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At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed1982

Somatic cell hybridization between bovine leukemia virus-infected lymphocytes and murine plasma cell tumors: cell fusion studies with bovine cells.

Hybridization of peripheral blood lymphocytes from bovine leukemia virus-infected cows with murine myeloma cells resulted in the generation of hybrid cells secreting immunoglobulins composed of various combinations of heavy and light chains of both bovine and murine Ig origin. Some hybrid cells derived from the light-chain producer, but non-secretor murine myeloma NSI cell line, secreted IgM molecules composed of bovine mu-chain linked to bovine and/or murine light chains. Other hybridomas secreted mouse and bovine light-chain dimers and/or monomers, or failed to secrete any Ig polypeptide chain whatsoever. Immunoglobulins secreted by hybridomas obtained upon hybridization of bovine cells with the IgG-secreting murine myeloma P2X63 cell line, contained bovine mu-chain in one of the seven hybridomas obtained, and bovine light chain in two of them. All the cell lines secreted murine light- and gamma-chains.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Toxin-antitoxin selection for isolating somatic cell fusion products between any cell types.

A selective system was developed that permits the isolation of heterokaryons and cell hybrids between any cell types without the use of selectable genetic markers. Antibodies were introduced into two populations of non-transformed normal diploid human fibroblasts by the osmotic lysis of pinosomes containing hypertonic antibody solutions. Heterokaryons formed by fusing antiricin-injected cells to antidiphtheria toxin-injected cells survived an overnight treatment in both ricin and diphtheria toxin. This approach should have general applicability to a variety of investigations such as the complementation analysis of human genetic syndromes, heterokaryon studies of cell differentiation, tumorigenesis and growth control, cell reconstruction experiments, and the production of hybridoma cells.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMed1992

[Induced cell fusion in a heteroploid cell line].

Non-uniformity in properties of the cells within the stabilized heterocaryonic line is certified by the decrease in capacity of the cells to fuse together after repeated influence of polyethylene glycol. Multiple and large polycaryonic formations resulting from primary administration of fusogen are relatively rapid in extinction. The cells having been survived after repeated administration of polyethylene glycol appear to fuse predominantly into less extended polycaryocytes with smaller multiplicity. This fact may be a consequence of the selection of a portion of non-uniform cell population being more susceptible to this fusogen. Those concerned are probably the cells rather different in surface qualities and/or adjacent parts of cytoskeleton.

Cell Fusion↗
PubMed2002

Characterization of cells prepared by dendritic cell-tumor cell fusion.

Dendritic cells (DCs) are professional antigen-presenting cells currently being discussed as a potent tool for antitumor vaccination strategies. The approach consisting of the in vitro generation of DC-tumor cell hybrids may be advantageous for individualized vaccines since there is no need for the determination of MHC-restricted tumor-associated antigens recognized by T cells. As recent vaccination studies gave varying results, we tested the impact of the fusion treatment on the cells used. Polyethylene glycol-induced fusion, as well as electrofusion, proved to be suitable for generating hybrid cells although at a low frequency. Of note, both methods also gave rise to DCs having phagocytosed apoptotic tumor cells. The expression of surface molecules relevant for specific T cell stimulation was not altered by the fusion procedure and the DCs were still functionally active as demonstrated by the secretion of IL-12 and the uptake of antigen. The cells were able to induce a tumor-specific T cell response in vitro and therefore deserve further investigation as potent tools for immunotherapy trials.

Antigens, CD↗
PubMed2005

Chronic activation of protein kinase Bbeta/Akt2 leads to multinucleation and cell fusion in human epithelial kidney cells: events associated with tumorigenesis.

