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R U Simpson

Publications and source records attributed to R U Simpson.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Antisense knockout of HOXB4 blocks 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 inhibition of c-myc expression.

The expression of c-myc is decreased by 1,25-(OH)2D(3) during HL-60 cell differentiation. Concomitantly, 1,25-(OH)2D(3) increases the expression and DNA binding activity of HOXB4, a homeobox gene. HOXB4 binds to the c-my c gene at sites involved in blocking c-myc transcription elongation. In this study, a phosphorothioate antisense oligonucleotide targeted against HOXB4 was examined for its effect on 1,25-(OH)2D(3) inhibition of c-myc expression. Alone, 1,25-(OH)2D(3) (20 nM) increased HOXB4 levels by 103+/-7% (mean+/-s.e., n=3) and decreased c-myc levels by 89+/-5% (mean+/-s.e.m., n=3) at 48 h of treatment. HOXB4 antisense treatment completely blocked the induction of HOXB4 by 1,25-(OH)2D(3). In addition, HOXB4 antisense partially blocked 1,25-(OH)2D(3)-mediated decrease in c-myc levels (46+/-6% inhibition) and promotion of HL-60 cell differentiation (20+/-2% and 25+/-3% inhibition as assessed by nitroblue tetrazolium and non-specific esterase assays respectively). The data further establish that HOXB4 levels are regulated by 1,25-(OH)2D(3) and reveal that HOXB4 participates in the down-regulation of c-myc expression.

Alkaloids↗
PubMed1999

c-myc intron element-binding proteins are required for 1, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 regulation of c-myc during HL-60 cell differentiation and the involvement of HOXB4.

1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25-(OH)2D3) suppresses c-myc expression during differentiation of HL-60 cells along the monocytic pathway by blocking transcriptional elongation at the first exon/intron border of the c-myc gene. In the present study, the physiological relevance of three putative regulatory protein binding sites found within a 280-base pair region in intron 1 of the c-myc gene was explored. HL-60 promyelocytic leukemia cells were transiently transfected with three different c-myc promoter constructs cloned upstream of a chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) reporter gene. With the wild-type c-myc promoter construct (pMPCAT), which contains MIE1, MIE2, and MIE3 binding sites, 1,25-(OH)2D3 was able to decrease CAT activity by 45.4 +/- 7.9% (mean +/- S.E., n = 8). The ability of 1, 25-(OH)2D3 to inhibit CAT activity was significantly decreased to 18. 5 +/- 4.3% (59.3% reversal, p < 0.02) when examined with a MIE1 deletion construct (pMPCAT-MIE1). Moreover, 1,25-(OH)2D3 was completely ineffective at suppressing CAT activity in cells transfected with pMPCAT-287, a construct without MIE1, MIE2, and MIE3 binding sites (-6.5 +/- 10.9%, p < 0.002). MIE1- and MIE2-binding proteins induced by 1,25-(OH)2D3 had similar gel shift mobilities, while MIE3-binding proteins migrated differently. Furthermore, chelerythrine chloride, a selective protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor, and a PKCbeta antisense oligonucleotide completely blocked the binding of nuclear proteins induced by 1,25-(OH)2D3 to MIE1, MIE2, and MIE3. A 1,25-(OH)2D3-inducible MIE1-binding protein was identified to be HOXB4. HOXB4 levels were significantly increased in response to 1,25-(OH)2D3. Taken together, these results indicate that HOXB4 is one of the nuclear phosphoproteins involved in c-myc transcription elongation block during HL-60 cell differentiation by 1,25-(OH)2D3.

Alkaloids↗
PubMed1998

Antisense oligonucleotides targeted against protein kinase Cbeta and CbetaII block 1,25-(OH)2D3-induced differentiation.

