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Biomedical subjects

M R Smith

Publications and source records attributed to M R Smith.

At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources

Emergence of myeloid stem cell line from T-lymphoid blastic phase of chronic myeloid leukemia in culture.

A new cell line designated JA-CML was derived from the peripheral blood of a patient with blastic phase CML. Sequential evolution of phenotypic and genetic markers was demonstrated during adaptation from primary to continuous culture in vitro. In the primary sample the majority of blast cells displayed the early T-cell markers, CD7, HLA-DR, and TdT, but were negative for the common ALL antigen (CALLA), CD4 and CD8. Simultaneously, unstimulated metaphase cells showed great karyotypic variation with a range of 43-46 chromosomes per cell. Clonal changes included the Ph chromosome t(9;22), loss of the Y and gain of several altered chromosomes. The cells grew slowly in suspension during the first 10 weeks of culture. During that time, cells still expressed the CD7 and HLA-DR antigens. Karyotypic analysis at ten weeks showed a pattern of 46,X,-Y,t(9;22),+8 in more than 90% of metaphases with disappearance of all other abnormal chromosomes noted in the original sample. A tetraploid subline exhibiting duplication of most chromosomes, including the Ph, comprised the remaining metaphases. Upon further cultivation in vitro, the cells transformed spontaneously over a period of several weeks, from T-lymphoid into myeloid cells. Expression of CD7 was lost, but reactivities with monoclonal antibodies to CD34, CD33 and CD13 were newly acquired. The karyotype was hypertriploid and all cells carried two copies of t(9;22) and lacked normal copies of No. 9 or Y. The cells have since maintained stable cytogenetic and phenotypic profiles. Molecular rearrangement of the breakpoint cluster region was identified in the primary blasts and the established line and T-cell receptor gene rearrangements were not found. These observations suggest that the leukemic blast arose from primitive stem cells, not irreversibly committed T cells, and that these stem cells retained the capacity to differentiate along the myeloid pathway.

Antigens, CD↗

Regulation of intracellular actin polymerization by prenylated cellular proteins.

Posttranslational modification by covalent attachment of polyisoprene intermediates to a carboxyterminal CAAX-box motif is required for the biologic function of proteins such as p21ras, the supergene family of ras-related proteins, nuclear lamins, and subunits of heterotrimeric G-proteins. Cells grown in the presence of lovastatin, which inhibits HMG-CoA reductase and prevents synthesis of intermediates required for protein prenylation, develop a round, refractile morphology. Our data indicate that this is due to the selective loss of actin cables without gross changes in the microtubular lattice or intermediate filament structure. Microinjection of a competitive peptide inhibitor of protein prenyltransferases into the cytoplasm of cells induces an identical change in morphology with loss of actin cables. Mevalonate (MVA) reverses the lovastatin-induced morphologic change by inducing a rapid repolymerization of actin cables with coincident reversion to the flat morphology. Furthermore, microinjection of farnesyl-pyrophosphate or geranylgeranyl-pyrophosphate into lovastatin-treated cells also results in rapid morphologic reversion. The morphologic reversion induced by MVA requires the presence of serum, and is independent of extracellular calcium. The addition of cycloheximide to the growth medium prevents lovastatin-induced loss of actin cables, and causes morphologic reversion of lovastatin-treated cells by a mechanism that is independent of MVA. A1F4- induces morphologic reversion in a manner indistinguishable from MVA. These data indicate that prenylated protein(s) play a critical role in regulating the state of intracellular actin, and that GGPP can rescue the lovastatin-induced morphologic phenotype in the absence of upstream intermediates of cholesterol biosynthesis. We have begun to dissect the signaling events that mediate this pathway.

Actin Cytoskeleton↗

Ras mediates translation initiation factor 4E-induced malignant transformation.

Translation initiation factor eIF-4E binds to the eukaryotic mRNA 5' cap structure (m7 GpppN, where N is any nucleotide). eIF-4E is a limiting factor in translation and plays a key role in regulation of translation. We have shown previously that overexpression of eIF-4E in rodent fibroblasts results in tumorigenic transformation. eIF-4E also exhibits mitogenic activity when microinjected into serum-starved NIH-3T3 cells. To understand the mechanisms by which eIF-4E exerts its mitogenic property, we examined the involvement of the Ras signaling pathway in this activity. Here, we report that Ras is activated in eIF-4E-overexpressing cells, as the proportion of GTP-bound Ras is increased. Overexpression of the negative effector of cellular Ras, GTPase activating protein, causes reversion of the transformed phenotype. Furthermore, we show that neutralizing antibodies to Ras, or a dominant-negative mutant of Ras, inhibit the mitogenic activity of eIF-4E. We conclude that eIF-4E exerts its mitogenic and oncogenic activities by the activation of Ras.