Most cancers arise from the stepwise accumulation of genetic changes. There is also evidence for defects in the machinery and checkpoints for maintenance of normal diploid chromosome complements, resulting in genetic instability that helps fuel the accumulation of mutations that contribute to the development of cancer. The proto-oncogene protein kinase B (PKB/Akt), and its regulators including phosphatidylinositol 3' kinase and PTEN, has been shown to play critical roles in the regulation of multiple cellular functions such as transcription, cell survival, cell cycle progression, angiogenesis and cell motility--all of which are important to the malignant process. Here, we report the use of a membrane targeted PKBbeta, the activation of which is under the control of a 4-hydroxy-Tamoxifen-responsive estrogen-receptor (ER) ligand binding domain. Induction of PKBbeta-ER activity in human kidney epithelial cells (HEK293) resulted in changes in cellular growth, size, and in the appearance of aneuploid cells. Over time, in a PKBbeta-dependent manner, cells also underwent extensive multinucleation caused due to a combination of both endomitosis and cell fusion. These findings suggest that chronic activation of PKBbeta may contribute to genetic instability and autophagy, properties commonly found in tumor cells.

Cell Fusion↗
PubMed2004

RNA interference-induced reduction in CD98 expression suppresses cell fusion during syncytialization of human placental BeWo cells.

The physiological importance of CD98 surface antigen in regulating placental trophoblast cell fusion has been studied in a cell model of syncytialization (the cytotrophoblast cell line BeWo following increased intracellular cAMP by forskolin treatment) using RNA interference. CD98 protein abundance (determined by Western blot) was decreased by 40-50% following double-stranded small interfering RNA transfection. Cell fusion (determined by quantitative flow cytometry) was similarly inhibited and human chorionic gonadotropin secretion was suppressed. These findings show that CD98 is involved in the process of cell fusion necessary for syncytiotrophoblast formation.

Blotting, Western↗
PubMed2005

Niche-dependent translineage commitment of endothelial progenitor cells, not cell fusion in general, into myocardial lineage cells.

OBJECTIVE: Previous studies from our laboratory have shown therapeutic potential of ex vivo expanded endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) for myocardial ischemia. Our purpose was to investigate the mechanisms regulating EPC contribution to myocardial regeneration. METHODS AND RESULTS: To evaluate niche-dependent expression profiles of EPCs in vitro, we performed coculture using cultured EPCs derived from human peripheral blood and rat cardiac myoblast cell line (H9C2). Reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (PCR) disclosed the expression of human-specific cardiac markers as well as human-specific smooth muscle markers. Cytoimmunochemistry presented several cocultured cells stained with human specific cardiac antibody. To prove this translineage differentiation in vivo, human cultured EPCs were injected into nude rat myocardial infarction model. Reverse-transcription PCR as well as immunohistochemistry of rat myocardial samples demonstrated the expression of human specific cardiac, vascular smooth muscle, and endothelial markers. We observed the distribution of colors (Qtracker; Quantum Dot Corp) in coculture to detect the fused cells, and the frequency of cell fusion was <1%. CONCLUSIONS: EPCs can contribute to not only vasculogenesis but also myogenesis in the ischemic myocardium in vivo. Transdifferentiation, not cell fusion, is dominant for EPCs commitment to myocardial lineage cells. Ex vivo expanded EPCs transplantation might have enhanced therapeutic potential for myocardial regeneration.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Comparative behavior of lysosomes and the pre-lysosome compartment (PLC) in in vivo cell fusion experiments.

Interspecies cell fusion was used to compare protein intermixing within the mannose 6-phosphate receptor (MPR)-enriched pre-lysosome compartment (PLC) and within the MPR-negative lysosomal compartment. Both compartments were positive for lysosomal glycoprotein (lgp) membrane markers but were morphologically distinct. In most experiments, rat-mouse cell syncytia were formed by u.v.-inactivated Sindbis virus-mediated fusion. By immunogold electron microscopy of syncytia, extensive intermixing of species-specific lysosomal membrane proteins was observed in both lysosomes and PLC. At 3 h post cell fusion, multiple-label immunogold studies showed that 82% of the lysosome-like structures positive for the rat lysosomal membrane protein LIMP-I were also positive for the mouse lysosomal membrane protein mLAMP-1. By immunofluorescence, LIMP-I and mLAMP-1 co-localized with a t1/2 of 30 min after cell fusion; although the lgp-positive organelle populations had evidently interchanged their proteins, the lysosomal structures remained small, punctate bodies distributed throughout the syncytoplasm as observed in single cells. In contrast, the initially separate units of the PLC congregated with a t1/2 of 1 h to form large, pre-lysosome complexes associated with individual nuclear clusters. At the electron-microscope level, gold markers endocytized by the rat and mouse parent cells in a 1 h uptake followed by a 16-20 h chase co-localized in these extended PLC complexes, as did the membrane markers mLAMP-1 and LIMP-I. The density of labeling for rat MPR in the extended PLCs was markedly decreased, consistent with membrane fusions and dilution of the antigen upon congregation of the PLC compartments from the donor cells. The extended PLC complex behaved as a late endocytic compartment, as shown by co-localization of the MPR and rhodamine-dextran following a 10 min dextran uptake and a 50 min chase. These differences in behavior between lysosomes and the PLC in rat-mouse cell syncytia suggest that the pathway(s) of protein intermixing with respect to the two organelles may be different.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Gene expression and cell fusion analyzed by lacZ complementation in mammalian cells.

