Pro-UKS1 was designed as a thrombin-resistant derivative of pro-urokinase (pro-UK) by introducing a glycosylation site using site-directed mutagenesis. An expression plasmid for pro-UKS1, pMo1UKS1SEd1-5, was constructed and introduced into Namalwa KJM-1 cells (Hosoi et al., 1988), and cells resistant to G418 and Methotrexate (MTX) were obtained. Amongst them, the highest pro-UKS1 producer (resistant to 500 nM of MTX), clone 41-8, was selected and further characterized. Clone 41-8 was cultured in serum-free ITPSGF medium (Hosoi et al., 1988). Under the conventional conditions, the concentration of pro-UKS1 reached 26 micrograms ml-1. Addition of glucose and tri-iodothyronine (T3) improved productivity, and the maximal productivity of pro-UKS1 was 67 micrograms ml-1 day-1. In this conditioned medium, content of pro-UKS1 was above 80% of total proteins.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Modulation of oligosaccharide structure of a pro-urokinase derivative (pro-UK delta GS1) by changing culture conditions of a lymphoblastoid cell line Namalwa KJM-1 adapted to serum-free medium.

Pro-UK delta GS1 was designed as a long-life and thrombin-resistant derivative of pro-urokinase (pro-UK) by deleting the growth factor domain of pro-UK and introducing a glycosylation site near the thrombin cleaving site for thrombin-resistance using site-directed mutagenesis. An expression plasmid for pro-UKDGS1, pIH1UK delta GS1SEd1-5 was constructed and introduced into Namalwa KJM-1, a lymphoblastoid cell line adapted to serum-free medium, and cells resistant to G418 and Methotrexate (MTX) were obtained. Amongst them, the highest pro-UK delta GS1 producer (resistant to 200 nM of MTX), clone 2-9, was selected and used for further studies. Under the conventional conditions, i.e. at 37 degrees C in serum-free ITPSGF medium (based on RPMI-1640 medium), the oligosaccharide structure of pro-UK delta GS1 produced by clone 2-9 mainly consisted of fucose (Fuc)-containing biantennary complex-type oligosaccharide. Addition of dexamethasone (Dex), changed the carbohydrate contents in the media, and a shift down of incubation temperature caused a change in oligosaccharide structure of pro-UK delta GS1 from mainly Fuc-containing biantennary to mainly Fuc-containing tri- and tetraantennary complex-type oligosaccharide. The modulated pro-UK delta GS1 showed superior in vivo activity for a canine femoral thrombosis formed by inserting a copper-coil.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Differential regulation of albumin gene expression by heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor in alpha-fetoprotein-producing and -nonproducing human hepatoma cells.

The effects of heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor (HB-EGF) on albumin gene expression were analyzed in alpha-fetoprotein (AFP)-producing and AFP-nonproducing human hepatoma cells, HuH-7 and huH-1/cl.2, in which the AFP silencer is inactive and active, respectively. HB-EGF selectively suppressed the AFP enhancer activity, resulting in decreased levels of both albumin and AFP mRNA in HuH-7 cells. In contrast, HB-EGF did not influence the albumin transcripts in huH-1/cl.2 cells or primary culture of rat hepatocytes, although the AFP enhancer activity was reduced by HB-EGF in huH-1/cl.2 cells as well as in HuH-7 cells. These results indicate that the AFP silencer interacts with the AFP enhancer to block its activity regulating both the albumin and AFP promoters, and that HB-EGF downregulates the albumin gene expression only in the absence of the AFP silencer through the repression of the AFP enhancer activity.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Suppression by protein kinase C inhibitors of tumor promoter enhancement of Epstein-Barr virus-induced growth transformation.

