搜索结果: 'methocult media formulations for mouse hematopoietic cells serum containing'

Deletions and/or mutations of p53 are relatively rare and late events in the natural history of B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL). However,it is unknown whether p53 signaling is functional in B-CLL and if targeted nongenotoxic activation of the p53 pathway by using nutlin-3,a small molecule inhibitor of the p53/MDM2 interaction,is sufficient to kill B-CLL cells. In vitro treatment with nutlin-3 induced a significant cytotoxicity on primary CD19(+) B-CLL cells,but not on normal CD19(+) B lymphocytes,peripheral-blood mononuclear cells,or bone marrow hematopoietic progenitors. Among 29 B-CLL samples examined,only one was resistant to nutlin-3-mediated cytotoxicity. The induction of p53 by nutlin-3 in B-CLL samples was accompanied by alterations of the mitochondrial potential and activation of the caspase-dependent apoptotic pathway. Among several genes related to the p53 pathway,nutlin-3 up-regulated the steady-state mRNA levels of PCNA,CDKN1A/p21,GDF15,TNFRSF10B/TRAIL-R2,TP53I3/PIG3,and GADD45. This profile of gene activation showed a partial overlapping with that induced by the genotoxic drug fludarabine. Moreover,nutlin-3 synergized with both fludarabine and chlorambucil in inducing B-CLL apoptosis. Our data strongly suggest that nutlin-3 should be further investigated for clinical applications in the treatment of B-CLL. View Publication

MICA is a stress-regulated molecule recognized by the NK cell-activating receptor NKG2D. Previously,we demonstrated that MICA is induced on activated T cells but regulation by mitogenic cytokines and its biological consequences remain unexplored. Here,we show that IL-2,IL-4,and IL-15 but not TNF-alpha or IFN-alpha induced MICA expression in T lymphocytes present in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs),as assessed by Western blot. IL-2 effect involved Jak3/STAT5,p38 MAPK,p70(56) kinase,Lck/fyn kinases,and NF-kappaB. MICA expression was also observed in Th1 and Th2 cells. However,surface expression was not detected. T lymphocytes present in PBMCs and isolated CD4+ T lymphocytes stimulated with phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate and ionomycin also induced MICA expression as assessed by Western blot,but only low levels were expressed at the cell surface. Activated but not resting CD4+ T lymphocytes were lysed by IL-15- or IL-2-stimulated NK cells,and susceptibility was increased when HLA class I molecules were blocked. Also,cytokine-stimulated NK cells produced more IFN-gamma after culture with activated CD4+ T lymphocytes. However,the participation of MICA in these responses,if any,was marginal. Confocal microscopy revealed that MICA is retained mostly inside activated CD4+ T cells. Our results suggest that low surface expression of MICA on activated CD4+ T lymphocytes might be a safeguard mechanism to protect them from NK cells in an inflammatory,virus-infected,or tumor microenvironment,where NK and activated CD4+ T cells are recruited. View Publication

The human HDAC (histone deacetylase) family,a well-validated anticancer target,plays a key role in the control of gene expression through regulation of transcription. While HDACs can be subdivided into three main classes,the class I,class II and class III HDACs (sirtuins),it is presently unclear whether inhibiting multiple HDACs using pan-HDAC inhibitors,or targeting specific isoforms that show aberrant levels in tumours,will prove more effective as an anticancer strategy in the clinic. To address the above issues,we have tested a number of clinically relevant HDACis (HDAC inhibitors) against a panel of rhHDAC (recombinant human HDAC) isoforms. Eight rhHDACs were expressed using a baculoviral system,and a Fluor de Lystrade mark (Biomol International) HDAC assay was optimized for each purified isoform. The potency and selectivity of ten HDACs on class I isoforms (rhHDAC1,rhHDAC2,rhHDAC3 and rhHDAC8) and class II HDAC isoforms (rhHDAC4,rhHDAC6,rhHDAC7 and rhHDAC9) was determined. MS-275 was HDAC1-selective,MGCD0103 was HDAC1- and HDAC2-selective,apicidin was HDAC2- and HDAC3-selective and valproic acid was a specific inhibitor of class I HDACs. The hydroxamic acid-derived compounds (trichostatin A,NVP-LAQ824,panobinostat,ITF2357,vorinostat and belinostat) were potent pan-HDAC inhibitors. The growth-inhibitory effect of the HDACis on HeLa cells showed that both pan-HDAC and class-I-specific inhibitors inhibited cell growth. The results also showed that both pan-HDAC and class-I-specific inhibitor treatment resulted in increased acetylation of histones,but only pan-HDAC inhibitor treatment resulted in increased tubulin acetylation,which is in agreement with their activity towards the HDAC6 isoform. View Publication

