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Early activated replication origins within the cell cycle-regulated histone H4 genes in Physarum.

It was previously shown that the two members of the cell cycle-regulated histone H4 gene family, H4-1 and H4-2, are replicated at the onset of S phase in the naturally synchronous plasmodium of Physarum polycephalum, suggesting that they are flanked by replication origins. It was further shown that a DNA fragment upstream of the H4-1 gene is able to confer autonomous replication of a plasmid in the budding yeast. In this paper, we re-investigated replication of the unlinked Physarum histone H4 genes by mapping the replication origin of these two loci using alkaline agarose gel and neutral/neutral 2-dimensional agarose gel electrophoreses. We showed that the two replicons containing the H4 genes are simultaneously activated at the onset of S phase and we mapped an efficient, bidirectional replication origin in the vicinity of each gene. Our data demonstrated that the Physarum sequence that functions as an ARS in yeast is not the site of replication initiation at the H4-1 locus. We also observed a stalling of the rightward moving replication fork downstream of the H4-1 gene, in a region where transient topoisomerase II sites were previously mapped. Our results further extend the concept of replication/transcription coupling in Physarum to cell cycle-regulated genes.

Animals↗

Oncogenic Abl and Src tyrosine kinases elicit the ubiquitin-dependent degradation of target proteins through a Ras-independent pathway.

Oncogenic forms of the Abl and Src tyrosine kinases trigger the destruction of the Abi proteins, a family of Abl-interacting proteins that antagonize the oncogenic potential of Abl after overexpression in fibroblasts. The destruction of the Abi proteins requires tyrosine kinase activity and is dependent on the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. We show that degradation of the Abi proteins occurs through a Ras-independent pathway. Significantly, expression of the Abi proteins is lost in cell lines and bone marrow cells isolated from patients with aggressive Bcr-Abl-positive leukemias. These findings suggest that loss of Abi proteins may be a component in the progression of Bcr-Abl-positive leukemias and identify a novel pathway linking activated nonreceptor protein tyrosine kinases to the destruction of specific target proteins through the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing↗

Activation of the silent human cytokeratin 17 pseudogene-promoter region by cryptic enhancer elements of the cytokeratin 17 gene.

We have previously described the three loci CK-CA, CK-CB and CK-CC in the human genome that contain clustered type-I cytokeratin genes and reported the complete nucleic acid sequences of the functional cytokeratin 17 gene located in CK-CA and two closely related pseudogenes present in CK-CB and CK-CC [Troyanovsky, S.M., Leube, R.E. & Franke, W.W. (1992) Eur. J. Cell Biol. 59, 127-137]. By nucleic acid sequence analysis, we now show that extensive similarities between the functional gene and the pseudogenes exist in the 5'-upstream region. However, despite the high degree of nucleic acid identity (94%), only the 5'-upstream region of the functional gene was able to induce significant transcriptional activity in transfected cells of epithelial origin. Using chimeric upstream regions consisting of different fragments from the pseudogene and the functional gene, we made the surprising observation that cis elements in the proximal 5'-upstream region of the pseudogene promoter can cooperate with distal enhancer elements of the functional gene to induce strong chloramphenicol-O-acetyltransferase activity in transfected HeLa cells. A major site in the proximal upstream region was identified by deoxyribonuclease protection experiments to be necessary for this cooperative effect. The structure and properties of this element were further analysed by transfection of different chloramphenicol-O-acetyltransferase gene constructs, and by nucleic acid sequence comparison to corresponding regions of the related cytokeratins 14 and 16. It is concluded that the upstream regions identified in this study contribute to the strong expression of the human cytokeratin 17 gene in a coordinated fashion.

Animals↗

Functional analysis of the two-gene lysis system of the pneumococcal phage Cp-1 in homologous and heterologous host cells.

