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The valine-to-threonine 75 substitution in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 reverse transcriptase and its relation with stavudine resistance.

The amino acid change V75T in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 reverse transcriptase confers a low level of 2',3'-didehydro-2',3'-dideoxythymidine (stavudine, d4T) resistance in vivo and in vitro. Valine 75 is located at the basis of the fingers subdomain of reverse transcriptase between the template contact point and the nucleotide-binding pocket. V75T reverse transcriptase discriminates 3.6-fold d4T 5'-triphosphate relative to dTTP, as judged by pre-steady state kinetics of incorporation of a single nucleotide into DNA. In addition, V75T increases the DNA polymerization rate up to 5-fold by facilitating translocation along nucleic acid single-stranded templates. V75T also increases the reverse transcriptase-mediated repair of the d4TMP-terminated DNA by pyrophosphate but not by ATP. The V75T/Y146F double substitution partially suppressed both increases in rate of polymerization and pyrophosphorolysis, indicating that the hydroxyl group of Thr-75 interacts with that of Tyr-146. V75T recombinant virus was 3-4-fold d4T-resistant and 3-fold resistant to phosphonoformic acid relative to wild type, confirming that the pyrophosphate traffic is affected in V75T reverse transcriptase. Thus, in addition to nucleotide selectivity V75T defines a type of amino acid change conferring resistance to nucleoside analogues that links translocation rate to the traffic of pyrophosphate at the reverse transcriptase active site.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

Pyridoxal-5'-phosphate inhibits the polymerase activity of a recombinant RNAase H-deficient mutant of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase.

We have investigated the ability of pyridoxal-5'-phosphate to inhibit a recombinant deletion mutant of human immunodeficiency virus type 1(HIV-1) reverse transcriptase (RT) which is missing the last 23 amino acids of the C-terminus. This mutant reverse transcriptase is characterized by normal polymerase activity as compared with full-length enzyme; however, it has no RNase H activity. Inhibition studies with pyridoxal-5'-phosphate showed several differences as compared with inhibition of full-length enzyme: (1) Inhibition of mutant reverse transcriptase was independent of divalent cation, (2) Either substrate alone could protect mutant reverse transcriptase from inactivation by pyridoxal-5'-phosphate, and (3) stoichiometry of pyridoxal-5'-phosphate binding to mutant reverse transcriptase was 2 mol/mol under the same conditions in which 1 mol/mol bound to full-length enzyme. Furthermore, in the presence of either substrate alone, the stoichiometry of pyridoxal-5'-phosphate binding to the mutant was reduced to 1 mol/mol. These results indicate that the second binding site for pyridoxal-5'-phosphate seen in the mutant reverse transcriptase is at or near the primer-template binding site of the enzyme. They also suggest that the RNase H domain of HIV RT plays a functional role in substrate binding at the polymerase domain.

DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase↗

Dopamine and noradrenaline efflux in the medial prefrontal cortex during serial reversals and extinction of instrumental goal-directed behavior.

The prefrontal cortex (PFC) of the rat supports cognitive flexibility, the ability to spontaneously adapt goal-directed behavior in response to radically changing situational demands. We have shown previously that transient inactivation of the rat medial PFC (mPFC) impairs initial reversal learning in a spatial 2-lever discrimination task. Given the importance of dopamine (DA) for PFC function, we studied DA (and noradrenaline [NA]) efflux in the mPFC during reversal learning. We observed a higher and more extended increase in DA efflux in rats performing the first reversal compared with controls performing the previously acquired discrimination. The results of an additional experiment suggest that such a difference between the reversal- and control-induced DA increases was absent during a third reversal. During the extinction session, DA efflux did not increase from basal levels. Increases in NA efflux were less than in DA and did not differ between control and any condition. We conclude that prefrontal DA activity is increased during execution of instrumental discrimination tasks and that this increase is amplified during the acquisition of a first, but not of later reversals. These data corroborate our previous findings and indicate that DA is critically involved in this form of cognitive flexibility.

Animals↗

Stabilization of the U5-leader stem in the HIV-1 RNA genome affects initiation and elongation of reverse transcription.