It is now recognized that protein kinase C (PKC) plays a critical role in 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25-(OH)2D3) promotion of HL-60 cell differentiation. In this study, the effects of phosphorothioate antisense oligonucleotides directed against PKCalpha, PKCbeta, PKCbetaI, and PKCbetaII on HL-60 promyelocyte cell differentiation and proliferation were examined. Cellular differentiation was determined by nonspecific esterase activity, nitro blue tetrazolium reduction, and CD14 surface antigen expression. Differentiation promoted by 1,25-(OH)2D3 (20 nM for 48 h) was inhibited similarly in cells treated with PKCbeta antisense (30 microM) 24 h prior to or at the same time as hormone treatment (86 +/- 9% inhibition; n = 4 versus 82 +/- 8% inhibition; n = 4 (mean +/- S.E.), respectively). In contrast, cells treated with PKCbeta antisense 24 h after 1, 25-(OH)2D3 were unaffected and fully differentiated. PKCalpha antisense did not block 1,25-(OH)2D3 promotion of HL-60 cell differentiation. Next, the ability of PKCbetaI- and PKCbetaII-specific antisense oligonucleotides to block 1,25-(OH)2D3 promotion of cell differentiation was examined. PKCbetaII antisense (30 microM) completely blocked CD14 expression induced by 1, 25-(OH)2D3, whereas PKCbetaI antisense had little effect. Interestingly, PKCbetaII antisense blocked differentiation by 87 +/- 7% (n = 2, mean +/- S.D.) but had no effect on 1,25-(OH)2D3 inhibition of cellular proliferation. These results indicate that the effects of 1,25-(OH)2D3 on HL-60 cell differentiation and proliferation can be dissociated by blocking PKCbetaII expression.

Calcitriol↗
PubMed1998

Coordinate expression of OPN and associated receptors during monocyte/macrophage differentiation of HL-60 cells.

Promyelocytic leukemia HL-60 cells promoted by PMA to differentiate along the monocyte pathway adhere to tissue culture plates. To explore the regulation of adhesion molecules in cells promoted to differentiate, the expression and secretion of osteopontin (OPN) and expression of associated cell surface receptors, CD44 and integrin subunits alpha(v), beta3, beta1, were examined. Results were as follows: 1) PMA induced OPN mRNA and OPN secretion into media; 2) untreated cells expressed beta1 and CD44 mRNA, and PMA induced alpha(v), and beta3 mRNA and increased beta1 and CD44 mRNA expression; 3) PMA increased levels of alpha(v), beta3, beta1 and CD44 protein on the cell surface; and 4) retinoic acid, which promotes granulocytic differentiation of HL-60 cells, did not affect OPN, alpha(v), beta3, beta1, or CD44 mRNA or protein expression. These data suggest that induction of OPN and associated receptors may play a role during monocytic differentiation of HL-60 cells.

Cell Differentiation↗
PubMed1997

Promotion of HL-60 cell differentiation by 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 regulation of protein kinase C levels and activity.

