Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

C S Morrow

Publications and source records attributed to C S Morrow.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Resistance to mitoxantrone in multidrug-resistant MCF7 breast cancer cells: evaluation of mitoxantrone transport and the role of multidrug resistance protein family proteins.

We examined the role of multidrug resistance protein (MRP) 1 (ABCC1) in the emergence of mitoxantrone (MX) cross-resistance in a MCF7 breast cancer cell line selected for resistance to etoposide. The resistant cell line, MCF7/VP, expresses high levels of MRP1, whereas the parental cell line, MCF7/WT, does not. MCF7/VP cells are 6-10-fold cross-resistant to MX when compared with MCF7/WT cells. Drug transport studies in intact MCF7/VP cells revealed that MX resistance is associated with reduced MX accumulation due to enhanced MX efflux. MX efflux is ATP dependent and inhibited by sulfinpyrazone and cyclosporin A. Inhibition of MX efflux with these agents sensitizes cells to MX cytotoxicity and partially reverses MX resistance in MCF7/VP cells. Whereas resistance is partially attributable to increased MX efflux in MRP1-expressing MCF7/VP cells, we found no evidence for glutathione or other conjugates of MX in these cells. Moreover, glutathione depletion with buthionine sulfoximine had no effect on MX transport or sensitivity in MCF7/VP cells. MRP1 substrates are generally amphiphilic anions such as glutathione conjugates or require the presence of physiological levels of glutathione for MRP1-mediated transport. Therefore we conclude that MRP1 overexpression is unlikely to be responsible for increased MX efflux and resistance in MCF7/VP cells. In considering the potential involvement of other MRP family isoforms, a 3-fold increase in the expression of MRP5 was observed in MCF7/VP cells. However, stable expression of a transduced MRP5 expression vector in MCF7/WT cells failed to confer MX resistance. Because other transporters known to be associated with MX resistance, including P-glycoprotein and BCRP/MXR (ABCG2), are not expressed in MCF7/VP cells, we conclude that increased MX efflux and resistance in MCF7/VP cells is attributable to a novel transport mechanism or that MX represents a novel class of cationic, glutathione-independent MRP1 substrates.

ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters↗
PubMed2000

Role of multidrug resistance protein 1 (MRP1) and glutathione S-transferase A1-1 in alkylating agent resistance. Kinetics of glutathione conjugate formation and efflux govern differential cellular sensitivity to chlorambucil versus melphalan toxicity.

We investigated the role of phase II (conjugation) and phase III (efflux) detoxification of the anticancer drugs melphalan (MLP) and chlorambucil (CHB). Although both drugs are substrates of Alpha-class glutathione S-transferases (GST) and the monoglutathionyl conjugates formed in these enzymatic reactions are transported by MRP1, we found that GSTA1-1 and MRP1 acted in synergy to confer resistance to CHB but not to MLP (Morrow, C. S., Smitherman, P. K., Diah, S. K., Schneider, E., and Townsend, A. J. (1998) J. Biol. Chem. 273, 20114-20120). To explain this selectivity of MRP1/GST-mediated resistance, we report results of side-by-side experiments comparing the kinetics of MLP- versus CHB-glutathione conjugate: formation, product inhibition of GSTA1-1 catalysis, and transport by MRP1. The monoglutathionyl conjugate of CHB, CHB-SG, is a very strong competitive inhibitor of GSTA1-1 (K(i) 0.14 microM) that is >30-fold more potent than that of the corresponding conjugate of MLP, MLP-SG (K(i) 4.7 microM). The efficiency of GSTA1-1-mediated monoglutathionyl conjugate formation is more than 4-fold higher for CHB than MLP. Lastly, both CHB-SG and MLP-SG are efficiently transported by MRP1 with similar V(max) although the K(m) for CHB-SG (0.37 microm) is significantly lower than for MLP-SG (1.1 microM). These results indicate that MRP1 is required for GSTA1-1-mediated resistance to CHB in order to relieve potent product inhibition of the enzyme by intracellular CHB-SG formed. The kinetic properties of MRP1 are well suited to eliminate CHB-SG at pharmacologically relevant concentrations. For MLP detoxification, where product inhibition of GSTA1-1 is less important, GSTA1-1 does not confer resistance because of the relatively poorer catalytic efficiency of MLP-SG formation. Similar analyses can be useful for predicting the pharmacological and toxicological consequences of MRP and GST expression on cellular sensitivity to various other electrophilic xenobiotics.

ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters↗
PubMed2000

Role of multidrug-resistance protein 2 in glutathione S-transferase P1-1-mediated resistance to 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide toxicities in HepG2 cells.

Previous studies in our laboratory have shown that the phase III efflux transporter multidrug-resistance protein (MRP)1 can act synergistically with the phase II conjugating glutathione S-transferases (GST) to confer resistance to the toxicities of some electrophilic drugs and carcinogens. To determine whether the distinct efflux transporter MRP2 could also potentiate GST-mediated protection from electrophilic toxins, we examined the effect of regulatable GSTP1-1 expression in MRP2-rich HepG2 cells on 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide (4NQO)-induced cytotoxicity and genotoxicity (nucleic-acid adduct formation). Expression of GSTP1-1 was associated with a fourfold to tenfold protection from 4NQO-induced cytotoxicity. Inhibition of MRP2-mediated efflux activity by sulfinpyrazone or cyclosporin A completely reversed GSTP1-1-associated resistance-a result indicating that GSTP1-1-mediated cytoprotection is absolutely dependent on MRP2 efflux activity. Moreover, MRP2 efflux activity also augmented GSTP1-1-mediated protection from 4NQO-induced nucleic-acid adduct formation. We conclude that MRP2-mediated efflux of the glutathione conjugate of 4NQO and/or another toxic derivative of 4NQO is required to support GSTP1-1-associated protection from 4NQO toxicities in HepG2 cells.

4-Nitroquinoline-1-oxide↗
PubMed2000

Coordinate transcriptional and translational regulation of ferritin in response to oxidative stress.

The global increase in transcription of cytoprotective genes induced in response to oxidative challenge has been termed the antioxidant response. Ferritin serves as the major iron-binding protein in nonhematopoietic tissues, limiting the catalytic availability of iron for participation in oxygen radical generation. Here we demonstrate that ferritin is a participant in the antioxidant response through a genetically defined electrophile response element (EpRE). The EpRE of ferritin H identified in this report exhibits sequence similarity to EpRE motifs found in antioxidant response genes such as those encoding NAD(P)H:quinone reductase, glutathione S-transferase, and heme oxygenase. However, the EpRE of ferritin H is unusual in structure, comprising two bidirectional motifs arranged in opposing directions on complementary DNA strands. In addition to EpRE-mediated transcriptional activation, we demonstrate that ferritin is subject to time-dependent translational control through regulation of iron-regulatory proteins (IRP). Although IRP-1 is initially activated to its RNA binding (ferritin-repressing) state by oxidants, it rapidly returns to its basal state. This permits the translation of newly synthesized ferritin transcripts and ultimately leads to increased levels of ferritin protein synthesis following oxidant exposure. Taken together, these results clarify the complex transcriptional and translational regulatory mechanisms that contribute to ferritin regulation in response to prooxidant stress and establish a role for ferritin in the antioxidant response.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Detoxification of 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene in MCF7 breast cancer cells expressing glutathione S-transferase P1-1 and/or multidrug resistance protein 1.

