菊池 次郎

Relatively little is known about the regulatory mechanisms of the Drosha/DGCR8 complex, which processes miRNAs at the initial step of biogenesis. We found that histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1) increases the expression levels of mature miRNAs despite repressing the transcription of host genes. HDAC1 is an integral component of the Drosha/DGCR8 complex and enhances miRNA processing by increasing the affinity of DGCR8 to primary miRNA transcripts via deacetylation of critical lysine residues in the RNA-binding domains of DGCR8. This finding suggests that HDACs have two arms for gene silencing: transcriptional repression by promoter histone deacetylation and post-transcriptional inhibition by increasing miRNA abundance.

LMO2, a critical transcription regulator of hematopoiesis, is involved in human T-cell leukemia. The binding site of proline and acidic amino acid-rich protein (PAR) transcription factors in the promoter of the LMO2 gene plays a central role in hematopoietic-specific expression. E2A-HLF fusion derived from t(17;19) in B-precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) has the transactivation domain of E2A and the basic region/leucine zipper domain of HLF, which is a PAR transcription factor, raising the possibility that E2A-HLF aberrantly induces LMO2 expression. We here demonstrate that cell lines and a primary sample of t(17;19)-ALL expressed LMO2 at significantly higher levels than other B-precursor ALLs did. Transfection of E2A-HLF into a non-t(17;19) B-precursor ALL cell line induced LMO2 gene expression that was dependent on the DNA-binding and transactivation activities of E2A-HLF. The PAR site in the LMO2 gene promoter was critical for E2A-HLF-induced LMO2 expression. Gene silencing of LMO2 in a t(17;19)-ALL cell line by short hairpin RNA-induced apoptotic cell death. These observations indicated that E2A-HLF promotes cell survival of t(17;19)-ALL cells by aberrantly up-regulating LMO2 expression. LMO2 could be a target for a new therapeutic modality for extremely chemo-resistant t(17;19)-ALL. (Blood. 2010;116(6):962-970)

Bortezomib is now widely used for the treatment of multiple myeloma (MM); however, its action mechanisms are not fully understood. Despite the initial results, recent investigations have indicated that bortezomib does not inactivate nuclear factor-kappa B activity in MM cells, suggesting the presence of other critical pathways leading to cytotoxicity. In this study, we show that histone deacetylases (HDACs) are critical targets of bortezomib, which specifically down-regulated the expression of class I HDACs (HDAC1, HDAC2, and HDAC3) in MM cell lines and primary MM cells at the transcriptional level, accompanied by reciprocal histone hyperacetylation. Transcriptional repression of HDACs was mediated by caspase-8-dependent degradation of Sp1 protein, the most potent transactivator of class I HDAC genes. Short-interfering RNA-mediated knockdown of HDAC1 enhanced bortezomib-induced apoptosis and histone hyperacetylation, whereas HDAC1 overexpression inhibited them. HDAC1 overexpression conferred resistance to bortezomib in MM cells, and administration of the HDAC inhibitor romidepsin restored sensitivity to bortezomib in HDAC1-overexpressing cells both in vitro and in vivo. These results suggest that bortezomib targets HDACs via distinct mechanisms from conventional HDAC inhibitors. Our findings provide a novel molecular basis and rationale for the use of bortezomib in MM treatment. (Blood. 2010; 116(3): 406-417)

The E2A-HLF fusion transcription factor generated by t(17;19)(q22;p13) translocation is found in a small subset of pro-B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemias (ALLs) and promotes leukemogenesis by substituting for the antiapoptotic function of cytokines. Here we show that t(17;19)(+) ALL cells express Survivin at high levels and that a dominant negative mutant of E2A-HLF suppresses Survivin expression. Forced expression of E2A-HLF in t(17;19)(-) leukemia cells up-regulated Survivin expression, suggesting that Survivin is a downstream target of E2A-HLF. Analysis using a counterflow centrifugal elutriator revealed that t(17;19)(+) ALL cells express Survivin throughout the cell cycle. Reporter assays revealed that E2A-HLF induces survivin expression at the transcriptional level likely through indirect down-regulation of a cell cycle-dependent cis element in the promoter region. Down-regulation of Survivin function by a dominant negative mutant of Survivin or reduction of Survivin expression induced massive apoptosis throughout the cell cycle in t(17;19)(+) cells mainly through caspase-independent pathways involving translocation of apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) from mitochondria to the nucleus. AIF knockdown conferred resistance to apoptosis caused by down-regulation of Survivin function. These data indicated that reversal of AIF translocation by Survivin, which is induced by E2A-HLF throughout the cell cycle, is one of the key mechanisms in the protection of t(17;19)(+) leukemia cells from apoptosis.

Anti-CD20 antibody rituximab is now essential for the treatment of CD20-positive B-cell lymphomas. Decreased expression of CD20 is one of the major mechanisms underlying both innate and acquired resistance to rituximab. In this study, we show that histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors augment the cytotoxic activity of rituximab by enhancing the surface expression of CD20 antigen on lymphoma cells. HDAC inhibitors, valproic acid (VPA) and romidepsin, increased CD20 expression at protein and mRNA levels in B-cell lymphoma cell lines with relatively low CD20 expression levels. The VPA-mediated increase in CD20 expression occurred at 1 m, which is clinically achievable and safe, but insufficient for inducing cell death. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays revealed that HDAC inhibitors transactivated the CD20 gene through promoter hyperacetylation and Sp1 recruitment. HDAC inhibitors potentiated the activity of rituximab in complement-dependent cytotoxic assays. In mouse lymphoma models, HDAC inhibitors enhanced CD20 expression along with histone hyperacetylation in transplanted cells, and acted synergistically with rituximab to retard their growth. The combination with HDAC inhibitors may serve as an effective strategy to overcome rituximab resistance in B-cell lymphomas. © 2010 Macmillan Publishers Limited All rights reserved.

Histone deacetylases (HDACs) are globally implicated in the growth and differentiation of mammalian cells; however, relatively little is known about their specific roles in hematopoiesis. In this study, we investigated the expression of HDACs in human hematopoietic cells and their functions during hematopoiesis. The expression of HDACs was very low in hematopoietic progenitor cells, which was accompanied by histone hyperacetylation. HDACs were detectable in more differentiated progenitors and erythroid precursors but down-regulated in mature myeloid cells especially granulocytes. In contrast, acute myeloid leukemias showed HDAC overexpression and histone hypoacetylation. Transcription of the HDAC1 gene was repressed by CCAAT/enhancer binding proteins during myeloid differentiation, and activated by GATA-1 during erythromegakaryocytic differentiation. Small interfering RNA-mediated knockdown of HDAC1 enhanced myeloid differentiation in immature hematopoietic cell lines and perturbed erythroid differentiation in progenitor cells. Myeloid but not erythromegakaryocytic differentiation was blocked in mice transplanted with HDAC1-overexpressing hematopoietic progenitor cells. These findings suggest that HDAC is not merely an auxiliary factor of genetic elements but plays a direct role in the cell fate decision of hematopoietic progenitors.

