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H P Morris

Publications and source records attributed to H P Morris.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Regulatory properties and behavior of activity of carbamoyl phosphate synthetase II (glutamine-hydrolyzing) in normal and proliferating tissues.

In rat livers and hepatomas, carbamoyl phosphate synthetase (glutamine-hydrolyzing) (EC 6.3.5.5) (synthetase II), the rate-limiting enzyme of de novo pyrimidine nucleotide biosynthesis, was separated from carbamoyl phosphate synthetase (ammonia) (EC 6.3.4.16) (synthetase I) ammonium sulfate and hydroxylapatite fractionations and gel filtration on Sephadex G-25. Both liver and hepatoma 3924A synthetase II activities were subject to feedback inhibition by UTP and to stimulation by 5-phosphoribosyl 1-pyrophosphate. UTP (0.5 mM) enhanced the apparent Km for MgATP from 2.3 to 7.6 mM, whereas 0.1 mM 5-phosphoribosyl 1-pyrophosphate reduced it to 0.5 mM. At 2 mM MgATP, 3 or 7 microM 5-phosphoribosyl 1-pyrophosphate yielded half-maximal activation (Ka) in the absence or presence of 0.5 mM UTP; UTP altered the stimulation kinetics from hyperbolic to sigmoidal. In the rat, synthetase II activities were highest in thymus, testis and spleen. In differentiating and regenerating rat livers, activities were 2.2- and 1.5-fold higher than in adult livers. In 17 hepatomas of different growth rates, synthetase II activity increased 1.3- to 9.5-fold over liver values; the rise correlated positively with tumor growth rates. Synthetase II activities also increased in a kidney tumor (5.0-fold) and in a sarcoma (18.1-fold) in the rat and in a human colon tumor (3.3-fold).

Animals↗

Correlation between growth rate and cytochemistry in Morris hepatomas.

The correlation between the cytochemistry (glycoprotein, glycogen, glucose-6-phosphatase, catalase, alkaline phosphatase) and the growth rate of the fast-growing Morris hepatoma 3924A and the slow-growing Morris hepatoma 9618A was studied by utracytochemical techniques. By the chromic acid-phosphotungstic acid technique, acid glycoprotein is stained in glycocalyx, Golgi saccules and vesicles, and secretory granules of the tumor cells of both hepatomas. However, the hepatoma 3924A cells contain thicker glycocalyx and more numerous glycoprotein-rich granules than hepatoma 9618A cells. Abundant alpha and beta glycogen particles are found in hepatoma 3924A. Moderate glucose-6-phosphatase activity is observed in the cisternae of endoplasmic reticulum and nuclear envelope of hepatoma 9618A, but it is totally absent in hepatoma 3924A. High catalase activity is present in numerous peroxisomes of hepatoma 9618A. Hepatoma 3924A contains only a few catalase-positive microperoxisomes. Weak to moderate alkaline phosphatase is present in the plasma membrane and nuclear envelope of hepatoma 9618A cells, while hepatoma 3924A shows no activity of the enzyme. All the cytochemical parameters except glycoprotein show an inverse relationship with the growth rate of the hepatomas. The higher intracellular glycoprotein content of hepatoma 3924A may be related to differences in cell coat secretion (composition and activity) from the slower-growing hepatoma 9618A

Alkaline Phosphatase↗

[Correlation between protein thiols and the doubling time of various rat hepatomas].

The SH content of the soluble proteins (nanomol./mg protein) from five transplantable rat hepatomas and from the DENA-hepatoma were determined with dithionitrobenzoate (Ellman reagent). Both the total number of thiols as well as the number of SH groups that can be blocked by hydroxypentenal (HPE) increase with increasing growth rate of the tumors. In comparison with the protein thiol content of the slowest growing DENA-hepatoma (doubling time 100 days), the total protein thiols of the fastest growing Yoshida hepatoma (doubling time 2,5 days) increase by 100% and the HPE-sensitive protein thiols by 350%. The total protein thiols are significantly correlated with the growth rate (probability of error 5%), the HPE-sensitive thiols are correlated with high significance (probability of error less than 1%). These results are in accordance with the "Molecular Correlation Concept" of G. Weber and might possibly be understood as a consequence of reprogramming of gene expressions.

