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T Seno

Publications and source records attributed to T Seno.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

[Biochemical modulation of 5-FU by thymidine and N-phosphoacetyl-L-aspartate: the relation between 5-FU incorporation into RNA and its cytocidal effect].

We attempted to study the relation between 5-FU incorporation into RNA or DNA and the cytocidal effect of 5-FU using thymidine (TdR) and the effect of N-phosphoacetyl-L-aspartate (PALA) on the cytotoxicity of 5-FU. A mouse mammary carcinoma cell line FM3A was used in all of the experiments. The results showed that: addition of TdR to cell cultures resulted in an increase of 5-FU incorporation into RNA and although 5-FU incorporation into nucleic acid decreased, addition of 10(-3) M TdR induced of complete incorporation of 5-FU into only RNA as revealed by alkaline hydrolysis and cesium gradient analysis; no addition of TdR caused 5-FU to be completely incorporated into DNA only; cytocidal effect of 5-FU, in a clonogenic assay, occurred only during the time when TdR was added to the cell culture; PALA possessed the capacity to enhance the cytocidal effect of 5-FU in a clonogenic assay. These results confirmed that 5-FU incorporation into RNA is necessary for the cytocidal effect of 5-FU and that both TdR and PALA are available as 5-FU-modulating agents for enhancement of the cytocidal effect.

Animals↗

Murine mammary FM3A carcinoma cells transformed with the herpes simplex virus type 1 thymidine kinase gene are highly sensitive to the growth-inhibitory properties of (E)-5-(2-bromovinyl)-2'-deoxyuridine and related compounds.

Murine mammary carcinoma (FM3A TK-/HSV-1 TK+) cells, which are thymidine kinase (TK)-deficient but have been transformed with the herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) TK gene are inhibited in their growth by (E)-5-(2-bromovinyl)-2'-deoxyuridine (BVDU), (E)-5-(2-iodovinyl)-2'-deoxyuridine (IVDU) and (E)-5-(2-bromovinyl)-2'-deoxycytidine (BVDC) at 0.5, 0.5 and 0.8 ng/ml, respectively; i.e., a concentration 5000 to 20 000-fold lower than that required to inhibit the growth of the corresponding wild-type FM3A/0 cells. Hence, transformation of tumor cells with the HSV-1 TK gene makes them particularly sensitive to the cytostatic action of BVDU and related compounds.

Animals↗

Nucleotide sequence of a functional cDNA for human thymidylate synthase.

We have determined the nucleotide sequence of a cDNA clone, pcHTS-1, encoding human thymidylate synthase (5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate: dUMP C-methyltransferase, EC 2.1.1.45) which was previously isolated from a human fibroblast expressible cDNA library and functional in mouse cells. The 1.6 kilobase cDNA insert of pcHTS-1 encodes a subunit protein of 313 amino acid (Mr = 35,706) and its predicted amino acid sequence is highly conserved in many regions including folylpolyglutamate and 5-fluoro-2'-deoxyuridylate binding sites, when compared with those of Lactobacillus casei, Escherichia coli, and bacteriophage T4. The cDNA contains in its 5'-untranslated region a triple tandemly repeated sequence consisting of 90 nucleotides, which starts immediately upstream of the ATG initiator codon, is very high in G+C content (80%), and can form three possible interconvertible stem-loop structures.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Thymineless death and genetic events in mammalian cells.

