Cell culture of the mucinous variant of human colorectal carcinoma.

PubMed

Tibbetts, L M; Chu, M Y; Vezeridis, M P; Miller, P G; Tibbetts, L L; Poisson, M H; Camara, P D; Calabresi, P

1988-07-01

Two cell lines, RW-2982 and RW-7213, have been established for the first time from the mucinous variant of human colorectal carcinoma, which is a distinctive and important subtype that has a worse prognosis than the more common nonmucogenic large bowel carcinoma. Methods of establishment and observations made during 7 and 3 years, respectively, of continuous culture are described. These cell lines required 4-9 months of adaptation to tissue culture conditions before noticeable growth occurred. Both cell lines have the following unique properties: (a) growth in vitro as delicate branching three-dimensional tumor particles within a wide gel of insoluble, often translucent mucus (proteoglycan); (b) production of large quantities of carcinoembryonic antigen; (c) ability to survive or adapt to growth in media free of serum, hormones, growth factors, and all protein; and (d) tumorigenicity in multiple sites in nude mice, including liver, with especially rapid growth in the peritoneal cavity as gelatinous material that is nonadherent and noninvasive and thus resembles pseudomyxoma peritonei. Unlike other reported colorectal cell lines, these mucus-coated particulate cell lines will not readily grow as monolayers and grow much more slowly with a doubling time of 2 weeks or more. A serially transplantable tumor from the RW-7213 surgical specimen has also been maintained in nude mice since August 8, 1984. This tumor retains properties of the original specimen. Observations made on the tumor biology of mucogenic colorectal carcinoma using these cell lines are discussed.

The re-incarnation, re-interpretation and re-demise of the transition probability model.

PubMed

Koch, A L

1999-05-28

There are two classes of models for the cell cycle that have both a deterministic and a stochastic part; they are the transition probability (TP) models and sloppy size control (SSC) models. The hallmark of the basic TP model are two graphs: the alpha and beta plots. The former is the semi-logarithmic plot of the percentage of cell divisions yet to occur, this results in a horizontal line segment at 100% corresponding to the deterministic phase and a straight line sloping tail corresponding to the stochastic part. The beta plot concerns the differences of the age-at-division of sisters (the beta curve) and gives a straight line parallel to the tail of the alpha curve. For the SC models the deterministic part is the time needed for the cell to accumulate a critical amount of some substance(s). The variable part differs in the various variants of the general model, but they do not give alpha and beta curves with linear tails as postulated by the TP model. This paper argues against TP and for an elaboration of SSC type of model. The main argument against TP is that it assumes that the probability of the transition from the stochastic phase is time invariant even though it is certain that the cells are growing and metabolizing throughout the cell cycle; a fact that should make the transition probability be variable. The SSC models presume that cell division is triggered by the cell's success in growing and not simply the result of elapsed time. The extended model proposed here to accommodate the predictions of the SSC to the straight tailed parts of the alpha and beta plots depends on the existence of a few percent of the cell in a growing culture that are not growing normally, these are growing much slower or are temporarily quiescent. The bulk of the cells, however, grow nearly exponentially. Evidence for a slow growing component comes from experimental analyses of population size distributions for a variety of cell types by the Collins-Richmond technique. These subpopulations existence is consistent with the new concept that there are a large class of rapidly reversible mutations occurring in many organisms and at many loci serving a large range of purposes to enable the cell to survive environmental challenges. These mutations yield special subpopulations of cells within a population. The reversible mutational changes, relevant to the elaboration of SSC models, produce slow-growing cells that are either very large or very small in size; these later revert to normal growth and division. The subpopulations, however, distort the population distribution in such a way as to fit better the exponential tails of the alpha and beta curves of the TP model.

Isolation and characterization of a metastatic hybrid cell line generated by ER negative and ER positive breast cancer cells in mouse bone marrow.

PubMed

Mukhopadhyay, Keya De; Bandyopadhyay, Abhik; Chang, Ting-Tung A; Elkahloun, Abdel G; Cornell, John E; Yang, Junhua; Goins, Beth A; Yeh, I-Tien; Sun, Lu-Zhe

2011-01-01

The origin and the contribution of breast tumor heterogeneity to its progression are not clear. We investigated the effect of a growing orthotopic tumor formed by an aggressive estrogen receptor (ER)-negative breast cancer cell line on the metastatic potential of a less aggressive ER-positive breast cancer cell line for the elucidation of how the presence of heterogeneous cancer cells might affect each other's metastatic behavior. ER positive ZR-75-1/GFP/puro cells, resistant to puromycin and non-tumorigenic/non-metastatic without exogenous estrogen supplementation, were injected intracardiacally into mice bearing growing orthotopic tumors, formed by ER negative MDA-MB-231/GFP/Neo cells resistant to G418. A variant cell line B6, containing both estrogen-dependent and -independent cells, were isolated from GFP expressing cells in the bone marrow and re-inoculated in nude mice to generate an estrogen-independent cell line B6TC. The presence of ER negative orthotopic tumors resulted in bone metastasis of ZR-75-1 without estrogen supplementation. The newly established B6TC cell line was tumorigenic without estrogen supplementation and resistant to both puromycin and G418 suggesting its origin from the fusion of MDA-MB-231/GFP/Neo and ZR-75-1/GFP/puro in the mouse bone marrow. Compared to parental cells, B6TC cells were more metastatic to lung and bone after intracardiac inoculation. More significantly, B6TC mice also developed brain metastasis, which was not observed in the MDA-MB-231/GFP/Neo cell-inoculated mice. Low expression of ERα and CD24, and high expression of EMT-related markers such as Vimentin, CXCR4, and Integrin-β1 along with high CD44 and ALDH expression indicated stem cell-like characteristics of B6TC. Gene microarray analysis demonstrated a significantly different gene expression profile of B6TC in comparison to those of parental cell lines. Spontaneous generation of the novel hybrid cell line B6TC, in a metastatic site with stem cell-like properties and propensity to metastasize to brain, suggest that cell fusion can contribute to tumor heterogeneity.

Discovery of a drug targeting microenvironmental support for lymphoma cells by screening using patient-derived xenograft cells

PubMed Central

Sugimoto, Keiki; Hayakawa, Fumihiko; Shimada, Satoko; Morishita, Takanobu; Shimada, Kazuyuki; Katakai, Tomoya; Tomita, Akihiro; Kiyoi, Hitoshi; Naoe, Tomoki

2015-01-01

Cell lines have been used for drug discovery as useful models of cancers; however, they do not recapitulate cancers faithfully, especially in the points of rapid growth rate and microenvironment independency. Consequently, the majority of conventional anti-cancer drugs are less sensitive to slow growing cells and do not target microenvironmental support, although most primary cancer cells grow slower than cell lines and depend on microenvironmental support. Here, we developed a novel high throughput drug screening system using patient-derived xenograft (PDX) cells of lymphoma that maintained primary cancer cell phenotype more than cell lines. The library containing 2613 known pharmacologically active substance and off-patent drugs were screened by this system. We could find many compounds showing higher cytotoxicity than conventional anti-tumor drugs. Especially, pyruvinium pamoate showed the highest activity and its strong anti-tumor effect was confirmed also in vivo. We extensively investigated its mechanism of action and found that it inhibited glutathione supply from stromal cells to lymphoma cells, implying the importance of the stromal protection from oxidative stress for lymphoma cell survival and a new therapeutic strategy for lymphoma. Our system introduces a primary cancer cell phenotype into cell-based phenotype screening and sheds new light on anti-cancer drug development. PMID:26278963

Establishment of an immortal turkey turbinate cell line suitable for avian metapneumovirus propagation.

PubMed

Kong, Byung-Whi; Foster, Linda K; Foster, Douglas N

2007-07-01

Until recently, there has not been a homologous avian cellular substrate which could continuously produce high titer avian metapneumovirus (AMPV); development of such a cell line should provide an excellent model system for studying AMPV infection. We have established a non-tumorigenic immortal turkey turbinate cell line (TT-1) to propagate sufficiently high AMPV titers. Currently, immortal TT-1 cells are growing continuously at 1.2-1.4 population doublings per day and are at passage 160. Kinetic analysis suggests that AMPV can infect and replicate more rapidly in TT-1 compared to Vero cells, although both cell types undergo apoptosis upon infection. The non-tumorigenic, reverse transcriptase negative TT-1 cell line can serve as an excellent homologous cellular substrate for virus propagation.

Human squamous cell carcinoma from skin: establishment and characterization of a new cell line (HSC-5).

PubMed

Hozumi, Y; Kondo, S; Shimoura, T; Aso, K

1990-03-01

A new cell line, designated as HSC-5 and derived from human skin squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), has been established in vitro and maintained proliferative in continuous tissue culture for over two years. The cells grow in a monolayer in vitro and have anaplastic epithelioid features. The doubling time was about 35 hr at the 30th passage. Chromosome analysis showed hypotetraploidy with a modal number of 76. A trial of transplantation of the cultured cells into nude mice was not successful. Analysis of cytokeratins from HSC-5 by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis revealed polypeptides No. 5, 8, 13, 18 and 19. The cell line is available to other investigators.

Phytochelatin accumulation and cadmium tolerance in selected tomato cell lines.

PubMed

Gupta, S C; Goldsbrough, P B

1991-09-01

Four cell lines of tomato, Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. cv VFNT-Cherry, were selected for their ability to grow in the presence of up to 6 millimolar CdCl(2). The intracellular Cd concentration in these cells was at least 2.3 times higher than in the medium. Growth in media containing higher concentrations of Cd was accompanied by increased production of Cd-binding phytochelatins and a trend toward accumulation of higher molecular weight phytochelatins. At least 90% of the Cd in the most tolerant cells was associated with Cd-phytochelatin complexes. Cell lines maintained an increased tolerance of Cd in the absence of continuous selection pressure.

Establishment and characterization of two new cell lines from the mosquito Armigeres subalbatus (Coquillett) (Diptera: Culicidae).

PubMed

Hoshino, Keita; Isawa, Haruhiko; Kuwata, Ryusei; Tajima, Shigeru; Takasaki, Tomohiko; Iwabuchi, Kikuo; Sawabe, Kyoko; Kobayashi, Mutsuo; Sasaki, Toshinori

2015-08-01

Armigeres subalbatus (Coquillett) is a medically important mosquito and a model species for immunology research. We successfully established two cell lines from the neonate larvae of A. subalbatus using two different media. To our knowledge, this is the first report of an established Armigeres mosquito cell line. The cell lines, designated as Ar-3 and Ar-13, consist of adherent and diploid cells with compact colonies. Both these cell lines grow slowly after passage at a split ratio of 1:5 and a population doubling time of 2.7 and 3.0 d, respectively. Random amplified polymorphic DNA polymerase chain reaction (RAPD-PCR) was used to confirm that these lines correspond to the species of origin and are clearly distinct from seven other insect cell lines. Furthermore, reverse-transcription PCR was used to demonstrate that the Ar-3 cell line is susceptible to the Japanese encephalitis virus and two insect flaviviruses associated with Culex and Aedes mosquitoes but relatively insensitive to dengue virus. These data indicate that the newly established cell lines are cellular models of A. subalbatus as well as beneficial tools for the propagation of viruses associated with the Armigeres mosquito.

Kaposi Sarcoma

MedlinePlus

Kaposi sarcoma (KS) is a cancer that causes patches of abnormal tissue to grow under the skin, in the lining of ... of cancer cells, blood vessels, and blood cells. KS is caused by infection with human herpesvirus-8 ( ...

In vitro culture of primary plasmacytomas requires stromal cell feeder layers.

PubMed Central

Degrassi, A; Hilbert, D M; Rudikoff, S; Anderson, A O; Potter, M; Coon, H G

1993-01-01

Attempts to grow primary murine plasmacytomas in vitro have, to date, been largely unsuccessful. In this study, we demonstrate that long-term in vitro growth of primary plasmacytomas is accomplished by using feeder layers composed of stromal cells from the initial site of plasmacytomagenesis. The early neoplastic lines established in this manner are dependent on physical contact with the stromal layer, which is mediated in part by CD44, for growth and survival. The stromal cells provide at least two stimuli for the plasma cells, one being interleukin 6 and the second, of unknown nature, resulting from direct physical interaction that cannot be replaced by soluble factors. These plasma cell lines have been passaged for as long as 20 months yet still maintain characteristics associated with primary plasmacytomas as they will grow in vivo only in pristane-primed animals, indicating a continued dependence on the pristane-induced microenvironment characteristic of early-stage tumors. The ability to grow primary plasmacytomas in culture and maintain their "primary" properties provides a model system for detailed analysis of early events in plasma cell tumor progression involving neoplastic cells completely dependent on physical contact with a stromal feeder layer for survival and expansion. Images Fig. 1 Fig. 2 PMID:8446628

Comparison of Chlamydia trachomatis serovar L2 growth in polarized genital epithelial cells grown in three-dimensional culture with non-polarized cells.

PubMed

Dessus-Babus, Sophie; Moore, Cheryl G; Whittimore, Judy D; Wyrick, Priscilla B

2008-04-01

A common model for studying Chlamydia trachomatis and growing chlamydial stocks uses Lymphogranuloma venereum serovar L2 and non-polarized HeLa cells. However, recent publications indicate that the growth rate and progeny yields can vary considerably for a particular strain depending on the cell line/type used, and seem to be partially related to cell tropism. In the present study, the growth of invasive serovar L2 was compared in endometrial HEC-1B and endocervical HeLa cells polarized on collagen-coated microcarrier beads, as well as in HeLa cells grown in tissue culture flasks. Microscopy analysis revealed no difference in chlamydial attachment/entry patterns or in inclusion development throughout the developmental cycle between cell lines. Very comparable growth curves in both cell lines were also found using real-time PCR analysis, with increases in chlamydial DNA content of 400-500-fold between 2 and 36 h post-inoculation. Similar progeny yields with comparable infectivity were recovered from HEC-1B and HeLa cell bead cultures, and no difference in chlamydial growth was found in polarized vs. non-polarized HeLa cells. In conclusion, unlike other C. trachomatis strains such as urogenital serovar E, invasive serovar L2 grows equally well in physiologically different endometrial and endocervical environments, regardless of the host cell polarization state.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vilches, J.; Lopez, A.; Martinez, M.C.

This paper discusses the value of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and x-ray microanalysis in the classification of craniopharyngiomas. This neoplasm shows epithelial nest, cords of cuboid cells, foci of squamous metaplasia, and microcystic degeneration. SEM reveals that the epithelial cysts are lined with elongated cells that possess numerous microvilli and blebs and that some cysts are lined with polyhedral cells. The microvilli are interpreted as characteristic of the fast growing craniopharyngiomas. A microanalytical study of the calcified areas reveals the presence of magnesium, phosphorus, and calcium.

Observation of a cytopathogenic effect on cell lines used for routine viral cultures led to the diagnosis of lymphogranuloma venereum.

PubMed

Busson, Laurent; Crucitti, Tania; De Foor, Marc; Van den Wijngaert, Sigi; Vandenberg, Olivier

2013-08-01

This article reports the fortuitous recovery of nine Chlamydia trachomatis serovar L strains in cell cultures (Vero and LLC-MK(2) cell line) designed for viral culture. Nine ano-genital swabs were inoculated on confluent Vero, MRC5 and LLC-MK(2) cell cultures. They were collected from HIV-positive patients who were primarily men who have sex with men (MSM) presenting ulcerations that mimicked herpes simplex infections. A cytopathogenic effect was observed on Vero and LLC-MK(2) cells on day 14. The presence of C trachomatis serovar L in the cell lines was confirmed by Real Time-PCR. C trachomatis serovar L can grow on Vero and LLC-MK(2) cell lines designed for viral cultures. Lymphogranuloma venereum must be considered as a differential diagnosis for herpes-like lesions, particularly in MSM with high-risk behaviours.

Development and characterization of two new cell lines from milkfish (Chanos chanos) and grouper (Epinephelus coioides) for virus isolation.

PubMed

Parameswaran, V; Ishaq Ahmed, V P; Shukla, Ravi; Bhonde, R R; Sahul Hameed, A S

2007-01-01

Two new cell lines, SIMH and SIGE, were derived from the heart of milkfish (Chanos chanos), a euryhaline teleost, and from the eye of grouper (Epinephelus coioides), respectively. These cell lines were maintained in Leibovitz's L-15 supplemented with 20% fetal bovine serum (FBS). The SIMH cell line was subcultured more than 50 times over a period of 210 days and SIGE cell line has been subcultured 100 times over a period of 1 1/2 years. The SIMH cell line consists predominantly of fibroblastic-like cells. The SIGE cell line consists predominantly of epithelial cells. Both the cell lines were able to grow at temperatures between 25 and 32 degrees C with an optimum temperature of 28 degrees C. The growth rate of these cells increased as the proportion of FBS increased from 2% to 20% at 28 degrees C with optimum growth at the concentrations of 15% or 20% FBS. Seven marine fish viruses were tested to determine the susceptibility of these cell lines. The SIGE cell line was found to be susceptible to nodavirus, MABV NC-1 and Y6, and the infection was confirmed by cytopathic effect (CPE) and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. When these cells were transfected with pEGFP-N1 vector DNA, significant fluorescent signals were observed, suggesting that these cell lines can be a useful tool for transgenic and genetic manipulation studies. Further, these cell lines are characterized by immunocytochemistry using confocal laser scanning microscopy (CFLSM).

Exact calculations of survival probability for diffusion on growing lines, disks, and spheres: The role of dimension.

PubMed

Simpson, Matthew J; Baker, Ruth E

2015-09-07

Unlike standard applications of transport theory, the transport of molecules and cells during embryonic development often takes place within growing multidimensional tissues. In this work, we consider a model of diffusion on uniformly growing lines, disks, and spheres. An exact solution of the partial differential equation governing the diffusion of a population of individuals on the growing domain is derived. Using this solution, we study the survival probability, S(t). For the standard non-growing case with an absorbing boundary, we observe that S(t) decays to zero in the long time limit. In contrast, when the domain grows linearly or exponentially with time, we show that S(t) decays to a constant, positive value, indicating that a proportion of the diffusing substance remains on the growing domain indefinitely. Comparing S(t) for diffusion on lines, disks, and spheres indicates that there are minimal differences in S(t) in the limit of zero growth and minimal differences in S(t) in the limit of fast growth. In contrast, for intermediate growth rates, we observe modest differences in S(t) between different geometries. These differences can be quantified by evaluating the exact expressions derived and presented here.

76 FR 51374 - Direct Discovery of HLA Associated Influenza Epitopes Isolated From Human Cells for Vaccine and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-18

...] Direct Discovery of HLA Associated Influenza Epitopes Isolated From Human Cells for Vaccine and... (human leucocyte antigen) expressed by human cells. Initial studies will examine and characterize... human lung cell lines. There is a growing interest in developing universal vaccines for influenza by...

Defective quorum sensing of acute lymphoblastic leukemic cells: evidence of collective behavior of leukemic populations as semi-autonomous aberrant ecosystems

PubMed Central

Patel, Sapan J; Dao, Su; Darie, Costel C; Clarkson, Bayard D

2016-01-01

Quorum sensing (QS) is a generic term used to describe cell-cell communication and collective decision making by bacterial and social insects to regulate the expression of specific genes in controlling cell density and other properties of the populations in response to nutrient supply or changes in the environment. QS mechanisms also have a role in higher organisms in maintaining homeostasis, regulation of the immune system and collective behavior of cancer cell populations. In the present study, we used a p190BCR-ABL driven pre-B acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL3) cell line derived from the pleural fluid of a terminally ill patient with ALL to test the QS hypothesis in leukemia. ALL3 cells don’t grow at low density (LD) in liquid media but grow progressively faster at increasingly high cell densities (HD) in contrast to other established leukemic cell lines that grow well at very low starting cell densities. The ALL3 cells at LD are poised to grow but shortly die without additional stimulation. Supernates of ALL3 cells (HDSN) and some other primary cells grown at HD stimulate the growth of the LD ALL3 cells without which they won’t survive. To get further insight into the activation processes we performed microarray analysis of the LD ALL3 cells after stimulation with ALL3 HDSN at days 1, 3, and 6. This screen identified several candidate genes, and we linked them to signaling networks and their functions. We observed that genes involved in lipid, cholesterol, fatty acid metabolism, and B cell activation are most up- or down-regulated upon stimulation of the LD ALL3 cells using HDSN. We also discuss other pathways that are differentially expressed upon stimulation of the LD ALL3 cells. Our findings suggest that the Ph+ ALL population achieves dominance by functioning as a collective aberrant ecosystem subject to defective quorum-sensing regulatory mechanisms. PMID:27429840

Establishment and partial characterization of a human tumor cell line, GBM-HSF, from a glioblastoma multiforme.

PubMed

Qu, Jiagui; Rizak, Joshua D; Fan, Yaodong; Guo, Xiaoxuan; Li, Jiejing; Huma, Tanzeel; Ma, Yuanye

2014-07-01

This paper outlines the establishment of a new and stable cell line, designated GBM-HSF, from a malignant glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) removed from a 65-year-old Chinese woman. This cell line has been grown for 1 year without disruption and has been passaged over 50 times. The cells were adherently cultured in RPMI-1640 media with 10% fetal bovine serum supplementation. Cells displayed spindle and polygonal morphology, and displayed multi-layered growth without evidence of contact inhibition. The cell line had a high growth rate with a doubling time of 51 h. The cells were able to grow without adhering to the culture plates, and 4.5% of the total cells formed colonies in soft agar. The cell line has also been found to form tumors in nude mice and to be of a highly invasive nature. The cells were also partially characterized with RT-PCR. The RT-PCR revealed that Nestin, β-tubulin III, Map2, Klf4, Oct4, Sox2, Nanog, and CD26 were positively transcribed, whereas GFAP, Rex1, and CD133 were negatively transcribed in this cell line. These results suggest that the GBM-HSF cell line will provide a good model to study the properties of cancer stem cells and metastasis. It will also facilitate more detailed molecular and cellular studies of GBM cell division and pathology.

Establishment and characterization of equine fibroblast cell lines transformed in vivo and in vitro by BPV-1: Model systems for equine sarcoids

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yuan, Z.Q.; Gault, E.A.; Gobeil, P.

2008-04-10

It is now widely recognized that BPV-1 and less commonly BPV-2 are the causative agents of equine sarcoids. Here we present the generation of equine cell lines harboring BPV-1 genomes and expressing viral genes. These lines have been either explanted from sarcoid biopsies or generated in vitro by transfection of primary fibroblasts with BPV-1 DNA. Previously detected BPV-1 genome variations in equine sarcoids are also found in sarcoid cell lines, and only variant BPV-1 genomes can transform equine cells. These equine cell lines are morphologically transformed, proliferate faster than parental cells, have an extended life span and can grow independentlymore » of substrate. These characteristics are more marked the higher the level of viral E5, E6 and E7 gene expression. These findings confirm that the virus has an active role in the induction of sarcoids and the lines will be invaluable for further studies on the role of BPV-1 in sarcoid pathology.« less

The effect of Nullomer-derived peptides 9R, 9S1R and 124R on the NCI-60 panel and normal cell lines.

PubMed

Alileche, Abdelkrim; Hampikian, Greg

2017-08-09

Nullomer peptides are the smallest sequences absent from databases of natural proteins. We first began compiling a list of absent 5-amino acid strings in 2006 (1). We report here the effects of Nullomer-derived peptides 9R, 9S1R and 124R on the NCI-60 panel, derived from human cancers of 9 organs (kidney, ovary, skin melanoma, lung, brain, lung, colon, prostate and the hematopoietic system), and four normal cell lines (endothelial HUVEC, skin fibroblasts BJ, colon epithelial FHC and normal prostate RWPE-1). NCI-60 cancer cell panel and four normal cell lines were cultured in vitro in RPMI1640 supplemented with 10% Hyclone fetal bovine serum and exposed for 48 h to 5 μM, 25 μM and 50 μM of peptides 9R, 9S1R and 124R. Viability was assessed by CCK-8 assay. For peptide ATP depletion effects, one cell line representing each organ in the NCI-60 panel, and four normal cell lines were exposed to 50 μM of peptides 9R, 9S1R and 124R for 3 h. The ATP content was assessed in whole cells, and their supernatants. Peptides 9S1R and 9R are respectively lethal to 95 and 81.6% of the 60 cancer cell lines tested. Control peptide 124R has no effect on the growth of these cells. Especially interesting the fact that peptides 9R and 9S1R are capable of killing drug-resistant and hormone-resistant cell lines, and even cancer stem cells. Peptides 9R and 9S1R have a broader activity spectrum than many cancer drugs in current use, can completely deplete cellular ATP within 3 h, and are less toxic to 3 of the 4 normal cell lines tested than they are to several cancers. Nullomer peptides 9R and 9S1R have a large broad lethal effect on cancer cell lines derived from nine organs represented in the NCI-60 panel. This broad activity crosses many of the categorical divisions used in the general classification of cancers: solid vs liquid cancers, drug sensitive vs drug resistant, hormone sensitive vs hormone resistant, cytokine sensitive vs cytokine non sensitive, slow growing vs rapid growing, differentiated vs dedifferentiated cancers. Furthermore peptides 9R and 9S1R are lethal to cancer stem cells and breast canrcinosarcoma.

Mutation assays involving blood cells that metabolize toxic substances

DOEpatents

Crespi, Charles L.; Thilly, William G.

1985-01-01

A line of human blood cells which have high levels of oxidative activity (such as oxygenase, oxidase, peroxidase, and hydroxylase activity) is disclosed. Such cells grow in suspension culture, and are useful to determine the mutagenicity of xenobiotic substances that are metabolized into toxic or mutagenic substances. Mutation assays using these cells, and other cells with similar characteristics, are also disclosed.

Histopathologic and Myogenic Gene Expression Changes Associated with Wooden Breast in Broiler Breast Muscles.

PubMed

Velleman, Sandra G; Clark, Daniel L

2015-09-01

The wooden breast condition is a myopathy affecting the pectoralis major (p. major) muscle in fast-growing commercial broiler lines. Currently, wooden breast-affected birds are phenotypically detected by palpation of the breast area, with affected birds having a very hard p. major muscle that is of lower value. The objective of this study was to compare the wooden breast myopathy in two fast-growing broiler lines (Lines A and B) with incidence of wooden breast to a slower growing broiler Line C with no phenotypically observable wooden breast. One of the characteristics of the wooden breast condition is fibrosis of the p. major muscle. Morphologic assessment of Lines A and B showed significant fibrosis in both lines, but the collagen distribution and arrangement of the collagen fibrils was different. In Line A, the collagen fibrils were tightly packed, whereas in Line B the collagen fibrils were diffuse. This difference in collagen organization may be due to the expression of the extracellular matrix proteoglycan decorin. Decorin is a regulator of collagen crosslinking and is expressed at significantly higher levels in Line A wooden breast-affected p. major muscle, which would lead to tightly packed collagen fibers due to high levels of collagen crosslinking. Furthermore, expression of the muscle-specific transcriptional regulatory factors for proliferation and differentiation of muscle cells leading to the regeneration of muscle in response to muscle damage was significantly elevated in Line A, and only the factor for differentiation, myogenin, was increased in Line B. The results from this study provide initial evidence that the etiology of the wooden breast myopathy may vary between fast-growing commercial broiler lines.

Convenient method of establishing permanent lines of xeroderma pigmentosum cells. [Ultraviolet radiation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tohda, H.; Oikawa, A.; Katsuki, T.

Nine lymphoblastoid cell lines were established after transformation by Epstein-Barr virus of peripheral lymphocytes from four xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) patients, the parents of one XP patient, and three normal donors. All these cell lines proliferate as suspension in Roswell Park Memorial Institute Medium 1640 supplemented with 20% fetal bovine serum, without detectable release of infectious Epstein-Barr virus. Some characteristics of these cell lines, such as growth rates, chromosome numbers, uv sensitivities, and activities of unscheduled DNA syntheses induced by uv, 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide, and N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine, were determined. Results confirm that the properties related to XP are not altered by transformation withmore » Epstein-Barr virus and are the same in degrees of defect as are those of dermal fibroblasts from the respective individuals. These XP and normal lymphoblastoid cell lines should be especially useful for biochemical studies on the mechanism of DNA repair, because they are easy to grow in mass culture.« less

Generation and characterization of rat liver stem cell lines and their engraftment in a rat model of liver failure

PubMed Central

Kuijk, Ewart W.; Rasmussen, Shauna; Blokzijl, Francis; Huch, Meritxell; Gehart, Helmuth; Toonen, Pim; Begthel, Harry; Clevers, Hans; Geurts, Aron M.; Cuppen, Edwin

2016-01-01

The rat is an important model for liver regeneration. However, there is no in vitro culture system that can capture the massive proliferation that can be observed after partial hepatectomy in rats. We here describe the generation of rat liver stem cell lines. Rat liver stem cells, which grow as cystic organoids, were characterized by high expression of the stem cell marker Lgr5, by the expression of liver progenitor and duct markers, and by low expression of hepatocyte markers, oval cell markers, and stellate cell markers. Prolonged cultures of rat liver organoids depended on high levels of WNT-signalling and the inhibition of BMP-signaling. Upon transplantation of clonal lines to a Fah−/− Il2rg−/− rat model of liver failure, the rat liver stem cells engrafted into the host liver where they differentiated into areas with FAH and Albumin positive hepatocytes. Rat liver stem cell lines hold potential as consistent reliable cell sources for pharmacological, toxicological or metabolic studies. In addition, rat liver stem cell lines may contribute to the development of regenerative medicine in liver disease. To our knowledge, the here described liver stem cell lines represent the first organoid culture system in the rat. PMID:26915950

Characterization of vibrissa germinative cells: transition of cell types.

PubMed

Osada, A; Kobayashi, K

2001-12-01

Germinative cells, small cell masses attached to the stalks of dermal papillae that are able to differentiate into the hair shaft and inner root sheath, form follicular bulb-like structures when co-cultured with dermal papilla cells. We studied the growth characteristics of germinative cells to determine the cell types in the vibrissa germinative tissue. Germinative tissues, attaching to dermal papillae, were cultured on 3T3 feeder layers. The cultured keratinocytes were harvested and transferred, equally and for two passages, onto lined dermal papilla cells (LDPC) and/or 3T3 feeder layers. The resulting germinative cells were classified into three types in the present experimental condition. Type 1 cells grow very well on either feeder layer, whereas Type 3 cells scarcely grow on either feeder layer. Type 2 cells are very conspicuous and are reversible. They grow well on 3T3 but growth is suppressed on LDPC feeder layers. The Type 2 cells that grow well on 3T3 feeder layers, however, are suppressed when transferred onto LDPC and the Type 2 cells that are suppressed on LDPC begin to grow again on 3T3. The transition of one cell type to another in vitro and the cell types that these germinative cell types correspond to in vivo is discussed. It was concluded that stem cells or their close progenitors reside in the germinative tissues of the vibrissa bulb except at late anagen-early catagen.

Development, characterization and application of a new epithelial cell line from caudal fin of Pangasianodon hypophthalmus (Sauvage 1878).

PubMed

Soni, Pankaj; Pradhan, Pravata K; Swaminathan, T R; Sood, Neeraj

2018-06-01

A cell line, designated as PHF, has been established from caudal fin of Pangasianodon hypophthalmus. The cell line was developed using explant method and PHF cells have been subcultured for more than 72 passages over a period of 14 months. The cells were able to grow at temperatures between 24 and 32° C, with an optimum temperature of 28° C. The growth rate of PHF cells was directly proportional to FBS concentration, with optimum growth observed at 20% FBS concentration. On the basis of immunophenotyping assay, PHF cells were confirmed to be of epithelial type. Karyotyping of PHF cells revealed diploid number of chromosomes (2n = 60) at 39th and 65th passage, which indicated that the developed cell line is chromosomally stable. The origin of the cell line was confirmed by amplification and sequencing of cytochrome oxidase c subunit I and 16S rRNA genes. The cell line was tested for Mycoplasma contamination and found to be negative. The cells were successfully transfected with GFP reporter gene suggesting that the developed cell line could be utilized for gene expression studies in future. The cell line could be successfully employed for evaluating the cytotoxicity of heavy metals, namely mercuric chloride and sodium arsenite suggesting that PHF cell line can be potential surrogate for whole fish for studying the cytotoxicity of water soluble compounds. The result of virus susceptibility to tilapia lake virus (TiLV) revealed that PHF cells were refractory to TiLV virus. The newly established cell line would be a useful tool for investigating disease outbreaks particularly of viral etiology, transgenic as well as cytotoxicity studies. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Establishment and characterization of a human uterine endometrial undifferentiated carcinoma cell line, TMG-L.

PubMed

Hasegawa, Kiyoshi; Suzuki, Machiko; Ishikawa, Kunimi; Yasue, Akira; Kato, Rina; Nakamura, Azumi; Kuroki, Jun; Udagawa, Yasuhiro

2003-03-01

A new cell line of human uterine endometrial undifferentiated carcinoma, designated as TMG-L, was established from the metastatic lymph node of 56-year-old patient TMG-L cells have been cultured with Ham's F-12 medium supplemented with 10% FCS and grew as a loosely adherent monolayer with polygonal or spindle-shaped cells exhibiting poor cell-cell contact and piled up against each other, showing a tendency to grow as floating cells. The doubling time of this cell line was about 48 hours, and chromosomal analysis revealed aneuploidy at passage 25. The cells formed tumors in SCID mouse, the histology of which was similar to that of undifferentiated carcinoma component of primary tumor. TMG-L cells showed the loss of expression and membranous localization of either E-cadherin or alpha-catenin, implied corresponding loss of their adhesive function. And this dysfunction implicated the biological aggressive behavior of uterine endometrial undifferentiated carcinoma. This cell line appears to provide a useful system for studying uterine undifferentiated carcinoma in vivo and in vitro.

CHO microRNA engineering is growing up: Recent successes and future challenges☆

PubMed Central

Jadhav, Vaibhav; Hackl, Matthias; Druz, Aliaksandr; Shridhar, Smriti; Chung, Cheng-Yu; Heffner, Kelley M.; Kreil, David P.; Betenbaugh, Mike; Shiloach, Joseph; Barron, Niall; Grillari, Johannes; Borth, Nicole

2013-01-01

microRNAs with their ability to regulate complex pathways that control cellular behavior and phenotype have been proposed as potential targets for cell engineering in the context of optimization of biopharmaceutical production cell lines, specifically of Chinese Hamster Ovary cells. However, until recently, research was limited by a lack of genomic sequence information on this industrially important cell line. With the publication of the genomic sequence and other relevant data sets for CHO cells since 2011, the doors have been opened for an improved understanding of CHO cell physiology and for the development of the necessary tools for novel engineering strategies. In the present review we discuss both knowledge on the regulatory mechanisms of microRNAs obtained from other biological models and proof of concepts already performed on CHO cells, thus providing an outlook of potential applications of microRNA engineering in production cell lines. PMID:23916872

Characterization of a cultured human T-cell line with genetically altered ribonucleotide reductase activity. Model for immunodeficiency.

PubMed

Waddell, D; Ullman, B

1983-04-10

From human CCRF-CEM T-cells growing in continuous culture, we have selected, isolated, and characterized a clonal cell line, APHID-D2, with altered ribonucleotide reductase activity. In comparative growth rate experiments, the APHID-D2 cell line is less sensitive than the parental cell line to growth inhibition by deoxyadenosine in the presence of 10 microM erythro-9-(2-hydroxy-3-nonyl)adenine, an inhibitor of adenosine deaminase. The APHID-D2 cell line has elevated levels of all four dNTPs. The resistance of the APHID-D2 cell line to growth inhibition by deoxyadenosine and the abnormal dNTP levels can be explained by the fact that the APHID-D2 ribonucleotide reductase, unlike the parental ribonucleotide reductase, is not normally sensitive to inhibition by dATP. These results suggest that the allosteric site of ribonucleotide reductase which binds both dATP and ATP is altered in the APHID-D2 line. The isolation of a mutant clone of human T-cells which contains a ribonucleotide reductase that has lost its normal sensitivity to dATP and which is resistant to deoxyadenosine-mediated growth inhibition suggests that a primary pathogenic target of accumulated dATP in lymphocytes from patients with adenosine deaminase deficiency may be the cellular ribonucleotide reductase.

Study of phytochemical, anti-microbial, anti-oxidant, and anti-cancer properties of Allium wallichii.

PubMed

Bhandari, Jaya; Muhammad, BushraTaj; Thapa, Pratiksha; Shrestha, Bhupal Govinda

2017-02-08

There is growing interest in the use of plants for the treatment and prevention of cancer. Medicinal plants are currently being evaluated as source of promising anticancer agents. In this paper, we have investigated the anticancer potential of plant Allium wallichii, a plant native to Nepal and growing at elevations of 2300-4800 m. This is the first study of its kind for the plant mentioned. The dried plant was extracted in aqueous ethanol. Phytochemical screening, anti-microbial assay, anti-oxidant assay, cytotoxicity assay and the flow-cytometric analysis were done for analyzing different phytochemicals present, anti-microbial activity, anti-oxidant activity and anti-cancer properties of Allium wallichii. We observed the presence of steroids, terpenoids, flavonoids, reducing sugars and glycosides in the plant extract and the plant showed moderate anti-microbial and anti-oxidant activity. The IC 50 values of Allium wallichii in different cancer cell lines are 69.69 μg/ml for Prostate cancer (PC3) cell line, 55.29 μg/ml for Breast Cancer (MCF-7) cell line and 46.51 μg/ml for cervical cancer (HeLa) cell line as compared to Doxorubicin (0.85 μg/ml). The cell viability assay using FACS showed that the IC 50 value of Allium wallichii for Burkitt's lymphoma (B-Lymphoma) cell line was 3.817 ± 1.99 mg/ml. Allium wallichii can be an important candidate to be used as an anticancer agent. Separation of pure compounds with bioassay guided extraction, spectrometric analysis and subsequent cytotoxicity assay of the pure bioactive compounds from Allium wallichii is highly recommended as the crude extract itself showed promising cytotoxicity.

Differences in the incorporation of bromodeoxyuridine by human lymphoblastoid cell lines

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Henderson, E.E.; Strauss, B.

1975-08-01

Long term human lymphoblastoid lines differ in their ability to grow in medium containing bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) and to incorporate analog into their DNA. Eight Burkitts' lymphoma cell lines divided at least twice in BrdU-containing medium and made DNA in which over 90 percent of the thymidine residues were substituted with analog in both strands. Three infectious mononucleosis-derived lines and 24 lines transformed in vitro were inhibited by BrdU after one cell division and made only hybrid DNA in which one strand was substituted with analog. One out of eight normal individuals from whom long term lines were prepared gave cellmore » lines which divided at least twice in BrdU and gave DNA in which both strands were substituted with analog. It would appear that intrinsic cellular factors regulate the response to BrdU and that Burkitt's tumor lines are characterized by their ability to make stable doubly substituted DNA containing a high proportion of halogenated analog.« less

Development and characterization of an embryonic cell line from endangered endemic cyprinid Honmoroko Gnathopogon caerulescens (Sauvage, 1883).

PubMed

Higaki, Shogo; Shimada, Manami; Koyama, Yoshie; Fujioka, Yasuhiro; Sakai, Noriyoshi; Takada, Tatsuyuki

2015-09-01

Establishing a cell line from endemic species facilitates the cell biological research of these species in the laboratory. In this study, an epithelium-like cell line RME1 was established from the blastula-stage embryos of the critically endangered cyprinid Honmoroko Gnathopogon caerulescens, which is endemic to ancient Lake Biwa in Japan. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first embryonic cell line from an endangered fish species. This cell line is well adapted to grow at 28°C in the culture medium, which was successfully used for establishing testicular and ovarian cell lines of G. caerulescens, and has displayed stable growth over 60 passages since its initiation in June 2011. Although RME1 did not express the genes detected in blastula-stage embryos, such as oct4, sox2, nanog, and klf4, it showed a high euploidy rate (2n = 50; 67.2%) with normal diploid karyotype morphology, suggesting that RME1 retains the genomic organization of G. caerulescens and can prove to be a useful tool to investigate the unique properties of endangered endemic fishes at cellular level.

Mutation assays involving blood cells that metabolize toxic substances

DOEpatents

Crespi, Charles L.; Thilly, William G.

1999-01-01

The present invention pertains to a line of human blood cells which have high levels of oxidative activity (such as oxygenase, oxidase, peroxidase, and hydroxylase activity). Such cells grow in suspension culture, and are useful to determine the mutagenicity of xenobiotic substances that are metabolized into toxic or mutagenic substances. The invention also includes mutation assays using these cells, and other cells with similar characteristics.

Generation and Characterization of the First Immortalized Alpaca Cell Line Suitable for Diagnostic and Immunization Studies

PubMed Central

Franceschi, Valentina; Jacca, Sarah; Sassu, Elena L.; Stellari, Fabio F.; van Santen, Vicky L.; Donofrio, Gaetano

2014-01-01

Raising of alpacas as exotic livestock for wool and meat production and as companion animals is growing in importance in the United States, Europe and Australia. Furthermore the alpaca, as well as the rest of the camelids, possesses the peculiarity of producing single-chain antibodies from which nanobodies can be generated. Nanobodies, due to their structural simplicity and reduced size, are very versatile in terms of manipulation and bio-therapeutic exploitation. In fact the biotech companies involved in nanobody production and application continue to grow in number and size. Hence, the development of reagents and tools to assist in the further growth of this new scientific and entrepreneurial reality is becoming a necessity. These are needed mainly to address alpaca disease diagnosis and prophylaxis, and to develop alpaca immunization strategies for nanobody generation. For instance an immortalized alpaca cell line would be extremely valuable. In the present work the first stabilized alpaca cell line from alpaca skin stromal cells (ASSCs) was generated and characterized. This cell line was shown to be suitable for replication of viruses bovine herpesvirus-1, bovine viral diarrhea virus and caprine herpesvirus-1 and the endocellular parasite Neospora caninum. Moreover ASSCs were easy to transfect and transduce by several methods. These two latter characteristics are extremely useful when recombinant antigens need to be produced in a host homologous system. This work could be considered as a starting point for the expansion of the biotechnologies linked to alpaca farming and industry. PMID:25140515

Generation and characterization of the first immortalized alpaca cell line suitable for diagnostic and immunization studies.

PubMed

Franceschi, Valentina; Jacca, Sarah; Sassu, Elena L; Stellari, Fabio F; van Santen, Vicky L; Donofrio, Gaetano

2014-01-01

Raising of alpacas as exotic livestock for wool and meat production and as companion animals is growing in importance in the United States, Europe and Australia. Furthermore the alpaca, as well as the rest of the camelids, possesses the peculiarity of producing single-chain antibodies from which nanobodies can be generated. Nanobodies, due to their structural simplicity and reduced size, are very versatile in terms of manipulation and bio-therapeutic exploitation. In fact the biotech companies involved in nanobody production and application continue to grow in number and size. Hence, the development of reagents and tools to assist in the further growth of this new scientific and entrepreneurial reality is becoming a necessity. These are needed mainly to address alpaca disease diagnosis and prophylaxis, and to develop alpaca immunization strategies for nanobody generation. For instance an immortalized alpaca cell line would be extremely valuable. In the present work the first stabilized alpaca cell line from alpaca skin stromal cells (ASSCs) was generated and characterized. This cell line was shown to be suitable for replication of viruses bovine herpesvirus-1, bovine viral diarrhea virus and caprine herpesvirus-1 and the endocellular parasite Neospora caninum. Moreover ASSCs were easy to transfect and transduce by several methods. These two latter characteristics are extremely useful when recombinant antigens need to be produced in a host homologous system. This work could be considered as a starting point for the expansion of the biotechnologies linked to alpaca farming and industry.

Characterization of a Merkel Cell Polyomavirus-Positive Merkel Cell Carcinoma Cell Line CVG-1.

PubMed

Velásquez, Celestino; Amako, Yutaka; Harold, Alexis; Toptan, Tuna; Chang, Yuan; Shuda, Masahiro

2018-01-01

Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCV) plays a causal role in ∼80% of Merkel cell carcinomas (MCC). MCV is clonally integrated into the MCC tumor genome, which results in persistent expression of large T (LT) and small T (sT) antigen oncoproteins encoded by the early locus. In MCV-positive MCC tumors, LT is truncated by premature stop codons or deletions that lead to loss of the C-terminal origin binding (OBD) and helicase domains important for replication. The N-terminal Rb binding domain remains intact. MCV-positive cell lines derived from MCC explants have been valuable tools to study the molecular mechanism of MCV-induced Merkel cell carcinogenesis. Although all cell lines have integrated MCV and express truncated LT antigens, the molecular sizes of the LT proteins differ between cell lines. The copy number of integrated viral genome also varies across cell lines, leading to significantly different levels of viral protein expression. Nevertheless, these cell lines share phenotypic similarities in cell morphology, growth characteristics, and neuroendocrine marker expression. Several low-passage MCV-positive MCC cell lines have been established since the identification of MCV. We describe a new MCV-positive MCV cell line, CVG-1, with features distinct from previously reported cell lines. CVG-1 tumor cells grow in more discohesive clusters in loose round cell suspension, and individual cells show dramatic size heterogeneity. It is the first cell line to encode an MCV sT polymorphism resulting in a unique leucine (L) to proline (P) substitution mutation at amino acid 144. CVG-1 possesses a LT truncation pattern near identical to that of MKL-1 cells differing by the last two C-terminal amino acids and also shows an LT protein expression level similar to MKL-1. Viral T antigen knockdown reveals that, like other MCV-positive MCC cell lines, CVG-1 requires T antigen expression for cell proliferation.

Establishment and characterization of a new human acinar cell carcinoma cell line, Faraz-ICR, from pancreas.

PubMed

Rezaei, Marzieh; Hosseini, Ahmad; Nikeghbalian, Saman; Ghaderi, Abbas

Basic research in the field of acinar cell carcinoma (ACC) as a rare neoplasm of the pancreas is dependent on the availability of pragmatic model such as new pancreatic cancer cell lines. Thus, establishment and characterization of new pancreatic cancer cell lines from ACC origin are deemed important. Faraz-ICR cell line was derived from a 58-years old woman with pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma by the collagenase digestion protocol. We characterized the cell line by examining its morphology and cytostructural and functional profile. Faraz-ICR has a doubling time of 35 hours and grows in soft agar with a colony-forming efficiency of 25%. The cell had nearly normal pattern of chromosomes in karyotype analysis and Comparative Genomic Hybridization (CGH) array analysis. Evaluation of cells by flowcytometry showed that Faraz-ICR is negative for EpCAM and mesenchymal markers in different passages, and has epithelial nature. Immunofluorescence staining revealed that cells were strongly positive for vimentin, desmin, ezrin, S100, nestin and they were negative for pan-cytokeratins, chromogranin and alpha smooth muscle actin. We were able to establish a new pancreatic carcinoma cell line with partial aspects of Epithelial-mesenchymal transition and aggressiveness. This cell line might be suitable for studying various anticancer drugs and protein profile aiming to see any possible tumor associated marker for ACC. Copyright © 2017 IAP and EPC. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Establishment of cell lines from adult T-cell leukemia cells dependent on negatively charged polymers.

PubMed

Kagami, Yoshitoyo; Uchiyama, Susumu; Kato, Harumi; Okada, Yasutaka; Seto, Masao; Kinoshita, Tomohiro

2017-07-05

Growing adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL) cells in vitro is difficult. Here, we examined the effects of static electricity in the culture medium on the proliferation of ATLL cells. Six out of 10 ATLL cells did not proliferate in vitro and thus had to be cultured in a medium containing negatively charged polymers. In the presence of poly-γ-glutamic acid (PGA) or chondroitin sulfate (CDR), cell lines (HKOX3-PGA, HKOX3-CDR) were established from the same single ATLL case using interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4, and feeder cells expressing OX40L (OX40L + HK). Dextran sulfate inhibited growth in both HKOX3 cell lines. Both PGA and OX40L + HK were indispensable for HKOX3-PGA growth, but HKOX3-CDR could proliferate in the presence of CDR or OX40L + HK alone. Thus, the specific action of each negatively charged polymer promoted the growth of specific ATLL cells in vitro.

Transcriptome analysis reveals potential mechanisms underlying differential heart development in fast- and slow-growing broilers under heat stress.

PubMed

Zhang, Jibin; Schmidt, Carl J; Lamont, Susan J

2017-04-13

Modern fast-growing broilers are susceptible to heart failure under heat stress because their relatively small hearts cannot meet increased need of blood pumping. To improve the cardiac tolerance to heat stress in modern broilers through breeding, we need to find the important genes and pathways that contribute to imbalanced cardiac development and frequent occurrence of heat-related heart dysfunction. Two broiler lines - Ross 708 and Illinois - were included in this study as a fast-growing model and a slow-growing model respectively. Each broiler line was separated to two groups at 21 days posthatch. One group was subjected to heat stress treatment in the range of 35-37 °C for 8 h per day, and the other was kept in thermoneutral condition. Body and heart weights were measured at 42 days posthatch, and gene expression in left ventricles were compared between treatments and broiler lines through RNA-seq analysis. Body weight and normalized heart weight were significantly reduced by heat stress only in Ross broilers. RNA-seq results of 44 genes were validated using Biomark assay. A total of 325 differentially expressed (DE) genes were detected between heat stress and thermoneutral in Ross 708 birds, but only 3 in Illinois broilers. Ingenuity pathway analysis (IPA) predicted dramatic changes in multiple cellular activities especially downregulation of cell cycle. Comparison between two lines showed that cell cycle activity is higher in Ross than Illinois in thermoneutral condition but is decreased under heat stress. Among the significant pathways (P < 0.01) listed for different comparisons, "Mitotic Roles of Polo-like Kinases" is always ranked first. The increased susceptibility of modern broilers to cardiac dysfunction under heat stress compared to slow-growing broilers could be due to diminished heart capacity related to reduction in relative heart size. The smaller relative heart size in Ross heat stress group than in Ross thermoneutral group is suggested by the transcriptome analysis to be caused by decreased cell cycle activity and increased apoptosis. The DE genes in RNA-seq analysis and significant pathways in IPA provides potential targets for breeding of heat-tolerant broilers with optimized heart function.

Time course field analysis of COMT-downregulated switchgrass: Lignification, recalcitrance, and rust susceptibility

DOE PAGES

Baxter, Holly L.; Mazarei, Mitra; Fu, Chunxiang; ...

2016-05-18

Modifying plant cell walls by manipulating lignin biosynthesis can improve biofuel yields from lignocellulosic crops. For example, transgenic switchgrass lines with downregulated expression of caffeic acid O-methyltransferase, a lignin biosynthetic enzyme, produce up to 38% more ethanol than controls. The aim of the present study was to understand cell wall lignification over the second and third growing seasons of COMT-downregulated field-grown switchgrass. COMT gene expression, lignification, and cell wall recalcitrance were assayed for two independent transgenic lines at monthly intervals. Switchgrass rust (Puccinia emaculata) incidence was also tracked across the seasons. Trends in lignification over time differed between the 2more » years. In 2012, sampling was initiated in mid-growing season on reproductive-stage plants and there was little variation in the lignin content of all lines (COMT-downregulated and control) over time. COMT-downregulated lines maintained 11-16% less lignin, 33-40% lower S/G (syringyl-to-guaiacyl) ratios, and 15-42% higher sugar release relative to controls for all time points. In 2013, sampling was initiated earlier in the season on elongation-stage plants and the lignin content of all lines steadily increased over time, while sugar release expectedly decreased. S/G ratios increased in non-transgenic control plants as biomass accumulated over the season, while remaining relatively stable across the season in the COMT-downregulated lines. Differences in cell wall chemistry between transgenic and non-transgenic lines were not apparent until plants transitioned to reproductive growth in mid-season, after which the cell walls of COMT-downregulated plants exhibited phenotypes consistent with what was observed in 2012. There were no differences in rust damage between transgenics and controls at any time point. Finally, these results provide relevant fundamental insights into the process of lignification in a maturing field-grown biofuel feedstock with downregulated lignin biosynthesis.« less

Time course field analysis of COMT-downregulated switchgrass: Lignification, recalcitrance, and rust susceptibility

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Baxter, Holly L.; Mazarei, Mitra; Fu, Chunxiang

Modifying plant cell walls by manipulating lignin biosynthesis can improve biofuel yields from lignocellulosic crops. For example, transgenic switchgrass lines with downregulated expression of caffeic acid O-methyltransferase, a lignin biosynthetic enzyme, produce up to 38% more ethanol than controls. The aim of the present study was to understand cell wall lignification over the second and third growing seasons of COMT-downregulated field-grown switchgrass. COMT gene expression, lignification, and cell wall recalcitrance were assayed for two independent transgenic lines at monthly intervals. Switchgrass rust (Puccinia emaculata) incidence was also tracked across the seasons. Trends in lignification over time differed between the 2more » years. In 2012, sampling was initiated in mid-growing season on reproductive-stage plants and there was little variation in the lignin content of all lines (COMT-downregulated and control) over time. COMT-downregulated lines maintained 11-16% less lignin, 33-40% lower S/G (syringyl-to-guaiacyl) ratios, and 15-42% higher sugar release relative to controls for all time points. In 2013, sampling was initiated earlier in the season on elongation-stage plants and the lignin content of all lines steadily increased over time, while sugar release expectedly decreased. S/G ratios increased in non-transgenic control plants as biomass accumulated over the season, while remaining relatively stable across the season in the COMT-downregulated lines. Differences in cell wall chemistry between transgenic and non-transgenic lines were not apparent until plants transitioned to reproductive growth in mid-season, after which the cell walls of COMT-downregulated plants exhibited phenotypes consistent with what was observed in 2012. There were no differences in rust damage between transgenics and controls at any time point. Finally, these results provide relevant fundamental insights into the process of lignification in a maturing field-grown biofuel feedstock with downregulated lignin biosynthesis.« less

Immortal hepatic stellate cell lines: useful tools to study hepatic stellate cell biology and function?

PubMed Central

Herrmann, Jens; Gressner, Axel M; Weiskirchen, Ralf

2007-01-01

Abstract At the cellular level, the activation and transdifferentiation of quiescent hepatic stellate cells (HSC) into myofibroblasts is the key process involved in hepatic fibrogenesis that is associated with an increased and altered deposition of extracellular matrix components in the liver. The temporal sequence of molecular events associated with stellate cell activation turned out to be appropriately mimicked when HSC isolated from normal livers are cultured on uncoated plastic surface. Therefore, cultured primary cells isolated from rodents and human beings are common in vitro models in investigations addressing these issues of hepatic stellate biology and function. However, the limited supply, cost-effective isolation procedure and the ever growing need have resulted in efforts to establish immortalized stellate cell lines having the advantage of virtually unlimited access. They allow rapid screening for disease-associated factors and restrict the necessary number of animal experiments. From the first description of an immortal HSC line in 1986, a huge number of studies were conducted with these established cell lines. However, differences in morphology, growth characteristics and anomalies of chromosome number and structure make the applications of these models questionable. Here, we summarize the history and cellular characteristics of respective cell lines and discuss the differences of continuous HSC lines and their primary counterparts. PMID:17760834

Immortal hepatic stellate cell lines: useful tools to study hepatic stellate cell biology and function?