We examined the roles of glutathione S-transferase (GST) P1-1 and the glutathione S-conjugate (GS-X) transporter, multidrug resistance protein 1 (MRP1), singly or in combination, in the detoxification of 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (CDNB). Derivatives of MCF7 breast carcinoma cells expressing GST P1-1 and MRP1 alone or in combination were developed. Detoxification was measured in cells as formation of the glutathione conjugate of CDNB, S-(2,4-dinitrophenyl)-glutathione (DNP-SG), efflux of DNP-SG, and ultimately protection from CDNB cytotoxicity. MRP1 expression in the absence of GST P1-1 confers a three- to fourfold resistance to CDNB, which is associated with a >10-fold increase in the maximum rate of DNP-SG efflux. DNP-SG efflux in MRP1-expressing MCF7 cells was ATP-dependent and exhibited an apparent Km for DNP-SG of 95 microM. MRP1 expression alone, however, had no effect on DNP-SG formation. Combined expression of GST P1-1 and MRP1 increased the rates of DNP-SG formation when cells were exposed to 10 microM CDNB. Moreover, combined expression of GSTP1-1 with MRP1 moderately augmented MRP1-mediated resistance to CDNB but only during short term (10 min) exposures to CDNB where IC50 values were in the 8-10 microM range. In contrast, expression of GST P1-1 in the absence of MRP1 slightly sensitized cells to the toxicity of CDNB (10 min exposures), despite increasing rates of DNP-SG formation. The sensitization to CDNB in cells expressing GST P1-1 alone was associated with increased intracellular accumulation of DNP-SG, indicating that DNP-SG may contribute to CDNB toxicity. The potential toxicity of DNP-SG is also suggested by the finding that inhibition of DNP-SG formation by prior glutathione depletion confers resistance to CDNB cytotoxicity in MRP1-poor MCF7 cells. Altogether, our results demonstrate that glutathione conjugation and MRP1-mediated conjugate efflux can operate together to confer resistance to CDNB. The data indicate that MRP1-mediated conjugate efflux is required for cytoprotection from CDNB because its conjugate (DNP-SG), when present at high intracellular levels, may also be toxic to cells.

ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters↗
PubMed1999

Expression of stably transfected murine glutathione S-transferase A3-3 protects against nucleic acid alkylation and cytotoxicity by aflatoxin B1 in hamster V79 cells expressing rat cytochrome P450-2B1.

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is activated to AFB1-8,9-oxide (AFBO), a potent mutagenic and carcinogenic metabolite of AFB1. In the mouse, AFBO has been shown to be most efficiently detoxified by a specific isozyme of alpha-class glutathione S-transferase (GST), mGSTA3-3 (mGST-Yc). A hamster V79 cell line (V79MZr2B1, originally designated V79/SD1) previously transfected with the rat cytochrome P450-2B1 was stably transfected with an mGSTA3-3 expression vector, to study the chemopreventive role of GST in protecting against cytotoxicity or genotoxicity of AFBO. Immunoblotting demonstrated strong expression of an alpha-class GST in the mGSTA3-3 transfected cell line, whereas no detectable alpha-class GST protein was observed in the control (empty vector-transfected) cells. Previous studies with the V79MZr2B1 cell line indicated that it can activate AFB1 to a mutagenic metabolite via a transfected rat P450-2B1 stably expressed in the cells. We examined the ability of the expressed mGSTA3-3 to protect against AFB1-induced cytotoxicity or [3H]-covalent adduct formation in cellular nucleic acids. Exposure of empty vector-transfected control cells and mGSTA3-3 expressing cells to up to 600 nM [3H]-AFB1 indicated that a 70-80% reduction in DNA and RNA adducts was afforded by the expression of mGSTA3-3 in the transfected cells. Clonogenic survival assays showed that the mGSTA3-3 cell line was 4.6-fold resistant to AFB1 cytotoxicity as compared with the empty vector-transfected control SD1 cells, with IC50 values of 69 and 15 microM, respectively. The results of these studies demonstrate that mGSTA3-3 confers substantial protection against nucleic acid covalent modification and cytotoxicity by AFB1 in this transgenic cell model system.

Aflatoxin B1↗
PubMed1999

Symposium overview: Characterization of xenobiotic metabolizing enzyme function using heterologous expression systems.

Genetically modified cell lines can be very useful models for assessing the toxicologic effects of modulation of expression of individual gene products in comparison to their isogenic parental control cell lines. This symposium begins with an overview of general issues related to development and utilization of model systems created by transfection of cell lines to induce elevated expression of metabolic enzymes of toxicologic relevance. Selected studies that illustrate the heterologous expression rationale and various approaches to transgenic-cell model construction are represented. Results to date with cells engineered to express specific transfected genes are discussed, with emphasis on the effects of expression of selected phase I or phase II enzymes on cellular sensitivity to several toxic end-points. The individual sections highlight the utility of these model cell lines for examining the role of enzyme catalysis and function in metabolism of biologically active xenobiotic or endobiotic compounds of interest in toxicology. Both activating and detoxifying enzymes are discussed, with principal emphasis on the latter. This symposium includes talks on transfected cells that express aldehyde dehydrogenases, superoxide dismutase, UDP-glycosyltransferases, glutathione transferases, and cytochrome P450 isozymes. In addition to the general toxicologic utility and advantages of these genetically engineered cell lines, this overview emphasizes their particular contributions to the insights obtained to date with the specific model cell lines.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Combined expression of multidrug resistance protein (MRP) and glutathione S-transferase P1-1 (GSTP1-1) in MCF7 cells and high level resistance to the cytotoxicities of ethacrynic acid but not oxazaphosphorines or cisplatin.