Animals↗

Uptake and metabolism of free fatty acids by the Morris 7777 hepatoma and host rat liver.

The relative capacity of Morris 7777 hepatomas and livers of tumor-bearing rats to take up and subsequently metabolize intravenously injected radiolabeled free fatty acids was investigated. The objective was to determine differences in lipid metabolism which may affect the lipid composition previously observed in this tumor. Both tissues demonstrated comparable selectivity in the uptake of palmitate, linoleate and arachidonate from blood, although the hepatoma took up one-tenth as much free fatty acid per g wet wt as liver. A much greater percentage of fatty acid taken up by the hepatoma was converted to aqueous soluble radioactivity, perhaps the result of oxidation. In the hepatoma, palmitate was incorporated into phospholipid molecular species in a pattern similar to that observed for diglyceride, which suggested that phospholipid synthesis occurred predominantly de novo. On the other hand, in liver, a large percentage of palmitate was incorporated into polyunsaturated phospholipid molecular species that were not present in the diglyceride pool, which suggested significant incorporation by the acylation of monoacyl phosphoglycerides. These studies indicate that the specificity for the uptake of fatty acids was not different in the two tissues; however, the subsequent metabolic processes are markedly different.

Animals↗

Correlation of fatty acyl composition of mitochondrial and microsomal phospholipid with growth rate of rat hepatomas.

This paper presents fatty acyl compositions of phospholipids derived from mitochondria and microsomes isolated from two Morris hepatomas, one with slow (9618A) and another with intermediate (7794A) growth rate, and from corresponding host livers. These were compared with previous data from our laboratory for the fast-growing Morris hepatoma 7777. In this group of three hepatomas of widely differing growth rate and differentiation, the faster the growth rate of the tumor, the larger the sum of the contents of 16:1, 18:1, and 18:2 and the smaller the sum of the contents of all polyunsaturated fatty acids with four or more double bonds per molecule. The former sum was generally higher and the polyunsaturate content lower in hepatoma organelles than in corresponding host liver organelles. The 18:0/18:1 ratio observed in hepatoma organelles was always significantly less than that in host or control liver organelles.

Animals↗

Positive correlation between calmodulin content and hepatoma growth rates.

Calmodulin contents of normal rat liver, host liver [bearing hepatoma 5123t.c.(h)], regenerating liver, and Morris hepatomas 7800, 5123t.c.(h), and 7794A were determined by phosphodiesterase assay and by radioimmunoassay. The calmodulin levels determined by both assays were significantly increased in three hepatomas when compared to the corresponding values of normal liver. The order of increase in calmodulin content was as follows: normal liver = host liver less than 7794A (slow growth rate) less than 5123t.c.(h) (intermediate growth rate) less than 7800 (fast growth rate). In regenerating liver (24 hr after partial hepatectomy), the calmodulin content was not different from that of normal liver. In good agreement with the literature, the calmodulin values measured by the phosphodiesterase assay were always lower than those determined by radioimmunoassay. Calcium and magnesium contents were measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometry in acid digests of these tissues. Both cation contents were significantly increased in the three hepatomas studied when compared to the corresponding values of normal liver; the extent of increase for calcium content (120 to 240%) was much greater than that for magnesium (30 to 40%). The order of increase for both cations was as follows: normal liver = host liver less than 5123t.c.(h) less than 7794A less than 7800. Therefore, there does not appear to be any correlation between the cation contents and hepatoma growth rates. In regenerating liver, magnesium content was about 14% higher than that of normal liver. In summary, the results indicate that only the increase of calmodulin appears to correlate positively with the growth rate of these tumors. This correlation suggests that calmodulin may be involved in tumor cell growth regulation.

Animals↗

Decreased content of reduced and oxidized nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide phosphate in rat hepatomas.