Thymidylate synthase-negative mutants of cultured mouse FM3A cells were immediately committed to cell death upon thymidine deprivation especially when the cells were synchronized in the S-phase. Thymidine deprivation induced single strand breaks in parental DNA strands, as measured by alkaline sucrose gradient sedimentation, giving rise to two peaks, one with large and the other with short fragments. Increase in the short DNA fragments paralleled that of thymineless death. Thymidine deprivation also accumulated double strand DNA fragments as determined by a method of neutral filter elution, and their extent paralleled that of cell death. Double-strand DNA eluted through the filter sedimented as a single peak both in a neutral and in an alkaline sucrose gradient that coincided with that of the above short DNA fragments. Therefore, the double strand breaks seemed to occur in some defined portions of the genome and in some specific manners in contrast to those induced by X-ray, which occurred rather randomly. Cycloheximide blocked thymineless death and accumulation of the double stranded DNA fragments in parallel. The double strand breaks induced by thymidine starvation were not repaired, but instead advanced on subsequent incubation of the cells in growth medium containing thymidine. Cytogenetically, thymidine deprivation induced chromosome aberrations such as chromatid breaks, chromatid interchanges, and chromosome fragmentation. Also, 5-bromodeoxyuridine deprivation induced sister chromatid exchange. Thymidylate stress also induced loss of a stably integrated human gene in mouse cells, possibly by DNA rearrangements, under the conditions where no point mutations were induced.

Animals↗

Assignment of human gene encoding thymidylate synthase to chromosome 18 using interspecific cell hybrids between thymidylate synthase-negative mouse mutant cells and human diploid fibroblasts.

We have constructed interspecific somatic cell hybrids between a thymidine-auxotrophic mutant cell line of mouse FM3A cells that lacks thymidylate synthase and human diploid fibroblasts derived from a male patient with fragile X-linked mental retardation. Twenty primary hybrid clones were isolated independently, all of which exhibited the thymidine-prototrophic phenotype. Segregation of the hybrid cells in nonselective culture conditions gave rise to thymidine-auxotrophic hybrid clones. Both electrophoretic assay of thymidylate synthase activity and karyotype analysis of the segregants revealed a strong correlation between the expression of the human form of the enzyme and the presence of human chromosome 18. Thus, it is concluded that the functional gene for human thymidylate synthase, designated TS, is located on this chromosome.

Animals↗

Purification and NH2-terminal amino acid sequence of human thymidylate synthase in an overproducing transformant of mouse FM3A cells.

Human thymidylate synthase [EC 2.1.1.45] was purified to homogeneity and its NH2-terminal amino acid sequence was determined taking advantage of the following facts: i) The source of the enzyme was a transformant of mouse FM3A mutant cells which lacks mouse thymidylate synthase but overproduces human thymidylate synthase. ii) The enzyme could be purified on two kinds of affinity column, Cibacron blue dye-bound agarose and methotrexate-bound Sepharose. iii) The enzyme could finally be separated from a trace of impurities by electrophoresis on polyacrylamide gel containing sodium dodecyl sulfate. The purified human thymidylate synthase had a subunit with a molecular weight of 33,000, as determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The enzyme was subjected to Edman degradation and the NH2-terminal 24 amino acids were sequenced by successive use of a high-sensitivity gas-phase protein sequencer and high performance liquid chromatography to be as follows: Pro-Val-Ala-Gly-Ser-Glu-Leu-Pro-Arg-Arg-Pro-Leu-Pro-Pro-Ala-Ala-Gln-Glu- Arg-Asp -Ala-Glu-Pro-Arg-.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Establishment of mutant FM3A murine mammary carcinoma cell strains transformed with the herpes simplex virus type 1 thymidine kinase gene.

To establish cell systems appropriate for investigating the mode of action of anti-herpetic nucleoside analogs, mutants were constructed from murine FM3A mammary carcinoma cells, which were deficient in both thymidine kinase (EC 2.7.1.21) and thymidylate synthase (EC 2.1.1.45), but were transformed with a recombinant plasmid DNA containing the herpes simplex virus type 1 thymidine kinase gene. The transformed cells expressed viral thymidine kinase activity and showed unusually high sensitivity to the cytostatic action of the antiherpetic agent (E)-5-(2-iodovinyl)-2'-deoxyuridine, which was only weakly inhibitory to the growth of the parent cells.

Animals↗

Highly selective cytostatic activity of (E)-5-(2-bromovinyl)-2'-deoxyuridine derivatives for murine mammary carcinoma (FM3A) cells transformed with the herpes simplex virus type 1 thymidine kinase gene.