The two lysis genes cph1 and cpl1 of the Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteriophage Cp-1 coding for holin and lysozyme, respectively, have been cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. Synthesis of the Cph1 holin resulted in bacterial cell death but not lysis. The cph1 gene was able to complement a lambda Sam mutation in the nonsuppressing E. coli HB101 strain to produce phage progeny, suggesting that the holins encoded by both phage genes have analogous functions and that the pneumococcal holin induces a nonspecific lesion in the cytoplasmic membrane. Concomitant expression of both holin and lysin of Cp-1 in E. coli resulted in cell lysis, apparently due to the ability of the Cpl1 lysozyme to hydrolyze the peptidoglycan layer of this bacterium. The functional analysis of the cph1 and cpl1 genes cloned in a pneumococcal mutant with a complete deletion of the lytA gene, which codes for the S. pneumoniae main autolysin, provided the first direct evidence that, in this gram-positive-bacterium system, the Cpl1 endolysin is released to its murein substrate through the activity of the Cph1 holin. Demonstration of holin function was achieved by proving the release of pneumolysin to the periplasmic fraction, which strongly suggested that the holin produces a lesion in the pneumococcal membrane.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Restoration of sensitivity to STI571 in STI571-resistant chronic myeloid leukemia cells.

STI571 induces sustained hematologic remission in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in chronic phase. However, in advanced phases, especially blast crisis, the leukemia usually becomes resistant within months. It has been investigated whether resistance to STI571 is stable and immutable or whether it can be reversed in selected CML cell lines. Withdrawal of STI571 for varying lengths of time from cultures of 3 resistant lines (K562-r, KCL22-r, and Baf/BCR-ABL-r1) did not restore sensitivity to the inhibitor. In contrast, LAMA84-resistant cells experienced a sharp reduction in survival and proliferation during the first week of STI571 withdrawal but recovered thereafter. Moreover, when left off the inhibitor for 2 months or longer, this cell line reacquired sensitivity to STI571. It is hypothesized, therefore, that patients who have become resistant to the drug may respond again if STI571 therapy is temporarily interrupted.

Animals↗

White mutants of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii are defective in phytoene synthase.

Carotenoids play an integral and essential role in photosynthesis and photoprotection in plants and algae. A collection of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii mutants lacking carotenoids was characterized for pigment and tocopherol (vitamin E) composition, growth phenotypes under different light conditions, and the molecular basis of their mutant phenotype. The carotenoid-less mutants, or "white" mutants, were also deficient in chlorophylls but had approximately twice the tocopherol content of the wild type. White mutants grew in the dark but were unable to survive in the light, even under very low light conditions on acetate-containing medium. Genetic crosses and recombination tests revealed that all individual white mutants in the collection are alleles of a single gene, lts1, and the white phenotype was closely linked to a marker located in the phytoene synthase gene. DNA sequencing of the phytoene synthase gene from each of the mutants revealed nonsense, missense, frameshift, and splice site mutations. Transformation with a wild-type copy of the phytoene synthase gene was able to complement the lts1-210 mutation. Together, these results show that all the white mutants examined in this work are affected in the phytoene synthase gene.

Alkyl and Aryl Transferases↗

Chronic myeloid leukemia: why does it evolve from chronic phase to blast transformation?

Clinically chronic myeloid leukemia is a biphasic or triphasic disease that is usually diagnosed in the initial 'chronic', 'indolent' or 'stable' phase and then spontaneously evolves after some years into an advanced phase. This advanced phase can sometimes be subdivided into an earlier accelerated phase and a later blast phase or blast transformation--in about one-half of patients the chronic phase transforms unpredictably and abruptly to a blast phase, while in the other half of patients, the disease evolves somewhat more gradually, through an accelerated phase, which may last for months or years, before a blast phase ensues; this may have myeloblastic or lymphoblastic features. Although much is now known about the molecular biology of the disease, the molecular basis of disease progression is still obscure. The popular thinking has been that one or more probably a sequence of additional genetic events occurs in the BCR-ABL positive clone. When the critical combination of additional events is achieved, clinically definable transformation occurs. Here we review what is known of the mechanisms underlying the evolution of chronic myeloid leukemia from a chronic phase to a blast transformation.

Animals↗

Regulation and targeting of Eg5, a mitotic motor protein in blast crisis CML: overcoming imatinib resistance.