Tangier disease (TD) is a hereditary disorder characterized by the severe deficiency or absence of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). TD is caused by mutations in the ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) gene, most of which are located in the extracellular loops and nucleotide-binding domains. Here we describe the first case of TD carrying a missense mutation in a transmembrane alpha-helix of ABCA1. A 31-year-old Japanese woman had an extremely low level of HDL-C (1 mg/dl) and yellowish tonsillar swelling, leading to the diagnosis of TD. The proband was homozygous for a point mutation of T4978C in exon 37, which results in the substitution of cysteine-1660 to arginine (C1660R) in the 8th transmembrane segment of ABCA1. Her parents, grandmother, and brother were found to be heterozygous for the same mutation. Both peripheral blood leukocytes from the patient and HEK293 cells transfected with T4978C-mutated ABCA1 normally expressed ABCA1 on the plasma membrane and had normal apolipoprotein A-I-binding ability. However, apolipoprotein A-I-mediated efflux of cholesterol and phospholipids was markedly diminished in HEK293 cells transfected with T4978C-mutated ABCA1. These results suggest that this mutant is normally translated and exists as a stable product with normal localization, yet is functionally defective. Cysteine-1660 appears to be a critical residue for cholesterol transport of ABCA1. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Although it is well known that platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) causes mesangial cell proliferation (presumably contributing to progression of glomerular disease), targeted inhibition of the PDGF receptor system has shown only limited efficacy against glomerular diseases. To examine whether this discrepancy is due to the involvement of other pathways, we used phosphorylated receptor tyrosine kinase arrays and found that RON (recepteur d'origine nantais) was phosphorylated while the PDGF receptor was dephosphorylated (thus inactive) in human mesangial cells (HMCs) at the time of cell cycle entry. Further, RON remained active during steady-state growth. Activation of RON was independent of its canonical ligand, macrophage-stimulating protein, but was mediated by transactivation from the PDGF-engaged PDGF receptor. Following stimulation with PDGF we found that the two receptors physically interacted. Knockdown of RON by siRNA increased the number of apoptotic cells without affecting the rate of DNA synthesis, suggesting that RON has anti-apoptotic functions. Immunohistochemical analysis found phosphorylated RON in glomerular lesions of patients with IgA nephropathy but not those with minimal change nephrotic syndrome, a disease not associated with mesangial proliferation. These results suggest that RON is involved in mesangial cell proliferation under both physiological and pathological conditions, and may be a relevant target for therapeutic intervention. Kidney International (2009) 75, 1173-1183; doi:10.1038/ki.2009.44; published online 25 February 2009

Multiple myeloma ( MM) is incurable, mainly because of cell adhesion-mediated drug resistance (CAM-DR). In this study, we performed functional screening using short hairpin RNA (shRNA) to de. ne the molecule(s) responsible for CAM-DR of MM. Using four bona. de myeloma cell lines (KHM-1B, KMS12-BM, RPMI8226 and U266) and primary myeloma cells, we identified CD29 (beta 1-integrin), CD44, CD49d (alpha 4-integrin, a subunit of VLA-4), CD54 ( intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1)), CD138 (syndecan-1) and CD184 (CXC chemokine receptor-4 (CXCR4)) as major adhesion molecules expressed on MM. shRNA-mediated knockdown of CD49d but not CD44, CD54, CD138 and CD184 significantly reversed CAM-DR of myeloma cells to bortezomib, vincristine, doxorubicin and dexamethasone. Experiments using blocking antibodies yielded almost identical results. Bortezomib was relatively resistant to CAM-DR because of its ability to specifically down-regulate CD49d expression. This property was unique to bortezomib and was not observed in other anti-myeloma drugs. Pretreatment with bortezomib was able to ameliorate CAM-DR of myeloma cells to vincristine and dexamethasone. These results suggest that VLA-4 plays a critical role in CAM-DR of MM cells. The combination of bortezomib with conventional anti-myeloma drugs may be effective in overcoming CAM-DR of MM.

Phosphatidylglucoside (PtdGlc), a new type of glycolipid, was recently identified. We examined PtdGlc expression in normal blood cells and leukemic cells using an anti-PtdGlc monoclonal antibody, DIM-21. Neutrophils, monocytes, HL-60 cells and a subset of cord blood (CB) CD34(+) cells, but not erythroblasts, expressed lipid antigen. PtdGlc was preferentially expressed along the neutrophil differentiation pathway of CB CD34(+) cells treated with cytokines and HL-60 cells treated with retinoic acid. PtdGlc expression was not increased in HL-60 cells treated with phorbol ester. CB CD34(+) cells contained a population of PtdGlc(+) cells, and CB CD34(+)PtdGlc(+) cells produced mainly granulocyte-macrophage colonies and a small number of erythroid colonies. A positive correlation between PtdGlc expression and CD15 expression in leukemic cells from patients with acute myeloblastic leukemia was shown. These results indicate that increasing PtdGlc expression is seen with neutrophil maturation.

PKC412 is a staurosporine derivative that inhibits several protein kinases including FLT3, and is highly anticipated as a novel therapeutic agent for acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML) carrying FLT3 mutations. In this study, we show that PKC412 exerts differential cell cycle effects on AML cells depending on the presence of FLT3 mutations. PKC412 elicits massive apoptosis without markedly affecting cell cycle patterns in AML cell lines with FLT3 mutations (MV4-11 and MOLM13), whereas it induces G(2) arrest but not apoptosis in AML cell lines without FLT3 mutations (THP-1 and U937). In MV4-11 and MOLM13 cells, PKC412 inactivates Myt-1 and activates CDC25c, leading to the activation of CDC2. Activated CDC2 phosphorylates Bad at serine-128 and facilitates its translocation to the mitochondria, where Bad triggers apoptosis. In contrast, PKC412 inactivates CDC2 by inducing serine-216 phosphorylation and subsequent cytoplasmic sequestration of CDC25c in THP-1 and U937 cells. As a result, cells are arrested in the G2 phase of the cell cycle, but do not undergo apoptosis because Bad is not activated. The FLT3 mutation-dependent differential cell cycle effect of PKC412 is considered an important factor when PKC412 is combined with cell cycle-specific anticancer drugs in the treatment of cancer and leukemia.