OBJECTIVE: In this study,the alternative splicing product of vasohibin 1 (VASH1B) was analyzed in direct comparison to the major isoform (VASH1A) for antiangiogenic effects on endothelial colony forming cells (ECFCs) from peripheral blood and on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). METHODS AND RESULTS: Expression studies in primary human endothelial cells revealed that both vasohibin proteins,hVASH1A and hVASH1B,localized in the nucleus and cytoplasm. Adenoviruses carrying the cDNA for VASH1A/B and purified recombinant proteins were used to study the function of both molecules in ECFCs and HUVECs. Recombinant VASH1A protein did not inhibit cell proliferation,tube formation,or vessel growth in vivo in the chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay,but promoted endothelial cell migration in vitro. The VASH1B protein had an inhibitory effect on cell proliferation,migration,tube formation,and inhibited blood vessel formation in the CAM assay. Adenoviral overexpression of VASH1B,but not of VASH1A,resulted in inhibition of endothelial cell growth,migration,and capillary formation. Interestingly,overexpression of VASH1A and B induced apoptosis in proliferating human fibroblasts,but did not affect cell growth of keratinocytes. CONCLUSIONS: Our data point out that alternative splicing of the VASH1 pre-mRNA transcript generates a potent antiangiogenic protein. View Publication

Most tumors grow in immunocompetent hosts despite expressing NKG2D ligands (NKG2DLs) such as the MHC class I chain-related genes A and B (MICA/B). However,their participation in tumor cell evasion is still not completely understood. Here we demonstrate that several human melanomas (cell lines and freshly isolated metastases) do not express MICA on the cell surface but have intracellular deposits of this NKG2DL. Susceptibility to NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity correlated with the ratio of NKG2DLs to HLA class I molecules but not with the amounts of MICA on the cell surface of tumor cells. Transfection-mediated overexpression of MICA restored cell surface expression and resulted in an increased in vitro cytotoxicity and IFN-gamma secretion by human NK cells. In xenografted nude mice,these melanomas exhibited a delayed growth and extensive in vivo apoptosis. Retardation of tumor growth was due to NK cell-mediated antitumor activity against MICA-transfected tumors,given that this effect was not observed in NK cell-depleted mice. Also,mouse NK cells killed MICA-overexpressing melanomas in vitro. A mechanistic analysis revealed the retention of MICA in the endoplasmic reticulum,an effect that was associated with accumulation of endoH-sensitive (immature) forms of MICA,retrograde transport to the cytoplasm,and degradation by the proteasome. Our study identifies a novel strategy developed by melanoma cells to evade NK cell-mediated immune surveillance based on the intracellular sequestration of immature forms of MICA in the endoplasmic reticulum. Furthermore,this tumor immune escape strategy can be overcome by gene therapy approaches aimed at overexpressing MICA on tumor cells. View Publication