PubMed

Herrmann, Jens; Gressner, Axel M; Weiskirchen, Ralf

2007-01-01

At the cellular level, the activation and transdifferentiation of quiescent hepatic stellate cells (HSC) into myofibroblasts is the key process involved in hepatic fibrogenesis that is associated with an increased and altered deposition of extracellular matrix components in the liver. The temporal sequence of molecular events associated with stellate cell activation turned out to be appropriately mimicked when HSC isolated from normal livers are cultured on uncoated plastic surface. Therefore, cultured primary cells isolated from rodents and human beings are common in vitro models in investigations addressing these issues of hepatic stellate biology and function. However, the limited supply, cost-effective isolation procedure and the ever growing need have resulted in efforts to establish immortalized stellate cell lines having the advantage of virtually unlimited access. They allow rapid screening for disease-associated factors and restrict the necessary number of animal experiments. From the first description of an immortal HSC line in 1986, a huge number of studies were conducted with these established cell lines. However, differences in morphology, growth characteristics and anomalies of chromosome number and structure make the applications of these models questionable. Here, we summarize the history and cellular characteristics of respective cell lines and discuss the differences of continuous HSC lines and their primary counterparts.

Beating the odds: The poisson distribution of all input cells during limiting dilution grossly underestimates whether a cell line is clonally-derived or not.

PubMed

Zhou, Yizhou; Shaw, David; Lam, Cynthia; Tsukuda, Joni; Yim, Mandy; Tang, Danming; Louie, Salina; Laird, Michael W; Snedecor, Brad; Misaghi, Shahram

2017-09-23

Establishing that a cell line was derived from a single cell progenitor and defined as clonally-derived for the production of clinical and commercial therapeutic protein drugs has been the subject of increased emphasis in cell line development (CLD). Several regulatory agencies have expressed that the prospective probability of clonality for CHO cell lines is assumed to follow the Poisson distribution based on the input cell count. The probability of obtaining monoclonal progenitors based on the Poisson distribution of all cells suggests that one round of limiting dilution may not be sufficient to assure the resulting cell lines are clonally-derived. We experimentally analyzed clonal derivatives originating from single cell cloning (SCC) via one round of limiting dilution, following our standard legacy cell line development practice. Two cell populations with stably integrated DNA spacers were mixed and subjected to SCC via limiting dilution. Cells were cultured in the presence of selection agent, screened, and ranked based on product titer. Post-SCC, the growing cell lines were screened by PCR analysis for the presence of identifying spacers. We observed that the percentage of nonclonal populations was below 9%, which is considerably lower than the determined probability based on the Poisson distribution of all cells. These results were further confirmed using fluorescence imaging of clonal derivatives originating from SCC via limiting dilution of mixed cell populations expressing GFP or RFP. Our results demonstrate that in the presence of selection agent, the Poisson distribution of all cells clearly underestimates the probability of obtaining clonally-derived cell lines. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 2017. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

Possibilities of vaccine manufacture in human diploid cell strains with a serum replacement factor.

PubMed

Candal, F J; George, V G; Ades, E W

1991-07-01

Cell lines MDCK (canine kidney), BGM (Buffalo green monkey kidney) and human embryonic lung fibroblast will support viral growth efficiently in medium without serum. Both MRC-5 and WI-38 cell strains have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for manufacturing viral vaccines against cytomegalovirus and varicella-zoster virus. In this study we examine these two cell lines and viruses for their ability to grow in medium containing a serum replacement. The serum substitute used is LPSR-1 (low protein serum replacement). Using LPSR-1 in defined medium, we demonstrate multipassage cell growth and viral cultivation and replication equivalent to those obtained in medium containing fetal bovine serum (FBS). Viral growth after complete elimination of FBS varies and depends on cell line and virus. Serum substitutes can eliminate FBS in the viral growth phase of vaccine production and reduce costs.

Mutation assays involving blood cells that metabolize toxic substances

DOEpatents

Crespi, C.L.; Thilly, W.G.

1999-08-10

The present invention pertains to a line of human blood cells which have high levels of oxidative activity (such as oxygenase, oxidase, peroxidase, and hydroxylase activity). Such cells grow in suspension culture, and are useful to determine the mutagenicity of xenobiotic substances that are metabolized into toxic or mutagenic substances. The invention also includes mutation assays using these cells, and other cells with similar characteristics. 3 figs.

Elevated phospholipase D activity in androgen-insensitive prostate cancer cells promotes both survival and metastatic phenotypes.

PubMed

Utter, Matthew; Chakraborty, Sohag; Goren, Limor; Feuser, Lucas; Zhu, Yuan-Shan; Foster, David A

2018-06-01

Prostate cells are hormonally driven to grow and divide. Typical treatments for prostate cancer involve blocking activation of the androgen receptor by androgens. Androgen deprivation therapy can lead to the selection of cancer cells that grow and divide independently of androgen receptor activation. Prostate cancer cells that are insensitive to androgens commonly display metastatic phenotypes and reduced long-term survival of patients. In this study we provide evidence that androgen-insensitive prostate cancer cells have elevated PLD activity relative to the androgen-sensitive prostate cancer cells. PLD activity has been linked with promoting survival in many human cancer cell lines; and consistent with the previous studies, suppression of PLD activity in the prostate cancer cells resulted in apoptotic cell death. Of significance, suppressing the elevated PLD activity in androgen resistant prostate cancer lines also blocked the ability of these cells to migrate and invade Matrigel™. Since survival signals are generally an early event in tumorigenesis, the apparent coupling of survival and metastatic phenotypes implies that metastasis is an earlier event in malignant prostate cancer than generally thought. This finding has implications for screening strategies designed to identify prostate cancers before dissemination. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Establishment of immortalized murine mesothelial cells and a novel mesothelioma cell line.

PubMed

Blum, Walter; Pecze, László; Felley-Bosco, Emanuela; Worthmüller-Rodriguez, Janine; Wu, Licun; Vrugt, Bart; de Perrot, Marc; Schwaller, Beat

2015-08-01

Mesothelial cells are susceptible to asbestos fiber-induced cytotoxicity and on longer time scales to transformation; the resulting mesothelioma is a highly aggressive neoplasm that is considered as incurable at the present time Zucali et al. (Cancer Treatment Reviews 37:543-558, 2011). Only few murine cell culture models of immortalized mesothelial cells and mesothelioma cell lines exist to date. We generated SV40-immortalized cell lines derived from wild-type (WT) and neurofibromatosis 2 (merlin) heterozygote (Nf2+/-) mice, both on a commonly used genetic background, C57Bl/6J. All immortalized mesothelial clones consistently grow in DMEM supplemented with fetal bovine serum. Cells can be passaged for more than 40 times without any signs of morphological changes or a decrease in proliferation rate. The tumor suppressor gene NF2 is one of the most frequently mutated genes in human mesothelioma, but its detailed function is still unknown. Thus, these genotypically distinct cell lines likely relevant for malignant mesothelioma formation are expected to serve as useful in vitro models, in particular to compare with in vivo studies in mice of the same genotype. Furthermore, we generated a novel murine mesothelioma cell line RN5 originating from an Nf2+/- mouse subjected to repeated crocidolite exposure. RN5 cells are highly tumorigenic.

Normal neutrophil differentiation and secondary granule gene expression in the EML and MPRO cell lines.

PubMed

Lawson, N D; Krause, D S; Berliner, N

1998-11-01

The EML and MPRO cell lines express a dominant negative retinoic acid receptor alpha that causes a block at specific stages of myelopoiesis. The EML cell line is multipotent and gives rise to erythroid, lymphoid, and myeloid lineages depending on the presence of appropriate cytokines. The MPRO cell line is promyelocytic and undergoes neutrophilic differentiation when induced with all-trans retinoic acid in the presence of granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor. Previous studies have shown that both of these cell lines undergo morphological differentiation into neutrophils. In this study, we show that unlike other models of neutrophil differentiation such as NB4 and HL60, both EML and MPRO cell lines undergo complete, normal granulocytic differentiation programs. Similar to HL60, MPRO and EML induce expression of CD11b/CD18 and also exhibit downregulation of CD34 on differentiation. In contrast to HL60 and NB4, EML and MPRO cell lines coordinately upregulate secondary granule transcripts for lactoferrin and neutrophil gelatinase. Furthermore, we have confirmed previous observations that serum can induce a low level of differentiation in MPRO cells and that it is possible to grow these cells in serum-free medium, thereby eliminating this effect. Based on these studies, it appears that these lines can serve as a model for normal retinoic acid-induced neutrophil differentiation and provide insight into the role of the retinoic acid-responsive pathway in normal and leukemic myelopoiesis.

Taking Digital Creativity to the Art Classroom: Mystery Box Swap

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shin, Ryan

2010-01-01

Today's students are the first generation to grow up with computers, cell-phones, video games, music and video players, and other digital technologies. As "digital natives", a new term coined by Prensky (2001), they spend more time reading text messaging lines than lines from books, and they spend more time on Facebook than putting their energies…

Development and characterization of cell culture systems from Puntius (Tor) chelynoides (McClelland).

PubMed

Goswami, M; Sharma, B S; Tripathi, A K; Yadav, Kamalendra; Bahuguna, S N; Nagpure, N S; Lakra, W S; Jena, J K

2012-05-25

Puntius (Tor) chelynoides, commonly known as dark mahseer, is a commercially important coldwater fish species which inhabits fast-flowing hill-streams of India and Nepal. Cell culture systems were developed from eye, fin, heart and swim bladder tissues of P. chelynoides using explant method. The cell culture system developed from eye has been maintained towards a continuous cell line designated as PCE. The cells were grown in 25cm(2) tissue culture flasks with Leibovitz' L-15 media supplemented with 20 % fetal bovine serum (FBS) at 24°C. The PCE cell line consists of predominantly fibroblast-like cells and showed high plating efficiency. The monolayer formed from the fin and heart explants were comprised of epithelial as well as fibroblast-like cells, a prominent and rhythmic heartbeat was also observed in heart explants. Monolayer formed from swim bladder explants showed the morphology of fibroblast-like cells. All the cells from different tissues are able to grow at an optimum temperature of 24°C and growth rate increased as the FBS concentration increased. The PCE cell line was characterized using amplification of mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) & 16S rRNA genes which confirmed that the cell line originated from P. chelynoides. Cytogenetic analysis of PCE cell line and cells from fin revealed a diploid count of 100 chromosomes. Upon transfection with pEGFP-C1 plasmid, bright fluorescent signals were observed, suggesting that this cell line can be used for transgenic and genetic manipulation studies. Further, genotoxicity assessment of PCE cells illustrated the utility of this cell line as an in vitro model for aquatic toxicological studies. The PCE cell line was successfully cryopreserved and revived at different passage levels. The cell line and culture systems are being maintained to develop continuous cell lines for further studies. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Serine, Glycine and One-carbon Metabolism in Colorectal Cancer Cell in Heterogeneous Microenvironment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Ke-Chih; Austin, Robert; Ducker, Greg; Sturm, James; Sturm, James

The up-regulation of serine metabolism associated with one-carbon metabolism has been identified to support cellular biosynthesis and redox maintenance of tumors. The consistently over-expressed one-carbon genes have been targeted for potential drug development. To investigate the biological function of specific enzymes, we had genetic engineered HCT116 cell lines, methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase (MTHFD) and phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase (PHGDH) deleted cell lines, growing in the artificial microhabitats array with serine and glycine gradient across. The impact of depletion of serine and the blocking of biosynthesis pathway will be shown in terms of cell morphology, proliferation rate, and cell motility. The evolution dynamic and migration rate can also be tracked throughout the experiments.

Activated human primary NK cells efficiently kill colorectal cancer cells in 3D spheroid cultures irrespectively of the level of PD-L1 expression.

PubMed

Lanuza, Pilar M; Vigueras, Alan; Olivan, Sara; Prats, Anne C; Costas, Santiago; Llamazares, Guillermo; Sanchez-Martinez, Diego; Ayuso, José María; Fernandez, Luis; Ochoa, Ignacio; Pardo, Julián

2018-01-01

Haploidentical Natural Killer (NK) cells have been shown as an effective and safe alternative for the treatment of haematological malignancies with poor prognosis for which traditional therapies are ineffective. In contrast to haematological cancer cells, that mainly grow as single suspension cells, solid carcinomas are characterised by a tridimensional (3D) architecture that provide specific surviving advantages and resistance against chemo- and radiotherapy. However, little is known about the impact of 3D growth on solid cancer immunotherapy especially adoptive NK cell transfer. We have recently developed a protocol to activate ex vivo human primary NK cells using B lymphoblastic cell lines, which generates NK cells able to overcome chemoresistance in haematological cancer cells. Here we have analysed the activity of these allogeneic NK cells against colorectal (CRC) human cell lines growing in 3D spheroid culture and correlated with the expression of some of the main ligands regulating NK cell activity. Our results indicate that activated NK cells efficiently kill colorectal tumour cell spheroids in both 2D and 3D cultures. Notably, although 3D CRC cell cultures favoured the expression of the inhibitory immune checkpoint PD-L1, it did not correlate with increased resistance to NK cells. Finally, we have analysed in detail the infiltration of NK cells in 3D spheroids by microscopy and found that at low NK cell density, cell death is not observed although NK cells are able to infiltrate into the spheroid. In contrast, higher densities promote tumoural cell death before infiltration can be detected. These findings show that highly dense activated human primary NK cells efficiently kill colorectal carcinoma cells growing in 3D cultures independently of PD-L1 expression and suggest that the use of allogeneic activated NK cells could be beneficial for the treatment of colorectal carcinoma.

Publishing SNP genotypes of human embryonic stem cell lines: policy statement of the International Stem Cell Forum Ethics Working Party.

PubMed

Knoppers, Bartha M; Isasi, Rosario; Benvenisty, Nissim; Kim, Ock-Joo; Lomax, Geoffrey; Morris, Clive; Murray, Thomas H; Lee, Eng Hin; Perry, Margery; Richardson, Genevra; Sipp, Douglas; Tanner, Klaus; Wahlström, Jan; de Wert, Guido; Zeng, Fanyi

2011-09-01

Novel methods and associated tools permitting individual identification in publicly accessible SNP databases have become a debatable issue. There is growing concern that current technical and ethical safeguards to protect the identities of donors could be insufficient. In the context of human embryonic stem cell research, there are no studies focusing on the probability that an hESC line donor could be identified by analyzing published SNP profiles and associated genotypic and phenotypic information. We present the International Stem Cell Forum (ISCF) Ethics Working Party's Policy Statement on "Publishing SNP Genotypes of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Lines (hESC)". The Statement prospectively addresses issues surrounding the publication of genotypic data and associated annotations of hESC lines in open access databases. It proposes a balanced approach between the goals of open science and data sharing with the respect for fundamental bioethical principles (autonomy, privacy, beneficence, justice and research merit and integrity).

Waste to Watts and Water: Enabling Self-Contained Facilities Using Microbial Fuel Cells

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-05-01

suitable growing medium. LOC - Line of communications . Used in a military sense to indicate a main supply route. It includes transportation by ships...fresh water. Self-Contained Facilities - Facilities that do not rely on outside infrastructure or lines of communication for utilities such as water...require in future facilities is the ability to operate cleanly and efficiently apart from the infrastructure network and line of communications (LOCs) both

Constitutive non-inducible expression of the Arabidopsis thaliana Nia 2 gene in two nitrate reductase mutants of Nicotiana plumbaginifolia.

PubMed

Kaye, C; Crawford, N M; Malmberg, R L

1997-04-01

We have isolated a haploid cell line of N. plumbaginifolia, hNP 588, that is constitutive and not inducible for nitrate reductase. Nitrate reductase mutants were isolated from hNP 588 protoplasts upon UV irradiation. Two of these nitrate reductase-deficient cell lines, nia 3 and nia 25, neither of which contained any detectable nitrate reductase activity, were selected for complementation studies. A cloned Arabidopsis thaliana nitrate reductase gene Nia 2 was introduced into each of the two mutants resulting in 56 independent kanamycin-resistant cell lines. Thirty of the 56 kanamycin-resistant cell lines were able to grow on nitrate as the sole nitrogen source. Eight of these were further analyzed for nitrate reductase enzyme activity and nitrate reductase mRNA production. All eight lines had detectable nitrate reductase activity ranging from 7% to 150% of wild-type hNP 588 callus. The enzyme activity levels were not influenced by the nitrogen source in the medium. The eight lines examined expressed a constitutive, non-inducible 3.2 kb mRNA species that was not present in untransformed controls.

The relationship of metabolic burden to productivity levels in CHO cell lines.

PubMed

Zou, Wu; Edros, Raihana; Al-Rubeai, Mohamed

2018-03-01

The growing demand for recombinant therapeutics has driven biotechnologists to develop new production strategies. One such strategy for increasing the expression of heterologous proteins has focused on enhancing cell-specific productivity through environmental perturbations. In this work, the effects of hypothermia, hyperosmolarity, high shear stress, and sodium butyrate treatment on growth and productivity were studied using three (low, medium, and high producing) CHO cell lines that differed in their specific productivities of monoclonal antibody. In all three cell lines, the inhibitory effect of these parameters on proliferation was demonstrated. Additionally, compared to the control, specific productivity was enhanced under all conditions and exhibited a consistent cell line specific pattern, with maximum increases (50-290%) in the low producer, and minimum increases (7-20%) in the high producer. Thus, the high-producing cell line was less responsive to environmental perturbations than the low-producing cell line. We hypothesize that this difference is most likely due to the bottleneck associated with a higher metabolic burden caused by higher antibody expression. Increased recombinant mRNA levels and pyruvate carboxylase activities due to low temperature and hyperosmotic stress were found to be positively associated with the metabolic burden. © 2017 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Influenza viruses production: Evaluation of a novel avian cell line DuckCelt®-T17.

PubMed

Petiot, Emma; Proust, Anaïs; Traversier, Aurélien; Durous, Laurent; Dappozze, Frédéric; Gras, Marianne; Guillard, Chantal; Balloul, Jean-Marc; Rosa-Calatrava, Manuel

2018-05-24

The influenza vaccine manufacturing industry is looking for production cell lines that are easily scalable, highly permissive to multiple viruses, and more effective in term of viral productivity. One critical characteristic of such cell lines is their ability to grow in suspension, in serum free conditions and at high cell densities. Influenza virus causing severe epidemics both in human and animals is an important threat to world healthcare. The repetitive apparition of influenza pandemic outbreaks in the last 20years explains that manufacturing sector is still looking for more effective production processes to replace/supplement embryonated egg-based process. Cell-based production strategy, with a focus on avian cell lines, is one of the promising solutions. Three avian cell lines, namely duck EB66®cells (Valneva), duck AGE.CR® cells (Probiogen) and quail QOR/2E11 cells (Baxter), are now competing with traditional mammalian cell platforms (Vero and MDCK cells) used for influenza vaccine productions and are currently at advance stage of commercial development for the manufacture of influenza vaccines. The DuckCelt®-T17 cell line presented in this work is a novel avian cell line developed by Transgene. This cell line was generated from primary embryo duck cells with the constitutive expression of the duck telomerase reverse transcriptase (dTERT). The DuckCelt®-T17 cells were able to grow in batch suspension cultures and serum-free conditions up to 6.5×10 6 cell/ml and were easily scaled from 10ml up to 3l bioreactor. In the present study, DuckCelt®-T17 cell line was tested for its abilities to produce various human, avian and porcine influenza strains. Most of the viral strains were produced at significant infectious titers (>5.8 log TCID50/ml) with optimization of the infection conditions. Human strains H1N1 and H3N2, as well as all the avian strains tested (H5N2, H7N1, H3N8, H11N9, H12N5) were the most efficiently produced with highest titre reached of 9.05 log TCID50/ml for A/Panama/2007/99 influenza H3N2. Porcine strains were also greatly rescued with titres from 4 to 7 log TCID50/ml depending of the subtypes. Interestingly, viral kinetics showed maximal titers reached at 24h post-infection for most of the strains, allowing early harvest time (Time Of Harvest: TOH). The B strains present specific production kinetics with a delay of 24h before reaching the maximal viral particle release. Process optimization on H1N1 2009 human pandemic strain allowed identifying best operating conditions for production (MOI, trypsin concentration, cell density at infection) allowing improving the production level by 2 log. Our results suggest that the DuckCelt®-T17 cell line is a very promising platform for industrial production of influenza viruses and particularly for avian viral strains. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Relationship between DNA ploidy level and tumor sociology behavior in 12 nervous cell lines

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kiss, R.; Camby, I.; Salmon, I.

1995-06-01

Cell population sociology was studied in two medulloblastomas and 10 astrocytic human tumor cell lines by means of the characterization of the structure of neoplastic cell colonies growing on histological slides. This was carried out via digital cell image analysis of Feulgen-stained nuclei, to which the Delaunay triangulation and Voronoi paving mathematical techniques were applied. Such assessments were compared to the DNA ploidy level (assessed by means of DNA histogram typing). The results show that the cell colony architecture characteristics differed markedly according to whether the cell lines were euploid (diploid or tetraploid) or aneuploid (hyperdiploid, triploid, hypertriploid, or polymorphic).more » In fact, the cell colonies from the euploid cell nuclei populations were larger and more dense than those from the aneuploid ones. Furthermore, for an identical period of culture, the cell lines from high-grade malignant astrocytic tumors (glioblastomas) exhibited cell colonies that were larger and more dense than those in cell lines from low-grade astrocytic tumors (astrocytomas). In each of these two groups, the diploid cell nuclei populations exhibited cell colonies larger and more dense than the nondiploid colonies. The present methodology is now being applied in vivo to histological sections of surgically removed human brain tumors in order to distinguish between high-risk clinical subgroups and medium-risk subgroups in clearly circumscribed histopathological groups. 38 refs., 5 figs., 2 tabs.« less

Part I. Development of a model system for studying nitric oxide in tumors: high nitric oxide-adapted head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cell lines.

PubMed

Yarmolyuk, Yaroslav R; Vesper, Benjamin J; Paradise, William A; Elseth, Kim M; Tarjan, Gabor; Haines, G Kenneth; Radosevich, James A

2011-02-01

The free radical nitric oxide (NO) is over-expressed in many tumors, including head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC); however, the role NO plays in tumor pathophysiology is still not well understood. We, herein, report the development of an in vitro model system which can be used to probe the role of NO in the carcinogenesis of HNSCC. Five HNSCC cell lines were adapted to a high NO (HNO) environment by gradually introducing increasing concentrations of DETA-NONOate, a nitrogen-based NO donor, to cell media. The adaptation process was carried out until a sufficiently high enough donor concentration was reached which enabled the HNO cells to survive and grow, but which was lethal to the original, unadapted ("parent") cells. The adapted HNO cells exhibited analogous morphology to the parent cells, but grew better than their corresponding parent cells in normal media, on soft agar, and in the presence of hydrogen peroxide, an oxygen-based free radical donor. These results indicate that the HNO cell lines are unique and possess biologically different properties than the parent cell lines from which they originated. The HNO/parent cell lines developed herein may be used as a model system to better understand the role NO plays in HNSCC carcinogenesis.

Hematopoietic progenitor cells grow on 3T3 fibroblast monolayers that overexpress growth arrest-specific gene-6 (GAS6)

PubMed Central

Dormady, Shane P.; Zhang, Xin-Min; Basch, Ross S.

2000-01-01

Pluripotential hematopoietic stem cells grow in close association with bone marrow stromal cells, which play a critical role in sustaining hematopoiesis in long-term bone marrow cultures. The mechanisms through which stromal cells act to support pluripotential hematopoietic stem cells are largely unknown. This study demonstrates that growth arrest-specific gene-6 (GAS6) plays an important role in this process. GAS6 is a ligand for the Axl (Ufo/Ark), Sky (Dtk/Tyro3/Rse/Brt/Tif), and Mer (Eyk) family of tyrosine kinase receptors and binds to these receptors via tandem G domains at its C terminus. After translation, GAS6 moves to the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum, where it is extensively γ-carboxylated. The carboxylation process is vitamin K dependent, and current evidence suggests that GAS6 must be γ-carboxylated to bind and activate any of the cognate tyrosine kinase receptors. Here, we show that expression of GAS6 is highly correlated with the capacity of bone marrow stromal cells to support hematopoiesis in culture. Nonsupportive stromal cell lines express little to no GAS6, whereas supportive cell lines express high levels of GAS6. Transfection of the cDNA encoding GAS6 into 3T3 fibroblasts is sufficient to render this previously nonsupportive cell line capable of supporting long-term hematopoietic cultures. 3T3 cells, genetically engineered to stably express GAS6 (GAS6-3T3), produce a stromal layer that supports the generation of colony-forming units in culture (CFU-c) for up to 6 wk. Hematopoietic support by genetically engineered 3T3 is not vitamin K dependent, and soluble recombinant GAS6 does not substitute for coculturing the hematopoietic progenitors with genetically modified 3T3 cells. PMID:11050245

Identification of a unique hepatocellular carcinoma line, Li-7, with CD13(+) cancer stem cells hierarchy and population change upon its differentiation during culture and effects of sorafenib.

PubMed

Yamada, Takeshi; Abei, Masato; Danjoh, Inaho; Shirota, Ryoko; Yamashita, Taro; Hyodo, Ichinosuke; Nakamura, Yukio

2015-04-11

Cancer stem cell (CSC) research has highlighted the necessity of developing drugs targeting CSCs. We investigated a hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell line that not only has CSC hierarchy but also shows phenotypic changes (population changes) upon differentiation of CSC during culture and can be used for screening drugs targeting CSC. Based on a hypothesis that the CSC proportion should decrease upon its differentiation into progenitors (population change), we tested HCC cell lines (HuH-7, Li-7, PLC/PRF/5, HLF, HLE) before and after 2 months culture for several markers (CD13, EpCAM, CD133, CD44, CD90, CD24, CD166). Tumorigenicity was tested using nude mice. To evaluate the CSC hierarchy, we investigated reconstructivity, proliferation, ALDH activity, spheroid formation, chemosensitivity and microarray analysis of the cell populations sorted by FACS. Only Li-7 cells showed a population change during culture: the proportion of CD13 positive cells decreased, while that of CD166 positive cells increased. The high tumorigenicity of the Li-7 was lost after the population change. CD13(+)/CD166(-) cells showed slow growth and reconstructed the bulk Li-7 populations composed of CD13(+)/CD166(-), CD13(-)/CD166(-) and CD13(-)/CD166(+) fractions, whereas CD13(-)/CD166(+) cells showed rapid growth but could not reproduce any other population. CD13(+)/CD166(-) cells showed high ALDH activity, spheroid forming ability and resistance to 5-fluorouracil. Microarray analysis demonstrated higher expression of stemness-related genes in CD166(-) than CD166(+) fraction. These results indicated a hierarchy in Li-7 cells, in which CD13(+)/CD166(-) and CD13(-)/CD166(+) cells serve as slow growing CSCs and rapid growing progenitors, respectively. Sorafenib selectively targeted the CD166(-) fraction, including CD13(+) CSCs, which exhibited higher mRNA expression for FGF3 and FGF4, candidate biomarkers for sorafenib. 5-fluorouracil followed by sorafenib inhibited the growth of bulk Li-7 cells more effectively than the reverse sequence or either alone. We identified a unique HCC line, Li-7, which not only shows heterogeneity for a CD13(+) CSC hierarchy, but also undergoes a "population change" upon CSC differentiation. Sorafenib targeted the CSC in vitro, supporting the use of this model for screening drugs targeting the CSC. This type of "heterogeneous, unstable" cell line may prove more useful in the CSC era than conventional "homogeneous, stable" cell lines.

Arginase treatment prevents the recovery of canine lymphoma and osteosarcoma cells resistant to the toxic effects of prolonged arginine deprivation.

PubMed

Wells, James W; Evans, Christopher H; Scott, Milcah C; Rütgen, Barbara C; O'Brien, Timothy D; Modiano, Jaime F; Cvetkovic, Goran; Tepic, Slobodan

2013-01-01

Rapidly growing tumor cells require a nutrient-rich environment in order to thrive, therefore, restricting access to certain key amino acids, such as arginine, often results in the death of malignant cells, which frequently display defective cell cycle check-point control. Healthy cells, by contrast, become quiescent and remain viable under arginine restriction, displaying full recovery upon return to arginine-rich conditions. The use of arginase therapy to restrict available arginine for selectively targeting malignant cells is currently under investigation in human clinical trials. However, the suitability of this approach for veterinary uses is unexplored. As a prelude to in vivo studies in canine malignancies, we examined the in vitro effects of arginine-deprivation on canine lymphoid and osteosarcoma cell lines. Two lymphoid and 2 osteosarcoma cell lines were unable to recover following 6 days of arginine deprivation, but all remaining cell lines displayed full recovery upon return to arginine-rich culture conditions. These remaining cell lines all proved susceptible to cell death following the addition of arginase to the cultures. The lymphoid lines were particularly sensitive to arginase, becoming unrecoverable after just 3 days of treatment. Two of the osteosarcoma lines were also susceptible over this time-frame; however the other 3 lines required 6-8 days of arginase treatment to prevent recovery. In contrast, adult progenitor cells from the bone marrow of a healthy dog were able to recover fully following 9 days of culture in arginase. Over 3 days in culture, arginase was more effective than asparaginase in inducing the death of lymphoid lines. These results strongly suggest that short-term arginase treatment warrants further investigation as a therapy for lymphoid malignancies and osteosarcomas in dogs.

The ultrastructure of imaginal disc cells in primary cultures and during cell aggregation in continuous cell lines.

PubMed

Peel, D J; Johnson, S A; Milner, M J

1990-01-01

We have examined the ultrastructure of cellular vesicles in primary cultures of wing imaginal disc cells of Drosophila melanogaster. These cells maintain the apico-basal polarity characteristic of epithelial cells. The apical surfaces secrete extracellular material into the lumen of the vesicle from plasma membrane plaques at the tip of microvilli. During the course of one passage, cells from the established cell lines grow to confluence and then aggregate into discrete condensations joined by aligned bridges of cells. Cells in these aggregates are tightly packed, and there appears to be a loss of the epithelial polarity characteristic of the vesicle cells. Elongated cell extensions containing numerous microtubules are found in aggregates, and we suggest that these may be epithelial feet involved in the aggregation process. Virus particles are commonly found both within the nucleus and the cytoplasm of cells in the aggregates.

Chemical Composition and In Vitro Cytotoxic Activity of Essential Oil of Leaves of Malus domestica Growing in Western Himalaya (India)

PubMed Central

Walia, Mayanka; Mann, Tavleen S.; Kumar, Dharmesh; Agnihotri, Vijai K.; Singh, Bikram

2012-01-01

Light pale-colored volatile oil was obtained from fresh leaves of Malus domestica tree, growing in Dhauladhar range of Himalaya (Himachal Pradesh, India), with characteristic eucalyptol dominant fragrance. The oil was found to be a complex mixture of mono-, sesqui-, di-terpenes, phenolics, and aliphatic hydrocarbons. Seventeen compounds accounting for nearly 95.3% of the oil were characterized with the help of capillary GC, GC-MS, and NMR. Major compounds of the oil were characterized as eucalyptol (43.7%), phytol (11.5%), α-farnesene (9.6%), and pentacosane (7.6%). Cytotoxicity of essential oil of leaves of M. domestica was evaluated by sulforhodamine B (SRB) assays. The essential oil of leaves of M. domestica, tested against three cancer cell lines, namely, C-6 (glioma cells), A549 (human lung carcinoma), CHOK1 (Chinese hamster ovary cells), and THP-1 (human acute monocytic leukemia cell). The highest activity showed by essential oil on C-6 cell lines (98.2%) at concentration of 2000 μg/ml compared to control. It is the first paper in literature to exploit the chemical composition and cytotoxic activity of leaves essential oil of M. domestica. PMID:22619691

Getting the current out

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burger, D. R.

1983-11-01

Progress of a photovoltaic (PV) device from a research concept to a competitive power-generation source requires an increasing concern with current collection. The initial metallization focus is usually on contact resistance, since a good ohmic contact is desirable for accurate device characterization measurements. As the device grows in size, sheet resistance losses become important and a metal grid is usually added to reduce the effective sheet resistance. Later, as size and conversion efficiency continue to increase, grid-line resistance and cell shadowing must be considered simultaneously, because grid-line resistance is inversely related to total grid-line area and cell shadowing is directly related. A PV cell grid design must consider the five power-loss phenomena mentioned above: sheet resistance, contact resistance, grid resistance, bus-bar resistance and cell shadowing. Although cost, reliability and usage are important factors in deciding upon the best metallization system, this paper will focus only upon grid-line design and substrate material problems for flat-plate solar arrays.

Cytotoxic activity of carotenoid rich fractions from Haematococcus pluvialis and Dunaliella salina microalgae and the identification of the phytoconstituents using LC-DAD/ESI-MS.

PubMed

El-Baz, Farouk K; Hussein, Rehab A; Mahmoud, Khaled; Abdo, Sayeda M

2018-02-01

Microalgae represent a rich source that satisfies the growing need for novel ingredients of nutriceuticals, pharmaceuticals, and food supplements. Haematococcus pluvialis and Dunaliella salina microalgae are isolated from the Egyptian hydro-flora and are reported for their potent antioxidant activities. The cytotoxic activity of different fractions of both microalgae was investigated on 4 cell lines HePG2, MCF7, HCT116, and A549. The carotenoid rich fraction of H. pluvialis showed potent cytotoxic activity against colon cancer cell line and moderate activity against both liver and breast cancer cell lines. On the other hand, the carotenoid rich fraction of D. salina showed mild cytotoxic activity on breast and liver cancer cell lines. The carotenoid rich fraction of H. pluvialis was analysed using LC-DAD/ESI-MS and the major carotenoids were identified either free as well as bounded to fatty acids. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Effects of nicotine on zebrafish: A comparative response between a newly established gill cell line and whole gills.

PubMed

Nathiga Nambi, K S; Abdul Majeed, S; Taju, G; Sivasubbu, Sridhar; Sarath Babu, V; Sahul Hameed, A S

2017-05-01

A novel cell line, Danio rerio gill (DrG), derived from the gill tissue of zebrafish, was established and characterized. The cells were able to grow at a wide range of temperatures from 25°C to 32°C in Leibovitz's L-15 medium. The DrG cell line consists of epithelial-like cells with a diameter of 18-22μm. The cell line was characterized by mitochondrial 12S rRNA gene. Acute toxicity tests were conducted on D. rerio by exposing them to nicotine for 96h under static conditions. In vitro cytotoxicity of nicotine was assessed in DrG cell line using multiple endpoints such as 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT), Neutral Red assay, Alamar Blue assay and Coomassie Blue protein assay. Linear correlations between each in vitro cytotoxicity assay and the in vivo mortality data were highly significant. Nicotine induced intracellular reactive oxygen species generation in DrG cell line in a concentration dependent manner. DrG cell line and zebrafish exposed to nicotine significantly increased the elevation of lipid peroxidation (LPO) while depletion of reduced glutathione (GSH), manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione S-transferase (GST) and glutathione peroxidise(GPx1a) was observed. In nicotine treated fish and cells a negative correlation between reduced glutathione and LPO was observed. In addition, the production of ROS and the resulting oxidative stress resulted in increased expression of apoptosis related genes p53 and cas3.Collectively, our result suggests that nicotine has the potential to induce reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, oxidative stress and apoptosis in DrG cell line and zebrafish. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Growth and Development Symposium: Development, characterization, and use of a porcine epiblast-derived liver stem cell line: ARS-PICM-19.

PubMed

Talbot, N C; Caperna, T J; Garrett, W M

2013-01-01

Totipotent embryonic stem cell lines have not been established from ungulates; however, we have developed a somatic stem cell line from the in vitro culture of pig epiblast cells. The cell line, ARS-PICM-19, was isolated via colony cloning and was found to spontaneously differentiate into hepatic parenchymal epithelial cell types, namely hepatocytes and bile duct cells. Hepatocytes form as monolayers and bile duct cells as 3-dimensional bile ductules. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that the ductules were composed of radially arranged, monociliated cells with their cilia projecting into the lumen of the ductule whereas hepatocytes were arranged in monolayers with lateral canalicular structures containing numerous microvilli and connected by tight junctions and desmosomes. Extensive Golgi and rough endoplasmic reticulum networks were also present, indicative of active protein synthesis. Analysis of conditioned medium by 2-dimensional electrophoresis and mass spectrometry indicated a spectrum of serum-protein secretion by the hepatocytes. The PICM-19 cell line maintains a range of inducible cytochrome P450 activities and, most notably, is the only nontransformed cell line that synthesizes urea in response to ammonia challenge. The PICM-19 cell line has been used for several biomedical- and agricultural-related purposes, such as the in vitro replication of hepatitis E virus, a zoonotic virus of pigs, and a spaceflight experiment to evaluate somatic stem cell differentiation and liver cell function in microgravity. The cell line was also evaluated as a platform for toxicity testing and has been used in a commercial artificial liver rescue device bioreactor. A PICM-19 subclone, PICM-19H, which only differentiates into hepatocytes, was isolated and methods are currently under development to grow PICM-19 cells without feeder cells. Feeder-cell-independent growth will facilitate the study of mesenchymal-parenchymal interactions that influence the divergent differentiation of the PICM-19 cells, enhance our ability to genetically modify the cells, and provide a better model system to investigate porcine hepatic metabolism.

Immortalized Human Schwann Cell Lines Derived From Tumors of Schwannomatosis Patients.

PubMed

Ostrow, Kimberly Laskie; Donaldson, Katelyn; Blakeley, Jaishri; Belzberg, Allan; Hoke, Ahmet

2015-01-01

Schwannomatosis, a rare form of neurofibromatosis, is characterized predominantly by multiple, often painful, schwannomas throughout the peripheral nervous system. The current standard of care for schwannomatosis is surgical resection. A major obstacle to schwannomatosis research is the lack of robust tumor cell lines. There is a great need for mechanistic and drug discovery studies of schwannomatosis, yet appropriate tools are not currently available. Schwannomatosis tumors are difficult to grow in culture as they survive only a few passages before senescence. Our lab has extensive experience in establishing primary and immortalized human Schwann cell cultures from normal tissue that retain their phenotypes after immortalization. Therefore we took on the challenge of creating immortalized human Schwann cell lines derived from tumors from schwannomatosis patients. We have established and fully characterized 2 schwannomatosis cell lines from 2 separate patients using SV40 virus large T antigen. One patient reported pain and the other did not. The schwannomatosis cell lines were stained with S100B antibodies to confirm Schwann cell identity. The schwannomatosis cells also expressed the Schwann cell markers, p75NTR, S100B, and NGF after multiple passages. Cell morphology was retained following multiple passaging and freeze/ thaw cycles. Gene expression microarray analysis was used to compare the cell lines with their respective parent tumors. No differences in key genes were detected, with the exception that several cell cycle regulators were upregulated in the schwannomatosis cell lines when compared to their parent tumors. This upregulation was apparently a product of cell culturing, as the schwannomatosis cells exhibited the same expression pattern of cell cycle regulatory genes as normal primary human Schwann cells. Cell growth was also similar between normal primary and immortalized tumor cells in culture. Accurate cell lines derived directly from human tumors will serve as invaluable tools for advancing schwannomatosis research, including drug screening.

Immortalized Human Schwann Cell Lines Derived From Tumors of Schwannomatosis Patients

PubMed Central

Ostrow, Kimberly Laskie; Donaldson, Katelyn; Blakeley, Jaishri; Belzberg, Allan; Hoke, Ahmet

2015-01-01

Schwannomatosis, a rare form of neurofibromatosis, is characterized predominantly by multiple, often painful, schwannomas throughout the peripheral nervous system. The current standard of care for schwannomatosis is surgical resection. A major obstacle to schwannomatosis research is the lack of robust tumor cell lines. There is a great need for mechanistic and drug discovery studies of schwannomatosis, yet appropriate tools are not currently available. Schwannomatosis tumors are difficult to grow in culture as they survive only a few passages before senescence. Our lab has extensive experience in establishing primary and immortalized human Schwann cell cultures from normal tissue that retain their phenotypes after immortalization. Therefore we took on the challenge of creating immortalized human Schwann cell lines derived from tumors from schwannomatosis patients. We have established and fully characterized 2 schwannomatosis cell lines from 2 separate patients using SV40 virus large T antigen. One patient reported pain and the other did not. The schwannomatosis cell lines were stained with S100B antibodies to confirm Schwann cell identity. The schwannomatosis cells also expressed the Schwann cell markers, p75NTR, S100B, and NGF after multiple passages. Cell morphology was retained following multiple passaging and freeze/ thaw cycles. Gene expression microarray analysis was used to compare the cell lines with their respective parent tumors. No differences in key genes were detected, with the exception that several cell cycle regulators were upregulated in the schwannomatosis cell lines when compared to their parent tumors. This upregulation was apparently a product of cell culturing, as the schwannomatosis cells exhibited the same expression pattern of cell cycle regulatory genes as normal primary human Schwann cells. Cell growth was also similar between normal primary and immortalized tumor cells in culture. Accurate cell lines derived directly from human tumors will serve as invaluable tools for advancing schwannomatosis research, including drug screening. PMID:26657314

Retrovirus-mediated conditional immortalization and analysis of established cell lines of osteoclast precursor cells

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kawata, Shigehisa; Suzuki, Jun; Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-2 Yamada-oka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871

2006-11-10

Osteoclast precursor cells (OPCs) have previously been established from bone marrow cells of SV40 temperature-sensitive T antigen-expressing transgenic mice. Here, we use retrovirus-mediated gene transfer to conditionally immortalize OPCs by expressing temperature-sensitive large T antigen (tsLT) from wild type bone marrow cells. The immortalized OPCs proliferated at the permissive temperature of 33.5 deg. C, but stopped growing at the non-permissive temperature of 39 deg. C. In the presence of receptor activator of NF{kappa}B ligand (RANKL), the OPCs differentiated into tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP)-positive cells and formed multinucleate osteoclasts at 33.5 deg. C. From these OPCs, we cloned two types ofmore » cell lines. Both differentiated into TRAP-positive cells, but one formed multinucleate osteoclasts while the other remained unfused in the presence of RANKL. These results indicate that the established cell lines are useful for analyzing mechanisms of differentiation, particularly multinucleate osteoclast formation. Retrovirus-mediated conditional immortalization should be a useful method to immortalize OPCs from primary bone marrow cells.« less

Development and Characterisation of a Human Chronic Skin Wound Cell Line-Towards an Alternative for Animal Experimentation.

PubMed

Caley, Matthew; Wall, Ivan B; Peake, Matthew; Kipling, David; Giles, Peter; Thomas, David W; Stephens, Phil

2018-03-27

Background : Chronic skin wounds are a growing financial burden for healthcare providers, causing discomfort/immobility to patients. Whilst animal chronic wound models have been developed to allow for mechanistic studies and to develop/test potential therapies, such systems are not good representations of the human chronic wound state. As an alternative, human chronic wound fibroblasts (CWFs) have permitted an insight into the dysfunctional cellular mechanisms that are associated with these wounds. However, such cells strains have a limited replicative lifespan and therefore a limited reproducibility/usefulness. Objectives : To develop/characterise immortalised cell lines of CWF and patient-matched normal fibroblasts (NFs). Methods and Results : Immortalisation with human telomerase resulted in both CWF and NF proliferating well beyond their replicative senescence end-point (respective cell strains senesced as normal). Gene expression analysis demonstrated that, whilst proliferation-associated genes were up-regulated in the cell lines (as would be expected), the immortalisation process did not significantly affect the disease-specific genotype. Immortalised CWF (as compared to NF) also retained a distinct impairment in their wound repopulation potential (in line with CWF cell strains). Conclusions : These novel CWF cell lines are a credible animal alternative and could be a valuable research tool for understanding both the aetiology of chronic skin wounds and for therapeutic pre-screening.

Establishment and characterization of fin-derived cell line from ornamental carp, Cyprinus carpio koi, for virus isolation in India.

PubMed

Swaminathan, T Raja; Basheer, V S; Kumar, Raj; Kathirvelpandian, A; Sood, Neeraj; Jena, J K

2015-08-01

Cyprinus carpio koi fin (CCKF) cell line was established and characterized from the caudal fin tissue of ornamental common carp, C. carpio koi. This cell line has been maintained in L-15 medium supplemented with 15% foetal bovine serum (FBS) and subcultured more than 52 times over a period of 24 mo. The CCKF cell line consisted of epithelial cells and was able to grow at temperatures between 22 and 35°C with an optimum temperature of 28°C. The growth rate of these cells increased as the proportion of FBS increased from 2 to 20% with optimum growth at the concentrations of 15% FBS. Karyotype analysis revealed that the modal chromosome number of CCKF cells was 2n = 100. Partial amplification and sequencing of fragments of two mitochondrial genes 16S rRNA and COI confirmed that CCKF cell line originated from ornamental common carp. The CCKF cells showed strong reaction to the cytokeratin marker, indicating that it was epithelial in nature. The extracellular products of Vibrio cholerae MTCC 3904 and Aeromonas hydrophila were toxic to the CCKF cells and not susceptible to viral nervous necrosis virus (VNNV). These CCKF cells were confirmed for the absence of Mycoplasma sp. by polymerase chain reaction. Furthermore, 90% of viable cells could be effectively revived 4 mo after cryopreservation from CCKF cell population suggesting the possibility of long-term storage of the cells.

Biotin conjugated organic molecules and proteins for cancer therapy: A review.

PubMed

Maiti, Santanu; Paira, Priyankar

2018-02-10

The main transporter for biotin is sodium dependent multivitamin transporter (SMVT), which is overexpressed in various aggressive cancer cell lines such as ovarian (OV 2008, ID8), leukemia (L1210FR), mastocytoma (P815), colon (Colo-26), breast (4T1, JC, MMT06056), renal (RENCA, RD0995), and lung (M109) cancer cell lines. Furthermore, its overexpression was found higher to that of folate receptor. Therefore, biotin demand in the rapidly growing tumors is higher than normal tissues. Several biotin conjugated organic molecules has been reported here for selective delivery of the drug in cancer cell. Biotin conjugated molecules are showing higher fold of cytotoxicity in biotin positive cancer cell lines than the normal cell. Nanoparticles and polymer surface modified drugs and biotin mediated cancer theranostic strategy was highlighted in this review. The cytotoxicity and selectivity of the drug in cancer cells has enhanced after biotin conjugation. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Generation of ΔF508-CFTR T84 cell lines by CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing.

PubMed

Chung, Woo Young; Song, Myungjae; Park, Jinhong; Namkung, Wan; Lee, Jinu; Kim, Hyongbum; Lee, Min Goo; Kim, Joo Young

2016-12-01

To provide a simple method to make a stable ΔF508-CFTR-expressing T84 cell line that can be used as an efficient screening model system for ΔF508-CFTR rescue. CFTR knockout cell lines were generated by Cas9 with a single-guide RNA (sgRNA) targeting exon 1 of the CFTR genome, which produced indels that abolished CFTR protein expressions. Next, stable ΔF508-CFTR expression was achieved by genome integration of ΔF508-CFTR via the lentivirus infection system. Finally, we showed functional rescue of ΔF508-CFTR not only by growing the cells at a low temperature, but also incubating with VX-809, a ΔF508-CFTR corrector, in the established T84 cells expressing ΔF508-CFTR. This cell system provides an appropriate screening platform for rescue of ΔF508-CFTR, especially related to protein folding, escaped from endoplasmic-reticulum-associated protein degradation, and membrane transport.

Multidrug resistance characterization in multicellular tumour spheroids from two human lung cancer cell lines.

PubMed

Barrera-Rodríguez, Raúl; Fuentes, Jorge Morales

2015-01-01

Most of the knowledge about the mechanisms of multidrug resistance in lung cancer has been achieved through the use of cell lines isolated from tumours cultivated either in suspensions of isolated cells or in monolayers and following exposition to different cytostatic agents. However, tumour cell lines growing as multicellular tumour spheroids (MTS) frequently develop multicellular resistance in a drug-independent form. The aim of this study was to characterize the phenotypic and functional differences between two human NSCLC cell lines (INER-37 and INER-51) grown as traditional monolayer cultures versus as MTS. After 72 hours treatment with anticancer drugs, chemosensitivity in monolayers and tumour spheroids cultures was assessed using MTT assay. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction was employed to detect the mRNAs of multidrug resistance-related genes. The expression of P-gp was analyzed by immunohistochemical staining and cell cycle profiles were analyzed using FACS. The results indicate that when grown as MTS each lung cancer cell line had different morphologies as well as and abrogation of cell proliferation with decrease of the G2/M phase. Also, MTS acquired multicellular resistance to several chemotherapeutic agents in only a few days of culture which were accomplished by significant changes in the expression of MDR-related genes. Overall, the MTS culture changed the cellular response to drugs nevertheless each of the cell lines studied seems to implement different mechanisms to acquire multicellular resistance.

Establishment and characterization of a goat synovial membrane cell line susceptible to small ruminant lentivirus infection.

PubMed

Rolland, Morgane; Chauvineau, Cécile; Valas, Stephen; Mamoun, Robert Z; Perrin, Gérard

2004-06-15

Primary goat synovial membrane (GSM) cells are widely used to study small ruminant lentiviruses (SRLV), i.e. maedi visna virus (MVV) and caprine arthritis-encephalitis virus (CAEV), but their limited life-span of 15-20 passages in vitro is problematic. Here, we report that ectopic expression of the catalytic subunit of human telomerase (hTERT) was sufficient to immortalize primary GSM cells. Cultures of hTERT-transfected GSM cells have been passaged for 2 years without showing any phenotypic difference from the original primary GSM cells. The hTERT-transfected cells continued to grow beyond a population doubling number of 250, while no net telomere lengthening was observed for these cells. Moreover, the immortalized GSM cells were susceptible to infection by both CAEV and MVV and were able to propagate theses viruses. Such cell line provides a useful source of standard and robust cells for both research and veterinary purposes.

A Good Neighborhood for Cells: Bioreactor Demonstration System (BDS-05)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chung, Leland W. K.; Goodwin, Thomas J. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

Good neighborhoods help you grow. As with a city, the lives of a cell are governed by its neighborhood connections Connections that do not work are implicated in a range of diseases. One of those connections - between prostate cancer and bone cells - will be studied on STS-107 using the Bioreactor Demonstration System (BDS-05). To improve the prospects for finding novel therapies, and to identify biomarkers that predict disease progression, scientists need tissue models that behave the same as metastatic or spreading cancer. This is one of several NASA-sponsored lines of cell science research that use the microgravity environment of orbit in an attempt to grow lifelike tissue models for health research. As cells replicate, they "self associate" to form a complex matrix of collagens, proteins, fibers, and other structures. This highly evolved microenvironment tells each cell who is next door, how it should grow arid into what shapes, and how to respond to bacteria, wounds, and other stimuli. Studying these mechanisms outside the body is difficult because cells do not easily self-associate outside a natural environment. Most cell cultures produce thin, flat specimens that offer limited insight into how cells work together. Ironically, growing cell cultures in the microgravity of space produces cell assemblies that more closely resemble what is found in bodies on Earth. NASA's Bioreactor comprises a miniature life support system and a rotating vessel containing cell specimens in a nutrient medium. Orbital BDS experiments that cultured colon and prostate cancers have been highly promising.

Establishment of immortal swine kidney epithelial cells.

PubMed

Kwak, Sungwook; Jung, Ji-Eun; Jin, Xun; Kim, Sun-Myung; Kim, Tae-Kyung; Lee, Joong-Seob; Lee, Soo-Yeon; Pian, Xumin; You, Seungkwon; Kim, Hyunggee; Choi, Yun-Jaie

2006-01-01

Using normal swine kidney epithelial (SKE) cells that were shown to be senescent at passages 12 to 14, we have established one lifespan-extended cell line and two lifespan-extended cell lines by exogenous introduction of the human catalytic subunit of telomerase (hTERT) and simian virus 40 large T-antigen (SV40LT), all of which maintain epithelial morphology and express cytokeratin, a marker of epithelial cells. SV40LT- and hTERT-transduced immortal cell lines appeared to be smaller and exhibited more uniform morphology relative to primary and spontaneously immortalized SKE cells. We determined the in vitro lifespan of primary SKE cells using a standard 3T6 protocol. There were two steps of the proliferation barrier at 12 and 20, in which a majority of primary SKE cells appeared enlarged, flattened, vacuolated, and ss-galactosidase-positive, all phenotypical characteristics of senescent cells. Lifespan-extended SKE cells were eventually established from most of the cellular foci, which is indicative of spontaneous cellular conversion at passage 23. Beyond passage 25, the rate of population doubling of the established cells gradually increased. At passage 30, immortal cell lines grew faster than primary counterpart cells in 10% FBS-DMEM culture conditions, and only SV40LT-transduced immortal cells grew faster than primary and other SKE immortal cells in 0.5% FBS-DMEM. These lifespan-extended SKE cell lines failed to grow in an anchorage-independent manner in soft-agar dishes. Hence, three immortalized swine kidney epithelial cells that are not transformed would be valuable biological tools for virus propagation and basic kidney epithelial cell research.

The aux1 gene of the Ri plasmid is sufficient to confer auxin autotrophy in tobacco BY-2 cells.

PubMed

Nemoto, Keiichirou; Hara, Masamitsu; Goto, Shingo; Kasai, Kouji; Seki, Hikaru; Suzuki, Masashi; Oka, Atsuhiro; Muranaka, Toshiya; Mano, Yoshihiro

2009-05-01

Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) Bright Yellow-2 (BY-2) cells are rapidly proliferating meristematic cells that require auxin for culture in vitro. We have established several transgenic BY-2 cell lines that carry the T-DNA of Agrobacterium rhizogenes 15834, which harbors an agropine-type root-inducing (Ri) plasmid. Two of these lines, BYHR-3 and BYHR-7, were used to test the role of auxin in the proliferation of plant cells. The lines grew rapidly in Linsmaier-Skoog (LS) medium lacking auxin and other phytohormones. The TR-DNA, containing the aux1 (tryptophan monooxygenase) and aux2 (indoleacetamide hydrolase) genes, was present in the genomes of both transgenic lines, whereas the TL-DNA, containing the rolA, B, C and D genes, was present in the genome of BYHR-7 but not BYHR-3. Since the introduction of the rolABCD genes alone did not affect the auxin requirement of BY-2 cells, the aux1 and aux2 genes, but not the rolABCD genes, appear to be relevant to the auxin autotrophy of these transgenic lines. Furthermore, the overexpression of aux1 allowed BY-2 cells to grow rapidly in the absence of auxin, suggesting the existence in plant cells of an unidentified gene whose product is functionally equivalent or similar to that of aux2 of the Ri plasmid.

The multidrug resistance pumps are inhibited by silibinin and apoptosis induced in K562 and KCL22 leukemia cell lines.