Patients with blast crisis (BC) CML frequently become resistant to Imatinib, a Bcr-Abl tyrosine kinase-targeting agent. Eg5, a microtubule-associated motor protein has been described to be highly expressed in BC CML by microarray analysis (Nowicki et al., Oncogene 2003; 22:3952-63). We investigated the regulation of Eg5 by Bcr-Abl tyrosine kinase and its potential as a therapeutic target in BC CML. Eg5 was highly expressed in all Philadelphia chromosome positive (Ph(+)) cell lines and BC CML patient samples. Inhibition of Bcr-Abl by Imatinib downregulated Eg5 expression in Imatinib-sensitive KBM5 and HL-60p185 cells, but not in Imatinib-resistant KBM5-STI571, harboring a T315I mutation, and Bcr-Abl-negative HL-60 cells. Blocking Eg5 expression with antisense oligonucleotide (Eg5-ASO) or inhibiting its activity with the small-molecule Eg5 inhibitor, S-trityl-L-cysteine induced G(2)/M cell cycle block and subsequent cell death in both Imatinib-sensitive and -resistant cells. Further, Eg5-ASO treatment of SCID mice harboring KBM5 cell xenografts significantly prolonged the median survival of the animals (p = 0.03). Our findings suggest that Eg5 is downstream of and regulated by Bcr-Abl tyrosine kinase in Philadelphia chromosome positive cells. Inhibition of Eg5 expression or its activity blocks cell cycle progression and induces cell death independent of the cellular response to Imatinib. Therefore, Eg5 could be a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of BC CML, in particular Imatinib-resistant BC CML.

Animals↗

Expression of a truncated first exon BCR sequence in chronic myelogenous leukemia cells blocks cell growth and induces cell death.

We have shown that a deletion mutant form of Bcr [Bcr(64-413)] is a strong inhibitor of the tyrosine kinase of Bcr-Abl in vitro and also inhibits its oncogenic growth effects (Liu et al., Cancer Res., 56: 5120-5124, 1996). To determine the effects of this Bcr-Abl kinase inhibitor on chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) cells, we cloned BCR(64-413) into a recombinant, replication-defective adenovirus to express useful quantities of Bcr(64-413) in a wide variety of cells in culture. Infection of Cos1 cells with plaque-purified virus at a multiplicity of infection of 20-40 induced high expression of Bcr(64-413) as detected by Western blotting. Infection of hematopoietic cells at modest multiplicities of infection (20-40) required special conditions involving shifting cycling cells to a nongrowing condition involving serum starvation and cell crowding. Under these conditions, both Bcr-Abl-positive and -negative hematopoietic cells can be efficiently infected by adenovirus, as demonstrated by 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl-beta-D-galactopyranoside staining of cells infected by beta-galactosidase (beta-GAL) adenovirus. We found that expression of Bcr(64-413) in Bcr-Abl-positive K562 and BV-173 cells, but not Bcr-Abl-negative SMS-SB cells, increased cell-cell clumping and inhibited cell growth. In contrast to the effects of the Bcr(64-413) adenovirus, the beta-GAL adenovirus, despite infecting both types of cells, did not block growth or increase cell-cell clumping of Bcr-Abl-positive and -negative hematopoietic cells. Expression of Bcr(64-413) protein in primary cultures of cells from CML patients with active disease interfered with cell growth, induced apoptosis (as measured by annexin staining), and increased cell-cell clumping, whereas the beta-GAL adenovirus and mock-infected cells lacked these effects. In contrast, normal marrow cells did not exhibit these effects on infection with Bcr(64-413) adenovirus. We conclude from these findings that Bcr(64-413) interferes with the oncogenic effects of Bcr-Abl and therefore has the potential for use in therapy of CML.

Adenoviridae↗

[Activating effects of protein transduction domain mediated BCR/ABL protein on CML T cells].

OBJECTIVE: To study the activating effect of protein transduction domain (PTD) mediated BCR/ABL protein on T cells from CML patients. METHODS: The plasmid containing PTD and b3a2 bcr/abl of CML was constructed by genetic engineering and expressed in E. coli. The peripheral blood mononuclear cells from CML patients were stimulated in vitro with purified PTD-BCR/ABL protein and the expression of the early activation antigen CD(69) on CD(8)(+) and CD(4)(+) T cells was detected by flow cytometry (FCM). RESULTS: The optimal concentration of PTD-BCR/ABL protein for activating CD(8)(+) T cells in vitro was 100 micro g/ml, CD(69) expression peaked in three days stimulation. CD(8)(+) T cells were activated in 10 of 15 CML patients, the expression rate of CD(69) was (15.01 +/- 3.75)%. CD(4)(+) T cells were activated in 4 of 15 patients, the expression rate of CD(69) was (10.32 +/- 3.08)%. Both CD(8)(+) and CD(4)(+) T cells were activated simultaneously in 3 of them. However, neither CD(4)(+) nor CD(8)(+) T cells was activated by stimulation with BCR/ABL protein in all 15 specimens, the expression rate of CD(69) on CD(8)(+) and CD(4)(+) T cells was (1.36 +/- 0.31)% and (1.41 +/- 0.43)%, respectively. There was no difference compared with that of PBS control group (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: By using a PTD-mediated antigen delivering system, exogenous BCR/ABL protein can be delivered into APC, processed and presented onto surface of APC to activate Ag-specific CD(8)(+) and CD(4)(+) T cells in vitro.