(E)-5-(2-Bromovinyl)-2'-deoxyuridine (BVDU) and various structurally related analogues thereof, i.e., (E)-5-(2-iodovinyl)-2'-deoxyuridine (IVDU) and (E)-5-(2-bromovinyl)-2'-deoxycytidine (BVDC), and the carbocyclic analogues of BVDU, IVDU, and BVDC, were evaluated for their inhibitory effects on the growth of murine mammary carcinoma FM3A cells, deficient in thymidine kinase (TK) activity but transformed with the herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) TK gene (designated FM3A/TK-/HSV-1 TK+). BVDU and its congeners were much more inhibitory to the growth of FM3A/TK-/HSV-1 TK+ than to the growth of the wild type (FM3A/0) cells. For BVDU, for example, the 50% inhibitory dose for the FM3A/TK-/HSV-1 TK+ cells was 0.5 ng/ml, as compared to 11 micrograms/ml for the FM3A/0 cells. Evidently, BVDU and its congeners required phosphorylation by the HSV-1 TK to exert their cytostatic action. In attempts to evaluate further the mechanism of this cytostatic action, BVDU, IVDU, and their carbocyclic analogues were evaluated for their inhibitory effects on thymidylate synthetase (TS) and their incorporation into DNA. TS was identified as one, but not the sole, target in the cytostatic activity of BVDU and its derivatives. With [125I]IVDU and its carbocyclic analogue C-[125I]IVDU, clear evidence was obtained for the incorporation of these radiolabeled analogues into DNA of the FM3A/TK-/HSV-1 TK+ cell line and a TS-deficient mutant thereof, FM3A/TK-/HSV-1 TK+/TS-. No incorporation was detected with [125I]IVDU or C-[125I]IVDU into DNA of FM3A/0 and FM3A/TS- cells. To what extent the incorporation of [125I]IVDU and C-[125I]IVDU contributed to their cytostatic action against FM3A/TK-/HSV-1 TK+ cells remains the subject of further study.

Animals↗

Selective inhibition of the proliferation of herpes simplex virus type 1 thymidine kinase gene-transformed murine mammary FM3A carcinoma cells by (E)-5-(2-bromovinyl)-2'-deoxyuridine and related compounds.

Mouse mammary carcinoma FM3A cells deficient in thymidine kinase were transformed by a cloned gene for herpes simplex virus type 1 thymidine kinase. Among several anti-herpetic nucleoside analogues, (E)-5-(2-bromovinyl)-2'-deoxyuridine, (E)-5-(2-iodovinyl)-2'-deoxyuridine and (E)-5-(2-bromovinyl)-2'-deoxycytidine inhibited the growth of the transformed cells at concentrations 5000- to 20000-fold lower than those required to inhibit the growth of the corresponding wild-type cells. The selective inhibitory action of these compounds was due to a specific phosphorylation by the viral thymidine kinase. From the transformed cells, thymidine-auxotrophic mutants that are deficient in thymidylate synthase were isolated. These mutant cell lines should prove useful in elucidating the mechanism of action of the antiherpetic nucleoside analogues.

Animals↗

Expression of fragile site on the human X chromosome in somatic cell hybrids between human fragile X cells and thymidylate synthase-negative mouse mutant cells.

Fragile sites appear to be associated with a higher rate of breakage and specific chromosome rearrangement in cancer. A fragile site located on the human X chromosome at band Xq27 is known to be expressed under conditions of thymidylate stress. In order to obtain a model cell system suitable for studying the mechanism of expression of the fragile X site, interspecific somatic cell hybrids were constructed by cell fusion between human skin fibroblasts derived from a male patient with fragile X-linked mental retardation and thymidylate synthase-negative mouse mutant cells. The primary isolated hybrid clones were thymidine-prototrophic and expressed the fragile X site under conditions of thymidylate stress caused by 5-fluoro-2'-deoxyuridine treatment. In a thymidine-auxotrophic hybrid clone segregated from a thymidine-prototrophic hybrid clone, the expression of the fragile X site was induced in thymidylate stress conditions achieved by thymidine deprivation alone. This result provides direct evidence that expression of the fragile X site is dependent upon a lowered supply of thymidylate.

