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T Bellón

Publications and source records attributed to T Bellón.

25 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Regulated expression of p150,95 (CD11c/CD18; alpha X/beta 2) and VLA-4 (CD49d/CD29; alpha 4/beta 1) integrins during myeloid cell differentiation.

Integrins are a family of cell surface heterodimers which mediate both cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix interactions and affect cellular differentiation through their signal transduction capacity. Integrin expression is regulated during differentiation as well as by numerous growth factors and cytokines. We have analyzed the changes in p150,95 (CD11c/CD18 or alpha X/beta 2) and VLA-4 (CD49d/CD29 or alpha 4/beta 1) integrin subunits mRNA levels that take place during the myeloid differentiation of HL60 and U937 cells, and compared them to other integrins with similar functional activities. Northern blot analysis revealed that the monocytic differentiation of U937 and HL60 cells alters the alpha X and alpha 4 mRNA steady-state levels: alpha X mRNA is induced de novo whereas alpha 4 mRNA decreases to undetectable levels. Both changes were dependent on the activity of protein kinase C and were also observed upon granulocytic differentiation of HL60 cells. Parallel analysis of other integrin subunits mRNA (beta 1, alpha 5, beta 7) demonstrated that the mRNA levels for the alpha subunits of the fibronectin receptors alpha 4/beta 1 (VLA-4) and alpha 5/beta 1 (VLA-5) are differentially regulated during the monocytic differentiation of myeloid cell lines, and suggested that myeloid cells express a heterodimer formed by the association of beta 7 with an integrin alpha subunit distinct from alpha 4. Nuclear transcription assays and functional analysis of the alpha X and alpha 4 promoter regions demonstrated that the transcription rate of the alpha X gene is considerably elevated after phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate treatment of U937 cells, while that of alpha 4 is almost unaffected, suggesting that post-transcriptional mechanisms are causing the extremely low alpha 4 mRNA levels observed in differentiated U937 cells.

Blotting, Northern↗

Identification and expression of two forms of the human transforming growth factor-beta-binding protein endoglin with distinct cytoplasmic regions.

Endoglin is an homodimeric membrane antigen with capacity to bind transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) and whose expression is up-regulated on myeloid cells upon differentiation to macrophages. We have isolated full-length cDNA clones from a lambda gt 10 library, prepared from phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate-differentiated HL60 cells by screening with an endoglin-specific cDNA probe from endothelial cells. Sequencing of the largest clone (3073 bp), revealed that the leader sequence contains 25 residues and that the 586 amino acids of the extracellular and transmembrane domains were identical to those described for endothelial endoglin. However, the cytoplasmic tail encoded by this cDNA clone contains only 14 amino acids as opposed to the 47 residues previously reported, suggesting the existence of two alternative endoglin variants. The expression of these isoforms was demonstrated by polymerase chain reaction analyses on endothelial cells, myelomonocytic cell lines HL-60 and U-937, and placenta. Independent cDNA constructs corresponding to both forms were transfected into mouse fibroblasts leading to the expression of two distinct endoglin molecules. Both forms were shown to bind TGF-beta 1 and, when overexpressed in transfected mouse fibroblasts, to form disulfide-linked homodimers, indicating that the cysteine residues present in the extracellular domain are responsible for the dimerization.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Assignment of the human endoglin gene (END) to 9q34-->qter.

Endoglin is a homodimeric membrane glycoprotein primarily associated with human vascular endothelium. It is also found on bone marrow proerythroblasts, activated monocytes and on lymphoblasts in childhood leukemia. Endoglin has recently been described as a component of the transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) receptor system as it can bind TGF-beta 1 with high affinity. We now report on the localization of the human endoglin gene (END) to human chromosome 9, by Southern blot analysis of BglII fragments of DNA from human-hamster somatic cell hybrids. This chromosomal localization was confirmed by fluorescent in situ hybridization coupled with Distamicin A (DA)/4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) banding on human chromosomes. The regional localization was assigned to 9q34-->qter by GTG-banding (G-banding by trypsin using Giemsa stain), indicating a telomeric position with respect to the Philadelphia breakpoint.

