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T Kakunaga

Publications and source records attributed to T Kakunaga.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1993

Syrian hamster embryo cell lines useful for detecting transforming genes in mouse tumours: detection of transforming genes in X-ray-related mouse tumours.

The Syrian hamster embryo cell lines, SHOK and MC-1, were used as recipient cells for DNA transfection assay to detect transforming genes in experimental mouse tumours. A mouse repeat sequence was utilised to check whether each transformed focus included mouse genomic DNA in the Hamster background. We investigated five mouse tumours that are related to X-ray radiation, and detected activated c-K-ras, c-mos, and c-cot oncogenes which induced foci of hamster cells. These results show that SHOK and MC-1 cells have unique properties for detecting transforming genes in experimental mouse tumours.

3T3 Cells↗
PubMed1991

Transcriptional regulatory elements in the 5' upstream and first intron regions of the human smooth muscle (aortic type) alpha-actin-encoding gene.

We have determined the nucleotide (nt) sequence of 5.5 kb including the 5' flanking, first untranslated exon and first intron regions of the human smooth muscle (SM) (aortic type) alpha-actin-(Sm alpha A)- encoding gene. The promoter region and a part of the first intron show remarkably high sequence conservation with equivalent regions of the chicken gene, and contain multiple transcriptional regulatory elements. From transient chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene (cat) expression assays in SM cells, a DNA fragment from nt -123 to +49 containing two CArG boxes showed strong positive promoter activity, whereas a far upstream region from nt -253 to -124 showed a negative effect. The conserved region in the first intron also contains the CArG box and showed an enhancer activity. Therefore, the human SM alpha A gene is controlled under positive and negative mechanisms.

Actins↗
PubMed1991

Structure, chromosome location, and expression of the human smooth muscle (enteric type) gamma-actin gene: evolution of six human actin genes.

Recombinant phages that carry the human smooth muscle (enteric type) gamma-actin gene were isolated from human genomic DNA libraries. The amino acid sequence deduced from the nucleotide sequence matches those of cDNAs but differs from the protein sequence previously reported at one amino acid position, codon 359. The gene containing one 5' untranslated exon and eight coding exons extends for 27 kb on human chromosome 2. The intron between codons 84 and 85 (site 3) is unique to the two smooth muscle actin genes. In the 5' flanking region, there are several CArG boxes and E boxes, which are regulatory elements in some muscle-specific genes. Hybridization with the 3' untranslated region, which is specific for the human smooth muscle gamma-actin gene, suggests the single gene in the human genome and specific expressions in enteric and aortic tissues. From characterized molecular structures of the six human actin isoform genes, we propose a hypothesis of evolutionary pathway of the actin gene family. A presumed ancestral actin gene had introns at least sites 1, 2, and 4 through 8. Cytoplasmic actin genes may have directly evolved from it through loss of introns at sites 5 and 6. However, through duplication of the ancestral actin gene with substitutions of many amino acids, a prototype of muscle actin genes had been created. Subsequently, striated muscle actin and smooth muscle actin genes may have evolved from this prototype by loss of an intron at site 4 and acquisition of a new intron at site 3, respectively.

Actins↗
PubMed1991

Structure and transforming potential of the human cot oncogene encoding a putative protein kinase.

A new transforming gene has been molecularly cloned from hamster SHOK cells transformed with DNA extracted from a human thyroid carcinoma cell line and named the cot (cancer Osaka thyroid) oncogene. cDNA sequencing disclosed that this oncogene codes for a protein with 415 amino acid residues, and computer matching showed 42 to 48% similarity matches with serine protein kinases. Its gene product was identified as a 52-kDa protein by transcription and translation in vitro. Expression of cot cDNA under transcriptional control by a retroviral long terminal repeat induced morphological transformation of NIH 3T3 cells as well as SHOK cells. Protein kinase activity associated with constructed p60gag-cot was detected by immune complex kinase assay with anti-gag antiserum. The cot oncogene was overexpressed in transformed SHOK cells and found to have a rearranged 3' end in the last coding exon, which probably resulted in a deletion and an altered C' terminus in the transforming protein. This DNA rearrangement appeared to have occurred during transfection of the tumor DNA into hamster SHOK cells and not in the original thyroid tumor.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1990

Monoclonal antibodies specific to a Ca2(+)-bound form of lipocortin I distinguish its Ca2(+)-dependent phospholipid-binding ability from its ability to inhibit phospholipase A2.