Animals↗

Incorporation of 5-substituted pyrimidine nucleoside analogues into DNA of a thymidylate synthetase-deficient murine FM3A carcinoma cell line.

Various 5-substituted 2'-deoxyuridine (dUrd), 2'-deoxycytidine (dCyd), 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosyluracil (araU) and 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine (araC) analogues have been investigated for their stimulatory effect on the growth of a thymidylate (dTMP) synthetase-deficient murine mammary carcinoma cell line (FM3A/TS-) that is auxotrophic for thymidine (dThd). Such stimulatory effect may be considered as indicative for the incorporation of the nucleoside analogue into host cell DNA. Based on this premise, several dUrd analogues were found to be incorporated into FM3A/TS- cell DNA (in decreasing order of incorporation): 5-bromo-dUrd greater than 5-chloro-dUrd greater than 5-(3-hydroxy-1-propynyl)-dUrd greater greater than 5-(1-pentynyl)-dUrd approximately 5-(1-propynyl)-dUrd approximately 5-iodo-dUrd greater than 5-(5-carboxy-1-hexenyl)-dUrd greater than 5-(3,3-dimethyl-1-butynyl)-dUrd greater than 5-ethyl-dUrd greater than 5-(5-chloro-1-pentynyl)-dUrd greater than 5-ethynyl-dUrd approximately 5 vinyl-dUrd greater than 5-phenylethynyl-dUrd greater than 5-(5-cyano-1-pentenyl)-dUrd greater than 5-(1-propenyl)-dUrd greater than 5-(1-hexynyl)-dUrd greater than 5-(5-hexyn-1-enyl)-dUrd. Among the 5-substituted dCyd analogues, 5-methyl-dCyd, 5-chloro-dCyd, 5-bromo-dCyd and 5-iodo-dCyd were also found to stimulate cell growth, and are therefore assumed to be incorporated into FM3A/TS- cell DNA. Since the stimulatory effects of these compounds on FM3A/TS- cell proliferation were suppressed in the presence of a Cyd deaminase inhibitor (tetrahydrouridine) or dCMP deaminase inhibitor (2'-deoxytetrahydrouridine), it is surmised that the dCyd analogues are first deaminated to the corresponding dUrd analogues before they are incorporated into DNA. None of the 5-substituted araU or araC analogues tested were able to sustain the growth of FM3A/TS- cells. It is postulated, therefore, that these araU or araC analogues are not incorporated to any appreciable extent into the DNA of FM3A/TS- cells, or, if they are incorporated, prevent cell growth. Thus, the dTMP synthetase-deficient FM3A/TS- cell line represents a unique system to distinguish those pyrimidine nucleoside analogues that are able to sustain cell growth and, therefore, assumed to be incorporated into the host cell DNA from those pyrimidine nucleoside analogues that are not.

Animals↗

Isolation of functional cDNA clones for human thymidylate synthase.

Thymidine auxotrophic mutants of mouse FM3A cells due to thymidylate synthase deficiency can be transformed into prototrophs by DNA-mediated gene transfer using total human DNA (Ayusawa, D., Shimizu, K., Koyama, H., Takeishi, K., and Seno, T. (1983) J. Biol. Chem. 258, 48-53). From one such transformed cell clone, cloned recombinant lambda phages containing DNA fragments were obtained recently that were concluded by circumstantial genetic evidence to have been derived from the human thymidylate synthase gene (Takeishi, K., Ayusawa, D., Kaneda, S., Shimizu, K., and Seno, T. (1984) J. Biochem. (Tokyo) 95, 1477-1483). Using a DNA segment derived from the cloned genomic DNA fragment and free of repetitive sequences as a probe, functional cDNA corresponding to thymidylate synthase mRNA could be cloned from a cDNA library of SV40 transformed human fibroblasts constructed by Okayama and Berg (Okayama, H. and Berg, P. (1983) Mol. Cell. Biol. 3, 280-289). The cloned cDNA plasmid containing an insert of approximately 1.7-kilobase transformed mouse thymidine auxotrophic mutant cells to thymidine prototrophic cells at a frequency of 2-3 transformants/micrograms of DNA/10(5) cells, a value almost comparable to the highest so far reported. The resultant transformants retained the introduced cDNA and expressed human thymidylate synthase protein sufficient for supporting normal growth of otherwise auxotrophic mouse cells.