PubMed

Noori-Daloii, Mohammad Reza; Saffari, Mojtaba; Raoofian, Reza; Yekaninejad, Mirsaeed; Dinehkabodi, Orkideh Saydi; Noori-Daloii, Ali Reza

2014-05-01

Silibinin have been introduced for several years as a potent antioxidant in the field of nutraceuticals. Based on wide persuasive effects of this drug, we have decided to investigate the effects of silibinin on chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) in vitro models, K562 and KCL22 cell lines. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release, microculture tetrazolium test (MTT assay) and real-time PCR were employed to evaluate the effects of silibinin on cell cytotoxicity, cell proliferation and expression of various multidrug resistance genes in these cell lines, respectively. Our results have shown that presence of silibinin has inhibitory effects on cell proliferation of K562 and KCL22 cell lines. Also, our data indicated that silibinin, in a dose-dependent manner with applying no cytotoxic effects, inhibited cell proliferation and reduced mRNA expression levels of some transporter genes e.g. MDR1, MRP3, MRP2, MRP1, MRP5, MRP4, ABCG2, ABCB11, MRP6 and MRP7. The multifarious in vitro inhibitory effects of silibinin are in agreement with growing body of evidence that silibinin would be an efficient anticancer agent in order to be used in multi-target therapy to prevail the therapeutic hold backs against CML. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Establishment and Characterization of a Telomerase-Immortalized Sheep Trophoblast Cell Line.

PubMed

Zhang, Yufei; Shi, Jing; Liu, Shuying

2016-01-01

The primary sheep trophoblast cells (STCs) have a finite lifespan in culture. This feature limits the scope for long-term in vitro studies with STCs. This study was an attempt to establish and characterize a telomerase-immortalized sheep trophoblast cell line. STCs were isolated and purified by using Percoll and specific immunoaffinity purification, respectively. The purified STCs were transfected with a plasmid carrying sequences of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) to create immortalized sheep trophoblast cell line (hTERT-STCs). hTERT-STCs showed a stable expression of hTERT gene, serially passaged for a year, and showed active proliferation without signs of senescence. Cytokeratin 7 (CK-7), secreted human chorionic gonadotrophin subunit β (CG-β), placental lactogen (PL), and endogenous jaagsiekte sheep retrovirus (enJSRV) envelope genes were expressed in hTERT-STCs. Transwell cell invasion assay indicated that hTERT-STCs still possessed the same invasive characteristics as normal primary sheep trophoblast cells. hTERT-STCs could not grow in soft agar and did not develop into tumors in nude mice. In this study, we established a strain of immortalized sheep trophoblast cell line which could be gainfully employed in the future as an experimental model to study trophoblast cells with secretory function, invasive features, and probable biological function of enJSRV envelope genes.

Different molecular organization of two carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin, in human colon epithelial cells and colon adenocarcinoma cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grudzinski, Wojciech; Piet, Mateusz; Luchowski, Rafal; Reszczynska, Emilia; Welc, Renata; Paduch, Roman; Gruszecki, Wieslaw I.

2018-01-01

Two cell lines, human normal colon epithelial cells (CCD 841 CoTr) and human colon adenocarcinoma cells (HT-29) were cultured in the presence of exogenous carotenoids, either zeaxanthin or lutein. Both carotenoids demonstrated cytotoxicity with respect to cancer cells but not to normal cells. Cells from both the cell lines were analyzed with application of fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy and Raman scattering microscopy. Both imaging techniques show effective incorporation of carotenoid molecules into growing cells. Comparison of the Raman scattering and fluorescence lifetime characteristics reveals different molecular organization of carotenoids in the carcinoma and normal cells. The main difference consists in a carotenoid aggregation level which is substantially lower in the carcinoma cells as compared to the normal cells. Different molecular organization of carotenoids was interpreted in terms of a different metabolism of normal and carcinoma cells and has been concluded to provide a possibility of cancer diagnosis based on spectroscopic analyses.

Rice bran phytochemicals and dietary colon chemoprevention teamwork

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A growing body of evidence supports that dietary rice bran exhibits gastrointestinal cancer control and prevention activity using carcinogen induced animal models and human colon cancer cell lines. Our laboratory has recently reported metabolomic differences in rice from globally and genetically dis...

Establishment and characterization of feeder cell-dependent bovine fetal liver cell lines.

PubMed

Talbot, Neil C; Wang, Ling; Garrett, Wesley M; Caperna, Thomas J; Tang, Young

2016-03-01

The establishment and initial characterization of bovine fetal liver cell lines are described. Bovine fetal hepatocytes were cultured from the liver of a 34-d bovine fetus by physical disruption of the liver tissue. Released liver cells and clumps of cells were plated on STO (SIMS mouse strain, thioguanine- and ouabain-resistant) feeder layers and were cultured in a medium supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum. After 2-3 wk, primary colonies of hepatocytes were observed by phase-contrast microscopic observation. Individual hepatocyte colonies were colony-cloned into independent bovine fetal liver (BFL) cell lines. Two cell lines, BFL-6 and BFL-9, grew the best of several isolates, and they were further characterized for growth potential and for hepatocyte morphology and function. The two cell lines were found to grow markedly better in the presence of the transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta inhibitor, SB431542 (1 μM). Their continuous culture also depended on a particular medium height-for T12.5 flasks, 3 ml total medium produced optimum growth. Higher or lower amounts of medium caused less cell growth or cessation of growth. The cell lines were propagated for over a year at split ratios of 1:2 or 1:3 at each passage until reaching senescence at approximately 30 passages. The cells were laterally polarized with well-developed canalicular spaces occurring between adjacent BFL cells. Treatment of the cultures with cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)-stimulating chemicals or peptides (e.g., forskolin or glucagon) caused physical expansion of the canaliculi between the cells within 15 min. The cells secreted a spectrum of serum proteins, were positive for the expression of several hepatocyte-specific genes, and converted ammonia to urea, although at a relatively low rate. The culture system provides an in vitro model of fetal bovine hepatocytes and is the first demonstration of the continuous culture of normal bovine hepatocytes as cell lines.

Quality Assurance in the Polio Laboratory. Cell Sensitivity and Cell Authentication Assays.

PubMed

Dunn, Glynis

2016-01-01

The accuracy of poliovirus surveillance is largely dependent on the quality of the cell lines used for virus isolation, which is the foundation of poliovirus diagnostic work. Many cell lines are available for the isolation of enteroviruses, whilst genetically modified L20B cells can be used as a diagnostic tool for the identification of polioviruses. To be confident that cells can consistently isolate the virus of interest, it is necessary to have a quality assurance system in place, which will ensure that the cells in use are not contaminated with other cell lines or microorganisms and that they remain sensitive to the viruses being studied.The sensitivity of cell lines can be assessed by the regular testing of a virus standard of known titer in the cell lines used for virus isolation. The titers obtained are compared to previously obtained titers in the same assay, so that any loss of sensitivity can be detected.However, the detection of cell line cross contamination is more difficult. DNA bar coding is a technique that uses a short DNA sequence from a standardized position in the genome as a molecular diagnostic assay for species-level identification. For almost all groups of higher animals, the cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 of mitochondrial DNA (CO1) is emerging as the standard barcode region. This region is 648 nucleotide base pairs long in most phylogenetic groups and is flanked by regions of conserved sequences, making it relatively easy to isolate and analyze. DNA barcodes vary among individuals of the same species to a very minor degree (generally less than 1-2 %), and a growing number of studies have shown that the COI sequences of even closely related species differ by several per cent, making it possible to identify different species with high confidence.

Non-invasive and non-destructive measurements of confluence in cultured adherent cell lines.

PubMed

Busschots, Steven; O'Toole, Sharon; O'Leary, John J; Stordal, Britta

2015-01-01

Many protocols used for measuring the growth of adherent monolayer cells in vitro are invasive, destructive and do not allow for the continued, undisturbed growth of cells within flasks. Protocols often use indirect methods for measuring proliferation. Microscopy techniques can analyse cell proliferation in a non-invasive or non-destructive manner but often use expensive equipment and software algorithms. In this method images of cells within flasks are captured by photographing under a standard inverted phase contract light microscope using a digital camera with a camera lens adaptor. Images are analysed for confluence using ImageJ freeware resulting in a measure of confluence known as an Area Fraction (AF) output. An example of the AF method in use on OVCAR8 and UPN251 cell lines is included. •Measurements of confluence from growing adherent cell lines in cell culture flasks is obtained in a non-invasive, non-destructive, label-free manner.•The technique is quick, affordable and eliminates sample manipulation.•The technique provides an objective, consistent measure of when cells reach confluence and is highly correlated to manual counting with a haemocytometer. The average correlation co-efficient from a Spearman correlation (n = 3) was 0.99 ± 0.008 for OVCAR8 (p = 0.01) and 0.99 ± 0.01 for UPN251 (p = 0.01) cell lines.

Growth of Piscirickettsia salmonis on Enriched Blood Agar

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Piscirickettsia salmonis is the etiologic agent of piscirickettsiosis, an economically significant disease of fish. Isolation of P. salmonis by culturing on fish cell lines has been the standard technique since the initial isolation of the organism. The ability to grow P. salmonis on artificial medi...

Analysis of the therapeutic gain in the treatment of human osteosarcoma microcolonies in vitro with 211At-labelled monoclonal antibody.

PubMed

Larsen, R H; Bruland, O S; Hoff, P; Alstad, J; Rofstad, E K

1994-06-01

Microcolonies were obtained by culturing cells of two human osteosarcoma lines (OHS and KPDX) and one human melanoma line (WIX-c) for either 24 or 72 h. The microcolonies were treated with either alpha-particle radiation emitted by the 211At-labelled monoclonal antibody (MAb) TP-3 or external beam X-rays. Survival of microcolonies was assayed by colony formation. Therapeutic gain factor (TGF) values were calculated for two survival levels, 50% and 20% microcolony regeneration (i.e. at least one cell in 50% or 20% of the colonies survived the treatments). The TGF values were affected by the specific activity of the 211At-MAb conjugate, the antigen expression of the cells and the size and growth pattern of the microcolonies. Treatment with 211At-TP-3 gave TGF values that varied from 1.3 +/- 0.4 to 4.5 +/- 0.7 (mean +/- s.e.). The antigen-rich OHS cell line had on average 1.6 times higher TGF than the antigen-poor KPDX cell line. The TGF increased significantly with colony size for the densely packed colonies of the KPDX cell line but not for the OHS cell line, which had colonies with cells growing in a more scattered pattern. Control experiments with the two non-specific 211At forms, free 211At and 211At-labelled bovine serum albumin, gave TGF values from 0.6 +/- 0.1 to 1.0 +/- 0.3. This study suggests that in vivo evaluation of 211At-MAbs using relevant tumour models is desirable.

Analysis of the therapeutic gain in the treatment of human osteosarcoma microcolonies in vitro with 211At-labelled monoclonal antibody.

PubMed Central

Larsen, R. H.; Bruland, O. S.; Hoff, P.; Alstad, J.; Rofstad, E. K.

1994-01-01

Microcolonies were obtained by culturing cells of two human osteosarcoma lines (OHS and KPDX) and one human melanoma line (WIX-c) for either 24 or 72 h. The microcolonies were treated with either alpha-particle radiation emitted by the 211At-labelled monoclonal antibody (MAb) TP-3 or external beam X-rays. Survival of microcolonies was assayed by colony formation. Therapeutic gain factor (TGF) values were calculated for two survival levels, 50% and 20% microcolony regeneration (i.e. at least one cell in 50% or 20% of the colonies survived the treatments). The TGF values were affected by the specific activity of the 211At-MAb conjugate, the antigen expression of the cells and the size and growth pattern of the microcolonies. Treatment with 211At-TP-3 gave TGF values that varied from 1.3 +/- 0.4 to 4.5 +/- 0.7 (mean +/- s.e.). The antigen-rich OHS cell line had on average 1.6 times higher TGF than the antigen-poor KPDX cell line. The TGF increased significantly with colony size for the densely packed colonies of the KPDX cell line but not for the OHS cell line, which had colonies with cells growing in a more scattered pattern. Control experiments with the two non-specific 211At forms, free 211At and 211At-labelled bovine serum albumin, gave TGF values from 0.6 +/- 0.1 to 1.0 +/- 0.3. This study suggests that in vivo evaluation of 211At-MAbs using relevant tumour models is desirable. PMID:8198960

DOK, a cell line established from human dysplastic oral mucosa, shows a partially transformed non-malignant phenotype.

PubMed

Chang, S E; Foster, S; Betts, D; Marnock, W E

1992-12-02

There are many reports of cell lines being established from human oral squamous-cell carcinomas but apparently none of cell lines from dysplastic or "pre-malignant" oral mucosa. We describe here the isolation and characterization of a cell line, DOK (dysplastic oral keratinocyte), from a piece of dorsal tongue showing epithelial dysplasia. The tissue was obtained from a 57-year-old man who was a heavy smoker prior to the appearance of a white patch on his tongue. Eleven years later a squamous-cell carcinoma developed at the site and was excised. Subsequently the remaining dysplasia was removed, and it was from a piece of this that the primary cell cultures which eventually gave rise to DOK were initiated. The DOK line has been single-cell cloned and is apparently immortal. It grows in the absence of 3T3 feeder cells, is anchorage-dependent for growth and is non-tumorigenic in nude mice. The keratin profile of the cells shows a striking similarity to that of the original tongue dysplasia. The karyotype of DOK is aneuploid and complex. By PCR and oligonucleotide hybridization on dot blots, codons 12, 13 and 61 of Ha-ras, Ki-ras and N-ras in DNA extracted from DOK cells were shown to be normal. Immunohistochemistry showed no abnormal, i.e., elevated expression of the onco-suppressor protein p53. Because of its origin and partially transformed phenotype, DOK presents an opportunity to study whether specific carcinogens associated with tobacco and areca nut can cause malignant transformation of oral keratinocytes in vitro.

Expression of Recombinant Antibodies

PubMed Central

Frenzel, André; Hust, Michael; Schirrmann, Thomas

2013-01-01

Recombinant antibodies are highly specific detection probes in research, diagnostics, and have emerged over the last two decades as the fastest growing class of therapeutic proteins. Antibody generation has been dramatically accelerated by in vitro selection systems, particularly phage display. An increasing variety of recombinant production systems have been developed, ranging from Gram-negative and positive bacteria, yeasts and filamentous fungi, insect cell lines, mammalian cells to transgenic plants and animals. Currently, almost all therapeutic antibodies are still produced in mammalian cell lines in order to reduce the risk of immunogenicity due to altered, non-human glycosylation patterns. However, recent developments of glycosylation-engineered yeast, insect cell lines, and transgenic plants are promising to obtain antibodies with “human-like” post-translational modifications. Furthermore, smaller antibody fragments including bispecific antibodies without any glycosylation are successfully produced in bacteria and have advanced to clinical testing. The first therapeutic antibody products from a non-mammalian source can be expected in coming next years. In this review, we focus on current antibody production systems including their usability for different applications. PMID:23908655

Characterization of a new B-ALL cell line with constitutional defect of the Notch signaling pathway

PubMed Central

Kamga, Paul Takam; Dal Collo, Giada; Bassi, Giulio; Midolo, Martina; Delledonne, Massimo; Chilosi, Marco; Bonifacio, Massimiliano; Krampera, Mauro

2018-01-01

Notch signaling contribution to B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) development is still under investigation. The serendipitous onset of B-ALL in a patient affected by the germinal Notch mutation-dependent Alagille syndrome allowed us to establish a B-ALL cell line (VR-ALL) bearing a genetic loss of function in components of Notch signaling. VR-ALL is a common-type B-ALL cell line, grows in conventional culture medium supplemented with 10% serum, and gives rise, once injected into immunodeficient NOG mice, to a mouse xenograft model of B-ALL. Exome sequencing revealed deleterious mutations in some components of Notch signaling, including Jagged1, Notch1, and Notch2. In addition, VR-ALL is sensitive both in vitro and in vivo to γ-secretase inhibitors (GSIs) as well as conventional anti-leukemic drugs. For all these reasons, VR-ALL may help to gain more insights into the role of Notch signaling in B-ALL. PMID:29719609

Proliferation and enrichment of CD133(+) glioblastoma cancer stem cells on 3D chitosan-alginate scaffolds.

PubMed

Kievit, Forrest M; Florczyk, Stephen J; Leung, Matthew C; Wang, Kui; Wu, Jennifer D; Silber, John R; Ellenbogen, Richard G; Lee, Jerry S H; Zhang, Miqin

2014-11-01

Emerging evidence implicates cancer stem cells (CSCs) as primary determinants of the clinical behavior of human cancers, representing an ideal target for next-generation anti-cancer therapies. However CSCs are difficult to propagate in vitro, severely limiting the study of CSC biology and drug development. Here we report that growing cells from glioblastoma (GBM) cell lines on three dimensional (3D) porous chitosan-alginate (CA) scaffolds dramatically promotes the proliferation and enrichment of cells possessing the hallmarks of CSCs. CA scaffold-grown cells were found more tumorigenic in nude mouse xenografts than cells grown from monolayers. Growing in CA scaffolds rapidly promoted expression of genes involved in the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition that has been implicated in the genesis of CSCs. Our results indicate that CA scaffolds have utility as a simple and inexpensive means to cultivate CSCs in vitro in support of studies to understand CSC biology and develop more effective anti-cancer therapies. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cre-driver lines used for genetic fate mapping of neural crest cells in the mouse: An overview.

PubMed

Debbache, Julien; Parfejevs, Vadims; Sommer, Lukas

2018-04-19

The neural crest is one of the embryonic structures with the broadest developmental potential in vertebrates. Morphologically, neural crest cells emerge during neurulation in the dorsal folds of the neural tube before undergoing an epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), delaminating from the neural tube, and migrating to multiple sites in the growing embryo. Neural crest cells generate cell types as diverse as peripheral neurons and glia, melanocytes, and so-called mesectodermal derivatives that include craniofacial bone and cartilage and smooth muscle cells in cardiovascular structures. In mice, the fate of neural crest cells has been determined mainly by means of transgenesis and genome editing technologies. The most frequently used method relies on the Cre-loxP system, in which expression of Cre-recombinase in neural crest cells or their derivatives genetically enables the expression of a Cre-reporter allele, thus permanently marking neural crest-derived cells. Here, we provide an overview of the Cre-driver lines used in the field and discuss to what extent these lines allow precise neural crest stage and lineage-specific fate mapping. © 2018 The Authors Genesis: The Journal of Genetics and Development Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

AFM study shows prominent physical changes in elasticity and pericellular layer in human acute leukemic cells due to inadequate cell-cell communication

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guz, Nataliia V.; Patel, Sapan J.; Dokukin, Maxim E.; Clarkson, Bayard; Sokolov, Igor

2016-12-01

Biomechanical properties of single cells in vitro or ex vivo and their pericellular interfaces have recently attracted a lot of attention as a potential biophysical (and possibly prognostic) marker of various diseases and cell abnormalities. At the same time, the influence of the cell environment on the biomechanical properties of cells is not well studied. Here we use atomic force microscopy to demonstrate that cell-cell communication can have a profound effect on both cell elasticity and its pericellular coat. A human pre-B p190BCR/ABL acute lymphoblastic leukemia cell line (ALL3) was used in this study. Assuming that cell-cell communication is inversely proportional to the distance between cells, we study ALL3 cells in vitro growing at different cell densities. ALL3 cells demonstrate a clear density dependent behavior. These cells grow very well if started at a relatively high cell density (HD, >2 × 105 cells ml-1) and are poised to grow at low cell density (LD, <1 × 104 cells ml-1). Here we observe ˜6× increase in the elastic (Young’s) modulus of the cell body and ˜3.6× decrease in the pericellular brush length of LD cells compared to HD ALL3 cells. The difference observed in the elastic modulus is much larger than typically reported for pathologically transformed cells. Thus, cell-cell communication must be taken into account when studying biomechanics of cells, in particular, correlating cell phenotype and its biophysical properties.

Manipulation of the sodium-potassium ratio as a lever for controlling cell growth and improving cell specific productivity in perfusion CHO cell cultures.

PubMed

Wang, Samantha B; Lee-Goldman, Alexandria; Ravikrishnan, Janani; Zheng, Lili; Lin, Henry

2018-04-01

Perfusion processes typically require removal of a continuous or semi-continuous volume of cell culture in order to maintain a desired target cell density. For fast growing cell lines, the product loss from this stream can be upwards of 35%, significantly reducing the overall process yield. As volume removed is directly proportional to cell growth, the ability to modulate growth during perfusion cell culture production thus becomes crucial. Leveraging existing media components to achieve such control without introducing additional supplements is most desirable because it decreases process complexity and eliminates safety and clearance concerns. Here, the impact of extracellular concentrations of sodium (Na) and potassium (K) on cell growth and productivity is explored. High throughput small-scale models of perfusion revealed Na:K ratios below 1 can significantly suppress cell growth by inducing cell cycle arrest in the G0/1 phase. A concomitant increase in cell specific productivity was also observed, reaching as high as 115 pg/cell/day for one cell line studied. Multiple recombinant Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell lines demonstrated similar responses to lower Na:K media, indicating the universal applicability of such an approach. Product quality attributes were also assessed and revealed that effects were cell line specific, and can be acceptable or manageable depending on the phase of the drug development. Drastically altering Na and K levels in perfusion media as a lever to impact cell growth and productivity is proposed. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Marinobufagin, a molecule from poisonous frogs, causes biochemical, morphological and cell cycle changes in human neoplasms and vegetal cells.

PubMed

Machado, Kátia da Conceição; Sousa, Lívia Queiroz de; Lima, Daisy Jereissati Barbosa; Soares, Bruno Marques; Cavalcanti, Bruno Coêlho; Maranhão, Sarah Sant'Anna; Noronha, Janaina da Costa de; Rodrigues, Domingos de Jesus; Militão, Gardenia Carmen Gadelha; Chaves, Mariana Helena; Vieira-Júnior, Gerardo Magela; Pessoa, Cláudia; Moraes, Manoel Odorico de; Sousa, João Marcelo de Castro E; Melo-Cavalcante, Ana Amélia de Carvalho; Ferreira, Paulo Michel Pinheiro

2018-03-15

Skin toad secretion present physiologically active molecules to protect them against microorganisms, predators and infections. This work detailed the antiproliferative action of marinobufagin on tumor and normal lines, investigate its mechanism on HL-60 leukemia cells and its toxic effects on Allium cepa meristematic cells. Initially, cytotoxic action was assessed by colorimetric assays. Next, HL-60 cells were analyzed by morphological and flow cytometry techniques and growing A. cepa roots were examined after 72 h exposure. Marinobufagin presented high antiproliferative action against all human tumor lines [IC 50 values ranging from 0.15 (leukemia) to 7.35 (larynx) μM] and it failed against human erythrocytes and murine lines. Human normal peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were up to 72.5-fold less sensitive [IC 50: 10.88 μM] to marinobufagin than HL-60 line, but DNA strand breaks were no detected. Leukemia treaded cells exhibited cell viability reduction, DNA fragmentation, phosphatidylserine externalization, binucleation, nuclear condensation and cytoplasmic vacuoles. Marinobufagin also reduced the growth of A. cepa roots (EC 50 : 7.5 μM) and mitotic index, caused cell cycle arrest and chromosomal alterations (micronuclei, delays and C-metaphases) in meristematic cells. So, to find out partially targeted natural molecules on human leukemia cells, like marinobufagin, is an amazing and stimulating way to continue the battle against cancer. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of Roles of Interferon Gamma Regulated Genes in Inhibition of Androgen-Independent Prostate Cancer

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-08-01

35V xenograft does not grow in vitro; for this reason, this exploratory proposal was design to evaluate the responses of various CaP cell lines to E2...observed effects of E2 on prostate cancer xenografts in vivo might be mediated via indirect effects through interactions of CaP cells with cells of the...16. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: 17. LIMITATION OF ABSTRACT 18 . NUMBER OF PAGES 19a. NAME OF RESPONSIBLE PERSON USAMRMC a. REPORT U b

Human embryonic stem cell lines: socio-legal concerns and therapeutic promise.

PubMed

McLaren, Anne

2002-10-01

Stem cell lines would be very valuable for the repair of diseased or damaged organs. Stem cells derived from adult tissues raise few ethical problems, and would not be rejected if derived from the patient. They show considerable plasticity and might be appropriate for some clinical conditions, but they tend not to grow well in culture. Stem cells derived from the early human embryo proliferate indefinitely in culture and can give rise to many different tissues, but their derivation requires destruction of the embryo, which is not ethically acceptable in some countries. Other countries allow strictly regulated destructive research on human embryos, usually those that have been produced for infertile couples in infertility clinics. Embryos that are no longer required for the couple's own reproductive project could be donated for research rather than just discarded. Different approaches are being developed to avoid immunological rejection of embryonic stem cells used for therapy. Derivation of embryonic stem cell lines by somatic cell nuclear transfer ('cloning') from the patients themselves might be one possible approach, but is unlikely to be used in routine clinical practice if more cost-effective methods are available.

A novel cell division factor from tobacco 2B-13 cells that induced cell division in auxin-starved tobacco BY-2 cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shimizu, Takashi; Eguchi, Kentaro; Nishida, Ikuo; Laukens, Kris; Witters, Erwin; van Onckelen, Harry; Nagata, Toshiyuki

2006-06-01

Effects of auxin as plant hormones are widespread; in fact in almost all aspects of plant growth and development auxin plays a pivotal role. Although auxin is required for propagating cell division in plant cells, its effect upon cell division is least understood. If auxin is depleted from the culture medium, cultured cells cease to divide. It has been demonstrated in this context that the addition of auxin to auxin-starved nondividing tobacco BY-2 cells induced semisynchronous cell division. On the other hand, there are some cell lines, named habituated cells, that can grow without auxin. The cause and reason for the habituated cells have not been clarified. A habituated cell line named 2B-13 is derived from the tobacco BY-2 cell line, which has been most intensively studied among plant cell lines. When we tried to find the difference between two cell lines of BY-2 and 2B-13 cells, we found that the addition of culture filtrated from the auxin-habituated 2B-13 cells induced semisynchronous cell division in auxin-starved BY-2 cells. The cell division factor (CDF) that is responsible for inducing cell division in auxin-starved BY-2 cells was purified to near-homogeneity by sequential passage through a hydroxyapatite column, a ConA Sepharose column and a Sephadex gel filtration column. The resulting purified fraction appeared as a single band of high molecular weight on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis gels by silver staining and was able to induce cell division in auxin-starved BY-2 cells. Identification of the protein by MALD-TOF-MS/MS revealed that it is structurally related to P-glycoprotein from Gossypioides kirkii, which belongs to ATP-binding cassette (ABC)-transporters. The significance of CDF as a possible ABC-transporter is discussed in relationship to auxin-autotrophic growth and auxin-signaling pathway.

The Mechanism Forming the Cell Surface of Tip-Growing Rooting Cells Is Conserved among Land Plants.

PubMed

Honkanen, Suvi; Jones, Victor A S; Morieri, Giulia; Champion, Clement; Hetherington, Alexander J; Kelly, Steve; Proust, Hélène; Saint-Marcoux, Denis; Prescott, Helen; Dolan, Liam

2016-12-05

To discover mechanisms that controlled the growth of the rooting system in the earliest land plants, we identified genes that control the development of rhizoids in the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha. 336,000 T-DNA transformed lines were screened for mutants with defects in rhizoid growth, and a de novo genome assembly was generated to identify the mutant genes. We report the identification of 33 genes required for rhizoid growth, of which 6 had not previously been functionally characterized in green plants. We demonstrate that members of the same orthogroup are active in cell wall synthesis, cell wall integrity sensing, and vesicle trafficking during M. polymorpha rhizoid and Arabidopsis thaliana root hair growth. This indicates that the mechanism for constructing the cell surface of tip-growing rooting cells is conserved among land plants and was active in the earliest land plants that existed sometime more than 470 million years ago [1, 2]. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Three-dimensional alginate spheroid culture system of murine osteosarcoma.

PubMed

Akeda, Koji; Nishimura, Akinobu; Satonaka, Haruhiko; Shintani, Ken; Kusuzaki, Katsuyuki; Matsumine, Akihiko; Kasai, Yuichi; Masuda, Koichi; Uchida, Atsumasa

2009-11-01

Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common primary malignant tumor of the bone and often forms pulmonary metastases, which are the most important prognostic factor. For further elucidation of the mechanism underlying the progression and metastasis of human OS, a culture system mimicking the microenvironment of the tumor in vivo is needed. We report a novel three-dimensional (3D) alginate spheroid culture system of murine osteosarcoma. Two different metastatic clones, the parental Dunn and its derivative line LM8, which has a higher metastatic potential to the lungs, were encapsulated in alginate beads to develop the 3D culture system. The beads containing murine OS cells were also transplanted into mice to determine their metastatic potential in vivo. In this culture system, murine OS cells encapsulated in alginate beads were able to grow in a 3D structure with cells detaching from the alginate environment. The number of detaching cells was higher in the LM8 cell line than the Dunn cell line. In the in vivo alginate bead transplantation model, the rate of pulmonary metastasis was higher with LM8 cells compared with that of Dunn cells. The cell characteristics and kinetics in this culture system closely reflect the original malignant potential of the cells in vivo.

TP53-dependent chromosome instability is associated with transient reductions in telomere length in immortal telomerase-positive cell lines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schwartz, J. L.; Jordan, R.; Liber, H.; Murnane, J. P.; Evans, H. H.

2001-01-01

Telomere shortening in telomerase-negative somatic cells leads to the activation of the TP53 protein and the elimination of potentially unstable cells. We examined the effect of TP53 gene expression on both telomere metabolism and chromosome stability in immortal, telomerase-positive cell lines. Telomere length, telomerase activity, and chromosome instability were measured in multiple clones isolated from three related human B-lymphoblast cell lines that vary in TP53 expression; TK6 cells express wild-type TP53, WTK1 cells overexpress a mutant form of TP53, and NH32 cells express no TP53 protein. Clonal variations in both telomere length and chromosome stability were observed, and shorter telomeres were associated with higher levels of chromosome instability. The shortest telomeres were found in WTK1- and NH32-derived cells, and these cells had 5- to 10-fold higher levels of chromosome instability. The primary marker of instability was the presence of dicentric chromosomes. Aneuploidy and other stable chromosome alterations were also found in clones showing high levels of dicentrics. Polyploidy was found only in WTK1-derived cells. Both telomere length and chromosome instability fluctuated in the different cell populations with time in culture, presumably as unstable cells and cells with short telomeres were eliminated from the growing population. Our results suggest that transient reductions in telomere lengths may be common in immortal cell lines and that these alterations in telomere metabolism can have a profound effect on chromosome stability. Copyright 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Antagonizing Bcl-2 Family Members Sensitizes Neuroblastoma and Ewing’s Sarcoma to an Inhibitor of Glutamine Metabolism

PubMed Central

Olsen, Rachelle R.; Mary-Sinclair, Michelle N.; Yin, Zhirong; Freeman, Kevin W.

2015-01-01

Neuroblastomas (NBL) and Ewing’s sarcomas (EWS) together cause 18% of all pediatric cancer deaths. Though there is growing interest in targeting the dysregulated metabolism of cancer as a therapeutic strategy, this approach has not been fully examined in NBL and EWS. In this study, we first tested a panel of metabolic inhibitors and identified the glutamine antagonist 6-diazo-5-oxo-L-norleucine (DON) as the most potent chemotherapeutic across all NBL and EWS cell lines tested. Myc, a master regulator of metabolism, is commonly overexpressed in both of these pediatric malignancies and recent studies have established that Myc causes cancer cells to become “addicted” to glutamine. We found DON strongly inhibited tumor growth of multiple tumor lines in mouse xenograft models. In vitro, inhibition of caspases partially reversed the effects of DON in high Myc expressing cell lines, but not in low Myc expressing lines. We further showed that induction of apoptosis by DON in Myc-overexpressing cancers is via the pro-apoptotic factor Bax. To relieve inhibition of Bax, we tested DON in combination with the Bcl-2 family antagonist navitoclax (ABT-263). In vitro, this combination caused an increase in DON activity across the entire panel of cell lines tested, with synergistic effects in two of the N-Myc amplified neuroblastoma cell lines. Our study supports targeting glutamine metabolism to treat Myc overexpressing cancers, such as NBL and EWS, particularly in combination with Bcl-2 family antagonists. PMID:25615615

Development and Characterisation of a Human Chronic Skin Wound Cell Line—Towards an Alternative for Animal Experimentation

PubMed Central

Wall, Ivan B.; Peake, Matthew; Kipling, David; Giles, Peter; Thomas, David W.

2018-01-01

Background: Chronic skin wounds are a growing financial burden for healthcare providers, causing discomfort/immobility to patients. Whilst animal chronic wound models have been developed to allow for mechanistic studies and to develop/test potential therapies, such systems are not good representations of the human chronic wound state. As an alternative, human chronic wound fibroblasts (CWFs) have permitted an insight into the dysfunctional cellular mechanisms that are associated with these wounds. However, such cells strains have a limited replicative lifespan and therefore a limited reproducibility/usefulness. Objectives: To develop/characterise immortalised cell lines of CWF and patient-matched normal fibroblasts (NFs). Methods and Results: Immortalisation with human telomerase resulted in both CWF and NF proliferating well beyond their replicative senescence end-point (respective cell strains senesced as normal). Gene expression analysis demonstrated that, whilst proliferation-associated genes were up-regulated in the cell lines (as would be expected), the immortalisation process did not significantly affect the disease-specific genotype. Immortalised CWF (as compared to NF) also retained a distinct impairment in their wound repopulation potential (in line with CWF cell strains). Conclusions: These novel CWF cell lines are a credible animal alternative and could be a valuable research tool for understanding both the aetiology of chronic skin wounds and for therapeutic pre-screening. PMID:29584680

Proliferation and performance of hybridoma cells in microgravity (7-IML-1)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cogoli, Augusto

1992-01-01

The purpose of this experiment is to study how cell performance (biosynthesis and secretion) is altered by altered gravity conditions. Hybridoma cells are obtained by fusion of an activated B-lymphocyte with a myeloma cell. Activated B-lymphocytes, derived from a human or an animal, carry the information required to produce antibodies of a certain specificity and can survive only a few days in culture. Myeloma cells are tumor cells which can grow indefinitely in culture. Therefore, the product of the fusion is an immortal cell line capable of producing homogeneous antibodies (monoclonal antibodies). Experimental procedures are explained in some detail.

An intense, quasi-steady thunderstorm over mountainous terrain. I - Evolution of the storm-initiating mesoscale circulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cotton, W. R.; George, R. L.; Knupp, K. R.

1982-01-01

The evolution of mesoscale systems that eventually lead to the formation of large quasi-steady storm systems is investigated. The morphological and turbulent structure of the quasi-steady storm is described. Data obtained during the South Park Area Cumulus Experiment from surface meteorological stations, rawinsondes and tethered balloons, conventional and Doppler radars, powered aircraft, and satellites, indicate that on July 19, 1977, a north-south oriented line of intense convective cells formed and remained within South Park. Elevated surface heating created a region of low-level convergence, importing Pacific moisture from west of the Rockies. The mesoscale thunderstorm line formed over this convergence zone, and a single large convective cell was observed to grow on the southern end of the mesoscale line, exhibiting supercell characteristics and substantial modifications of the environmental flow.

Desmoplakin expression and distribution in cultured rat bladder epithelial cells of varying tumorigenic potential.

PubMed

Green, K J; Stappenbeck, T S; Noguchi, S; Oyasu, R; Nilles, L A

1991-03-01

The expression and distribution of the desmosomal plaque proteins, desmoplakins (DPs) I and II, were studied in nontumorigenic (RBE-8) and a series of tumorigenic (AY34, R-4909, SS-24B, RBTCC-8, and 804G) rat bladder epithelial cell lines. These cell lines ranged from slow-growing papillary transitional cells (AY34) to rapidly metastatic carcinoma cells (RBTCC-8). DPs I and II were shown by immunoblotting and Northern analysis to be present in nontumorigenic RBE-8 cells as well as in all of the tumorigenic cell lines, albeit in differing amounts. Immunofluorescence microscopy revealed striking differences in DP distribution, corresponding in general with increases in tumorigenic potential. Whereas DPs of normal RBE-8 cells and less tumorigenic AY34 cells were localized predominantly at cell interfaces, the more tumorigenic lines exhibited a high proportion of DP in the form of cytoplasmic dots, a distribution reminiscent of that seen in epithelial cells maintained in low levels of extracellular calcium. In 804G cells, which represented the most extreme example of this phenomenon, the majority of DPs were organized as cytoplasmic dots. Electron microscopy revealed intermediate filament (IF)-associated spots in the cytoplasm as well as an elaborate array of IF-associated plaques at the cell-substratum interface. The IF-associated spots in the cytoplasm reacted with anti-DP antibody in immunogold labeling experiments while those at the cell-substratum did not react. In more dense cultures of 804G cells, certain cells stratified and expressed increased amounts of DP followed by the induction of new keratins including those of the skin type. Decreasing extracellular calcium resulted in a rearrangement of DP in each cell line; staining at cell-cell interfaces disappeared and was replaced with a pattern of cytoplasmic dots. These results demonstrate a possible relationship between desmosome assembly and/or maintenance and tumorigenic potential.

Pumpkin seed extract: Cell growth inhibition of hyperplastic and cancer cells, independent of steroid hormone receptors.

PubMed

Medjakovic, Svjetlana; Hobiger, Stefanie; Ardjomand-Woelkart, Karin; Bucar, Franz; Jungbauer, Alois

2016-04-01

Pumpkin seeds have been known in folk medicine as remedy for kidney, bladder and prostate disorders since centuries. Nevertheless, pumpkin research provides insufficient data to back up traditional beliefs of ethnomedical practice. The bioactivity of a hydro-ethanolic extract of pumpkin seeds from the Styrian pumpkin, Cucurbita pepo L. subsp. pepo var. styriaca, was investigated. As pumpkin seed extracts are standardized to cucurbitin, this compound was also tested. Transactivational activity was evaluated for human androgen receptor, estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor with in vitro yeast assays. Cell viability tests with prostate cancer cells, breast cancer cells, colorectal adenocarcinoma cells and a hyperplastic cell line from benign prostate hyperplasia tissue were performed. As model for non-hyperplastic cells, effects on cell viability were tested with a human dermal fibroblast cell line (HDF-5). No transactivational activity was found for human androgen receptor, estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor, for both, extract and cucurbitin. A cell growth inhibition of ~40-50% was observed for all cell lines, with the exception of HDF-5, which showed with ~20% much lower cell growth inhibition. Given the receptor status of some cell lines, a steroid-hormone receptor independent growth inhibiting effect can be assumed. The cell growth inhibition for fast growing cells together with the cell growth inhibition of prostate-, breast- and colon cancer cells corroborates the ethnomedical use of pumpkin seeds for a treatment of benign prostate hyperplasia. Moreover, due to the lack of androgenic activity, pumpkin seed applications can be regarded as safe for the prostate. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Characterization of growth and Oryctes rhinoceros nudivirus production in attached cultures of the DSIR-HA-1179 coleopteran insect cell line.

PubMed

Pushparajan, Charlotte; Claus, Juan Daniel; Marshall, Sean David Goldie; Visnovsky, Gabriel

2013-12-01

The DSIR-HA-1179 coleopteran cell line is a susceptible and permissive host to the Oryctes rhinoceros nudivirus (OrNV), which has been used as a biocontrol agent against the coconut rhinoceros beetle (Oryctes rhinoceros); a pest of palms in the Asia-Pacific region. However, little is known about growth and metabolism of this cell line, knowledge of which is necessary to develop an in vitro large-scale OrNV production process. The strong anchorage-dependent characteristics of the cell line, its particular fragility and its tendency to form dense clumps when manipulated, are the most likely reasons that have precluded further development of the cell line. In order to characterize DSIR-HA-1179 cells, there was first a need for a reliable technique to count the cells. A homogenous cell suspension suitable for enumeration could be produced by treatment with TrypLE Express™ with optimum mean time for cell release calculated as 30 min. The cell line was adapted to grow in four serum-supplemented culture media namely TC-100, IPL-41, Sf-900 II and Sf-900 III and cell growth, glucose consumption, lactate and ammonia production were assessed from static-batch cultures. The maximum viable cell density was reached in Sf-900 II (17.9 × 10(5) cells/ml), with the maximum specific growth rate observed in this culture medium as well (0.0074 h(-1)). Higher production of OrNV was observed in IPL-41 and TC-100 (4.1 × 10(7) TCID50/ml) than in cultures infected in Sf-900 III (2.0 × 10(7) TCID50/ml) and Sf-900 II (1.4 × 10(7) TCID50/ml). At the end of the growth period, glucose was completely consumed in cultures grown in TC-100, while remained in excess in the other three culture media. The cell line produced lactate and ammonia to very low levels in the TC-100 culture medium which is a promising aspect for its cultivation at large-scale.

Analysis of tumor metabolism reveals mitochondrial glucose oxidation in genetically diverse, human glioblastomas in the mouse brain in vivo

PubMed Central

Marin-Valencia, Isaac; Yang, Chendong; Mashimo, Tomoyuki; Cho, Steve; Baek, Hyeonman; Yang, Xiao-Li; Rajagopalan, Kartik N.; Maddie, Melissa; Vemireddy, Vamsidhara; Zhao, Zhenze; Cai, Ling; Good, Levi; Tu, Benjamin P.; Hatanpaa, Kimmo J.; Mickey, Bruce E.; Matés, José M.; Pascual, Juan M.; Maher, Elizabeth A.; Malloy, Craig R.; DeBerardinis, Ralph J.; Bachoo, Robert M.

2012-01-01

SUMMARY Dysregulated metabolism is a hallmark of cancer cell lines, but little is known about the fate of glucose and other nutrients in tumors growing in their native microenvironment. To study tumor metabolism in vivo, we used an orthotopic mouse model of primary human glioblastoma (GBM). We infused 13C-labeled nutrients into mice bearing three independent GBM lines, each with a distinct set of mutations. All three lines displayed glycolysis, as expected for aggressive tumors. They also displayed unexpected metabolic complexity, oxidizing glucose via pyruvate dehydrogenase and the citric acid cycle, and using glucose to supply anaplerosis and other biosynthetic activities. Comparing the tumors to surrounding brain revealed obvious metabolic differences, notably the accumulation of a large glutamine pool within the tumors. Many of these same activities were conserved in cells cultured ex vivo from the tumors. Thus GBM cells utilize mitochondrial glucose oxidation during aggressive tumor growth in vivo. PMID:22682223

Transmittance of MCF-7 breast tumor cell line through visible and near infrared spectrum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tabakoǧlu, H. Ã.-zgür

2016-03-01

In this study, light transmittance of MCF-7 tumor cells from 450 nm to 1100 nm has been measured in their growing medium and evaluated. Transmittance differences have been tried to be put forward in cancer cell line on visible (VIS) and near infrared (NIR) spectrum as well as in between different numbers of cells in medium. An absorption-reflection spectrophotometer was used in the experiments. System has a tungsten light source, optical chopper, a monochromator, sample chamber, silicon detectors, lock-in amplifier and computer. System was controlled by software in order to adjust scan range, scan steps and grating configuration. Cells were grown in medium, and measurements were taken from cells while they were in 5 ml medium. According to our findings, there are significant differences between VIS and NIR regions for the same number of cells. There were found no statistical difference among different numbers of cells. Increasing number of cells has not affected the transmittance. Transmittance of medium is not significantly different from different concentration of cells.

Breast muscle tissue characteristics in growing broilers

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Muscle cell development in broilers influences growth rate, breast meat yield, and meat quality. The objective of this study was to characterize muscle tissue changes in breast muscles from two commercial lines of broilers from 21 to 56 days of age. The experiment was designed as a 2×2×6 factorial...

Packingline treatments and their effects on Xanthomonas axonopodis pv citri

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Florida citrus industry still remains under quarantine for the shipment of fruit to citrus growing areas. This is because of the fear the fruit going through the packing line from a canker infected grove will carry viable bacterial cells that can cause new infections where there was no disease p...

Role of latent membrane protein 1 in chronic active Epstein–Barr virus infection-derived T/NK-cell proliferation

PubMed Central

Ito, Takuto; Kawazu, Hidetaka; Murata, Takayuki; Iwata, Seiko; Arakawa, Saki; Sato, Yoshitaka; Kuzushima, Kiyotaka; Goshima, Fumi; Kimura, Hiroshi

2014-01-01

Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) predominantly infects B cells and causes B-cell lymphomas, such as Burkitt lymphoma and Hodgkin lymphoma. However, it also infects other types of cells, including T and natural killer (NK) cells, and causes disorders, such as chronic active EBV infection (CAEBV) and T/NK-cell lymphoma. The CAEBV is a lymphoproliferative disease with poor prognosis, where EBV-positive T or NK cells grow rapidly, although the molecular mechanisms that cause the cell expansion still remain to be elucidated. EBV-encoded latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1) is an oncogene that can transform some cell types, such as B cells and mouse fibroblasts, and thus may stimulate cell proliferation in CAEBV. Here, we examined the effect of LMP1 on EBV-negative cells using the cells conditionally expressing LMP1, and on CAEBV-derived EBV-positive cells by inhibiting the function of LMP1 using a dominant negative form of LMP1. We demonstrated that LMP1 was responsible for the increased cell proliferation in the cell lines derived from CAEBV, while LMP1 did not give any proliferative advantage to the EBV-negative cell line. PMID:24799376

Antioxidant and Antiproliferative Potential of Fruiting Bodies of the Wild-Growing King Bolete Mushroom, Boletus edulis (Agaricomycetes), from Western Serbia.

PubMed

Novakovic, Aleksandra; Karaman, Maja; Kaisarevic, Sonja; Radusin, Tanja; Llic, Nebojsa

2017-01-01

The aim of this work was to study the bioactivity of crude aqueous and ethanolic extracts of Boletus edulis prepared from caps and stipes of wild-growing basidiocarps collected from the Prijepolje region (western Serbia). The bioactivity screening included antioxidant (2,2-diphenyl-l-picrylhydrazyl [DPPH], nitric oxide, super-oxide anion*, and hydroxyl radicals and ferric-reducing antioxidant power) and antiproliferative MTT assays (human breast MCF-7 cancer cell line). In addition, all extracts were primarily characterized by ultraviolet/visible spectrophotometry to determine total phenolic and flavonoid contents. The highest anti-DPPH and anti-hydroxyl radical activity were observed in aqueous B. edulis extract from the caps (half maximal inhibitory concentration [IC50] = 50.97 μg/ mL and 2.05 μg/mL, respectively), whereas the highest anti-nitric oxide radical activity was observed in aqueous B. edulis extract from the stipes (IC50 = 10.74 μg/mL). The ethanolic extract obtained from the mushroom stipe showed higher anti-superoxide anion radical activity (IC50 = 9.84 μg/mL) and ferric-reducing antioxidant power (22.14 mg ascorbic acid equivalents/g dry weight) compared with aqueous extracts. Total phenolic content for all extracts was similar but total flavonoid content was significantly higher in the aqueous B. edulis extract from the caps (4.5 mg quercetin equivalents/g dry weight). All crude extracts showed activity against the MCF-7 cell line, with the ethanolic extract of B. edulis prepared from stipes (IC50 = 56 μg/mL) being the most potent. This is, to our knowledge, the first report of the antiproliferative effects of crude aqueous and ethanolic extracts prepared from caps and stipes of wild-growing basidiocarps of B. edulis on the human breast MCF-7 cancer cell line.

In vitro immunotoxicity assessment of culture-derived extracellular vesicles in human monocytes

PubMed Central

Rosas, Lucia E.; Elgamal, Ola A.; Mo, Xiaokui; Phelps, Mitch A.; Schmittgen, Thomas D.; Papenfuss, Tracey L.

2016-01-01

The potential to engineer extracellular vesicles (EV) that target specific cells and deliver a therapeutic payload has propelled a growing interest in their development as promising therapeutics. These EV are often produced from cultured cells. Very little is known about the interaction of cell culture-derived EV with cells of the immune system and their potential immunomodulatory effects. The present study evaluated potential immunotoxic effects of HEK293T-derived EV on the human monocytic cell lines THP-1 and U937. Incubation of cells with different doses of EV for 16–24 h was followed by assessment of cytotoxicity and cell function by flow cytometry. Changes in cell functionality were evaluated by the capacity of cells to phagocytize fluorescent microspheres. In addition, the internalization of labeled EV in THP-1 and U937 cells was evaluated. Exposure to EV did not affect the viability of THP-1 or U937 cells. Although lower doses of the EV increased phagocytic capacity in both cell lines, phagocytic efficiency of individual cells was not affected by EV exposure at any of the doses evaluated. This study also demonstrated that THP-1 and U937 monocytic cells are highly permissive to EV entry in a dose-response manner. These results suggest that, although HEK293T-derived EV are efficiently internalized by human monocytic cells, they do not exert a cytotoxic effect or alter phagocytic efficiency on the cell lines evaluated. PMID:27075513

Aspirin-induced chemoprevention and response kinetics are enhanced by PIK3CA mutations in colorectal cancer cells

PubMed Central

Zumwalt, Timothy J; Wodarz, Dominik; Komarova, Natalia L; Toden, Shusuke; Turner, Jacob; Cardenas, Jacob; Burn, John; Chan, Andrew T; Boland, C Richard; Goel, Ajay

2017-01-01

This study was designed to determine how aspirin influences the growth kinetics and characteristics of cultured colorectal cancer (CRC) cells that harbor a variety of different mutational backgrounds, including PIK3CA and KRAS activating mutations and the presence or absence of microsatellite instability. CRC cell lines (HCT116, HCT116+Chr3/5, RKO, SW480, HCT15, CACO2, HT29, and SW48) were treated with pharmacologically relevant doses of aspirin (0.5–10 mM) and evaluated for proliferation and cell cycle distribution. These parameters were fitted to a mathematical model to quantify the effects and understand the mechanism(s) by which aspirin modifies growth in CRC cells. We also evaluated the effects of aspirin on key G0/G1 cell cycle genes that are regulated by PI3K-Akt pathway. Aspirin decelerated growth rates and disrupted cell cycle dynamics more profoundly in faster growing CRC cell lines, which tended to be PIK3CA-mutants. Additionally, microarray analysis of 151 CRC cell lines identified important cell cycle regulatory genes downstream targets of PIK3, which were dysregulated by aspirin treatment cycle genes (PCNA and RB1, p<0.01). Our study demonstrated what clinical trials have only speculated, that PIK3CA-mutant CRCs are more sensitive to aspirin. Aspirin inhibited cell growth in all CRC cell lines regardless of mutational background, but the effects were exacerbated in cells with PIK3CA mutations. Mathematical modeling combined with bench science revealed that cells with PIK3CA mutations experience significant G0/G1 arrest and explains why patients with PIK3CA-mutant CRCs may benefit from aspirin use after diagnosis. PMID:28154202

A study of murine bone marrow cells cultured in bioreactors which create an environment which simulated microgravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lawless, Brother Desales

1990-01-01

Previous research indicated that mouse bone marrow cells could be grown in conditions of simulated microgravity. This environment was created in rotating bioreactor vessels. On three attempts mouse cells were grown successfully in the vessels. The cells reached a stage where the concentrations were doubling daily. Phenotypic analysis using a panel of monoclonal antibodies indicated that the cell were hematopoietic pluripotent stem cells. One unsuccessful attempt was made to reestablish the immune system in immunocompromised mice using these cells. Since last summer, several unsuccessful attempts were made to duplicate these results. It was determined by electron microscopy that the cells successfully grown in 1989 contained virus particles. It was suggested that these virally parasitized cells had been immortalized. The work of this summer is a continuation of efforts to grow mouse bone marrow in these vessels. A number of variations of the protocol were introduced. Certified pathogen free mice were used in the repeat experiments. In some attempts the medium of last summer was used; in others Dexture Culture Medium containing Iscove's Medium supplemented with 20 percent horse serum and 10-6 M hydrocortisone. Efforts this summer were directed solely to repeating the work of last summer. Plans were made for investigations if stem cells were isolated. Immortalization of the undifferentiated stem cell would be attempted by transfection with an oncogenic vector. Selective differentiation would be induced in the stem cell line by growing it with known growth factors and immune response modulators. Interest is in identifying any surface antigens unique to stem cells that would help in their characterization. Another goal was to search for markers on stem cells that would distinguish them from stem cells committed to a particular lineage. If the undifferentiated hematopoietic stem cell was obtained, the pathways that would terminally convert it to myeloid, lyphoid, erythroid, or other cell lines would be studied. Transfection with a known gene would be attempted and then conversion to a terminally identifiable cell.

Biochemical and morphological changes associated with macrophages and osteoclasts when challenged with infection - biomed 2011.

PubMed

Wiggers, Erin Callie; Johnson, William; Tucci, Michelle; Benghuzzi, Hamed

2011-01-01

Osteomyelitis is a bacterial infection of the bone that occurs frequently as a complication of open fractures and various kinds of orthopedic surgery. This infection can often lead to more extensive surgeries and even death of the patient. In animal models of osteomyelitis, the site of infection by Staphylococcus aureus was observed to have high numbers of both macrophages and osteoclasts, both of which may contribute to large amounts of osteolysis and tissue damage. In order to evaluate the immune response in both types of cells, two cells lines, a macrophage cell line and a macrophage cell line stimulated to become osteoclasts by the addition of receptor activator of nuclear-factor B (RANKL), were exposed to lipopolysaccharides, opsonized S. aureus, and unopsonized S. aureus. The results showed that both cell types activated a biochemical cascade that included the release of cytokines and nitric oxide associated with cell damage and death in response to infection. However, macrophages and osteoclasts differed in response magnitude, most likely due to differences in cell-membrane receptors. This data supports the growing body of research that links the immune and skeletal systems. Further understanding of biochemical pathways shared by the two systems could lead to significant advances in the treatment of osteomyelitis and the success of prostheses.

In vitro models.

PubMed

Mather, Jennie Powell

2012-02-01

The current resurgence of interest in the cancer stem cell (CSC) hypothesis as possibly providing a unifying theory of cancer biology is fueled by the growing body of work on normal adult tissue stem cells and the promise that CSC may hold the key to one of the central problems of clinical oncology: tumor recurrence. Many studies suggest that the microenvironment plays a role, perhaps a seminal one, in cancer development and progression. In addition, the possibility that the stem cell-like component of tumors is capable of rapid and reversible changes of phenotype raises questions concerning studies with these populations and the application of what we learn to the clinical situation. These types of questions are extremely difficult to study using in vivo models or freshly isolated cells. Established cell lines grown in defined conditions provide important model systems for these studies. There are three types of in vitro models for CSCs: (a) selected subpopulations of existing tumor lines (derived from serum-containing medium; (b) creation of lines from tumor or normal cells by genetic manipulation; or (c) direct in vitro selection of CSC from tumors or sorted tumor cells using defined serum-free conditions. We review the problems associated with creating and maintaining in vitro cultures of CSCs and the progress to date on the establishment of these important models. Copyright © 2011 AlphaMed Press.