Adolescent↗

Chronic myeloid leukemia. A perspective of the clinical and biologic issues of the chronic phase.

Although chronic myeloid leukemia is an incurable disease for the majority of patients, striking advances in our understanding of cell biology, molecular genetics, and new treatment programs involving interferon and bone marrow transplantation have led to clinical improvement for a small number of patients afflicted with this disease. Nevertheless, hope exists that such basic and clinical information will be expanded to a larger number of patients in the near future.

Blast Crisis↗

Fas-mediated modulation of Bcr/Abl in chronic myelogenous leukemia results in differential effects on apoptosis.

Fas-R is expressed constitutively in CD34(+) cells of patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML); Fas-R triggering results in decreased proliferation rate due to apoptosis of clonogenic cells. We have already shown that alpha-interferon (IFN-alpha) enhances Fas-R expression on CML progenitor cells, thus increasing their sensitivity to Fas-R agonists. Although it appears that IFN-alpha can prime CML cells for the effects of Fas, the response to IFN-alpha in vivo is not a constant feature in CML patients. We studied the mechanisms of Fas-mediated apoptosis in 11 patients suffering from CML in chronic phase and tried to see whether there was a correlation between in vitro inducibility of apoptosis in CD34(+) CML cells after Fas-R triggering and the clinical response to IFN-alpha. After priming with IFN-alpha, Fas triggering resulted in in vitro suppression of hematopoietic cell growth in seven of eight patients who had optimal hematologic response to IFN-alpha; in the same conditions, no inhibitory response to Fas-R agonist was observed in cells from three of three patients who proved to be poor responders to IFN-alpha. In responders to IFN-alpha, Fas-R agonist induced dose-dependent apoptosis of CD34(+) cells; this effect was associated with a decrease in the bcr/abl protein level. In cells derived from patients with a poor response to IFN-alpha, the rate of apoptosis in culture remained unchanged in the presence of Fas-R agonist and no bcr/abl downmodulation was observed. Finally, we measured bcr/abl mRNA by quantitative reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and found that decreased bcr/abl protein after Fas triggering was not associated with decreased amounts of specific mRNA, a finding which is consistent with a posttranscriptional regulation of the bcr/abl protein expression. It appears that Fas-mediated downmodulation of p210 bcr/abl restores susceptibility to apoptosis of CML cells; in addition, in vitro studies on CML cells may predict response to IFN-alpha treatment.

Adult↗

Chromosomal assignment of the endogenous proto-oncogene C-abl.

Abelson murine leukemia virus (A-MuLV) is a replication-defective retrovirus that transforms lymphocytes of the B-cell lineage. This virus is a recombinant between the parental Moloney murine leukemia virus and a cellular gene termed C-abl. By analysis of a series of mouse x Chinese hamster hybrid celllines containing various mouse chromosomes, we have mapped the C-abl gene to mouse chromosome 2.

Abelson murine leukemia virus↗

Intrathymic delivery of plasmid-encoding endoplasmic reticulum signal-sequence-deleted MHC class I alloantigen can induce long-term allograft survival.

Intrathymic (IT) delivery of donor alloantigen is a potent strategy to induce operational tolerance. In this study we determined whether this effect was dependent on direct allorecognition of the tolerogen. Ten microgrammes of plasmid, encoding either the wildtype major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecule K(b) or a truncated form in which the signal sequence for translocation into the endoplasmic reticulum was deleted, preventing cell surface expression and direct allorecognition of the tolerogen, was administered intrathymically to CBA.Ca (H2(k)) recipients. In addition, recipients were treated with anti-CD4 antibody (YTA3.1) at the time of IT injection and underwent transplantation 28 days later with a fully mismatched C57BL/10 (H2(b)) cardiac allograft. Wildtype, as well as truncated K(b) genes, were able to induce long-term survival of the cardiac allografts, in contrast to empty control plasmid. Reverse-transcriptase PCR showed expression of the K(b) genes for up to 28 days in thymus and spleen of pretreated recipients. These data show that direct allorecognition of the tolerogen was not required for the induction of long-term allograft survival following the introduction of plasmid-encoded MHC alloantigen into the thymus.

