Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

A Wohlwend

Publications and source records attributed to A Wohlwend.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1994

Human clusterin gene expression is confined to surviving cells during in vitro programmed cell death.

Clusterin is a serum glycoprotein endowed with cell aggregating, complement inhibitory, and lipid binding properties, and is also considered as a specific marker of dying cells, its expression being increased in various tissues undergoing programmed cell death (PCD). However, no study has so far directly shown that cells expressing clusterin in these tissues are actually apoptotic as defined by morphological and biochemical criteria. We have studied cellular clusterin gene expression in vitro using three different models of PCD: (a) ultraviolet B (UV-B) irradiation of human U937, HeLa, and A431 cell lines, (b) in vitro aging of human peripheral blood neutrophils (PMNs), and (c) dexamethasone-induced cell death of the human lymphoblastoid cell line CEM-C7. In all three models, the classical morphological and biochemical features of PCD observed did not correlate with an increase, but with either a marked decrease or an absence of clusterin gene expression as assessed by Northern blot analysis. In situ hybridization of U937 and A431 cells after UV-B irradiation revealed, in addition, that only morphologically normal cells that are surviving continue to express the clusterin gene. Our results demonstrate that in the human myeloid, lymphoid, and epithelial cell types studied, clusterin gene expression is not a prerequisite to their death by apoptosis. In addition, and most interestingly, in situ hybridization of U937 and A431 cells revealed that only surviving cells express the clusterin gene after the induction of PCD, thus providing novel evidence suggesting that clusterin may be associated with cell survival within tissues regressing as a consequence of PCD.

Apoptosis↗
PubMed1994

Regulation of parathyroid hormone-related protein production in a human lung squamous cell carcinoma line.

The synthesis and release of parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) could be influenced in a paracrine or autocrine manner by substances present around or inside tumours, such as bone or stromal cell-derived cytokines, factors produced by the tumour itself or by peritumoural inflammatory cells. We investigated the effects of various cytokines known to be synthesized by osteoblasts, stromal cells, leucocytes or cancer cells, on PTHrP production by the human lung squamous cell carcinoma line BEN. The influence of tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) was studied, and compared with those of insulin-like growth factors-I and -II (IGF-I, IGF-II), or macrophage- or granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factors (M-CSF, GM-CSF). TNF-alpha caused a 1.9 +/- 0.1-fold increase in immunoreactive PTHrP production, which was maximal by 24 h of incubation. IL-6 caused a 2.3 +/- 0.2-fold increase, which was maximal by 16 h. These effects, which were time- and concentration-dependent, were blocked by monoclonal antibodies raised against the corresponding cytokine. An increase of PTHrP mRNA was found in IL-6-treated cells. IGF-I and IGF-II increased PTHrP production by 2.0 +/- 0.3- and 2.3 +/- 0.1-fold respectively. Neither M-CSF nor GM-CSF altered PTHrP production up to 64 h of incubation. PTHrP production was not affected by varying extracellular calcium concentrations, but was decreased by incubation with 100 nmol/l dexamethasone.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell↗
PubMed1993

Murine clusterin: molecular cloning and mRNA localization of a gene associated with epithelial differentiation processes during embryogenesis.

Clusterin is a broadly distributed glycoprotein constitutively expressed by various tissues and cell types, that has been shown to be involved in cell-cell adhesion and expressed during cellular differentiation in vitro. To assess the suggested participation of clusterin in these processes in vivo, we have cloned the cDNA encoding murine clusterin and studied the cellular distribution of clusterin mRNA during murine embryogenesis. Sequence analysis of the cDNA encoding murine clusterin revealed 92 and 75% sequence identity with the rat and human cDNAs, respectively, and conservation of the predicted structural features which include alpha-helical regions and heparin-binding domains. From 12.5 d of development onwards, the clusterin gene is widely expressed in developing epithelia, and selectively localized within the differentiating cell layers of tissues such as the developing skin, tooth, and duodenum where proliferating and differentiating compartments are readily distinguished. In addition, transient and localized clusterin gene expression was detected in certain morphogenetically active epithelia. In the lung, abundant gene transcripts were detected in cuboidal epithelial cells of the terminal lung buds during branching morphogenesis, and in the kidney, clusterin gene expression in the epithelial cells of comma and S-shaped bodies coincided with the process of polarization. Our results demonstrate the in vivo expression of the clusterin gene by differentiating epithelial cells during murine embryogenesis, and provide novel evidence suggesting that clusterin may be involved in the differentiation and morphogenesis of certain epithelia.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1993

Extracellular proteolysis in the adult murine brain.

Plasminogen activators are important mediators of extracellular metabolism. In the nervous system, plasminogen activators are thought to be involved in the remodeling events required for cell migration during development and regeneration. We have now explored the expression of the plasminogen activator/plasmin system in the adult murine central nervous system. Tissue-type plasminogen activator is synthesized by neurons of most brain regions, while prominent tissue-type plasminogen activator-catalyzed proteolysis is restricted to discrete areas, in particular within the hippocampus and hypothalamus. Our observations indicate that tissue-type plasminogen activator-catalyzed proteolysis in neural tissues is not limited to ontogeny, but may also contribute to adult central nervous system physiology, for instance by influencing neuronal plasticity and synaptic reorganization. The identification of an extracellular proteolytic system active in the adult central nervous system may also help gain insights into the pathogeny of neurodegenerative disorders associated with extracellular protein deposition.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Effects of veneering and glazing on the strength of heat-pressed ceramics.