Gamma-glutamylcyclotransferase promotes the growth of human glioma cells by activating Notch-Akt signaling

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shen, Shang-Hang; Yu, Ning; Liu, Xi-Yao

Glioma as an aggressive type tumor is rapidly growing and has become one of the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. γ-Glutamylcyclotransferase (GGCT) has been shown as a diagnostic marker in various cancers. To reveal whether there is a correlation between GGCT and human glioma, GGCT expression in human glioma tissues and cell lines was first determined. We found that GGCT expression was up-regulated in human glioma tissues and cell lines. Further, we demonstrate that GGCT knockdown inhibits glioma cell T98G and U251 proliferation and colony formation, whereas GGCT overexpression leads to oppose effects. GGCT overexpression promotes the expression ofmore » Notch receptors and activates Akt signaling in glioma cells, and Notch-Akt signaling is activated in glioma tissues with high expression of GGCT. Finally, we show that inhibition of Notch-Akt signaling with Notch inhibitor MK-0752 blocks the effects of GGCT on glioma proliferation and colony formation. In conclusion, GGCT plays a critical role in glioma cell proliferation and may be a potential cancer therapeutic target. - Highlights: • GGCT expression is up-regulated in human glioma tissues and cell lines. • GGCT promotes glioma cell growth and colony formation. • GGCT promotes the activation of Notch-Akt signaling in glioma cells and tissues. • Notch inhibition blocks the role of GGCT in human glioma cells.« less

Composition and cytotoxic activity of essential oils from Xylopia aethiopica (Dunal) A. Rich, Xylopia parviflora (A. Rich) Benth.) and Monodora myristica (Gaertn) growing in Chad and Cameroon.

PubMed

Bakarnga-Via, Issakou; Hzounda, Jean Baptiste; Fokou, Patrick Valere Tsouh; Tchokouaha, Lauve Rachel Yamthe; Gary-Bobo, Magali; Gallud, Audrey; Garcia, Marcel; Walbadet, Lucain; Secka, Youssouf; Dongmo, Pierre Michel Jazet; Boyom, Fabrice Fekam; Menut, Chantal

2014-04-04

Cancer has become a global public health problem and the search for new control measures is urgent. Investigation of plant products such as essential oils from Monodora myristica, Xylopia aethiopica and Xylopia parviflora might lead to new anticancer therapy. In this study, we have investigated the antineoplastic activity of essential oils from fruits of these plants growing in Chad and Cameroon. The essential oils obtained by hydrodistillation of fruits of Monodora myristica, Xylopia aethiopica and Xylopia parviflora collected in Chad and Cameroon were analyzed by GC-FID and GC-MS and investigated for their antiproliferative activity against the breast cancer cell line (MCF7). Overall, monoterpenes were mostly found in the six essential oils. Oils from X. aethiopica and X. parviflora from Chad and Cameroon mainly contain β-pinene at 24.6%, 28.2%, 35.7% and 32.9% respectively. Monodora myristica oils from both origins contain mainly α-phellandrene at 52.7% and 67.1% respectively. The plant origin did not significantly influence the chemical composition of oils. The six essential oils exerted cytotoxic activity against cancer (MCF-7) and normal cell lines (ARPE-19), with more pronounced effect on neoplastic cells in the majority of cases. The highest selectivity was obtained with the essential oils of X. parviflora from Chad and Cameroon (5.87 and 5.54) which were more cytotoxic against MCF-7 than against normal cell line (ARPE-19) with IC50 values of 0.155 μL/mL and 0.166 μL/mL respectively. Essential oils from fruits of Monodora myristica, Xylopia aethiopica and Xylopia parviflora have shown acceptable antineoplastic potency, and might be investigated further in this regard.

Exposure time independent summary statistics for assessment of drug dependent cell line growth inhibition.

PubMed

Falgreen, Steffen; Laursen, Maria Bach; Bødker, Julie Støve; Kjeldsen, Malene Krag; Schmitz, Alexander; Nyegaard, Mette; Johnsen, Hans Erik; Dybkær, Karen; Bøgsted, Martin

2014-06-05

In vitro generated dose-response curves of human cancer cell lines are widely used to develop new therapeutics. The curves are summarised by simplified statistics that ignore the conventionally used dose-response curves' dependency on drug exposure time and growth kinetics. This may lead to suboptimal exploitation of data and biased conclusions on the potential of the drug in question. Therefore we set out to improve the dose-response assessments by eliminating the impact of time dependency. First, a mathematical model for drug induced cell growth inhibition was formulated and used to derive novel dose-response curves and improved summary statistics that are independent of time under the proposed model. Next, a statistical analysis workflow for estimating the improved statistics was suggested consisting of 1) nonlinear regression models for estimation of cell counts and doubling times, 2) isotonic regression for modelling the suggested dose-response curves, and 3) resampling based method for assessing variation of the novel summary statistics. We document that conventionally used summary statistics for dose-response experiments depend on time so that fast growing cell lines compared to slowly growing ones are considered overly sensitive. The adequacy of the mathematical model is tested for doxorubicin and found to fit real data to an acceptable degree. Dose-response data from the NCI60 drug screen were used to illustrate the time dependency and demonstrate an adjustment correcting for it. The applicability of the workflow was illustrated by simulation and application on a doxorubicin growth inhibition screen. The simulations show that under the proposed mathematical model the suggested statistical workflow results in unbiased estimates of the time independent summary statistics. Variance estimates of the novel summary statistics are used to conclude that the doxorubicin screen covers a significant diverse range of responses ensuring it is useful for biological interpretations. Time independent summary statistics may aid the understanding of drugs' action mechanism on tumour cells and potentially renew previous drug sensitivity evaluation studies.

Exposure time independent summary statistics for assessment of drug dependent cell line growth inhibition

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background In vitro generated dose-response curves of human cancer cell lines are widely used to develop new therapeutics. The curves are summarised by simplified statistics that ignore the conventionally used dose-response curves’ dependency on drug exposure time and growth kinetics. This may lead to suboptimal exploitation of data and biased conclusions on the potential of the drug in question. Therefore we set out to improve the dose-response assessments by eliminating the impact of time dependency. Results First, a mathematical model for drug induced cell growth inhibition was formulated and used to derive novel dose-response curves and improved summary statistics that are independent of time under the proposed model. Next, a statistical analysis workflow for estimating the improved statistics was suggested consisting of 1) nonlinear regression models for estimation of cell counts and doubling times, 2) isotonic regression for modelling the suggested dose-response curves, and 3) resampling based method for assessing variation of the novel summary statistics. We document that conventionally used summary statistics for dose-response experiments depend on time so that fast growing cell lines compared to slowly growing ones are considered overly sensitive. The adequacy of the mathematical model is tested for doxorubicin and found to fit real data to an acceptable degree. Dose-response data from the NCI60 drug screen were used to illustrate the time dependency and demonstrate an adjustment correcting for it. The applicability of the workflow was illustrated by simulation and application on a doxorubicin growth inhibition screen. The simulations show that under the proposed mathematical model the suggested statistical workflow results in unbiased estimates of the time independent summary statistics. Variance estimates of the novel summary statistics are used to conclude that the doxorubicin screen covers a significant diverse range of responses ensuring it is useful for biological interpretations. Conclusion Time independent summary statistics may aid the understanding of drugs’ action mechanism on tumour cells and potentially renew previous drug sensitivity evaluation studies. PMID:24902483

Fragment growing and linking lead to novel nanomolar lactate dehydrogenase inhibitors.

PubMed

Kohlmann, Anna; Zech, Stephan G; Li, Feng; Zhou, Tianjun; Squillace, Rachel M; Commodore, Lois; Greenfield, Matthew T; Lu, Xiaohui; Miller, David P; Huang, Wei-Sheng; Qi, Jiwei; Thomas, R Mathew; Wang, Yihan; Zhang, Sen; Dodd, Rory; Liu, Shuangying; Xu, Rongsong; Xu, Yongjin; Miret, Juan J; Rivera, Victor; Clackson, Tim; Shakespeare, William C; Zhu, Xiaotian; Dalgarno, David C

2013-02-14

Lactate dehydrogenase A (LDH-A) catalyzes the interconversion of lactate and pyruvate in the glycolysis pathway. Cancer cells rely heavily on glycolysis instead of oxidative phosphorylation to generate ATP, a phenomenon known as the Warburg effect. The inhibition of LDH-A by small molecules is therefore of interest for potential cancer treatments. We describe the identification and optimization of LDH-A inhibitors by fragment-based drug discovery. We applied ligand based NMR screening to identify low affinity fragments binding to LDH-A. The dissociation constants (K(d)) and enzyme inhibition (IC(50)) of fragment hits were measured by surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and enzyme assays, respectively. The binding modes of selected fragments were investigated by X-ray crystallography. Fragment growing and linking, followed by chemical optimization, resulted in nanomolar LDH-A inhibitors that demonstrated stoichiometric binding to LDH-A. Selected molecules inhibited lactate production in cells, suggesting target-specific inhibition in cancer cell lines.

miRNA engineering of CHO cells facilitates production of difficult-to-express proteins and increases success in cell line development.

PubMed

Fischer, Simon; Marquart, Kim F; Pieper, Lisa A; Fieder, Juergen; Gamer, Martin; Gorr, Ingo; Schulz, Patrick; Bradl, Harald

2017-07-01

In recent years, coherent with growing biologics portfolios also the number of complex and thus difficult-to-express (DTE) therapeutic proteins has increased considerably. DTE proteins challenge bioprocess development and can include various therapeutic protein formats such as monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), multi-specific affinity scaffolds (e.g., bispecific antibodies), cytokines, or fusion proteins. Hence, the availability of robust and versatile Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) host cell factories is fundamental for high-yielding bioprocesses. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as potent cell engineering tools to improve process performance of CHO manufacturing cell lines. However, there has not been any report demonstrating the impact of beneficial miRNAs on industrial cell line development (CLD) yet. To address this question, we established novel CHO host cells constitutively expressing a pro-productive miRNA: miR-557. Novel host cells were tested in two independent CLD campaigns using two different mAb candidates including a normal as well as a DTE antibody. Presence of miR-557 significantly enhanced each process step during CLD in a product independent manner. Stable expression of miR-557 increased the probability to identify high-producing cell clones. Furthermore, production cell lines derived from miR-557 expressing host cells exhibited significantly increased final product yields in fed-batch cultivation processes without compromising product quality. Strikingly, cells co-expressing miR-557 and a DTE antibody achieved a twofold increase in product titer compared to clones co-expressing a negative control miRNA. Thus, host cell engineering using miRNAs represents a promising tool to overcome limitations in industrial CLD especially with regard to DTE proteins. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2017;114: 1495-1510. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Genetic resistance to rhabdovirus infection in teleost fish is paralleled to the derived cell resistance status.

PubMed

Verrier, Eloi R; Langevin, Christelle; Tohry, Corinne; Houel, Armel; Ducrocq, Vincent; Benmansour, Abdenour; Quillet, Edwige; Boudinot, Pierre

2012-01-01

Genetic factors of resistance and predisposition to viral diseases explain a significant part of the clinical variability observed within host populations. Predisposition to viral diseases has been associated to MHC haplotypes and T cell immunity, but a growing repertoire of innate/intrinsic factors are implicated in the genetic determinism of the host susceptibility to viruses. In a long-term study of the genetics of host resistance to fish rhabdoviruses, we produced a collection of double-haploid rainbow trout clones showing a wide range of susceptibility to Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia Virus (VHSV) waterborne infection. The susceptibility of fibroblastic cell lines derived from these clonal fish was fully consistent with the susceptibility of the parental fish clones. The mechanisms determining the host resistance therefore did not associate with specific host immunity, but rather with innate or intrinsic factors. One cell line was resistant to rhabdovirus infection due to the combination of an early interferon IFN induction--that was not observed in the susceptible cells--and of yet unknown factors that hamper the first steps of the viral cycle. The implication of IFN was well consistent with the wide range of resistance of this genetic background to VSHV and IHNV, to the birnavirus IPNV and the orthomyxovirus ISAV. Another cell line was even more refractory to the VHSV infection through different antiviral mechanisms. This collection of clonal fish and isogenic cell lines provides an interesting model to analyze the relative contribution of antiviral pathways to the resistance to different viruses.

Radioimmunotherapy of nude mice with intraperitoneally growing ovarian cancer xenograft utilizing 211At-labelled monoclonal antibody MOv18.

PubMed

Andersson, H; Lindegren, S; Back, T; Jacobsson, L; Leser, G; Horvath, G

2000-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the therapeutic efficacy of 211At-labelled monoclonal antibody given intraperitoneally to nude mice with intraperitoneal growth of a human ovarian cancer cell line. Female nude mice were inoculated intraperitoneally with 1 x 10(7) cells of the human ovarian cancer cell line NIH:OVCAR 3. After about two weeks they were injected with the 211At-labelled specific monoclonal antibody MOv18 intraperitoneally. For comparison, other groups of mice were given the same labelled antibody intravenously, 211At-labelled unspecific antibody C242 intraperitoneally or unalbelled MOv18 intraperitoneally. Six weeks later the animals were sacrificed and the occurrence of tumour and ascites was determined. When the mice were treated with 211At-labelled MOv18 intraperitoneally 9 out of 10 were apparently free of both ascites and tumour compared to none of the mice given unlabelled antibody. 211At-labelled MOv18 given intravenously or 211At-labelled unspecific antibody given intraperitoneally were less effective. Regional radioimmunotherapy with the alpa-emitter 211Astatine seems to be an effective treatment of nude mice with intraperitoneally growing human ovarian cancer. Hopefully this treatment can be given in an adjuvant setting to women with minimal residual ovarian cancer in the future.

Influence of polyphenol extract from evening primrose (Oenothera paradoxa) seeds on human prostate and breast cancer cell lines.

PubMed

Lewandowska, Urszula; Owczarek, Katarzyna; Szewczyk, Karolina; Podsędek, Anna; Koziołkiewicz, Maria; Hrabec, Elżbieta

2014-02-03

There is growing interest in plant polyphenols which exhibit pleiotropic biological activities, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer effects. The objective of our study was to evaluate the influence of an evening primrose extract (EPE) from defatted seeds on viability and invasiveness of three human cell lines: PNT1A (normal prostate cells), DU145 (prostate cancer cells) and MDA-MB-231 (breast cancer cells). The results revealed that after 72 h of incubation the tested extract reduced the viability of DU 145 and MDA-MB-231 with IC50 equal to 14.5 μg/mL for both cell lines. In contrast, EPE did not inhibit the viability of normal prostate cells. Furthermore, EPE reduced PNT1A and MDA-MB-231 cell invasiveness; at the concentration of 21.75 μg/mL the suppression of invasion reached 92% and 47%, respectively (versus control). Additionally, zymographic analysis revealed that after 48 h of incubation EPE inhibited metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) activities in a dose-dependent manner. For PNT1A the activities of MMP-2 and MMP-9 decreased 4- and 2-fold, respectively, at EPE concentration of 29 μg/mL. In the case of MDA-MB-231 and DU 145 the decrease in MMP-9 activity at EPE concentration of 29 μg/mL was 5.5-fold and almost 1.9-fold, respectively. In conclusion, this study suggests that EPE may exhibit antimigratory, anti-invasive and antimetastatic potential towards prostate and breast cancer cell lines.

Assembly line plants take root

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Comis, D.; Wood, M.

This paper discussed tissue-culture propagation of sugarcane, apple trees, peach trees, citrus, orchids, data palms, and carrots. Tissue-culture propagation is a term used for a variety of techniques used to grow or genetically modify, preserve, or study plant parts in laboratories, from tissue or even a single cell. The author examined the benefits and commercial applications of this propagation process.

Style morphology and pollen tube pathway.

PubMed

Gotelli, M M; Lattar, E C; Zini, L M; Galati, B G

2017-12-01

The style morphology and anatomy vary among different species. Three basic types are: open, closed, and semi-closed. Cells involved in the pollen tube pathway in the different types of styles present abundant endoplasmic reticulum, dictyosomes, mitochondria, and ribosomes. These secretory characteristics are related to the secretion where pollen tube grows. This secretion can be represented by the substances either in the canal or in the intercellular matrix or in the cell wall. Most studies suggest that pollen tubes only grow through the secretion of the canal in open styles. However, some species present pollen tubes that penetrate the epithelial cells of the canal, or grow through the middle lamella between these cells and subepithelial cells. In species with a closed style, a pathway is provided by the presence of an extracellular matrix, or by the thickened cell walls of the stylar transmitting tissue. There are reports in some species where pollen tubes can also penetrate the transmitting tissue cells and continue their growth through the cell lumen. In this review, we define subtypes of styles according to the path of the pollen tube. Style types were mapped on an angiosperm phylogenetic tree following the maximum parsimony principle. In line with this, it could be hypothesized that: the open style appeared in the early divergent angiosperms; the closed type of style originated in Asparagales, Poales, and Eudicots; and the semi-closed style appeared in Rosids, Ericales, and Gentianales. The open style seems to have been lost in core Eudicots, with reversions in some Rosids and Asterids.

Cytometric analysis, genetic manipulation and antibiotic selection of the snail embryonic cell line Bge from Biomphalaria glabrata, the intermediate host of Schistosoma mansoni.

PubMed

Rinaldi, Gabriel; Yan, Hongbin; Nacif-Pimenta, Rafael; Matchimakul, Pitchaya; Bridger, Joanna; Mann, Victoria H; Smout, Michael J; Brindley, Paul J; Knight, Matty

2015-07-01

The invertebrate cell line, Bge, from embryos of the snail Biomphalaria glabrata, remains to date the only established cell line from any species of the Phylum Mollusca. Since its establishment in 1976 by Eder Hansen, few studies have focused on profiling its cytometrics, growth characteristics or sensitivity to xenobiotics. Bge cells are reputed to be challenging to propagate and maintain. Therefore, even though this cell line is a noteworthy resource, it has not been studied widely. With growing interest in functional genomics, including genetic transformation, to elucidate molecular aspects of the snail intermediate hosts responsible for transmission of schistosomiasis, and aiming to enhance the convenience of maintenance of this molluscan cell line, we deployed the xCELLigene real time approach to study Bge cells. Doubling times for three isolates of Bge, termed CB, SL and UK, were longer than for mammalian cell lines - longer than 40 h in complete Bge medium supplemented with 7% fetal bovine serum at 25°C, ranging from ∼42 h to ∼157 h when 40,000 cells were seeded. To assess the potential of the cells for genetic transformation, antibiotic selection was explored. Bge cells were sensitive to the aminonucleoside antibiotic puromycin (from Streptomyces alboniger) from 5 μg/ml to 200 ng/ml, displaying a half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of ∼1.91 μg/ml. Sensitivity to puromycin, and a relatively quick kill time (<48 h in 5 μg/ml) facilitated use of this antibiotic, together with the cognate resistance gene (puromycin N-acetyl-transferase) for selection of Bge cells transformed with the PAC gene (puroR). Bge cells transfected with a plasmid encoding puroR were partially rescued when cultured in the presence of 5 μg/ml of puromycin. These findings pave the way for the development of functional genomic tools applied to the host-parasite interaction during schistosomiasis and neglected tropical trematodiases at large. Copyright © 2015 Australian Society for Parasitology Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pharmacodynamics of cisplatin in human head and neck cancer: correlation between platinum content, DNA adduct levels and drug sensitivity in vitro and in vivo

PubMed Central

Welters, M J P; Fichtinger-Schepman, A M J; Baan, R A; Jacobs-Bergmans, A J; Kegel, A; van der Vijgh, W J F; Braakhuis, B J M

1999-01-01

Total platinum contents and cisplatin–DNA adduct levels were determined in vivo in xenografted tumour tissues in mice and in vitro in cultured tumour cells of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), and correlated with sensitivity to cisplatin. In vivo, a panel of five HNSCC tumour lines growing as xenografts in nude mice was used. In vitro, the panel consisted of five HNSCC cell lines, of which four had an in vivo equivalent. Sensitivity to cisplatin varied three- to sevenfold among cell lines and tumours respectively. However, the ranking of the sensitivities of the tumour lines (in vivo), also after reinjection of the cultured tumour cells, did not coincide with that of the corresponding cell lines, which showed that cell culture systems are not representative for the in vivo situation. Both in vitro and in vivo, however, significant correlations were found between total platinum levels, measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS), and tumour response to cisplatin therapy at all time points tested. The levels of the two major cisplatin–DNA adduct types were determined by a recently developed and improved32P post-labelling assay at various time points after cisplatin treatment. Evidence is presented that the platinum–AG adduct, in which platinum is bound to guanine and an adjacent adenine, may be the cytotoxic lesion because a significant correlation was found between the platinum–AG levels and the sensitivities in our panel of HNSCC, in vitro as well as in vivo. This correlation with the platinum–AG levels was established at 1 h (in vitro) and 3 h (in vivo) after the start of the cisplatin treatment, which emphasizes the importance of early sampling. © 1999 Cancer Research Campaign PMID:10408697

Transformation of lymphocytes by Herpesvirus papio.

PubMed

Falk, L A; Henle, G; Henle, W; Deinhardt, F; Schudel, A

1977-08-15

Cotton-topped (CT) or white-lipped (WL) marmoset lymphocytes were transformed in vitro with herpesvirus papio (HVP) into permanently growing lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCL). Five of 9 HVP-transformed CT cell lines contained cells with antigens reacting with antibodies to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) capsid antigen (VCA) and/or to EBV-induced early antigens (EA). None of 12 WL LCL revealed such antigen-producing cells. Cells from both groups of cultures failed to react with antibodies to the EBV-specified nuclear antigen (EBNA). Exposure of baboon circulating lymphocytes to X-irradiated HVP or EBV-carring cells, or to suspensions of EBV resulted in establishment of LCL which all contained VCA and/or EA-positive, but no EBNA-positive cells. Nuclear antigens were undetectable also with anti-VCA-positive sera from baboons, chimpanzees, or other non-human primates. DNA-complementary RNA (cRNA) filter hybridization with EBV cRNA showed that with one exception transformed CT or WL marmoset cells contained at least 1-2 virus genome equivalents per cell, while at least 12-25 virus genome equivalents per cell were detected in transformed baboon cells. These data need confirmation by DNA-DNA reassociation kinetics.

Knockdown of Oncogenic KRAS in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancers Suppresses Tumor Growth and Sensitizes Tumor Cells to Targeted Therapy

PubMed Central

Sunaga, Noriaki; Shames, David S.; Girard, Luc; Peyton, Michael; Larsen, Jill E.; Imai, Hisao; Soh, Junichi; Sato, Mitsuo; Yanagitani, Noriko; Kaira, Kyoichi; Xie, Yang; Gazdar, Adi F.; Mori, Masatomo; Minna, John D.

2011-01-01

Oncogenic KRAS is found in >25% of lung adenocarcinomas, the major histologic subtype of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and is an important target for drug development. To this end, we generated four NSCLC lines with stable knockdown selective for oncogenic KRAS. As expected, stable knockdown of oncogenic KRAS led to inhibition of in vitro and in vivo tumor growth in the KRAS mutant NSCLC cells, but not in NSCLC cells that have wild-type KRAS (but mutant NRAS). Surprisingly, we did not see large-scale induction of cell death and the growth inhibitory effect was not complete. To further understand the ability of NSCLCs to grow despite selective removal of mutant KRAS expression, we performed microarray expression profiling of NSCLC cell lines with or without mutant KRAS knockdown and isogenic human bronchial epithelial cell lines (HBECs) with and without oncogenic KRAS. We found that while the MAPK pathway is significantly down-regulated after mutant KRAS knockdown, these NSCLCs showed increased levels of phospho-STAT3 and phospho-EGFR, and variable changes in phospho-Akt. In addition, mutant KRAS knockdown sensitized the NSCLCs to p38 and EGFR inhibitors. Our findings suggest that targeting oncogenic KRAS by itself will not be sufficient treatment but may offer possibilities of combining anti-KRAS strategies with other targeted drugs. PMID:21306997

Neoplastic transformation of human thyroid epithelial cells by ionizing radiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herceg, Zdenko

Neoplastic transformation of human thyroid epithelial cells has been investigated following exposure to ionizing radiation in vitro. The effects of radiation type, irradiation regime, and postirradiation passaging were examined using a human thyroid epithelial cell line, designated HToriS, which was previously immortalized with SV40 genome. Exponentially growing HToriS cells were irradiated with graded doses of 137 Cs gamma- and 238pu alpha-irradiation. Cells were irradiated with either a single or multiple doses of 0.5, 1, 2, 3, or 4 Gy gamma-radiation, or single doses of 0.125, 0.25, 0.5, 1, or 1.5 Gy gamma-radiation. Following passaging, the cells were transplanted into the athymic nude mice, and the animals were screened for tumour formation. Statistically significant increases in tumour incidence were obtained with both gamma- and alpha-irradiation and with both single and multiple irradiation regimes as compared with the un-irradiated group. Regardless of radiation type and or radiation regime there appears to be a trend, with increasing doses of radiation, in which tumour incidence increases and reaches a maximum, after which the tumour incidence decreases. Tumours were characterized by histopathological examination as undifferentiated carcinomas. Investigation of expression time following irradiation demonstrated that post-irradiation passaging, generally regarded as a critical step for expression of radiation-induced DNA damage, was not a prerequisite for the neoplastic conversion of irradiated cells with this system. Cell lines were established from the tumours and their identification and characterization carried out. All cell lines established were determined to be derived from the parent HTori3 cells by DNA fingerprinting, karyotype analysis, cytokeratin staining, and SV40 large T-antigen staining. Tumorigenicity of the cell lines was confirmed by retransplantation. Comparison of the morphology in vitro showed that the tumour cell lines retained the basic epithelial morphology of the parent HToriS cells. Investigation of radiosensitivity showed that none of the 6 tumour cell lines examined had a higher radiosensitivity compared to the parent HToriS cells. This excludes the possibility that the observed transformation was the result of the selection of a pre-existing transformed subpopulation of the parent cells but that radiation-induced transformants were being induced de novo. The tumour cell lines were screened for mutations in H- and K-ras oncogenes using restriction enzyme analysis of PCR amplified DNA. No mutations were detected in 26 tumour cell lines suggesting that mutations in these two genes do not appear to be involved in radiation- induced neoplastic transformation in human thyroid epithelial cells. Screening for mutations in p53 protein using immunoprecipitation method detected no mutations in 6 tumour cell lines. This human thyroid epithelial cell line may thus be useful for the in vitro study of cellular and molecular mechanisms that are involved in human epithelial cell carcinogenesis.

Effects of Female Sex Hormones on Susceptibility to HSV-2 in Vaginal Cells Grown in Air-Liquid Interface.

PubMed

Lee, Yung; Dizzell, Sara E; Leung, Vivian; Nazli, Aisha; Zahoor, Muhammad A; Fichorova, Raina N; Kaushic, Charu

2016-08-30

The lower female reproductive tract (FRT) is comprised of the cervix and vagina, surfaces that are continuously exposed to a variety of commensal and pathogenic organisms. Sexually transmitted viruses, such as herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2), have to traverse the mucosal epithelial lining of the FRT to establish infection. The majority of current culture systems that model the host-pathogen interactions in the mucosal epithelium have limitations in simulating physiological conditions as they employ a liquid-liquid interface (LLI), in which both apical and basolateral surfaces are submerged in growth medium. We designed the current study to simulate in vivo conditions by growing an immortalized vaginal epithelial cell line (Vk2/E6E7) in culture with an air-liquid interface (ALI) and examined the effects of female sex hormones on their growth, differentiation, and susceptibility to HSV-2 under these conditions, in comparison to LLI cultures. ALI conditions induced Vk2/E6E7 cells to grow into multi-layered cultures compared to the monolayers present in LLI conditions. Vk2 cells in ALI showed higher production of cytokeratin in the presence of estradiol (E2), compared to cells grown in progesterone (P4). Cells grown under ALI conditions were exposed to HSV-2-green fluorescent protein (GFP) and the highest infection and replication was observed in the presence of P4. Altogether, this study suggests that ALI cultures more closely simulate the in vivo conditions of the FRT compared to the conventional LLI cultures. Furthermore, under these conditions P4 was found to confer higher susceptibility to HSV-2 infection in vaginal cells. The vaginal ALI culture system offers a better alternative to study host-pathogen interactions.

The Autism Spectrum Disorders Stem Cell Resource at Children’s Hospital of Orange County: Implications for Disease Modeling and Drug Discovery

PubMed Central

Brick, David J.; Nethercott, Hubert E.; Montesano, Samantha; Banuelos, Maria G.; Stover, Alexander E.; Schutte, Soleil Sun; O’Dowd, Diane K.; Hagerman, Randi J.; Ono, Michele; Hessl, David R.; Tassone, Flora

2014-01-01

The autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) comprise a set of neurodevelopmental disorders that are, at best, poorly understood but are the fastest growing developmental disorders in the United States. Because animal models of polygenic disorders such as the ASDs are difficult to validate, the derivation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) by somatic cell reprogramming offers an alternative strategy for identifying the cellular mechanisms contributing to ASDs and the development of new treatment options. Access to statistically relevant numbers of ASD patient cell lines, however, is still a limiting factor for the field. We describe a new resource with more than 200 cell lines (fibroblasts, iPSC clones, neural stem cells, glia) from unaffected volunteers and patients with a wide range of clinical ASD diagnoses, including fragile X syndrome. We have shown that both normal and ASD-specific iPSCs can be differentiated toward a neural stem cell phenotype and terminally differentiated into action-potential firing neurons and glia. The ability to evaluate and compare data from a number of different cell lines will facilitate greater insight into the cause or causes and biology of the ASDs and will be extremely useful for uncovering new therapeutic and diagnostic targets. Some drug treatments have already shown promise in reversing the neurobiological abnormalities in iPSC-based models of ASD-associated diseases. The ASD Stem Cell Resource at the Children’s Hospital of Orange County will continue expanding its collection and make all lines available on request with the goal of advancing the use of ASD patient cells as disease models by the scientific community. PMID:25273538

Effects of cholera toxin on human colon carcinoma cell lines.

PubMed

Barkla, D H; Whitehead, R H; Hayward, I P

1992-10-01

This study reports on changes in morphology and membrane transport in 5 human colon carcinoma cell lines treated with cholera toxin (CT). Three of the cell lines that grew as monolayers (LIM 1215, LIM 1899, LIM 2099) and 1 that grew as floating clumps (LIM 2408) did not show morphological changes after CT treatment. However, cell line LIM 1863 that grows as floating "crypt-like" organoids showed rapid and distinctive changes in morphology and membrane transport after CT treatment. At 1 and 6 hrs after CT treatment, light and transmission electron microscopy revealed rapid dilatation of the central lumen of organoids and the appearance of 2 populations of apical vesicular inclusions. The first population was unusual in being non-membrane bound and limited by fuzzy filamentous material. The second population was membrane bound. Scanning electron microscopy at 1-6 hr after CT treatment showed swelling and loss of surface microvilli on some, but not all, cells. At 24 hr after CT treatment the majority of organoids showed evidence of fluid accumulation and small apical vesicles coalesced to form large single vacuoles that obliterated normal cell morphology. By 48 hr, continued swelling produced extreme attenuation of the plasma membrane with cells taking on an "endothelial cell-like" appearance. The response to CT was dose-dependent. Uptake studies using 86Rubidium and blocking studies using ouabain and amiloride indicated that CT is acting on the Na+/K+ ATPase membrane pump to cause the increased fluid uptake by LIM 1863 cells. This study is the first to report specific morphological changes in intestine-derived cells in response to CT.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The Autism Spectrum Disorders Stem Cell Resource at Children's Hospital of Orange County: Implications for Disease Modeling and Drug Discovery.

PubMed

Brick, David J; Nethercott, Hubert E; Montesano, Samantha; Banuelos, Maria G; Stover, Alexander E; Schutte, Soleil Sun; O'Dowd, Diane K; Hagerman, Randi J; Ono, Michele; Hessl, David R; Tassone, Flora; Schwartz, Philip H

2014-11-01

The autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) comprise a set of neurodevelopmental disorders that are, at best, poorly understood but are the fastest growing developmental disorders in the United States. Because animal models of polygenic disorders such as the ASDs are difficult to validate, the derivation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) by somatic cell reprogramming offers an alternative strategy for identifying the cellular mechanisms contributing to ASDs and the development of new treatment options. Access to statistically relevant numbers of ASD patient cell lines, however, is still a limiting factor for the field. We describe a new resource with more than 200 cell lines (fibroblasts, iPSC clones, neural stem cells, glia) from unaffected volunteers and patients with a wide range of clinical ASD diagnoses, including fragile X syndrome. We have shown that both normal and ASD-specific iPSCs can be differentiated toward a neural stem cell phenotype and terminally differentiated into action-potential firing neurons and glia. The ability to evaluate and compare data from a number of different cell lines will facilitate greater insight into the cause or causes and biology of the ASDs and will be extremely useful for uncovering new therapeutic and diagnostic targets. Some drug treatments have already shown promise in reversing the neurobiological abnormalities in iPSC-based models of ASD-associated diseases. The ASD Stem Cell Resource at the Children's Hospital of Orange County will continue expanding its collection and make all lines available on request with the goal of advancing the use of ASD patient cells as disease models by the scientific community. ©AlphaMed Press.

Role of latent membrane protein 1 in chronic active Epstein-Barr virus infection-derived T/NK-cell proliferation.

PubMed

Ito, Takuto; Kawazu, Hidetaka; Murata, Takayuki; Iwata, Seiko; Arakawa, Saki; Sato, Yoshitaka; Kuzushima, Kiyotaka; Goshima, Fumi; Kimura, Hiroshi

2014-08-01

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) predominantly infects B cells and causes B-cell lymphomas, such as Burkitt lymphoma and Hodgkin lymphoma. However, it also infects other types of cells, including T and natural killer (NK) cells, and causes disorders, such as chronic active EBV infection (CAEBV) and T/NK-cell lymphoma. The CAEBV is a lymphoproliferative disease with poor prognosis, where EBV-positive T or NK cells grow rapidly, although the molecular mechanisms that cause the cell expansion still remain to be elucidated. EBV-encoded latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1) is an oncogene that can transform some cell types, such as B cells and mouse fibroblasts, and thus may stimulate cell proliferation in CAEBV. Here, we examined the effect of LMP1 on EBV-negative cells using the cells conditionally expressing LMP1, and on CAEBV-derived EBV-positive cells by inhibiting the function of LMP1 using a dominant negative form of LMP1. We demonstrated that LMP1 was responsible for the increased cell proliferation in the cell lines derived from CAEBV, while LMP1 did not give any proliferative advantage to the EBV-negative cell line. © 2014 The Authors. Cancer Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Synthesis, maturation and extracellular release of procathepsin D as influenced by cell proliferation or transformation.

PubMed

Isidoro, C; Demoz, M; De Stefanis, D; Baccino, F M; Bonelli, G

1995-12-11

The relationship between cell growth and intra- and extracellular accumulation of cathepsin D (CD), a lysosomal endopeptidase involved in cell protein breakdown, was examined in cultures of normal and transformed BALB/c mouse 3T3 fibroblasts grown at various cell densities. In crowded cultures of normal 3T3 cells (doubling time, Td, 53 hr) intracellular CD activity was 2-fold higher than in sparse, rapidly-growing (Td, 27 hr) cultures. In uncrowded (Td, 18 hr) and crowded (Td, 32 hr) cultures of benzo[a]pyrene-transformed cells intracellular CD levels were one third and two thirds, respectively, of those measured in hyperconfluent 3T3 cultures. Regardless of cell density, SV-40-virus-transformed cells (Td, 12 hr) contained one third of CD levels found in hyperconfluent 3T3 cells. Both transformed cell lines released into the medium a higher proportion of CD, compared with their untransformed counterpart, yet the amount secreted was not sufficient to account for the reduced intracellular level of the enzyme. Serum withdrawal induced a marked increase of both intra- and extracellular levels of CD activity. In both normal and virally or chemically transformed 3T3 cells CD comprised a precursor (52 kDa) and processed mature polypeptides; the latter were mostly represented by a 48-kDa peptide, but a minor part was in a double-chain form (31 and 16 kDa respectively). The proportion of mature enzyme vs. precursor was much higher in confluent, slowly-growing cells than in fast-growing cells, whether normal or transformed. In the latter, conversion of mature 48-kDa peptide into the double-chain form occurred more efficiently.

Cell biology experiments conducted in space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Taylor, G. R.

1977-01-01

A review of cell biology experiments conducted during the first two decades of space flight is provided. References are tabulated for work done with six types of living test system: isolated viruses, bacteriophage-host, bacteria, yeasts and filamentous fungi, protozoans, and small groups of cells (such as hamster cell tissue and fertilized frog eggs). The general results of studies involving the survival of cells in space, the effect of space flight on growing cultures, the biological effects of multicharged high-energy particles, and the effects of space flight on the genetic apparatus of microorganisms are summarized. It is concluded that cell systems remain sufficiently stable during space flight to permit experimentation with models requiring a fixed cell line during the space shuttle era.

Constraint based modeling of metabolism allows finding metabolic cancer hallmarks and identifying personalized therapeutic windows.

PubMed

Bordel, Sergio

2018-04-13

In order to choose optimal personalized anticancer treatments, transcriptomic data should be analyzed within the frame of biological networks. The best known human biological network (in terms of the interactions between its different components) is metabolism. Cancer cells have been known to have specific metabolic features for a long time and currently there is a growing interest in characterizing new cancer specific metabolic hallmarks. In this article it is presented a method to find personalized therapeutic windows using RNA-seq data and Genome Scale Metabolic Models. This method is implemented in the python library, pyTARG. Our predictions showed that the most anticancer selective (affecting 27 out of 34 considered cancer cell lines and only 1 out of 6 healthy mesenchymal stem cell lines) single metabolic reactions are those involved in cholesterol biosynthesis. Excluding cholesterol biosynthesis, all the considered cell lines can be selectively affected by targeting different combinations (from 1 to 5 reactions) of only 18 metabolic reactions, which suggests that a small subset of drugs or siRNAs combined in patient specific manners could be at the core of metabolism based personalized treatments.

Establishment and characterization of a new human functional cell line from a choriocarcinoma.

PubMed

Okabe, T; Sasaki, N; Matsuzaki, M; Imai, Y; Kaneko, Y; Matsuzaki, F; Takaku, F; Tsushima, T

1983-10-01

A new human functional tumor cell line, designated as T3M-3, has been established from a xenotransplanted choriocarcinoma grown in nude mice. One of the biggest problems of the in vitro culture of these tumor cells using the xenotransplanted tumors had been the dense contamination of fibroblasts of host nude mouse origin. In the present study, these fibroblasts were completely removed by incubating the cells with antiserum raised against nude mouse spleen cells. The cell line established from the remaining tumor cells has been successfully propagated in vitro for as long as 4 years. These cells show the morphology of epithelioid cells containing a prominent nucleus with one or two large nucleoli. The cells grow in a monolayered sheet with the population-doubling time of 19 hr. The cells show perfect tumor takes when they are reinoculated into nude mice. Chromosomal analysis revealed that the cell is a human aneuploid one with a hypotriploid mode. These cultured cells maintained well the function of secreting large amounts of human chorionic gonadotropin, progesterone, and estrogen. The secretion of human chorionic gonadotropin and progesterone by these cells is enhanced by stimulation with tumor promoters, such as 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate and teleocidin B, or with epidermal growth factor in a dose-and time-dependent manner. Interestingly, however, the tumor promoters did not exert a marked effect on the cellular binding of epidermal growth factor, indicating that the receptors for these reagents in T3M-3 cells are not shared by epidermal growth factor.

The effect of tetrathiomolybdate on cytokine expression, angiogenesis, and tumor growth in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.

PubMed

Teknos, Theodoros N; Islam, Mozaffarul; Arenberg, Douglas A; Pan, Quintin; Carskadon, Shannon L; Abarbanell, Aaron M; Marcus, Benjamin; Paul, Supriti; Vandenberg, Curtis D; Carron, Michael; Nor, Jacques E; Merajver, Sofia D

2005-03-01

To assess the effect of tetrathiomolybdate on cytokine expression, angiogenesis, and tumor growth rate in human squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Three human SCC cell lines were used in this study for both in vitro and in vivo investigations. Conditioned media from untreated and tetrathiomolybdate-treated cell lines were compared with regard to cytokine levels, endothelial cell chemotaxis, endothelial cell tubule formation, and migration and the ability to induce angiogenesis in a rat aortic ring array. In vivo UM-SCC-38 was seeded onto tissue-engineered scaffolds and surgically implanted into the flanks of immunodeficient mice. Tumor growth rates and the level of angiogenesis were compared after 2 weeks of therapy. A tertiary care facility. In this study, we demonstrate that tetrathiomolybdate significantly decreases the secretion of interleukin 6 and basic fibroblast growth factor by head and neck SCC (HNSCC) cell lines in vitro. Furthermore, we demonstrate that tetrathiomolybdate significantly decreases the secretion of interleukin 6 and basic fibroblast growth factor by HNSCC cell lines in vitro. Furthermore, tetrathiomolybdate treatment of HNSCC cell lines results in significantly decreased endothelial cell chemotaxis, tubule formation, and neovascularization in a rat aortic ring assay. This in vitro evidence of decreased angiogenesis by tetrathiomolybdate is confirmed in vivo by using a severe combined immunodeficiency disorder mouse model in which tetrathiomolybdate therapy is shown to prevent human blood vessel formation. Finally, human HNSCC implanted into immunodeficient mice grow to a much larger size in untreated mice compared with those treated with 0.7 mL/kg per day of oral tetrathiomolybdate. These findings illustrate the ability of tetrathiomolybdate to down-regulate proinflammatory and proangiogenic cytokines in HNSCC. These observations are potentially exciting from a clinical perspective because a global decrease in these cytokines may decrease tumor aggressiveness and reverse the resistance to chemotherapy and radiation therapy seen in this tumor type.

Ultrasound-mediated structural changes in cells revealed by FTIR spectroscopy: A contribution to the optimization of gene and drug delivery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grimaldi, Paola; Di Giambattista, Lucia; Giordani, Serena; Udroiu, Ion; Pozzi, Deleana; Gaudenzi, Silvia; Bedini, Angelico; Giliberti, Claudia; Palomba, Raffaele; Congiu Castellano, Agostina

2011-12-01

Ultrasound effects on biological samples are gaining a growing interest concerning in particular, the intracellular delivery of drugs and genes in a safe and in a efficient way. Future progress in this field will require a better understanding of how ultrasound and acoustic cavitation affect the biological system properties. The morphological changes of cells due to ultrasound (US) exposure have been extensively studied, while little attention has been given to the cells structural changes. We have exposed two different cell lines to 1 MHz frequency ultrasound currently used in therapy, Jurkat T-lymphocytes and NIH-3T3 fibroblasts, both employed as models respectively in the apoptosis and in the gene therapy studies. The Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy was used as probe to reveal the structural changes in particular molecular groups belonging to the main biological systems. The genotoxic damage of cells exposed to ultrasound was ascertained by the Cytokinesis-Block Micronucleus (CBMN) assay. The FTIR spectroscopy results, combined with multivariate statistical analysis, regarding all cellular components (lipids, proteins, nucleic acids) of the two cell lines, show that Jurkat cells are more sensitive to therapeutic ultrasound in the lipid and protein regions, whereas the NIH-3T3 cells are more sensitive in the nucleic acids region; a meaningful genotoxic effect is present in both cell lines only for long sonication times while in the Jurkat cells also a significant cytotoxic effect is revealed for long times of exposure to ultrasound.

Parallel mRNA, proteomics and miRNA expression analysis in cell line models of the intestine.

PubMed

O'Sullivan, Finbarr; Keenan, Joanne; Aherne, Sinead; O'Neill, Fiona; Clarke, Colin; Henry, Michael; Meleady, Paula; Breen, Laura; Barron, Niall; Clynes, Martin; Horgan, Karina; Doolan, Padraig; Murphy, Richard

2017-11-07

To identify miRNA-regulated proteins differentially expressed between Caco2 and HT-29: two principal cell line models of the intestine. Exponentially growing Caco-2 and HT-29 cells were harvested and prepared for mRNA, miRNA and proteomic profiling. mRNA microarray profiling analysis was carried out using the Affymetrix GeneChip Human Gene 1.0 ST array. miRNA microarray profiling analysis was carried out using the Affymetrix Genechip miRNA 3.0 array. Quantitative Label-free LC-MS/MS proteomic analysis was performed using a Dionex Ultimate 3000 RSLCnano system coupled to a hybrid linear ion trap/Orbitrap mass spectrometer. Peptide identities were validated in Proteome Discoverer 2.1 and were subsequently imported into Progenesis QI software for further analysis. Hierarchical cluster analysis for all three parallel datasets (miRNA, proteomics, mRNA) was conducted in the R software environment using the Euclidean distance measure and Ward's clustering algorithm. The prediction of miRNA and oppositely correlated protein/mRNA interactions was performed using TargetScan 6.1. GO biological process, molecular function and cellular component enrichment analysis was carried out for the DE miRNA, protein and mRNA lists via the Pathway Studio 11.3 Web interface using their Mammalian database. Differential expression (DE) profiling comparing the intestinal cell lines HT-29 and Caco-2 identified 1795 Genes, 168 Proteins and 160 miRNAs as DE between the two cell lines. At the gene level, 1084 genes were upregulated and 711 were downregulated in the Caco-2 cell line relative to the HT-29 cell line. At the protein level, 57 proteins were found to be upregulated and 111 downregulated in the Caco-2 cell line relative to the HT-29 cell line. Finally, at the miRNAs level, 104 were upregulated and 56 downregulated in the Caco-2 cell line relative to the HT-29 cell line. Gene ontology (GO) analysis of the DE mRNA identified cell adhesion, migration and ECM organization, cellular lipid and cholesterol metabolic processes, small molecule transport and a range of responses to external stimuli, while similar analysis of the DE protein list identified gene expression/transcription, epigenetic mechanisms, DNA replication, differentiation and translation ontology categories. The DE protein and gene lists were found to share 15 biological processes including for example epithelial cell differentiation [ P value ≤ 1.81613E-08 (protein list); P ≤ 0.000434311 (gene list)] and actin filament bundle assembly [ P value ≤ 0.001582797 (protein list); P ≤ 0.002733714 (gene list)]. Analysis was conducted on the three data streams acquired in parallel to identify targets undergoing potential miRNA translational repression identified 34 proteins, whose respective mRNAs were detected but no change in expression was observed. Of these 34 proteins, 27 proteins downregulated in the Caco-2 cell line relative to the HT-29 cell line and predicted to be targeted by 19 unique anti-correlated/upregulated microRNAs and 7 proteins upregulated in the Caco-2 cell line relative to the HT-29 cell line and predicted to be targeted by 15 unique anti-correlated/downregulated microRNAs. This first study providing "tri-omics" analysis of the principal intestinal cell line models Caco-2 and HT-29 has identified 34 proteins potentially undergoing miRNA translational repression.

Parallel mRNA, proteomics and miRNA expression analysis in cell line models of the intestine

PubMed Central

O’Sullivan, Finbarr; Keenan, Joanne; Aherne, Sinead; O’Neill, Fiona; Clarke, Colin; Henry, Michael; Meleady, Paula; Breen, Laura; Barron, Niall; Clynes, Martin; Horgan, Karina; Doolan, Padraig; Murphy, Richard

2017-01-01

AIM To identify miRNA-regulated proteins differentially expressed between Caco2 and HT-29: two principal cell line models of the intestine. METHODS Exponentially growing Caco-2 and HT-29 cells were harvested and prepared for mRNA, miRNA and proteomic profiling. mRNA microarray profiling analysis was carried out using the Affymetrix GeneChip Human Gene 1.0 ST array. miRNA microarray profiling analysis was carried out using the Affymetrix Genechip miRNA 3.0 array. Quantitative Label-free LC-MS/MS proteomic analysis was performed using a Dionex Ultimate 3000 RSLCnano system coupled to a hybrid linear ion trap/Orbitrap mass spectrometer. Peptide identities were validated in Proteome Discoverer 2.1 and were subsequently imported into Progenesis QI software for further analysis. Hierarchical cluster analysis for all three parallel datasets (miRNA, proteomics, mRNA) was conducted in the R software environment using the Euclidean distance measure and Ward’s clustering algorithm. The prediction of miRNA and oppositely correlated protein/mRNA interactions was performed using TargetScan 6.1. GO biological process, molecular function and cellular component enrichment analysis was carried out for the DE miRNA, protein and mRNA lists via the Pathway Studio 11.3 Web interface using their Mammalian database. RESULTS Differential expression (DE) profiling comparing the intestinal cell lines HT-29 and Caco-2 identified 1795 Genes, 168 Proteins and 160 miRNAs as DE between the two cell lines. At the gene level, 1084 genes were upregulated and 711 were downregulated in the Caco-2 cell line relative to the HT-29 cell line. At the protein level, 57 proteins were found to be upregulated and 111 downregulated in the Caco-2 cell line relative to the HT-29 cell line. Finally, at the miRNAs level, 104 were upregulated and 56 downregulated in the Caco-2 cell line relative to the HT-29 cell line. Gene ontology (GO) analysis of the DE mRNA identified cell adhesion, migration and ECM organization, cellular lipid and cholesterol metabolic processes, small molecule transport and a range of responses to external stimuli, while similar analysis of the DE protein list identified gene expression/transcription, epigenetic mechanisms, DNA replication, differentiation and translation ontology categories. The DE protein and gene lists were found to share 15 biological processes including for example epithelial cell differentiation [P value ≤ 1.81613E-08 (protein list); P ≤ 0.000434311 (gene list)] and actin filament bundle assembly [P value ≤ 0.001582797 (protein list); P ≤ 0.002733714 (gene list)]. Analysis was conducted on the three data streams acquired in parallel to identify targets undergoing potential miRNA translational repression identified 34 proteins, whose respective mRNAs were detected but no change in expression was observed. Of these 34 proteins, 27 proteins downregulated in the Caco-2 cell line relative to the HT-29 cell line and predicted to be targeted by 19 unique anti-correlated/upregulated microRNAs and 7 proteins upregulated in the Caco-2 cell line relative to the HT-29 cell line and predicted to be targeted by 15 unique anti-correlated/downregulated microRNAs. CONCLUSION This first study providing “tri-omics” analysis of the principal intestinal cell line models Caco-2 and HT-29 has identified 34 proteins potentially undergoing miRNA translational repression. PMID:29151691

A perpetual source of DNA or something really different: ethical issues in the creation of cell lines for African genomics research.

PubMed

de Vries, Jantina; Abayomi, Akin; Brandful, James; Littler, Katherine; Madden, Ebony; Marshall, Patricia; Ouwe Missi Oukem-Boyer, Odile; Seeley, Janet

2014-08-07

The rise of genomic studies in Africa - not least due to projects funded under H3Africa - is associated with the development of a small number of biorepositories across Africa. For the ultimate success of these biorepositories, the creation of cell lines including those from selected H3Africa samples would be beneficial. In this paper, we map ethical challenges in the creation of cell lines. The first challenge we identified relates to the moral status of cells living in culture. There is no doubt that cells in culture are alive, and the question is how this characteristic is relevant to ethical decision-making. The second challenge relates to the fact that cells in culture are a source of cell products and mitochondrial DNA. In combination with other technologies, cells in culture could also be used to grow human tissue. Whilst on the one hand, this feature increases the potential utility of the sample and promotes science, on the other it also enables further scientific work that may not have been specifically consented to or approved. The third challenge relates to ownership over samples, particularly in cases where cell lines are created by a biobank, and in a different country than where samples were collected. Relevant questions here concern the export of samples, approval of secondary use and the acceptability of commercialisation. A fourth challenge relates to perceptions of blood and bodily integrity, which may be particularly relevant for African research participants from certain cultures or backgrounds. Finally, we discuss challenges around informed consent and ethical review. In this paper, we sought to map the myriad of ethical challenges that need to be considered prior to making cell line creation a reality in the H3Africa project. Considering the relative novelty of this practice in Africa, such challenges will need to be considered, discussed and potentially be resolved before cell line creation in Africa becomes financially feasible and sustainable. We suggest that discussions need to be undertaken between stakeholders internationally, considering the international character of the H3Africa project. We also map out avenues for empirical research.

Copper (II) complexes of bidentate ligands exhibit potent anti-cancer activity regardless of platinum sensitivity status.

PubMed

Wehbe, Mohamed; Lo, Cody; Leung, Ada W Y; Dragowska, Wieslawa H; Ryan, Gemma M; Bally, Marcel B

2017-12-01

Insensitivity to platinum, either through inherent or acquired resistance, is a major clinical problem in the treatment of many solid tumors. Here, we explored the therapeutic potential of diethyldithiocarbamate (DDC), pyrithione (Pyr), plumbagin (Plum), 8-hydroxyquinoline (8-HQ), clioquinol (CQ) copper complexes in a panel of cancer cell lines that differ in their sensitivity to platins (cisplatin/carboplatin) using a high-content imaging system. Our data suggest that the copper complexes were effective against both platinum sensitive (IC 50  ~ 1 μM platinum) and insensitive (IC 50  > 5 μM platinum) cell lines. Furthermore, copper complexes of DDC, Pyr and 8-HQ had greater therapeutic activity compared to the copper-free ligands in all cell lines; whereas the copper-dependent activities of Plum and CQ were cell-line specific. Four of the copper complexes (Cu(DDC) 2 , Cu(Pyr) 2 , Cu(Plum) 2 and Cu(8-HQ) 2 ) showed IC 50 values less than that of cisplatin in all tested cell lines. The complex copper DDC (Cu(DDC) 2 ) was selected for in vivo evaluation due to its low nano-molar range activity in vitro and the availability of an injectable liposomal formulation. Liposomal (Cu(DDC) 2 ) was tested in a fast-growing platinum-resistant A2780-CP ovarian xenograft model and was found to achieve a statistically significant reduction (50%; p < 0.05) in tumour size. This work supports the potential use of copper-based therapeutics to treat cancers that are insensitive to platinum drugs.