B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (BCP-ALL/B-precursor ALL) is characterized by a high rate of tissue infiltration. The mechanism of BCP-ALL cell extravasation is not fully understood. In the present study, we have investigated the major carrier of carbohydrate selectin ligands in the BCP-ALL cell line NALL-1 and its possible role in the extravascular infiltration of the leukemic cells. B-precursor ALL cell lines and clinical samples from patients with BCP-ALL essentially exhibited positive flow cytometric reactivity with E-selectin, and the reactivity was significantly diminished by O-sialoglycoprotein endopeptidase treatment in NALL-1 cells. B-precursor ALL cell lines adhered well to E-selectin but only very weakly to P-selectin with low-shear-force cell adhesion assay. Although BCP-ALL cell lines did not express the well-known core protein P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 (PSGL-1), a major proportion of the carbohydrate selectin ligand was carried by a sialomucin, CD43, in NALL-1 cells. Most clinical samples from patients with BCP-ALL exhibited a PSGL-1(neg/low)/CD43(high) phenotype. NALL-1 cells rolled well on E-selectin, but knockdown of CD43 on NALL-1 cells resulted in reduced rolling activity on E-selectin. In addition, the CD43 knockdown NALL-1 cells showed decreased tissue engraftment compared with the control cells when introduced into gamma-irradiated immunodeficient mice. These results strongly suggest that CD43 but not PSGL-1 plays an important role in the extravascular infiltration of NALL-1 cells and that the degree of tissue engraftment of B-precursor ALL cells may be controlled by manipulating CD43 expression.

E2F-6 is a dominant-negative transcriptional repressor against other members of the E2F family. In this study, we investigated the expression and function of E2F-6 in human hematopoietic progenitor cells to clarify its role in hematopoiesis. We found that among E2F subunits, E2F-1, E2F-2, E2F-4, and E2F-6 were expressed in CD34(+) human hematopoietic progenitor cells. The expression of E2F-6 increased along with proliferation and decreased during differentiation of hematopoietic progenitors, whereas the other three species were upregulated in CD34(-) bone marrow mononuclear cells. Overexpression of E2F-6 did not affect the growth of immature hematopoietic cell line K562 but suppressed E2F-1-induced apoptosis, whereas it failed to inhibit apoptosis induced by differentiation inducers and anticancer drugs. Among E2F-1-dependent apoptosis-related molecules, E2F-6 specifically inhibited upregulation of Apaf-1 by competing with E2F-1 for promoter binding. E2F-6 similarly suppressed apoptosis and Apaf-1 upregulation in primary hematopoietic progenitor cells during cytokine-induced proliferation but had no effect when they were differentiated. As a result, E2F-6 enhanced the clonogenic growth of colony-forming unit-granulocyte, erythroid, macrophage, and megakaryocyte. These results suggest that E2F- 6 provides a failsafe mechanism against loss of hematopoietic progenitor cells during proliferation.

B-cell precursor (BCP) leukemia cells infiltrate into peripheral organs and the disease often relapses. Inhibition of tissue infiltration may improve the treatment outcome of BCP-leukemia patients. Selectin ligand has been suggested to play an important role in the infiltration of leukemia cells. However, the regulation mechanisms and involvement in tissue infiltration of selectin ligand expression in BCP-leukemia cells are not fully understood. In this study, we report that BCP-leukemia cells express selectin ligand on O-sialoglycoproteins. Core 2 beta 1,6-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase-1 (C2GnT-1) is mainly expressed in BCP-leukemia cells. Transfection of the antisense C2GnT-1 cDNA resulted in a significant reduction of either selectin ligand expression or selectin-dependent cell adhesion in BCP-leukemia cell line KM3 cells. Migration ability into mouse peripheral organs was reduced significantly in the antisense transfectant. These findings suggest that C2GnT-1 regulates selectin ligand expression. Downregulation of the selectin ligand expression level inhibits tissue infiltration of BCP-leukemia cells. C2GnT-1 may be a candidate of therapeutic target for the inhibition of infiltration of leukemia cells.

Sialyl-Lewis x (sLeX), one of the major selectin ligands, is expressed on T and B cells in a differentiation or activation stage-specific manner. We have demonstrated before that sLeX expression and core 2 beta1,6-N-acetylglucosaminyl-transferase (C2GnT) were simultaneously regulated during precursor B (pre-B) cell differentiation. Three C2GnT family genes, designated C2GnT-1, -2, and -3,: were previously identified, but their roles have not, been fully examined. In this study, we have investigated the roles of C2GnTs in the regulation of sLeX expression level during pre-B cell differentiation comparing with alpha1,3fucosyltransferase-VII (FucT-VII) and alpha2,3sialyltransferase-IV (ST3Gal-IV). Overexpression of not FucT-VII and ST3Gal-IV but C2GnT-1 blocked the down-regulation of sLeX expression by differentiation induction. Neither C2GnT-2 nor -3 but C2GnT-1 transcript Was mainly expressed in B lineage cell lines and bone-marrow derived B lineage cells. Significant down-regulation of C2GnT-1 of the three C2GnTs was observed in KM3 cells during differentiation. The expression of C2GnT-1 correlated well to sLeX expression and differentiation stage. Furthermore, introduction of short interfering RNA against C2GnT-1 markedly ' reduced C2GnT-1 expression and resulted in down-regulation of sLeX expression. These results suggest - that not the other. glycosyl-transferases but C2GnT-1 regulates. sLeX expression level during differentiation of pre-B cells, providing, the cells with substrate of sLeX structure biosynthesis.

Background Gene therapy is being studied as the next generation therapy for hemophilia and several clinical trials have been carried out, albeit with limited success. To explore the possibility of utilizing autologous bone marrow transplantation of genetically modified hematopoietic stem cells for hemophilia gene therapy, we investigated the efficacy of genetically engineered CD34(+) cell transplantation to NOD/SCID mice for expression of human factor VIII (hFVIII). Methods CD34(+) cells were transduced with a simian immunodeficiency virus agmTYO1 (SIV)-based lentiviral vector carrying the enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) gene (SIVeGFP) or the hFVIII gene (SIVhFVIII). CD34(+) cells transduced with SIV vectors were transplanted to NOD/SCID mice. Engraftment of transduced CD34(+) cells and expression of transgenes were studied. Results We could efficiently transduce CD34(+) cells using the SIVeGFP vector in a dose-dependent manner, reaching a maximum (99.6 +/- 0.1%) at MOI of 5 x 10(3) vector genome/cell. After transducing CD34(+) cells with SIVhFVIII, hFVIII was produced (274.3 +/- 20.1 ng) from 106 CD34(+) cells during 24 h in vitro incubation. Transplantation of SIVhFVIII-transduced CD34(+) cells (5-10 x 10(5)) at a multiplicity of infection (MOI) of 50 vector genome/cell into NOD/SCID mice resulted in successful engraftment of CD34(+) cells and production of hFVIII (minimum 1.2 +/- 0.9 ng/mL, maximum 3.6 +/- 0.8 ng/mL) for at least 60 days in vivo. Transcripts of the hFVIII gene and the hFVIII antigen were also detected in the murine bone marrow cells. Conclusions Transplantation of ex vivo transduced hematopoietic stem cells by non-pathogenic SIVhFVIII without exposure of subjects to viral vectors is safe and potentially applicable for gene therapy of hemophilia A patients. Copyright (C) 2004 John Wiley Sons, Ltd.