We tested the hypothesis that combined increased expression of human glutathione S-transferase P1-1 (GSTP1-1), an enzyme that catalyzes the conjugation with glutathione of several toxic electrophiles, and the glutathione-conjugate efflux pump, multidrug resistance protein (MRP), confers high level resistance to the cytotoxicities of anticancer and other drugs. To accomplish this, we developed MCF7 breast carcinoma cell derivatives that express high levels of GSTP1-1 and MRP, alone and in combination. Parental MCF7 cells, which express no GSTP1-1 and negligible MRP, served as control cells. We found that either MRP or GSTP1-1 alone conferred significant resistance to ethacrynic acid cytotoxicity. Moreover, combined expression of GSTP1-1 and MRP conferred a high level of resistance to ethacrynic acid that was greater than resistance conferred by either protein alone. Increased MRP was also associated with modest resistance to the oxazaphosphorine compounds mafosfamide, 4-hydroxycyclophosphamide, and 4-hydroperoxycyclophosphamide. However, coordinated expression of GSTP1-1 with MRP failed to augment this modest resistance. Similarly, GSTP1-1 had no effect on the sensitivities to cisplatin of MCF7 cells regardless of MRP expression. These results establish that coordinated expression of MRP and GSTP1-1 can confer high level resistance to the cytotoxicities of some drugs, including ethacrynic acid, but that such resistance is variable and does not apply to all toxic drugs that can potentially form glutathione conjugates in either spontaneous or GSTP1-1-catalyzed reactions.

Antineoplastic Agents↗
PubMed1998

Coordinated action of glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) and multidrug resistance protein 1 (MRP1) in antineoplastic drug detoxification. Mechanism of GST A1-1- and MRP1-associated resistance to chlorambucil in MCF7 breast carcinoma cells.

To examine the role of multidrug resistance protein 1 (MRP1) and glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) in cellular resistance to antineoplastic drugs, derivatives of MCF7 breast carcinoma cells were developed that express MRP1 in combination with one of three human cytosolic isozymes of GST. Expression of MRP1 alone confers resistance to several drugs representing the multidrug resistance phenotype, drugs including doxorubicin, vincristine, etoposide, and mitoxantrone. However, co-expression with MRP1 of any of the human GST isozymes A1-1, M1-1, or P1-1 failed to augment MRP1-associated resistance to these drugs. In contrast, combined expression of MRP1 and GST A1-1 conferred approximately 4-fold resistance to the anticancer drug chlorambucil. Expression of MRP1 alone failed to confer resistance to chlorambucil, showing that the observed protection from chlorambucil cytotoxicity was absolutely dependent upon GST A1-1 protein. Moreover, using inhibitors of GST (dicumarol) or MRP1 (sulfinpyrazone), it was shown that in MCF7 cells resistance to chlorambucil requires both intact MRP1-dependent efflux pump activity and, for full protection, GST A1-1 catalytic activity. These results are the first demonstration that GST A1-1 and MRP1 can act in synergy to protect cells from the cytotoxicity of a nitrogen mustard, chlorambucil.

Antineoplastic Agents↗
PubMed1998

Chemoprotective functions of glutathione S-transferases in cell lines induced to express specific isozymes by stable transfection.

