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Y Ishijima

Publications and source records attributed to Y Ishijima.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Regulation of cellular functions by nucleoside diphosphate kinases in mammals.

The role of nucleoside diphosphate (NDP) kinases in cell growth, differentiation, and tumor metastasis in relation to signal transduction was investigated. The essential role of NDP kinase in cell growth was validated by coupling between reduced NDP kinase levels, induced by antisense oligonucleotides, and the suppression of proliferative activity of a cultured cell line. In addition, because NDP kinase levels are often enhanced with development and differentiation, as has been demonstrated in postmitotic cells and tissues, such as the heart and brain, we further examined this possibility using the bone tissue (osteoblasts) and a cultured cell line PC12D. The enhanced NDP kinase accumulation was demonstrated in the matured osteoblasts in vivo and in vitro by immunohistochemistry. In PC12D cells, neurite outgrowth took place in NDP kinase beta-transfected clones without differentiation inducers, which was accompanied by prolongation of doubling time. Neurite outgrowth, triggered by nerve growth factor and a cyclic AMP analog, was down-regulated upon forced expression of inactive mutant NDP kinase by virtue of a dominant negative effect. NDP kinase alpha-transfected rat mammary adenocarcinoma cells (MTLn3) and nm23-H2-transfected human oral squamous cell carcinoma cells (LMF4) manifested reduced metastatic potential and were associated with an altered sensitivity to environmental factors, such as motility and growth factors. NDP kinase alpha, compared to NDP kinase beta, was involved in a wide variety of the cellular phenomena examined. Taken together, NDP kinase isoforms appear to elicit both their own respective and common effects. They may have an ability to lead cells to both proliferative and differentiated states by modulating responsiveness to environmental factors, but their fate seems to depend on their surrounding milieu.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Overexpression of nucleoside diphosphate kinases induces neurite outgrowth and their substitution to inactive forms leads to suppression of nerve growth factor- and dibutyryl cyclic AMP-induced effects in PC12D cells.

Whether nucleoside diphosphate kinase (NDPK) is involved in neuronal differentiation was investigated with special reference to its enzyme activity. Neurite outgrowth of PC12D cells induced by nerve growth factor or a cyclic AMP analog was suppressed to some extent when inactive NDPKs (the active site histidine 118 was replaced with alanine), not active forms, were transiently overexpressed. This suppression was more definite in their stably expressed clones. NDPKbeta-transfected clones and, to a lesser extent, NDPKalpha-transfected clones, but not inactive NDPK-transfected clones, extended neurites without differentiation inducers. These results imply that NDPKs may play a role by exerting their enzyme activity during differentiation of PC12 cells.

Alanine↗

Overexpression of nm23-H2/NDP kinase B in a human oral squamous cell carcinoma cell line results in reduced metastasis, differentiated phenotype in the metastatic site, and growth factor-independent proliferative activity in culture.

The metastasis suppressor activity of nm23/nucleoside diphosphate (NDP) kinase was assessed using human oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) cell lines. When the expression of nm23/NDP kinase was compared among several SCC cell lines, nm23-H2/NDP kinase B gene product, but not nm23-HI/NDP kinase A gene product, was reduced in the metastatic cells. Transfection of nm23-H2 into the metastatic SCC cell line LMF4 caused reduction in the lung metastasis in an experimental metastasis assay. A histological analysis of the pulmonary metastatic foci revealed that although foci of the control clones were composed of anaplastic squamous cells, those of the nm23-H2-transfected clones consisted of mostly well-differentiated cells mimicking normal stratified epithelial constitution. The transfected cells were morphologically indistinguishable from the control ones in culture, but they differed from each other in that the former cells proliferated faster than the latter, became less serum dependent, and lost responsiveness to growth factors such as platelet-derived growth factor, insulin-like growth factor I, and insulin, although both clones retained sensitivity to transferrin. These results demonstrate that nm23-H2 protein does have metastasis suppressor activity for human SCC cells and suggest that this activity may be elicited by modulating growth and/or differentiation potential in response to environmental factors.