3T3 Cells↗

EGF receptor activity and mitogenic response of Balb/3T3 cells expressing Ras and Myc oncogenes. EGF receptor activity in oncogene transformed cells.

EGF receptors are found on the surface of most cells, usually with high and low binding affinities. To investigate functional relationships between EGF (EGF-like growth factors) and oncogenes we have characterized the expression of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFr) in H-Ras, v-Myc, and H-Ras-v-Myc transformed Balb/3T3 cells. H-Ras cells show a marked decrease in the number of EGFr molecules per cell compared to parental cells. v-Myc and H-Ras-v-Myc transformed cells express an intermediate level of receptors. The majority of the EGF receptors on the parental and oncogene transformed cells bind EGF with low affinity and this low affinity receptor is down-regulated by oncogene transformation. v-Myc expression, in the H-Ras-v-Myc transformed cells, abrogates the receptor down-regulation seen with H-Ras transformation. The mechanism of abrogation is not a result of a change in the p21-Ras concentration in the H-Ras-v-Myc transformed cells. In addition, the mitogenic response to EGF was examined. H-Ras and H-Ras-v-Myc transformed cells do not respond to EGF mitogenically. In contrast, EGF stimulates DNA synthesis in parental cells and v-Myc transfected cells; this result suggests that growth promoting signals from the EGF receptor may not be required in H-Ras transformed cells.

3T3 Cells↗

Evidence for clonal disease by magnetic resonance imaging in patients with hypoplastic marrow disorders.

Some patients with hypoplastic marrow disorders, including aplastic anemia (AA), are at risk for clonal evolution to myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and leukemia. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of marrow of the spine, pelvis, and femurs was performed in 24 patients with hypoplastic marrow disorders. In 12 patients (three AA, nine MDS) MRI was compatible with the clinical and biopsy diagnoses and served to define the spectrum of marrow patterns in these disorders. In eight patients with hypocellular marrow biopsies and a clinical diagnosis of AA, MRI showed an unexpected inhomogeneous or diffuse cellular pattern. Concurrent or subsequent marrow or cytogenetic studies have led to diagnoses of hypoplastic MDS in seven of these patients. In four patients with prolonged hypoplasia after bone marrow transplantation for lymphoma, a speckled pattern superimposed on a fatty background appeared in serial MRI studies. One case evolved to AML, two developed megaloblastic foci, and one remains hypoplastic at 19 months. This study suggests that MRI is able to detect early clonal disease in patients with AA, and can distinguish AA from hypoplastic MDS.

Adult↗

IL-1 induces ornithine decarboxylase in normal T lymphocytes.

IL-1 alpha regulation of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) was examined in T cells because IL-1 is a costimulus for T cell proliferation and ODC is a critical enzyme in the metabolic events associated with cellular proliferation. In the present study, we demonstrate that IL-1 alpha induces ODC mRNA and ODC enzyme activity in T cells. Unlike many IL-1 actions on T cells, this did not require a costimulus from the TCR, IL-1 alone being sufficient to induce ODC. The mechanism of IL-1 induction of ODC probably operates at several levels, including transcription, mRNA stability, and translation. Previous studies have shown that IL-1 prepares T cells for replication by increasing the production of c-jun, c-fos, c-myc, growth factors, growth factor receptors, and the response to growth factors. From the present study, ODC induction can be added to the list of IL-1-induced replicative machinery in T cells.

Animals↗

Successful management of Ph chromosome chronic myelogenous leukemia with leukapheresis during pregnancy.

We report the successful management of a 25 year-old woman diagnosed in the second trimester of her pregnancy with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). She was treated with leukapheresis until her delivery at 38 weeks of gestation. The procedure was without significant adverse effects on the patient or the fetus. Following induced vaginal delivery, the patient underwent allogeneic bone marrow transplantation from her HLA-matched brother and is presently disease free 13 months following her transplant.

Adult↗

A quantitative comparison of the TERA modeling and DFT magnetic resonance image reconstruction techniques.

The resolution of magnetic resonance images reconstructed using the discrete Fourier transform (DFT) algorithm is limited by the effective window generated by the finite data length. The transient error reconstruction approach (TERA) is an alternative reconstruction method based on autoregressive moving average (ARMA) modeling techniques. Quantitative measurements comparing the truncation artifacts present during DFT and TERA image reconstruction show that the modeling method substantially reduces these artifacts on "full" (256 X 256), "truncated" (256 X 192), and "severely truncated" (256 X 128) data sets without introducing the global amplitude distortion found in other modeling techniques. Two global measures for determining the success of modeling are suggested. Problem areas for one-dimensional modeling are examined and reasons for considering two-dimensional modeling discussed. Analysis of both medical and phantom data reconstructions are presented.