The authors have shown that expression of mGSTM1-1 or hGSTP1-1 in MCF-7 cells protects against DNA alkylation by 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide (NQO) in an isozyme-specific manner and is commensurate with relative specific activity. Expression of GSTs also conferred protection against both DNA strand breaks and sister-chromatid exchange induced by NQO. Interestingly, GST expression did not protect against NQO cytotoxicity in transfected MCF-7 cell lines, although resistance to NQO cytotoxicity was observed in a T47D pi transfectant line, expressing much higher specific activity of the transfected hGSTP1-1. However, high level expression of hGSTP1-1 or mGSTM1-1 in V79 transfectants did not confer resistance to cytotoxicity, indicating that expression of GST alone is not sufficient. The authors have also shown protection against AFB1 in cell lines expressing transfected rat CYP2B1 (V79MZr2B1) and transfected mGST-Yc (mGSTA3-3). Protection was observed against both alkylation of DNA (3-fold) by [3H]AFB1 and against AFB1 cytotoxicity (7-fold). Similarly, V79MZr1A1 cells that express CYP1A1 and either transfected human or murine GSTP1-1 (< 5000 mIU/mg, CDNB) exhibited > 70% decrease in covalent labeling of total nucleic acids by [3H]BPDE. However, no protection against the cytotoxicity of BPDE was conferred by expression of hGSTP1-1. Overall, these results indicate that in some (NQO or BPDE), but not all (AFB1) cases, protection by GST expression against DNA damage is more effective than protection against cytotoxicity. In addition, there is evidence to indicate that additional factor(s) other than high GST isozyme expression level and good substrate efficacy affect the degree of protection against cytotoxicity of reactive electrophiles. This includes the differential protection against NQO cytotoxicity in T47D pi, but not V79 Xh pi-33 cells and also the recent studies which showed that expression of the MRP GS-X conjugate efflux transporter confers synergistic protection against NQO cytotoxicity when co-expressed with transfected human GSTP1-1 in MCF-7 cells. Thus, protective efficacy conferred by GST expression can vary with different cellular targets and/or experimental end-points, as well as with variations in relative specific activity or in different cellular phenotypic contexts.

4-Nitroquinoline-1-oxide↗
PubMed1998

Methylation-mediated regulation of the glutathione S-transferase P1 gene in human breast cancer cells.

Understanding the mechanisms that regulate the human pi class GST (GSTP1) gene expression in breast cancer cells is of particular importance to the study of breast cancer biology. In cultured human breast cancer cell lines, GSTP1 is exclusively expressed in estrogen receptor-negative (ER-) cells but is undetectable in receptor-positive (ER+) cells. Previously, we examined transiently transfected GSTP1 promoter activities, in vitro GSTP1 promoter-DNA interactions, and GSTP1 mRNA stability. These studies indicated that transiently transfected GSTP1 promoter elements and GSTP1 mRNA stability could only partially explain cell line-specific expression of endogenous GSTP1. In the present study, we examined whether the methylation status of the GSTP1 CpG island plays an important role in GSTP1 regulation. Southern blot analysis revealed that the GSTP1 CpG island is hypermethlyated in ER+, GSTP1 non-expressing cell lines but is undermethylated in ER-, GSTP1 expressing cell lines. Moreover, partial demethylation of the GSTP1 CpG island by treatment with 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine resulted in de novo gene expression in ER+ cell lines, as detected by RT-PCR, Northern blot and Western blot analyses. Our data strongly indicate that methylation status of the promoter contributes significantly to the levels of GSTP1 expressed in ER- and ER+ breast cancer cell lines.

Azacitidine↗
PubMed1998

Contribution of proximal promoter elements to the regulation of basal and differential glutathione S-transferase P1 gene expression in human breast cancer cells.

Glutathione S-transferase P1 (GST P1-1) is normally expressed exclusively in estrogen receptor negative (ER-) but not receptor positive (ER+) cultured breast cancer cells. We examined the role of proximal promoter elements in GST P1 gene expression in MCF7 (ER+, GST P1-) and HS578T (ER-, GST P1+) breast cancer cells. Transient transfection of GST P1 promoter-CAT reporter genes confirmed that the GST P1 TRE (-69 to -60) and the adjacent distal GC box (-56 to -51) are required for basal promoter activity in both cell lines. Other studies identified differences in the GST P1 promoter activity and DNA-protein interactions between the two cell lines. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay revealed a protein-TRE interaction that is unique to nuclear proteins derived from GST P1 expressing HS578T cells. Furthermore, a putative silencer region contained within sequences -130 to -70 selectively reduced GST P1 promoter-CAT reporter gene expression in MCF7 but not HS578T cells. While this cell-line specific silencer contributed to the level of GST P1 promoter activity observed in the two cell lines, analysis of cells stably transfected with a novel genomic GST P1 minigene vector established that the silencer is insufficient to completely repress GST P1 transcription in ER+, MCF7 cells that do not normally express endogenous GST P1.