Tissue contents of NADPH and NADP+ were measured in freeze-clamped samples of normal rat liver and in four transplantable rat hepatomas covering a wide range of growth rates. Lowry cycling procedures were employed for analysis, using alkaline extracts for NADPH and acid extracts for NADP+. The mean NADPH content in 33 normal livers was 515 nmol/g wet weight, and mean NADP+ content was 311 nmol/g wet weight. In the four hepatomas, the amounts of both NADPH and NADP+ were low, and the extent of decrease correlated with tumor growth rate. In the slowly growing hepatoma 9618A, total NADP was slightly decreased (63% control) and more extensive decreases were observed in the medium growth rate tumors 47C and 8999 (38% and 19%, respectively, of control). In the rapidly growing hepatoma 3924A, total NADP was drastically decreased to 3% of the control liver value. Measurement of NADPH and NADP+ recovery from extracts of hepatoma 3924A showed that there were no inhibitors that might have blocked the activity of the assay enzymes. The NADPH/NADP+ ratio was close to the normal liver value in all four hepatomas. A 30-sec period of ischemia did not cause significant change in NADPH, but gave 33% decrease in liver NADP+. A 5-min period of ischemia decreased NADP+ to 50% of the zero-time value in liver, and to 71% in hepatoma 3924A, but was without effect on NADPH.

Animals↗

Energy metabolism of tumor cells. Requirement for a form of hexokinase with a propensity for mitochondrial binding.

Rat liver cytoplasm (postnuclear supernatant) has a low aerobic glycolytic rate in the presence of added glucose, ATP, ADP, Pi, and NAD+, whereas cytoplasm from Ehrlich ascites tumor cells exhibit a high aerobic glycolytic rate which is typical of rapidly proliferating tumor cells. Tumor mitochondria, unlike liver mitochondria, contain bound hexokinase which constitutes about 70% of the total cellular hexokinase activity. The high aerobic glycolytic rate of Ehrlich tumor cytoplasm is reduced markedly if the mitochondria are removed and can be restored almost completely upon addition of the hexokinase-containing tumor mitochondria to tumor cytosol (postmitochondrial supernatant). Addition of tumor mitochondria to liver cytosol can enhance its glycolytic rate to levels approaching those of tumor cytoplasm, whereas added liver mitochondria are without effect on the already low glycolytic rate of liver cytosol. Addition of tumor mitochondria to tumor cytosol increases its glycolytic rate to the level of tumor cytoplasm, as mentioned above, but liver mitochondria added to tumor cytosol actually depress its glycolytic rate to the level of liver cytosol. The stimulatory effect of tumor mitochondria on liver cytosol can be ascribed to its associated hexokinase activity since hexokinase specifically removed from mitochondria of tumor cells can also enhance the glycolytic rate of liver cytosol. The depressing effect of added liver mitochondria on tumor cytosol glycolysis suggests that liver mitochondria can compete more effectively than tumor mitochondria for a common intermediate and/or cofactor. Examination of 12 different tumor cell lines revealed that only those which reached maximum size in 1 month or less, and which have elevated glycolytic activities, had detectable mitochondrially associated hexokinase activity. The studies reported here describe resolution and reconstitution of tumor cytoplasm, supplementation of cytosol with intact mitochondria or mitochondrial hexokinase, and a survey of mitochondrial hexokinase content in various tumors, and provide strong evidence for the view (Bustamante, E., and Pedersen, P. L. (1977) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 74, 3735-3739) that a form of hexokinase with a propensity for mitochondrial binding plays a key role in the high aerobic glycolysis of cancer cells.

Aerobiosis↗

Guanosine-5'-phosphate synthetase and guanosine-5'-phosphate kinase in rat hepatomas and kidney tumors.