The Rho subgroup of the Rho GTPases consisting of RhoA,RhoB and RhoC induces a specific type of actin cytoskeleton and carry out a variety of functions in the cell. mDia and ROCK are downstream effectors of Rho mediating Rho action on the actin cytoskeleton; mDia produces actin filaments by nucleation and polymerization and ROCK activate myosin to cross-link them for induction of actomyosin bundles and contractility. mDia is potentially linked to Rac activation and membrane ruffle formation through c-Src-induced phosphorylation of focal adhesion proteins,and ROCK antagonizes this mDia action. Thus,cell morphogenesis,adhesion,and motility can be determined by the balance between mDia and ROCK activities. Though they are not oncogenes by themselves,overexpression of RhoA and RhoC are often found in clinical cancers,and RhoC has been repeatedly identified as a gene associated with metastasis. The Rho-ROCK pathway is implicated in Ras-mediated transformation,the amoeboid movement of tumor cells in the three-dimensional matrix,and transmigration of tumor cells through the mesothelial monolayer. On the other hand,the Rho-mDia1 pathway is implicated in Src-mediated remodeling of focal adhesions and migration of tumor cells. There is also an indication that the Rho pathway other than ROCK is involved in Src-mediated induction of podosome and regulation of matrix metalloproteases. Thus,Rho mediates various phenotypes of malignant transformation by Ras and Src through its effectors,ROCK and mDia. View Publication

p53 can induce apoptosis through mitochondrial membrane permeabilization by interaction of its DNA binding region with the anti-apoptotic proteins BclxL and Bcl2. However,little is known about the action of p53 at the mitochondria in molecular detail. By using NMR spectroscopy and fluorescence polarization we characterized the binding of wild-type and mutant p53 DNA binding domains to BclxL and show that the wild-type p53 DNA binding domain leads to structural changes in the BH3 binding region of BclxL,whereas mutants fail to induce such effects due to reduced affinity. This was probed by induced chemical shift and residual dipolar coupling data. These data imply that p53 partly achieves its pro-apoptotic function at the mitochondria by facilitating interaction between BclxL and BH3-only proteins in an allosteric mode of action. Furthermore,we characterize for the first time the binding behavior of Pifithrin-mu,a specific small molecule inhibitor of the p53-BclxL interaction,and present a structural model of the protein-ligand complex. A rather unusual behavior is revealed whereby Pifithrin-mu binds to both sides of the protein-protein complex. These data should facilitate the rational design of more potent specific BclxL-p53 inhibitors. View Publication

The mammalian embryonic zeta-globin genes,including that of humans,are expressed at the early embryonic stage and then switched off during erythroid development. This autonomous silencing of the zeta-globin gene transcription is probably regulated by the cooperative work of various protein-DNA and protein-protein complexes formed at the zeta-globin promoter and its upstream enhancer (HS-40). We present data here indicating that a protein-binding motif,ZF2,contributes to the repression of the HS-40-regulated human zeta-promoter activity in erythroid cell lines and in transgenic mice. Combined site-directed mutagenesis and EMSA suggest that repression of the human zeta-globin promoter is mediated through binding of the zinc finger factor RREB1 to ZF2. This model is further supported by the observation that human zeta-globin gene transcription is elevated in the human erythroid K562 cell line or the primary erythroid culture upon RNA interference (RNAi)(2) knockdown of RREB1 expression. These data together suggest that RREB1 is a putative repressor for the silencing of the mammalian zeta-globin genes during erythroid development. Because zeta-globin is a powerful inhibitor of HbS polymerization,our experiments have provided a foundation for therapeutic up-regulation of zeta-globin gene expression in patients with severe hemoglobinopathies. View Publication

Aldehyde dehydrogenase isoform 1 (ALDH1) has been proved useful for the identification of cancer stem cells. However,our knowledge of the expression and activity of ALDH1 in common epithelial cancers and their corresponding normal tissues is still largely absent. Therefore,we characterized ALDH1 expression in 24 types of normal tissues and a large collection of epithelial tumor specimens (six cancer types,n = 792) by immunohistochemical staining. Using the ALDEFUOR assay,ALDH1 activity was also examined in 16 primary tumor specimens and 43 established epithelial cancer cell lines. In addition,an ovarian cancer transgenic mouse model and 7 murine ovarian cancer cell lines were analyzed. We found that the expression levels and patterns of ALDH1 in epithelial cancers are remarkably distinct,and they correlate with their corresponding normal tissues. ALDH1 protein expression levels are positively correlated with ALDH1 enzymatic activity measured by ALDEFLUOR assay. Long-term in vitro culture doesn't significantly affect ALDH1 activity in epithelial tumor cells. Consistent with research on other cancers,we found that high ALDH1 expression is significantly associated with poor clinical outcomes in serous ovarian cancer patients (n = 439,p = 0.0036). Finally,ALDH(br) tumor cells exhibit cancer stem cell properties and are resistant to chemotherapy. As a novel cancer stem cell marker,ALDH1 can be used for tumors whose corresponding normal tissues express ALDH1 in relatively restricted or limited levels such as breast,lung,ovarian or colon cancer. View Publication