Breast Neoplasms↗
PubMed1998

Multidrug resistance protein and glutathione S-transferase P1-1 act in synergy to confer protection from 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide toxicity.

Model cell lines developed from MCF7 breast carcinoma cells were used to examine the roles of glutathione S-transferase P1-1 (GSTP1-1) and multidrug resistance protein (MRP) in the protection of cells from 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide (4NQO) toxicities. Increased expression of GSTP1-1 alone in MCF7 cells results in limited protection from the formation of 4NQO-derived covalent adducts of nucleic acids but affords no protection from 4NQO-mediated cytotoxicity. Increased expression of MRP alone conferred modest protection while co-expression of GSTP1-1 with MRP produced high-level protection from both 4NQO-derived adduct formation and 4NQO cytotoxicity. This synergistic resistance to 4NQO toxicities (both nucleic acid adduct formation and cytotoxicity) is associated with a GSTP1-1-dependent increase in 4NQO-glutathione (QO-SG) conjugate formation and a MRP-dependent increase in QO-SG efflux. These data indicate that MRP is an important export transporter for the glutathione conjugate of the carcinogen, 4NQO. Moreover, this MRP-dependent efflux activity is necessary to achieve the full protection from 4NQO toxicity-protection that is potentiated by GSTP1-1-mediated QO-SG formation.

4-Nitroquinoline-1-oxide↗
PubMed1998

Overexpression of stably transfected human glutathione S-transferase P1-1 protects against DNA damage by benzo[a]pyrene diol-epoxide in human T47D cells.

The (+)-anti enantiomer of benzo[a]pyrene-7,8-dihydrodiol-9, 10-epoxide (BPDE) is a potent mutagenic and carcinogenic metabolite of benzo[a]pyrene (BP), and a major fraction is conjugated with glutathione in vivo. The chemopreventive role of glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) in protecting against covalent modification of DNA and other cellular macromolecules by BPDE was modeled in human T47D and MCF-7 cell lines previously stably transfected with human GSTpi1 (hGSTP1). Cells were exposed to [3H]BPDE (30-600 nM). Dose-response experiments indicated that the high level of expression of hGSTP1-1 in the T47Dpi cell line (4411 +/- 183 milliunits/mg of cytosolic protein, using 1-Cl-2,4-dinitrobenzene as substrate), resulted in 70-90% reduction in the covalent 3H-adduct formation in DNA or RNA isolated from the GSTP1-transfected T47Dpi cell line. The lower level of hGSTP1-1 expression in the transfected MCF-7 cell line (91 milliunits/mg) provided only marginal protection against [3H]BPDE adduct formation and did not affect sensitivity to BPDE-induced cytotoxicity. Protection against BPDE-induced cytotoxicity was observed only in the T47Dpi cell line, which had an IC50 value 5.8-fold greater than that of the T47Dneo control cell line. Measurement of glutathione conjugates of BPDE indicated that the total conjugation was 5-fold higher in the GSTpi-transfected T47D line, most of which was exported into the culture medium over the 20-min exposure period. These results indicate that hGSTP1-1 protects effectively against DNA and RNA modification by BPDE, but moderate to high level expression may be required for strong protection against BPDE-induced genotoxicity and cytotoxicity.

7,8-Dihydro-7,8-dihydroxybenzo(a)pyrene 9,10-oxide↗
PubMed1997

Role of posttranscriptional processes in the regulation of glutathione S-transferase P1 gene expression in human breast cancer cells.