The behavior of the activities of GMP synthetase (xanthosine-5'-phosphate: L-glutamine amino-ligase(AMP-forming),EC 6.3.5.2) and GMP kinase (ATP: (d)GMP phosphotransferase,EC 2.7.4.8) was elucidated in cytosol preparations of rat tissues, including fetal, neonatal and regenerating liver, in a transplantable kidney tumor, and in a spectrum of 11 hepatomas of different growth rates. GMP kinase activity was 60-fold or more higher than GMP synthetase activity in all of the examined tissues. GMP synthetase activity was increased in all hepatomas and in the kidney tumor, compared to control tissues, reaching 5.5-fold the normal liver values in the most rapidly growing hepatoma. This increase correlated with the tumor growth rates. GMP kinase activity showed no consistent pattern of alteration in the tumors. In both fetal and neonatal rat liver the activity of GMP synthetase was 2.5-times higher than in livers of adult rats, but GMP kinase activity did not change markedly during liver development. After partial hepatectomy GMP synthetase activity was elevated, reaching a peak of 155% of the sham-operated control values by 36 h after the operation. GMP kinase activity was not affected by partial hepatectomy. After 3 days starvation hepatic GMP kinase activity decreased slightly faster than total cytosol protein, while GMP synthetase activity was preferentially maintained. These results indicate that GMP synthetase activity was linked with cellular proliferation in differentiating, regenerating and neoplastic tissues.

Animals↗

Vitamin B6 and cancer (review).

Vitamin B6 is required for normal growth and development, in general. The effect(s) of the vitamin on tumor growth, particularly of Morris hepatomas, and on metabolic function (i.e. enzyme activity) are herewith reviewed. Evidence is presented on the biochemical relationship(s) of pyridoxal 5'-phosphate with thymidylate synthetase and its inactivation by fluorodeoxyuridylate as well as of the therapeutic effects of direct treatment in situ with the antivitamin complexing agent L-penicillamine.

Animals↗

Regulation of energy metabolism in Morris hepatoma 7777 and 7800.

The pathway of fat oxidation in two experimental hepatomas was studied in order to demonstrate that a specific deficit in the energy metabolism of a tumor might contribute to the cachexia of the host. Forty-eight male Buffalo rats were divided into four groups of 12 each. One group was implanted s.c. with Morris hepatoma 7777 and one group was implanted with Morris hepatoma 7800, whereas the other two groups served as controls. All groups were fed standard rat chow diet ad libitum until the tumors reached 2 cm in diameter. The animals were then fasted for 24 hr prior to sacrifice and excision of tumor and liver for assays. During the period of tumor growth, the animals bearing the 7777 hepatoma lost weight, but the weight of the 7800 hepatoma-bearing rats did not differ significantly from that of the control animals. The livers of both groups of animals showed evidence of fatty acid oxidation in vivo and in vitro, and, as expected, during fasting, pyruvate dehydrogenase was inactivated and the rate of fatty acid synthesis was low. A qualitatively similar picture was seen with the better-differentiated 7800 hepatoma. In contrast, the 7777 hepatoma exhibited low levels of fatty acyl coenzyme CoA, no appreciable activity of carnitine palmitoyl transferase and fortified homogenates of the tumor were unable to oxidize palmitate. In keeping with these observations, pyruvate dehydrogenase remained in the active form, and fatty acid synthesis continued unabated in the fasted state in these tumors. Ketone bodies could not be oxidized by fortified homogenates of the liver or by either tumor, probably due to the lack of 3-ketoacid thiotransferase, which was undetectable in these tissues. We hypothesize that flow-through pyruvate dehydrogenase during fasting in Morris hepatoma 7777, occurring as a result of the defect in fat oxidation, contributes to the weight loss of these animals.

Acyl Coenzyme A↗

Inhibition of local and metastatic hepatoma growth and prolongation of survival after induction of hypothyroidism.

The local growth rate of Morris Hepatoma 44 (generation time, 6 months) was inhibited by 66 to 87%, and host survival was prolonged by 36 to 78% after the induction of hypothyroidism within 2 weeks of tumor implantation by propylthiouracil (0.1% in Purina chow), 131I(1 mCi/100 g body weight i.p.), or surgical thyroidectomy. In additional experiments, we studied the effects of inducing hypothyroidism (131I) at different stages in the natural history of Morris Hepatoma 44 on local and metastatic growth as well as on host survival. Induction of hypothyroidism within 2 weeks of tumor implantation (Group I) reduced local tumor growth as well as the number and size of pulmonary metastases, and prolonged survival by 70 to 80%. Induction of hypothyroidism at 6 weeks postimplantation when tumors were palpable (Group II) inhibited local growth by 39%, reduced the number and size of pulmonary metastases by approximately 80%, and prolonged host survival by 35%. Initiation of 131I treatment at 11 weeks when microscopic pulmonary emboli were present in most animals (Group III) reduced local growth by 19% and the number and size of pulmonary metastases by 72 and 50%, respectively. In this case, survival was prolonged by 17%. We conclude from these results that the local and metastatic growth of Morris hepatoma 44 as well as host survival are thyroid hormone-dependent processes. The mechanisms responsible for these observations remain to be explained.

