53 gene alteration within the same tumor.

Animals↗

Spi-1 oncogene activation in Rauscher and Friend murine virus-induced acute erythroleukemias.

The Friend viruses, like the Rauscher virus, cause murine acute erythroleukemias which evolve in a similar multistep process. In previous studies it has been described that the late malignant proerythroblastic transformation induced by the polycythemia-inducing strain of Friend spleen focus-forming virus (SFFVP) is correlated with Spi-1 oncogene activation by insertional mutagenesis. In this paper we report that Spi-1 genomic rearrangements were also observed in 90% of tumors induced by the anemia-inducing strain of Friend spleen focus-forming virus (SFFVA) and in all Rauscher-induced tumors analyzed. SFFVA and Rauscher proviral insertions occurred in the viral integration cluster previously characterized in SFFVP-induced tumors. The Spi-1 1.4-Kb messenger RNA was found highly expressed in all SFFVA and Rauscher-induced malignant cells as compared to normal tissues. The nucleotide sequence of Spi-1 cDNA isolated from a library constructed from SFFVA-induced tumor cells revealed no difference between the Spi-1 gene transcripts expressed in both SFFVP and SFFVA-induced leukemic cells. These results indicate that Spi-1 gene activation is a general feature in the malignant proerythroblastic transformation which occurs in mice infected with Friend and Rauscher viruses.

Acute Disease↗

Cellular localization of erythropoietin gene transcription.

Erythropoietin producing cells were identified in the murine hypoxic kidney by in situ hybridization. The positive cells were peritubular cells, most likely endothelial cells of the cortex and outer medulla. Glomerular and tubular cells were not labelled. In three patients with renal adenocarcinomas associated with polycythemia, a strong Epo message was observed on Northern blot analysis. Using in situ hybridization, a strong labelling was observed in all cases on the tumor cells which are of tubular origin.

Animals↗

The human homologues of Fim1, Fim2/c-Fms, and Fim3, three retroviral integration regions involved in mouse myeloblastic leukemias, are respectively located on chromosomes 6p23, 5q33, and 3q27.

Three mouse genomic domains, Fim1, Fim2, and Fim3, were previously described as proviral integration regions frequently involved in the early stages of myeloblastic leukemogenesis induced in vivo or in vitro by the Friend murine leukemia virus. Fim2 was identified as the 5' end of the c-Fms protooncogene, which encodes the receptor of the macrophage colony stimulating factor (Csflr). The functions of Fim1 and Fim3 are not yet known, but these regions are highly conserved among different species. To examine whether these regions could correspond to known human loci involved in genetic alterations specific to some human leukemias, we undertook their chromosomal mapping. The localization of FIM2/c-FMS on 5q33 was confirmed. FIM1 and FIM3 were localized on human chromosomes 6p22.3-p23 and 3q27 respectively. Interestingly, translocations involving these two regions have been described in various hematopoietic malignancies: the t(6;9)(p23;q34) in acute nonlymphocytic leukemias and the 3q26-q28 translocations in a large variety of leukemias.

Animals↗

Oncogenicity of human N-ras oncogene and proto-oncogene introduced into retroviral vectors.

The N-ras gene is the only member of the ras family which has never been naturally transduced into a retrovirus. In order to study the in vitro and in vivo oncogenicity of N-ras and to compare its pathogenicity to that of H-ras, we have inserted an activated or a normal form of human N-ras cDNA into a slightly modified Harvey murine sarcoma virus-derived vector in which the H-ras p21 coding region had been deleted. The resulting constructions were transfected into NIH 3T3 cells. The activated N-ras-containing construct (HSN) induced 10(4) foci per microgram of DNA and was found to be as transforming as H-ras was. After infection of the transfected cells by either the ecotropic Moloney murine leukemia virus or the amphotropic 4070A helper viruses, rescued transforming viruses were injected into newborn mice. Both pseudotypes of HSN virus containing activated N-ras induced the typical Harvey disease with similar latency. However, we found that the virus which contained normal N-ras p21 (HSn) was also pathogenic and induced splenomegaly, lymphadenopathies, and sarcoma in mice after a latency of 3 to 7 weeks. In addition, Moloney murine leukemia virus pseudotypes of N-ras caused neurological disorders in 30% of the infected animals. These results differed markedly from those of previous experiments in which we had inserted the activated form of N-ras in the pSV(X) vector: the resulting SVN-ras virus was transforming on NIH 3T3 cells but was poorly oncogenic in vivo (M. Souyri, C. F. Koehne, P. V. O'Donnel, T. H. Aldrich, M. E. Furth, and E. Fleissner, Virology 158:69-78). However, similarly poor oncogenicity was also observed when the v-H-ras coding sequence was inserted in pSV(X) vector, which indicated that the vector sequences play a crucial role in the pathogenicity of a given oncogene. Altogether, these data demonstrated unequivocally that N-ras is potentially as oncogenic as H-ras and that such oncogenic effect could depend on the vector environment.

Animals↗

Elevated level of p60c-src in virus-transformed murine megakaryocytic cell lines.

Megakaryocytic cell lines derived from mouse bone marrow cells transformed by the Myeloproliferative Leukemia Virus (MPLV) contain elevated levels of p60c-src. Northern blot analysis revealed the presence of a 4 kb normal sized c-src transcript only in MPLV-transformed megakaryocytic cell lines containing a high percentage of acetylcholinesterase positive cells (AChE+ greater than 10%), but not in MPLV-transformed erythroblastic or myeloblastic cell lines. The p60c-src protein was identified in lysates from in vivo labelled cells and in in vitro labelled membrane extracts by immunoblotting analysis and by immunoprecipitations with specific anti-src antibodies. In dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) treated cells, the number of AChE+ cells increased together with p60c-src kinase activity indicating a possible correlation between p60c-src expression/activity and megakaryocytic differentiation.

Acetylcholinesterase↗

Factor-independent erythropoietic progenitor cells in leukemia induced by the myeloproliferative leukemia virus.

The myeloproliferative leukemia virus (MPLV), a novel murine retroviral complex that does not transform fibroblasts, has been shown to cause an acute leukemia in adult mice accompanied by a progressive polycythemia. The present study demonstrates that, on in vivo inoculation, MPLV induces a rapid suppression of growth factor requirement for in vitro colony formation by both the late and the primitive erythroid progenitor cells. CFU-e-derived erythrocytic colonies developed and differentiated in semi-solid medium without the addition of erythropoietin (Epo). In addition, the formation of CFU-e colonies was not altered by the presence of specific neutralizing Epo antibodies. In the spleen, the CFU-e pool size increased rapidly up to 30-fold. By day 6 postinfection, 100% of these progenitor cells were Epo-independent. The in vivo effects of MPLV-infection on early erythroid progenitor cell compartments were examined in cultures grown for seven days. The concentration of erythroid progenitor cells was twofold elevated in spleen from MPLV-infected mice. As early as day 4 postinfection, 50% of these progenitors produced fully hemoglobinized colonies in serum-free cultures without the addition of interleukin-3 (IL-3) and Epo. Most spontaneous colonies were large and contained up to 10(5) cells per colony. They were composed of either erythroblasts only (16%) or erythroblasts and megakaryocytes (70%); few of them were multipotential (14%). In the marrow, the total number of BFU-e was reduced and only few factor-independent bursts were observed, suggesting a rapid migration of infected progenitors from marrow to spleen. Furthermore, the data show that abnormal erythropoiesis was due to the replication defective MPLV information and was not influenced by the Fv-2 locus.

Animals↗