Lipocortin I, a Ca2(+)-and phospholipid-binding protein without EF-hand structures, has many biological effects in vitro. Its actual role in vivo, however is unknown. We obtained and characterized five monoclonal antibodies to lipocortin I. Two of these monoclonal antibodies (L2 and L4-MAbs) reacted with the Ca(+)-bound form of lipocortin I, but not with the Ca2(+)-free form, both in vivo and in vitro. Lipocortin I required greater than or equal to 10 microM-Ca2+ to bind the two antibodies, and this Ca2+ requirement was not affected by phosphatidylserine. L2-MAb abolished the phospholipase A2 inhibitory activity of lipocortin I and inhibited its binding to Escherichia coli membranes and to phosphatidylserine in vitro. L4-MAb abolished the phospholipase A2 inhibitory activity of lipocortin I, but did not affect its binding to E. coli membranes or to phosphatidylserine. These findings indicated that the inhibition of phospholipase A2 by lipocortin I was not simply due to removal or capping of the substrates in E. coli membranes. Furthermore, an immunofluorescence study using L2-MAb showed the actual existence of Ca2(+)-bound form of lipocortin I in vivo.

Annexins↗
PubMed1990

Alteration of N-ras gene mutation after relapse in acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

We investigated N-ras activation in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (dALL) by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and the oligonucleotide hybridization method. The frequency of point-mutation of the N-ras gene was not high (2 of 15), and one positive case who relapsed was analyzed in detail. Although N-ras gene activation was detected at both onset and relapse, the mutation sites were different. At onset, Gly (GGT) was changed to Ser (AGT) at codon 12, and at relapse, Gly (GGT) to Asp (GAT) was observed at the same codon. In addition, the DNA at relapse showed a remarkably higher transforming activity than the DNA at onset on two independent recipient cell lines. The identical cell surface phenotype and the same rearrangement patterns of both the immunoglobulin (Ig) heavy chain and T-cell receptor (TCR) gamma chain genes indicated that the leukemic cells at onset and those at relapse were derived from the same precursor cell. Therefore, this case supports the concept that ras activation is not the event initiating leukemogenesis, but may be involved in leukemic progression.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1990

Hamster cell line suitable for transfection assay of transforming genes.

We established a subclone, SHOK, from the GHE-L cell line, an immortal line derived from a primary culture of Syrian hamster embryo cells, as a recipient cell line useful for the detection of oncogenes by transfection. SHOK cells were almost as susceptible as NIH 3T3 cells to focus formation by many oncogenes, including v-raf, v-Ha-ras, v-Ki-ras, or activated c-Ha-ras. The susceptibility of SHOK to focus formation was higher than that of NIH 3T3 for v-mos but was lower for v-fps, v-fgr, v-src, v-sis, and v-abl. When DNAs extracted from 27 human and murine tumors were tested for focus formation, 5 DNAs were positive in NIH 3T3 cells, whereas 9 were positive in SHOK cells at the primary transfection. Using SHOK cells as recipients of tumor cellular DNA, we isolated another oncogene and a c-Ki-ras2 gene mutated at codon 146 that were difficult to detect in NIH 3T3 cells. SHOK cells have a low rate of spontaneous transformation, produce easily distinguishable foci, and maintain a stable karyotype in transformed cells. In addition to being useful for the screening of human tumor DNAs, SHOK cells will be useful for the isolation of oncogenes from murine tumors because of their hamster origin.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Novel non-tumorigenic cell variants showing potentially different susceptibility to v-src-induced metastasis.