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Tissue and urinary glycosaminoglycan patterns associated with a fast, an intermediate, and a slow-growing Morris hepatoma.

The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the glycosaminoglycans (GAG's) in different behavioral-histological types of i.m.-transplanted hepatomas and in the liver and urine of animals bearing these tumors. Groups of 10 Buffalo rats carrying fast-growing (7777), intermediate (5123tc), and slow-growing (9618A) Morris hepatomas were studied as the tumors reached 3 cm. Urinary and tissue GAG's were isolated by proteolysis, separated as cetylpyridinium complexes, and measured as uronic acid. The GAG's were further purified using anion-exchange chromatography and characterized with mucopolysaccharidases. Tissue GAG,s were also evaluated histochemically using Alcian blue staining and mucopolysaccharidases. Tissue from fast-growing, intermediate, and slow-growing tumors exhibited greater GAG levels than did normal liver in the hyaluronic acid (0.4 M NaCl-soluble) fraction and in the chondroitin sulfate-heparan sulfate (1.2 M NaCl-soluble) fraction. The livers of tumor-bearing animals exhibited GAG levels similar to those of normal liver. Increased urinary GAG excretion was appreciated in animals bearing Tumors 5123tc and 9618A but not in those bearing Tumor 7777.

Animals↗

Isolation and sequence analysis of two major leucine transfer ribonucleic acids (anticodon Mm-A-A) from a rat tumor, Morris hepatoma 5123D.

The nucleotide sequences of two major tRNALeu species (anticodon Mn-A-A)isolated from Morris hepatoma 5123D were determined by a combination of a newly developed thin-layer readout sequencing method [Gupta, R. C., & Randerath, K. (1979) Nucleic Acids Res. 6, 3443-3458] and additional 3H- and 32P-labeled derivative methods entailing chromatographic fingerprinting and base-specific enzymatic cleavages. The nucleotide sequence of the two hepatoma tRNAMm-A-ALeu species, one of which has U and the other of which has A in position 50 at the tip of the long extra arm, is pG-U-C-A-G-m2G-A-U-G-(m2)G-C-(ac4)C-G-A-G-U-G-G-D-C-psi-A-A-G-G-C-m22G-C-C-A-G-A--C-U-Mm-A-A-m1G*-psi-psi-C-U-G-G-L-(psi)U-C-C-G-U- or A-A-U-G-G-A-G-m5C-G-U-G-G-G-T-psi-C-G-m1A-A-U-C-C-C-A-C-U-U-C-U-G-A-C-A-C-C-AOH. These are the first leucine tRNA sequences from higher eukaryotes that have been determined. Noteworthy features of the mammalian leucine tRNAs are the presence of psi in the beta region of the D loop and the occurrence of three unknown hypermodified nucleosides (Mm, m1G*, and L) in positions 35, 38, and 45, respectively. m1G* was converted to m1G by treatment with alkali. Sequencing gels indicated that the parent base of the 2'-O-methylated nucleoside Mm may be a pyrimidine, probably a C derivative, as indicated by the chromatographic behavior of nucleotides containing Mm. The presence of a pyrimidine in the wobble position would be consistent with the antidodon sequence Mm-A-A and the leucine condons U-U-G and U-U-A. The occurrence of a hypermodified nucleoside, L, in the first position of the long extra arm appears unusual; thus far the only modified nucleoside found in this position is Um in eukaryotic serine tRNAs. Since all tRNAs with a long extra arm sequenced to date have a pyrimidine in this position, L is likely to be a pyrimidine, probably a U derivative, as inferred from chromatographic data.

Animals↗