The hormone 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25-(OH)2D3] promotes differentiation of a number of cell types including HL-60 promyelocytic leukemia cells. It is now established that protein kinase Cbeta (PKCbeta) plays a critical role in HL-60 cell maturation to a monocyte/macrophage phenotype. In the present study, we investigated the importance of PKCbeta levels and activation in 1,25-(OH)2D3-mediated differentiation of HL-60 cells. Cell differentiation promoted by 1,25-(OH)2D3 at 48 hr was 39 +/- 3% (mean +/- SEM) nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) positive and at 72 hr it was 35 +/- 2% NBT positive and 70% CD14 positive. Thus, promotion of cell differentiation by 20 nM 1,25-(OH)2D3 treatment was maximal at 48-72 hr. When PKCbeta levels and cell differentiation were assayed at 72 hr, treatment with 20 nM 1,25-(OH)2D3 for the initial 6 hr increased PKCbeta levels by 175% but had little effect on cell differentiation (7 +/- 2% NBT positive; 11% CD14 positive). The effect of ionomycin, a calcium ionophore, on PKCbeta levels and cell differentiation also was examined. Alone, 5 microM ionomycin promoted few cells (3% CD14 positive) to differentiate. In contrast, cells treated with 5 microM ionomycin for 66 hr after a 6-hr pretreatment with 20 nM 1,25-(OH)2D3 resulted in 34 +/- 5% NBT positive cells and 73% CD14 positive cells. Quantitatively, this induction of differentiation was identical to that observed in cultures continuously treated with 1,25-(OH)2D3 (35 +/- 2% NBT positive; 70% CD14 positive). Therefore, ionomycin seemed to replace the requirement for the continuous presence of 1,25-(OH)2D3. Chelerythrine chloride (3 microM), a specific PKC inhibitor, blocked differentiation promoted by 1,25-(OH)2D3 alone (82 +/- 2% inhibition) or in sequence with ionomycin (86 +/- 3% inhibition). Taken together, our data show that the capacity of 1,25-(OH)2D3 to both increase PKCbeta levels and activate PKC is utilized to promote HL-60 cell differentiation. These data further suggest that 1,25-(OH)2D3 has a genomic action to increase PKCbeta levels and also a nongenomic action requiring its continuous presence to promote HL-60 cell differentiation.

Calcitriol↗
PubMed1997

Stimulation of osteopontin mRNA expression in HL-60 cells is independent of differentiation.

12-O-Tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA) induces HL-60 cells to differentiate along the monocyte/macrophage pathway and stimulates expression of the extracellular adhesion protein osteopontin (OPN). In this study, the mechanism of TPA-mediated OPN mRNA expression and its relationship to differentiation were investigated. The induction of OPN mRNA by TPA was dose dependently inhibited by staurosporine (0.4-10.0 nM) and chelerythrine (0.1-5.0 microM), indicating that OPN expression requires PKC activation. Furthermore, the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MAPKK) inhibitor, PD 098059 (1.0-10.0 microM), inhibited the effect of TPA in a dose-dependent fashion. Cycloheximide (10 microg/ml) ablated the induction of OPN mRNA by TPA. To determine if OPN mRNA expression was associated with a particular differentiational pathway, HL-60 cells were treated with RA, 9-cis-RA, calcitriol, or sodium butyrate. None of these agents stimulated OPN mRNA. Treatment with TPA subsequent to a 120-h pretreatment with retinoic acid (RA), 9-cis-RA, or calcitriol resulted in a potentiation of the induction of OPN mRNA. These results support a role for protein kinase C (PKC) in promoting OPN expression because each of these agents increased PKC levels. An hOPN promoter/reporter construct was responsive to TPA, indicating that this effect is at the level of transcription. Thus, TPA-stimulated transcription of the OPN gene apparently occurs via a PKC/MAPK-dependent mechanism that is independent of that associated with differentiation and is not dependent on the maturational state of these cells.

Alkaloids↗
PubMed1997

1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 regulation of cardiac myocyte proliferation and hypertrophy.

We previously demonstrated that 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25(OH)2D3] inhibits myocyte maturation (T. D. O'Connell, D. A. Giacherio, A. K. Jarvis, and R. U. Simpson. Endocrinology 136: 482-488, 1995). To define further the role of 1,25(OH)2D3 in regulating myocardial development, we examined the effects of 1,25(OH)2D3 on proliferation and growth of primary cultures of ventricular myocytes isolated from neonatal rat hearts. When neonatal myocytes were grown in a serum-supplemented medium, cell number approximately doubled, and treating these myocytes with 1,25(OH)2D3 inhibited their proliferation by 56.56% after 4 days. Flow cytometry revealed that 1,25(OH)2D3 reduced the percentage of cells in the S phase of the cell cycle by 31.39% after 4 days. We show for the first time that proliferating cell nuclear antigen protein levels were specifically reduced by 1,25(OH)2D3. Protooncogene c-myc protein levels were also reduced by this hormone. Interestingly, a phorbol ester had a similar effect on myocyte proliferation. Furthermore, 1,25(OH)2D3 increased myocyte protein levels and increased cell size, suggesting that it induces cardiac myocyte hypertrophy. Our findings indicate that 1,25(OH)2D3 and phorbol esters directly regulate myocyte proliferation and induce myocyte hypertrophy. Finally, the data demonstrate that the mechanism by which 1,25(OH)2D3 regulates myocyte proliferation involves blocking entry into the S phase of the cell cycle.