Two non-tumorigenic variant cells were isolated from UV-irradiated Balb/c 3T3 cells on the basis of their different responsiveness in phorbol ester-induced morphological change (rounding formation). They showed marked differences of lung metastatic potentials after intravenous injections of their v-src transformants into nude mice; phorbol ester-resistant variant TR4 cells transformed by v-src were hypermetastatic, whereas v-src transformants of phorbol ester-sensitive variant TR5 cells were not metastatic at all. These different metastatic responses were not observed in v-K-ras-induced transformants of the variants. These non-tumorigenic variant cells may pre-acquire the genetic alteration of certain src-specific and metastasis-associated factors. This system may be useful for genetic analysis of the induction of metastasis.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Structure of 3'-downstream segment of the human smooth muscle (aortic-type) alpha-actin-encoding gene and isolation of the specific DNA probe.

We isolated the 3'-downstream part of the human aortic smooth muscle alpha-actin (SM alpha A)-encoding gene and determined the nucleotide sequence, including the ninth (last) exon and 3'-untranslated (UT) region. From the comparison of the human 3'-UT region with rat and chicken 3'-UT regions, its homology is lower than those in 3'-UT regions of other actin isoforms such as cardiac alpha-actin and cytoskeletal beta-actin. Therefore, by using the 3'-UT region of the human SM alpha A gene as an actin isoform-specific probe, this gene was detected as a single copy only in the human genome, which expressed the 1.7-kb RNA transcript in an aortic tissue-specific manner.

Actins↗
PubMed1989

Characterizations of two distinct Ca2+-dependent phospholipid-binding proteins of 68-kDa isolated from human placenta.

Two distinct 68-kDa proteins, named 68K-I (pI 6.4) and 68K-II (pI 5.6), were solubilized from human placenta by treatment with 5 mM EGTA. On DE52 cellulose column chromatography at pH 7.4, 68K-I in the EGTA eluate was recovered in the unadsorbed fractions, whereas 68K-II was retained on the column and eluted with 0.2 M NaCl. The 68K-I protein was obtained in more than 95% purity by further hydroxylapatite and cation exchange chromatographies, while the 68K-II protein was purified further by gel filtration and hydroxylapatite chromatographies. Partial amino acid sequence data showed that 68K-I protein was a novel protein which shared the same sequences as lipocortin I and that 68K-II was the same as human p68/67-kDa calelectrin (Crompton, M. R., Owens, R. J., Totty, N. F., Moss, S. E., Waterfield, M.D., and Crumpton, M. J. (1988) EMBO J. 7, 21-27; Südhof, T. C., Slaughter, C. A., Leznicki, I., Barjon, P., and Reynolds, G. A. (1988) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 85, 664-668). The two proteins bound to acidic phospholipids, phosphatidylserine, and/or phosphatidylinositol, but not to phosphatidylcholine, in the presence of micromolar levels of Ca2+. 68K-I bound to phosphatidylinositol preferentially to phosphatidylserine, whereas 68K-II bound only to phosphatidylserine. Both 68K-I and 68K-II inhibited phospholipase A2 activity, and the inhibition by 68K-II was detectable only in the presence of 100 mM KCl. 68K-I, but not 68K-II, was found to bind to F-actin in a Ca2+-dependent (1 mM) manner. Moreover 68K-I, but not 68K-II, was phosphorylated in vitro at tyrosine residues by fps kinase and by epidermal growth factor receptor/kinase, the latter reaction being dependent on Ca2+ and epidermal growth factor. Western blot analysis with affinity purified anti-68K-I and anti-68K-II antibodies showed that 68K-I was located in only certain tissues, especially human placenta, whereas 68K-II was present in many human and rat tissues.

Actins↗
PubMed1989

Cross-linking of lipocortin I and enhancement of its Ca2+ sensitivity by tissue transglutaminase.