Human glutathione S-transferase P1 (GSTP1) is normally expressed in estrogen receptor negative (ER-) but not receptor positive (ER+) cultured breast cancer cells. Previous results indicated that posttranscriptional mechanisms may contribute to this differential expression of GSTP1 (J. Biol. Chem. 267, 10544-10550, 1992). Here, we have tested the hypothesis that differences in posttranscriptional processing of primary transcripts to mature mRNA or differences in mRNA stability influence the levels of GSTP1 in ER- versus ER+ breast cancer cells. We examined the expression both of the endogenous GSTP1 gene and of uniquely designed GSTP1 minigenes that were stably transfected into HS578T (ER-) and MCF7 (ER+) cells. In both cell lines, GSTP1 transcripts are processed to mature, functional mRNAs. However, GSTP1 mRNA is considerably less stable in MCF7 than in HS578T cells. These results indicate that for a given level of GSTP1 gene transcription, differential mRNA stability will result in higher steady state levels of GSTP1 mRNA in ER-, HS578T than in ER+, MCF7 cells.

Breast Neoplasms↗
PubMed1995

Markedly decreased expression of glutathione S-transferase pi gene in human cancer cell lines resistant to buthionine sulfoximine, an inhibitor of cellular glutathione synthesis.

Buthionine sulfoximine (BSO) is a synthetic amino acid that irreversibly inhibits an enzyme, gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase (gamma-GCS), which is a critical step in glutathione biosynthesis. We isolated three BSO-resistant sublines, KB/BSO1, KB/BSO2, and KB/BSO3, from human epidermoid cancer KB cells. These cell lines showed 10-to 13-fold higher resistance to BSO, respectively, and had collateral sensitivity to cisplatin, ethacrynic acid, and alkylating agents such as melphalan and nitrosourea. Cellular levels of glutathione S-transferase pi (GST-pi) and its mRNA in BSO-resistant cell lines were less than 10% of the parental cells. Nuclear run-on assay showed that the transcriptional activity of GST-pi was decreased in BSO-resistant cells, and transient transfection of GST-pi promoter-chloramphenicol acetyltransferase constructs revealed that the sequences between -130 and -80 base pairs of the 5'-flanking region wer at least partially responsible for the decreased expression of the GST-pi gene. By contrast, gamma-GCS mRNA levels were 3-to 5-fold higher in resistant cell lines than in KB cells, and the gamma-GCS gene was found to be amplified in the BSO-resistant cells lines. GST-pi mRNA levels appeared to be inversely correlated with gamma-GCS mRNA levels in BSO-resistant cells. We further established the transfectants, KB/BSO3-pi1 and KB/ BSO2-pi2, that overexpressed GST-pi, from KB/BSO3, after introducing a GST-pi expression plasmid. These two transfectants had similar levels in gamma-GCS mRNA, drug sensitivity to alkylating agents, and glutathione content at those of KB cells. These findings suggest that the cellular levels of GST-pi and gamma-GCS might be co-regulated in these novel BSO-resistant cells.

Blotting, Southern↗
PubMed1994

Reversible transcriptional activation of mdr1 by sodium butyrate treatment of human colon cancer cells.

We investigated the mechanism of sodium butyrate (NaB)-mediated induction of mdr1 mRNA in parental (wild type) and multidrug-resistant (Ad1000) SW620 colon cancer cell lines. NaB treatment resulted in reversible, time-dependent increases in nuclear run-on transcription of endogenous mdr1 in these cell lines that paralleled the reversible increases of mdr1 mRNA in both timing and magnitude. In contrast, NaB treatment had no effect on mdr1 mRNA stability. Thus, the effects of NaB on mdr1 mRNA levels are fully attributable to altered mdr1 transcription. Furthermore, NaB induces the expression of transiently transfected chloramphenicol acetyltransferase reporter plasmids that are under the transcriptional control of the mdr1 promoter (mdrCAT vectors). Transfections using mdrCAT vectors modified by deletion and site-directed mutagenesis of the mdr1 promoter indicate that NaB-mediated induction of these vectors is at least partially dependent upon sequences present in the basal mdr1 promoter between -89 and +11 relative to the start site of transcription. The Y-box motif located between -82 and -73 contributes to NaB inducibility of mdrCAT vector expression in Ad1000 SW620 cells.

ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Mem↗