24,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D 3↗
PubMed1996

Immunochemical identification of the 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 receptor protein in human heart.

A number of recent clinical observations suggest that vitamin D3 plays an important role in maintaining normal cardiovascular function, either directly through its receptor in cardiac muscle, or indirectly through its influence on circulating levels of calcium or on other regulatory factors. By using an antibody directed against the recombinant vitamin D3 receptor, we have identified the receptor protein for 1,25(OH)2D3 in tissue from two human hearts. The identification of the 1,25(OH)2D3 receptor in human heart lends credence to the hypothesis that 1,25(OH)2D3 directly effects the human heart and may be involved in several clinically relevant pathological conditions involving the vitamin D3 endocrine system.

Aged↗
PubMed1996

1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3-regulated binding of nuclear proteins to a c-myc intron element.

The steroid hormone 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3[1,25-(OH)2D3] induces maturation of many cells, including HL-60 promyelocytic leukemia cells that are differentiated to monocytes/macrophages. This process involves changes in transcription of genes such as c-myc. We investigated the effects of 1,25-(OH)2D3 on nuclear protein binding to the c-myc intron element (MIE), a region of DNA within the c-myc gene. A mutation in this MIE sequence has been shown to be associated with uncontrolled expression of the c-myc gene in various cell lines. In this report, we demonstrate for the first time that 1,25-(OH)2D3 induces increased binding of nuclear proteins to this MIE in HL-60 cells. The major MIE-binding proteins were approximately 32 kDa in size. Interestingly, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate induced a similar increase in binding of the 32-kDa doublet protein to the MIE. In addition, we showed that the level of 138-kDa MIE-binding protein was increased by 1,25-(OH)2D3 and phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate. However, the extent of MIE binding by the 138-kDa protein is significantly less than that of the 32-kDa doublet binding species. MIE binding by the 32-kDa doublet protein was significantly increased within 12 h of 1,25-(OH)2D3 treatment. The time course of this increase was similar to that of 1,25-(OH)2D3-induced inhibition of c-myc gene transcription. We also demonstrated that dephosphorylation of the 32-kDa doublet protein inhibited its binding to the MIE. Thus, this study shows that the mechanism employed by 1,25-(OH)2D3 for regulation of c-myc expression may involve an increase in protein binding to the MIE, which has been shown to be the site for control of c-myc gene expression.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗
PubMed1995

1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 regulation of myocardial growth and c-myc levels in the rat heart.

In this report we demonstrate that rats maintained on a calcium supplemented vitamin D3-deficient diet for nine weeks showed an increase in heart to body weight ratio. Morphometric analysis indicated that vitamin D3 deficiency produced cardiac myocytes that were smaller yet more numerous, indicating hyperplasia. Western blot analysis showed that vitamin D3 deficiency also resulted in increased c-myc protein levels in the hearts of vitamin D3-deficient rats. Furthermore, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 reduced c-myc protein levels in primary cultures of ventricular myocytes from neonatal rat hearts. Our data suggest a possible relationship between myocyte hyperplasia and increased c-myc levels in the vitamin D3-deficient rat heart.

Aging↗
PubMed1995

Enhanced expression of alpha v integrin subunit and osteopontin during differentiation of HL-60 cells along the monocytic pathway.