We demonstrate that transduction of adipocytes with a simian immunodeficiency virus agm TYO1 ( SIVagm)-based lentiviral vector carrying the human coagulation factor VIII gene (SIVhFVIII) resulted in expression of the human FVIII transgene in vitro and in db/db mice in vivo. Cultured human adipocytes were transduced with the SIVagm vector carrying the GFP gene in a dose-dependent manner and transduction of adipocytes with SIVhFVIII resulted in efficient expression of human coagulation factor VIII (hFVIII; 320 +/- 39.8 ng/10(6) adipocytes/ 24 h) in vitro. Based upon successful transduction of adipocytes by SIV vectors carrying the lacZ gene in vivo in mice, the adipose tissue of db/db mice was transduced with SIVhFVIII. There was a transient appearance of human FVIII in mouse plasma (maximum 1.8 ng/ml) on day 11 after the injection. Transcripts of human FVIII transgene and human FVIII antigen also were detected in the adipose tissue by RT-PCR and immunofluorescence, respectively, on day 14. Emergence of anti-human FVIII antibodies 14 days after the injection of SIVhFVIII may explain the disappearance of human FVIII from the circulation. These results suggest that transduction of the adipocytes with vectors carrying the human FVIII gene may be potentially applicable for gene therapy of hemophilia A.

Three thrombophilic patients with protein C (PC) deficiency were found to have independent mutations in the PC gene. These mutations resulted in single amino acid substitutions of R169W, R352W, and G376D in the affected PC molecules. These abnormal PC molecules were expressed in CHO-K1 cells in the presence or absence of vitamin K, and their synthesis, posttranslational modification, and secretion were studied. PC G376D was not secreted from the cells and was gradually degraded inside the cells. There was partial secretion of PC R169W and PC R352W, but most of these molecules were not secreted but were degraded intracellularly. On the basis of pulse-chase, immunofluorescence, and endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase H digestion experiments, the majority of wild-type PC molecules localize not in the Golgi apparatus but in the rough endoplasmic reticulum inside the cells. This suggests that wild-type PC molecules are secreted immediately after gamma-carboxylation and modification at the Golgi apparatus. In contrast, the mutant PC molecules were retained inside the cells even after modification of oligosaccharides at the trans-Golgi apparatus, which was probably due to impaired conformation of the abnormal molecules. Data suggest that these abnormal PC molecules were not sorted to secretory vesicles in the trans-Golgi network because of conformational defects in addition to the transport defect from the rough endoplasmic reticulum to the Golgi apparatus and were degraded inside the cells, thereby resulting in a PC deficiency in the affected patients.

Electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS) was combined with biomolecular interaction analysis (BIA) to develop a method of direct protein identification after real-time analysis of protein-protein interactions. Using this,,method, called BIA-MS/MS, we detected multiple p53-interacting proteins in whole tissue extracts from human placenta and liver. Peptide sequencing revealed three proteins whose interaction with p53 had not been previously reported: a cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p57/Kip2, a serine/threonine protein phosphatase PPIC, and hemoglobin. Using our system, unambiguous sequence information can be obtained at the femto- to picomole level after repeating the recovery procedure five times. Furthermore, the association and dissociation constants are easily determined by kinetic analysis. This system provides a powerful tool for analyzing complex biological materials in a simple but highly specific and sensitive manner.

We were able to facilitate plasminogen activator inhibitor I (PAI-1) promoter activity approximately by 14-fold using an enhancer element. This enhanced PAI-1 promoter has a strong basal activity, comparable to CAG promoter activity, and has a response similar to the PAI-1 promoter with respect to TGF beta1 and TNF alpha stimulation, The characteristics of the enhanced PAI-1 promoter are thought to be suited to timely and tissue-specific expression of anticoagulant molecules in the vascular cells, Thus, we developed recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) vectors using the enhanced PAI-1 promoter and were successful in transducing vascular endothelial cells to express the thrombomodulin transgene under the regulation of the enhanced PAI-1 promoter in vitro. Thromobomodulin transgene expression driven by the enhanced PAI-1 promoter in rAAV vector-transduced cultured endothelial cells was between 600- and 1000-fold higher than constitutive thrombomodulin gene expression in cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells and was up-regulated by TGF beta1 and TNF alpha stimulation which may down-regulate endogenous thrombomodulin gene expression in endothelial cells. The brain vascular endothelial cells of Mongolian gerbils could also be transduced by the same rAAV vector in vivo. Transduction of endothelial cells by rAAV vectors to express enhanced PAI-1 promoter-driven transgenes may be a useful gene therapy approach for vascular diseases.

To maintain the fidelity and integrity of blood formation, the cell cycle is under strict regulation during haematopoietic cell differentiation. To elucidate the molecular mechanisms of cell cycle regulation during haematopoiesis, we examined cell cycle control gene expression during lineage-specific differentiation from CD34(+) progenitor cells. Expression of cyclin-dependent kinases (cdks) and cyclins, except cdk4, was generally suppressed in CD34(+) cells freshly isolated from the bone marrow of healthy volunteers. Among four major cdk inhibitors, p16 was expressed more highly in CD34(+) cells than in CD34-negative bone marrow mononuclear cells, whereas the amounts of p21 and p27 transcripts increased in the CD34(-) population. The behaviour of cell cycle control genes during haematopoietic differentiation was classified into four patterns: (i) universal upregulation (cdc2, cdk2, cyclin A, cyclin B and p21): (ii) upregulation in specific lineages (cyclin D1, cyclin D3 and p15): (iii) no induction or stable expression (cdk4, cyclin D2, cyclin E and p27): and (iv) universal downregulation (p16). Lineage-specific changes included the sustained elevation of cdc2 and cyclin A during erythroid differentiation, cyclin D1 and p15 induction in myeloid lineage and selective upregulation of cyclin D3 in megakaryocytes. Blocking induction of cyclin D3 resulted in the inhibition of megakaryocytic differentiation. These results suggest that the expression of cell cycle control genes is distinctively regulated in a lineage-dependent manner, reflecting the cell cycle characteristics of each lineage. Some of these genes play an essential role in the process of differentiation itself.