The stimulation of human epidermoid carcinoma A431 cells with the calcium ionophore A23187 resulted in the formation of high-molecular-weight lipocortins I, having apparent molecular weights of 75 kDa and 160 kDa as detected with specific anti-lipocortin I antibody. These immunoreactive proteins were identified to be covalently cross-linked multimers of lipocortin I, since essentially the same cross-linked multimers were observed when purified lipocortin I was incubated with tissue transglutaminase (TGase) in vitro. Classical amine substrates for TGase, such as dansylcadaverine and putrescine, were also incorporated stoichiometrically into lipocortin I. Cross-linking or amine incorporation was not observed with lipocortin II. Des 1-26 lipocortin I did not serve as a substrate for TGase, indicating that the N-terminal region of lipocortin I plays an important role in the formation of lipocortin I multimers. The cross-linking of lipocortin I by TGase resulted in a remarkable enhancement of calcium sensitivity for phospholipid binding; i.e., the free calcium concentration required for the cross-linked lipocortin I to attain 50% maximal binding to phosphatidylserine vesicles was as little as 3 microM, while that required for intact monomeric lipocortin I was 20 microM.

Annexins↗
PubMed1989

Specific inhibitors of tyrosine-specific protein kinases: properties of 4-hydroxycinnamamide derivatives in vitro.

Inhibition by seven synthetic 4-hydroxycinnamamide derivatives, ST 271, ST 280, ST 458, ST 494, ST 633, ST 638, and ST 642, of tyrosine-specific protein kinases (tyrosine kinase) of oncogene or proto-oncogene products (p130gag-v-fps, p70gag-actin-v-fgr, pp60v-src, pp60c-src) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor kinase were investigated. ST 638 (alpha-cyano-3-ethoxy-4-hydroxy-5-phenylthiomethylcinnamamide) strongly inhibited more of the tyrosine kinases than any of the other compounds. The susceptibilities of these tyrosine kinases to ST 638 increased in the following order: EGF receptor greater than p70gag-actin-v-fgr greater than pp60c-src greater than p130gag-v-fps, pp60v-src, with 50% inhibitory concentration values of 1.1, 4.2, 18, 70, and 87 microM, respectively. The phosphorylation of the tyrosine residues in particulate fractions from RR1022 cells expressing pp60v-src was inhibited by ST 638 in a dose-dependent way, while it had a negligible effect on the phosphorylations of threonine and serine residues. Kinetic analysis showed that ST 638 competitively inhibited the phosphorylation of an exogenous substrate by the EGF receptor kinase with a Ki of 2.1 microM. ST 638 noncompetitively inhibited autophosphorylation by EGF receptor kinase. These results indicate that ST 638 is a potent and specific inhibitor of tyrosine kinases in vitro, and that its inhibitory activity is caused by competing with the substrate protein for the tyrosine kinase binding site.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed1989

Enhancement of calcium sensitivity of lipocortin I in phospholipid binding induced by limited proteolysis and phosphorylation at the amino terminus as analyzed by phospholipid affinity column chromatography.

A phospholipid column was prepared by coating siliconized porous glass beads with phospholipids. The analysis of the Ca2+ requirement of lipocortin I and its derivatives in the binding to phospholipids was carried out with this column. The Ca2+ concentration required for 50% binding to the phospholipid column at room temperature was about 30 microM for lipocortin I, while that was reduced to 15 microM when lipocortin I was phosphorylated by the epidermal growth factor receptor/kinase, and a further reduction in the Ca2+ requirement was observed with proteolytic cleavage at the N-terminal region. Cathepsin D and calpain I (low calcium-requiring form of calcium-activated neutral protease) rapidly cleaved human placental lipocortin I at Trp-12 and Lys-26, respectively. These N-terminal-truncated proteins required only 5 microM Ca2+ for 50% binding to the phospholipid column. This enhancement of Ca2+ sensitivity by limited proteolysis was also observed for porcine lung lipocortin I. Essentially the same results were obtained when the Ca2+ sensitivities of the modified lipocortins I were analyzed using dispersed phospholipid vesicles instead of the phospholipid affinity column. Equilibrium dialysis indicated that the release of the N-terminal region markedly increased the affinity of lipocortin I for Ca2+ in the presence of phosphatidylserine, without any appreciable change of the number of Ca2+-binding sites. Limited proteolysis by endogenous proteases such as calpain may be an important regulatory mechanism for the Ca2+ sensitivity of lipocortin I in phospholipid binding.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1989

Identification of a site that mediates transcriptional response of the human beta-actin gene to serum factors.

