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Biomedical subjects

T Mitchell

Publications and source records attributed to T Mitchell.

34 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Effects of interferon-gamma on proto-oncogene expression during induction of human monocytic differentiation.

Activation of the proto-oncogenes c-fos, c-fms, and c-sis has been associated with monocytic differentiation. In the present study, we monitored the relationship of c-myc, c-fos, c-fms, and c-sis expression to interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma)-induced monocytic differentiation of human HL-60 promyelocytic leukemia cells. Treatment of HL-60 cells with 500 U/ml IFN-gamma arrested cell proliferation after 3 days. Appearance of the monocytic phenotype was manifested within 24 hr of IFN-gamma exposure by: increased nitroblue tetrazolium reduction; increased cell surface expression of the HLA-DR, Mo1, and MY4 antigens; and induction of transcripts for the second component of complement (C2) and tumor necrosis factor. In contrast, c-myc expression decreased as a later event after 72 hr of IFN-gamma exposure, and c-fos transcripts remained undetectable until 5 days of treatment. Furthermore, c-fms RNA and transcripts for the macrophage marker apolipoprotein E were induced only after 7 days. Finally, expression of the c-sis proto-oncogene at the RNA and protein levels remained undetectable after induction with IFN-gamma. These findings would thus suggest that declines in c-myc RNA, as well as induction of c-fos, c-fms, and c-sis expression, are not requisite events in the commitment of HL-60 cells to IFN-gamma-induced monocytic differentiation. Expression of c-fos and c-fms, however, is associated with acquisition of markers associated with maturation to macrophages.

Antigens, Surface

Expression of the c-raf protooncogene in human hematopoietic cells and cell lines.

The murine sarcoma virus 3611 contains the transforming v-raf gene that has partial nucleotide homology with the src family of tyrosine kinase-encoding oncogenes. Although this virus induces fibrosarcomas in mice, a recombinant murine retrovirus carrying both the raf and myc oncogenes induces immunoblastic lymphomas and immortalizes mouse macrophages in vitro. The present study has thus monitored the expression of c-raf in human hematopoietic cells. The results demonstrate the presence of a 3.6-kb c-raf transcript in HL-60 promyelocytic leukemic cells. The induction of HL-60 cell differentiation along the monocytic or granulocytic lineages had no detectable effect on the level of c-raf transcripts. Furthermore, in contrast to c-myc and c-fms expression, inhibition of protein synthesis with cycloheximide had no detectable effect on c-raf expression. Similar levels of c-rafRNA were also found in other human cell lines derived from myeloid, B cell, and T cell tumors, as well as in normal granulocytes, monocytes, and macrophages. These findings suggest that the c-raf protooncogene is widely expressed in multiple hematopoietic lineages.

Cell Differentiation

Roles of H1 domains in determining higher order chromatin structure and H1 location.

Peptides derived from calf thymus H1 and rat liver H1, comprising only the globular and COOH-terminal domains of the intact molecule and therefore lacking NH2-terminal domains, have been shown by reconstitution to be as effective as the complete H1 molecule in inducing higher-order-chromatin structure. As the globular domain of H1 alone cannot induce chromatin folding, our results demonstrate that this function is primarily controlled by the COOH-terminal domain of the molecule. Surprisingly, these peptides do not locate correctly with respect to the nucleosome. This is demonstrated by their failure to confer upon reconstitutes the ability to protect DNA fragments of chromatosome length when digested with micrococcal nuclease. The precise placement of the H1 molecule (globular domain) with respect to the nucleosome is shown to be influenced by the "tail" domains of both H1 and the core histones.

Animals

Incorporation of 9-beta-D-arabinofuranosyl-2-fluoroadenine into HL-60 cellular RNA and DNA.

The incorporation of 9-beta-D-arabinofuranosyl-2-fluoroadenine (F-ara-A) into HL-60 cellular nucleic acids was monitored by cesium sulfate gradient centrifugation. The results demonstrated that F-ara-A incorporated into both RNA and DNA. These findings are in contrast to those previously obtained with 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine (ara-C) and 9-beta-arabinofuranosyladenine (ara-A) which demonstrated incorporation of these nucleosides only in DNA. F-ara-A inhibited HL-60 proliferation, and the incorporation of F-ara-A into both DNA and RNA correlated with loss of clonogenic survival. Furthermore, cytostatic concentrations of F-ara-A resulted in the appearance of a more mature phenotype, a finding consistent with the effects of other inhibitors of DNA synthesis. The incorporation of F-ara-A into RNA and DNA should provide new insights regarding the mechanism of action of this agent.