Reverse transcription of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus type I (HIV-1) RNA genome is primed by a cellular tRNA-lys3 molecule that binds to the primer binding site (PBS). The PBS is predicted to be part of an extended RNA structure, consisting of a small U5-PBS hairpin and a large U5-leader stem. In this study we stabilized the U5-leader stem of HIV-1 to study its role in reverse transcription. We tested in vitro synthesized wild-type and mutant templates in primer annealing, initiation and elongation assays. Stabilization of the stem inhibits the initiation of reverse transcription, but not the annealing of the tRNA primer onto the PBS. These results suggest that stabilization of the stem results in occlusion of a sequence motif that is involved in an additional interaction with the tRNA-lys3 primer and that is needed to trigger the initiation of reverse transcription. The stable structure was also found to affect the elongation of reverse transcription, causing the RT enzyme to pause upon copying 7-8 bases into the extended base paired stem. The stabilizing mutations were also introduced into proviral constructs for replication studies, demonstrating that the mutant viruses have a reduced replication capacity. Analysis of a revertant virus demonstrated that opening of the stabilized U5-leader stem can restore both virus replication and reverse transcription.

Base Pairing↗

Real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction: an improvement in detecting mRNA levels in mouse cranial tissue.

BACKGROUND: Quantitation of messenger RNA levels has traditionally been carried out by Northern blot analysis. While this is regarded as the standard method, it is time-consuming and requires large quantities of RNA. Reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction is a semiquantitative method that has been used as a more rapid and sensitive alternative to Northern blotting. Real-time reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction is a quantitative technique that is gaining widespread acceptance as a rapid and reliable way of quantifying mRNA. Since both techniques are currently being used to evaluate gene expression in the murine cranial suture model, the present study was performed to compare the sensitivity and variability of real-time to conventional reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction in this model. METHODS: Mouse brain RNA was isolated and amplified using real-time and conventional methods. For the real-time method, a serial 10-fold dilution of RNA, ranging from 1 fg to 100 ng, was performed. For the conventional method, the minimum amount of RNA needed for consistent polymerase chain reaction amplification was determined. Transforming growth factor beta-1 and beta-actin RNA transcripts were measured using both techniques. RESULTS: One femtogram of RNA could be detected by the real-time method, although 10 fg were required to reliably detect differences; 500 ng of RNA was required for consistent polymerase chain reaction amplification using the conventional method. The variability of real-time reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction when expressed as a coefficient of variation (SD as a percentage of the mean) ranged from 0.23 to 2.6 percent for all genes tested, as compared with 9 to 70 percent for conventional reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. CONCLUSIONS: Real-time reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction was used successfully to detect mRNA from different mouse genes. The real-time method is much more sensitive in detecting small amounts of mRNA than both Northern blot analysis and conventional polymerase chain reaction. The variability of the real-time method is more than 10-fold lower compared with the conventional method performed in the authors' laboratory for all genes tested.

Actins↗

Differential involvement of hippocampal calcineurin during learning and reversal learning in a Y-maze task.

The regulation and function of the calcium-dependent phosphatase calcineurin (CaN, protein phosphatase 2B) in learning and memory remain unclear, although recent work indicates that CaN may play a differential role in training and reversal training. To gain more insight into the involvement of CaN in these two types of learning, hippocampal CaN activity, protein levels, and expression patterns were studied in mice subjected to a reference memory version of the Y-maze task. We show that (1) training but not habituation induces a decrease in cytosolic CaN activity, (2) the recovery of cytosolic CaN activity is reversal training specific and does not reflect normal restoration of basal levels unrelated to subsequent learning, (3) cytosolic protein levels for the catalytic subunit of CaN (CaNA) are decreased at the early phase of training, but not at the early phase of reversal training, (4) CaNA immunoreactivity in the dorsal hippocampus is enhanced in the CA1 and CA3 area (but not in the dentate gyrus [DG] or subiculum [SUB]) only during reversal training. These findings indicate that memory formation is accompanied by reduced CaN activity, whereas adapting to changes in a familiar environment is accompanied by restored CaN activity. Moreover, reversal training selectively affects hippocampal CA3 and CA1 regions, suggesting a specific function of these hippocampal subregions in reversal learning.

Animals↗

High-affinity interaction of human immunodeficiency virus type-1 reverse transcriptase with partially complementary primers.