Although it has been reported that Bcl-2 phosphorylation is associated with certain types of apoptosis, there is much controversy over the functional significance of and the kinases responsible for the phosphorylation. In this study, we examined whether Bcl-2 is phosphorylated by CDC2 kinase, a master regulator of G(2)/M transition in the eukaryotic cell cycle. When CDC2 was activated by okadaic acid in HL-60 cells, Bcl-2 phosphorylation was readily induced. The phosphorylation was correlated with the accumulation of cells in G(2)/M phases, but was not proportional to the level of apoptosis. Furthermore, we found that Bcl-2 was phosphorylated during G(2)/M phases of normal cell cycle. The ability of CDC2 to phosphorylate Bcl-2 was confirmed by in vitro kinase assay with a highly purified CDC2-cyclin B complex. Using synthetic peptides and mutant cell lines, we identified threonine 56, one of two consensus sites for CDC2 within the Bcl-2 sequence, as a residue phosphorylated by CDC2. Mutation at threonine 56 abrogated the cell cycle inhibitory effect of Bcl-2 without affecting anti-apoptotic function. These results suggest that two distinct functions of Bcl-2 (anti-apoptosis and cell cycle inhibition) are differentially regulated by post-translational mechanisms such as phosphorylation. CDC2-mediated phosphorylation of Bcl-2 may play some physiological roles in the negative regulatory events during mitosis.

In this article, we develop a novel subtraction method using carbodiimide-bound microplates. This method utilizes the high affinity of carbodiimides for both single- and double-stranded nucleic acids. Carbodiimide-mediated end-attachment of driver RNA to microplates allows semisolid phase hybridization between driver RNA and target cDNA, and ensures easy removal of RNA/cDNA hybrids composed of the genes commonly expressed in driver and target. As a result, the target-specific genes are left unhybridized and enriched in the hybridization supernatant. We define the optimal conditions for the method as a target/driver RNA ratio of 1:10 and a period of hybridization of 24 h. There are at least three major advantages with the present method: (1) The entire procedure, which consists of two steps, is very simple; (2) hybridization efficiency can be monitored before further processing of the samples; and (3) rare transcripts can be effectively enriched. This method may be a powerful tool to isolate the genes specifically expressed in particular cell or tissue types, and is easily applicable to many studies in molecular biology and genetics. Isolation of polyploid megakaryocyte-specific genes is shown as an example.

Recently, we have found that aggregated low density lipoprotein (agLDL) inhibits apoptosis of lipid-bearing macrophages, thereby facilitating foam cell formation and atherosclerosis, To clarify the mechanisms by which agLDL inhibits apoptosis of macrophages, we isolated the genes specifically induced by agLDL by using a subtraction-based cloning strategy. One of the cloned genes, termed low density lipoprotein (LDL)-inducible gene (LIG), encodes a human homologue of bovine ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2-25K. Although LIG mRNA was ubiquitously expressed among human tissues, including hematopoietic cells, the abundance of transcripts was markedly increased by agLDL treatment in activated monocytes. LIG mRNA expression was not enhanced by nonatherogenic lipoproteins such as native LDL and high density lipoprotein, suggesting a role in atherosclerosis, Polyubiquitination of intracellular proteins was observed in monocytes cultured with agLDL, which coincided with upregulation of LIG. Furthermore, ubiquitin-dependent degradation of p53, an inducer of apoptosis, was accompanied by LIG induction in agLDL-treated monocytes. The antiapoptotic effect of agLDL was abrogated by a specific proteasome inhibitor, which also increased the half-life of p53 in monocytes. These results suggest that LIG contributes to foam cell formation by the suppression of apoptosis of lipid-bearing macrophages through ubiquitination and subsequent degradation of p53.

Because of the complexity arising from the large molecular size and the amino acid sequence homologies of IgG-binding domains of Staphylococcal Protein A (SpA), we have introduced a combination of stable isotope labeling and both qualitative and quantitative investigations of the structural dependence of the NMR chemical shifts for its structure analysis. In order to enable selective isotope labeling with high efficiency, a mutated low molecular weight Protein A (LPA; MWt = 27 kDa) which consists of E, D, A, B and 13 residues of the C-domain was used in this study. Amide proton chemical shifts, measured using uniformly N-15-labeled LPA and LPA labeled selectively with N-15-alanine, show that the turn between helices 1 and 2, and its tertiary interactions with helix 3, are very similar in all domains. This contradicts previous results obtained using independent structure calculations on isolated domains. The close similarity in NH and N-15 chemical shifts of alanine residues in the interdomain linker suggests that the linker maintains a similar structure both in isolated domains and in the intact protein. We show that the high-field shifted methyl signal of Ala 48 is affected by the ring-current effect arising from Phe 30, and has a very similar helical environment in all four domains. Thus, helix 3 is present in all domains, as we previously reported [Kikuchi et al., J Biochem Biophys Method, 1999:38:203-208], even though it is not observed in the crystal structure [Deisenhofer J. Biochemistry 1981;20:2361-2370]. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

The effect of aggregated low-density lipoprotein (agLDL) on cell viability and macrophage-specific gene expression using human peripheral blood monocytes in culture was investigated. AgLDL suppressed activation-induced cell death of phorbol ester-treated macrophages. The inhibition of apoptosis was accompanied by downregulation of apoptosis-promoting proteases, including interleukin-l beta-converting enzyme (ICE) and CPP32 and upregulation of anti-apoptotic cytokine (interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta)). In contrast, macrophage-colony stimulating factor (M-CSF) enhanced cell death of lipid-bearing macrophages, suggesting that the anti-atherogenic action of M-CSF is at least in part mediated through apoptotic elimination of macrophages. Then, we attempted to isolate the genes specifically induced by agLDL in macrophages using a subtraction-based cloning strategy. One of the genes isolated, termed LIG (LDL-inducible gene), encodes a human homolog of E2 ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme. Ubiquitination of multiple intracellular proteins was observed in agLDL-treated macrophages, which coincided with upregulation of LIG. These results suggest that LIG acts as a direct mediator of foam cell formation through polyubiquitination and subsequent degradation of cellular proteins with apoptosis-inducing properties. The regulation of apoptosis by macrophage-specific gene expression may contribute to foam cell formation and atherosclerosis.

We have investigated the regulation mechanism of the surface sialyl-Le(x) (sLe(x)) expression level in tonsillar B cells during activation, sLe(x) antigen became strongly positive after activation, while resting B cells were weakly positive. sLe(x) structures were mainly located on O-linked oligosaccharide chains of glycoprotein. Transcripts of FucT-VII and core 2 GlcNAc transferase (C2GnT) were up-regulated after activation, while those of ST3GallV and beta 1-->4GalT-I were expressed constitutively, However, the up-regulation of C2GnT was more dramatic than that of FucT-VII, These results suggest that sLe(x) expression level is regulated by C2GnT during tonsillar B cell activation. (C) 1999 Federation of European Biochemical Societies.

Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules play an important role in antigen presentation for induction of tumor as well as cellular and humoral immunities. Recent studies using anti-MHC antibodies demonstrated that antibodies specific for HLA class I molecules induced cellular activation and a type of apoptosis that may be distinct from Fas-dependent or TNFR (tumor necrosis factor-alpha receptor)-dependent processes. We purified a previously untested apoptosis-inducing factor from HL-60 human leukemic cell-conditioned media to homogeneity and sequenced it. It was identified as beta(2)-microglobulin (beta(2)m), which has been previously known as thymotaxin and is a part of the HLA class I antigen complex. beta(2)m acts on both T-leukemic cells and myeloid leukemic cells to induce apoptosis, which then activates caspase 1 and 3. Cross-linking studies showed that biotinilated beta(2)m recognized an epitope distinct from those recognized by the anti-HLA class I antibody, as reported previously. We demonstrated that beta(2)m plays a previously unrecognized and important role in regulating the elimination of tumor cells, which occurs as a result of the action of beta(2)m as an apoptosis-inducing factor. (C) 1999 by The American Society of Hematology.

To investigate mechanisms of interferon (IFN) resistance, we have established an IFN-resistant Daudi subline (Daudi(res)), which is 1x10(4) times more resistant to IFN-alpha than parental cells, Among the IFN-inducible genes examined, only ICE mRNA expression was deficient in Daudi(res) cells. We then analyzed the regulatory mechanisms of ICE transcription, and found that IFN-induced activation of the ICE promoter was dependent on the binding of IRFs to its initiator (Inr) element. Inr binding of IRFs was markedly diminished in Daudi(res) cells, and forced expression of IRF-1 was able to activate the ICE promoter to the level of parental cells. These results suggest that IRFs and their target genes, as represented by ICE in this study, are involved in IFN resistance, (C) 1999 Federation of European Biochemical Societies.

E2F is a heterodimeric transcription factor composed of one of five E2F subunits (E2F-1 to E2F-5) and a DP subunit, E2F regulates the expression of several growth-promoting genes, and thus, can be a target of antiproliferative action of interferons (IFNs), In this study, me investigated the mechanisms whereby IFN-alpha suppresses transcription of the E2F-1 gene. Transfection studies revealed that E2F-1 promoter was functionally divided into two parts: upstream activation sequences (UAS) and a downstream negative-regulatory element (E2F-binding sites). When cells were proliferating, transcription of the E2F-1 gene was primarily driven by the UAS, while E2F sites were not involved in activation. IFN-alpha markedly reduced E2F-1 promoter activity, but introduction of non-binding mutation at the E2F sites completely abrogated the inhibition. Free E2F-1 was found to be the predominant species bound to the E2F sites in proliferating cells. IFN-alpha induced upregulation of E2F-4 along with dephosphorylation of PRE and p130, which resulted in the formation of E2F-4/pRB and E2F-4/p130 complexes on the E2F-1 promoter, These complexes function as transcriptional repressors to inhibit E2F-1 mRNA expression. Our findings indicate that E2F-4 is a critical regulator of E2F-1, which offer an excellent paradigm for understanding functional diversity within the E2F family.

Expression mechanism of CD15s (sialyl-Le(X), sLe(X)) antigen has been investigated using human B lymphoid cell lines. sLeX structures were not expressed in mature B lymphoids but highly expressed in pre-B leukemia and pre-B lymphoma cell lines, The expression site was mainly on the O-linked oligosaccharide chains and E-selectin mediated-cell adhesion capability of sLe(X)-positive cells were significantly suppressed by benzyl-alpha-GalNAc treatment. Subsequently, the bases of the sLeX expression control mechanism were examined at the levels of enzymatic activities and transcripts of glycosyltransferases, (1) The activities of alpha 1-->3fucosyltransferase, alpha 2-->3sialyltransferase, beta 1-->4Gal-transferase, and elongation beta 1-->3GlcNAc-transferase, did not correlate with sLeX expression levels. (2) The transcripts of Fuc-TVII were not parallel with sLeX expression, and those of ST3Gal IV and beta 1-->4Gal-transferase were constitutively detected in all cell lines tested, (3) There was no detectable enzyme activity for core 3 and 4 backbone structure synthesis in human B cell lines. (4) By contrast, the enzyme activities and transcripts of UDP-GlcNAc: Gal beta 1-->3GalNAc (GlcNAc to GalNAc) beta 1-->6N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase (Core2GnT) had significant correlation with the cell surface expression of sLe(X) antigen. (5) Moreover, Western blot analysis revealed the presence of a major similar to 150 kDa glycoprotein that carries O-linked oligosaccharides recognized by anti-sLe(X) monoclonal antibody in sLe(X)-positive pre-B leukemia cell lines. This correlation of Core2GnT with CD15s expression suggests that Core2GnT is a regulator of the cell surface expression of sLe(X) in human pre-B lymphoid cells.

Sialyl-Le(x) (sLe(x)) antigen expression recognized by KM93 monoclonal antibody was significantly down-regulated during differentiation induced by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) in human pre-B lymphocytic leukemia cell line KM3. The sLe(x) determinants were almost exclusively expressed on O-linked oligosaccharide chains of an O-glycosylated 150-kDa glycoprotein (gp150). A low shear force cell adhesion assay showed that TPA treatment significantly inhibited E-selectin-mediated cell adhesion. Transcript and/or enzyme activity levels of alpha 1-->3-fucosyltransferase, alpha 2-->3-sialyltransferase, beta 1-->4-galactosyltransferase, and elongation beta 1-->3-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase did not correlate with sLe(x) expression levels. However, transcript and enzyme activity levels of core 2 GlcNAc-transferase (C2GnT) were significantly down-regulated during TPA treatment. Following transfection and constitutive expression of full-length exogenous C2GnT transcript, C2GnT enzyme activities were maintained at high levels even after TPA treatment and down-regulation of cell surface sLe(x) antigen expression by TPA was completely abolished. Furthermore, in the transfected cells, the KM93 reactivity of gp150 was not reduced by TPA treatment, and the inhibition of cell adhesion by TPA was also blocked. These results suggest that sLe(x) expression is critically regulated by a single glycosyltransferase, C2GnT, during differentiation of KM3 cells.