The tumor promoter teleocidin activates latent Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) genomes and enhances EBV-induced growth transformation of human B cells, with an activity comparable to that of 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA). It has been suggested that the TPA induction of EBV genomes is mediated by protein kinase C (PKC), an enzyme closely linked to signal transduction. We examined newly isolated, highly selective PKC inhibitors, UCN-01 (7-hydroxyl-staurosporine) and calphostin C, for the possible suppression of teleocidin enhancement of cord blood B lymphocyte growth transformation by EBV. 0.2 nM teleocidin B4 enhanced EBV-induced 3H-thymidine uptake 6 times, outgrowth in limiting dilution culture 5 times, and colony formation in semisolid agar 3 times. All these events were suppressed by exposure to 10-100 nM UCN-01 or to calphostin C. Our findings suggest that the tumor promoter enhancement of EBV growth transformation is probably mediated by PKC.

Alkaloids↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Heterogeneity of signal transduction mechanisms in human basophils and human skin mast cells. II. Effects of 7-O-methyl-UCN-01, NPC 15437 and bryostatin 1 and 2, four protein kinase C-modulatory agents, on mediator release.

Basophils and mast cells play a crucial role in immunological and allergic processes due to the release of inflammatory mediators such as histamine. It has been suggested for a long time that the histamine release (HR) from these cells is closely related to protein kinase (PKC) activity. However, the distinct role of PKC with its large variety of isozymes in different cell types and the actions of these isozymes in HR still remain unclear. Therefore, in the present study, we compared the effects of the two PKC inhibitors 7-O-methyl-UCN-01 (UCN-01-Me) and NPC 15437 as well as two PKC activators, bryostatin 1 and 2, on anti-IgE and Ca(2+)-ionophore-induced HR from human basophils and isolated human skin mast cells (HSMC). In both HSMC and basophils, anti-IgE-induced HR was inhibited by PKC inhibitor UCN-01-Me pre-incubation dose-dependently. In stark contrast, A23187-induced HR was unaffected by UCN-01-Me in both cell types. In our experiments, the inhibitory efficacy of the compound NPC 15437 on HR was much lower than that of UCN-01-Me and showed no statistical significance. Both bryostatins 1 and 2 produced good dose-dependent inhibition of HR from HSMC stimulated with anti-IgE, whereas HR from basophils was potentiated with these compounds. The same effects were observed with basophils stimulated with A23187, where potentiation of HR was up to fourfold of the control at the highest concentrations of bryostatins, while HSMC showed a slight decrease in HR compared to non-bryostatin-treated controls. Basophils and HSMC showed very clear differences in HR when directly stimulated with the bryostatins, since no HR was observed from HSMC while in basophils the HR increased up to 47% of total histamine at the highest concentrations of bryostatins (1 mumol/l). HR from basophils was observed to be strictly dose-dependent. The differences in the cell reactions of the two cell types incubated with these four compounds indicate distinct biochemical roles of PKC in the cascades leading to degranulation of the cells. Furthermore, the experiments with UCN-01-Me support the hypothesis of PKC-beta to play a substantial positive modulatory role for the degranulation of immunologically stimulated basophils.

Alkaloids↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Retrovirus-mediated gene therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma: selective and enhanced suicide gene expression regulated by human alpha-fetoprotein enhancer directly linked to its promoter.

We have previously reported that a retrovirus vector (LNAF0.3TK) carrying a herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase gene regulated only by the 0.3-kb human alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) promoter provides ganciclovir (GCV)-mediated cytotoxicity in high AFP-producing human hepatoma cells but not in low AFP-producing cells. In the present study, a retrovirus vector (LNAF0.3(E+)TK), in which herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase gene expression is under the control of a human AFP enhancer directly linked to its promoter, was constructed and compared with LNAF0.3(E+)TK. In the intermediate and low AFP-producing human hepatoma cells PLC/PRF/5 and huH1/cl.2, respectively, as well as in the high AFP-producing human hepatoma cells (HepG2), LNAF0.3(E+)TK sensitized these cells to GCV in vitro but did not affect cell growth in nonhepatoma cells (HeLa). In an animal model using athymic mice harboring PLC/PRF/5 cells, GCV treatment resulted in more pronounced growth inhibition in the LNAF0.3(E+)TK virus-infected cells than in the LNAF0.3(E+)TK virus-infected cells. These results indicate that the human AFP enhancer that is directly linked to its promoter involves selective and enhanced tumoricidal activity in gene therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma.

Animals↗