HL-60 cells, a promyelocytic leukemic cell line, provide a good model for studying the role of adhesion molecules and associated receptors involved in cell differentiation. When exposed to factors such as phorbol esters, these cells grown in suspension differentiate into monocytes and adhere to tissue culture dishes. In this study we showed that HL-60 cells exposed to phorbol esters express osteopontin (OPN), a cell adhesion molecule linked with osteoclast function. Moreover, the timed expression of OPN, in phorbol ester treated cells, was linked to increased cell adhesion. Subsequent to the expression of OPN, an increase in mRNA levels for alpha v integrin subunit was observed. The alpha v beta 3 integrin, a cell surface receptor found in high concentrations in osteoclasts, is considered to be a receptor for OPN. Furthermore, during differentiation we detected an increase in two cell surface markers specific for osteoclasts, 75B and 121F. This is the first report to demonstrate expression of OPN during differentiation of HL-60 cells, indicating that HL-60 cells can be used as a tool to enhance our understanding as to the role of OPN in cell differentiation.

Antigens, Surface↗
PubMed1995

Inhibition of cardiac myocyte maturation by 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3.

The signals that regulate cardiac myocyte maturation in the neonatal heart are not completely understood. In our study we examined the effects of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25-(OH)2D3] on primary cultures of ventricular myocytes isolated from neonatal rat hearts. Our data show that 1,25-(OH)2D3 inhibited an increase in both the muscle-specific form of creatine kinase and V1 myosin isoenzyme levels in myocytes induced to mature by serum withdrawal. Thus, in contrast to other cell types studied to date, in the heart, 1,25-(OH)2D3 blocks cell maturation. Treating cultures with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate induced a decrease in the muscle-specific isoenzyme of creatine kinase similar to the effects of 1,25-(OH)2D3. Interestingly, we found that staurosporine, a protein kinase-C inhibitor, blunts the effects of 1,25-(OH)2D3 and has the opposite effect of phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate on cultured myocytes induced to mature by serum withdrawal. Thus, our data identify a novel role for 1,25-(OH)2D3 in the regulation of myocardial development and suggest that 1,25-(OH)2D3 may be acting through a protein kinase-dependent mechanism to maintain cardiac myocytes in an immature state.

Alkaloids↗
PubMed1994

Reduced 5-lipoxygenase metabolism of arachidonic acid in macrophages rrom 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3-deficient rats.

The peripheral blood monocyte (PBM) migrates into tissues and differentiates into mature tissue macrophages. Previous investigations from our laboratory have demonstrated that PBM have reduced 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO) metabolism of arachidonic acid (AA) and 5-LO activating protein (FLAP) expression as compared to differentiated alveolar macrophages (AM). Moreover, PBM differentiated with 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25-(OH)2D3) displayed increased leukotriene synthesis and a parallel increase in FLAP expression. In the present study, we sought to examine the physiological role of 1,25-(OH)2D3 in the regulation of eicosanoid metabolism in terminally differentiated alveolar and peritoneal macrophages (PM), utilizing a well characterized rat model of vitamin D3-deficiency. AM from vitamin D3-deficient rats demonstrated reduced 5-LO metabolism of AA and a parallel reduction in FLAP expression compared to control rats. Similarly, PM from vitamin D3-deficient rats demonstrated reduced 5-LO metabolism of AA. The effect of vitamin D3 was specific for the 5-LO pathway, not affecting total release of AA or its metabolism via 12-lipoxygenase or cyclooxoygenase (COX) pathways in macrophages. Furthermore, it did not affect COX protein expression in macrophages or type II alveolar epithelial cells. In control animals, 1,25-(OH)2D3 concentrations were greater in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (2.6-fold) and peritoneal lavage fluid (1.6-fold) than in serum, which may account for the greater FLAP expression in AM and PM than in PBM. These observations suggest that 1,25-(OH)2D3 plays a physiological role in upregulating the 5-LO pathway in tissue macrophages in vivo.