Cloning, Molecular↗

Thymidylate synthetase-positive and -negative murine mammary FM3A carcinoma cells as a useful system for detecting thymidylate synthetase inhibitors.

The murine mammary FM3A/O and the thymidylate (dTMP) synthetase-deficient FM3A/TS- carcinoma cell lines can be considered as a novel and useful test system for the detection of nucleoside analogues which are directly aimed at the thymidylate synthetase. These compounds should be inhibitory for FM3A/O but not for FM3A/TS- cells, and their inhibitory effects on FM3A/O cell growth should be readily reversed by exogenous dThd within the concentration range of 5-20 microM.

Animals↗

Thymidylate synthetase-deficient mouse FM3A mammary carcinoma cell line as a tool for studying the thymidine salvage pathway and the incorporation of thymidine analogues into host cell DNA.

A thymidylate (dTMP) synthetase-deficient murine mammary carcinoma cell line (FM3A/TS-), auxotrophic for thymidine (dThd), proved extremely useful for studying the dependence of cell growth on the exogenous supply of dThd, the relation between cell growth and DNA synthesis, and the ability of a series of 25 5-substituted 2'-deoxyuridines (dUrd) to substitute for dThd in sustaining cell growth. FM3A/TS-cells did not proliferate unless dThd was supplied to the cell culture medium. The 5-halogenated dUrd derivatives 5-chloro-dUrd, 5-bromo-dUrd and 5-iodo-d Urd also sustained FM3A/TS- cell growth. The extents of incorporation of [methyl-3H]dThd and 5-iodo-[6-3H]dUrd into DNA were closely correlated with their stimulatory effects on FM3A/TS- cell growth. This suggests that the stimulatory effects of the dUrd analogues on the growth rate of FM3A/TS- cells may be considered as evidence for their incorporation into host cell DNA. Based on this premise it is postulated that, in addition to 5-chloro-dUrd, 5-bromo-dUrd, 5-iodo-dUrd and dThd itself, the following dThd analogues are also incorporated into FM3A/TS- cell DNA (in order of the extent to which they are incorporated): 5-hydroxy-dUrd greater than 5-propynyloxy-dUrd greater than 5-ethyl-dUrd greater than 5-ethynyl-dUrd approximately 5-vinyl-dUrd. Thus, the dTMP synthetase-deficient FM3A/TS- cell line represents a unique system to dissociate the de novo and salvage pathways of dTMP biosynthesis and to distinguish those dUrd analogues that are incorporated into DNA from those that are not.

Animals↗

Molecular cloning of genomic DNA segments partially coding for human thymidylate synthase from the mouse cell transformant.

Mouse cells deficient in the enzyme thymidylate synthase [TS; EC 2.1.1.45] were serially transformed with human DNA to yield primary and secondary transformants which produced human TS [Ayusawa, D., Shimizu, K., Koyama, H., Takeishi, K., & Seno, T. (1983) J. Biol. Chem. 258, 48-53]. Southern blot hybridization of their genomic DNA showed that six secondary transformants examined contained in common a 5.5 kb EcoRI fragment hybridized with a human Alu sequence. From the secondary transformant genomic library constructed with phage lambda Charon 4A, two recombinant phage clones carrying Alu sequences were isolated. Restriction endonuclease mapping revealed that the insert DNAs of the two phage clones overlapped and covered a region of 19 kb in total. Within this region at least six Alu sequences were located. A 2.0 kb DNA fragment, prepared from an EcoRI fragment subcloned in plasmid pBR322 and free of Alu sequences, hybridized to a single band on RNA blots of primary and secondary transformant poly(A)+ RNA, but not to RNA of mouse wild-type and recipient cell lines. The relative amount of the presumed human TS mRNA was linearly correlated with the relative activity of human TS in various types of mouse transformant cells. These results indicate that these two phage clones contain genomic DNA sequences encoding human TS.

Animals↗