A newly developed press-type all-ceramic crown system, the IPS-Empress system (Ivoclar), has recently been introduced. Two methods may be used to obtain the desired shade: surface staining and glazing; veneer technique. The purpose of this study was to determine whether these two methods affected flexure strength of Empress glass ceramic. Eight groups of test bars were pressed. In groups 1 and 2, one surface was stained and glazed. The bars were placed face down (1) or up (2) for testing. For comparison, group 3 was heat-treated only (simulating stain and glaze firing). In groups 4-7, one surface of the bars was either veneered with porcelain on the bottom (4) or top surface (5) and then subsequently glazed (6 and 7). Group 8 was just heat-treated (simulating veneer and glaze firings). The results showed that there were no significant differences in strength between groups 2, 5 and 7 compared to the reference groups 3 and 8 (159 +/- 28 and 175 +/- 32 MPa, respectively), indicating that, from the mechanical point of view, the two surface techniques can be equally used on Empress ceramic. If the porcelain veneer supported the ceramic (4), the strength was significantly decreased. The highest mean value was obtained in group 1 (220 +/- 34 MPa).

Ceramics↗
PubMed1992

Polarized secretion of urokinase-type plasminogen activator by epithelial cells.

Numerous epithelial cell types produce and secrete plasminogen activators (PAs) and/or PA inhibitors (PAIs). When epithelial cells were grown on polycarbonate filters and their apical and basolateral secretion products analyzed, PA activity accumulated in a highly polarized fashion; depending upon the cell line, the compartment of PA accumulation was either apical (MDCK I cells and HBL-100 cells) or basolateral (LLC-PK1, CaCo-2, and HeLa cells). By contrast, PAI-1 was recovered in roughly equal amounts in both compartments. Basolateral accumulation of urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA), but not its apical targeting, required an acidic compartment and the integrity of the cytoskeleton. Polarity of uPA accumulation did not result from removal of the free enzyme from the opposite compartment through its binding to the cell surface. Transfection with wild-type or mutated murine uPA demonstrated that neither the "growth factor" domain nor the kringle domain is required for the appropriate sorting of the protein. We propose that polarized secretion of PAs is one mechanism whereby cells spatially control extracellular proteolysis.

Ammonium Chloride↗
PubMed1989

Characterization of the cellular binding site for the urokinase-type plasminogen activator.

Human urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) binds rapidly and with high affinity to a number of human cell types; this localizes plasmin generation to the close environment of the cell surface. uPA binding to HeLa and U937 cells is mediated by a single class of sites with an affinity of 3.4 +/- 1.3 x 10(-10) M. Binding is abolished by treatment of the cells with trypsin. Chemical cross-linking of Mr 55,000 125I-uPA to the surface of HeLa and U937 cells with disuccinimidyl suberate or with formaldehyde results in the formation of a labeled complex of Mr 100,000, suggesting a Mr of 45,000 +/- 5,000 for the receptor or a subunit thereof. When cells solubilized in Triton X-114 are subjected to heat-induced phase separation, unoccupied receptor, receptor-bound 125I-uPA, and cross-linked 125I-uPA-receptor complex all partition in the detergent phase, whereas the unbound ligand remains in the aqueous phase; similar phase partitioning is observed with endogenous uPA-receptor complexes from cultured human and murine cells. Thus, uPA bound at the cell surface is tightly associated with an amphiphilic membrane protein. Interaction of uPA with this plasma membrane receptor is species-specific, since human uPA fails to bind to murine cells, and murine uPA does not bind to human cells. Finally, incubation of HeLa cells in the presence of epidermal growth factor or phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate results, over a period of 24 h, in a progressive change in uPA binding: an approximately 10-fold increase in the number of sites is accompanied by a 10-fold decrease in their affinity. Cross-linking and phase partitioning of 125I-uPA bound to epidermal growth factor- or phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate-treated cells indicate that, as in control conditions, it is associated with a Mr 45,000 cell surface amphiphilic polypeptide.

Cell Line↗
PubMed1989

Facultative polypeptide translocation allows a single mRNA to encode the secreted and cytosolic forms of plasminogen activators inhibitor 2.

Two forms of plasminogen activators inhibitor 2 (PAI-2) are synthesized by human and murine monocytes/macrophages: one accumulates in the cytosol, while the other is translocated into the endoplasmic reticulum, glycosylated and secreted. We show here that a single mRNA encodes both forms of PAI-2. Firstly, a single PIA-2 mRNA was detected by Northern blot hybridization and by RNase protection. Secondly, transfection of a PAI-2 cDNA led to the synthesis of both forms of PAI-2. Finally, in vitro translation of an mRNA transcript of the PAI-2 cDNA in the presence of microsomal membranes generated two topologically distinct forms of PAI-2. The cytosolic and secreted forms of PAI-2 do not result from the use of two translation start sites, since their synthesis initiates at the same AUG, in a sequence context that is conserved between the human and murine genes. Thus, the accumulation of one polypeptide into two topologically distinct cellular compartments can be achieved by facultative translocation.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1988

A comparison of the marginal fit of three cast ceramic crown systems.

The conclusions were: 1. The Cerestore crown system produced an impressive marginal fit without technique sensitivity. However, irregularities on the crown margin due to the porosities of the fired core were noted. 2. The Dicor castable ceramic crown system in this study produced rounded marginal openings because of the shrinkage during ceramming, the treatment of the surface texture after ceramming, and damage from air abrasives. 3. The Ceplatec crown system produced a suitable marginal fit when the distortion of the foil coping during porcelain firing was controlled. The quality of the margin was ultimately determined by the skill of the technician.

Aluminum Oxide↗