Complementing reporter genes provide biological indicators of coincident expression of proteins in cells. We have adapted intracistronic complementation of the Escherichia coli lacZ gene for use in mammalian cells. Enzymatic activity detectable by quantitative biochemical assay, flow cytometry, or microscopy is produced upon convergent expression of two distinct mutant lacZ peptides within single cells, or upon fusion of cells expressing such mutants. A novel fluorescent substrate for beta-galactosidase (Fluor-X-Gal) increases detection and permits simultaneous microscopic visualization of other fluorescent markers. The enzymatic complementation described here should facilitate studies of cell fusion, cell lineage, and signal transduction, by producing activity only when two proteins are expressed at the same time and place in intact cells.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Human herpesvirus 8 glycoprotein B (gB), gH, and gL can mediate cell fusion.

Herpesvirus entry into cells and herpesvirus-induced cell fusion are related processes in that virus penetration proceeds by fusion of the viral envelope and cell membrane. To characterize the human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) glycoproteins that can mediate cell fusion, a luciferase reporter gene activation assay was used. Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells expressing the HHV-8 glycoproteins of interest along with a luciferase reporter gene under the control of the T7 promoter were cocultivated with human cells transfected with T7 RNA polymerase. Because HHV-8 glycoprotein B (gB) expressed in CHO cells localizes to the perinuclear region, a truncated form of gB (designated gB(MUT)) that lacks putative endocytosis signals was constructed by deletion of the distal 58 amino acids of the cytoplasmic tail. HHV-8 gB(MUT) was expressed efficiently on the surface of CHO cells. HHV-8 gB, gH, and gL could mediate the fusion of CHO cells with two different human cell types, embryonic kidney cells and B lymphocytes. Substituting gB(MUT) for gB significantly enhanced the fusion of CHO cells with human embryonic kidney cells but not B lymphocytes. Thus, two human cell types known to be susceptible to HHV-8 entry were also suitable targets for cell fusion induced by HHV-8 gB, gH, and gL. For human embryonic kidney cells and B cells at least, optimal fusion was noted with the expression of all three HHV-8 glycoproteins.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1987

Cyclosporine A inhibits herpes simplex virus-induced cell fusion but not virus penetration into cells.

The effects of the immunosuppressive peptide cyclosporine A on virus-induced cell fusion and virus penetration into cell were studied. Cyclosporine totally inhibited polykaryocyte formation by a syncytial strain of HSV-1 (MP). In contrast, a number of other hydrophobic peptides which inhibit the replication of orthomyxo- and paramyxoviruses and which were less effective in inhibiting fusion in model systems had little effect on HSV-induced cell fusion. Virus replication as measured by the yield of infectious virus and by incorporation of [35S]methionine into viral proteins was unaffected by treating cells with cyclosporine. Cyclosporine did not quantitatively inhibit cell surface expression of HSV glycoproteins or plaque formation of syncytial or nonsyncytial virus strains. However, plaques formed by HSV-1 (MP) on cyclosporine-treated monolayers were smaller than those on untreated monolayers and were morphologically similar to plaques produced by the nonsyncytial HSV strain F. Surprisingly, cyclosporine did not inhibit penetration of HSV, a process also thought to involve membrane fusion. Therefore, HSV-1-induced cell fusion and penetration of virus into cells either proceed by mutually exclusive mechanisms or are differentially sensitive to cyclosporine.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Ultrastructure of cell fusion and premature chromosome condensation (PCC) of thymocyte nuclei in metaphase II mouse oocytes.