Algorithms↗

Degradation of 3-chloro-2-methylpropionic acid by Xanthobacter sp. CIMW 99.

Both stereoisomers of 3-chloro-2-methylpropionic acid (CMPA) and its methyl esters (MeCMPA) serve as growth substrates for a bacterial isolate (Xanthobacter sp. CIMW 99) when supplied as sole source of carbon and energy. Biodegradation of DL-CMPA and DL-MeCMPA was shown to be via a common pathway; an initial, constitutive, esterase converted the methyl ester to the corresponding carboxylic acid. Further metabolism required the activation of CMPA involving a CoA-, ATP-, Mg(2+)-dependent chloroacyl-CoA synthetase. Most noteworthy, it was the product of this reaction (3-chloro-2-methylpropionyl-CoA) that underwent hydrolytic dehalogenation to give 3-hydroxy-2-methylpropionyl-CoA (3-hydroxyisobutyryl-CoA). Further biodegradation proceeded by the action of a dehydrogenase on the CoA derivative to give methylmalonate-CoA-semialdehyde. Cells of CIMW 99 also contained a stable, constitutive, highly active 3-hydroxyisobutyrate dehydrogenase that was specific for the L(+) isomer. However, evidence is presented suggesting that this enzyme was not involved in the catabolism of the chlorinated substrates.

3-Hydroxyacyl CoA Dehydrogenases↗

Human T-cell leukemia virus type I Tax induces expression of the Rel-related family of kappa B enhancer-binding proteins: evidence for a pretranslational component of regulation.

The Tax protein of the human T-cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-I) serves as a potent transcriptional activator of its own long terminal repeat as well as select cellular genes, including interleukin-2 and the alpha subunit of the interleukin-2 receptor. Tax activation of these two growth-related genes appears to involve the induced nuclear expression of DNA-binding proteins that specifically engage related kappa B enhancer elements present in the 5' regulatory regions of these genes. In human T cells, kappa B enhancer-binding activity has been discerned as an unexpectedly large family of UV cross-linked nucleoprotein adducts, termed p50, p55, p75, and p85. The protein components of each of these DNA-protein adducts have been shown to share structural similarity with the v-rel oncogene product. The p55 adduct is composed of the 50-kDa subunit of NF-kappa B derived from a 105-kDa precursor polypeptide, while the p50 adduct contains a smaller protein that is closely related to NF-kappa B p50. The p75 adduct contains the 65-kDa subunit of NF-kappa B, while the p85 adduct is composed of the human c-rel proto-oncogene product. We now demonstrate that HTLV-I Tax, in the absence of other viral pX gene products, is capable of inducing the nuclear expression of all four of these kappa B-binding proteins in human T cells, with most marked effects involving c-Rel and NF-kappa B p65. Tax induction of the nuclear expression of c-Rel and NF-kappa B p50 is regulated, at least in part, at a pretranslational level involving increases in c-rel and NF-kappa B p105 mRNA expression. To study the pattern of expression of these kappa B-specific proteins in cells infected with the whole HTLV-I, seven cloned HTLV-I-infected T-cell lines were established from the peripheral blood of patients with adult T-cell leukemia. Of note, only three of these seven cell lines produced Tax, and c-rel mRNA and nuclear protein expression was confined to these three cell lines. In contrast, NF-kappa B p50 and NF-kappa B p65 were constitutively expressed in the nuclei of all seven of the HTLV-I-infected cell lines, even in the absence of detectable Tax or other viral gene expression. These findings raise the possibility of an alternate, Tax-independent pathway for the induced nuclear expression of NF-kappa B p50 and NF-kappa B p65 following HTLV-I infection.

Blotting, Northern↗

Type I human T cell leukemia virus tax protein transforms rat fibroblasts through the cyclic adenosine monophosphate response element binding protein/activating transcription factor pathway.

The Tax oncoprotein of the type I human T cell leukemia virus (HTLV-I) activates transcription of cellular and viral genes through at least two different transcription factor pathways. Tax activates transcription of the c-fos proto-oncogene by a mechanism that appears to involve members of the cAMP response element binding protein (CREB) and activating transcription factor (ATF) family of DNA-binding proteins. Tax also induces the nuclear expression of the NF-kappa B family of rel oncogene-related enhancer-binding proteins. We have investigated the potential role of these CREB/ATF and NF-kappa B/Rel transcription factors in Tax-mediated transformation by analyzing the oncogenic potential of Tax mutants that functionally segregate these two pathways of transactivation. Rat fibroblasts (Rat2) stably expressing either the wild-type Tax protein or a Tax mutant selectively deficient in the ability to induce NF-kappa B/Rel demonstrated marked changes in morphology and growth characteristics including the ability to form tumors in athymic mice. In contrast, Rat2 cells stably expressing a Tax mutant selectively deficient in the ability to activate transcription through CREB/ATF demonstrated no detectable changes in morphology or growth characteristics. These results suggest that transcriptional activation through the CREB/ATF pathway may play an important role in Tax-mediated cellular transformation.

