Experimental cell research
-
The growth of malignant melanoma cells is inhibited by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) while the growth of normal melanocytes is stimulated. We previously demonstrated that TPA inhibits the growth of Demel melanoma cells and leads to arrest at both at the G1/S and G2/M cell cycle transitions. To investigate the mechanism by which TPA arrests melanoma cell growth at the G1/S transition we have examined its effects on the levels of cyclins and cyclin dependent kinases (CDKs) and activation of CDK2 kinase activity. ⋯ In the presence of TPA this decrease did not occur. These results demonstrate that TPA blocks the G1/S transition in Demel melanoma cells in late G1 by mechanisms which regulate phosphorylation and activation of the CDK2 kinase. These mechanisms include preventing the decrease in p21Cip1 and p27Kip1 kinase inhibitors and limiting the amount of cyclin A.
-
In this report, we investigated the expression of annexins I, II, V, and VI by Northern and Western blot analysis in four cell lines isolated from human fetal tracheae. Two cell lines were obtained from normal fetuses and the two others from fetuses with cystic fibrosis (CF). One CF fetus was heterozygous for the S549N and N1303K substitutions, whereas the other was homozygous for the delta F508 deletion. ⋯ In contrast, that of annexin V was significantly higher in CF than in normal cells. These observations demonstrate that annexins I, II, V, and VI are independently regulated in tracheal epithelial cell lines. Moreover, they suggest that the overexpressed annexin V, a Ca2+ channel, might profoundly modify Ca2+ transport across the membranes of CF cells.
-
In order to assess the requirement for matrix metalloproteinases in neuronal regeneration, in vitro neurite outgrowth by chick dorsal root ganglionic neurons (DRGn) was examined within a reconstituted extracellular matrix. For these studies, cultured neurons were treated with a synthetic peptide inhibitor of metalloproteinases (spIMP), LMHKPRCGVPDVGG. spIMP inhibited all neuronal metalloproteinase activities in zymography and substrate-release assays and was used to examine the role of metalloproteinases in neurite outgrowth by DRGn. Cultures of dissociated DRGn rapidly extended neurites on planar extracellular matrix substrates and this rate of outgrowth was not affected by adding NGF or spIMP. ⋯ Furthermore, after high NGF treatment, DRGn media contained sixfold more metalloproteinase activity in assays of matrix degradation. In summary, these results indicate that NGF enhanced metalloproteinase-dependent neurite outgrowth of DRGn within a reconstituted extracellular matrix. Also, NGF increased the expression and activation of 72-kDa type IV collagenase, suggesting a role for this matrix-degrading metalloproteinase in neuronal regeneration.
-
Keratinocyte adhesion to basal lamina and lateral interactions among basal epidermal cells are mediated, besides other molecules, by integrin receptors that are sorted to defined membrane domains. The hemidesmosome-associated integrin alpha 6 beta 4 is sharply localized to the basal surface of basal cells while alpha 2 beta 1 and alpha 3 beta 1 are enriched laterally. This integrin sorting pattern is perfectly reproducible in vitro by cultured keratinocytes and takes place progressively in primary or secondary culture in the presence of 1.8 mM Ca2+. ⋯ The receptor alpha 5 beta 1 is not detectably exposed by low-passage cells. We propose that forcing keratinocytes into more frequent cell cycles by continuous passaging may perturb the polarized topography of integrins and the adhesion mechanisms of keratinocytes. Then, low-passage keratinocytes are, in our opinion, the most reliable in vitro models for studying the physiology of epidermal cells.
-
Human fibroblast cells from two different progeroid syndromes, Werner syndrome (WS) and progeria, were established as immortalized cell lines by transfection with plasmid DNA containing the SV40 early region. The lineage of each immortalized cell line was confirmed by VNTR analysis. ⋯ DNA repair ability of these cells was also studied by measuring sensitivity to killing by uv or the DNA-damaging drugs methyl methansulfonate, bleomycin, and cis-dichlorodiamine platinum. The results showed that both WS and progeria cells have normal sensitivity to these agents.