Genetic Resistance to Rhabdovirus Infection in Teleost Fish Is Paralleled to the Derived Cell Resistance Status

PubMed Central

Verrier, Eloi R.; Langevin, Christelle; Tohry, Corinne; Houel, Armel; Ducrocq, Vincent; Benmansour, Abdenour; Quillet, Edwige; Boudinot, Pierre

2012-01-01

Genetic factors of resistance and predisposition to viral diseases explain a significant part of the clinical variability observed within host populations. Predisposition to viral diseases has been associated to MHC haplotypes and T cell immunity, but a growing repertoire of innate/intrinsic factors are implicated in the genetic determinism of the host susceptibility to viruses. In a long-term study of the genetics of host resistance to fish rhabdoviruses, we produced a collection of double-haploid rainbow trout clones showing a wide range of susceptibility to Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia Virus (VHSV) waterborne infection. The susceptibility of fibroblastic cell lines derived from these clonal fish was fully consistent with the susceptibility of the parental fish clones. The mechanisms determining the host resistance therefore did not associate with specific host immunity, but rather with innate or intrinsic factors. One cell line was resistant to rhabdovirus infection due to the combination of an early interferon IFN induction - that was not observed in the susceptible cells - and of yet unknown factors that hamper the first steps of the viral cycle. The implication of IFN was well consistent with the wide range of resistance of this genetic background to VSHV and IHNV, to the birnavirus IPNV and the orthomyxovirus ISAV. Another cell line was even more refractory to the VHSV infection through different antiviral mechanisms. This collection of clonal fish and isogenic cell lines provides an interesting model to analyze the relative contribution of antiviral pathways to the resistance to different viruses. PMID:22514610

Cancer cell specific cytotoxic gene expression mediated by ARF tumor suppressor promoter constructs

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kurayoshi, Kenta; Ozono, Eiko; Iwanaga, Ritsuko

Highlights: • ARF promoter showed higher responsiveness to deregulated E2F activity than the E2F1 promoter. • ARF promoter showed higher cancer cell-specificity than E2F1 promoter to drive gene expression. • HSV-TK driven by ARF promoter showed higher cancer cell-specific cytotoxicity than that driven by E2F1 promoter. - Abstract: In current cancer treatment protocols, such as radiation and chemotherapy, side effects on normal cells are major obstacles to radical therapy. To avoid these side effects, a cancer cell-specific approach is needed. One way to specifically target cancer cells is to utilize a cancer specific promoter to express a cytotoxic gene (suicidemore » gene therapy) or a viral gene required for viral replication (oncolytic virotherapy). For this purpose, the selected promoter should have minimal activity in normal cells to avoid side effects, and high activity in a wide variety of cancers to obtain optimal therapeutic efficacy. In contrast to the AFP, CEA and PSA promoters, which have high activity only in a limited spectrum of tumors, the E2F1 promoter exhibits high activity in wide variety of cancers. This is based on the mechanism of carcinogenesis. Defects in the RB pathway and activation of the transcription factor E2F, the main target of the RB pathway, are observed in almost all cancers. Consequently, the E2F1 promoter, which is mainly regulated by E2F, has high activity in wide variety of cancers. However, E2F is also activated by growth stimulation in normal growing cells, suggesting that the E2F1 promoter may also be highly active in normal growing cells. In contrast, we found that the tumor suppressor ARF promoter is activated by deregulated E2F activity, induced by forced inactivation of pRB, but does not respond to physiological E2F activity induced by growth stimulation. We also found that the deregulated E2F activity, which activates the ARF promoter, is detected only in cancer cell lines. These observations suggest that ARF promoter is activated by E2F only in cancer cells and therefore may be more cancer cell-specific than E2F1 promoter to drive gene expression. We show here that the ARF promoter has lower activity in normal growing fibroblasts and shows higher cancer cell-specificity compared to the E2F1 promoter. We also demonstrate that adenovirus expressing HSV-TK under the control of the ARF promoter shows lower cytotoxicity than that of the E2F1 promoter, in normal growing fibroblasts but has equivalent cytotoxicity in cancer cell lines. These results suggest that the ARF promoter, which is specifically activated by deregulated E2F activity, is an excellent candidate to drive therapeutic cytotoxic gene expression, specifically in cancer cells.« less

Host range and cell cycle activation properties of polyomavirus large T-antigen mutants defective in pRB binding

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Freund, R.; Bauer, P.H.; Benjamin, T.L.

1994-11-01

The authors have examined the growth properties of polyomavirus large T-antigen mutants that ar unable to bind pRB, the product of the retinoblastoma tumor suppressor gene. These mutants grow poorly on primary mouse cells yet grow well on NIH 3T3 and other established mouse cell lines. Preinfection of primary baby mouse kidney (BMK) epithelial cells with wild-type simian virus 40 renders these cells permissive to growth of pRB-binding polyomavirus mutants. Conversely, NIH 3T3 cells transfected by and expressing wild-type human pRB become nonpermissive. Primary fibroblasts for mouse embryos that carry a homozygous knockout of the RB gene are permissive, whilemore » those from normal littermates are nonpermissive. The host range of polyomavirus pRB-binding mutants is thus determined by expression or lack of expression of functional pRB by the host. These results demonstrate the importance of pRB binding by large T antigen for productive viral infection in primary cells. Failure of pRB-binding mutants to grow well in BMK cells correlates with their failure to induce progression from G{sub 0} or G{sub 1} through the S phase of the cell cycle. Time course studies show delayed synthesis and lower levels of accumulation of large T antigen, viral DNA, and VP1 in mutant compared with wild-type virus-infected BMK cells. These results support a model in which productive infection by polyomavirus in normal mouse cells is tightly coupled to the induction and progression of the cell cycle. 48 refs., 6 figs., 5 tabs.« less

Discovery of Phylloseptins that Defense against Gram-Positive Bacteria and Inhibit the Proliferation of the Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Cell Line, from the Skin Secretions of Phyllomedusa Frogs.

PubMed

Liu, Jia; Wu, Qing; Li, Lei; Xi, Xinping; Wu, Di; Zhou, Mei; Chen, Tianbao; Shaw, Chris; Wang, Lei

2017-08-29

The growing occurrence of bacterial resistance to conventional antibiotics has called for the development of new classes of antimicrobial agents. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) with broad antimicrobial spectrum derived from frog skin secretions have been demonstrated to be promising candidates for new antibiotic development. A proven rich source of these compounds are the skin secretions of the frogs in the Phyllomedusa genus. In this study, two novel phylloseptin peptides-phylloseptin-PTa and phylloseptin-PHa-were isolated from the skin secretions of the South American frogs, Phyllomedusa tarsius ( P. tarsius ) and Phyllomedusa hypochondrialis ( P. hypochondrialis ) through parallel transcriptomic and peptidomic studies. Replicates obtained by chemical synthesis were structurally analysed and shown to adopt an α-helix configuration in an amphiphilic environment. Both peptides demonstrated antimicrobial activities against planktonic Gram-positive bacteria strains, including Staphylococcus aureus , Enterococcus faecalis and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus , biofilms, as well as cytostatic effects on the non-small cell lung cancer cell line, NCI-H157, with relatively low haemolysis on horse erythrocytes and low cytotoxicity on the human microvascular endothelial cell line, HMEC-1. The discovery of phylloseptin peptides may further inspire the development of new types of antibiotics.

High-fidelity Glucagon-CreER mouse line generated by CRISPR-Cas9 assisted gene targeting.

PubMed

Ackermann, Amanda M; Zhang, Jia; Heller, Aryel; Briker, Anna; Kaestner, Klaus H

2017-03-01

α-cells are the second most prominent cell type in pancreatic islets and are responsible for producing glucagon to increase plasma glucose levels in times of fasting. α-cell dysfunction and inappropriate glucagon secretion occur in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Thus, there is growing interest in studying both normal function and pathophysiology of α-cells. However, tools to target gene ablation or activation specifically of α-cells have been limited, compared to those available for β-cells. Previous Glucagon-Cre and Glucagon-CreER transgenic mouse lines have suffered from transgene silencing, and the only available Glucagon-CreER "knock-in" mouse line results in glucagon haploinsufficiency, which can confound the interpretation of gene deletion analyses. Therefore, we sought to develop a Glucagon-CreER T2 mouse line that would maintain normal glucagon expression and would be less susceptible to transgene silencing. We utilized CRISPR-Cas9 technology to insert an IRES-CreER T2 sequence into the 3' UTR of the Glucagon ( Gcg ) locus in mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs). Targeted ESC clones were then injected into mouse blastocysts to obtain Gcg-CreER T2 mice. Recombination efficiency in GCG + pancreatic α-cells and glucagon-like peptide 1 positive (GLP1 + ) enteroendocrine L-cells was measured in Gcg-CreER T2 ; Rosa26-LSL-YFP mice injected with tamoxifen during fetal development and adulthood. Tamoxifen injection of Gcg-CreER T2 ; Rosa26-LSL-YFP mice induced high recombination efficiency of the Rosa26-LSL-YFP locus in perinatal and adult α-cells (88% and 95%, respectively), as well as in first-wave fetal α-cells (36%) and adult enteroendocrine L-cells (33%). Mice homozygous for the Gcg-CreER T2 allele were phenotypically normal. We successfully derived a Gcg-CreER T2 mouse line that expresses CreER T2 in pancreatic α-cells and enteroendocrine L-cells without disrupting preproglucagon gene expression. These mice will be a useful tool for performing temporally controlled genetic manipulation specifically in these cell types.

siMacro: A Fast and Easy Data Processing Tool for Cell-Based Genomewide siRNA Screens.

PubMed

Singh, Nitin Kumar; Seo, Bo Yeun; Vidyasagar, Mathukumalli; White, Michael A; Kim, Hyun Seok

2013-03-01

Growing numbers of studies employ cell line-based systematic short interfering RNA (siRNA) screens to study gene functions and to identify drug targets. As multiple sources of variations that are unique to siRNA screens exist, there is a growing demand for a computational tool that generates normalized values and standardized scores. However, only a few tools have been available so far with limited usability. Here, we present siMacro, a fast and easy-to-use Microsoft Office Excel-based tool with a graphic user interface, designed to process single-condition or two-condition synthetic screen datasets. siMacro normalizes position and batch effects, censors outlier samples, and calculates Z-scores and robust Z-scores, with a spreadsheet output of >120,000 samples in under 1 minute.

siMacro: A Fast and Easy Data Processing Tool for Cell-Based Genomewide siRNA Screens

PubMed Central

Singh, Nitin Kumar; Seo, Bo Yeun; Vidyasagar, Mathukumalli; White, Michael A.

2013-01-01

Growing numbers of studies employ cell line-based systematic short interfering RNA (siRNA) screens to study gene functions and to identify drug targets. As multiple sources of variations that are unique to siRNA screens exist, there is a growing demand for a computational tool that generates normalized values and standardized scores. However, only a few tools have been available so far with limited usability. Here, we present siMacro, a fast and easy-to-use Microsoft Office Excel-based tool with a graphic user interface, designed to process single-condition or two-condition synthetic screen datasets. siMacro normalizes position and batch effects, censors outlier samples, and calculates Z-scores and robust Z-scores, with a spreadsheet output of >120,000 samples in under 1 minute. PMID:23613684

A model of cell-wall dynamics during sporulation in Bacillus subtilis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yap, Li-Wei; Endres, Robert G.

To survive starvation, Bacillus subtilis forms durable spores. After asymmetric cell division, the septum grows around the forespore in a process called engulfment, but the mechanism of force generation is unknown. Here, we derived a novel biophysical model for the dynamics of cell-wall remodeling during engulfment based on a balancing of dissipative, active, and mechanical forces. By plotting phase diagrams, we predict that sporulation is promoted by a line tension from the attachment of the septum to the outer cell wall, as well as by an imbalance in turgor pressures in the mother-cell and forespore compartments. We also predict that significant mother-cell growth hinders engulfment. Hence, relatively simple physical principles may guide this complex biological process.

X ray sensitivity of diploid skin fibroblasts from patients with Fanconi's anemia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kale, Ranjini

1989-01-01

Experiments were performed on Fanconi's anemia and normal human fibroblast cell lines growing in culture in an attempt to correlate cell cycle kinetics with genomic damage and determine their bearing on the mechanism of chromosome aberration induction. FA fibroblasts showed a significantly increased susceptibility to chromosomal breakage by x rays in the G2 phase of the cell cycle. No such response was observed in fibroblasts irradiated in the G0 phase. The observed increases in achromatic lesions and in chromatid deletions in FA cells as compared with normal cells appear to indicate that FA cells are deficient in strand break repair and also possibly in base damage excision repair. Experiments are now in progress to further elucidate the mechanisms involved.

Isolation of Circulating Tumor Cells in an Orthotopic Mouse Model of Colorectal Cancer.

PubMed

Kochall, Susan; Thepkaysone, May-Linn; García, Sebastián A; Betzler, Alexander M; Weitz, Jürgen; Reissfelder, Christoph; Schölch, Sebastian

2017-07-18

Despite the advantages of easy applicability and cost-effectiveness, subcutaneous mouse models have severe limitations and do not accurately simulate tumor biology and tumor cell dissemination. Orthotopic mouse models have been introduced to overcome these limitations; however, such models are technically demanding, especially in hollow organs such as the large bowel. In order to produce uniform tumors which reliably grow and metastasize, standardized techniques of tumor cell preparation and injection are critical. We have developed an orthotopic mouse model of colorectal cancer (CRC) which develops highly uniform tumors and can be used for tumor biology studies as well as therapeutic trials. Tumor cells from either primary tumors, 2-dimensional (2D) cell lines or 3-dimensional (3D) organoids are injected into the cecum and, depending on the metastatic potential of the injected tumor cells, form highly metastatic tumors. In addition, CTCs can be found regularly. We here describe the technique of tumor cell preparation from both 2D cell lines and 3D organoids as well as primary tumor tissue, the surgical and injection techniques as well as the isolation of CTCs from the tumor-bearing mice, and present tips for troubleshooting.

Hydrogen peroxide generated by xanthine/xanthine oxidase system represses the proliferation of colorectal cancer cell line Caco-2.

PubMed

Sakuma, Satoru; Abe, Muneyuki; Kohda, Tetsuya; Fujimoto, Yohko

2015-01-01

The twin character of reactive oxygen species is substantiated by a growing body of evidence that reactive oxygen species within cells act as inducers and accelerators of the oncogenic phenotype of cancer cells, while reactive oxygen species can also induce cancer cell death and can therefore function as anti-tumorigenic species. The aim of this study was to assess a possible influence of xanthine/xanthine oxidase on the proliferation of colorectal cancer cell line Caco-2. xanthine/xanthine oxidase (2.5 µM/0.25 mU/ml-25 µM/2.5 mU/ml) dose-dependently inhibited the proliferation of Caco-2 cells. Experiments utilizing reactive oxygen species scavengers (superoxide dismutase, catalase and mannitol) and exogenous hydrogen peroxide revealed a major role of hydrogen peroxide in the xanthine/xanthine oxidase effect. Investigations utilizing annexin V-fluorescein/PI assay using flow cytometry, and the lactate dehydrogenase extracellular release assay indicated that hydrogen peroxide induced necrosis, but not apoptosis, in Caco-2 cells. These results suggest that hydrogen peroxide generated by xanthine/xanthine oxidase has the potential to suppress colorectal cancer cell proliferation.

Lack of complex I activity in human cells carrying a mutation in MtDNA-encoded ND4 subunit is corrected by the Saccharomyces cerevisiae NADH-quinone oxidoreductase (NDI1) gene.

PubMed

Bai, Y; Hájek, P; Chomyn, A; Chan, E; Seo, B B; Matsuno-Yagi, A; Yagi, T; Attardi, G

2001-10-19

The gene for the single subunit, rotenone-insensitive, and flavone-sensitive internal NADH-quinone oxidoreductase of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (NDI1) can completely restore the NADH dehydrogenase activity in mutant human cells that lack the essential mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA)-encoded subunit ND4. In particular, the NDI1 gene was introduced into the nuclear genome of the human 143B.TK(-) cell line derivative C4T, which carries a homoplasmic frameshift mutation in the ND4 gene. Two transformants with a low or high level of expression of the exogenous gene were chosen for a detailed analysis. In these cells the corresponding protein is localized in mitochondria, its NADH-binding site faces the matrix compartment as in yeast mitochondria, and in perfect correlation with its abundance restores partially or fully NADH-dependent respiration that is rotenone-insensitive, flavone-sensitive, and antimycin A-sensitive. Thus the yeast enzyme has become coupled to the downstream portion of the human respiratory chain. Furthermore, the P:O ratio with malate/glutamate-dependent respiration in the transformants is approximately two-thirds of that of the wild-type 143B.TK(-) cells, as expected from the lack of proton pumping activity in the yeast enzyme. Finally, whereas the original mutant cell line C4T fails to grow in medium containing galactose instead of glucose, the high NDI1-expressing transformant has a fully restored capacity to grow in galactose medium. The present observations substantially expand the potential of the yeast NDI1 gene for the therapy of mitochondrial diseases involving complex I deficiency.

Changes of buoyant density during the S-phase of the cell cycle. Direct evidence demonstrated in acute myeloid leukemia by flowcytometry.

PubMed

Daenen, S; Huiges, W; Modderman, E; Halie, M R

1993-01-01

Studies with synchronized or exponentially growing bacteria and mammalian cell lines are not able to demonstrate small changes in buoyant density during the cell cycle. Flowcytometric analysis of density separated acute myeloid leukemia cells, a system not dependent on time-related variables, shows that the cellular buoyant density increases slightly with up to 0.008 g/ml during the S-phase, at least in cryo-preserved cells used in this study. This contrasts with the generally accepted belief that S-phase cells have a lower or constant buoyant density. A practical implication is that separation of cell (sub)populations based on differences in buoyant density could be flawed to the extent that these populations contain S-phase cells.

Immortalization of human prostate epithelial cells by HPV 16 E6/E7 open reading frames.

PubMed

Choo, C K; Ling, M T; Chan, K W; Tsao, S W; Zheng, Z; Zhang, D; Chan, L C; Wong, Y C

1999-08-01

The exact pathogenesis for prostate cancer is not known. Progress made in prostate cancer research has been slow, largely due to the lack of suitable in vitro models. Here, we report our work on the immortalization of a human prostate epithelial cell line and show that it can be used as a model to study prostate tumorigenesis. Replication-defective retrovirus harboring the human papillomavirus (HPV) type 16 E6 and E7 open reading frames was used to infect primary human prostate epithelial cells. Polymerase chain reaction, followed by Southern hybridization for the HPV 16 E6/E7, Western blot for prostatic acid phosphatase, telomeric repeat amplification protocol assay for telomerase activity, two-dimensional gels for cytokeratins, and cytogenetic analysis were undertaken to characterized the infected cells. The retrovirus-infected cell line, HPr-1, continued to grow in culture for more than 80 successive passages. Normal primary cells failed to proliferate after passage 6. HPr-1 cells bore close resemblance to normal primary prostate epithelial cells, both morphologically and biochemically. However, they possessed telomerase activity and proliferated indefinitely. Cytogenetic analysis of HPr-1 cells revealed a human male karyotype with clonal abnormalities and the appearance of multiple double minutes. The HPr-1 cells expressed prostatic acid phosphatase and cytokeratins K8 and K18, proving that they were prostate epithelial cells. They were benign in nude mice tumor formation and soft agar colony formation assay. The HPr-1 cell line is an in vitro representation of early prostate neoplastic progression. Copyright 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

A model system for testing gene vectors using murine tumor cells on the chorioallantoic membrane of the chick embryo.

PubMed

Dani, Sergio U; Espindola, Rachel

2002-06-30

We developed a model system for testing gene vectors, based on the growth of murine tumors on the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) of embryonic chickens. The ability of selected murine cells to grow on the CAM was rated according to the following criteria: i) formation of tumor masses; ii) metastasis formation; iii) reproducibility; iv) yield, indicated as the number of embryos surviving to assessment time with visible tumors on the CAM; v) maintainability of the cell, both in the original host and the embryonic chick, or 'shuttle maintainability'; vi) detection by the naked eye, and vii) cost/benefit relation. The murine melanoma cell lineage, B16F10, which efficiently forms distinct, pigmented tumor masses and metastases on the CAM, performed better in this model than the murine B61 cell line. In vitro transduction of B16F10 cells with a recombinant adenovirus carrying a construct of the E. coli LacZ gene followed by inoculation onto the CAM resulted in beta-galactosidase expression in the tumor mass growing on the CAM. This model is potentially applicable to preclinical evaluation of gene vectors, especially for gene therapy of cancer.

Toxicity of Nanoparticles and an Overview of Current Experimental Models.

PubMed

Bahadar, Haji; Maqbool, Faheem; Niaz, Kamal; Abdollahi, Mohammad

2016-01-01

Nanotechnology is a rapidly growing field having potential applications in many areas. Nanoparticles (NPs) have been studied for cell toxicity, immunotoxicity, and genotoxicity. Tetrazolium-based assays such as MTT, MTS, and WST-1 are used to determine cell viability. Cell inflammatory response induced by NPs is checked by measuring inflammatory biomarkers, such as IL-8, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor, using ELISA. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay is used for cell membrane integrity. Different types of cell cultures, including cancer cell lines have been employed as in vitro toxicity models. It has been generally agreed that NPs interfere with either assay materials or with detection systems. So far, toxicity data generated by employing such models are conflicting and inconsistent. Therefore, on the basis of available experimental models, it may be difficult to judge and list some of the more valuable NPs as more toxic to biological systems and vice versa. Considering the potential applications of NPs in many fields and the growing apprehensions of FDA about the toxic potential of nanoproducts, it is the need of the hour to look for new internationally agreed free of bias toxicological models by focusing more on in vivo studies.

IDH1 R132H decreases proliferation of glioma cell lines in vitro and in vivo.

PubMed

Bralten, Linda B C; Kloosterhof, Nanne K; Balvers, Rutger; Sacchetti, Andrea; Lapre, Lariesa; Lamfers, Martine; Leenstra, Sieger; de Jonge, Hugo; Kros, Johan M; Jansen, Erwin E W; Struys, Eduard A; Jakobs, Cornelis; Salomons, Gajja S; Diks, Sander H; Peppelenbosch, Maikel; Kremer, Andreas; Hoogenraad, Casper C; Smitt, Peter A E Sillevis; French, Pim J

2011-03-01

A high percentage of grade II and III gliomas have mutations in the gene encoding isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH1). This mutation is always a heterozygous point mutation that affects the amino acid arginine at position 132 and results in loss of its native enzymatic activity and gain of alternative enzymatic activity (producing D-2-hydroxyglutarate). The objective of this study was to investigate the cellular effects of R132H mutations in IDH1. Functional consequences of IDH1(R132H) mutations were examined among others using fluorescence-activated cell sorting, kinome and expression arrays, biochemical assays, and intracranial injections on 3 different (glioma) cell lines with stable overexpression of IDH1(R132H) . IDH1(R132H) overexpression in established glioma cell lines in vitro resulted in a marked decrease in proliferation, decreased Akt phosphorylation, altered morphology, and a more contact-dependent cell migration. The reduced proliferation is related to accumulation of D-2-hydroxyglutarate that is produced by IDH1(R132H) . Mice injected with IDH1(R132H) U87 cells have prolonged survival compared to mice injected with IDH1(wt) or green fluorescent protein-expressing U87 cells. Our results demonstrate that IDH1(R132H) dominantly reduces aggressiveness of established glioma cell lines in vitro and in vivo. In addition, the IDH1(R132H) -IDH1(wt) heterodimer has higher enzymatic activity than the IDH1(R132H) -IDH1(R132H) homodimer. Our observations in model systems of glioma might lead to a better understanding of the biology of IDH1 mutant gliomas, which are typically low grade and often slow growing. Copyright © 2011 American Neurological Association.

Spheroid Culture of Head and Neck Cancer Cells Reveals an Important Role of EGFR Signalling in Anchorage Independent Survival.

PubMed

Braunholz, Diana; Saki, Mohammad; Niehr, Franziska; Öztürk, Merve; Borràs Puértolas, Berta; Konschak, Robert; Budach, Volker; Tinhofer, Ingeborg

2016-01-01

In solid tumours millions of cells are shed into the blood circulation each day. Only a subset of these circulating tumour cells (CTCs) survive, many of them presumable because of their potential to form multi-cellular clusters also named spheroids. Tumour cells within these spheroids are protected from anoikis, which allows them to metastasize to distant organs or re-seed at the primary site. We used spheroid cultures of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cell lines as a model for such CTC clusters for determining the role of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in cluster formation ability and cell survival after detachment from the extra-cellular matrix. The HNSCC cell lines FaDu, SCC-9 and UT-SCC-9 (UT-SCC-9P) as well as its cetuximab (CTX)-resistant sub-clone (UT-SCC-9R) were forced to grow in an anchorage-independent manner by coating culture dishes with the anti-adhesive polymer poly-2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate (poly-HEMA). The extent of apoptosis, clonogenic survival and EGFR signalling under such culture conditions was evaluated. The potential of spheroid formation in suspension culture was found to be positively correlated with the proliferation rate of HNSCC cell lines as well as their basal EGFR expression levels. CTX and gefitinib blocked, whereas the addition of EGFR ligands promoted anchorage-independent cell survival and spheroid formation. Increased spheroid formation and growth were associated with persistent activation of EGFR and its downstream signalling component (MAPK/ERK). Importantly, HNSCC cells derived from spheroid cultures retained their clonogenic potential in the absence of cell-matrix contact. Addition of CTX under these conditions strongly inhibited colony formation in CTX-sensitive cell lines but not their resistant subclones. Altogether, EGFR activation was identified as crucial factor for anchorage-independent survival of HNSCC cells. Targeting EGFR in CTC cluster formation might represent an attractive anti-metastatic treatment approach in HNSCC.

Antiproliferative activity of Haematoxylum brasiletto H. Karst

PubMed Central

Bello-Martínez, J; Jiménez-Estrada, M; Rosas-Acevedo, JL; Avila-Caballero, LP; Vidal-Gutierrez, M; Patiño-Morales, C; Ortiz-Sánchez, E; Robles-Zepeda, RE

2017-01-01

Background: Haematoxylum brasiletto is a tree that grows in Central America, commonly known as “Palo de Brasil,” which is used in the traditional medicine for the treatment of cancer and gastric ulcers. Objective: The aim of this study was to isolate the compounds responsible for antiproliferative activity of H. brasiletto. Materials and Methods: A bioassay-guided fractionation of ethanol extract of H. brasiletto was performed using 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide cell proliferation assay to measure the antiproliferative activity on six human cancer cell lines (A549, LS180, HeLa, SiHa, MDA-MB-231, and NCI-H1299) and one human noncancer cell line (ARPE-19). The ethanol extract was partitioned with hexane, dichloromethane, and ethyl acetate. The active dichloromethane fraction was fractioned by silica-column chromatography, and active subfractions were separated using preparative-thin layer chromatography. The chemical structure of an isolated compound was elucidated with different chemical and spectroscopic methods. Results: The flavonoid brazilin (1) was isolated from the heartwood of H. brasiletto. The measurement of antiproliferative activity showed that brazilin can inhibit the growth of SiHa, MDA-MB-231, A549, and NCI-H1299 cell lines by 50% at doses of 44.3, 48.7, 45.4, and 48.7 μM, respectively. Furthermore, the flavonoid showed a high antiproliferative activity on LS 180 and HeLa with IC50 values of 62.2 and 71.9 μM, respectively. Brazilin also exhibited a high antiproliferative activity on the human noncancer cell line ARPE-19 with an IC50 value of 37.9 μM. Conclusions: Brazilin: (6aS, 11bR)-7,11b-Dihidro-6H-indeno[2,1-c] cromeno-3,6a, 9,10-tetrol was isolated; this compound demonstrated antiproliferative activity against several human cancer cell lines. This work demonstrated that brazilin, a flavonoid isolated and characterized of H. brasiletto, has antiproliferative activity against cancer cell lines. SUMMARY The flavonoid brazilin was isolated from the heartwood of H. brasilettoBrazilin is able to inhibit the growth of SiHa, MDA-MB-231, A549 and NCI- H1299 cancerous cell linesBrazilin exhibited a moderate antiproliferative activity on the human non-cancer cell line ARPE-19Brazilin demonstrated to have antiproliferative activity against human cancer cell lines and could be a potential source of anticancer agents. Abbreviations used: MTT: [3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium]; FBS: Fetal bovine serum; TLC: Thin layer chromatography. PMID:28808394

Tumorigenic risk of human induced pluripotent stem cell explants cultured on mouse SNL76/7 feeder cells

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kamada, Mizuna; Mitsui, Youji, E-mail: y-mitsui8310@hb.tp1.jp; Kumazaki, Tsutomu

2014-10-24

Highlights: • hiPS cell explants formed malignant tumors when SNL76/7 feeder cells were used. • Multi type tumors developed by interaction of SNL76/7 feeder cells with hiPS cells. • Tumorigenic risk occurs by co-culture of hiPS cells with SNL76/7 feeder cells. - Abstract: The potential for tumor formation from transplanted human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) derivatives represents a high risk in their application to regenerative medicine. We examined the genetic origin and characteristics of tumors, that were formed when 13 hiPSC lines, established by ourselves, and 201B7 hiPSC from Kyoto University were transplanted into severe combined immune-deficient (SCID) mice.more » Though teratomas formed in 58% of mice, five angiosarcomas, one malignant solitary fibrous tumor and one undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma formed in the remaining mice. Three malignant cell lines were established from the tumors, which were derived from mitomycin C (MMC)-treated SNL76/7 (MMC-SNL) feeder cells, as tumor development from fusion cells between MMC-SNL and hiPSCs was negative by genetic analysis. While parent SNL76/7 cells produced malignant tumors, neither MMC-SNL nor MMC-treated mouse embryo fibroblast (MEF) produced malignant tumors. When MMC-SNL feeder cells were co-cultured with hiPSCs, growing cell lines were generated, that expressed genes similar to the parent SNL76/7 cells. Thus, hiPSCs grown on MMC-SNL feeder cells have a high risk of generating feeder-derived malignant tumors. The possible mechanism(s) of growth restoration and the formation of multiple tumor types are discussed with respect of the interactions between MMC-SNL and hiPSC.« less

Selectivity of Pinus sylvestris extract and essential oil to estrogen-insensitive breast cancer cells Pinus sylvestris against cancer cells.

PubMed

Hoai, Nguyen Thi; Duc, Ho Viet; Thao, Do Thi; Orav, Anne; Raal, Ain

2015-10-01

So far, the anticancer action of pine tree extracts has mainly been shown for the species distributed widely around the Asian countries. Therefore, this study was performed to examine the potential cytotoxicity of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) native also to the European region and growing widely in Estonia. The cytotoxic activity of methanol extract and essential oil of Scots pine needles was determined by sulforhodamine B assay in different human cancer cell lines. This needle extract was found to suppress the viability of several human cancer cell lines showing some selectivity to estrogen receptor negative breast cancer cells, MDA-MB-231(half maximal inhibitory concentration [IC50] 35 μg/ml) in comparison with estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer cells, MCF-7 (IC50 86 μg/ml). It is the strongest cytotoxic effect at all measured, thus far for the needles and leaves extracts derived from various pine species, and is also the first study comparing the anticancer effects of pine tree extracts on molecularly different human breast cancer cells. The essential oil showed the stronger cytotoxic effect to both negative and positive breast cancer cell lines (both IC50 29 μg/ml) than pine extract (IC50 42 and 80 μg/ml, respectively). The data from this report indicate that Scots pine needles extract and essential oil exhibits some potential as chemopreventive or chemotherapeutic agent for mammary tumors unresponsive to endocrine treatment.

Molecular Validation of PACE4 as a Target in Prostate Cancer12

PubMed Central

D'Anjou, François; Routhier, Sophie; Perreault, Jean-Pierre; Latil, Alain; Bonnel, David; Fournier, Isabelle; Salzet, Michel; Day, Robert

2011-01-01

Prostate cancer remains the single most prevalent cancer in men. Standard therapies are still limited and include androgen ablation that initially causes tumor regression. However, tumor cells eventually relapse and develop into a hormone-refractory prostate cancer. One of the current challenges in this disease is to define new therapeutic targets, which have been virtually unchanged in the past 30 years. Recent studies have suggested that the family of enzymes known as the proprotein convertases (PCs) is involved in various types of cancers and their progression. The present study examined PC expression in prostate cancer and validates one PC, namely PACE4, as a target. The evidence includes the observed high expression of PACE4 in all different clinical stages of human prostate tumor tissues. Gene silencing studies targeting PACE4 in the DU145 prostate cancer cell line produced cells (cell line 4-2) with slower proliferation rates, reduced clonogenic activity, and inability to grow as xenografts in nude mice. Gene expression and proteomic profiling of the 4-2 cell line reveals an increased expression of known cancer-related genes (e.g., GJA1, CD44, IGFBP6) that are downregulated in prostate cancer. Similarly, cancer genes whose expression is decreased in the 4-2 cell line were upregulated in prostate cancer (e.g., MUC1, IL6). The direct role of PACE4 in prostate cancer is most likely through the upregulated processing of growth factors or through the aberrant processing of growth factors leading to sustained cancer progression, suggesting that PACE4 holds a central role in prostate cancer. PMID:21633671

Effects of cyclic-nucleotide derivatives on the growth of human colonic carcinoma xenografts and on cell production in the rat colonic crypt epithelium.

PubMed Central

Tutton, P. J.; Barkla, D. H.

1981-01-01

Previous studies have shown that various amine hormones are able to influence the growth rate of human colorectal carcinomas propagated as xenografts in immune-deprived mice, and it is now well known that the effects of many amine and other hormones are mediated by cyclic nucleotides, acting as second messengers within cells. In the present study the influence of various derivatives of cyclic adenosine monophosphate and cyclic guanosine monophosphate on the growth of two different lines of colorectal cancer growing in immune-deprived mice, and on the cell production rate in the colonic crypt epithelium of the rat, was assessed. Growth of each tumour line, as well as crypt-cell production, was suppressed by treatment wit N6O2' dibutyryl and N6 monobutyryl derivatives of cyclic adenosine monophosphate. Dibutyryl cyclic guanosine monophosphate, on the other hand, was found to promote the growth of Tumour HXK4 and to promote crypt cell production, but to have no significant effect on Tumour HXM2. PMID:6268136

Effects of cyclic-nucleotide derivatives on the growth of human colonic carcinoma xenografts and on cell production in the rat colonic crypt epithelium.

PubMed

Tutton, P J; Barkla, D H

1981-08-01

Previous studies have shown that various amine hormones are able to influence the growth rate of human colorectal carcinomas propagated as xenografts in immune-deprived mice, and it is now well known that the effects of many amine and other hormones are mediated by cyclic nucleotides, acting as second messengers within cells. In the present study the influence of various derivatives of cyclic adenosine monophosphate and cyclic guanosine monophosphate on the growth of two different lines of colorectal cancer growing in immune-deprived mice, and on the cell production rate in the colonic crypt epithelium of the rat, was assessed. Growth of each tumour line, as well as crypt-cell production, was suppressed by treatment wit N6O2' dibutyryl and N6 monobutyryl derivatives of cyclic adenosine monophosphate. Dibutyryl cyclic guanosine monophosphate, on the other hand, was found to promote the growth of Tumour HXK4 and to promote crypt cell production, but to have no significant effect on Tumour HXM2.

Development of patient-derived xenograft models from a spontaneously immortal low-grade meningioma cell line, KCI-MENG1.

PubMed

Michelhaugh, Sharon K; Guastella, Anthony R; Varadarajan, Kaushik; Klinger, Neil V; Parajuli, Prahlad; Ahmad, Aamir; Sethi, Seema; Aboukameel, Amro; Kiousis, Sam; Zitron, Ian M; Ebrahim, Salah A; Polin, Lisa A; Sarkar, Fazlul H; Bollig-Fischer, Aliccia; Mittal, Sandeep

2015-07-15

There is a paucity of effective therapies for recurrent/aggressive meningiomas. Establishment of improved in vitro and in vivo meningioma models will facilitate development and testing of novel therapeutic approaches. A primary meningioma cell line was generated from a patient with an olfactory groove meningioma. The cell line was extensively characterized by performing analysis of growth kinetics, immunocytochemistry, telomerase activity, karyotype, and comparative genomic hybridization. Xenograft models using immunocompromised SCID mice were also developed. Histopathology of the patient tumor was consistent with a WHO grade I typical meningioma composed of meningothelial cells, whorls, and occasional psammoma bodies. The original tumor and the early passage primary cells shared the standard immunohistochemical profile consistent with low-grade, good prognosis meningioma. Low passage KCI-MENG1 cells were composed of two cell types with spindle and round morphologies, showed linear growth curve, had very low telomerase activity, and were composed of two distinct unrelated clones on cytogenetic analysis. In contrast, high passage cells were homogeneously round, rapidly growing, had high telomerase activity, and were composed of a single clone with a near triploid karyotype containing 64-66 chromosomes with numerous aberrations. Following subcutaneous and orthotopic transplantation of low passage cells into SCID mice, firm tumors positive for vimentin and progesterone receptor (PR) formed, while subcutaneous implant of high passage cells yielded vimentin-positive, PR-negative tumors, concordant with a high-grade meningioma. Although derived from a benign meningioma specimen, the newly-established spontaneously immortal KCI-MENG1 meningioma cell line can be utilized to generate xenograft tumor models with either low- or high-grade features, dependent on the cell passage number (likely due to the relative abundance of the round, near-triploid cells). These human meningioma mouse xenograft models will provide biologically relevant platforms from which to investigate differences in low- vs. high-grade meningioma tumor biology and disease progression as well as to develop novel therapies to improve treatment options for poor prognosis or recurrent meningiomas.

Establishment and transformation of telomerase-immortalized human small airway epithelial cells by heavy ions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Y. L.; Piao, C. Q.; Hei, T. K.

Previous studies from this laboratory have identified a number of causally linked genes including the novel tumor suppressor Betaig-h3 that were differentially expressed in radiation induced tumorigenic BEP2D cells. To extend these studies using a genomically more stable bronchial cell line, we show here that ectopic expression of the catalytic subunit of telomerase (hTERT) in primary human small airway epithelial (SAE) cells resulted in the generation of several clonal cell lines that have been continuously in culture for more than 250 population doublings and are considered immortal. Comparably-treated control SAE cells infected with only the viral vector senesced after less than 10 population doublings. The immortalized clones demonstrated anchorage dependent growth and are non-tumorigenic in nude mice. These cells show no alteration in the p53 gene but a decrease in p16 expression. Exponentially growing SAEh cells were exposed to graded doses of 1 GeV/nucleon of 56Fe ions accelerated at the Brookhaven National Laboratory. Irradiated cells underwent gradual phenotypic alterations after extensive in vitro cultivation. Transformed cells developed through a series of successive steps before becoming anchorage independent in semisolid medium. These findings indicate that hTERT-immortalized cells, being diploid and chromosomal stable, should be a useful model in assessing mechanism of radiation carcinogenesis.

Study of pharmaceutical industrial problems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pincus, J. H.

1979-01-01

The growth of a human colon carcinoma cell line (SK-CO-1) and its production of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in monolayer culture and on single layers of glass beads in unit gravity were evaluated. The limitations of using a microsphere-cell growth system in unit gravity were identified and how these may be overcome in space was considered. The project had the following tasks: (1) growth of cultured human colon carcinoma cells on a monolayer and CEA production; (2) evaluation of CEA production and release by SK-CO-1 cells grown on glass beads; (3) evaluation of other microcarriers for growing SK-CO-1 cells and determination of the minimum amount of culture medium needed for cell growth; and (4) growth of SK-CO-1 cells on collagen monolayers and CEA production.

EDA-containing fibronectin increases proliferation of embryonic stem cells.

PubMed

Losino, Noelia; Waisman, Ariel; Solari, Claudia; Luzzani, Carlos; Espinosa, Darío Fernández; Sassone, Alina; Muro, Andrés F; Miriuka, Santiago; Sevlever, Gustavo; Barañao, Lino; Guberman, Alejandra

2013-01-01

Embryonic stem cells (ESC) need a set of specific factors to be propagated. They can also grow in conditioned medium (CM) derived from a bovine granulosa cell line BGC (BGC-CM), a medium that not only preserves their main features but also increases ESC´s proliferation rate. The mitogenic properties of this medium were previously reported, ascribing this effect to an alternative spliced generated fibronectin isoform that contains the extra domain A (FN EDA(+)). Here, we investigated if the FN EDA(+) isoform increased proliferation of mouse and human ES cells. We analyzed cell proliferation using conditioned media produced by different mouse embryonic fibroblast (MEF) lines genetically engineered to express FN constitutively including or excluding the EDA domain (FN EDA(-)), and in media supplemented with recombinant peptides containing or not the EDA. We found that the presence of EDA in the medium increased mouse and human ESC's proliferation rate. Here we showed for the first time that this FN isoform enhances ESC's proliferation. These findings suggest a possible conserved behavior for regulation of ES cells proliferation by this FN isoform and could contribute to improve their culturing conditions both for research and cell therapy.

EDA-Containing Fibronectin Increases Proliferation of Embryonic Stem Cells

PubMed Central

Losino, Noelia; Waisman, Ariel; Solari, Claudia; Luzzani, Carlos; Espinosa, Darío Fernández; Sassone, Alina; Muro, Andrés F.; Miriuka, Santiago; Sevlever, Gustavo; Barañao, Lino; Guberman, Alejandra

2013-01-01

Embryonic stem cells (ESC) need a set of specific factors to be propagated. They can also grow in conditioned medium (CM) derived from a bovine granulosa cell line BGC (BGC-CM), a medium that not only preserves their main features but also increases ESC´s proliferation rate. The mitogenic properties of this medium were previously reported, ascribing this effect to an alternative spliced generated fibronectin isoform that contains the extra domain A (FN EDA+). Here, we investigated if the FN EDA+ isoform increased proliferation of mouse and human ES cells. We analyzed cell proliferation using conditioned media produced by different mouse embryonic fibroblast (MEF) lines genetically engineered to express FN constitutively including or excluding the EDA domain (FN EDA-), and in media supplemented with recombinant peptides containing or not the EDA. We found that the presence of EDA in the medium increased mouse and human ESC’s proliferation rate. Here we showed for the first time that this FN isoform enhances ESC’s proliferation. These findings suggest a possible conserved behavior for regulation of ES cells proliferation by this FN isoform and could contribute to improve their culturing conditions both for research and cell therapy. PMID:24244705

Establishment of an in vitro cell line experimental system for the study of inhalational anesthetic mechanisms.

PubMed

Nagamoto, Seiji; Iijima, Norio; Ishii, Hirotaka; Takumi, Ken; Higo, Shimpei; Aikawa, Satoko; Anzai, Megumi; Matsuo, Izumi; Nakagawa, Shinji; Takashima, Naoyuki; Shigeyoshi, Yasufumi; Sakamoto, Atsuhiro; Ozawa, Hitoshi

2016-05-04

General anesthesia affects the expression of clock genes in various organs. Expression of Per2, a core component of the circadian clock, is markedly and reversibly suppressed by sevoflurane in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), and is considered to be a biochemical marker of anesthetic effect in the brain. The SCN contains various types of neurons, and this complexity makes it difficult to investigate the molecular mechanisms of anesthesia. Here, we established an in vitro experimental system using a cell line to investigate the mechanisms underlying anesthetic action. Development of the system comprised two steps: first, we developed a system for application of inhalational anesthetics and incubation; next, we established cultures of anesthetic-responsive cells expressing mPer2 promoter-dLuc. GT1-7 cells, derived from the mouse hypothalamus, responded to sevoflurane by reversibly decreasing mPer2-promoter-driven bioluminescence. Interestingly, the suppression of bioluminescence was found only in the serum-starved GT1-7 cells, which showed neuron-like morphology, but not in growing cells, suggesting that neuron-like characteristics are required for anesthetic effects in GT1-7 cells. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cancer Stem Cells and Chemoresistance: The Smartest Survives the Raid

PubMed Central

Zhao, Jihe

2016-01-01

Chemoresistant metastatic relapse of minimal residual disease plays a significant role for poor prognosis of cancer. Growing evidence supports a critical role of cancer stem cell (CSC) behind the mechanisms for this deadly disease. This review briefly introduces the basics of the conventional chemotherapies, updates the CSC theories, highlights the molecular and cellular mechanisms by which CSC smartly designs and utilizes multiple lines of self-defense to avoid being killed by chemotherapy, and concisely summarizes recent progress in studies on CSC-targeted therapies in the end, with the hope to help guide future research towards developing more effective therapeutic strategies to eradicate tumor cells in the patients. PMID:26899500

Chemical composition and biological activity of the essential oil from Helichrysum microphyllum Cambess. ssp. tyrrhenicum Bacch., Brullo e Giusso growing in La Maddalena Archipelago, Sardinia.

PubMed

Ornano, Luigi; Venditti, Alessandro; Sanna, Cinzia; Ballero, Mauro; Maggi, Filippo; Lupidi, Giulio; Bramucci, Massimo; Quassinti, Luana; Bianco, Armandodoriano

2015-01-01

Helichrysum microphyllum Cambess. subsp. tyrrhenicum Bacch., Brullo e Giusso (Asteraceae), previously known as Helichrysum italicum ssp. microphyllum (Willd.) Nyman, is one of the many endemic species growing in Sardinia, Corsica and Balearic Islands. In the present work the composition of the essential oil obtained from a population of H. microphyllum ssp. thyrrenicum growing in a littoral location of La Maddalena Archipelago was investigated by GC-FID and CG-MS. The major compounds of the oil were the monoterpene ester neryl acetate (18.2%), the oxygenated sesquiterpene 5-eudesmen-11-ol (rosifoliol, 11.3%), the sequiterpene hydrocarbons δ-cadinene (8.4%) and γ-cadinene (6.7%), showing a peculiar composition in comparison with other Sardinian populations. The oil was tested for cytotoxicity on three human tumor cell lines (MDA-MB 231, HCT116 and A375) by MTT assay showing a strong inhibitory activity on human malignant melanoma cells A375 (IC50 of 16 µg/ml). In addition the oil was assessed for antioxidant activity by DPPH and ABTS assay.

Ultrasound-mediated structural changes in cells revealed by FTIR spectroscopy: a contribution to the optimization of gene and drug delivery.

PubMed

Grimaldi, Paola; Di Giambattista, Lucia; Giordani, Serena; Udroiu, Ion; Pozzi, Deleana; Gaudenzi, Silvia; Bedini, Angelico; Giliberti, Claudia; Palomba, Raffaele; Castellano, Agostina Congiu

2011-12-15

Ultrasound effects on biological samples are gaining a growing interest concerning in particular, the intracellular delivery of drugs and genes in a safe and in a efficient way. Future progress in this field will require a better understanding of how ultrasound and acoustic cavitation affect the biological system properties. The morphological changes of cells due to ultrasound (US) exposure have been extensively studied, while little attention has been given to the cells structural changes. We have exposed two different cell lines to 1 MHz frequency ultrasound currently used in therapy, Jurkat T-lymphocytes and NIH-3T3 fibroblasts, both employed as models respectively in the apoptosis and in the gene therapy studies. The Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy was used as probe to reveal the structural changes in particular molecular groups belonging to the main biological systems. The genotoxic damage of cells exposed to ultrasound was ascertained by the Cytokinesis-Block Micronucleus (CBMN) assay. The FTIR spectroscopy results, combined with multivariate statistical analysis, regarding all cellular components (lipids, proteins, nucleic acids) of the two cell lines, show that Jurkat cells are more sensitive to therapeutic ultrasound in the lipid and protein regions, whereas the NIH-3T3 cells are more sensitive in the nucleic acids region; a meaningful genotoxic effect is present in both cell lines only for long sonication times while in the Jurkat cells also a significant cytotoxic effect is revealed for long times of exposure to ultrasound. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

AS30D Model of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Tumorigenicity and Preliminary Characterization by Imaging, Histopathology, and Immunohistochemistry

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Thompson, Scott M.; Callstrom, Matthew R.; Knudsen, Bruce

This study was designed to determine the tumorigenicity of the AS30D HCC cell line following orthotopic injection into rat liver and preliminarily characterize the tumor model by both magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasound (US) as well as histopathology and immunohistochemistry.MaterialsAS30D cell line in vitro proliferation was assessed by using MTT assay. Female rats (N = 5) underwent injection of the AS30D cell line into one site in the liver. Rats subsequently underwent MR imaging at days 7 and 14 to assess tumor establishment and volume. One rat underwent US of the liver at day 7. Rats were euthanized atmore » day 7 or 14 and livers were subjected to gross, histopathologic (H and E), and immunohistochemical (CD31) analysis to assess for tumor growth and neovascularization. AS30D cell line demonstrated an in vitro doubling time of 33.2 {+-} 5.3 h. MR imaging demonstrated hyperintense T2-weighted and hypointense T1-weighted lesions with tumor induction in five of five and three of three sites at days 7 and 14, respectively. The mean (SD) tumor volume was 126.1 {+-} 36.2 mm{sup 3} at day 7 (N = 5). US of the liver demonstrated a well-circumscribed, hypoechoic mass and comparison of tumor dimensions agreed well with MRI. Analysis of H and E- and CD31-stained sections demonstrated moderate-high grade epithelial tumors with minimal tumor necrosis and evidence of diffuse intratumoral and peritumoral neovascularization by day 7. AS30D HCC cell line is tumorigenic following orthotopic injection into rat liver and can be used to generate an early vascularizing, slower-growing rat HCC tumor model.« less

Inhibition of mTOR's Catalytic Site by PKI-587 Is a Promising Therapeutic Option for Gastroenteropancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumor Disease

PubMed Central

Freitag, Helma; Christen, Friederike; Lewens, Florentine; Grass, Irina; Briest, Franziska; Iwaszkiewicz, Sara; Siegmund, Britta; Grabowski, Patricia

2017-01-01

Background The characteristic clinical heterogeneity and mostly slow-growing behavior of gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (GEP-NENs) cause problems in finding appropriate treatments. Thus, the current therapy options are not satisfactory. PKI-587 is a highly potent, novel dual inhibitor of PI3K and mTORC1/C2. Aim We assessed the effects of PKI-587 in different GEP-NEN tumor models, including the poorly differentiated cell line LCC-18, and compared them with those of the established mTORC1 inhibitor everolimus. Methods We treated BON, QGP-1, KRJ-I, and LCC-18 cell lines with increasing concentrations of the inhibitor PKI-587, and compared the results with those of everolimus and DMSO. We assessed the impact of the treatments on viability (WST-1 assay), on apoptotic processes (caspase 3/7 assay, JC-1), and on cell cycle regulation (flow cytometry). We determined alterations in signaling mediators by phosphor-specific Western blot analysis and conducted multiplexed gene expression analysis (nCounter® technology). Results In all cell lines, PKI-587 dose-dependently inhibited proliferation, whereas everolimus was less effective. Treatment with PKI-587 led to cell cycle arrest and induction of apoptosis and successfully suppressed activity of the direct mTORC1 target 4E-BP1, a crucial factor for tumor genesis only partially inhibited by everolimus. Gene expression analyses revealed relevant changes of RAS, MAPK, STAT, and PI3K pathway genes after treatment. Treatment-dependent and cell line-characteristic effects on AKT/Rb/E2F signaling regarding cell cycle control and apoptosis are extensively discussed in this paper. Conclusion PI3K/mTOR dual targeting is a promising new therapeutic approach in neuroendocrine tumor disease that should be evaluated in further clinical trials. PMID:27513674

Sodium and calcium currents in neuroblastoma x glioma hybrid cells before and after morphological differentiation by dibutyryl cyclic AMP.

PubMed

Bodewei, R; Hering, S; Schubert, B; Wollenberger, A

1985-04-01

Sodium and calcium inward currents (INa and ICa) were measured in neuroblastoma X glioma hybrid cells of clones 108CC5 and 108CC15 by a single suction pipette method for internal perfusion and voltage clamp. Morphologically undifferentiated, exponentially growing cells were compared with cells differentiated by cultivation with 1 mmol/l dibutyryl cyclic AMP. Outward currents were eliminated by perfusing the cells with a K+-free solution. Voltage dependence and ion selectivity as well as steady state inactivation characteristics of INa and ICa resembled those of differentiated mouse neuroblastoma cells, clone N1E-115 (Moolenaar and Spector 1978, 1979). These parameters were identical in undifferentiated and differentiated cells of both clones. After differentiation the average density of the peak sodium and calcium currents was increased two and four-fold, respectively, in both cell lines. Our data indicate that exponentially growing, morphologically undifferentiated 108CC5 and 108CC15 neuroblastoma X glioma hybrid cells possess functional Na+ and Ca2+ channels undistinguishable from those of non-proliferating cells of these clones differentiated morphologically by treatment with dibutyryl cyclic AMP. That Na+ and Ca2+ spikes were not detected by other authors in these cells prior to morphological differentiation by dibutyryl cyclic AMP may be attributed to the fact that at the low resting membrane potential measured the Na+ and Ca2+ channels are inactivated.

Composition and cytotoxic activity of essential oils from Xylopia aethiopica (Dunal) A. Rich, Xylopia parviflora (A. Rich) Benth.) and Monodora myristica (Gaertn) growing in Chad and Cameroon

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Cancer has become a global public health problem and the search for new control measures is urgent. Investigation of plant products such as essential oils from Monodora myristica, Xylopia aethiopica and Xylopia parviflora might lead to new anticancer therapy. In this study, we have investigated the antineoplastic activity of essential oils from fruits of these plants growing in Chad and Cameroon. Methods The essential oils obtained by hydrodistillation of fruits of Monodora myristica, Xylopia aethiopica and Xylopia parviflora collected in Chad and Cameroon were analyzed by GC-FID and GC-MS and investigated for their antiproliferative activity against the breast cancer cell line (MCF7). Results Overall, monoterpenes were mostly found in the six essential oils. Oils from X. aethiopica and X. parviflora from Chad and Cameroon mainly contain β-pinene at 24.6%, 28.2%, 35.7% and 32.9% respectively. Monodora myristica oils from both origins contain mainly α-phellandrene at 52.7% and 67.1% respectively. The plant origin did not significantly influence the chemical composition of oils. The six essential oils exerted cytotoxic activity against cancer (MCF-7) and normal cell lines (ARPE-19), with more pronounced effect on neoplastic cells in the majority of cases. The highest selectivity was obtained with the essential oils of X. parviflora from Chad and Cameroon (5.87 and 5.54) which were more cytotoxic against MCF-7 than against normal cell line (ARPE-19) with IC50 values of 0.155 μL/mL and 0.166 μL/mL respectively. Conclusions Essential oils from fruits of Monodora myristica, Xylopia aethiopica and Xylopia parviflora have shown acceptable antineoplastic potency, and might be investigated further in this regard. PMID:24708588

Regulation of callus status and cell-suspending culture in naked seed oat (Avena nuda).

PubMed

Cui, L; Fan, Y

1998-01-01

The original calli were obtained by inducing culture of mature embryos of naked seed oat on N6 medium. The original calli were white-colored tumor forms, soft outside and hard inside. These kinds of calli are easy to differentiate into plantlets, and they are not the friable type. Friable embryogenic calli could be obtained by cycled regulated culture on IM1-IM4 medium for 7-8 months from the original calli. They became vigorous, lightish yellow in color, with small grainy forms. Well-separated and fast-growing suspending cell lines have been obtained from the above-mentioned embryogenic calli in the liquid medium. Regenerated plants have been obtained for this kind of suspension line by culturing on the medium for differentiation. The surviving percentage for such plantlets was over 95% after planting in the soil.

Hollow Fiber Bioreactors for In Vivo-like Mammalian Tissue Culture.

PubMed

Storm, Michael P; Sorrell, Ian; Shipley, Rebecca; Regan, Sophie; Luetchford, Kim A; Sathish, Jean; Webb, Steven; Ellis, Marianne J

2016-05-26

Tissue culture has been used for over 100 years to study cells and responses ex vivo. The convention of this technique is the growth of anchorage dependent cells on the 2-dimensional surface of tissue culture plastic. More recently, there is a growing body of data demonstrating more in vivo-like behaviors of cells grown in 3-dimensional culture systems. This manuscript describes in detail the set-up and operation of a hollow fiber bioreactor system for the in vivo-like culture of mammalian cells. The hollow fiber bioreactor system delivers media to the cells in a manner akin to the delivery of blood through the capillary networks in vivo. The system is designed to fit onto the shelf of a standard CO2 incubator and is simple enough to be set-up by any competent cell biologist with a good understanding of aseptic technique. The systems utility is demonstrated by culturing the hepatocarcinoma cell line HepG2/C3A for 7 days. Further to this and in line with other published reports on the functionality of cells grown in 3-dimensional culture systems the cells are shown to possess increased albumin production (an important hepatic function) when compared to standard 2-dimensional tissue culture.