Carboxylesterase

Secretion of vasopressin, oxytocin, and two neurophysins from rat hypothalamo-neurohypophyseal explants in organ culture.

Secretion of the neurohypophyseal principles arginine vasopressin, oxytocin, vasopressin-neurophysin, and oxytocin-neurophysin by hypothalamic-neurohypophyseal explants in organ culture was studied. The viability of explant cultures was tested on day 6 by their ability to incorporate 3H-amino acid into acid-precipitable protein, specifically vasopressin-neurophysin. The explants released all four neurosecretory products in a controlled manner during 8 successive days of culture. In addition, these substances were all present in neural lobes and hypothalami at the end of the culture period. Although the tissue retained a 1:1 molar ratio between the hormone and corresponding neurophysin, the levels of neurophysins in culture media were much higher than the levels of hormones. Through immunoprecipitation techniques we determined that both arginine vasopressin and oxytocin were unstable in culture media containing explants or in medium containing 10% heat-inactivated fetal calf serum. This suggests that neurophysins are more stable indicators of secretion by explants than are the corresponding hormones. An increased release of arginine vasopressin, oxytocin, vasopressin-neurophysin, and oxytocin-neurophysin occurred in response to elevated K+ and to increased sodium ions in the medium, and these four substances were released in different molecular proportions. The results indicate that explant cultures may be useful for comparisons of secretion of the two neurophysins and, to a more limited extent, of the two hormones in response to such stimuli.

Animals

Effects of 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine on proto-oncogene expression in human U-937 cells.

We have previously demonstrated that declines in c-myc expression precede the induction of c-fos and c-fms transcripts during monocytic differentiation of human leukemia (HL-60 and U-937) cell lines. The present study has monitored the effects of 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine (ara-C) on proto-oncogene expression in U-937 cells. The results demonstrate that ara-C inhibits both U-937 proliferation and c-myc expression in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. At non-toxic concentrations of ara-C, these decreases in c-myc RNA occur in the absence of changes in the level of actin transcripts. The results also demonstrate that ara-C increases c-fos but not c-fms expression. Similar findings have been obtained with retinoic acid. Furthermore, although both agents induce a more mature U-937 phenotype, ara-C is a relatively weak inducer of these cells. These findings would suggest that the changes in proto-oncogene expression induced by ara-C may be related to induction of differentiation or the inhibitory effects of this agent on proliferation.

Actins

Reaction of substrates with 35S-thiophosphorylated succinyl-CoA synthetase of pig heart. Similarities to the case of the Escherichia coli enzyme.

Guanosine 5'-O-(3-thio)triphosphate (GTP gamma S) was found to be a substrate of pig heart succinyl-CoA synthetase with Km and kcat values of 3 microM and 0.23 s-1, respectively. The corresponding values with GTP as substrate were 48 microM and 65 s-1. 35S-thiophosphorylated enzyme was prepared by incubation of pig heart succinyl-CoA synthetase with [35S]GTP gamma S. A comparison was made of thiophosphoryl group release by substrates from this alpha beta (one active site) enzyme with that of the alpha 2 beta 2 (two active sites) Escherichia coli enzyme (Wolodko, W. T., Brownie, E. R., O'Connor, M. D., and Bridger, W. A. (1983) J. Biol. Chem. 258, 14116-14119; Nishimura, J. S., and Mitchell, T. (1984) J. Biol. Chem. 259, 9642-9645). It was found, as in the case of the E. coli enzyme, that thiophosphoryl group release by GDP and by succinate plus CoA was stimulated by succinyl-CoA and GTP, respectively. The same result was observed at 1, 0.1, and 0.01 mg/ml, lending assurance that these phenomena were not exhibited by an aggregated form of the pig heart enzyme. While an alternating-sites catalytic cooperativity model is not ruled out for the E. coli enzyme, it is proposed that the NTP- and succinyl-CoA-stimulated release of thiophosphoryl groups from either enzyme involves a "same-site" mechanism, to be distinguished from an "other-site" mechanism.