Following PEG (polyethylene glycol) treatment of ovulated metaphase II mouse oocytes aggregated with thymocytes, fusion of cell membranes occurs. Prerequisites for cell fusion are: close apposition of lectin-agglutinated (phytohemagglutinin-treated) membranes of both cells, formation of firm punctual adhesion sites, and expansion of adhesion sites over a certain area. Establishment of the firm cell-cell contact is associated with development of actin-like filaments along both of the adhering plasma membranes. Membrane fusion occurs at single or multiple sites, and is followed by internalization of thymocyte-oocyte membrane complexes decorated with actin filaments into the hybrid cell cytoplasm. A filamentous actin layer forms also along the inner surface of newly formed hybrid oocyte-thymocyte plasma membrane. Thymocyte nuclei incorporated into oocyte cytoplasm undergo nuclear envelope breakdown and premature chromosome condensation (PCC) leading, eventually, to formation of single chromatids complete with kinetochores. Concomitantly with chromatin condensation an extensive polymerization of microtubules starts in the center of the chromatin mass which leads to the formation of an apparently non-functional spindle-like structure.

Animals↗
PubMed1978

Modulation and mapping of a human plasminogen activator by cell fusion.

Neoplastic cells, transformed cells and some normal mammalian cells secrete large amounts of plasminogen activator (PA), an arginine-specific protease which converts plasminogen to plasmin. To study the regulation of PA, we have obtained two classes of mouse-human somatic cell hybrids. PG19, a mouse PA+ cell line, was fused with C32 (human PA+) or human diploid fibroblasts (PA-). All hybrids secreted PA. Human- and mouse-specific forms of PA were distinguished in these hybrids by electrophoretic methods. While all hybrids produced the murine PA, many produced the human PA and some did not. All hybrids which produced human PA had chromosome 6 in common. The absence of each of the other human chromosomes did not affect PA expression, while the absence of chromosome 6 correlated with the lack of human PA. We conclude that chromosome 6 carries the structural gene for human PA. These experiments also show that the fusion of mouse PA+ cells with human PA- cells results in the activation of the human PA gene.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Inductive regulation of cell fusion in leech.

Cell-cell fusion is a component of many different developmental processes, but little is known about how cell-cell fusion is regulated. Here we investigate the regulation of a stereotyped cell-cell fusion event that occurs among the endodermal precursor cells of the glossiphoniid leech Helobdella robusta. We find that this fusion event is regulated inductively by a cell that does not itself fuse. We also show that biochemical arrest (by microinjection with ricin A chain or ribonuclease A) of the inducer or either of the fusion partners prevents fusion, but only if the arrest is initiated during a critical period long before the time at which fusion normally occurs. If the arrest occurs after this critical period, fusion occurs on schedule. These results suggest that both fusion partners play active roles in the process and that neither the induction nor the fusion itself requires concomitant protein synthesis.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

N-myc expression switched off and class I human leukocyte antigen expression switched on after somatic cell fusion of neuroblastoma cells.

Neuroblastomas often show amplification and high expression of the N-myc oncogene. N-myc expression could be explained as a consequence of gene amplification, but an alternative possibility is that expression primarily results from the inactivation or loss of some factor that normally represses the N-myc gene. To test this idea, we fused N-myc-overexpressing neuroblastoma cell lines with lines that do not express N-myc. In the resulting hybrids, N-myc expression turned out to be switched off, although amplified N-myc copies were still present. This suggests that N-myc overexpression in neuroblastomas results, at least in part, from the inactivation of a suppressor gene that is present in normal cells. In rat neuroblastomas, it has been found that N-myc can switch off class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC) expression. Therefore, we analyzed in our hybrid cells whether suppression of N-myc results in reexpression of human class I MHC genes. Because this was found to be the case, the picture emerges of a hierarchic pathway that connects a putative tumor-suppressor gene with the expression of N-myc and consequently of class I MHC, thus affecting the potential immunogenic properties of neuroblastomas.

Animals↗