Comparison and analysis of Wuding and avian chicken skeletal muscle satellite cells.

PubMed

Tong, H Q; Jiang, Z Q; Dou, T F; Li, Q H; Xu, Z Q; Liu, L X; Gu, D H; Rong, H; Huang, Y; Chen, X B; Jois, M; Te Pas, M F W; Ge, C R; Jia, J J

2016-10-05

Chicken skeletal muscle satellite cells are located between the basement membrane and the sarcolemma of mature muscle fibers. Avian broilers have been genetically selected based on their high growth velocity and large muscle mass. The Wuding chicken is a famous local chicken in Yunnan Province that undergoes non-selection breeding and is slow growing. In this study, we aimed to explore differences in the proliferation and differentiation properties of satellite cells isolated from the two chicken breeds. Using immunofluorescence, hematoxylin-eosin staining and real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis, we analyzed the in vitro characteristics of proliferating and differentiating satellite cells isolated from the two chicken breeds. The growth curve of satellite cells was S-shaped, and cells from Wuding chickens entered the logarithmic phase and plateau phase 1 day later than those from Avian chicken. The results also showed that the two skeletal muscle satellite cell lines were positive for Pax7, MyoD and IGF-1. The expression of Pax7 followed a downward trend, whereas that of MyoD and IGF-1 first increased and subsequently decreased in cells isolated from the two chickens. These data indicated that the skeletal muscle satellite cells of Avian chicken grow and differentiate faster than did those of Wuding chickens. We suggest that the methods of breeding selection applied to these breeds regulate the characteristics of skeletal muscle satellite cells to influence muscle growth.

A gene-trap strategy identifies quiescence-induced genes in synchronized myoblasts.

PubMed

Sambasivan, Ramkumar; Pavlath, Grace K; Dhawan, Jyotsna

2008-03-01

Cellular quiescence is characterized not only by reduced mitotic and metabolic activity but also by altered gene expression. Growing evidence suggests that quiescence is not merely a basal state but is regulated by active mechanisms. To understand the molecular programme that governs reversible cell cycle exit, we focused on quiescence-related gene expression in a culture model of myogenic cell arrest and activation. Here we report the identification of quiescence-induced genes using a gene-trap strategy. Using a retroviral vector, we generated a library of gene traps in C2C12 myoblasts that were screened for arrest-induced insertions by live cell sorting (FACS-gal). Several independent gene- trap lines revealed arrest-dependent induction of betagal activity, confirming the efficacy of the FACS screen. The locus of integration was identified in 15 lines. In three lines,insertion occurred in genes previously implicated in the control of quiescence, i.e. EMSY - a BRCA2--interacting protein, p8/com1 - a p300HAT -- binding protein and MLL5 - a SET domain protein. Our results demonstrate that expression of chromatin modulatory genes is induced in G0, providing support to the notion that this reversibly arrested state is actively regulated.

Finding a Cure: HBCU Students, Researchers on Front Lines of Fight against Prostate Cancer

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hayes, Dianne

2012-01-01

Prostate cancer is a disease in which abnormal cells in the body grow out of control in the walnut-sized prostate gland. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, African-American men have a higher rate of getting the disease and dying from it than any other racial or ethnic group. One in five African-American men has a chance…

Large-scale culture of a megakaryocytic progenitor cell line with a single-use bioreactor system.

PubMed

Nurhayati, Retno Wahyu; Ojima, Yoshihiro; Dohda, Takeaki; Kino-Oka, Masahiro

2018-03-01

The increasing application of regenerative medicine has generated a growing demand for stem cells and their derivatives. Single-use bioreactors offer an attractive platform for stem cell expansion owing to their scalability for large-scale production and feasibility of meeting clinical-grade standards. The current work evaluated the capacity of a single-use bioreactor system (1 L working volume) for expanding Meg01 cells, a megakaryocytic (MK) progenitor cell line. Oxygen supply was provided by surface aeration to minimize foaming and orbital shaking was used to promote oxygen transfer. Oxygen transfer rates (k L a) of shaking speeds 50, 100, and 125 rpm were estimated to be 0.39, 1.12, and 10.45 h -1 , respectively. Shaking speed was a critical factor for optimizing cell growth. At 50 rpm, Meg01 cells exhibited restricted growth due to insufficient mixing. A negative effect occurred when the shaking speed was increased to 125 rpm, likely caused by high hydrodynamic shear stress. The bioreactor culture achieved the highest growth profile when shaken at 100 rpm, achieving a total expansion rate up to 5.7-fold with a total cell number of 1.2 ± 0.2 × 10 9 cells L -1 . In addition, cells expanded using the bioreactor system could maintain their potency to differentiate following the MK lineage, as analyzed from specific surface protein and morphological similarity with the cells grown in the conventional culturing system. Our study reports the impact of operational variables such as shaking speed for growth profile and MK differentiation potential of a progenitor cell line in a single-use bioreactor. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 34:362-369, 2018. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

Genetic Architecture and Molecular Networks Underlying Leaf Thickness in Desert-Adapted Tomato Solanum pennellii1[OPEN

PubMed Central

Frank, Margaret H.; Balaguer, Maria A. de Luis; Li, Mao

2017-01-01

Thicker leaves allow plants to grow in water-limited conditions. However, our understanding of the genetic underpinnings of this highly functional leaf shape trait is poor. We used a custom-built confocal profilometer to directly measure leaf thickness in a set of introgression lines (ILs) derived from the desert tomato Solanum pennellii and identified quantitative trait loci. We report evidence of a complex genetic architecture of this trait and roles for both genetic and environmental factors. Several ILs with thick leaves have dramatically elongated palisade mesophyll cells and, in some cases, increased leaf ploidy. We characterized the thick IL2-5 and IL4-3 in detail and found increased mesophyll cell size and leaf ploidy levels, suggesting that endoreduplication underpins leaf thickness in tomato. Next, we queried the transcriptomes and inferred dynamic Bayesian networks of gene expression across early leaf ontogeny in these lines to compare the molecular networks that pattern leaf thickness. We show that thick ILs share S. pennellii-like expression profiles for putative regulators of cell shape and meristem determinacy as well as a general signature of cell cycle-related gene expression. However, our network data suggest that leaf thickness in these two lines is patterned at least partially by distinct mechanisms. Consistent with this hypothesis, double homozygote lines combining introgression segments from these two ILs show additive phenotypes, including thick leaves, higher ploidy levels, and larger palisade mesophyll cells. Collectively, these data establish a framework of genetic, anatomical, and molecular mechanisms that pattern leaf thickness in desert-adapted tomato. PMID:28794258

Microscale diffusion measurements and simulation of a scaffold with a permeable strut.

PubMed

Lee, Seung Youl; Lee, Byung Ryong; Lee, Jongwan; Kim, Seongjun; Kim, Jung Kyung; Jeong, Young Hun; Jin, Songwan

2013-10-10

Electrospun nanofibrous structures provide good performance to scaffolds in tissue engineering. We measured the local diffusion coefficients of 3-kDa FITC-dextran in line patterns of electrospun nanofibrous structures fabricated by the direct-write electrospinning (DWES) technique using the fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) method. No significant differences were detected between DWES line patterns fabricated with polymer supplied at flow rates of 0.1 and 0.5 mL/h. The oxygen diffusion coefficients of samples were estimated to be ~92%-94% of the oxygen diffusion coefficient in water based on the measured diffusion coefficient of 3-kDa FITC-dextran. We also simulated cell growth and distribution within spatially patterned scaffolds with struts consisting of either oxygen-permeable or non-permeable material. The permeable strut scaffolds exhibited enhanced cell growth. Saturated depths at which cells could grow to confluence were 15% deeper for the permeable strut scaffolds than for the non-permeable strut scaffold.

FogBank: a single cell segmentation across multiple cell lines and image modalities.

PubMed

Chalfoun, Joe; Majurski, Michael; Dima, Alden; Stuelten, Christina; Peskin, Adele; Brady, Mary

2014-12-30

Many cell lines currently used in medical research, such as cancer cells or stem cells, grow in confluent sheets or colonies. The biology of individual cells provide valuable information, thus the separation of touching cells in these microscopy images is critical for counting, identification and measurement of individual cells. Over-segmentation of single cells continues to be a major problem for methods based on morphological watershed due to the high level of noise in microscopy cell images. There is a need for a new segmentation method that is robust over a wide variety of biological images and can accurately separate individual cells even in challenging datasets such as confluent sheets or colonies. We present a new automated segmentation method called FogBank that accurately separates cells when confluent and touching each other. This technique is successfully applied to phase contrast, bright field, fluorescence microscopy and binary images. The method is based on morphological watershed principles with two new features to improve accuracy and minimize over-segmentation. First, FogBank uses histogram binning to quantize pixel intensities which minimizes the image noise that causes over-segmentation. Second, FogBank uses a geodesic distance mask derived from raw images to detect the shapes of individual cells, in contrast to the more linear cell edges that other watershed-like algorithms produce. We evaluated the segmentation accuracy against manually segmented datasets using two metrics. FogBank achieved segmentation accuracy on the order of 0.75 (1 being a perfect match). We compared our method with other available segmentation techniques in term of achieved performance over the reference data sets. FogBank outperformed all related algorithms. The accuracy has also been visually verified on data sets with 14 cell lines across 3 imaging modalities leading to 876 segmentation evaluation images. FogBank produces single cell segmentation from confluent cell sheets with high accuracy. It can be applied to microscopy images of multiple cell lines and a variety of imaging modalities. The code for the segmentation method is available as open-source and includes a Graphical User Interface for user friendly execution.

HPV-type-specific response of cervical cancer cells to cisplatin after silencing replication licensing factor MCM4.

PubMed

Das, Mitali; Prasad, Shyam Babu; Yadav, Suresh Singh; Modi, Arusha; Singh, Sunita; Pradhan, Satyajit; Narayan, Gopeshwar

2015-12-01

Minichoromosome maintenance (MCM) proteins play key role in cell cycle progression by licensing DNA replication only once per cell cycle. These proteins are found to be overexpressed in cervical cancer cells. In this study, we depleted MCM4, one of the MCM 2-7 complex components by RNA interference (RNAi) in four cervical cancer cell lines. The four cell lines were selected on the basis of their human papillomavirus (HPV) infection: HPV16-positive SiHa, HPV18-positive ME-180, HPV16- and HPV18-positive CaSki, and HPV-negative C-33A. The MCM4-deficient cells irrespective of their HPV status grow for several generations and maintain regular cell cycle. We did not find any evidence of augmented response to a short-term (48 h) cisplatin treatment in these MCM4-deficient cells. However, MCM4-/HPV16+ SiHa cells cannot withstand a prolonged treatment (up to 5 days) of even a sublethal dosage of cisplatin. They show increased chromosomal instability compared to their control counterparts. On the other hand, MCM4-deficient CaSki cells (both HPV16+ and 18+) remain resistant to a prolonged exposure to cisplatin. Our study indicates that cervical cancer cells may be using excess MCMs as a backup for replicative stress; however, its regulatory mechanism is dependent on the HPV status of the cells.

Toxicity assessment of carbon black waste: A by-product from oil refineries.

PubMed

Zhen, Xu; Ng, Wei Cheng; Fendy; Tong, Yen Wah; Dai, Yanjun; Neoh, Koon Gee; Wang, Chi-Hwa

2017-01-05

In Singapore, approximately 30t/day of carbon-based solid waste are produced from petrochemical processes. This carbon black waste has been shown to possess physical properties that are characteristic of a good adsorbent such as high external surface area. Therefore, there is a growing interest to reutilize and process this carbon black waste into secondary materials such as adsorbents. However, the carbon black waste obtained from petrochemical industries may contain heavy metals that are hazardous to human health and the environment, hence restricting its full potential for re-utilization. Therefore, it is important to examine the possible toxicity effects and toxicity mechanism of carbon black waste on human health. In this study, inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) analysis showed that the heavy metals, vanadium (V), molybdenum (Mo) and nickel (Ni), were present in the carbon black waste in high concentrations. Three human cell lines (HepG2 cells, MRC-5 cells and MDA-MB-231 cells) were used to investigate the toxicity of carbon black waste extract in a variety of in vitro assays. Results from MTS assays indicated that carbon black waste extract decreased the viability of all three cell lines in a dose and time-dependent manner. Observations from confocal microscopy further confirmed this phenomenon. Flow cytometry assay also showed that carbon black waste extract induced apoptosis of human cell lines, and the level of apoptosis increased with increasing waste concentration. Results from reactive oxygen species (ROS) assay indicated that carbon black waste extract induced oxidative stress by increasing intracellular ROS generation in these three human cell lines. Moreover, induction of oxidative damage in these cells was also observed through the alteration of glutathione (GSH) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities. Last but not least, by treating the cells with V-spiked solution of concentration equivalent to that found in the carbon black waste extract, V was identified as the main culprit for the high toxicity of carbon black waste extract. These findings could potentially provide insight into the hazards of carbon black waste extract and its toxicity mechanism on human cell lines. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Heterotransplantation of human breast carcinomas in nude mice. Correlation between successful heterotransplants, poor prognosis and amplification of the HER-2/neu oncogene.

PubMed

Giovanella, B C; Vardeman, D M; Williams, L J; Taylor, D J; de Ipolyi, P D; Greeff, P J; Stehlin, J S; Ullrich, A; Cailleau, R; Slamon, D J

1991-01-02

Four hundred and thirty-three human breast carcinomas and 23 cell lines derived from human breast carcinomas were heterotransplanted in nude mice. Twenty-eight tumors and 13 cell lines took and could be serially transplanted. Their human origin was established by isozyme analysis performed on successive passages. Sixteen primary infiltrating duct-cell carcinomas (PIDC) took, from a total of 262 transplanted (6.1%). This is in striking contrast to the greater than 50% rate of takes of most major cancers of epithelial origin. All 16 PIDC growing in nude mice were highly cellular and lacked desmoplastic hyperplasia. The clinical prognosis of the PIDC patients whose tumors were successfully transplanted was poor. Ten of 16 (63%) died of their disease within 3 years, compared to only 49 (20%) of the 246 PIDC patients whose tumors did not take in nude mice. This could not be attributed to later stage disease of the tumors that took, because only 15% of these patients had 4 or more positive axillary lymph nodes as opposed to 28% of the patients whose tumors did not take. Sixty-four percent of the breast carcinomas growing in nude mice exhibited amplification of the HER-2/neu oncogene which is also correlated with poor prognosis in human breast cancer. It is possible that the nude mouse is more susceptible to a population of highly invasive and lethal breast carcinomas.

Epstein-Barr virus and human diseases: recent advances in diagnosis.

PubMed Central

Okano, M; Thiele, G M; Davis, J R; Grierson, H L; Purtilo, D T

1988-01-01

Since the discovery of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) from a cultured Burkitt's lymphoma cell line in 1964, the virus has been associated with Burkitt's lymphoma, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, and infectious mononucleosis. During the recent decade, EBV has been etiologically implicated in a broad spectrum of human diseases. The precise role of this virus in these diseases is not well understood, but clearly, defective immunosurveillance against the virus may permit an uncontrolled proliferation of EBV-infected cells. As a result, a growing number of cases of EBV-associated B-cell proliferative diseases or lymphoma have been noted in patients with primary and acquired immunodeficiencies. These lymphoproliferative diseases and others, such as chronic mononucleosis syndrome, are leading to new areas of investigation which are providing information regarding the pathogenetic mechanisms of EBV-induced diseases. The early accurate diagnosis of EBV infection can be achieved by performing EBV-specific serology, detecting for EBV-determined nuclear antigen in tissues, establishing spontaneous lymphoid cell lines, and using molecular hybridization techniques for demonstrating the presence of viral genome in affected lesions. Images PMID:2848624

Sulforaphane reduces molecular response to hypoxia in ovarian tumor cells independently of their resistance to chemotherapy.

PubMed

Pastorek, Michal; Simko, Veronika; Takacova, Martina; Barathova, Monika; Bartosova, Maria; Hunakova, Luba; Sedlakova, Olga; Hudecova, Sona; Krizanova, Olga; Dequiedt, Franck; Pastorekova, Silvia; Sedlak, Jan

2015-07-01

One of the recently emerging anticancer strategies is the use of natural dietary compounds, such as sulforaphane, a cancer-chemopreventive isothiocyanate found in broccoli. Based on the growing evidence, sulforaphane acts through molecular mechanisms that interfere with multiple oncogenic pathways in diverse tumor cell types. Herein, we investigated the anticancer effects of bioavailable concentrations of sulforaphane in ovarian carcinoma cell line A2780 and its two derivatives, adriamycin-resistant A2780/ADR and cisplatin-resistant A2780/CP cell lines. Since tumor microenvironment is characterized by reduced oxygenation that induces aggressive tumor phenotype (such as increased invasiveness and resistance to chemotherapy), we evaluated the effects of sulforaphane in ovarian cancer cells exposed to hypoxia (2% O2). Using the cell-based reporter assay, we identified several oncogenic pathways modulated by sulforaphane in hypoxia by activating anticancer responses (p53, ARE, IRF-1, Pax-6 and XRE) and suppressing responses supporting tumor progression (AP-1 and HIF-1). We further showed that sulforaphane decreases the level of HIF-1α protein without affecting its transcription and stability. It can also diminish transcription and protein level of the HIF-1 target, CA IX, which protects tumor cells from hypoxia-induced pH imbalance and facilitates their migration/invasion. Accordingly, sulforaphane treatment leads to diminished pH regulation and reduced migration of ovarian carcinoma cells. These effects occur in all three ovarian cell lines suggesting that sulforaphane can overcome the chemoresistance of cancer cells. This offers a path potentially exploitable in sensitizing resistant cancer cells to therapy, and opens a window for the combined treatments of sulforaphane either with conventional chemotherapy, natural compounds, or with other small molecules.

Novel human breast cancer cell lines IBH-4, IBH-6, and IBH-7 growing in nude mice.

PubMed

Bruzzone, Ariana; Vanzulli, Silvia Inés; Soldati, Rocío; Giulianelli, Sebastián; Lanari, Claudia; Lüthy, Isabel Alicia

2009-05-01

Breast cancer is the most frequent cancer in women. However, in vivo hormone receptor positive and metastatic models are scarce. The aim of the present manuscript was to assess if the novel steroid receptor positive human cell lines IBH-4, IBH-6, and IBH-7 developed in our laboratory from primary infiltrant ductal carcinomas are good models to study in vivo human breast cancer. Cell lines or tumors were inoculated to nude mice in the presence or absence of hormone supplementation. Growth was analyzed by ANOVA followed by Tukey-Kramer's test. Steroid hormone expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting. The histology of the tumors was analyzed. IBH-4 and IBH-6 cells were inoculated to nude mice and 100% of the injected mice developed tumors in the presence or absence of hormone treatment, although tamoxifen inhibited growth. IBH-4 and IBH-6 cell lines in vivo gave rise to poorly differentiated carcinomas with areas of solid growth and sarcomatoid areas showing no morphological signs of epithelial differentiation. Distinct features of malignancy were observed. IBH-7 tumors in animals receiving estradiol were semi-differentiated adenocarcinomas. IBH-7 cells grew only in the presence of estradiol, but even with hormone addition, the tumor take was 20%. These tumors metastasized to the uterus and lung and vascular tumor emboli were evident. IBH-7 tumors were invasive and able to break through the peritoneum. As a conclusion, IBH-4 and IBH-6 are good models for studying tumor progression, whereas IBH-7 is a good model for tumor take, being metastatic and strictly estrogen-dependent.

Regenerative toxicology: the role of stem cells in the development of chronic toxicities.

PubMed

Canovas-Jorda, David; Louisse, Jochem; Pistollato, Francesca; Zagoura, Dimitra; Bremer, Susanne

2014-01-01

Human stem cell lines and their derivatives, as alternatives to the use of animal cells or cancer cell lines, have been widely discussed as cellular models in predictive toxicology. However, the role of stem cells in the development of long-term toxicities and carcinogenesis has not received great attention so far, despite growing evidence indicating the relationship of stem cell damage to adverse effects later in life. However, testing this in vitro is a scientific/technical challenge in particular due to the complex interplay of factors existing under physiological conditions. Current major research programs in stem cell toxicity are not aiming to demonstrate that stem cells can be targeted by toxicants. Therefore, this knowledge gap needs to be addressed in additional research activities developing technical solutions and defining appropriate experimental designs. The current review describes selected examples of the role of stem cells in the development of long-term toxicities in the brain, heart or liver and in the development of cancer. The presented examples illustrate the need to analyze the contribution of stem cells to chronic toxicity in order to make a final conclusion whether stem cell toxicities are an underestimated risk in mechanism-based safety assessments. This requires the development of predictive in vitro models allowing the assessment of adverse effects to stem cells on chronic toxicity and carcinogenicity.

The impact of polyunsaturated fatty acids on DNA methylation and expression of DNMTs in human colorectal cancer cells.

PubMed

Sarabi, Mostafa Moradi; Naghibalhossaini, Fakhraddin

2018-05-01

Growing evidence suggests a role of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in the prevention of various types of malignancy, including colorectal cancer (CRC). No published studies have yet examined the direct effect of PUFA treatment on DNA methylation in CRC cells. In this study, 5 human CRC cells were treated with 100 μM DHA, EPA, and LA for 6 days and changes in their global- and gene-specific DNA methylation status as well as expression of DNA methyl transferases (DNMT) were investigated. Cell-type specific differences in DNA methylation and expression of DNMTs were observed in PUFA-treated cells. DHA and EPA treatment induced global hypermethylation in HT29/219 and HCT116 cells, but reduced methylation in Caco2 cells (p < 0.05). Among 10 tumor related genes tested in 5 CRC cell lines, DHA and EPA induced promoter demethylation of Cox2 in HT29/219, p14 and PPARγ in HCT116, and ECAD in SW742 cells. Cell-type specific differences in expression of DNMT1, DNMT3a, and 3b genes were also observed between PUFA-treated and control cells (p < 0.05). Overall, treatment of PUFAs coordinately induced the expression of DNMTs in HT29/219, but suppressed in other 4 cell lines investigated in this study. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

EB66 cell line, a duck embryonic stem cell-derived substrate for the industrial production of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies with enhanced ADCC activity.

PubMed

Olivier, Stéphane; Jacoby, Marine; Brillon, Cédric; Bouletreau, Sylvana; Mollet, Thomas; Nerriere, Olivier; Angel, Audrey; Danet, Sévérine; Souttou, Boussad; Guehenneux, Fabienne; Gauthier, Laurent; Berthomé, Mathilde; Vié, Henri; Beltraminelli, Nicola; Mehtali, Majid

2010-01-01

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) represent the fastest growing class of therapeutic proteins. The increasing demand for mAb manufacturing and the associated high production costs call for the pharmaceutical industry to improve its current production processes or develop more efficient alternative production platforms. The experimental control of IgG fucosylation to enhance antibody dependent cell cytotoxicity (ADCC) activity constitutes one of the promising strategies to improve the efficacy of monoclonal antibodies and to potentially reduce the therapeutic cost. We report here that the EB66 cell line derived from duck embryonic stem cells can be efficiently genetically engineered to produce mAbs at yields beyond a 1 g/L, as suspension cells grown in serum-free culture media. EB66 cells display additional attractive grown characteristics such as a very short population doubling time of 12 to 14 hours, a capacity to reach very high cell density (> 30 million cells/mL) and a unique metabolic profile resulting in low ammonium and lactate accumulation and low glutamine consumption, even at high cell densities. Furthermore, mAbs produced on EB66 cells display a naturally reduced fucose content resulting in strongly enhanced ADCC activity. The EB66 cells have therefore the potential to evolve as a novel cellular platform for the production of high potency therapeutic antibodies.

Selectivity of Pinus sylvestris extract and essential oil to estrogen-insensitive breast cancer cells Pinus sylvestris against cancer cells

PubMed Central

Hoai, Nguyen Thi; Duc, Ho Viet; Thao, Do Thi; Orav, Anne; Raal, Ain

2015-01-01

Background: So far, the anticancer action of pine tree extracts has mainly been shown for the species distributed widely around the Asian countries. Objective: Therefore, this study was performed to examine the potential cytotoxicity of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) native also to the European region and growing widely in Estonia. Materials and Methods: The cytotoxic activity of methanol extract and essential oil of Scots pine needles was determined by sulforhodamine B assay in different human cancer cell lines. Results: This needle extract was found to suppress the viability of several human cancer cell lines showing some selectivity to estrogen receptor negative breast cancer cells, MDA-MB-231(half maximal inhibitory concentration [IC50] 35 μg/ml) in comparison with estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer cells, MCF-7 (IC50 86 μg/ml). It is the strongest cytotoxic effect at all measured, thus far for the needles and leaves extracts derived from various pine species, and is also the first study comparing the anticancer effects of pine tree extracts on molecularly different human breast cancer cells. The essential oil showed the stronger cytotoxic effect to both negative and positive breast cancer cell lines (both IC50 29 μg/ml) than pine extract (IC50 42 and 80 μg/ml, respectively). Conclusion: The data from this report indicate that Scots pine needles extract and essential oil exhibits some potential as chemopreventive or chemotherapeutic agent for mammary tumors unresponsive to endocrine treatment. PMID:26664017

Using Mouse Mammary Tumor Cells to Teach Core Biology Concepts: A Simple Lab Module.

PubMed

McIlrath, Victoria; Trye, Alice; Aguanno, Ann

2015-06-18

Undergraduate biology students are required to learn, understand and apply a variety of cellular and molecular biology concepts and techniques in preparation for biomedical, graduate and professional programs or careers in science. To address this, a simple laboratory module was devised to teach the concepts of cell division, cellular communication and cancer through the application of animal cell culture techniques. Here the mouse mammary tumor (MMT) cell line is used to model for breast cancer. Students learn to grow and characterize these animal cells in culture and test the effects of traditional and non-traditional chemotherapy agents on cell proliferation. Specifically, students determine the optimal cell concentration for plating and growing cells, learn how to prepare and dilute drug solutions, identify the best dosage and treatment time course of the antiproliferative agents, and ascertain the rate of cell death in response to various treatments. The module employs both a standard cell counting technique using a hemocytometer and a novel cell counting method using microscopy software. The experimental procedure lends to open-ended inquiry as students can modify critical steps of the protocol, including testing homeopathic agents and over-the-counter drugs. In short, this lab module requires students to use the scientific process to apply their knowledge of the cell cycle, cellular signaling pathways, cancer and modes of treatment, all while developing an array of laboratory skills including cell culture and analysis of experimental data not routinely taught in the undergraduate classroom.

Transitional cell carcinoma arising in a calyceal cyst mimicking a cystic renal tumour.

PubMed

Kim, Jeong Ho; Song, Joo Yeon; Lee, Wan

2014-01-01

Solitary renal cysts are relatively common. The occurrence of transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) in a renal cyst is rare. We present the case of a 59-year-old man with a medical history of viral hepatitis B. During a workup for his hepatitis, a computed tomography scan revealed a large cystic tumour in the upper region of the left kidney. A radical left nephrectomy was performed. Microscopic examination of the cystic tumour revealed a grade 2 TCC. The cyst was lined by transitional epithelium. This is a case of a TCC growing within a renal calyceal cyst.

Tight junction protein expression and barrier properties of immortalized mouse brain microvessel endothelial cells.

PubMed

Brown, Rachel C; Morris, Andrew P; O'Neil, Roger G

2007-01-26

Understanding the molecular and biochemical mechanisms regulating the blood-brain barrier is aided by in vitro model systems. Many studies have used primary cultures of brain microvessel endothelial cells for this purpose. However, primary cultures limit the generation of material for molecular and biochemical assays since cells grow slowly, are prone to contamination by other neurovascular unit cells, and lose blood-brain barrier characteristics when passaged. To address these issues, immortalized cell lines have been generated. In these studies, we assessed the suitability of the immortalized mouse brain endothelial cell line, bEnd3, as a blood-brain barrier model. RT-PCR and immunofluorescence indicated expression of multiple tight junction proteins. bEnd3 cells formed barriers to radiolabeled sucrose, and responded like primary cultures to disrupting stimuli. Exposing cells to serum-free media on their basolateral side significantly decreased paracellular permeability; astrocyte-conditioned media did not enhance barrier properties. The serum-free media-induced decrease in permeability was correlated with an increase in claudin-5 and zonula occludens-1 immunofluorescence at cell-cell contracts. We conclude that bEnd3 cells are an attractive candidate as a model of the blood-brain barrier due to their rapid growth, maintenance of blood-brain barrier characteristics over repeated passages, formation of functional barriers and amenability to numerous molecular interventions.

TIGHT JUNCTION PROTEIN EXPRESSION AND BARRIER PROPERTIES OF IMMORTALIZED MOUSE BRAIN MICROVESSEL ENDOTHELIAL CELLS

PubMed Central

Brown, Rachel C.; Morris, Andrew P.; O’Neil, Roger G.

2007-01-01

Understanding the molecular and biochemical mechanisms regulating the blood-brain barrier is aided by in vitro model systems. Many studies have used primary cultures of brain microvessel endothelial cells for this purpose. However, primary cultures limit the generation of material for molecular and biochemical assays since cells grow slowly, are prone to contamination by other neurovascular unit cells, and lose blood-brain barrier characteristics when passaged. To address these issues, immortalized cell lines have been generated. In these studies, we assessed the suitability of the immortalized mouse brain endothelial cell line, bEnd3, as a blood-brain barrier model. RT-PCR and immunofluorescence indicated expression of multiple tight junction proteins. bEnd3 cells formed barriers to radiolabeled sucrose, and responded like primary cultures to disrupting stimuli. Exposing cells to serum-free media on their basolateral side significantly decreased paracellular permeability; astrocyte-conditioned media did not enhance barrier properties. The serum-free media-induced decrease in permeability was correlated with an increase in claudin-5 and zonula occludens-1 immunofluorescence at cell-cell contracts. We conclude that bEnd3 cells are an attractive candidate as a model of the blood-brain barrier due to their rapid growth, maintenance of blood-brain barrier characteristics over repeated passages, formation of functional barriers and amenability to numerous molecular interventions. PMID:17169347

Somatic embryogenesis in cell cultures of Glycine species.

PubMed

Gamborg, O L; Davis, B P; Stahlhut, R W

1983-08-01

This report describes the development of procedures for the production of somatic embryos in cell cultures of Glycine species including soybean. The conditions for callus induction and initiation of rapidly growing cell suspension cultures were defined. Methods for inducing embryogenesis were tested on 16 lines of several Glycine species and cultivars of soybean. The SB-26 Culture of a G. soja gave the best results and was used in the experiments. Embryogenesis required the presence of picloram or 2,4-D. AMO 1618, CCC, PP-333 and Ancymidol enhanced the embryogenesis frequency. Plants of the G. soja (SB-26) were grown to maturity from seed-derived shoot tips. Characteristics of the plants are discussed.

Somatic mutations in the transcriptional corepressor gene BCORL1 in adult acute myelogenous leukemia.

PubMed

Li, Meng; Collins, Roxane; Jiao, Yuchen; Ouillette, Peter; Bixby, Dale; Erba, Harry; Vogelstein, Bert; Kinzler, Kenneth W; Papadopoulos, Nickolas; Malek, Sami N

2011-11-24

To further our understanding of the genetic basis of acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), we determined the coding exon sequences of ∼ 18 000 protein-encoding genes in 8 patients with secondary AML. Here we report the discovery of novel somatic mutations in the transcriptional corepressor gene BCORL1 that is located on the X-chromosome. Analysis of BCORL1 in an unselected cohort of 173 AML patients identified a total of 10 mutated cases (6%) with BCORL1 mutations, whereas analysis of 19 AML cell lines uncovered 4 (21%) BCORL1 mutated cell lines. The majority (87%) of the mutations in BCORL1 were predicted to inactivate the gene product as a result of nonsense mutations, splice site mutation, or out-of-frame insertions or deletions. These results indicate that BCORL1 by genetic criteria is a novel candidate tumor suppressor gene, joining the growing list of genes recurrently mutated in AML.

Invasion of the Placenta during Murine Listeriosis

PubMed Central

Le Monnier, Alban; Join-Lambert, Olivier F.; Jaubert, Francis; Berche, Patrick; Kayal, Samer

2006-01-01

Feto-placental infections due to Listeria monocytogenes represent a major threat during pregnancy, and the underlying mechanisms of placental invasion remain poorly understood. Here we used a murine model of listeriosis (pregnant mice, infected at day 14 of gestation) to investigate how this pathogen invades and grows within the placenta to ultimately infect the fetus. When L. monocytogenes is injected intravenously, the invasion of the placenta occurs early after the initial bacteremia, allowing the placental growth of the bacteria, which is an absolute requirement for vertical transmission to the fetus. Kinetically, bacteria first target the cells lining the central arterial canal of the placenta, which stain positively with cytokeratin, demonstrating their fetal trophoblast origin. Bacteria then disseminate rapidly to the other trophoblastic structures, like syncytiotrophoblast cells lining the villous core in the labyrinthine zone of placenta. Additionally, we found that an inflammatory reaction predominantly constituted of polymorphonuclear cells occurs in the villous placenta and participates in the control of infection. Altogether, our results suggest that the infection of murine placenta is dependent, at the early phase, on circulating bacteria and their interaction with endovascular trophoblastic cells. Subsequently, the bacteria spread to the other trophoblastic cells before crossing the placental barrier. PMID:16369023

EFA6 proteins regulate lumen formation through α-actinin 1.

PubMed

Milanini, Julie; Fayad, Racha; Partisani, Mariagrazia; Lecine, Patrick; Borg, Jean-Paul; Franco, Michel; Luton, Frédéric

2018-02-08

A key step of epithelial morphogenesis is the creation of the lumen. Luminogenesis by hollowing proceeds through the fusion of apical vesicles at cell-cell contacts. The small nascent lumens grow through extension, coalescence and enlargement, coordinated with cell division, to give rise to a single central lumen. Here, by using MDCK cells grown in 3D-culture, we show that EFA6A (also known as PSD) participates in luminogenesis. EFA6A recruits α-actinin 1 (ACTN1) through direct binding. In polarized cells, ACTN1 was found to be enriched at the tight junction where it acts as a primary effector of EFA6A for normal luminogenesis. Both proteins are essential for the lumen extension and enlargement, where they mediate their effect by regulating the cortical acto-myosin contractility. Finally, ACTN1 was also found to act as an effector for the isoform EFA6B (also known as PSD4) in the human mammary tumoral MCF7 cell line. EFA6B restored the glandular morphology of this tumoral cell line in an ACTN1-dependent manner. Thus, we identified new regulators of cyst luminogenesis essential for the proper maturation of a newly-formed lumen into a single central lumen. © 2018. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Downregulation of TFPI in breast cancer cells induces tyrosine phosphorylation signaling and increases metastatic growth by stimulating cell motility

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Increased hemostatic activity is common in many cancer types and often causes additional complications and even death. Circumstantial evidence suggests that tissue factor pathway inhibitor-1 (TFPI) plays a role in cancer development. We recently reported that downregulation of TFPI inhibited apoptosis in a breast cancer cell line. In this study, we investigated the effects of TFPI on self-sustained growth and motility of these cells, and of another invasive breast cancer cell type (MDA-MB-231). Methods Stable cell lines with TFPI (both α and β) and only TFPIβ downregulated were created using RNA interference technology. We investigated the ability of the transduced cells to grow, when seeded at low densities, and to form colonies, along with metastatic characteristics such as adhesion, migration and invasion. Results Downregulation of TFPI was associated with increased self-sustained cell growth. An increase in cell attachment and spreading was observed to collagen type I, together with elevated levels of integrin α2. Downregulation of TFPI also stimulated migration and invasion of cells, and elevated MMP activity was involved in the increased invasion observed. Surprisingly, equivalent results were observed when TFPIβ was downregulated, revealing a novel function of this isoform in cancer metastasis. Conclusions Our results suggest an anti-metastatic effect of TFPI and may provide a novel therapeutic approach in cancer. PMID:21849050

A co-culture system with an organotypic lung slice and an immortal alveolar macrophage cell line to quantify silica-induced inflammation.

PubMed

Hofmann, Falk; Bläsche, Robert; Kasper, Michael; Barth, Kathrin

2015-01-01

There is growing evidence that amorphous silica nanoparticles cause toxic effects on lung cells in vivo as well as in vitro and induce inflammatory processes. The phagocytosis of silica by alveolar macrophages potentiates these effects. To understand the underlying molecular mechanisms of silica toxicity, we applied a co-culture system including the immortal alveolar epithelial mouse cell line E10 and the macrophage cell line AMJ2-C11. In parallel we exposed precision-cut lung slices (lacking any blood cells as well as residual alveolar macrophages) of wild type and P2rx7-/- mice with or without AMJ2-C11 cells to silica nanoparticles. Exposure of E10 cells as well as slices of wild type mice resulted in an increase of typical alveolar epithelial type 1 cell proteins like T1α, caveolin-1 and -2 and PKC-β1, whereas the co-culture with AMJ2-C11 showed mostly a slightly lesser increase of these proteins. In P2rx7-/- mice most of these proteins were slightly decreased. ELISA analysis of the supernatant of wild type and P2rx7-/- mice precision-cut lung slices showed decreased amounts of IL-6 and TNF-α when incubated with nano-silica. Our findings indicate that alveolar macrophages influence the early inflammation of the lung and also that cell damaging reagents e.g. silica have a smaller impact on P2rx7-/- mice than on wild type mice. The co-culture system with an organotypic lung slice is a useful tool to study the role of alveolar macrophages during lung injury at the organoid level.

DNA hypermethylation profiles in squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva.

PubMed

Stephen, Josena K; Chen, Kang Mei; Raitanen, Misa; Grénman, Seija; Worsham, Maria J

2009-01-01

Gene silencing through promoter hypermethylation is a growing concept in the development of human cancers. In this study, we examined the contribution of aberrant methylation of promoter regions in methylation-prone tumor suppressors to the pathogenesis of vulvar cancer. Thirteen cell lines from 12 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva were evaluated for aberrant methylation status and gene copy number alterations, concomitantly, using the methylation-specific multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification assay. Of the 22 tumor suppressor genes examined, aberrant methylation was observed for 9 genes: tumor protein p73 (TP73), fragile histidine triad (FHIT), von Hippel-Lindau (VHL), adenomatosis polyposis coli (APC), estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1), cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2B (CDKN2B), death-associated protein kinase 1 (DAPK1), glutathione S-transferase pi (GSTP1), and immunoglobin superfamily, member 4 (IGSF4). The most frequently methylated genes included TP73 in 9 of 13 cell lines, and IGSF4, DAPK1, and FHIT in 3 of 13 cell lines. Methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction was performed for TP73 and FHIT to confirm aberrant methylation by methylation-specific multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification. In the context of gene copy number and methylation status, both copies of the TP73 gene were hypermethylated. Loss or decreased mRNA expression of TP73 and IGSF4 by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction confirmed aberrant methylation. Frequent genetic alterations of loss and gain of gene copy number included gain of GSTP1 and multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1), and loss of malignant fibrous histiocytoma amplified sequence 1 (MFHAS1) and IGSF4 in over 50% of the squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva cell lines. These findings underscore the contribution of both genetic and epigenetic events to the underlying pathogenesis of squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva.

Novel revertants of H-ras oncogene-transformed R6-PKC3 cells.

PubMed Central

Krauss, R S; Guadagno, S N; Weinstein, I B

1992-01-01

Rat 6 fibroblasts that overproduce protein kinase C beta 1 (R6-PKC3 cells) are hypersensitive to complete transformation by the T24 H-ras oncogene; yet T24 H-ras-transformed R6-PKC3 cells are killed when exposed to 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) (W.-L. W. Hsiao, G. M. Housey, M. D. Johnson, and I. B. Weinstein, Mol. Cell. Biol. 9:2641-2647, 1989). Treatment of an R6-PKC3 subclone that harbors a T24 H-ras gene under the control of an inducible mouse metallothionein I promoter with ZnSO4 and TPA is extremely cytocidal. This procedure was used to isolate rare revertants that are resistant to this toxicity. Two revertant lines, R-1a and ER-1-2, continue to express very high levels of protein kinase C enzyme activity but, unlike the parental cells, do not grow in soft agar. Furthermore, these revertants are resistant to the induction of anchorage-independent growth by the v-src, v-H-ras, v-raf, and, in the case of the R-1a line, v-fos oncogenes. Both revertant lines, however, retain the ability to undergo morphological alterations when either treated with TPA or infected with a v-H-ras virus, thus dissociating anchorage independence from morphological transformation. The revertant phenotype of both R-1a and ER-1-2 cells is dominant over the transformed phenotype in somatic cell hybridizations. Interestingly, the revertant lines no longer induce the metallothionein I-T24 H-ras construct or the endogenous metallothionein I and II genes in response to three distinct agents: ZnSO4, TPA, and dexamethasone. The reduction in activity of metallothionein promoters seen in these revertants may reflect defects in signal transduction pathways that control the expression of genes mediating specific effects of protein kinase C and certain oncogenes in cell transformation. Images PMID:1535685

In vivo and in vitro invasion in relation to phenotypic characteristics of human colorectal carcinoma cells.

PubMed Central

de Vries, J. E.; Dinjens, W. N.; De Bruyne, G. K.; Verspaget, H. W.; van der Linden, E. P.; de Bruïne, A. P.; Mareel, M. M.; Bosman, F. T.; ten Kate, J.

1995-01-01

In this study we investigated the tumorigenicity, growth pattern and spontaneous metastatic ability of a series of nine human colorectal carcinoma cell lines after subcutaneous and intracaecal xenografting in nude mice. CaCo2 cells were found to be poorly tumorigenic to non-tumorigenic in either site; the other cell lines were tumorigenic in both sites. SW1116, SW480 and SW620 did not show local invasive in the NCI-H716 and LS174T cells were both invasive in the caecum, but only NCI-H716 was invasive in the subcutis. HT29 and 5583 (S and E) cells were invasive in the caecum and from that site metastatic to the lungs and/or the liver. HT29 and 5583S cells were both invasive in the subcutis, but 5583E cells were not. Of each category of in vivo behaviour in the caecum, one cell line was further investigated with regard to invasion in vitro (into embryonic chick heart fragments), E-cadherin expression in vivo and in vitro and in vitro production of u-PA and t-PA. These parameters were chosen in view of their purported role in extracellular matrix degradation and intercellular adhesion, which are all involved in the invasive and metastatic cascade. Invasion in vitro was not predictive for invasion or metastasis in vivo. In the cell line which showed invasion in embryonic chick heart tissue, heterogeneous E-cadherin expression was observed in vitro together with a relatively high production of u-PA. The non-invasive cell lines showed in vitro homogeneous expression of E-cadherin with a relatively low production of u-PA. In vivo expression of E-cadherin was either absent or heterogeneous. We conclude that: (1) colorectal carcinoma xenografts show site-specific modification of in vivo invasive and metastatic behaviour; (2) invasion in vitro does not correlate with invasion and metastasis in vivo; (3) in vitro non-invasion might be associated with homogeneous E-cadherin expression and low production of u-PA; (4) E-cadherin expression in vitro differs from E-cadherin expression in vivo. The results support the notion that the microenvironment in which cancer cells grow is one of the factors involved in the regulation of invasive and metastatic behaviour. Images Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 PMID:7841040

The ectopic expression of a pectin methyl esterase inhibitor increases pectin methyl esterification and limits fungal diseases in wheat.

PubMed

Volpi, Chiara; Janni, Michela; Lionetti, Vincenzo; Bellincampi, Daniela; Favaron, Francesco; D'Ovidio, Renato

2011-09-01

Cell wall pectin methyl esterification can influence plant resistance because highly methyl-esterified pectin can be less susceptible to the hydrolysis by pectic enzymes such as fungal endopolygalacturonases (PG). Pectin is secreted into the cell wall in a highly methyl-esterified form and, here, is de-methyl esterified by pectin methyl esterase (PME). The activity of PME is controlled by specific protein inhibitors called PMEI; consequently, an increased inhibition of PME by PMEI might modify the pectin methyl esterification. In order to test the possibility of improving wheat resistance by modifying the methyl esterification of pectin cell wall, we have produced durum wheat transgenic lines expressing the PMEI from Actinidia chinensis (AcPMEI). The expression of AcPMEI endows wheat with a reduced endogenous PME activity, and transgenic lines expressing a high level of the inhibitor showed a significant increase in the degree of methyl esterification. These lines showed a significant reduction of disease symptoms caused by the fungal pathogens Bipolaris sorokiniana or Fusarium graminearum. This increased resistance was related to the impaired ability of these fungal pathogens to grow on methyl-esterified pectin and to a reduced activity of the fungal PG to hydrolyze methyl-esterified pectin. In addition to their importance for wheat improvement, these results highlight the primary role of pectin despite its low content in the wheat cell wall.

Development of human epithelial cell systems for radiation risk assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, C. H.; Craise, L. M.

1994-10-01

The most important health effect of space radiation for astronauts is cancer induction. For radiation risk assessment, an understanding of carcinogenic effect of heavy ions in human cells is most essential. In our laboratory, we have successfully developed a human mammary epithelial cell system for studying the neoplastic transformation in vitro. Growth variants were obtained from heavy ion irradiated immortal mammary cell line. These cloned growth variants can grow in regular tissue culture media and maintain anchorage dependent growth and density inhibition property. Upon further irradiation with high-LET radiation, transformed foci were found. Experimental results from these studies suggest that multiexposure of radiation is required to induce neoplastic transformation of human epithelial cells. This multihits requirement may be due to high genomic stability of human cells. These growth variants can be useful model systems for space flight experiments to determine the carcinogenic effect of space radiation in human epithelial cells.

Development of human epithelial cell systems for radiation risk assessment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yang, C. H.; Craise, L. M.

1994-01-01

The most important health effect of space radiation for astronauts is cancer induction. For radiation risk assessment, an understanding of carcinogenic effect of heavy ions in human cells is most essential. In our laboratory, we have successfully developed a human mammary epithelial cell system for studying the neoplastic transformation in vitro. Growth variants were obtained from heavy ion irradiated immortal mammary cell line. These cloned growth variants can grow in regular tissue culture media and maintain anchorage dependent growth and density inhibition property. Upon further irradiation with high-Linear Energy Transfer (LET) radiation, transformed foci were found. Experimental results from these studies suggest that multiexposure of radiation is required to induce neoplastic tranformation of human epithelial cells. This multihits requirement may be due to high genomic stability of human cells. These growth variants can be useful model systems for space flight experiments to determine the carcinogenic effect of space radiation in human epithelial cells.

UV-induced somatic mutations elicit a functional T cell response in the YUMMER1.7 mouse melanoma model.

PubMed

Wang, Jake; Perry, Curtis J; Meeth, Katrina; Thakral, Durga; Damsky, William; Micevic, Goran; Kaech, Susan; Blenman, Kim; Bosenberg, Marcus

2017-07-01

Human melanomas exhibit relatively high somatic mutation burden compared to other malignancies. These somatic mutations may produce neoantigens that are recognized by the immune system, leading to an antitumor response. By irradiating a parental mouse melanoma cell line carrying three driver mutations with UVB and expanding a single-cell clone, we generated a mutagenized model that exhibits high somatic mutation burden. When inoculated at low cell numbers in immunocompetent C57BL/6J mice, YUMMER1.7 (Yale University Mouse Melanoma Exposed to Radiation) regresses after a brief period of growth. This regression phenotype is dependent on T cells as YUMMER1.7 tumors grow significantly faster in immunodeficient Rag1 -/- mice and C57BL/6J mice depleted of CD4 and CD8 T cells. Interestingly, regression can be overcome by injecting higher cell numbers of YUMMER1.7, which results in tumors that grow without effective rejection. Mice that have previously rejected YUMMER1.7 tumors develop immunity against higher doses of YUMMER1.7 tumor challenge. In addition, escaping YUMMER1.7 tumors are sensitive to anti-CTLA-4 and anti-PD-1 therapy, establishing a new model for the evaluation of immune checkpoint inhibition and antitumor immune responses. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Expression of lnterleukin-8 Correlates with Angiogenesis, Tumorigenicity, and Metastasis of Human Prostate Cancer Cells Implanted Orthotopically in Nude Mice1

PubMed Central

Sun, Jin Kim; Uehara, Hisanori; Karashima, Takashi; Mccarty, Marya; Shih, Nancy; Fidler, Isaiah J

2001-01-01

Abstract We determined whether the expression of interleukin-8 (IL-8) by human prostate cancer cells correlates with induction of angiogenesis, tumorigenicity, and production of metastasis. Low and high IL-8-producing clones were isolated from the heterogeneous PC-3 human prostate cancer cell line. The secretion of IL-8 protein correlated with transcriptional activity and levels of IL-8 mRNA. All PC-3 cells expressed both IL-8 receptors, CXCR1 and CXCR2. The low and high IL-8-producing clones were injected into the prostate of nude mice. Titration studies indicated that PC-3 cells expressing high levels of IL-8 were highly tumorigenic, producing rapidly growing, highly vascularized prostate tumors with and a 100% incidence of lymph node metastasis. Low IL-8-expressing PC-3 cells were less tumorigenic, producing slower growing and less vascularized primary tumors and a significantly lower incidence of metastasis. In situ hybridization (ISH) analysis of the tumors for expression of genes that regulate angiogenesis and metastasis showed that the expression level of IL-8, matrix metalloproteinases, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and E-cadherin corresponded with microvascular density and biological behavior of the prostate cancers in nude mice. Collectively, the data show that the expression level of IL-8 in human prostate cancer cells is associated with angiogenesis, tumorigenicity, and metastasis. PMID:11326314

Nr-CAM is a target gene of the beta-catenin/LEF-1 pathway in melanoma and colon cancer and its expression enhances motility and confers tumorigenesis.

PubMed

Conacci-Sorrell, Maralice E; Ben-Yedidia, Tamar; Shtutman, Michael; Feinstein, Elena; Einat, Paz; Ben-Ze'ev, Avri

2002-08-15

beta-catenin and plakoglobin (gamma-catenin) are homologous molecules involved in cell adhesion, linking cadherin receptors to the cytoskeleton. beta-catenin is also a key component of the Wnt pathway by being a coactivator of LEF/TCF transcription factors. To identify novel target genes induced by beta-catenin and/or plakoglobin, DNA microarray analysis was carried out with RNA from cells overexpressing either protein. This analysis revealed that Nr-CAM is the gene most extensively induced by both catenins. Overexpression of either beta-catenin or plakoglobin induced Nr-CAM in a variety of cell types and the LEF/TCF binding sites in the Nr-CAM promoter were required for its activation by catenins. Retroviral transduction of Nr-CAM into NIH3T3 cells stimulated cell growth, enhanced motility, induced transformation, and produced rapidly growing tumors in nude mice. Nr-CAM and LEF-1 expression was elevated in human colon cancer tissue and cell lines and in human malignant melanoma cell lines but not in melanocytes or normal colon tissue. Dominant negative LEF-1 decreased Nr-CAM expression and antibodies to Nr-CAM inhibited the motility of B16 melanoma cells. The results indicate that induction of Nr-CAM transcription by beta-catenin or plakoglobin plays a role in melanoma and colon cancer tumorigenesis, probably by promoting cell growth and motility.

Relationship of calcitonin mRNA expression to the differentiation state of HL 60 cells.

PubMed

Kiefer, P; Bacher, M; Pflüger, K H

1994-05-01

Raised plasma levels of immunoreactive human calcitonin (ihCT) can be found in patients with myeloid leukemia and seem to indicate a poor prognosis. High levels were found in acute undifferentiated and acute myeloblastic leukemia. To test whether CT expression could be a marker of myeloid differentiation, we used the promyelocytic leukemia cell line HL 60 which also expresses ihCT as a model system for myeloid differentiation. Exponentially growing HL 60 cells as well as differentiation induced HL 60 cells expressed a single 1.0 Kb CT transcript. The induction of HL 60 cell differentiation along the granulocytic lineage by DMSO or HMBA had no effect on the level of CT transcripts. Induction of monocytic/macrophagic differentiation by TPA resulted in a transient, about 10-fold elevated expression of CT steady state mRNA after 24 h. In contrast to TPA, induction of HL 60 cell differentiation along the monocytic pathway by Vit D3 had no detectable effect on the level of the CT in RNA expression at corresponding time points. These findings suggest that the transient induction of CT steady state mRNA expression by TPA is rather a direct effect of the phorbol ester than commitment along the monocytic line of differentiation.

Nutrient regulation of β-cell function: what do islet cell/animal studies tell us?

PubMed

Carlessi, R; Keane, K N; Mamotte, C; Newsholme, P

2017-07-01

Diabetes mellitus is widely recognised as one of the most serious metabolic diseases worldwide, and its incidence in Asian countries is growing at an alarming rate. Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) is closely associated with age, sedentary lifestyle and poor diet. In T2DM, β-cell dysfunction will occur before hyperglycaemia develops. Excessive levels of glucose, lipid and various inflammatory factors interact at the level of the pancreatic islet to promote β-cell dysfunction. Pancreatic β-cell lines have been widely utilised since the early 1980s and have contributed a large volume of important information regarding molecular, metabolic and genetic mechanisms that regulate insulin secretion. The purpose of this review is to describe the origin and characteristics of the most commonly used β-cell lines and their contribution to discovery of fundamental regulatory processes that control insulin production and release. Pancreatic islets obtained from rodents as well as other animals have additionally provided information on the architecture and three-dimensional design of this endocrine tissue that allows precise regulation of hormone release. Understanding the nature of failure of physiologic and metabolic processes leading to insufficient insulin release and subsequent diabetes has allowed development of novel anti-diabetic therapeutics, now in common use, worldwide.

Inhibition of Growth of Bladder Cancer Cells by 3-(3-Pyridinyl)-1-(4-pyridinyl)-2-propen-1-one in Combination with Other Compounds Affecting Glucose Metabolism.

PubMed

Lea, Michael A; Altayyar, Mansour; desBordes, Charles

2015-11-01

In seven out of eight human bladder cell lines that were examined herein, growth was more dependent on the presence in the incubation medium of glucose rather than glutamine. The exception was the slowly growing RT4 cells that were more glutamine-dependent. Growth of all the cell lines was reduced by an inhibitor of 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/2,6-bisphosphatase 3, namely 3-(3-pyridinyl)-1-(4-pyridinyl)-2-propen-1-one (3PO). Growth was also reduced by three compounds that reduce the conversion of glucose to lactate: namely 2-deoxyglucose, butyrate and dichloroacetate. Additive effects were seen when these molecules were combined with 3PO. Treatment of bladder cancer cells with phenformin resulted in growth inhibition that was frequently accompanied by increased glucose uptake and acidification of the medium that was blocked by co-incubation with 3PO. The actions of 3PO suggest that inhibitors of PFKB3 merit further investigation in the treatment of bladder cancer and they may be useful agents in combination with other drugs that inhibit cancer cell proliferation. Copyright© 2015 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. John G. Delinassios), All rights reserved.