A host genetic variant (-35C/T) correlates with increased human leukocyte antigen C (HLA-C) expression and improved control of HIV-1. HLA-C-mediated immunity may be particularly protective because HIV-1 is unable to remove HLA-C from the cell surface,whereas it can avoid HLA-A- and HLA-B-mediated immunity by Nef-mediated down-modulation. However,some individuals with the protective -35CC genotype exhibit high viral loads. Here,we investigated whether the ability of HIV-1 to replicate efficiently in the protective" high-HLA-C-expression host environment correlates with specific functional properties of Nef. We found that high set point viral loads (sVLs) were not associated with the emergence of Nef variants that had acquired the ability to down-modulate HLA-C or were more effective in removing HLA-A and HLA-B from the cell surface. However View Publication

Because video data are complex and are comprised of many images,mining information from video material is difficult to do without the aid of computer software. Video bioinformatics is a powerful quantitative approach for extracting spatio-temporal data from video images using computer software to perform dating mining and analysis. In this article,we introduce a video bioinformatics method for quantifying the growth of human embryonic stem cells (hESC) by analyzing time-lapse videos collected in a Nikon BioStation CT incubator equipped with a camera for video imaging. In our experiments,hESC colonies that were attached to Matrigel were filmed for 48 hours in the BioStation CT. To determine the rate of growth of these colonies,recipes were developed using CL-Quant software which enables users to extract various types of data from video images. To accurately evaluate colony growth,three recipes were created. The first segmented the image into the colony and background,the second enhanced the image to define colonies throughout the video sequence accurately,and the third measured the number of pixels in the colony over time. The three recipes were run in sequence on video data collected in a BioStation CT to analyze the rate of growth of individual hESC colonies over 48 hours. To verify the truthfulness of the CL-Quant recipes,the same data were analyzed manually using Adobe Photoshop software. When the data obtained using the CL-Quant recipes and Photoshop were compared,results were virtually identical,indicating the CL-Quant recipes were truthful. The method described here could be applied to any video data to measure growth rates of hESC or other cells that grow in colonies. In addition,other video bioinformatics recipes can be developed in the future for other cell processes such as migration,apoptosis,and cell adhesion. View Publication

Osteoclasts are resident cells of the bone that are primarily involved in the physiological and pathological remodeling of this tissue. Mature osteoclasts are multinucleated giant cells that are generated from the fusion of circulating precursors originating from the monocyte/macrophage lineage. During inflammatory bone conditions in vivo,de novo osteoclastogenesis is observed but it is currently unknown whether,besides increased osteoclast differentiation from undifferentiated precursors,other cell types can generate a multinucleated giant cell phenotype with bone resorbing activity. In this study,an animal model of calvaria-induced aseptic osteolysis was used to analyze possible bone resorption capabilities of dendritic cells (DCs). We determined by FACS analysis and confocal microscopy that injected GFP-labeled immature DCs were readily recruited to the site of osteolysis. Upon recruitment,the cathepsin K-positive DCs were observed in bone-resorbing pits. Additionally,chromosomal painting identified nuclei from female DCs,previously injected into a male recipient,among the nuclei of giant cells at sites of osteolysis. Finally,osteolysis was also observed upon recruitment of CD11c-GFP conventional DCs in Csf1r(-/-) mice,which exhibit a severe depletion of resident osteoclasts and tissue macrophages. Altogether,our analysis indicates that DCs may have an important role in bone resorption associated with various inflammatory diseases. View Publication