5-Lipoxygenase-Activating Proteins↗
PubMed1994

Regulation of myosin isozyme expression by vitamin D3 deficiency and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 in the rat heart.

In this report, we demonstrate a significant inverse correlation between contractility and serum 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25-(OH)2D3] levels and no correlation between contractility and serum levels of calcium, phosphate, or PTH. We also examined myosin isozyme distribution in vitamin D3-deficient rats, because myosin isozyme distribution can alter contractility. There was a significant increase in the levels of the V1 myosin isozyme in animals raised on a vitamin D3-deficient diet that maintained normal serum calcium and phosphate levels. There was no difference in the relative myosin isozyme distribution in animals raised on a hypocalcemia-yielding vitamin D3-deficient diet vs. animals raised on a control diet. As increased contractility has been observed in both groups of vitamin D3-deficient animals, a shift in myosin isozyme distribution cannot solely explain the increase in contractility previously observed in the vitamin D3-deficient rat heart. To determine whether 1,25-(OH)2D3 directly regulates myosin isozyme levels, we analyzed myosin isozyme distribution in primary cultures of ventricular myocytes. We found that 1,25-(OH)2D3 reduces total myosin levels, but does not alter myosin isozyme distribution. Thus, we show that the influence of vitamin D3 status on myosin isozyme expression in the intact rat involves a complex regulatory system of direct and indirect effects.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Inhibition of cancer cell growth by calcium channel antagonists in the athymic mouse.

The calcium channel antagonists (CCAs) amlodipine, diltiazem, and verapamil inhibited HT-39 human breast cancer cell proliferation in a concentration-dependent manner. The apparent 50% inhibitory dose values were 1.5 microM for the dihydropyridine amlodipine, 5 microM for the benzothiazapine diltiazem, and 10 microM for the phenylalkylamine verapamil. Amlodipine treatment caused a rapid concentration-dependent decrease of intracellular calcium concentration in the HT-39 cell line. Addition of 1 microM amlodipine had no effect on intracellular calcium levels, 3 microM amlodipine lowered intracellular calcium levels in the HT-39 cells by 13.7%, and 10 microM amlodipine lowered intracellular calcium levels by 33.2%. Also, lowering medium calcium levels from 2.0 mM to 0.5 microM resulted in a rapid 41.3% decrease in intracellular calcium and a concomitant 60% inhibition of HT-39 cell DNA synthesis. When HT-39 cells were transplanted into athymic mice, marked hypercalcemia developed. Serum calcium levels from control mice were 8.3 +/- 0.6 mg/dl (mean +/- SE; n = 4); those from tumor-bearing mice were 11.3 +/- 0.08 mg/dl (mean +/- SE; n = 17). Blood calcium levels correlated directly with tumor size (r = 0.91, P less than 0.01). We examined the capacity of three CCAs to specifically inhibit HT-39 tumor growth in vivo. One week after inoculation of HT-39 cells, mice were acclimated to vehicle or 0.1 mg/day amlodipine, 1.0 mg/day diltiazem, or 1.0 mg/day verpamil, in their drinking water, for 7 days. Oral administration of the dihydropyridine amlodipine (0.35 mg/day) for 10 days inhibited HT-39 breast tumor growth by 83.5 +/- 20.1% (mean +/- SE). Oral administration of diltiazem (3.5 mg/day) inhibited HT-39 breast tumor growth rate by 46.5 +/- 6.6% over a 2-week measurement period, and verapamil (3.5 mg/day) inhibited tumor growth rate by 68.2 +/- 9.7% (mean +/- SE). The CCAs had no effect on mouse body weight or gross organ morphology at the concentrations used. Lack of depolarization-induced calcium fluxes in the HT-39 cell line suggests that these cells do not express voltage-operated calcium channels. Thus, our study correlates an effect of amlodipine to lower intracellular calcium levels, by a mechanism not known at present, with its effect to inhibit HT-39 cell proliferation. These findings are important since they demonstrate that amlodipine and other CCAs with known pharmacodynamics and side effects act to blunt breast tumor progression in vivo.