The comparison of Km and Vmax values for various primers in the reaction of polymerization catalyzed by the human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) reverse transcriptase was carried out. The primers were: (a) complementary to the template, (b) partially complementary with mismatched nucleotides at different positions from the 3' end or (c) non-complementary. Non-complementary primers were not elongated by HIV-1 reverse transcriptase. However, if they contained only one residue complementary to the template or an abasic unit at the 3' end, they could serve as primers. The most effective discrimination between matched and mismatched primers, due to a decrease in the affinity and Vmax, was found in the case of oligonucleotides containing non-complementary bases at the second or third position from the 3' end of the primer. The efficiency of discrimination by HIV-1 reverse transcriptase between matched and mismatched base-paired primers was about 1-1.5 orders of magnitude lower than that of procaryotic, eucaryotic and archaebacterial DNA polymerases and avian myeloblastosis virus reverse transcriptase. Oligonucleotides such as (dT)4(dCdG)k(dT)4 showed higher affinity for the enzyme than (dT)4 or (dT)8 primers. These data suggest that HIV-1 reverse transcriptase, in contrast to procaryotic, eucaryotic and archaebacterial DNA polymerases, forms additional contacts with the 5'-end region of the non-complementary primer. In addition, using tRNA(3Lys), the natural primer of HIV-1, it was shown that the p66 subunit of reverse transcriptase can be crosslinked, in the presence of a platinum derivative, to the 5' end of tRNA. Thus, besides the normal binding site for the 3' end of tRNA, which is crucial for the initiation of cDNA synthesis, the 5' end of the tRNA also interacts with a specific site on the enzyme.

DNA, Complementary↗

Lower in vivo mutation rate of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 than that predicted from the fidelity of purified reverse transcriptase.

The level of genetic variation of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), a member of the lentivirus genus of the Retroviridae family, is high relative to that of retroviruses in some other genera. The high error rates of purified HIV-1 reverse transcriptase in cell-free systems suggest an explanation for this high genetic variation. To test whether the in vivo rate of mutation during reverse transcription of HIV-1 is as high as predicted by cell-free studies, and therefore higher than that rates of mutation of retroviruses in other genera, we developed an in vivo assay for detecting forward mutations in HIV-1, using the lacZ alpha peptide gene as a reporter for mutations. This system allows the rates and types of mutations that occur during a single cycle of replication to be studied. We found that the forward mutation rate for HIV-1 was 3.4 x 10(-5) mutations per bp per cycle. Base substitution mutations predominated; G-to-A transition mutations were the most common base substitution. The in vivo mutation rates for HIV-1 are three and seven times higher than those previously reported for two other retroviruses, spleen necrosis virus and bovine leukemia virus, respectively. In contrast, our calculated in vivo mutation rate for HIV-1 is about 20-fold lower than the error rate of purified HIV-1 reverse transcriptase, with the same target sequence. This finding indicates that HIV-1 reverse transcription in vivo is not as error prone as predicted from the fidelity of purified reverse transcriptase in cell-free studies. Our data suggest that the fidelity of purified HIV-1 reverse transcriptase may not accurately reflect the level of genetic variation in a natural infection.

Animals↗

Characterization of intracellular reverse transcription complexes of human immunodeficiency virus type 1.

To examine the early events of the life cycle of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), we analyzed the intracellular complexes mediating reverse transcription isolated from acutely infected cells. Partial purification of the reverse transcription complexes (RTCs) by equilibrium density fractionation and velocity sedimentation indicated that two species of RTCs are formed but only one species is able to synthesize DNA. Most of the capsid, matrix, and reverse transcriptase (RT) proteins dissociate from the complex soon after cell infection, but Vpr remains associated with the RTC. The RTCs isolated 1, 4, and 7 h after infection are competent for reverse transcription in vitro, indicating that a small proportion of RT remains associated with them. HIV RTCs isolated early after infection have a sedimentation velocity of approximately 560S. Later, different species with a sedimentation velocity ranging from 350S to 100S appear. Nuclear-associated RTCs have a sedimentation velocity of 80S. Shortly after initiation of reverse transcription, the viral strong-stop DNA within the RTC is sensitive to nuclease digestion and becomes protected when reverse transcription is almost completed.

Blotting, Western↗

A UG5 reverse transcriptase-nitrilase antiviral module confers phage immunity in the plant symbiont Sinorhizobium meliloti.