Investigating the feasibility of scale up and automation of human induced pluripotent stem cells cultured in aggregates in feeder free conditions☆

PubMed Central

Soares, Filipa A.C.; Chandra, Amit; Thomas, Robert J.; Pedersen, Roger A.; Vallier, Ludovic; Williams, David J.

2014-01-01

The transfer of a laboratory process into a manufacturing facility is one of the most critical steps required for the large scale production of cell-based therapy products. This study describes the first published protocol for scalable automated expansion of human induced pluripotent stem cell lines growing in aggregates in feeder-free and chemically defined medium. Cells were successfully transferred between different sites representative of research and manufacturing settings; and passaged manually and using the CompacT SelecT automation platform. Modified protocols were developed for the automated system and the management of cells aggregates (clumps) was identified as the critical step. Cellular morphology, pluripotency gene expression and differentiation into the three germ layers have been used compare the outcomes of manual and automated processes. PMID:24440272

miR-221 and miR-222 expression affects the proliferation potential of human prostate carcinoma cell lines by targeting p27Kip1.

PubMed

Galardi, Silvia; Mercatelli, Neri; Giorda, Ezio; Massalini, Simone; Frajese, Giovanni Vanni; Ciafrè, Silvia Anna; Farace, Maria Giulia

2007-08-10

MicroRNAs are short regulatory RNAs that negatively modulate protein expression at a post-transcriptional level and are deeply involved in the pathogenesis of several types of cancers. Here we show that miR-221 and miR-222, encoded in tandem on chromosome X, are overexpressed in the PC3 cellular model of aggressive prostate carcinoma, as compared with LNCaP and 22Rv1 cell line models of slowly growing carcinomas. In all cell lines tested, we show an inverse relationship between the expression of miR-221 and miR-222 and the cell cycle inhibitor p27(Kip1). We recognize two target sites for the microRNAs in the 3' untranslated region of p27 mRNA, and we show that miR-221/222 ectopic overexpression directly results in p27 down-regulation in LNCaP cells. In those cells, we demonstrate that the ectopic overexpression of miR-221/222 strongly affects their growth potential by inducing a G(1) to S shift in the cell cycle and is sufficient to induce a powerful enhancement of their colony-forming potential in soft agar. Consistently, miR-221 and miR-222 knock-down through antisense LNA oligonucleotides increases p27(Kip1) in PC3 cells and strongly reduces their clonogenicity in vitro. Our results suggest that miR-221/222 can be regarded as a new family of oncogenes, directly targeting the tumor suppressor p27(Kip1), and that their overexpression might be one of the factors contributing to the oncogenesis and progression of prostate carcinoma through p27(Kip1) down-regulation.

Response to Comment on "A bacterium that degrades and assimilates poly(ethylene terephthalate)".

PubMed

Yoshida, Shosuke; Hiraga, Kazumi; Takehana, Toshihiko; Taniguchi, Ikuo; Yamaji, Hironao; Maeda, Yasuhito; Toyohara, Kiyotsuna; Miyamoto, Kenji; Kimura, Yoshiharu; Oda, Kohei

2016-08-19

Yang et al suggest that the use of low-crystallinity poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) exaggerates our results. However, the primary focus of our study was identifying an organism capable of the biological degradation and assimilation of PET, regardless of its crystallinity. We provide additional PET depolymerization data that further support several other lines of data showing PET assimilation by growing cells of Ideonella sakaiensis. Copyright © 2016, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Enrichment of the Cancer Stem Phenotype in Sphere Cultures of Prostate Cancer Cell Lines Occurs through Activation of Developmental Pathways Mediated by the Transcriptional Regulator ΔNp63α

PubMed Central

Portillo-Lara, Roberto; Alvarez, Mario Moisés

2015-01-01

Background Cancer stem cells (CSC) drive prostate cancer tumor survival and metastasis. Nevertheless, the development of specific therapies against CSCs is hindered by the scarcity of these cells in prostate tissues. Suspension culture systems have been reported to enrich CSCs in primary cultures and cell lines. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying this phenomenon have not been fully explored. Methodology/Principal Findings We describe a prostasphere assay for the enrichment of CD133+ CSCs in four commercial PCa cell lines: 22Rv1, DU145, LNCaP, and PC3. Overexpression of CD133, as determined by flow cytometric analysis, correlated with an increased clonogenic, chemoresistant, and invasive potential in vitro. This phenotype is concordant to that of CSCs in vivo. Gene expression profiling was then carried out using the Cancer Reference panel and the nCounter system from NanoString Technologies. This analysis revealed several upregulated transcripts that can be further explored as potential diagnostic markers or therapeutic targets. Furthermore, functional annotation analysis suggests that ΔNp63α modulates the activation of developmental pathways responsible for the increased stem identity of cells growing in suspension cultures. Conclusions/Significance We conclude that profiling the genetic mechanisms involved in CSC enrichment will help us to better understand the molecular pathways that underlie CSC pathophysiology. This platform can be readily adapted to enrich and assay actual patient samples, in order to design patient-specific therapies that are aimed particularly against CSCs. PMID:26110651

L-N-Acetylcysteine protects against radiation-induced apoptosis in a cochlear cell line.

PubMed

Low, Wong-Kein; Sun, Li; Tan, Michelle G K; Chua, Alvin W C; Wang, De-Yun

2008-04-01

L-N-Acetylcysteine (L-NAC) significantly reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and cochlear cell apoptosis after irradiation. The safe and effective use of L-NAC in reducing radiation-induced sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) should be verified by further in vivo studies. Radiation-induced SNHL is a common complication after radiotherapy of head and neck tumours. There is growing evidence to suggest that ROS play an important role in apoptotic cochlear cell death from ototoxicity, resulting in SNHL. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of L-NAC, an antioxidant, on radiation-induced apoptosis in cochlear cells. The OC-k3 cochlear cell line was studied after 0 and 20 Gy of gamma-irradiation. Cell viability assay was performed using 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide. Flow cytometry and TUNEL assay were done with and without the addition of 10 mmol/L of L-NAC. Intracellular generation of ROS was detected by 2',7'-dichlorofluorescein diacetate, with comparisons made using fluorescence intensity. L-NAC increased the viability of cells after irradiation. Generation of ROS was demonstrated at 1 h post-irradiation and was significantly reduced by L-NAC (p<0.0001). Flow cytometry and TUNEL assay showed cell apoptosis at 72 h post-irradiation, which was diminished by the addition of L-NAC.

Xeroderma pigmentosum variant cells are resistant to immortalization

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Volpe, J.P.G.; Cleaver, J.E.

1994-01-01

We have attempted to immortalize fibroblasts from several Xeroderma pigmentosum variant (XPV) patients to better characterize this disease. These patients exhibit sun sensitivity and highly elevated skin cancer rates. It is believed that the defect in these cells involves post replication repair of DNA damage, but the molecular mechanisms and their involvement in patient`s phenotypes remain unknown. Human cells undergo senescence and stop growing after a period of growth in culture, making prolonged studies difficult or impossible. For this reason, immortal cell lines are essential. We have attempted to immortalize XPV cells by: spontaneous transformation, transfection with pSV40 ori (amore » plasmid containing the SV40 large T-antigen), transfection with pSV40 ori and exposure to 300 rads of x-rays, transfection with pSV40 ori, exposure to 200 rads of x-rays, and treatment with 0.5mM ethyl methanesulfonate, and infection with SV40 virus (strain 776). Despite the fact that some experiments had as many as 2x10{sup 8} cells, we were unable to immortalize any of the cells from our patients. We also obtained several XPV lines from other laboratories which had been transformed with pSV40 ori, but none of them proved to be immortalized either. We suspect that the presumed mutation in XPV cells is in some way interfering with SV40 large T-antigen induced immortalization.« less

Inhibition of mTOR's Catalytic Site by PKI-587 Is a Promising Therapeutic Option for Gastroenteropancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumor Disease.

PubMed

Freitag, Helma; Christen, Friederike; Lewens, Florentine; Grass, Irina; Briest, Franziska; Iwaszkiewicz, Sara; Siegmund, Britta; Grabowski, Patricia

2017-01-01

The characteristic clinical heterogeneity and mostly slow-growing behavior of gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (GEP-NENs) cause problems in finding appropriate treatments. Thus, the current therapy options are not satisfactory. PKI-587 is a highly potent, novel dual inhibitor of PI3K and mTORC1/C2. We assessed the effects of PKI-587 in different GEP-NEN tumor models, including the poorly differentiated cell line LCC-18, and compared them with those of the established mTORC1 inhibitor everolimus. We treated BON, QGP-1, KRJ-I, and LCC-18 cell lines with increasing concentrations of the inhibitor PKI-587, and compared the results with those of everolimus and DMSO. We assessed the impact of the treatments on viability (WST-1 assay), on apoptotic processes (caspase 3/7 assay, JC-1), and on cell cycle regulation (flow cytometry). We determined alterations in signaling mediators by phosphor-specific Western blot analysis and conducted multiplexed gene expression analysis (nCounter® technology). In all cell lines, PKI-587 dose-dependently inhibited proliferation, whereas everolimus was less effective. Treatment with PKI-587 led to cell cycle arrest and induction of apoptosis and successfully suppressed activity of the direct mTORC1 target 4E-BP1, a crucial factor for tumor genesis only partially inhibited by everolimus. Gene expression analyses revealed relevant changes of RAS, MAPK, STAT, and PI3K pathway genes after treatment. Treatment-dependent and cell line-characteristic effects on AKT/Rb/E2F signaling regarding cell cycle control and apoptosis are extensively discussed in this paper. PI3K/mTOR dual targeting is a promising new therapeutic approach in neuroendocrine tumor disease that should be evaluated in further clinical trials. © 2016 The Author(s) Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.

The lining of the gut in the developing rat embryo. Its relation to the hypoblast (primary endoderm) and the notochord.

PubMed

Lamers, W H; Spliet, W G; Langemeyer, R A

1987-01-01

A light microscopical study of the morphogenesis of the gut in the rat embryo was undertaken to provide a careful map of temporal changes in the topographical relations of the (definitive) endoderm, the notochord and the hypoblast (primary endoderm). The borderline between the (definitive) endoderm and the hypoblast that appears upon gastrulation defines the lateral extension of the future gut epithelium. Within this initially semiglobular disk, the foregut and hindgut originate sequentially as blind, rapidly growing pouches. Upon the turning of the embryo, the hardly growing peripheral part of the disk becomes located in the vitelline duct. Within the head process, endodermal and notochordal cells could not be separately identified. However, slightly more posteriorly notochordal cells are seen to become embedded into the endoderm of the foregut during gastrulation. This process is not seen over the hindgut and may explain why the detachment of the notochord from the (fore)gut begins caudally.

Variation in the loss of O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase during immortalization of human fibroblasts.

PubMed

Green, M H; Karran, P; Lowe, J E; Priestley, A; Arlett, C F; Mayne, L

1990-01-01

We have examined O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MT) activity in four human fibroblast cell lines during immortalization. Transfection of primary fibroblasts with the plasmid pSV3gpt or pSV3neo, which encode the SV40 large T antigen, confers a transformed phenotype but not immediate immortality. After a period of growth (pre-crisis) the cells enter a quiescent phase (crisis) from which an immortal clone of cells eventually grows out. From measurements of MT activity in extracts of cells taken at different defined stages of the immortalization process, we conclude that the establishment of a Mex- (MT-deficient) cell population is not specifically associated with cellular transformation or with any particular stage of immortalization. It appears that in different cell populations the change from Mex+ to Mex- may occur at different times during the immortalization process and that the change may be very abrupt.

Perfluorocarbon-Loaded Lipid Nanocapsules to Assess the Dependence of U87-Human Glioblastoma Tumor pO2 on In Vitro Expansion Conditions

PubMed Central

Lemaire, Laurent; Nel, Janske; Franconi, Florence; Bastiat, Guillaume; Saulnier, Patrick

2016-01-01

Growing tumor cell lines, such as U87-MG glioma cells, under mild hypoxia (3% O2) leads to a ca. 40% reduction in growth rate once implanted in the brain of nude mice, as compared to normoxia (21% O2) grown cells, wherein the former over-express HIF-1 and VEGF-A. Despite developing differently, the tumors have similar: blood perfusion, oxygen consumption, and vascular surface area parameters, whereas the number of blood vessels is nearly doubled in the tumor arising from normoxia cultured cells. Interestingly, tumor oxygen tension, measured using 19F-oximetry, showed that the normoxia grown cells led to tumors characterized by mild hypoxic environment (approximately 4%) conditions, whilst the hypoxia grown cells led to tumors characterized by physioxic environment (approximately 6%) conditions. This reversal in oxygen concentration may be responsible for the apparent paradoxical growth profiles. PMID:27788227

Catabolism of exogenous deoxyinosine in cultured epithelial amniotic cells.

PubMed

Carta, M C; Mattana, A; Camici, M; Allegrini, S; Tozzi, M G; Sgarrella, F

2001-10-03

Uptake and catabolism of purine nucleosides have been commonly considered as means to salvage the purine ring for nucleic acid synthesis, usually neglecting the destiny of the pentose moiety. With the aim to ascertain if deoxyribose derived from exogenous DNA can be utilised as a carbon and energy source, we studied the catabolism of exogenous deoxyinosine in a cell line derived from human amnion epithelium (WISH). Intact WISH cells catabolise deoxyinosine by conversion into hypoxanthine. The nucleoside enters the cell through a nitrobenzylthioinosine-insensitive equilibrative transport. Deoxyinosine undergoes a phosphorolytic cleavage inside the cell. The purine base diffuses back to the external medium, while the phosphorylated pentose moiety can be further catabolised to glycolysis and citric acid cycle intermediates. Our results indicate that the catabolism of the deoxynucleoside can be considered mainly as a means to meet the carbon and energy requirements of growing cells.

Nuclear DNA Methylation and Chromatin Condensation Phenotypes Are Distinct Between Normally Proliferating/Aging, Rapidly Growing/Immortal, and Senescent Cells

PubMed Central

Gertych, Arkadiusz; Tajbakhsh, Jian

2013-01-01

This study reports on probing the utility of in situ chromatin texture features such as nuclear DNA methylation and chromatin condensation patterns — visualized by fluorescent staining and evaluated by dedicated three-dimensional (3D) quantitative and high-throughput cell-by-cell image analysis — in assessing the proliferative capacity, i.e. growth behavior of cells: to provide a more dynamic picture of a cell population with potential implications in basic science, cancer diagnostics/prognostics and therapeutic drug development. Two types of primary cells and four different cancer cell lines were propagated and subjected to cell-counting, flow cytometry, confocal imaging, and 3D image analysis at various points in culture. Additionally a subset of primary and cancer cells was accelerated into senescence by oxidative stress. DNA methylation and chromatin condensation levels decreased with declining doubling times when primary cells aged in culture with the lowest levels reached at the stage of proliferative senescence. In comparison, immortal cancer cells with constant but higher doubling times mostly displayed lower and constant levels of the two in situ-derived features. However, stress-induced senescent primary and cancer cells showed similar levels of these features compared with primary cells that had reached natural growth arrest. With regards to global DNA methylation and chromatin condensation levels, aggressively growing cancer cells seem to take an intermediate level between normally proliferating and senescent cells. Thus, normal cells apparently reach cancer-cell equivalent stages of the two parameters at some point in aging, which might challenge phenotypic distinction between these two types of cells. Companion high-resolution molecular profiling could provide information on possible underlying differences that would explain benign versus malign cell growth behaviors. PMID:23562889

Nuclear DNA methylation and chromatin condensation phenotypes are distinct between normally proliferating/aging, rapidly growing/immortal, and senescent cells.

PubMed

Oh, Jin Ho; Gertych, Arkadiusz; Tajbakhsh, Jian

2013-03-01

This study reports on probing the utility of in situ chromatin texture features such as nuclear DNA methylation and chromatin condensation patterns - visualized by fluorescent staining and evaluated by dedicated three-dimensional (3D) quantitative and high-throughput cell-by-cell image analysis - in assessing the proliferative capacity, i.e. growth behavior of cells: to provide a more dynamic picture of a cell population with potential implications in basic science, cancer diagnostics/prognostics and therapeutic drug development. Two types of primary cells and four different cancer cell lines were propagated and subjected to cell-counting, flow cytometry, confocal imaging, and 3D image analysis at various points in culture. Additionally a subset of primary and cancer cells was accelerated into senescence by oxidative stress. DNA methylation and chromatin condensation levels decreased with declining doubling times when primary cells aged in culture with the lowest levels reached at the stage of proliferative senescence. In comparison, immortal cancer cells with constant but higher doubling times mostly displayed lower and constant levels of the two in situ-derived features. However, stress-induced senescent primary and cancer cells showed similar levels of these features compared with primary cells that had reached natural growth arrest. With regards to global DNA methylation and chromatin condensation levels, aggressively growing cancer cells seem to take an intermediate level between normally proliferating and senescent cells. Thus, normal cells apparently reach cancer-cell equivalent stages of the two parameters at some point in aging, which might challenge phenotypic distinction between these two types of cells. Companion high-resolution molecular profiling could provide information on possible underlying differences that would explain benign versus malign cell growth behaviors.

Capturing tumor complexity in vitro: Comparative analysis of 2D and 3D tumor models for drug discovery.

PubMed

Stock, Kristin; Estrada, Marta F; Vidic, Suzana; Gjerde, Kjersti; Rudisch, Albin; Santo, Vítor E; Barbier, Michaël; Blom, Sami; Arundkar, Sharath C; Selvam, Irwin; Osswald, Annika; Stein, Yan; Gruenewald, Sylvia; Brito, Catarina; van Weerden, Wytske; Rotter, Varda; Boghaert, Erwin; Oren, Moshe; Sommergruber, Wolfgang; Chong, Yolanda; de Hoogt, Ronald; Graeser, Ralph

2016-07-01

Two-dimensional (2D) cell cultures growing on plastic do not recapitulate the three dimensional (3D) architecture and complexity of human tumors. More representative models are required for drug discovery and validation. Here, 2D culture and 3D mono- and stromal co-culture models of increasing complexity have been established and cross-comparisons made using three standard cell carcinoma lines: MCF7, LNCaP, NCI-H1437. Fluorescence-based growth curves, 3D image analysis, immunohistochemistry and treatment responses showed that end points differed according to cell type, stromal co-culture and culture format. The adaptable methodologies described here should guide the choice of appropriate simple and complex in vitro models.

Capturing tumor complexity in vitro: Comparative analysis of 2D and 3D tumor models for drug discovery

PubMed Central

Stock, Kristin; Estrada, Marta F.; Vidic, Suzana; Gjerde, Kjersti; Rudisch, Albin; Santo, Vítor E.; Barbier, Michaël; Blom, Sami; Arundkar, Sharath C.; Selvam, Irwin; Osswald, Annika; Stein, Yan; Gruenewald, Sylvia; Brito, Catarina; van Weerden, Wytske; Rotter, Varda; Boghaert, Erwin; Oren, Moshe; Sommergruber, Wolfgang; Chong, Yolanda; de Hoogt, Ronald; Graeser, Ralph

2016-01-01

Two-dimensional (2D) cell cultures growing on plastic do not recapitulate the three dimensional (3D) architecture and complexity of human tumors. More representative models are required for drug discovery and validation. Here, 2D culture and 3D mono- and stromal co-culture models of increasing complexity have been established and cross-comparisons made using three standard cell carcinoma lines: MCF7, LNCaP, NCI-H1437. Fluorescence-based growth curves, 3D image analysis, immunohistochemistry and treatment responses showed that end points differed according to cell type, stromal co-culture and culture format. The adaptable methodologies described here should guide the choice of appropriate simple and complex in vitro models. PMID:27364600

Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.).

PubMed

Feeney, Mistianne; Punja, Zamir K

2015-01-01

Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) suspension culture cells were transformed with Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain EHA101 carrying the binary plasmid pNOV3635. The plasmid contains a phosphomannose isomerase (PMI) selectable marker gene. Cells transformed with PMI are capable of metabolizing the selective agent mannose, whereas cells not expressing the gene are incapable of using the carbon source and will stop growing. Callus masses proliferating on selection medium were screened for PMI expression using a chlorophenol red assay. Genomic DNA was extracted from putatively transformed callus lines, and the presence of the PMI gene was confirmed using PCR and Southern hybridization. Using this method, an average transformation frequency of 31.23% ± 0.14 was obtained for all transformation experiments, with a range of 15.1-55.3%.

Effects of passage number on growth and productivity of hybridoma secreting MRSA anti-PBP2a monoclonal antibodies.

PubMed

Corrêa, Arthur Luiz; Senna, José Procópio Moreno; de Sousa, Álvaro Paiva Braga

2016-05-01

Monoclonal antibodies (mAb) are high added value glycoproteins recommended for immunotherapy, diagnosis, and also for the treatment of bacterial infections resistant to multiple drugs such as Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). In addition to environmental conditions related to cell cultures, the intrinsic characteristics of hybridoma cells, like the secretion stability of monoclonal antibodies by the cells through successive subcultures, are relevant for the characterization of cell lines related to the productivity of mAb. The rate of mAb production differs significantly between different cell lines and different passage numbers, and it is an important variable in characterization of cell lines. In order to find a more robust, faster-growing, and higher-productivity cell line of hybridoma, cultivations in 24-well plates were performed in different subculture periods, or cell passages (P), of hybridoma cells producing MRSA anti-PBP2a monoclonal antibodies [MRSA-antiPBP2a (mAb)]. The objective of this study was to study the effects of cell growth and production of MRSA-antiPBP2a mAb secreted by murine hybridoma cells grown in different passages as well as determine the which passages the hybridomas can be cultivated without harming their growth and productivity. So, cell growth profiles of hybridomas secreting MRSA-antiPBP2a (mAb) and the production of MRSA-antiPBP2a mAb in different subculture periods or cell passages (P) were studied. Cell growth tests, monoclonal antibody productivity, and metabolite characteristics revealed substantial differences in those cells kept between P10 and P50. Similarities in the secretion of monoclonal antibody, growth, and metabolic profiles, were noted in the MRSA-antiPBP2a mAb producing hybridoma cells kept between P10 and P20. Also, glucose consumption (g/L) and lactate production (g/L) in the latter cell cultures were monitored daily through biochemical analyzer. As of P30, it was observed a 4.4 times reduction in productivity, a 13 % reduction in metabolic yield, and a significant change in cell growth. Secretion of MRSA-antiPBP2a mAb should be obtained through the culture of hybridomas up to P20 in order to keep its stability.

Fibrillar Collagen Organization Associated with Broiler Wooden Breast Fibrotic Myopathy.

PubMed

Velleman, Sandra G; Clark, Daniel L; Tonniges, Jeffrey R

2017-12-01

Wooden breast (WB) is a fibrotic myopathy affecting the pectoralis major (p. major) muscle in fast-growing commercial broiler lines. Birds with WB are phenotypically detected by the palpation of a hard p. major muscle. A primary feature of WB is the fibrosis of muscle with the replacement of muscle fibers with extracellular matrix proteins, such as collagen. The ability of a tissue to be pliable and stretch is associated with the organization of collagen fibrils in the connective tissue areas surrounding muscle fiber bundles (perimysium) and around individual muscle fibers (endomysium). The objective of this study was to compare the structure and organization of fibrillar collagen by using transmission electron microscopy in two fast-growing broiler lines (Lines A and B) with incidence of WB to a slower growing broiler Line C with no phenotypically detectable WB. In Line A, the collagen fibrils were tightly packed in a parallel organization, whereas in Line B, the collagen fibrils were randomly aligned. Tightly packed collagen fibrils arranged in parallel are associated with nonpliable collagen that is highly cross-linked. This will lead to a phenotypically hard p. major muscle. In Line C, the fibrillar collagen was sparse in its distribution. Furthermore, the average collagen fibril diameter and banding D-period length were altered in Line A p. major muscles affected with WB. Taken together, these data are suggestive of different fibrotic myopathies beyond just what is classified as WB in fast-growing broiler lines.

Differentiation of a murine intestinal epithelial cell line (MIE) toward the M cell lineage.

PubMed

Kanaya, Takashi; Miyazawa, Kohtaro; Takakura, Ikuro; Itani, Wataru; Watanabe, Kouichi; Ohwada, Shyuichi; Kitazawa, Haruki; Rose, Michael T; McConochie, Huw R; Okano, Hideyuki; Yamaguchi, Takahiro; Aso, Hisashi

2008-08-01

M cells are a kind of intestinal epithelial cell in the follicle-associated epithelium of Peyer's patches. These cells can transport antigens and microorganisms into underlying lymphoid tissues. Despite the important role of M cells in mucosal immune responses, the origin and mechanisms of differentiation as well as cell death of M cells remain unclear. To clarify the mechanism of M cell differentiation, we established a novel murine intestinal epithelial cell line (MIE) from the C57BL/6 mouse. MIE cells grow rapidly and have a cobblestone morphology, which is a typical feature of intestinal epithelial cells. Additionally, they express cytokeratin, villin, cell-cell junctional proteins, and alkaline phosphatase activity and can form microvilli. Their expression of Musashi-1 antigen indicates that they may be close to intestinal stem cells or transit-amplifying cells. MIE cells are able to differentiate into the M cell lineage following coculture with intestinal lymphocytes, but not with Peyer's patch lymphocytes (PPL). However, PPL costimulated with anti-CD3/CD28 MAbs caused MIE cells to display typical features of M cells, such as transcytosis activity, the disorganization of microvilli, and the expression of M cell markers. This transcytosis activity of MIE cells was not induced by T cells isolated from PPL costimulated with the same MAbs and was reduced by the depletion of the T cell population from PPL. A mixture of T cells treated with MAbs and B cells both from PPL led MIE cells to differentiate into M cells. We report here that MIE cells have the potential ability to differentiate into M cells and that this differentiation required activated T cells and B cells.

YThe BigH3 Tumor Suppressor Gene in Radiation-Induced Malignant Transformation of Human Bronchial Epithelial Cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Y.; Shao, G.; Piao, C.; Hei, T.

Carcinogenesis is a multi-stage process with sequences of genetic events governing the phenotypic expression of a series of transformation steps leading to the development of metastatic cancer Previous studies from this laboratory have identified a 7 fold down- regulation of the novel tumor suppressor Big-h3 among radiation induced tumorigenic BEP2D cells Furthermore ectopic re-expression of this gene suppresses tumorigenic phenotype and promotes the sensitivity of these tumor cells to etoposide-induced apoptosis To extend these studies using a genomically more stable bronchial cell line we ectopically expresses the catalytic subunit of telomerase hTERT in primary human small airway epithelial SAE cells and generated several clonal cell lines that have been continuously in culture for more than 250 population doublings and are considered immortal Comparably-treated control SAE cells infected with only the viral vector senesced after less than 10 population doublings The immortalized clones demonstrated anchorage dependent growth and are non-tumorigenic in nude mice These cells show no alteration in the p53 gene but a decrease in p16 expression Exponentially growing SAEh cells were exposed to graded doses of 1 GeV nucleon of 56 Fe ions accelerated at the Brookhaven National Laboratory Irradiated cells underwent gradual phenotypic alterations after extensive in vitro cultivation Transformed cells developed through a series of successive steps before becoming anchorage independent in semisolid medium These findings indicate

Selective Blockade of Human Natural Killer Cells by a Monoclonal Antibody

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Newman, Walter

1982-06-01

A murine monoclonal antibody, 13.1, which blocks human natural killer (NK) cell-mediated lysis, has been developed. Hybridoma 13.1 was derived by fusion of NS-1 cells with spleen cells from mice immunized with an enriched population of NK cells. Supernatants of growing hybridomas were screened for their ability to block NK cell-mediated lysis of K562 targets. Antibody 13.1 is an IgG1 with a single light chain type and it does not fix complement. The 13.1 antigen is expressed on all peripheral blood mononuclear cells, with an antigen density approximately 1/30th that of HLA antigen heavy chain. Pretreatment and washing experiments revealed that inhibition of cytotoxicity occurred at the effector cell level only. Significant blocking was achieved with nanogram quantities of antibody and was not due to toxic effects on NK cells. Likewise, controls with other antibodies of the same subclass demonstrated that blocking was not a consequence of mere binding to NK cells. When a panel of 17 NK cell-susceptible targets was tested, the lysis of only 5 of these was blocked, namely K562, HL-60, KG-1, Daudi, and HEL, a human erythroleukemic cell line. The lysis of 12 human B cell and T cell line targets was not inhibited. In addition to the demonstration that the 13.1 antigen is a crucial cell surface structure involved in NK lysis, a heterogeneity of target cell recognition has been revealed that argues for the proposition that individual NK cells have multiple recognitive capabilities.

Tumor microenvironment is multifaceted.

PubMed

Sautès-Fridman, Catherine; Cherfils-Vicini, Julien; Damotte, Diane; Fisson, Sylvain; Fridman, Wolf Hervé; Cremer, Isabelle; Dieu-Nosjean, Marie-Caroline

2011-03-01

Cancer initiation, progression, and invasion occur in a complex and dynamic microenvironment which depends on the hosts and sites where tumors develop. Tumors arising in mucosal tissues may progress in an inflammatory context linked to local viral and/or bacterial infections. At the opposite, tumors developing in immunoprivileged sites are protected from microorganisms and grow in an immunosuppressive environment. In the present review, we summarize and present our recent data on the influence of infectious context and immune cell infiltration organization in human Non-Small Cell Lung Cancers (NSCLC) progression. We show that stimulation of tumor cells by TLR for viral ssRNA, such as TLR7/8, or bacteria, such as TLR4, promotes cell survival and induces chemoresistance. On the opposite, stimulation by TLR3, receptor for double-stranded viral RNA, decreases tumor cell viability and induces chemosensitivity in some lung tumor cell lines. Since fresh lung tumor cells exhibit a gene expression profile characteristic of TLR-stimulated lung tumor cell lines, we suspect that viral and bacterial influence may not only act on the host immune system but also directly on tumor growth and sensitivity to chemotherapy. The stroma of NSCLC contains tertiary lymphoid structures (or Tumor-induced Bronchus-Associated Lymphoid Tissues (Ti-BALT)) with mature DC, follicular DC, and T and B cells. Two subsets of immature DC, Langerhans cells (LC) and interstitial DC (intDC), were detected in the tumor nests and the stroma, respectively. Here, we show that the densities of the three DC subsets, mature DC, LC, and intDC, are highly predictive of disease-specific survival in a series of 74 early-stage NSCLC patients. We hypothesize that the mature DC may derive from local activation and migration of the immature DC--and especially LC which contact the tumor cells--to the tertiary lymphoid structures, after sampling and processing of the tumor antigens. In view of the prominent role of DC in the immune response, we suggest that the microenvironment of early-stage NSCLC may allow the in situ activation of the adaptive response. Finally, we find that the eyes or brain of mice with growing B cell lymphoma are infiltrated with T cells and that the cytokines produced ex vivo by the tumoral tissues have an impaired Th1 cytokine profile. Our work illustrates that the host and external tumor microenvironments are multifaceted and strongly influence tumor progression and anti-tumor immune responses.

Fluorescent genetic barcoding in mammalian cells for enhanced multiplexing capabilities in flow cytometry.

PubMed

Smurthwaite, Cameron A; Hilton, Brett J; O'Hanlon, Ryan; Stolp, Zachary D; Hancock, Bryan M; Abbadessa, Darin; Stotland, Aleksandr; Sklar, Larry A; Wolkowicz, Roland

2014-01-01

The discovery of the green fluorescent protein from Aequorea victoria has revolutionized the field of cell and molecular biology. Since its discovery a growing panel of fluorescent proteins, fluorophores and fluorescent-coupled staining methodologies, have expanded the analytical capabilities of flow cytometry. Here, we exploit the power of genetic engineering to barcode individual cells with genes encoding fluorescent proteins. For genetic engineering, we utilize retroviral technology, which allows for the expression of ectopic genetic information in a stable manner in mammalian cells. We have genetically barcoded both adherent and nonadherent cells with different fluorescent proteins. Multiplexing power was increased by combining both the number of distinct fluorescent proteins, and the fluorescence intensity in each channel. Moreover, retroviral expression has proven to be stable for at least a 6-month period, which is critical for applications such as biological screens. We have shown the applicability of fluorescent barcoded multiplexing to cell-based assays that rely themselves on genetic barcoding, or on classical staining protocols. Fluorescent genetic barcoding gives the cell an inherited characteristic that distinguishes it from its counterpart. Once cell lines are developed, no further manipulation or staining is required, decreasing time, nonspecific background associated with staining protocols, and cost. The increasing number of discovered and/or engineered fluorescent proteins with unique absorbance/emission spectra, combined with the growing number of detection devices and lasers, increases multiplexing versatility, making fluorescent genetic barcoding a powerful tool for flow cytometry-based analysis. © 2013 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry.

Expression of the oncoprotein gankyrin and phosphorylated retinoblastoma protein in human testis and testicular germ cell tumor.

PubMed

Ando, Satoshi; Matsuoka, Taeko; Kawai, Koji; Sugita, Shintaro; Joraku, Akira; Kojima, Takahiro; Suetomi, Takahiro; Miyazaki, Jun; Fujita, Jun; Nishiyama, Hiroyuki

2014-10-01

The oncoprotein, gankyrin, is known to facilitate cell proliferation through phosphorylation and degradation of retinoblastoma protein. In the present study, we evaluated the expression of gankyrin and phosphorylated retinoblastoma protein in human testis and testicular germ cell tumors. The effects of suppression of gankyrin by locked nucleic acid on phosphorylation status of retinoblastoma and cell proliferation were analyzed using western blot analysis and testicular tumor cell line NEC8. The expressions of gankyrin, retinoblastoma and retinoblastoma protein were analyzed in 93 testicular germ cell tumor samples and five normal human testis by immunohistochemistry. The retinoblastoma protein expression was determined using an antibody to retinoblastoma protein, Ser795. Gankyrin was expressed in NEC8 cells as well as a normal human testis and testicular tumors. Suppression of gankyrin by locked nucleic acid led to suppression of retinoblastoma protein and cell proliferation in NEC8 cells. Immunohistochemistry of normal testis showed that gankyrin is expressed dominantly in spermatocytes. In testicular germ cell tumors, high expressions of gankyrin and phosphorylated-retinoblastoma protein were observed in seminoma and embryonal carcinoma, whereas the expressions of both proteins were weak in histological subtypes of non-seminoma. Growing teratoma and testicular malignant transformation tissues expressed phosphorylated-retinoblastoma protein strongly, but gankyrin faintly. Gankyrin is dominantly expressed in normal spermatocytes and seminoma/embryonal carcinoma, and its expression correlates well with retinoblastoma protein expression except in the growing teratoma and testicular malignant transformation cases. These data provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms of normal spermatogenesis and pathogenesis of testicular germ cell tumors. © 2014 The Japanese Urological Association.

Genetic and Pharmacological Inhibition of PDK1 in Cancer Cells: Characterization of a Selective Allosteric Kinase Inhibitor

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nagashima, Kumiko; Shumway, Stuart D.; Sathyanarayanan, Sriram

2013-11-20

Phosphoinositide-dependent kinase 1 (PDK1) is a critical activator of multiple prosurvival and oncogenic protein kinases and has garnered considerable interest as an oncology drug target. Despite progress characterizing PDK1 as a therapeutic target, pharmacological support is lacking due to the prevalence of nonspecific inhibitors. Here, we benchmark literature and newly developed inhibitors and conduct parallel genetic and pharmacological queries into PDK1 function in cancer cells. Through kinase selectivity profiling and x-ray crystallographic studies, we identify an exquisitely selective PDK1 inhibitor (compound 7) that uniquely binds to the inactive kinase conformation (DFG-out). In contrast to compounds 1-5, which are classical ATP-competitivemore » kinase inhibitors (DFG-in), compound 7 specifically inhibits cellular PDK1 T-loop phosphorylation (Ser-241), supporting its unique binding mode. Interfering with PDK1 activity has minimal antiproliferative effect on cells growing as plastic-attached monolayer cultures (i.e. standard tissue culture conditions) despite reduced phosphorylation of AKT, RSK, and S6RP. However, selective PDK1 inhibition impairs anchorage-independent growth, invasion, and cancer cell migration. Compound 7 inhibits colony formation in a subset of cancer cell lines (four of 10) and primary xenograft tumor lines (nine of 57). RNAi-mediated knockdown corroborates the PDK1 dependence in cell lines and identifies candidate biomarkers of drug response. In summary, our profiling studies define a uniquely selective and cell-potent PDK1 inhibitor, and the convergence of genetic and pharmacological phenotypes supports a role of PDK1 in tumorigenesis in the context of three-dimensional in vitro culture systems.« less

Intracellular Ca2+ concentration in the N1E-115 neuronal cell line and its use for peripheric nerve regeneration.

PubMed

Rodrigues, J M; Luís, A L; Lobato, J V; Pinto, M V; Faustino, A; Hussain, N Sooraj; Lopes, M A; Veloso, A P; Freitas, M; Geuna, S; Santos, J D; Maurício, A C

2005-01-01

Entubulation repair of peripheral nerve injuries has a lengthy history. Several experimental and clinical studies have explored the effectiveness of many biodegradable and non-degradable tubes with or without addition of molecules and cells. The main objective of the present study was to develop an economical and also an easy way for culturing a neural cell line which is capable of growing, differentiating and producing locally nerve growth factors, that are otherwise extremely expensive, inside 90 PLA/10 PLG nerve guides. For this purpose the authors have chosen the N1E-115 cell line, a clone of cells derived from mouse neuroblastoma C-1300 with the perspective of using this differentiated cellular system to cover the inside of 90 PLA/10 PLG nerve guides placed to bridge a nerve gap of 10 mm in the rat sciatic nerve experimental model. The N1E-115 cells proliferate in normal culture medium but undergo neuronal differentiation in response to DMSO. Upon induction of differentiation, proliferation of N1E-115 cells ceases, extensive neurite outgrowth is observed and the membranes become highly excitable. While it is known that Ca2+ serves as an important intracellular signal for cellular various processes, such as growth and differentiation, be toxic to cells and be involved in the triggering of events leading to excitotoxic cell death in neurons. The [Ca2+]i in non-differentiated N1E-115 cells and after distinct periods of differentiation, have been determined by the epifluorescence technique using the Fura-2-AM probe. The results of this quantitative assessment, revealed that N1E-115 cells which undergo neuronal differentiation for 48 hours in the presence of 1.5% DMSO are best qualified to be used to cover the interior of the nerve guides since the [Ca2+]i was not found to be elevated indicating thus that the onset the cell death processes was not occurred.

Transgenic miR156 switchgrass in the field: growth, recalcitrance and rust susceptibility

DOE PAGES

Baxter, Holly L.; Mazarei, Mitra; Dumitrache, Alexandru; ...

2017-04-24

Sustainable utilization of lignocellulosic perennial grass feedstocks will be enabled by high biomass production and optimized cell wall chemistry for efficient conversion into biofuels. MicroRNAs are regulatory elements that modulate the expression of genes involved in various biological functions in plants, including growth and development. In greenhouse studies, overexpressing a microRNA (miR156) gene in switchgrass had dramatic effects on plant architecture and flowering, which appeared to be driven by transgene expression levels. High expressing lines were extremely dwarfed, whereas low and moderate-expressing lines had higher biomass yields, improved sugar release and delayed flowering. Four lines with moderate or low miR156more » overexpression from the prior greenhouse study were selected for a field experiment to assess the relationship between miR156 expression and biomass production over three years. We also analysed important bioenergy feedstock traits such as flowering, disease resistance, cell wall chemistry and biofuel production. Phenotypes of the transgenic lines were inconsistent between the greenhouse and the field as well as among different field growing seasons. One low expressing transgenic line consistently produced more biomass (25%–56%) than the control across all three seasons, which translated to the production of 30% more biofuel per plant during the final season. The other three transgenic lines produced less biomass than the control by the final season, and the two lines with moderate expression levels also exhibited altered disease susceptibilities. Results of this study emphasize the importance of performing multiyear field studies for plants with altered regulatory transgenes that target plant growth and development.« less

Transgenic miR156 switchgrass in the field: growth, recalcitrance and rust susceptibility

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Baxter, Holly L.; Mazarei, Mitra; Dumitrache, Alexandru

Sustainable utilization of lignocellulosic perennial grass feedstocks will be enabled by high biomass production and optimized cell wall chemistry for efficient conversion into biofuels. MicroRNAs are regulatory elements that modulate the expression of genes involved in various biological functions in plants, including growth and development. In greenhouse studies, overexpressing a microRNA (miR156) gene in switchgrass had dramatic effects on plant architecture and flowering, which appeared to be driven by transgene expression levels. High expressing lines were extremely dwarfed, whereas low and moderate-expressing lines had higher biomass yields, improved sugar release and delayed flowering. Four lines with moderate or low miR156more » overexpression from the prior greenhouse study were selected for a field experiment to assess the relationship between miR156 expression and biomass production over three years. We also analysed important bioenergy feedstock traits such as flowering, disease resistance, cell wall chemistry and biofuel production. Phenotypes of the transgenic lines were inconsistent between the greenhouse and the field as well as among different field growing seasons. One low expressing transgenic line consistently produced more biomass (25%–56%) than the control across all three seasons, which translated to the production of 30% more biofuel per plant during the final season. The other three transgenic lines produced less biomass than the control by the final season, and the two lines with moderate expression levels also exhibited altered disease susceptibilities. Results of this study emphasize the importance of performing multiyear field studies for plants with altered regulatory transgenes that target plant growth and development.« less

Line tension controls liquid-disordered + liquid-ordered domain size transition in lipid bilayers

DOE PAGES

Usery, Rebecca D.; Enoki, Thais A.; Wickramasinghe, Sanjula P.; ...

2017-04-11

To better understand animal cell plasma membranes, we studied simplified models, namely four-component lipid bilayer mixtures. Here we describe the domain size transition in the region of coexisting liquid-disordered (Ld) + liquid-ordered (Lo) phases. This transition occurs abruptly in composition space with domains increasing in size by two orders of magnitude, from tens of nanometers to microns. We measured the line tension between coexisting Ld and Lo domains close to the domain size transition for a variety of lipid mixtures, finding that in every case the transition occurs at a line tension of ~0.3 pN. A computational model incorporating linemore » tension and dipole repulsion indicated that even small changes in line tension can result in domains growing in size by several orders of magnitude, consistent with experimental observations. Lastly, we find that other properties of the coexisting Ld and Lo phases do not change significantly in the vicinity of the abrupt domain size transition.« less

Line tension controls liquid-disordered + liquid-ordered domain size transition in lipid bilayers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Usery, Rebecca D.; Enoki, Thais A.; Wickramasinghe, Sanjula P.

To better understand animal cell plasma membranes, we studied simplified models, namely four-component lipid bilayer mixtures. Here we describe the domain size transition in the region of coexisting liquid-disordered (Ld) + liquid-ordered (Lo) phases. This transition occurs abruptly in composition space with domains increasing in size by two orders of magnitude, from tens of nanometers to microns. We measured the line tension between coexisting Ld and Lo domains close to the domain size transition for a variety of lipid mixtures, finding that in every case the transition occurs at a line tension of ~0.3 pN. A computational model incorporating linemore » tension and dipole repulsion indicated that even small changes in line tension can result in domains growing in size by several orders of magnitude, consistent with experimental observations. Lastly, we find that other properties of the coexisting Ld and Lo phases do not change significantly in the vicinity of the abrupt domain size transition.« less

E4F1 deficiency results in oxidative stress–mediated cell death of leukemic cells

PubMed Central

Hatchi, Elodie; Rodier, Genevieve; Lacroix, Matthieu; Caramel, Julie; Kirsh, Olivier; Jacquet, Chantal; Schrepfer, Emilie; Lagarrigue, Sylviane; Linares, Laetitia Karine; Lledo, Gwendaline; Tondeur, Sylvie; Dubus, Pierre

2011-01-01

The multifunctional E4F1 protein was originally discovered as a target of the E1A viral oncoprotein. Growing evidence indicates that E4F1 is involved in key signaling pathways commonly deregulated during cell transformation. In this study, we investigate the influence of E4F1 on tumorigenesis. Wild-type mice injected with fetal liver cells from mice lacking CDKN2A, the gene encoding Ink4a/Arf, developed histiocytic sarcomas (HSs), a tumor originating from the monocytic/macrophagic lineage. Cre-mediated deletion of E4F1 resulted in the death of HS cells and tumor regression in vivo and extended the lifespan of recipient animals. In murine and human HS cell lines, E4F1 inactivation resulted in mitochondrial defects and increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that triggered massive cell death. Notably, these defects of E4F1 depletion were observed in HS cells but not healthy primary macrophages. Short hairpin RNA–mediated depletion of E4F1 induced mitochondrial defects and ROS-mediated death in several human myeloid leukemia cell lines. E4F1 protein is overexpressed in a large subset of human acute myeloid leukemia samples. Together, these data reveal a role for E4F1 in the survival of myeloid leukemic cells and support the notion that targeting E4F1 activities might have therapeutic interest. PMID:21708927

Electric and magnetic fields do not modify the biochemical properties of FRTL-5 cells.

PubMed

Dimida, A; Ferrarini, E; Agretti, P; De Marco, G; Grasso, L; Martinelli, M; Longo, I; Giulietti, D; Ricci, A; Galimberti, M; Siervo, B; Licitra, G; Francia, F; Pinchera, A; Vitti, P; Tonacchera, M

2011-03-01

Electric and magnetic fields (EMF) might be involved in human disease and numerous research and scientific reviews have been conducted to address this question. In particular thyroid structural and functional alterations caused by various forms of non-ionizing radiation have been described. The aim of this study was to analyze the possible effects of EMF on thyroid, in particular we analyzed the effects caused by a GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) signal (900 MHz) on cultured thyroid cells (FRTL- 5). The experimental setup was designed in order to expose samples to a radiofrequency wave in well-controlled conditions. We used the FRTL-5 cell line, an epithelial monoclonal continuous cell line derived from Fisher rat thyroid tissue growing as monolayer, expressing the TSH receptor and the sodium-iodide symporter (NIS). FRTL-5 were subsequently irradiate for 24, 48, and 96 h with EMF (800-900 MHz, power-frequency of mobile communication systems) and iodide uptake and cAMP production were measured. The irradiation of cells with EMF at 900 Mhz for 24, 48, and 96 h did not influence the level of cAMP production and was not able to modify iodide accumulation in FRTL- 5 cells with respect to basal conditions. In conclusion, EMF do not seem to be able to interfere with the biochemical properties of FRTL-5 cells in vitro.

Metabolic and morphological differences between rapidly proliferating cancerous and normal breast epithelial cells.

PubMed

Meadows, Adam L; Kong, Becky; Berdichevsky, Marina; Roy, Siddhartha; Rosiva, Rosiva; Blanch, Harvey W; Clark, Douglas S

2008-01-01

The metabolic and morphological characteristics of two human epithelial breast cell populations--MCF7 cells, a cancerous cell line, and 48R human mammary epithelial cells (48R HMECs), a noncancerous, finite lifespan cell strain--were compared at identical growth rates. Both cell types were induced to grow rapidly in nutrient-rich media containing 13C-labeled glucose, and the isotopic enrichment of cellular metabolites was quantified to calculate metabolic fluxes in key pathways. Despite their similar growth rates, the cells exhibited distinctly different metabolic and morphological profiles. MCF7 cells have an 80% smaller exposed surface area and contain 26% less protein per cell than the 48R cells. Surprisingly, rapidly proliferating 48R cells exhibited a 225% higher per-cell glucose consumption rate, a 250% higher per-cell lactate production rate, and a nearly identical per-cell glutamine consumption rate relative to the cancer cell line. However, when fluxes were considered on the basis of exposed area, the cancer cells were observed to have higher glucose, lactate, and glutamine fluxes, demonstrating superior transport capabilities per unit area of cell membrane. MCF7 cells also consumed amino acids at rates much higher than are generally required for protein synthesis, whereas 48R cells generally did not. Pentose phosphate pathway activity was higher in MCF7 cells, and the flux of glutamine to glutamate was less reversible. Energy efficiency was significantly higher in MCF7 cells, as a result of a combination of their smaller size and greater reliance on the TCA cycle than the 48R cells. These observations support evolutionary models of cancer cell metabolism and suggest targets for metabolic drugs in metastatic breast cancers.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chang, Yu-Tzu; Shu, Chung-Li; Lai, Jing-Yang

Mouse embryo fibroblasts (MEFs) grow slowly after cultivation from animals, however, after an extended period of cultivation, their growth accelerates. We found that SWAP-70 deficient MEFs failed to increase growth rates. They maintain normal growth rates and proliferation cycles for at least 5 years. Complementing SWAP-70 deficiency in one of these MEF clones, MEF1F2, by expressing human SWAP-70 resulted in fast growth of the cells after further cultivation for a long period. The resulting cells show a transformation phenotype, since they grow on top of each other and do not show contact inhibition. This phenotype was reverted when sanguinarine, amore » putative SWAP-70 inhibitor, was added. Two SWAP-70 expressing clones were examined in detail. Even after cell density became very high their cdc2 and NFκB were still activated suggesting that they do not stop growing. One of the clones formed colonies in soft agar and formed tumors in nude mice. Lately, one more clone became transformed being able to make colonies in soft agar. We maintain 4 human SWAP-70 expressing MEF1F2 cell lines. Three out of 4 clones exhibited transforming phenotypes. The mouse SWAP-70 gene also promoted transformation of MEFs. Taken together our data suggest that SWAP-70 is not a typical oncogene, but is required for spontaneous transformation of MEFs. - Highlights: • Mouse embryo fibroblasts (MEFs) lacking SWAP-70 do not cause spontaneous transform. • Adding back of SWAP-70 to SWAP-70-deficient MEFs induces spontaneous transformation. • SWAP-70 is required for spontaneous transformation of MEFs.« less

Probiotic Bacteria and their Supernatants Protect Enterocyte Cell Lines from Enteroinvasive Escherichia coli (EIEC) Invasion

PubMed Central

Khodaii, Zohreh; Ghaderian, Sayyed Mohammad Hossein; Natanzi, Mahboobeh Mehrabani

2017-01-01

Probiotic microorganisms have attracted a growing interest for prevention and therapy of gastrointestinal disorders. Many probiotic strains have been shown to inhibit growth and metabolic activity of enteropathogenic bacteria as well as their adhesion and invasion to intestinal cells. In the present study, we evaluated the interference of bacteria-free supernatants (BFS) of cultures belonging to sixteen strains of lactobacilli and bifidobacteria, with invasion of enteroinvasive Escherichia coli (EIEC) strain, using human colonic adenocarcinoma cell lines, T84 and Caco2 cells. To assess invasion of Caco-2 and T84 cells by EIEC, and measure the number of pathogens inside the enterocytes, the gentamicin protection assay was conducted. In addition, three different invasion inhibition assays were designed; namely co-incubation, pre-incubation and treatment with the BFS of probiotics. Data obtained and theoretical calculation showed that the most effective assay in the prevention of pathogen invasion was treatment with BFS. Besides, co-incubation assay was more valid than pre-incubation assay in invasion prevention. The obtained results suggest that probiotics may produce some metabolites that strongly prevent invasion of enteroinvasive E.coli into the small and large intestine. Also, probiotics are able to compete with or exclude pathogen invasion. PMID:29682490

Production of recombinant adenovirus containing human interlukin-4 gene.

PubMed

Mojarrad, Majid; Abdolazimi, Yassan; Hajati, Jamshid; Modarressi, Mohammad Hossein

2011-11-01

Recombinant adenoviruses are currently used for a variety of purposes, including in vitro gene transfer, in vivo vaccination, and gene therapy. Ability to infect many cell types, high efficiency in gene transfer, entering both dividing and non dividing cells, and growing to high titers make this virus a good choice for using in various experiments. In the present experiment, a recombinant adenovirus containing human IL-4 coding sequence was made. IL-4 has several characteristics that made it a good choice for using in cancer gene therapy, controlling inflammatory diseases, and studies on autoimmune diseases. In brief, IL-4 coding sequence was amplified by and cloned in pAd-Track-CMV. Then, by means of homologous recombination between recombinant pAd-Track-CMV and Adeasy-1 plasmid in bacteria, recombinant adenovirus complete genome was made and IL-4 containing shuttle vector was incorporated into the viral backbone. After linearization, for virus packaging, viral genome was transfected into HEK-293 cell line. Viral production was conveniently followed with the aid of green fluorescent protein. Recombinant adenovirus produced here, was capable to infecting cell lines and express interlukin-4 in cell. This system can be used as a powerful, easy, and cost benefit tool in various studies on cancer gene therapy and also studies on immunogenetics.

Gene expression analysis of whole blood, peripheral blood mononuclear cells, and lymphoblastoid cell lines from the Framingham Heart Study

PubMed Central

Joehanes, Roby; Johnson, Andrew D.; Barb, Jennifer J.; Raghavachari, Nalini; Liu, Poching; Woodhouse, Kimberly A.; O'Donnell, Christopher J.; Munson, Peter J.

2012-01-01

Despite a growing number of reports of gene expression analysis from blood-derived RNA sources, there have been few systematic comparisons of various RNA sources in transcriptomic analysis or for biomarker discovery in the context of cardiovascular disease (CVD). As a pilot study of the Systems Approach to Biomarker Research (SABRe) in CVD Initiative, this investigation used Affymetrix Exon arrays to characterize gene expression of three blood-derived RNA sources: lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCL), whole blood using PAXgene tubes (PAX), and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Their performance was compared in relation to identifying transcript associations with sex and CVD risk factors, such as age, high-density lipoprotein, and smoking status, and the differential blood cell count. We also identified a set of exons that vary substantially between participants, but consistently in each RNA source. Such exons are thus stable phenotypes of the participant and may potentially become useful fingerprinting biomarkers. In agreement with previous studies, we found that each of the RNA sources is distinct. Unlike PAX and PBMC, LCL gene expression showed little association with the differential blood count. LCL, however, was able to detect two genes related to smoking status. PAX and PBMC identified Y-chromosome probe sets similarly and slightly better than LCL. PMID:22045913

Periodic harvesting of embryonic stem cells from a hollow-fiber membrane based four-compartment bioreactor.