Animals↗

Vancomycin-resistant enterococci from animal sources in Korea.

Enterococci for which the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of vancomycin was >/=8 mg/l were isolated from meat, feces, and raw milk samples collected in Korea from March to November 2003. Among the 243 vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) that were identified the vanA vancomycin resistance gene was carried by 51 Enterococcus faecium and one Enterococcus sp., vanC1 was carried by 151 Enterococcus gallinarum, vanC2 was carried by 39 Enterococcus casseliflavus, and one Enterococcus sp. carried no van genes. Of the isolated enterococci carrying vanA, 4% were found to be highly resistant to gentamicin and 11% were resistant to ampicillin. Further genotyping of the E. faecium isolates carrying vanA using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) revealed extensive heterogeneity. The vancomycin resistance transferability test revealed that only two of the 52 enterococci carrying the vanA gene were able to transfer vancomycin resistance to other enterococci. The VRE were recovered from various animal sources with a particularly high prevalence of E. faecium carrying the vanA gene being found in poultry meat.

Animals↗

Identification of genes with correlated patterns of variations in DNA copy number and gene expression level in gastric cancer.

To identify DNA copy number changes that had a direct influence on mRNA expression in gastric cancer, cDNA microarray-based comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) and gene expression profiling were performed using 17 K cDNA microarrays. A set of 158 genes showing Pearson correlation coefficients over 0.6 between DNA copy number changes and mRNA expression level variations was selected. In an independent gene expression profiling of 60 tissue samples, the 158 genes were able to distinguish most of the normal and tumor tissues in an unsupervised hierarchical clustering, suggesting that the differential expression patterns displayed by this specific group of genes are most likely based on the gene copy number changes. Furthermore, 43 statistically significant (P<0.01) genes were selected that correctly distinguished all of the tissue samples. The copy number changes detected by aCGH can be verified by fluorescence in situ hybridization and real-time polymerase chain reaction. The selected genes include those that were previously identified as being tumor suppressors or deleted in various tumors, including GATA binding protein 4 (GATA4), monoamine oxidase A (MAOA), cyclin C (CCNC), and oncogenes including malignant fibrous histiocytoma amplified sequence 1 (MFHAS1/MASL1), high mobility group AT-hook 2 (HMGA2), PPAR binding protein (PPARBP), growth factor receptor-bound protein 7 (GRB7), and TBC1 (tre-2, BUB2, cdc16) domain family, member 1 (TBC1D1).

Cluster Analysis↗

Molecular cloning and expression of the catalytic subunit of protein kinase A from Trypanosoma cruzi.

The activation of protein kinase A (cyclic adenosine monophosphate-dependent protein kinase) by cyclic adenosine monophosphate is believed to play an important role in regulating the growth and differentiation of Trypanosoma cruzi. A PCR using degenerate oligonucleotide primers against conserved motifs in the VIb and VIII subdomains of the ACG family of serine/threonine protein kinases was utilised to amplify regions corresponding to the parasite homologue of the protein kinase A catalytic subunit. This putative protein kinase A fragment was used to isolate the entire gene from T. cruzi genomic libraries. The deduced 329 amino acid sequence of this gene contained all of the signature motifs of known protein kinase A catalytic subunit proteins. The recombinant protein expressed in Escherichia coli was shown to phosphorylate Kemptide, a synthetic peptide substrate of protein kinase A, in a protein kinase inhibitor (PKI)-inhibitory manner. Immunoprecipitation with polyclonal antisera raised against recombinant protein of this gene was able to pull-down PKI-inhibitory phosphotransferase activity from epimastigote lysates. Immunoblot and Northern blot analyses, in combination with enzyme activity assays, revealed that this gene was a stage-regulated enzyme in T. cruzi with higher levels and activity being present in epimastigotes compared with amastigotes or trypomastigotes. Overall these studies indicate that the cloned gene encodes an authentic protein kinase A catalytic subunit from T. cruzi and are the first demonstration of PKI-inhibitory phosphotransferase activity in an expressed protozoan protein kinase A catalytic subunit.

Amino Acid Sequence↗