Bacteriophages exert strong selective pressure on soil- and rhizosphere-associated bacteria, including plant-associated symbionts. Reverse transcriptase-associated defense systems of the UG family are widespread across bacterial lineages, yet their ecological roles remain largely undefined. Within this family, UG5 systems are distinguished by reverse transcriptases fused to or associated with a nitrilase domain. Here, we combine phylogenetic, metagenomic, and functional analyses to investigate the evolutionary context and antiviral activity of UG5-associated systems. Phylogenetic analysis of 728 nitrilase domains places UG5-associated nitrilases within a well-supported UG-related radiation encompassing the UG1, UG5, and UG6 families, with UG1 nested within a broader UG5 lineage. Metagenomic analysis further revealed UG5-associated reverse transcriptases in soil- and rhizosphere-derived metagenomes. Based on this observation, we characterized a UG5-large reverse transcriptase (RT)-associated system, here designated DRT11, encoded on the pSymA megaplasmid of Sinorhizobium meliloti RMO17, a nitrogen-fixing symbiont of Medicago sativa. Despite lacking the transmembrane protein typical of canonical UG5-large architectures, DRT11 confers protection against naturally occurring M. sativa rhizosphere phages with podovirus-like morphology. Phage infection assays reveal protection at low multiplicities of infection, consistent with an abortive-infection-like mechanism. Moreover, mutational analyses demonstrate that antiviral activity requires only the RT and its fused C-terminal nitrilase domain, establishing DRT11 as a minimal UG5-associated antiviral system.IMPORTANCEIn this study, we report the functional characterization of a UG5-large reverse transcriptase-associated defense system (DRT11) encoded on the pSymA megaplasmid of the nitrogen-fixing plant symbiont Sinorhizobium meliloti. Using a combination of phylogenetic, metagenomic, genomic, and experimental approaches, we demonstrate that DRT11 functions as a bona fide antiviral defense module, providing protection against naturally occurring rhizosphere phages through a minimal reverse transcriptase-nitrilase architecture. This work establishes direct functional evidence for antiviral activity within the UG5 family and clarifies the evolutionary placement of UG5-associated systems within the broader UG radiation.

Phylogeny↗

The atypical antipsychotic ziprasidone, but not haloperidol, improves phencyclidine-induced cognitive deficits in a reversal learning task in the rat.

The glutamate/N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist phencyclidine (PCP) has been shown to induce both positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia, as well as cognitive deficits, thus providing a relatively valid model of psychosis. Isolation rearing from weaning in the rat has been proposed as a non-pharmacological model of psychosis. The aim of the present study was to explore the validity of a combination of these techniques to model cognitive dysfunction associated with schizophrenia. The present study evaluates the effects of the novel antipsychotic ziprasidone and the typical antipsychotic haloperidol in their ability to reverse the cognitive deficit induced by PCP in isolation reared rats and social controls. Rats housed in social isolation (n = 25) or in groups of five (n = 25) from weaning were food deprived and trained to respond for food in an operant reversal learning paradigm. PCP at 1.0 and 1.5 mg/kg (intraperitoneally, i.p.) significantly and selectively impaired reversal task performance in both groups of rats. This impairment was not significantly improved following the coadministration of haloperidol (0.05 mg/kg, i.p.). Higher haloperidol doses (0.1 and 0.25 mg/kg, i.p.) were found to impair task performance, with the social animals being more sensitive than isolation-reared animals. In contrast, ziprasidone (2.5 mg/kg, i.p.) reversed the impairment caused by PCP. This was significant in social animals, while in isolates there was a non-significant enhancement in performance of the reversal task with ziprasidone compared to PCP alone. Thus, PCP produced a selective reversal learning deficit in rats, which was ameliorated following treatment with ziprasidone but not haloperidol. Rearing conditions did not influence performance of the test or the deficit produced by PCP.

Animals↗

Differential inhibitory effects of various herb extracts on the activities of reverse transcriptase and various deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) polymerases.

Forty preparations of the extracts from 28 kinds of Asian herbs were tested for ability to inhibit the activities of murine retroviral reverse transcriptase and human deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) polymerases. Among the 40 extracts, 35 inhibited reverse transcriptase activity and 29 inhibited DNA polymerase alpha activity. The inhibitory potencies of these extracts were expressed as the 50% inhibition concentrations (IC50), at which the enzyme activities were inhibited by 50%. Very strong inhibitions were observed with the extracts from Millettia pachycarpa (Leguminosae) and Mallotus apelta (Euphorbiaceae) as shown by their low IC50 values for reverse transcriptase (0.4-0.5 micrograms/ml) and DNA polymerase alpha (0.9-1.4 micrograms/ml). Enzyme kinetic analysis revealed that the mode of inhibition of reverse transcriptase by these two extracts was competitive with respect to the template.primer [poly(rA).oligo(dT)] and noncompetitive with respect to deoxythymidine triphosphate (dTTP) substrate. Besides reverse transcriptase and DNA polymerase alpha, DNA polymerase I and ribonucleic acid (RNA) polymerase from E. coli were inhibited by these two extracts. These results indicate that the herb extracts contain as yet unidentified substance(s) which inhibit the activities of reverse transcriptase and cellular DNA polymerases.