Animals↗

Poisoning of Canada geese in Texas by parathion sprayed for control of Russian wheat aphid.

Approximately 200 Canada geese (Branta canadensis) died at a playa lake in the Texas Panhandle shortly after a winter wheat field in the basin adjacent to the lake was treated with parathion to control newly invading Russian wheat aphids (Diuraphis noxia). No evidence of infectious disease was diagnosed during necropsies of geese. Brain ChE activities were depressed up to 77% below normal. Parathion residues in GI tract contents of geese ranged from 4 to 34 ppm. Based on this evidence, parathion was responsible for the goose mortalities. Parathion applications to winter wheat will undoubtedly increase if parathion is applied for control of both Russian wheat aphids and greenbugs (Schizaphis graminum). Geese may potentially be exposed to widespread applications of parathion from fall to spring, essentially their entire wintering period.

Aerosols↗

Modulation of the mitogenic activity of eukaryotic translation initiation factor-4E by protein kinase C.

Eukaryotic initiation factor-4E (eIF-4E) binds to the cap structure of eukaryotic mRNAs and is a component of the cap-binding protein complex eIF-4F. eIF-4E is present in cells in limiting concentrations and is phosphorylated both in vivo and in vitro by protein kinase C (PKC). Recently, eIF-4E has been implicated as an intracellular transducer of extracellular growth signals; microinjection of recombinant eIF-4E into quiescent NIH 3T3 cells induced DNA synthesis. In the present report, the mitogenic activity of eIF-4E was examined after coinjection with PKC. Recombinant eIF-4E was phosphorylated by PKC at the same amino acid that is phosphorylated in cultured cells and reticulocytes in response to phorbol ester. At limiting concentrations of eIF-4E, coinjection with PKC induced a fivefold increase in the mitogenic activity of eIF-4E. Injection of PKC alone or coinjection of eIF-4E with cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) or the Raf protein had no effect. These results suggest that the mitogenic activity of eIF-4E is enhanced by PKC-specific phosphorylation and that phosphate addition is a rate-limiting step in eIF-4E activity.

Animals↗

Inhibition of serum- and ras-stimulated DNA synthesis by antibodies to phospholipase C.

Several immunologically distinct isozymes of inositol phospholipid-specific phospholipase C (PLC) have been purified from bovine brain. Murine NIH 3T3 fibroblasts were found to express PLC-gamma, but the expression of PLC-beta was barely detectable by radioimmunoassay or protein immunoblot. A mixture of monoclonal antibodies was identified that neutralizes the biological activity of both endogenous and injected purified PLC-gamma. When co-injected with oncogenic Ras protein or PLC-gamma, this mixture of antibodies inhibited the induction of DNA synthesis that characteristically results from the injection of these proteins into quiescent 3T3 cells. However, when oncogenic Ras protein or PLC-gamma was co-injected with a neutralizing monoclonal antibody to Ras, only the DNA synthesis induced by the Ras protein was inhibited--that induced by PLC was unaffected. These results suggest that the Ras protein is an upstream effector of PLC activity in phosphoinositide-specific signal transduction and that PLC-gamma activity is necessary for Ras-mediated induction of DNA synthesis.

Animals↗

Direct evidence for an intracellular role for IFN-gamma. Microinjection of human IFN-gamma induces Ia expression on murine macrophages.

An intracellular action for IFN-gamma was detected by using microinjection technology. Human IFN-gamma (huIFN-gamma) does not ordinarily act on murine cells because it fails to bind to murine cell surface receptors. However, when huIFN-gamma was microinjected into murine macrophages, a time and dose-dependent induction of Ia was detected by autoradiography on the surface of injected and neighboring cells. These results imply a direct role for internalized IFN-gamma and show that huIFN-gamma, although it fails to be recognized by murine cell surface receptors, can act internally on murine cells. The effect on Ia gene expression induced by microinjected huIFN-gamma was in part indirect: granulocyte/macrophage-CSF (GM-CSF) was released by IFN-gamma-injected macrophages, and this secondary mediator appeared to induce Ia on neighboring cells, inasmuch as anti-GM-CSF blocked Ia induction. Anti-GM-CSF also partially blocked Ia induction by extracellular murine IFN-gamma on murine macrophages. Thus, at least some of the Ia induction attributed to IFN-gamma was mediated by GM-CSF.

Animals↗