Animals↗

Endoglin is a component of the transforming growth factor-beta receptor system in human endothelial cells.

Endoglin, a dimeric membrane glycoprotein expressed at high levels on human vascular endothelial cells, shares regions of sequence identity with betaglycan, a major binding protein for transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) that co-exists with TGF-beta receptors I and II in a variety of cell lines but is low or absent in endothelial cells. We have examined whether endoglin also binds TGF-beta and demonstrate here that the major TGF-beta 1-binding protein co-existing with TGF-beta receptors I and II on human umbilical vein endothelial cells is endoglin, as determined by specific immunoprecipitation of endoglin affinity-labeled with 125I-TGF-beta. Furthermore, endoglin ectopically expressed in COS cells binds TGF-beta 1. Competition affinity-labeling experiments showed that endoglin binds TGF-beta 1 (KD approximately 50 pM) and TGF-beta 3 with high affinity but fails to bind TGF-beta 2. This difference in affinity of endoglin for the TGF-beta isoforms is in contrast to beta-glycan which recognizes all three isoforms. TGF-beta however is binding with high affinity to only a small fraction of the available endoglin molecules, suggesting that some rate-limiting event is required to sustain TGF-beta binding to endoglin.

Antigens, CD↗

Camptothecin induces differentiation and stimulates the expression of differentiation-related genes in U-937 human promonocytic leukemia cells.

We have studied the effect of the DNA topoisomerase I inhibitor camptothecin on growth, differentiation, and gene expression in U-937 human promonocytic leukemia cells. At a concentration of 20 nM, camptothecin caused significant DNA strand breakage and decreased the growth activity by accumulating cells preferentially at the G2 phase of the cycle. The growth arrest occurred concomitantly with an increase in cell size. Under those conditions, camptothecin induced differentiation, as demonstrated by (a) the capacity of the cells to generate reactive oxygen species, (b) the increase in the surface expression of the leukocyte integrins CD11b/CD18 and CD11c/CD18, (c) the increase in the cellular content of the intermediate filament protein vimentin, and (d) the decrease in the surface expression of the transferrin receptor. Camptothecin also induced the expression of differentiation markers in other human myeloid cells, namely, the promonocytic THP-1 and the myelomonocytic HL-60 cell lines. Northern blot assays revealed that camptothecin stimulated the expression of CD11b, CD11c, and vimentin at the mRNA level. Moreover, the drug increased the transcription rate of the vimentin gene, as shown by "run-on" transcription assays.

Camptothecin↗

Induction of LFA-1-mediated homotypic adhesions in promonocytic U-937 cells occurs independently of cell differentiation.

The differentiation of monocytes into macrophages occurs along with a marked increase in LFA-1-dependent intercellular adhesions. Similarly, the phorbol ester-induced differentiation of U-937 promonocytic cells into macrophage-like cells is morphologically characterized by an important increase in LFA-1/ICAM-1-dependent intercellular homotypic adhesions. Since an important functional role in activation of human T cells has been demonstrated for LFA-1-dependent adherence, we have analyzed whether the induction of LFA-1-dependent intercellular adhesion of human monocytic cells is necessarily accompanied by differentiation of these cells. We found that treatment of the promonocytic U-937 cells with the anti-LFA-1 mAb NKI-L16 induces formation of intercellular clusters, but does not induce cell differentiation as determined by several differentiation markers. These markers include the arrest of cell proliferation, production of reactive oxygen species, changes in the cell surface expression of differentiation-associated antigens such as the transferrin receptor, CD11b and CD11c and changes in the levels of several specific gene transcripts such as CD18 antigen, c-myc, ornithine decarboxylase and vimentin. These findings suggest that LFA-1-dependent adhesion and differentiation of monocytic cells are independent processes.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