Humans↗

T4, T3 and reverse T3 in the plasma of rats during the first 3 months of life.

A very sensitive radioimmunoassay for reverse T3 in rat plasma is described. The concentrations of T4, T3 and reverse T3 in plasma of male and female rats were determined during the first 3 months of life. T4 concentrations reached a maximum value of 5.2 +/- 0.7 microgram/100 ml (mean +/- SD) when the rats were about 16 days old. As of day 28 the average serum T4 was approximately 4 microgram/100 ml. Concentrations of T3 reached a maximum value of 168 +/- 34 ng/100 ml (mean +/- SD) during the 16-20 day period. A plateau value of about 40 ng/100 ml was maintained after about 70 days. For reverse T3 a maximum value of 17.1 +/- 4.2 ng/100 ml (mean +/- SD) was found in rats between 13 and 16 days old, followed by a steep decrease to 8.2 +/- 0.9 ng/100 ml around the 28th day and a subsequent continuous slow increase. For the T3/reverse T3 ration (as a parameter of the direction of the conversion pathway) the highest value of 16 was found during the fourth week of life. After 70 days the T3/ reverse T3 ratio was only 3.5. The reciprocal fluctuations between T3 and reverse T3, as found in man and sheep, are less pronounced in the rat. The very high metabolic clearance rate of reverse T3 compared to that of T3 could be the explanation.

Animals↗

Stability of functional equivalence and stimulus equivalence: effects of baseline reversals.

Functional equivalence and stimulus equivalence classes were established, reversed, and tested for stability with college students. Functional stimulus classes were established using a task in which students were trained to say nonsense words in the presence of arbitrarily assigned sets of symbols. Computer-controlled speech-recognition technology was used to record and analyze students' vocal responses for accuracy. After the establishment of stimulus classes was demonstrated with a transfer-of-function test, the effects of reversing selected baseline simple discriminations were assessed during an additional transfer-of-function test and a follow-up test that occurred several weeks later. With the same students, stimulus equivalence classes were established and demonstrated with computerized matching-to-sample procedures. The effects of reversing selected baseline conditional discriminations also were assessed during a postreversal equivalence test and a follow-up test. Both functional stimulus classes and stimulus equivalence were sensitive to contingency reversals, but the reversals with stimulus equivalence closses affected stimulus class organization whereas reversals with functional stimulus classes did not. Follow-up performances were largely consistent with the original baseline contingencies. The similarities and differences between stimulus equivalence and functional equivalence are related to the specific contingencies that select responding in the presence of the stimuli that form the classes.

Adolescent↗

Effects of left-right orientation and position reversals on spatial perspective taking in young children.

50 boys and 50 girls, from Grades K through 4, were presented with 180 degrees perspective-taking tasks that varied arrays in terms of the number of front-back and left-right orientation reversals and left-right position reversals. Results confirmed existing evidence that left-right orientation reversals are more difficult than front-back orientation reversals in arrays of one object. However, with arrays of two objects, left-right orientation reversals appear easier than front-back orientation reversals, apparently because of the relationship between the objects.

Child↗

[Reversal of nomegestrol acetate on multidrug resistance in drug-resistant human breast cancer cell line MCF7/ADR].

OBJECTIVE: To study the reversal effect of nomegestrol acetate (NOM) on mutidrug resistance (MDR) in MCF7/ADR and its mechanism. METHODS: Using tetrazolium dye assay, effects of various concentrations of NOM on sensitivity to ADR in MCF7/ADR was studied. Expression of MDR related genes MDR1, glutathoine S-transferase Pi (GSTpi), Topoisomerase II alpha (Topo II alpha) and MDR related protein (MRP) were assayed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunocytochemistry assay. Using flow cytometry (FCM), intracellular ADR concentration effects on cell cycle were observed. RESULTS: NOM significantly reversed MDR in MCF7/ADR. After NOM 20, 10 and 5 micromol/L treatment, the chemosensitivity to ADR increased to 21, 12 and 8 times. The reversal activity of NOM was stronger than that of the precursor compound megestrol acetate, and was comparable to that of verapamail. After treatment with NOM 5 micromol/L both MDR1 and GSTpi mRNA genes expression began to decline on D2 (P < 0.05, & P < 0.01) and reached the lowest level on D3 (both P < 0.01), but the expression levels began to rise on D6 again (both P < 0.05). The expression of MRP and Topo II alpha gave no significant change. Changes of P-gp and GSTpi protein expressions were similar to those of their mRNA expressions, showing early decline and late rise. Two hours after NOM 20, 10, and 5 micromol/L treatment, intracellular ADR concentration increased 2.7, 2.3 and 1.5 times, respectively. FCM data showed that after forty-eight hours, combined administration of NOM (20 micromol/L) and ADR (from low concentration to high concentration), MCF7/ADR cells showed gradual arrest in the G(2)M phase with the increase of ADR dose. CONCLUSION: NOM has strong reversal effects on MDR in MCF7/ADR. The reversal takes place via different routes, i.e. down regulating mRNA and protein expression levels of MDR1 and GSTpi, increasing intracellular drug concentration, and enhancing the arrest of ADR in cells at G(2)M phase.

ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Mem↗

[Reversal of multidrug resistance in leukemic cell line K562/AO2 by chlordelazine in vitro].

OBJECTIVE: Some recent studies revealed that phenthiazine might be able to reverse tumor cell drug-resistance. Chlorderazin belongs to the phenthiazine compounds. The study aimed to investigate the reversing effect and mechanism of chlorderazin on multidrug resistance of leukemic cell line K562/AO2. METHODS: (1) The cytotoxicities of chlorderazin were assayed with the tetrazolium dye, 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) method. (2) The reverse effect of chlorderazin on K562/AO2 cells was analyzed with MTT method. The multidrug resistance reversal index (RI) was equal to the ratio of control group IC(50)/test group half inhibition concentration IC(50). (3) The intracellular daunorubicin (DNR) concentrations were measured by the flow cytometry. (4) Mdr1 mRNA expression was detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The ratio of mdr-1/beta-actin density was calculated. RESULTS: (1) Chlorderazin 3 micro g/ml showed little toxicity to K562/AO2 cells and the suppression rate was less than 5%, so the concentration of 3 micro g/ml chlorderazin was selected as the experiment concentration. (2) The cytotoxicities of DNR to K562/AO2 were enhanced by 3 micro g/ml of chlorderazin (P < 0.05) and RI was 1.901. (3) Chlorderazin of 3 micro g/ml could increase the intracellular DNR accumulation significantly (P < 0.05), and the fluorescence staining by the flow cytometry was higher (250.95 +/- 18.96) than the control group (112.75 +/- 15.78) and shift right in K562/AO2 cells treated with chlorderazin, and the difference was significant (P < 0.05). (4) Chlorderazin has no significant influence to the expression level of mdr-1 mRNA. Both test group and control group showed a clear mdr-1 mRNA band located at the position of 157 kb. The ratios of mdr-1/beta-actin density were 0.414 +/- 0.012 in the test group and 0.447 +/- 0.027 in the control group, respectively, and the difference was not significant (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Chlorderazin could reverse the multidrug resistance by increasing the intracellular DNR accumulation in K562/AO2 cells. The effects had no correlation to the mdr-1 gene. Further study is needed.

ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Mem↗

Assessment of in vitro applicability of reversibly immortalized NKNT-3 cells and clonal derivatives.

In vitro applications of human hepatocytes, such as bioartificial livers and toxicity assays, require thoroughly testing of human cell lines prior to using them as alternative cell sources. The reversibly immortalized NKNT-3 cell line was reported to show clear in vivo functionality. Here, NKNT-3 cells were tested for their in vitro applicability. Low-passage (P2) and high-passage (P28) NKNT-3 cells and clonal derivatives were characterized for reversion of immortalization, heterogeneity, and hepatic functionality. Reversion with reduced expression of immortalizing agent could be established. However, during culturing the cells lost the capacity to be selected for completed reversion. The phenotypic instability is probably associated with heterogeneity in the culture, as clonal derivatives of P2 cells varied in morphology, growth, and reversion characteristics. The mRNA levels of genes related with hepatic differentiation increased 4-20-fold after reversion. However, the levels never exceeded 0.1% of that detected in liver and no urea production nor ammonia elimination was detected. Additionally, activities of different cytochrome P450s were limited. In conclusion, the NKNT-3 culture is heterogeneous and unstable and the in vitro functionality is relatively low. These findings emphasize that in vivo testing of hepatic cell lines is little informative for predicting their value for in vitro applications.

Cell Culture Techniques↗