Chromosomal translocation often results in aberrant activation of the genes with oncogenic potential and, thus, plays an important role in leukemogenesis. We report a unique case of acute myelomonocytic leukemia carrying a rare reciprocal translocation, t(3;12)(q26;p13). This patient displayed typical clinical features of 3q21q26 syndrome such as abnormal thrombopoiesis and rapid disease progression. Elastic cells from the patient strongly expressed the EVI1 gene, which is located on 3q26 and is normally suppressed in bone marrow cells. Expression of the TEL gene, located on 12p13, was also observed, but fusion transcript between two genes was not found. No structural alterations of the EVI1 and TEL genes were detected by Southern blot and PCR analyses. We reviewed previous literature and found 10 other cases with t(3;12)(q26;p13). These patients comprise a unique disease group with features including dyshematopoiesis and poor prognosis. However, characteristics related to 3q21q26 syndrome were observed only in the present case. Further investigation is required to elucidate the molecular basis of this particular entity. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Differentiation- and lineage-related differences in the expression of two anti-apoptotic molecules, bcl-x and bcl-2, were examined using various human hematopoietic cell lines. Bcl-x was strongly expressed in cell lines with erythroid and megakaryocytic properties (K562, HEL, CMK, and Mo7E), and was moderately expressed in immature myeloid cell lines (KG-1 and KCL-22). Bcl-2 expression was relatively weak in these cells. On the other hand, bcl-x was not expressed in more mature myeloid cell lines (HL-60 and PL-21), but bcl-2 was strongly expressed in these cells and in monocytoid cell lines (U937, THP-1, and JOSK-I). We investigated the biological significance of high levels of bcl-x expression in erythroid and megakaryocytic lineage cells. When K562 cells were specifically differentiated into megakaryocytic lineage by phorbol ester, the amounts of bcl-x increased by 10-fold. In contrast, bcl-x was gradually downregulated during erythroid differentiation induced by cytosine arabinoside. Apoptosis was observed following erythroid differentiation of K562 cells, but it was not associated with megakaryocytic differentiation in consistent with the increase in bcl-x. Moreover, phorbol ester-induced megakaryocytic differentiation was facilitated by the overexpression of bcl-x in K562 cells. Finally, in situ hybridization revealed that bcl-x mRNA expression was strongest in megakaryocytes among normal bone marrow cells. These results suggest that bcl-x is a regulatory factor in the apoptosis and differentiation of megakaryocytes.

Using mammalian gene-overexpression system, in vitro catalytic activities of CMP-NeuAc:Gal beta 1-->4GlcNAc alpha 2-->6sialyltransferase on glycosphingolipid accepters were analyzed. We transfected the mammalian expression vector containing the cDNA that was cloned from Daudi cells into COS-I cells, and selected monoclonal transfectants in the presence of G418. Although the transfected alpha 2-->6sialyltransferase can catalyze NeuAc transfer onto glycoprotein accepters more than glycolipids based on kinetic analyses, the substantial synthesis of IV(6)NeuAc-nLcOse(4)Cer was observed and the activities were 7- to 9-times higher in the transfected cells than in the mock transfectants. In addition, the transfected COS-I cells with alpha 2-->6sialyltransferase cDNA were revealed to contain a higher amount of ganglioside that has the terminal NeuAc alpha 2-->6Gal sequence in the in situ situation than the mock transfectants. These results using transfectants, together with those using the purified enzyme protein, suggest that the alpha 2-->6sialyltransferase enzyme from Daudi cells can also catalyze NeuAc transfer in alpha 2-->6 linkage onto glycosphingolipid acceptors.

The mechanism of megakaryocytic differentiation was investigated using human megakaryocytic leukemia cell line UT-7. Polyploidization of UT-7 cells was induced by the microtubule-depolymerizing agent, nocodazole, and 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA), but the effect was much more striking with nocodazole. By contrast, induction of cytoplasmic maturation, as judged by beta-thromboglobulin production and platelet factor 4 expression, was more prominent in TPA-treated cells than in nocodazole-treated cells, Nocodazole and TPA could act synergistically to increase ploidy and to enhance the expression of mature phenotypes. Human thrombopoietin induced functional maturation but not polyploidization in UT-7 cells and also acts synergistically with nocodazole. Cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21 was upregulated at the early stage of megakaryocytic differentiation, and overexpression of p21 resulted in an increase in ploidy of UT-7 cells. This suggests that p21 is implicated in polyploidization via suppression of CDC2 activity at mitosis, UT-7 but not HL-60 cells could incorporate [H-3]thymidine in the presence of TPA, indicating the presence of megakaryocyte-specific licensing factor to allow DNA replication during differentiation, Taking these data together, we propose that megakaryocytic differentiation consists of two distinct processes, polyploidization and functional maturation, and that these two processes are independently regulated. (C) 1997 by The American Society of Hematology.

In order to investigate the mechanisms holy modified lipoproteins enhance foam cell formation, we cultured peripheral blood monocytes with various stimulants and examined the effects of aggregated low-density lipoprotein (agLDL) on cell viability and lipid metabolism, AgLDL could completely inhibit phorbol ester-induced apoptosis, which was accompanied by intracellular cholesterol accumulation, Suppression of apoptosis-promoting proteases, ICE and CPP32, was observed in agLDL-treated cells, This indicates that agLDL accelerates foam cell formation through inhibition of apoptosis and enhancement of lipid accumulation in activated monocytes, By contrast, apoptosis was enhanced when monocytes were cultured with agLDL and M-CSF. Intracellular cholesterol accumulation was not significant in M-CSF treated cells, This suggests that M-CSF may act anti-atherogenic through apoptotic elimination of lipid-baring macrophages and enhanced lipid turnover, Our observation supports the novel hypothesis that regulation of apoptosis may play an important role in the development of atherosclerosis. (C) 1997 Federation of European Biochemical Societies.

E2F is a heterodimeric transcription factor that controls transcription of several growth-regulatory genes including cdc2, To investigate the mechanism of interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha)-mediated growth suppression of hematopoietic cells, we examined the effect of IFN-alpha on the expression and function of E2F using IFN-sensitive Daudi cells, Down-regulation of E2F-1, a subunit of E2F, was observed after 8 h of culture with IFN-alpha; expression of E2F-4, another subunit of E2F, and DP-1, a heterodimeric partner of E2F, was unaffected, Gel shift assays revealed that the DNA binding activity of free E2F, which is composed of E2F-1 and E2F-4, was inhibited by IFN-alpha. In contrast, IFN-alpha did not affect the DNA binding ability of E2F-1 and E2F-4 in a complex with retinoblastoma (RE) susceptibility gene family proteins including pRB, p107, and p130, IFN-alpha could induce dephosphorylation of pRB, thereby turning active E2F-pRB complexes into transcriptional repressors, Transient chloramphenicol acetyltransferase assays revealed that the activity of the E2F-dependent cdc2 promoter was suppressed by IFN-alpha. These results suggest that the antiproliferative action of IFN-alpha is mediated through the modulation of E2F activity in two different ways: down-regulation of transcriptionally active free E2F and conversion of E2F-pRB complexes into transcriptional repressors.