Acyl Coenzyme A

Human c-myc and N-ras expression during induction of HL-60 cellular differentiation.

The genome of the human HL-60 promyelocytic leukemia cell contains amplified c-myc sequences and the transforming N-ras oncogene. The present study has monitored c-myc and N-ras expression in HL-60 cells during induction of myeloid and monocytic differentiation with dimethyl sulfoxide, hexamethylene bisacetamide, 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate and 1,25 dihydroxy-vitamin D3. The results demonstrate that induction of HL-60 differentiation is associated with decreases in c-myc RNA, while there is little if any effect on expression of the N-ras gene. Although the diminution in c-myc expression occurred as an early event in the induction of HL-60 differentiation, the rate of decrease in c-myc transcripts varied with respect to cessation of proliferation. Thus, the appearance of the mature phenotype and loss of proliferative capacity are associated with declines in c-myc RNA, while these events appear to occur in the absence of significant alterations in N-ras expression.

Acetamides

Effects of 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine and phorbol ester on differentiation of human K562 erythroleukemia cells.

We have previously demonstrated that 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine (ara-C) induces hemoglobin synthesis in human K562 erythroleukemia cells. The present study extends these findings by demonstrating that ara-C treatment of K562 cells results in both increased heme synthesis and accumulation of alpha-, gamma-, epsilon-, and zeta-globin RNA. The results also demonstrate that ara-C enhances K562 cell surface expression of glycophorin. Furthermore, we demonstrate that phorbol ester (12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate; TPA) inhibits the effects of ara-C on heme production, accumulation of globin RNA, and glycophorin expression. The inhibitory effect occurs maximally when K562 cells are treated with TPA before undergoing ara-C-induced commitment to erythroid differentiation. These findings suggest that TPA inhibits an early step in the process required for ara-C to enhance expression of genes involved in the erythroid program.

Cell Differentiation

Plasma uric acid and plasma albumin in healthy subjects.

In healthy male subjects there was a positive correlation between plasma uric acid and plasma albumin (r = 0 - 43, P less than 0 - 005, n = 49) when repeated measurements of both variables were used for each subject. Changes in plasma albumin induced by in vivo ultrafiltration were not accompanied by changes in plasma uric acid. The correlation of plasma uric acid with plasma albumin cannot be attributed to protein binding of urate. The two variables are probably related indirectly through a common association with an unknown factor or factors.

Adolescent

Employment choices in conditions of physician oversupply: a study of graduates of San Francisco internal medicine programs, 1979-1984.

The authors surveyed 297 internists who completed residency or fellowship training at six San Francisco institutions from 1979 through 1984 to assess how the recent expanded supply of physicians has affected their intensity of practice and their decisions about location of practice. The vast majority of internists (93%) settled in metropolitan areas, with 56% remaining in the San Francisco Bay Area, despite that region's already high concentration of physicians. Mean annual income, in 1984 dollars, was slightly more than figures from national surveys of physicians of similar age ($72,560 vs. $71,900), but reported mean work week was shorter (54.8 hours vs. 60.5). Although subspecialists earned significantly more than generalists, this was because they worked more hours. Those who graduated later were significantly less likely to be in private practice in 1985, mainly because they initially selected salaried institutional work more often than earlier graduates (p less than 0.001). Women worked 85% of the men's work week and subspecialized significantly less often (p less than 0.05). These findings suggest that internists trained in already "over-doctored" areas will continue to settle there or in similar communities.

Adult

Expression of the c-fms proto-oncogene during human monocytic differentiation.

The McDonough strain of the feline sarcoma virus contains a transforming gene (v-fms) which contains partial nucleotide homology with proto-oncogenes encoding tyrosine kinases. One of the v-fms-encoded products, gp140fms, is a cell surface transmembrane glycoprotein that may function as a growth factor receptor. Although c-fms transcripts have been detected in placental trophoblasts and normal human bone marrow, the role of the c-fms gene product is unknown. We now report that induction of monocytic, but not granulocytic, differentiation of human HL-60 leukaemic cells is associated with expression of c-fms, preceded by that of c-myc and c-fos. Because c-fms transcripts are also detectable in peripheral blood monocytes and in blasts from certain patients with myelomonocytic leukaemia, the c-fms gene product may play a role in monocytic differentiation.

Acetamides