Animals↗

Expression of thymopoietin beta/lamina-associated polypeptide 2 (TP beta/LAP2) and its family proteins as revealed by specific antibody induced against recombinant human thymopoietin.

An expression vector was constructed to produce a common region of human thymopoietin family proteins. The recombinant protein was expressed in Escherichia coli as a fusion protein with a biotinylated tag region and purified by affinity chromatography on a monomeric avidin resin. The thymopoietin family-specific antibody was induced in rabbits by immunization with the recombinant fusion protein. Western blotting analysis using the antibody revealed that the expression of thymopoietin family proteins was remarkably tissue specific. Among those, thymopoietin beta/lamina-associated polypeptide 2 appears to be specifically expressed in tissues with high proliferative activity.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Detection of thymopoietin-responsive proteins in nude mouse spleen cells by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and image processing.

Lymphoid cells isolated from the spleen of BALB/c nu/nu nude mice were treated with synthetic human thymopoietin, and newly synthesized proteins were labeled by [35S]methionine incorporation. In the control experiment, the same lot of spleen cells were incubated in the labeling medium without the addition of thymopoietin. Urea/detergent-soluble proteins were extracted from the cells after 3 h incubation to be separated by two-dimensional poly-acrylamide gel electrophoresis. Spots of [35S]methionine-labeled proteins were visualized by autoradiography and analyzed by image processing. The computer-aided spot matching screened out three major thymopoietin-responsive proteins, TRP-1, -2 and -3. [35S]Methionine incorporation into TRP-3, of which the isoelectric point and molecular mass were approximately pI 5 and 10 kDa, respectively, was decreased by the thymopoietin treatment. In contrast with the down regulation, TRP-1, which was slightly higher in pI and slightly larger in molecular mass, and TRP-2, which was slightly higher in pI and almost the same in molecular mass as TRP-3, were evidently induced by the treatment. However, TRPs could not be assigned to Thy-1 antigen on the difference in molecular mass. The specific induction by the thymopoietin treatment suggested that TRP-1 and -2 might be novel proteins related to the intracellular signal transduction.

Animals↗

Effect of complement depletion by cobra venom factor on fowlpox virus infection in chickens and chicken embryos.

The course of infection with an attenuated strain of fowlpox virus (FPV), which is known to induce antibody-independent activation of complement via the alternative pathway, was investigated in 1- to 3-day-old chickens and 14-day-old chicken embryos by treatment with cobra venom factor (CVF). CVF was found to inhibit complement activity transiently via the alternative pathway but not via the classical pathway. In chickens treated with CVF, virus growth in the skin was enhanced, and pock lesions tended to disseminate, leading to fatal infection in some birds. Histologically, an acute inflammation at an early stage of infection (within 3 days) was inhibited, and virus content in the pock lesion was increased. In chicken embryos with immature immune capacities, CVF treatment caused changes in pock morphology from clear pocks to diffuse ones, an increase in virus content in the pock, and inhibition of cell infiltration. Thus, FPV infection was aggravated in both CVF-treated chickens and chicken embryos. These results are discussed in relation to roles of complement in the elimination of virus at an early stage of FPV infection.

Animals↗

[Non-surgical collection of uterine eggs in the rat (author's transl)].

The non-surgical collection of rat embryos were examined. The apparatus for uterine flushing (Fig. 1 and 2) were designed to have a two-way system. Egg collection were made 5 days after mating. Eggs were collected from anesthetized donors using a pair of glass pipettes inserted to the end of each uterine horn through the cervix uteri. By non-surgical technique, it was successful to collect the eggs at an average of 4.0 from all the animal. The recovery rate was 40.7% as estimated the number of corpora lutea counted after the slaughter of the donor. The recovery rat in non-surgical methods was considerably lower as compared with that of the uterine flushing after the slaughter.

Animals↗