Amlodipine↗
PubMed1992

Identification of lamin B and histones as 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3-regulated nuclear phosphoproteins in HL-60 cells.

1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25-(OH)2D3)-induced differentiation of HL-60 leukemia cells is accompanied by a number of cellular changes including regulation of oncogene expression and induction of terminal differentiation. We investigated the mechanism by which 1,25-(OH)2D3 induces these changes. We detected 10 nuclear phosphoproteins, designated p66, p45, p36, p33, p32, p27, p22, p19, p18 and p17, that show alterations in phosphorylation within 6-40 h of 1,25-(OH)2D3 treatment. When phosphorylation reactions were performed with isolated nuclei (in vitro), three of these proteins were phosphorylated in a calcium and phospholipid dependent manner: p66, p36, and p19 P66 was phosphorylated in response to 1,25-(OH)2D3 and purified in a manner similar to that used for nuclear lamins. Western blot analysis of 2-dimensional sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) gels confirmed its identity as lamin B. Phosphorylation of p17 and p18 decreased following 1,25-(OH)2D3 treatment. We separated p17 and p18 by SDS-PAGE and obtained N-terminal amino acid sequence to identify these phosphorproteins as histones H2b and H3, respectively. P19 and p22 were both DNA-cellulose binding proteins whose phosphorylation was altered by 1,25-(OH)2D3 treatment. Increased phosphorylation of p27 was detected using 2-dimensional SDS-PAGE. Phosphorylation of nuclear proteins in the intact cell (in vivo), revealed increases in p66, p45, p36, and p33 phosphorylation and a decrease in p17 phosphorylation following 1,25-(OH)2D3 treatment. We detected an increase in phosphorylation of p32, which was extracted with salt from nuclei and migrated on SDS-PAGE similar to histone H1. Thus, we have identified 1,25-(OH)2D3-sensitive nuclear phosphoproteins, including lamin B and several histones. We have also detected and characterized several less abundant nuclear DNA binding phosphoproteins whose phosphorylation was affected by 1,25-(OH)2D3.

Autoradiography↗
PubMed1991

Calcitriol-mediated modulation of urokinase-type plasminogen activator and plasminogen activator inhibitor-2.

Calcitriol-induced differentiation of U937 mononuclear phagocytes is known to have divergent effects on the synthesis of urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-2 (PAI-2). In this study, we sought to determine whether calcitriol affects the expression of these proteins by modulating intermediate signal transduction involving intracellular calcium and protein kinase C (PKC). U937 cells were stimulated with calcitriol (50 nM) for 6-72 hr, inducing a transient increase in specific binding of [3H]phorbol dibutyrate ([3H]PDBu), seen only after 24 hr. Staurosporine (2 nM), a PKC inhibitor, had no effect on calcitriol-induced secretion of plasminogen activator (PA) activity. However, staurosporine significantly (P less than 0.05) inhibited the ability of calcitriol to enhance phorbol myristate acetate (PMA)-induced secretion of PA inhibitor activity, indicating that this priming effect of calcitriol requires expression of PKC. The calcium ionophore A23187 (0.1 microM) induced a modest increase in secreted PA inhibitor activity, in contrast to the secretion of PA activity which is consistently seen in response to calcitriol. Northern blot analysis demonstrated that A23187 induced an increase in PAI-2 mRNA and a marked reduction in uPA mRNA, while calcitriol induced opposite changes in both mRNA species. We conclude that calcitriol modulates uPA and PAI-2 expression by multiple mechanisms that are both PKC dependent and PKC independent. Our studies also demonstrated that increased intracellular calcium alters the synthesis of both uPA and PAI-2 in a manner which favors expression of PA inhibitor activity.

Blotting, Northern↗