In quiescent fibroblasts, low-level transcription of the beta-actin gene occurs, and it is rapidly induced by growth factors in serum. Deletion analysis of the 5' upstream region of the human beta-actin gene using a CAT assay showed that the region between +765 and +783 downstream from the cap site, which had enhancer activity in growing NIH3T3 cells, also acted as a serum-response element in quiescent cells. The data suggest that the 19-bp element acts positively as a serum response element. This sequence contains a CC(A/T)6GG sequence which is found in the promoter region of many cytoskeletal and muscle-specific actin genes.

Actins↗
PubMed1989

DNA bending and binding factors of the human beta-actin promoter.

Transcription of the beta-actin gene is rapidly inducible in response to serum stimulation. To determine the regions responsible for serum inducible and basal level expression, the human beta-actin promoter was subjected to mutational analysis. Two distinct elements, the CCAAT homology and the beta-actin specific conserved sequences, were found by a chloramphenicol acetyltransferase expression assay and sequence comparisons, and then analyzed for possible functions. Using a DNA bend assay, it was shown that the conserved sequences included the core of a sequence-directed bend of DNA. Gel mobility shift and DNase I protection assays revealed that the conserved sequences and the CCAAT homology were recognized by binding factors in HeLa cell extracts.

Actins↗
PubMed1989

Analysis of cell variants showing differential susceptibilities to radiation- or chemical-induced neoplastic transformation: differences in their responses to growth factors.

The induction of DNA synthesis in quiescent, density-arrested Balb/c 3T3 cells is known to be controlled by the sequential action of at least two functionally distinct sets of growth factors, so-called "competence factors" and "progression factors." Here we examined this induction pathway in Balb/c 3T3 A31-I variants, which showed differential susceptibilities to radiation- and chemical-induced neoplastic transformation despite their similar susceptibilities to radiation- or chemical-induced cell killing and mutagenesis. DNA synthesis was acquired only with the exposure to progression factors in a highly susceptible cell variant (A31-1-13) whereas both competence factors and progression factors were required for a less susceptible cell variant (A31-I-1). The competent state constitutively produced by an autologous mechanism in the highly transformation-susceptible A31-I-13 cells suggests the existence of an endogenous promoter that acts for the expression of the transformed phenotype in an autocrine fashion when the cells have been initiated by radiation or chemical carcinogens. The growth factor requirements acting as a determining factor for susceptibilities to transformation are discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Cotransfection of plasmids with ras and myc oncogenes to diploid cells derived from rodent fetuses: alteration of neoplastic transformation frequency depending on the gestation period.

To analyze the mechanism of neoplastic transformation of rodent diploid cells by ras and myc oncogenes, human EJ c-Ha-ras and mouse c-myc second and third exons promoted by SV40 promoter were connected to pSV2neo and pSV2gpt, respectively. Mouse and rat primary fetal cells cotransfected with both genes formed transformed and nontransformed colonies in a medium containing G418 and mycophenolic acid (MPA). The proportion of transformed colonies in the total G418/MPA-resistant colonies decreased dependent on the stage of the gestation period of rat fetuses from which primary cells had been obtained. Analysis of randomly isolated colonies showed that the transformed colonies had a high copy number and high amount of expression of the introduced genes, were anchorage independent, and were tumorigenic in nude mice. On the other hand, the nontransformed colonies had a low copy number, low amount of expression, and no tumorigenicity. This contrast indicated not only that the activated Ha-ras and myc oncogenes had been integrated, but also that the amplification or overexpression (or both) of these genes was required for the rodent diploid cells to be transformed. We conclude that early-stage rat fetal cells might have endogenous factors that promote cell transformation. Alternatively, late-stage cells might have factors that suppress cell transformation by activated Ha-ras and myc oncogenes.

Animals↗