To understand the regulatory mechanism of erythropoietin (EPO) receptor (EPOR) gene expression, the effect of EPO on the steady-state level of EPOR mRNA was examined using the human EPO-dependent cell line UT-7 as a model system. We found that the treatment of UT-7 cells with EPO resulted in a transient decrease of the EPOR mRNA level. This transient downregulation was also induced by stimulation with granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GMCSF), another stimulator of UT-7 cell growth. These results raised the possibility that EPOR gene expression is in part related to cell growth. Moreover, it was found that EPO-induced downregulation of EPOR mRNA level was preceded by a transient downregulation of GATA-1 mRNA. To examine the relationship between the expression of EPOR, GATA-1, and GATA-2 mRNA levels and the cell cycle, logarithmically growing UT-7 cells were centrifugically fractionated according to the cell-cycle phase. Both EPOR and GATA-1 mRNA levels, but not the GATA-2 mRNA level, concomitantly decreased at the G(0)/G(1) phase and increased at the S and G(2)/M phases. An electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) showed that in EPO-stimulated UT-7 cells, the dynamic changes in EPOR gene expression paralleled the GATA-1 DNA-binding activity to the oligonucleotide probe containing a GATA-binding site located at the promoter region of the EPOR gene. These findings suggest that the regulation of EPOR mRNA level is mainly associated with GATA-1 gene expression in UT-7 cells undergoing proliferation, and that these serial events are under the control of, or related to, the cell cycle. (C) 1997 by The American Society of Hematology.

Apoptosis has recently been hypothesized to be the result of aberrant cell cycle control. In this study, we have investigated the role of cell cycle regulatory elements in Fas-induced apoptosis of hematopoietic cells. When HL-60 cells were treated with anti-Fas antibody, rapid activation of growth-associated histone H1 kinase was observed without any change in cell cycle distribution, This was accompanied by the increase in cdc2 mRNA expression and Cdc2 kinase activity. Up-regulation of cdcs mRNA was similarly induced in BCL-2-over-expressing HL-60 subline by anti-Fas treatment independently of the appearance of apoptotic phenotypes. Fas-induced apoptosis was completely inhibited by butyrolactone I, a specific inhibitor of Cdc2 kinase. Moreover, the same phenomenon was observed during Fas-induced but not spontaneous apoptosis of postmitotic granulocytes. Finally, we have found that ''Fas-responsive element'' was located between nucleotides -730 and -552 of the cdc2 promoter and was responsive for transcriptional activation of the cdc2 gene during Fas-induced apoptosis. These results indicate that aberrant activation of Cdc2 is associated with Fas-induced apoptosis of hematopoietic cells, and that the mechanism of cdc2 transcription during Fas-induced apoptosis is different from that in normal cell cycle control.

Interaction between fibronectin (FN) and very late activation Ag-5 (VLA-5) integrin was recently reported to be involved in apoptosis of hematopoietic cells, In an effort to clarify the physiologic role of FN in the regulation of biologic behavior of terminally differentiated hematopoietic cells, we have examined the change of VLA-5 expression during myeloid cell differentiation and its effects on monocytes and granulocytes. VLA-5 alpha mRNA was up-regulated during monocytic differentiation, but not during granulocytic differentiation of HL-60 cells, Flow cytometric and immunocytochemical analysis revealed that surface expression of VLA-5 was selectively increased upon monocytic differentiation and that it was strongly positive on peripheral blood monocytes, Susceptibility to FN-induced apoptosis was greatly increased upon monocytic differentiation, and it was almost completely abrogated by anti-VLA-5 Ab or RGD peptide, Similarly, FN could significantly enhance apoptosis of normal monocytes but not of granulocytes. Finally, we have shown that anti-FN Ab could suppress spontaneous apoptosis of normal monocytes in culture and prolong their survival, These results suggest that FN might play an important role in negative regulation of the survival of monocytes through its interaction with VLA-5, which is selectively up-regulated during monocytic differentiation.

The cell cycle-associated differences in the susceptibility to apoptosis were examined in HL-60 cells before and after differentiation with phorbol 12, 13-dibutyrate (PDBu). HL-60 cells in various phases of the cell cycle were separated by the counterflow centrifugal elutriation and the susceptibility to apoptosis was measured by the morphological examination and by DNA fragmentation assay. Undifferentiated HL-60 cells in S phase showed a significantly higher susceptibility to apoptosis than those in G0/G1 or G2/M phase either in the absence or presence of apoptosis-inducing reagents such as A23187, actinomycin D (Act D), and cycloheximide (CHX). In contrast, PDBu-treated HL-60 cells preferentially underwent apoptosis in G0/G1 phase. When untreated HL-60 cells enriched for G0/G1 phase were recultured in a complete medium, the percentage of apoptotic cells increased after 6-12 h in correlation with the increase in S-phase cells. When the same experiment was performed with PBDu-treated cells, spontaneous increase of apoptotic cells was observed while almost all cells remained in G0/G1 phase. Northern blot analysis revealed that undifferentiated cells expressed the same amounts of bcl-2 mRNA in each cell cycle phase, whereas G0/G1-predominant reduction of bcl-2 mRNA was noted in PDBu-treated cells. There was no difference in the amounts of CD11b mRNA between G0/G1 fraction and S + G2/M fraction of differentiated HL-60 cells. BCL-2 overexpression could almost completely abrogate the G0/G1-predominant induction of apoptosis in differentiated HL-60 cells. These results suggest that G0/G1 cell cycle arrest and down-regulation of bcl-2 mRNA in G0/G1 phase might be associated with apoptosis in differentiated HL-60 cells whereas the weakness of chromatin structure in S phase might be related to apoptosis in undifferentiated HL-60 cells. (C) 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Normal human monocytes were isolated in a nascent state by centrifugal elutriation and used for the study of interleukin-1 (IL-1) and interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra) expression. Neither IL-1 beta nor IL-1ra mRNA was present in monocytes just after the isolation, but they were induced simultaneously in response to various stimulants. In contrast, only IL-1 beta mRNA was expressed in monocytic leukemia cell line JOSK-1, while little or no IL-1ra mRNA was detected even after stimulation. Dominant expression of IL-1 beta over IL-1ra was also observed in fresh leukemia cells including monocytic leukemias, i.e., IL-1 beta mRNA was constitutively expressed in 26 out of 36 cases (72.2%), whereas IL-1ra mRNA was present only in 8 cases (22.2%). The signal intensity of IL-1 beta mRNA was stronger than that of IL-1ra even in IL-1ra-positive cases. Apoptotic cell death of monocytes was significantly inhibited by IL-1 beta, and it was enhanced by IL-1ra. In fresh leukemia cells, H-3-thymidine uptake was generally higher in IL-1-producing cases than in IL-1ra-producing cases, and was increased by the addition of IL-1 beta in all cases tested. Cell proliferation was inhibited by either IL-1ra or anti-IL-1 beta antibody in IL-1-producing cases, while it was enhanced by anti-IL-1ra antibody in IL-1ra-producing cases. These results suggest that the balance between IL-1 and IL-1ra is necessary for homeostasis of the mononuclear phagocytosis system. The imbalance between these two counter-acting cytokines might contribute to the altered growth and accumulation of leukemic cells.