PubMed

Knöspel, Fanny; Freyer, Nora; Stecklum, Maria; Gerlach, Jörg C; Zeilinger, Katrin

2016-01-01

Different types of stem cells have been investigated for applications in drug screening and toxicity testing. In order to provide sufficient numbers of cells for such in vitro applications a scale-up of stem cell culture is necessary. Bioreactors for dynamic three-dimensional (3D) culture of growing cells offer the option for culturing large amounts of stem cells at high densities in a closed system. We describe a method for periodic harvesting of pluripotent stem cells (PSC) during expansion in a perfused 3D hollow-fiber membrane bioreactor, using mouse embryonic stem cells (mESC) as a model cell line. A number of 100 × 10(6) mESC were seeded in bioreactors in the presence of mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEF) as feeder cells. Over a cultivation interval of nine days cells were harvested by trypsin perfusion and mechanical agitation every second to third culture day. A mean of 380 × 10(6) mESC could be removed with every harvest. Subsequent to harvesting, cells continued growing in the bioreactor, as determined by increasing glucose consumption and lactate production. Immunocytochemical staining and mRNA expression analysis of markers for pluripotency and the three germ layers showed a similar expression of most markers in the harvested cells and in mESC control cultures. In conclusion, successful expansion and harvesting of viable mESC from bioreactor cultures with preservation of sterility was shown. The present study is the first one showing the feasibility of periodic harvesting of adherent cells from a continuously perfused four-compartment bioreactor including further cultivation of remaining cells. © 2015 American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

Influence of Anti-Mouse Interferon Serum on the Growth and Metastasis of Tumor Cells Persistently Infected with Virus and of Human Prostatic Tumors in Athymic Nude Mice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reid, Lola M.; Minato, Nagahiro; Gresser, Ion; Holland, John; Kadish, Anna; Bloom, Barry R.

1981-02-01

Baby hamster kidney or HeLa cells form tumors in 100% of athymic nude mice. When such cells are persistently infected (PI) with RNA viruses, such as mumps or measles virus, the tumor cells either fail to grow or form circumscribed benign nodules. Neither the parental nor the virus PI tumor cells form invasive or metastatic lesions in nude mice. Previous studies have indicated a correlation between the susceptibility of virus-PI tumor cells in vitro and the cytolytic activity of natural killer (NK) cells and their failure to grow in vivo. Because interferon (IF) is the principal regulatory molecule governing the differentiation of NK cells, it was possible to test the relevance of the IF--NK cell system in vivo to restriction of tumor growth by treatment of nude mice with anti-IF globulin. This treatment was shown to reduce both IF production and NK activity in spleen cells. Both parental and virus-PI tumor cells grew and formed larger tumors in nude mice treated with anti-IF globulin than in control nude mice. The viral-PI tumor cells and the uninfected parental cells formed tumors in treated mice that were highly invasive and often metastatic. Some human tumor types have been notoriously difficult to establish as tumor lines in nude mice (e.g., primary human prostatic carcinomas). When transplanted into nude mice treated either with anti-IF globulin or anti-lymphocyte serum, two prostatic carcinomas grew and produced neoplasms with local invasiveness and some metastases. The results are consistent with the view that interferon may be important in restricting the growth, invasiveness, and metastases of tumor cells by acting indirectly through components of the immune system, such as NK cells.

BAG3 Overexpression and Cytoprotective Autophagy Mediate Apoptosis Resistance in Chemoresistant Breast Cancer Cells.

PubMed

Das, Chandan Kanta; Linder, Benedikt; Bonn, Florian; Rothweiler, Florian; Dikic, Ivan; Michaelis, Martin; Cinatl, Jindrich; Mandal, Mahitosh; Kögel, Donat

2018-03-01

Target-specific treatment modalities are currently not available for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), and acquired chemotherapy resistance is a primary obstacle for the treatment of these tumors. Here we employed derivatives of BT-549 and MDA-MB-468 TNBC cell lines that were adapted to grow in the presence of either 5-Fluorouracil, Doxorubicin or Docetaxel in an aim to identify molecular pathways involved in the adaptation to drug-induced cell killing. All six drug-adapted BT-549 and MDA-MB-468 cell lines displayed cross resistance to chemotherapy and decreased apoptosis sensitivity. Expression of the anti-apoptotic co-chaperone BAG3 was notably enhanced in two thirds (4/6) of the six resistant lines simultaneously with higher expression of HSP70 in comparison to parental controls. Doxorubicin-resistant BT-549 (BT-549 r DOX 20 ) and 5-Fluorouracil-resistant MDA-MB-468 (MDA-MB-468 r 5-FU 2000 ) cells were chosen for further analysis with the autophagy inhibitor Bafilomycin A1 and lentiviral depletion of ATG5, indicating that enhanced cytoprotective autophagy partially contributes to increased drug resistance and cell survival. Stable lentiviral BAG3 depletion was associated with a robust down-regulation of Mcl-1, Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL, restoration of drug-induced apoptosis and reduced cell adhesion in these cells, and these death-sensitizing effects could be mimicked with the BAG3/Hsp70 interaction inhibitor YM-1 and by KRIBB11, a selective transcriptional inhibitor of HSF-1. Furthermore, BAG3 depletion was able to revert the EMT-like transcriptional changes observed in BT-549 r DOX 20 and MDA-MB-468 r 5-FU 2000 cells. In summary, genetic and pharmacological interference with BAG3 is capable to resensitize TNBC cells to treatment, underscoring its relevance for cell death resistance and as a target to overcome therapy resistance of breast cancer. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Agronomic performance of new open pollinated experimental lines of broccoli (Brassica oleracea L. var. italica) evaluated under organic farming.

PubMed

Sahamishirazi, Samira; Moehring, Jens; Zikeli, Sabine; Fleck, Michael; Claupein, Wilhelm; Graeff-Hoenninger, Simone

2018-01-01

In order to develop new open pollinating cultivars of broccoli for organic farming, two experiments were conducted during fall 2015 and spring 2016. This study was aimed at comparing the agronomic performance of eleven new open pollinating breeding lines of broccoli to introduce new lines and to test their seasonal suitability for organic farming. Field experiments were carried out at the organic research station Kleinhohenheim of the University of Hohenheim (Stuttgart-Germany). Different agronomic traits total biomass fresh weight, head fresh weight, head diameter, hollow-stem, fresh weight harvest index and marketable yield were assessed together with commercial control cultivars. The data from both experiments were analyzed using a two-stage mixed model approach. In our study, genotype, growing season and their interaction had significant effects on most traits. Plants belonging to the fall growing season had bigger sizes in comparison to spring with significantly (p< 0.0001) higher biomass fresh weight. Some experimental lines had significant lower head fresh weight in spring in comparison to the fall season. The high temperature during the harvest period for the spring season affected the yield negatively through decreasing the firmness of broccoli heads. The low average minimum temperatures during the spring growing season lead to low biomass fresh weight but high fresh weight harvest index. Testing the seasonal suitability of all open pollinating lines showed that the considered fall season was better for broccoli production. However, the change in yield between the fall and the spring growing season was not significant for "Line 701" and "CHE-MIC". Considering the expression of different agronomic traits, "CHE-GRE-G", "Calinaro" and "CAN-SPB" performed the best in the fall growing season, and "CHE-GRE-G", "CHE-GRE-A", "CHE-BAL-A" and "CHE-MIC" and "Line 701" were best in the spring growing season, specifically due to the highest marketable yield and proportion of marketable heads.

A multiparallel bioreactor for the cultivation of mammalian cells in a 3D-ceramic matrix.

PubMed

Goralczyk, Vicky; Driemel, Gregor; Bischof, Andreas; Peter, Andrea; Berthold, Almuth; Kroh, Lothar; Blessing, Lucienne; Schubert, Helmut; King, Rudibert

2010-01-01

For adherently growing cells, cultivation is limited by the provided growth surface. Excellent surface-to-volume ratios are found in highly porous matrices, which have to face the challenge of nutrient supply inside the matrices' caverns. Therefore, perfusion strategies are recommended which often have to deal with the need of developing an encompassing bioreactor periphery. We present a modular bioreactor system based on a porous ceramic matrix that enables the supply of cells with oxygen and nutrients by perfusion. The present version of the reactor system focuses on simple testing of various inoculation and operation modes. Moreover, it can be used to efficiently test different foam structures. Protocols are given to set-up the system together with handling procedures for long-time cultivation of a CHO cell line. Experimental results confirm vital growth of cells inside the matrices' caverns.

Growing Arabidopsis in vitro: cell suspensions, in vitro culture, and regeneration.

PubMed

Barkla, Bronwyn J; Vera-Estrella, Rosario; Pantoja, Omar

2014-01-01

An understanding of basic methods in Arabidopsis tissue culture is beneficial for any laboratory working on this model plant. Tissue culture refers to the aseptic growth of cells, organs, or plants in a controlled environment, in which physical, nutrient, and hormonal conditions can all be easily manipulated and monitored. The methodology facilitates the production of a large number of plants that are genetically identical over a relatively short growth period. Techniques, including callus production, cell suspension cultures, and plant regeneration, are all indispensable tools for the study of cellular biochemical and molecular processes. Plant regeneration is a key technology for successful stable plant transformation, while cell suspension cultures can be exploited for metabolite profiling and mining. In this chapter we report methods for the successful and highly efficient in vitro regeneration of plants and production of stable cell suspension lines from leaf explants of both Arabidopsis thaliana and Arabidopsis halleri.

Comparison of essential oil components and in vitro anticancer activity in wild and cultivated Salvia verbenaca.

PubMed

Russo, Alessandra; Cardile, Venera; Graziano, Adriana C E; Formisano, Carmen; Rigano, Daniela; Canzoneri, Marisa; Bruno, Maurizio; Senatore, Felice

2015-01-01

The objectives of our research were to study the chemical composition and the in vitro anticancer effect of the essential oil of Salvia verbenaca growing in natural sites in comparison with those of cultivated (Sc) plants. The oil from wild (Sw) S. verbenaca presented hexadecanoic acid (23.1%) as the main constituent, while the oil from Sc plants contained high quantities of hexahydrofarnesyl acetone (9.7%), scarce in the natural oil (0.7%). The growth-inhibitory and proapoptotic effects of the essential oils from Sw and Sc S. verbenaca were evaluated in the human melanoma cell line M14, testing cell vitality, cell membrane integrity, genomic DNA fragmentation and caspase-3 activity. Both the essential oils were able to inhibit the growth of the cancer cells examined inducing also apoptotic cell death, but the essential oil from cultivated samples exhibited the major effects.

Lung Cancer Cell Line Screen Links Fanconi Anemia/BRCA Pathway Defects to Increased Relative Biological Effectiveness of Proton Radiation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Liu, Qi; Ghosh, Priyanjali; Magpayo, Nicole

2015-04-01

Purpose: Growing knowledge of genomic heterogeneity in cancer, especially when it results in altered DNA damage responses, requires re-examination of the generic relative biological effectiveness (RBE) of 1.1 of protons. Methods and Materials: For determination of cellular radiosensitivity, we irradiated 17 lung cancer cell lines at the mid-spread-out Bragg peak of a clinical proton beam (linear energy transfer, 2.5 keV/μm). For comparison, 250-kVp X rays and {sup 137}Cs γ-rays were used. To estimate the RBE of protons relative to {sup 60}Co (Co60eq), we assigned an RBE(Co60Eq) of 1.1 to X rays to correct the physical dose measured. Standard DNA repair foci assaysmore » were used to monitor damage responses. FANCD2 was depleted using RNA interference. Results: Five lung cancer cell lines (29.4%) exhibited reduced clonogenic survival after proton irradiation compared with X-irradiation with the same physical doses. This was confirmed in a 3-dimensional sphere assay. Corresponding proton RBE(Co60Eq) estimates were statistically significantly different from 1.1 (P≤.05): 1.31 to 1.77 (for a survival fraction of 0.5). In 3 of these lines, increased RBE was correlated with alterations in the Fanconi anemia (FA)/BRCA pathway of DNA repair. In Calu-6 cells, the data pointed toward an FA pathway defect, leading to a previously unreported persistence of proton-induced RAD51 foci. The FA/BRCA-defective cells displayed a 25% increase in the size of subnuclear 53BP1 foci 18 hours after proton irradiation. Conclusions: Our cell line screen has revealed variations in proton RBE that are partly due to FA/BRCA pathway defects, suggesting that the use of a generic RBE for cancers should be revisited. We propose that functional biomarkers, such as size of residual 53BP1 foci, may be used to identify cancers with increased sensitivity to proton radiation.« less

Current and projected patient and insurer costs for the care of patients with non-small cell lung cancer in the United States through 2040.

PubMed

Hess, Lisa M; Cui, Zhanglin Lin; Wu, Yixun; Fang, Yun; Gaynor, Paula J; Oton, Ana B

2017-08-01

The objective of this study was to quantify the current and to project future patient and insurer costs for the care of patients with non-small cell lung cancer in the US. An analysis of administrative claims data among patients diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer from 2007-2015 was conducted. Future costs were projected through 2040 based on these data using autoregressive models. Analysis of claims data found the average total cost of care during first- and second-line therapy was $1,161.70 and $561.80 for patients, and $45,175.70 and $26,201.40 for insurers, respectively. By 2040, the average total patient out-of-pocket costs are projected to reach $3,047.67 for first-line and $2,211.33 for second-line therapy, and insurance will pay an average of $131,262.39 for first-line and $75,062.23 for second-line therapy. Claims data are not collected for research purposes; therefore, there may be errors in entry and coding. Additionally, claims data do not contain important clinical factors, such as stage of disease at diagnosis, tumor histology, or data on disease progression, which may have important implications on the cost of care. The trajectory of the cost of lung cancer care is growing. This study estimates that the cost of care may double by 2040, with the greatest proportion of increase in patient out-of-pocket costs. Despite the average cost projections, these results suggest that a small sub-set of patients with very high costs could be at even greater risk in the future.

Heliotropium bacciferum Forssk. (Boraginaceae) extracts: chemical constituents, antioxidant activity and cytotoxic effect in human cancer cell lines.

PubMed

Aïssaoui, Hanane; Mencherini, Teresa; Esposito, Tiziana; De Tommasi, Nunziatina; Gazzerro, Patrizia; Benayache, Samir; Benayache, Fadila; Mekkiou, Ratiba

2018-02-12

Heliotropium bacciferum (Boraginaceae) is a perennial herb, growing in the Bechar region of Algeria, where it is traditionally used for skin diseases and tonsillitis. Herein, we report the isolation and characterization of sixteen secondary metabolites from the aerial part extracts. They include a sterol (1), megastigman type nor-isoprenoids (2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10), C-11 terpene lactones (5 and 9), and a monoterpene (7) from the chloroform extract (HB-C); monoterpene glucoside (14), and phenolic compounds (11-13, 15, 16) from the methanol one (HB-M). Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods including 1D and 2D NMR experiments, and ESIMS analysis. HB-M showed a significant and concentration dependent scavenging activity in vitro against the radicals DPPH and ABTS, related to the phenol derivatives (11-13, and 15-16), and HB-C inhibited the growth of colon cancer cell lines, mainly for the presence of the antiproliferative C-11 terpene lactones (5 and 9).

Somatic mutations in the transcriptional corepressor gene BCORL1 in adult acute myelogenous leukemia

PubMed Central

Li, Meng; Collins, Roxane; Jiao, Yuchen; Ouillette, Peter; Bixby, Dale; Erba, Harry; Vogelstein, Bert; Kinzler, Kenneth W.

2011-01-01

To further our understanding of the genetic basis of acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), we determined the coding exon sequences of ∼ 18 000 protein-encoding genes in 8 patients with secondary AML. Here we report the discovery of novel somatic mutations in the transcriptional corepressor gene BCORL1 that is located on the X-chromosome. Analysis of BCORL1 in an unselected cohort of 173 AML patients identified a total of 10 mutated cases (6%) with BCORL1 mutations, whereas analysis of 19 AML cell lines uncovered 4 (21%) BCORL1 mutated cell lines. The majority (87%) of the mutations in BCORL1 were predicted to inactivate the gene product as a result of nonsense mutations, splice site mutation, or out-of-frame insertions or deletions. These results indicate that BCORL1 by genetic criteria is a novel candidate tumor suppressor gene, joining the growing list of genes recurrently mutated in AML. PMID:21989985

Mistletoe lectin is not the only cytotoxic component in fermented preparations of Viscum album from white fir (Abies pectinata)

PubMed Central

Eggenschwiler, Jenny; von Balthazar, Leopold; Stritt, Bianca; Pruntsch, Doreen; Ramos, Mac; Urech, Konrad; Rist, Lukas; Simões-Wüst, A Paula; Viviani, Angelika

2007-01-01

Background Preparations of mistletoe (Viscum album) are the form of cancer treatment that is most frequently used in the complementary medicine. Previous work has shown that these preparations are able to exert cytotoxic effects on carcinoma cells, the extent of which might be influenced by the host tree species and by the content of mistletoe lectin. Methods Using colorimetric assays, we have now compared the cytotoxic effects of Viscum album preparations (VAPs) obtained from mistletoe growing on oak (Quercus robur and Q. petraea, VAP-Qu), apple tree (Malus domestica,, VAP-M), pine (Pinus sylvestris, VAP-P) or white fir (Abies pectinata, VAP-A), on the in vitro growth of breast and bladder carcinoma cell lines. While MFM-223, KPL-1, MCF-7 and HCC-1937 were the breast carcinoma cell lines chosen, the panel of tested bladder carcinoma cells comprised the T-24, TCC-SUP, UM-UC-3 and J-82 cell lines. Results Each of the VAPs inhibited cell growth, but the extent of this inhibition differed with the preparation and with the cell line. The concentrations of VAP-Qu, VAP-M and VAP-A which led to a 50 % reduction of cell growth (IC50) varied between 0.6 and 0.03 mg/ml. Higher concentrations of VAP-P were required to obtain a comparable effect. Purified mistletoe lectin I (MLI) led to an inhibition of breast carcinoma cell growth at concentrations lower than those of VAPs, but the sensitivity towards purified MLI did not parallel that towards VAPs. Bladder carcinoma cells were in most cases more sensitive to VAPs treatment than breast carcinoma cells. The total mistletoe lectin content was very high in VAP-Qu (54 ng/mg extract), intermediate in VAP-M (25 ng/mg extract), and very low in VAP-P (1.3 ng/mg extract) and in VAP-A (1 ng/mg extract). As to be expected from the low content of mistletoe lectin, VAP-P led to relatively weak cytotoxic effects. Most remarkably, however, the lectin-poor VAP-A revealed a cytotoxic effect comparable to, or even stronger than, that of the lectin-rich VAP-Qu, on all tested bladder and breast carcinoma cell lines. Conclusion The results suggest the existence of cytotoxic components other than mistletoe lectin in VAP-A and reveal an unexpected potential of this preparation for the treatment of breast and bladder cancer. PMID:17493268

Role of Bruton’s tyrosine kinase in myeloma cell migration and induction of bone disease

PubMed Central

Bam, Rakesh; Ling, Wen; Khan, Sharmin; Pennisi, Angela; Venkateshaiah, Sathisha Upparahalli; Li, Xin; van Rhee, Frits; Usmani, Saad; Barlogie, Bart; Shaughnessy, John; Epstein, Joshua; Yaccoby, Shmuel

2014-01-01

Myeloma cells typically grow in bone, recruit osteoclast precursors and induce their differentiation and activity in areas adjacent to tumor foci. Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK), of the TEC family, is expressed in hematopoietic cells and is particularly involved in B-lymphocyte function and osteoclastogenesis. We demonstrated BTK expression in clinical myeloma plasma cells, interleukin (IL) –6– or stroma–dependent cell lines and osteoclasts. SDF-1 induced BTK activation in myeloma cells and BTK inhibition by small hairpin RNA or the small molecule inhibitor, LFM-A13, reduced their migration toward stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1). Pretreatment with LFM-A13 also reduced in vivo homing of myeloma cells to bone using bioluminescence imaging in the SCID-rab model. Enforced expression of BTK in myeloma cell line enhanced cell migration toward SDF-1 but had no effect on short-term growth. BTK expression was correlated with cell-surface CXCR4 expression in myeloma cells (n = 33, r = 0.81, P < 0.0001), and BTK gene and protein expression was more profound in cell-surface CXCR4-expressing myeloma cells. BTK was not upregulated by IL-6 while its inhibition had no effect on IL-6 signaling in myeloma cells. Human osteoclast precursors also expressed BTK and cell-surface CXCR4 and migrated toward SDF-1. LFM-A13 suppressed migration and differentiation of osteoclast precursors as well as bone-resorbing activity of mature osteoclasts. In primary myeloma-bearing SCID-rab mice, LFM-A13 inhibited osteoclast activity, prevented myeloma-induced bone resorption and moderately suppressed myeloma growth. These data demonstrate BTK and cell-surface CXCR4 association in myeloma cells and that BTK plays a role in myeloma cell homing to bone and myeloma-induced bone disease. PMID:23456977

Statolith positioning by microfilaments in Chara rhizoids and protonemata

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hodick, Dieter; Buchen, Brigitte; Sievers, Andreas

The rhizoids of the green alga Chara are tip-growing cells with a precise positive gravitropism. In rhizoids growing downwards the statoliths never sediment upon the cell wall at the very tip but keep a minimal distance of approximately 10 μm from the cell vertex. It has been argued that this position is attained by a force acting upon the statoliths in the basal direction and that this force is generated by an interaction between actin microfilaments and myosin on the statolith membrane. This hypothesis received experimental support from (1) effects of the actin-attacking drug cytochalasin, (2) experiments under microgravity conditions, and (3) clinostat experiments. Using video-microscopy it is now shown that this basipetal force also acts on statoliths during sedimentation. As a result, many statoliths in Chara rhizoids do not simply fall along the plumb line while sedimenting during gravistimulation, but move basipetally. This statolith movement is compared to the ones occurring in the unicellular Chara protonemata during gravistimulation. Dark-grown protonemata morphologically closely resemble the rhizoids but respond negatively gravitropic. In contrast to the rhizoids a gravistimulation of the protonemata induces a transport of statoliths towards the tip. This transport is mainly along the cell axis and not parallel to the gravity vector. It is stressed that the sedimentation of statoliths in Chara rhizoids and protonemata as well as in gravity sensing cells in mosses and higher plants is accompanied by statolith movements based on interactions with the cytoskeleton. In tip-growing cells these movements direct the statoliths to a definite region of the cell where they can sediment and elicit a gravitropic curvature. In the statocytes of higher plants the interactions of the statoliths with the cytoskeleton probably do not serve primarily to move the statoliths but to transduce mechanical stresses from the sedimenting statoliths to the plasma membrane.

Statolith positioning by microfilaments in Chara rhizoids and protonemata.

PubMed

Hodick, D; Buchen, B; Sievers, A

1998-01-01

The rhizoids of the green alga Chara are tip-growing cells with a precise positive gravitropism. In rhizoids growing downwards the statoliths never sediment upon the cell wall at the very tip but keep a minimal distance of approximately 10 micrometers from the cell vertex. It has been argued that this position is attained by a force acting upon the statoliths in the basal direction and that this force is generated by an interaction between actin microfilaments and myosin on the statolith membrane. This hypothesis received experimental support from (1) effects of the actin-attacking drug cytochalasin, (2) experiments under microgravity conditions, and (3) clinostat experiments. Using video-microscopy it is now shown that this basipetal force also acts on statoliths during sedimentation. As a result, many statoliths in Chara rhizoids do not simply fall along the plumb line while sedimenting during gravistimulation, but move basipetally. This statolith movement is compared to the ones occurring in the unicellular Chara protonemata during gravistimulation. Dark-grown protonemata morphologically closely resemble the rhizoids but respond negatively gravitropic. In contrast to the rhizoids a gravistimulation of the protonemata induces a transport of statoliths towards the tip. This transport is mainly along the cell axis and not parallel to the gravity vector. It is stressed that the sedimentation of statoliths in Chara rhizoids and protonemata as well as in gravity sensing cells in mosses and higher plants is accompanied by statolith movements based on interactions with the cytoskeleton. In tip-growing cells these movements direct the statoliths to a definite region of the cell where they can sediment and elicit a gravitropic curvature. In the statocytes of higher plants the interactions of the statoliths with the cytoskeleton probably do not serve primarily to move the statoliths but to transduce mechanical stresses from the sedimenting statoliths to the plasma membrane.

Reversible inhibition of lysine specific demethylase 1 is a novel anti-tumor strategy for poorly differentiated endometrial carcinoma.

PubMed

Theisen, Emily R; Gajiwala, Snehal; Bearss, Jared; Sorna, Venkataswamy; Sharma, Sunil; Janat-Amsbury, Margit

2014-10-09

Endometrial cancer is the most common gynecologic malignancy. Type II endometrial carcinoma is often poorly differentiated and patients diagnosed with Type II disease (~11%) are disproportionately represented in annual endometrial cancer deaths (48%). Recent genomic studies highlight mutations in chromatin regulators as drivers in Type II endometrial carcinoma tumorigenesis, suggesting the use of epigenetic targeted therapies could provide clinical benefit to these patients. We investigated the anti-tumor efficacy of the LSD1 inhibitor HCI2509 in two poorly differentiated Type II endometrial cancer cell lines AN3CA and KLE. The effects of HCI2509 on viability, proliferation, anchorage-independent growth, global histone methylation, LSD1 target gene induction, cell cycle, caspase activation and TUNEL were assayed. KLE cells were used in an orthotopic xenograft model to assess the anti-tumor activity of HCI2509. Both AN3CA and KLE cells were sensitive to HCI2509 treatment with IC50s near 500 nM for cell viability. Inhibition of LSD1 with HCI2509 caused decreased proliferation and anchorage independent growth in soft agar, elevated global histone methylation, and perturbed the cell cycle in both cell lines. These effects were largely dose-dependent. HCI2509 treatment also caused apoptotic cell death. Orthotopic implantation of KLE cells resulted in slow-growing and diffuse tumors throughout the abdomen. Tumor burden was distributed log-normally. Treatment with HCI2509 resulted 5/9 tumor regressions such that treatment and regressions were significantly associated (p=0.034). Our findings demonstrate the anti-cancer properties of the LSD1 inhibitor HCI2509 on poorly differentiated endometrial carcinoma cell lines, AN3CA and KLE. HCI2509 showed single-agent efficacy in orthotopic xenograft studies. Continued studies are needed to preclinically validate LSD1 inhibition as a therapeutic strategy for endometrial carcinoma.

Pan-Genotype Hepatitis E Virus Replication in Stem Cell-Derived Hepatocellular Systems.

PubMed

Wu, Xianfang; Dao Thi, Viet Loan; Liu, Peng; Takacs, Constantin N; Xiang, Kuanhui; Andrus, Linda; Gouttenoire, Jérôme; Moradpour, Darius; Rice, Charles M

2018-02-01

The 4 genotypes of hepatitis E virus (HEV) that infect humans (genotypes 1-4) vary in geographical distribution, transmission, and pathogenesis. Little is known about the properties of HEV or its hosts that contribute to these variations. Primary isolates grow poorly in cell culture; most studies have relied on variants adapted to cancer cell lines, which likely alter virus biology. We investigated the infection and replication of primary isolates of HEV in hepatocyte-like cells (HLCs) derived from human embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells. Using a cell culture-adapted genotype 3 strain and primary isolates of genotypes 1 to 4, we compared viral replication kinetics, sensitivity to drugs, and ability of HEV to activate the innate immune response. We studied HLCs using quantitative reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and immunofluorescence assay and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. We used an embryonic stem cell line that can be induced to express the CRISPR-Cas9 machinery to disrupt the peptidylprolyl isomerase A gene, encoding cyclophilin A (CYPA), a protein reported to inhibit replication of cell culture-adapted HEV. We further modified this line to rescue expression of CYPA before terminal differentiation to HLCs and performed HEV infection studies. HLCs were permissive for infection by nonadapted, primary isolates of HEV genotypes 1 to 4. HEV infection of HLCs induced a replication-dependent type III interferon response. Replication of primary HEV isolates, unlike the cell culture-adapted strain, was not affected by disruption of the peptidylprolyl isomerase A gene or exposure to the CYPA inhibitor cyclosporine A. Cell culture adaptations alter the replicative capacities of HEV. HLCs offer an improved, physiologically relevant, and genetically tractable system for studying the replication of primary HEV isolates. HLCs could provide a model to aid development of HEV drugs and a system to guide personalized regimens, especially for patients with chronic hepatitis E who have developed resistance to ribavirin. Copyright © 2018 AGA Institute. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Synchronized mammalian cell culture: part I--a physical strategy for synchronized cultivation under physiological conditions.

PubMed

Barradas, Oscar Platas; Jandt, Uwe; Becker, Max; Bahnemann, Janina; Pörtner, Ralf; Zeng, An-Ping

2015-01-01

Conventional analysis and optimization procedures of mammalian cell culture processes mostly treat the culture as a homogeneous population. Hence, the focus is on cell physiology and metabolism, cell line development, and process control strategy. Impact on cultivations caused by potential variations in cellular properties between different subpopulations, however, has not yet been evaluated systematically. One main cause for the formation of such subpopulations is the progress of all cells through the cell cycle. The interaction of potential cell cycle specific variations in the cell behavior with large-scale process conditions can be optimally determined by means of (partially) synchronized cultivations, with subsequent population resolved model analysis. Therefore, it is desirable to synchronize a culture with minimal perturbation, which is possible with different yield and quality using physical selection methods, but not with frequently used chemical or whole-culture methods. Conventional nonsynchronizing methods with subsequent cell-specific, for example, flow cytometric analysis, can only resolve cell-limited effects of the cell cycle. In this work, we demonstrate countercurrent-flow centrifugal elutriation as a useful physical method to enrich mammalian cell populations within different phases of a cell cycle, which can be further cultivated for synchronized growth in bioreactors under physiological conditions. The presented combined approach contrasts with other physical selection methods especially with respect to the achievable yield, which makes it suitable for bioreactor scale cultivations. As shown with two industrial cell lines (CHO-K1 and human AGE1.HN), synchronous inocula can be obtained with overall synchrony degrees of up to 82% in the G1 phase, 53% in the S phase and 60% in the G2/M phase, with enrichment factors (Ysync) of 1.71, 1.79, and 4.24 respectively. Cells are able to grow with synchrony in bioreactors over several cell cycles. This strategy, combined with population-resolved model analysis and parameter extraction as described in the accompanying paper, offers new possibilities for studies of cell lines and processes at levels of cell cycle and population under physiological conditions. © 2014 American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

Remodeling of the fibroblast cytoskeletal architecture during the replication cycle of Ectromelia virus: A morphological in vitro study in a murine cell line.

PubMed

Szulc-Dabrowska, Lidia; Gregorczyk, Karolina P; Struzik, Justyna; Boratynska-Jasinska, Anna; Szczepanowska, Joanna; Wyzewski, Zbigniew; Toka, Felix N; Gierynska, Malgorzata; Ostrowska, Agnieszka; Niemialtowski, Marek G

2016-08-01

Ectromelia virus (ECTV, the causative agent of mousepox), which represents the same genus as variola virus (VARV, the agent responsible for smallpox in humans), has served for years as a model virus for studying mechanisms of poxvirus-induced disease. Despite increasing knowledge on the interaction between ECTV and its natural host-the mouse-surprisingly, still little is known about the cell biology of ECTV infection. Because pathogen interaction with the cytoskeleton is still a growing area of research in the virus-host cell interplay, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the consequences of ECTV infection on the cytoskeleton in a murine fibroblast cell line. The viral effect on the cytoskeleton was reflected by changes in migration of the cells and rearrangement of the architecture of tubulin, vimentin, and actin filaments. The virus-induced cytoskeletal rearrangements observed in these studies contributed to the efficient cell-to-cell spread of infection, which is an important feature of ECTV virulence. Additionally, during later stages of infection L929 cells produced two main types of actin-based cellular protrusions: short (actin tails and "dendrites") and long (cytoplasmic corridors). Due to diversity of filopodial extensions induced by the virus, we suggest that ECTV represents a valuable new model for studying processes and pathways that regulate the formation of cytoskeleton-based cellular structures. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A Method for the Immortalization of Newborn Mouse Skin Keratinocytes

PubMed Central

Hammiller, Brianna O.; El-Abaseri, Taghrid Bahig; Dlugosz, Andrzej A.; Hansen, Laura A.

2015-01-01

Isolation and culture of mouse primary epidermal keratinocytes is a common technique that allows for easy genetic and environmental manipulation. However, due to their limited lifespan in culture, experiments utilizing primary keratinocytes require large numbers of animals, and are time consuming and expensive. To avoid these issues, we developed a method for the immortalization of primary mouse epidermal keratinocytes. Upon isolation of newborn epidermal keratinocytes according to established methods, the cells were cultured long-term in keratinocyte growth factor-containing medium. The cells senesced within a few weeks and eventually, small, slowly growing colonies emerged. After they regained confluency, the cells were passaged and slowly refilled the dish. With several rounds of subculture, the cells adapted to culture conditions, were easily subcultured, maintained normal morphology, and were apparently immortal. The immortalized cells retained the ability to differentiate with increased calcium concentrations, and were maintained to high passage numbers while maintaining a relatively stable karyotype. Analysis of multiple immortalized cell lines as well as primary keratinocyte cultures revealed increased numbers of chromosomes, especially in the primary keratinocytes, and chromosomal aberrations in most of the immortalized cultures and in the primary keratinocytes. Orthotopic grafting of immortalized keratinocytes together with fibroblasts onto nude mouse hosts produced skin while v-rasHa infection of the immortalized keratinocytes prior to grafting produced squamous cell carcinoma. In summary, this method of cell line generation allows for decreased use of animals, reduces the expense and time involved in research, and provides a useful model for cutaneous keratinocyte experimentation. PMID:26284198

Saudi anti-human cancer plants database (SACPD): A collection of plants with anti-human cancer activities

PubMed Central

Al-Zahrani, Ateeq Ahmed

2018-01-01

Several anticancer drugs have been developed from natural products such as plants. Successful experiments in inhibiting the growth of human cancer cell lines using Saudi plants were published over the last three decades. Up to date, there is no Saudi anticancer plants database as a comprehensive source for the interesting data generated from these experiments. Therefore, there was a need for creating a database to collect, organize, search and retrieve such data. As a result, the current paper describes the generation of the Saudi anti-human cancer plants database (SACPD). The database contains most of the reported information about the naturally growing Saudi anticancer plants. SACPD comprises the scientific and local names of 91 plant species that grow naturally in Saudi Arabia. These species belong to 38 different taxonomic families. In Addition, 18 species that represent16 family of medicinal plants and are intensively sold in the local markets in Saudi Arabia were added to the database. The website provides interesting details, including plant part containing the anticancer bioactive compounds, plants locations and cancer/cell type against which they exhibit their anticancer activity. Our survey revealed that breast, liver and leukemia were the most studied cancer cell lines in Saudi Arabia with percentages of 27%, 19% and 15%, respectively. The current SACPD represents a nucleus around which more development efforts can expand to accommodate all future submissions about new Saudi plant species with anticancer activities. SACPD will provide an excellent starting point for researchers and pharmaceutical companies who are interested in developing new anticancer drugs. SACPD is available online at https://teeqrani1.wixsite.com/sapd PMID:29774137

Saudi anti-human cancer plants database (SACPD): A collection of plants with anti-human cancer activities.

PubMed

Al-Zahrani, Ateeq Ahmed

2018-01-30

Several anticancer drugs have been developed from natural products such as plants. Successful experiments in inhibiting the growth of human cancer cell lines using Saudi plants were published over the last three decades. Up to date, there is no Saudi anticancer plants database as a comprehensive source for the interesting data generated from these experiments. Therefore, there was a need for creating a database to collect, organize, search and retrieve such data. As a result, the current paper describes the generation of the Saudi anti-human cancer plants database (SACPD). The database contains most of the reported information about the naturally growing Saudi anticancer plants. SACPD comprises the scientific and local names of 91 plant species that grow naturally in Saudi Arabia. These species belong to 38 different taxonomic families. In Addition, 18 species that represent16 family of medicinal plants and are intensively sold in the local markets in Saudi Arabia were added to the database. The website provides interesting details, including plant part containing the anticancer bioactive compounds, plants locations and cancer/cell type against which they exhibit their anticancer activity. Our survey revealed that breast, liver and leukemia were the most studied cancer cell lines in Saudi Arabia with percentages of 27%, 19% and 15%, respectively. The current SACPD represents a nucleus around which more development efforts can expand to accommodate all future submissions about new Saudi plant species with anticancer activities. SACPD will provide an excellent starting point for researchers and pharmaceutical companies who are interested in developing new anticancer drugs. SACPD is available online at https://teeqrani1.wixsite.com/sapd.

The ciliary margin zone of the mammalian retina generates retinal ganglion cells

PubMed Central

Marcucci, Florencia; Murcia-Belmonte, Veronica; Coca, Yaiza; Ferreiro-Galve, Susana; Wang, Qing; Kuwajima, Takaaki; Khalid, Sania; Ross, M. Elizabeth; Herrera, Eloisa; Mason, Carol

2016-01-01

Summary The retina of lower vertebrates grows continuously by integrating new neurons generated from progenitors in the ciliary margin zone (CMZ). Whether the mammalian CMZ provides the neural retina with retinal cells is controversial. Live-imaging of embryonic retina expressing eGFP in the CMZ shows that cells migrate laterally from the CMZ to the neural retina where differentiated retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) reside. As Cyclin D2, a cell-cycle regulator, is enriched in ventral CMZ, we analyzed Cyclin D2−/− mice to test whether the CMZ is a source of retinal cells. Neurogenesis is diminished in Cyclin D2 mutants, leading to a reduction of RGCs in the ventral retina. In line with these findings, in the albino retina, the decreased production of ipsilateral RGCs is correlated with fewer Cyclin D2+ cells. Together, these results implicate the mammalian CMZ as a neurogenic site that produces RGCs and whose proper generation depends on Cyclin D2 activity. PMID:28009286

Genetically engineered humanized anti-ganglioside GM2 antibody against multiple organ metastasis produced by GM2-expressing small-cell lung cancer cells.

PubMed

Yamada, Tadaaki; Bando, Hideaki; Takeuchi, Shinji; Kita, Kenji; Li, Qi; Wang, Wei; Akinaga, Shiro; Nishioka, Yasuhiko; Sone, Saburo; Yano, Seiji

2011-12-01

Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) grows rapidly and metastasizes to multiple organs. We examined the antimetastatic effects of the humanized anti-ganglioside GM2 (GM2) antibodies, BIW-8962 and KM8927, compared with the chimeric antibody KM966, in a SCID mouse model of multiple organ metastases induced by GM2-expressing SCLC cells. BIW-8962 and KM8927 induced higher antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity and complement-dependent cytotoxicity than KM966 against the GM2-expressing SCLC cell line SBC-3 in vitro. These humanized antibodies inhibited the production of multiple organ metastases, increased the number of apoptotic cells, and prolonged the survival of the SCID mice. Histological analyses using clinical specimens showed that SCLC cells expressed GM2. These findings suggest that humanized anti-GM2 antibodies could be therapeutically useful for controlling multiple organ metastases of GM2-expressing SCLC. © 2011 Japanese Cancer Association.

The Ciliary Margin Zone of the Mammalian Retina Generates Retinal Ganglion Cells.

PubMed

Marcucci, Florencia; Murcia-Belmonte, Veronica; Wang, Qing; Coca, Yaiza; Ferreiro-Galve, Susana; Kuwajima, Takaaki; Khalid, Sania; Ross, M Elizabeth; Mason, Carol; Herrera, Eloisa

2016-12-20

The retina of lower vertebrates grows continuously by integrating new neurons generated from progenitors in the ciliary margin zone (CMZ). Whether the mammalian CMZ provides the neural retina with retinal cells is controversial. Live imaging of embryonic retina expressing eGFP in the CMZ shows that cells migrate laterally from the CMZ to the neural retina where differentiated retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) reside. Because Cyclin D2, a cell-cycle regulator, is enriched in ventral CMZ, we analyzed Cyclin D2 -/- mice to test whether the CMZ is a source of retinal cells. Neurogenesis is diminished in Cyclin D2 mutants, leading to a reduction of RGCs in the ventral retina. In line with these findings, in the albino retina, the decreased production of ipsilateral RGCs is correlated with fewer Cyclin D2 + cells. Together, these results implicate the mammalian CMZ as a neurogenic site that produces RGCs and whose proper generation depends on Cyclin D2 activity. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Use of Drosophila S2 Cells as a Model for Studying Ehrlichia chaffeensis Infections▿

PubMed Central

Luce-Fedrow, Alison; Von Ohlen, Tonia; Boyle, Daniel; Ganta, Roman R.; Chapes, Stephen K.

2008-01-01

Ehrlichia chaffeensis is an obligate intracellular bacterium and the causative agent of human monocytic ehrlichiosis. Although this pathogen grows in several mammalian cell lines, no general model for eukaryotic cellular requirements for bacteria replication has yet been proposed. We found that Drosophila S2 cells are permissive for the growth of E. chaffeensis. We saw morulae (aggregates of bacteria) by microscopy, detected the E. chaffeensis 16S rRNA gene by reverse transcriptase PCR, and used immunocytochemistry to detect E. chaffeensis in S2 and mammalian cells. Bacteria grown in S2 cells reinfected mammalian macrophages. S2 cells were made nonpermissive for E. chaffeensis through incubation with lipopolysaccharide. Our results demonstrate that S2 cells are an appropriate system for studying the pathogenesis of E. chaffeensis. The use of a Drosophila system has the potential to serve as a model system for studying Ehrlichia due to its completed genome, ease of genetic manipulation, and the availability of mutants. PMID:18245255

Transfection using DEAE-dextran.

PubMed

Gulick, T

2001-05-01

Transfection of cultured mammalian cells using diethylaminoethyl (DEAE)-dextran/DNA can be an attractive alternative to other transfection methods in many circumstances. The major advantages of the technique are its relative simplicity and speed, limited expense, and remarkably reproducible interexperimental and intraexperimental transfection efficiency. Disadvantages include inhibition of cell growth and induction of heterogeneous morphological changes in cells. Furthermore, the concentration of serum in the culture medium must be transiently reduced during the transfection. In general, DEAE-dextran DNA transfection is ideal for transient transfections with promoter/reporter plasmids in analyses of promoter and enhancer functions, and is suitable for overexpression of recombinant protein in transient transfections or for generation of stable cell lines using vectors designed to exist in the cell as episomes. This unit presents a general description of DEAE-dextran transfection, as well as two more specific protocols for typical experimental applications. The basic protocol is suitable for transfection of anchorage-dependent (attached) cells. For cells that grow in suspension, electroporation or lipofection is usually preferred, although DEAE-dextran-mediated transfection can be used.

Transfection using DEAE-dextran.

PubMed

Gulick, Tod

2003-08-01

Transfection of cultured mammalian cells using diethylaminoethyl (DEAE)-dextran/DNA can be an attractive alternative to other transfection methods in many circumstances. The major advantages of the technique are its relative simplicity and speed, limited expense, and remarkably reproducible interexperimental and intraexperimental transfection efficiency. Disadvantages include inhibition of cell growth and induction of heterogeneous morphological changes in cells. Furthermore, the concentration of serum in the culture medium must be transiently reduced during the transfection. In general, DEAE-dextran DNA transfection is ideal for transient transfections with promoter/reporter plasmids in analyses of promoter and enhancer functions, and is suitable for overexpression of recombinant protein in transient transfections or for generation of stable cell lines using vectors designed to exist in the cell as episomes. This unit presents a general description of DEAE-dextran transfection, as well as two more specific protocols for typical experimental applications. The basic protocol is suitable for transfection of anchorage-dependent (attached) cells. For cells that grow in suspension, electroporation or lipofection is usually preferred, although DEAE-dextran-mediated transfection can be used.

Transfection using DEAE-dextran.

PubMed

Gulick, T

2001-05-01

Transfection of cultured mammalian cells using diethylaminoethyl (DEAE)-dextran/DNA can be an attractive alternative to other transfection methods in many circumstances. The major advantages of the technique are its relative simplicity and speed, limited expense, and remarkably reproducible interexperimental and intraexperimental transfection efficiency. Disadvantages include inhibition of cell growth and induction of heterogeneous morphological changes in cells. Furthermore, the concentration of serum in the culture medium must be transiently reduced during the transfection. In general, DEAE-dextran DNA transfection is ideal for transient transfections with promoter/reporter plasmids in analyses of promoter and enhancer functions, and is suitable for overexpression of recombinant protein in transient transfections or for generation of stable cell lines using vectors designed to exist in the cell as episomes. This unit presents a general description of DEAE-dextran transfection, as well as two more specific protocols for typical experimental applications. The Basic Protocol is suitable for transfection of anchorage-dependent (attached) cells. For cells that grow in suspension, electroporation or lipofection is usually preferred, although DEAE-dextran-mediated transfection can be used.

Human cell culture in a space bioreactor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morrison, Dennis R.

1988-01-01

Microgravity offers new ways of handling fluids, gases, and growing mammalian cells in efficient suspension cultures. In 1976 bioreactor engineers designed a system using a cylindrical reactor vessel in which the cells and medium are slowly mixed. The reaction chamber is interchangeable and can be used for several types of cell cultures. NASA has methodically developed unique suspension type cell and recovery apparatus culture systems for bioprocess technology experiments and production of biological products in microgravity. The first Space Bioreactor was designed for microprocessor control, no gaseous headspace, circulation and resupply of culture medium, and slow mixing in very low shear regimes. Various ground based bioreactors are being used to test reactor vessel design, on-line sensors, effects of shear, nutrient supply, and waste removal from continuous culture of human cells attached to microcarriers. The small Bioreactor is being constructed for flight experiments in the Shuttle Middeck to verify systems operation under microgravity conditions and to measure the efficiencies of mass transport, gas transfer, oxygen consumption and control of low shear stress on cells.

The STAT3-Ser/Hes3 signaling axis in cancer.

PubMed

Poser, Steven W; Park, Deric M; Androutsellis-Theotokis, Andreas

2014-01-01

Disrupting the regenerative capacity of tumorigenic cells is a major focus in medicine. These regenerative properties are carried by a subpopulation of cells within the tumor, termed cancer stem cells. Current therapies don't effectively tackle the disease suggesting these cells employ yet unidentified molecular mechanisms allowing them to evade targeting. Recent observations in neural stem cells reveal an extraordinary plasticity in the signaling pathways they utilize to grow. These findings are being extended to the cancer stem cell field, illuminating conceptually novel treatment strategies. Tumorigenic cells can make use of distinct, even opposing pathways, including JAK/STAT and the non-canonical STAT3-Ser/Hes3 signaling axis. This plasticity may not be confined to the cancer stem cell population, but may be shared by various cell types within the tumor, blurring the line distinguishing cancer stem cells from other tumor cell types. The implications to anti-cancer medicine are highly significant, since these findings demonstrate that inhibiting one cell growth pathway may actually enhance the activity of alternative ones. Drug discovery programs will also benefit from these concepts.

Lentiviral Delivery of HIV-1 Vpr Protein Induces Apoptosis in Transformed Cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stewart, Sheila A.; Poon, Betty; Jowett, Jeremy B. M.; Xie, Yiming; Chen, Irvin S. Y.

1999-10-01

Most current anticancer therapies act by inducing tumor cell stasis followed by apoptosis. HIV-1 Vpr effectively induces apoptosis of T cells after arrest of cells at a G2/M checkpoint. Here, we investigated whether this property of Vpr could be exploited for use as a potential anticancer agent. As a potentially safer alternative to transfer of genes encoding Vpr, we developed a method to efficiently introduce Vpr protein directly into cells. Vpr packaged into HIV-1 virions lacking a genome induced efficient cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Introduction of Vpr into tumor cell lines of various tissue origin, including those bearing predisposing mutations in p53, XPA, and hMLH1, induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis with high efficiency. Significantly, apoptosis mediated by virion-associated Vpr was more effective on rapidly dividing cells compared with slow-growing cells, thus, in concept, providing a potential differential effect between some types of tumor cells and surrounding normal cells. This model system provides a rationale and proof of concept for the development of potential cancer therapeutic agents based on the growth-arresting and apoptotic properties of Vpr.

Scalable cell alignment on optical media substrates.

PubMed

Anene-Nzelu, Chukwuemeka G; Choudhury, Deepak; Li, Huipeng; Fraiszudeen, Azmall; Peh, Kah-Yim; Toh, Yi-Chin; Ng, Sum Huan; Leo, Hwa Liang; Yu, Hanry

2013-07-01

Cell alignment by underlying topographical cues has been shown to affect important biological processes such as differentiation and functional maturation in vitro. However, the routine use of cell culture substrates with micro- or nano-topographies, such as grooves, is currently hampered by the high cost and specialized facilities required to produce these substrates. Here we present cost-effective commercially available optical media as substrates for aligning cells in culture. These optical media, including CD-R, DVD-R and optical grating, allow different cell types to attach and grow well on them. The physical dimension of the grooves in these optical media allowed cells to be aligned in confluent cell culture with maximal cell-cell interaction and these cell alignment affect the morphology and differentiation of cardiac (H9C2), skeletal muscle (C2C12) and neuronal (PC12) cell lines. The optical media is amenable to various chemical modifications with fibronectin, laminin and gelatin for culturing different cell types. These low-cost commercially available optical media can serve as scalable substrates for research or drug safety screening applications in industry scales. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cytodifferentiation of hair cells during the development of a basal chordate.

PubMed

Gasparini, Fabio; Caicci, Federico; Rigon, Francesca; Zaniolo, Giovanna; Burighel, Paolo; Manni, Lucia

2013-10-01

Tunicates are unique animals for studying the origin and evolution of vertebrates because they are considered vertebrates' closest living relatives and share the vertebrate body plan and many specific features. Both possess neural placodes, transient thickenings of the cranial ectoderm that give rise to various types of sensory cells, including axonless secondary mechanoreceptors. In vertebrates, these are represented by the hair cells of the inner ear and the lateral line, which have an apical apparatus typically bearing cilia and stereovilli. In tunicates, they are found in the coronal organ, which is a mechanoreceptor located at the base of the oral siphon along the border of the velum and tentacles and is formed of cells bearing a row of cilia and short microvilli. The coronal organ represents the best candidate homolog for the vertebrate lateral line. To further understand the evolution of secondary sensory cells, we analysed the development and cytodifferentiation of coronal cells in the tunicate ascidian Ciona intestinalis for the first time. Here, coronal sensory cells can be identified as early as larval metamorphosis, before tentacles form, as cells with short cilia and microvilli. Sensory cells gradually differentiate, acquiring hair cell features with microvilli containing actin and myosin VIIa; in the meantime, the associated supporting cells develop. The coronal organ grows throughout the animal's lifespan, accompanying the growth of the tentacle crown. Anti-phospho Histone H3 immunostaining indicates that both hair cells and supporting cells can proliferate. This finding contributes to the understanding of the evolution of secondary sensory cells, suggesting that both ancestral cell types were able to proliferate and that this property was progressively restricted to supporting cells in vertebrates and definitively lost in mammals. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effect of atrophy and contractions on myogenin mRNA concentration in chick and rat myoblast omega muscle cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Krebs, J. M.; Denney, R. M.

1997-01-01

The skeletal rat myoblast omega (RMo) cell line forms myotubes that exhibit spontaneous contractions under appropriate conditions in culture. We examined if the RMo cells would provide a model for studying atrophy and muscle contraction. To better understand how to obtain contractile cultures, we examined levels of contraction under different growing conditions. The proliferation medium and density of plating affected the subsequent proportion of spontaneously contracting myotubes. Using a ribonuclease protection assay, we found that exponentially growing RMo myoblasts contained no detectable myogenin or herculin mRNA, while differentiating myoblasts contained high levels of myogenin mRNA but no herculin mRNA. There was no increase in myogenin mRNA concentration in either primary chick or RMo myotubes whose contractions were inhibited by depolarizing concentrations of potassium (K+). Thus, altered myogenin mRNA concentrations are not involved in atrophy of chick myotubes. Depolarizing concentrations of potassium inhibited spontaneous contractions in both RMo cultures and primary chick myotube cultures. However, we found that the myosin concentration of 6-d-old contracting RMo cells fed medium plus AraC was 11 +/- 3 micrograms myosin/microgram DNA, not significantly different from 12 +/- 4 micrograms myosin/microgram DNA (n = 3), the myosin concentration of noncontracting RMo cells (treated with 12 mM K+ for 6 d). Resolving how RMo cells maintained their myosin content when contraction is inhibited may be important for understanding atrophy.

Effects of RF-EMF Exposure from GSM Mobile Phones on Proliferation Rate of Human Adipose-derived Stem Cells: An In-vitro Study

PubMed Central

Shahbazi-Gahrouei, D.; Hashemi-Beni, B.; Ahmadi, Z.

2016-01-01

Background: As the use of mobile phones is increasing, public concern about the harmful effects of radiation emitted by these devices is also growing. In addition, protection questions and biological effects are among growing concerns which have remained largely unanswered. Stem cells are useful models to assess the effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) on other cell lines. Stem cells are undifferentiated biological cells that can differentiate into specialized cells. Adipose tissue represents an abundant and accessible source of adult stem cells. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of GSM 900 MHz on growth and proliferation of mesenchymal stem cells derived from adipose tissue within the specific distance and intensity. Materials and Methods: ADSCs were exposed to GSM mobile phones 900 MHz with intensity of 354.6 µW/cm2 square waves (217 Hz pulse frequency, 50% duty cycle), during different exposure times ranging from 6 to 21 min/day for 5 days at 20 cm distance from the antenna. MTT assay was used to determine the growth and metabolism of cells and trypan blue test was also done for cell viability. Statistical analyses were carried out using analysis of one way ANOVA. P<0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. Results: The proliferation rates of human ADSCs in all exposure groups were significantly lower than control groups (P<0.05) except in the group of 6 minutes/day which did not show any significant difference with control groups. Conclusion: The results show that 900 MHz RF signal radiation from antenna can reduce cell viability and proliferation rates of human ADSCs regarding the duration of exposure. PMID:28144594

Complex interactions in EML cell stimulation by stem cell factor and IL-3.

PubMed

Ye, Zhi-jia; Gulcicek, Erol; Stone, Kathryn; Lam, Tukiet; Schulz, Vincent; Weissman, Sherman M

2011-03-22

Erythroid myeloid lymphoid (EML) cells are an established multipotent hematopoietic precursor cell line that can be maintained in medium including stem cell factor (SCF). EML cultures contain a heterogeneous mixture of cells, including a lineage-negative, CD34+ subset of cells that propagate rapidly in SCF and can clonally regenerate the mixed population. A second major subset of EML cells consists of lineage-negative. CD34- cells that can be propagated in IL-3 but grow slowly, if at all, in SCF, although they express the SCF receptor (c-kit). The response of these cells to IL-3 is stimulated synergistically by SCF, and we present evidence that both the synergy and the inhibition of c-kit responses may be mediated by direct interaction with IL-3 receptor. Further, the relative level of tyrosine phosphorylation of various substrates by either cytokine alone differs from that produced by the combination of the two cytokines, suggesting that cell signaling by the combination of the two cytokines differs from that produced by either alone.

Complex interactions in EML cell stimulation by stem cell factor and IL-3

PubMed Central

Ye, Zhi-jia; Gulcicek, Erol; Stone, Kathryn; Lam, Tukiet; Schulz, Vincent; Weissman, Sherman M.

2011-01-01

Erythroid myeloid lymphoid (EML) cells are an established multipotent hematopoietic precursor cell line that can be maintained in medium including stem cell factor (SCF). EML cultures contain a heterogeneous mixture of cells, including a lineage-negative, CD34+ subset of cells that propagate rapidly in SCF and can clonally regenerate the mixed population. A second major subset of EML cells consists of lineage-negative. CD34− cells that can be propagated in IL-3 but grow slowly, if at all, in SCF, although they express the SCF receptor (c-kit). The response of these cells to IL-3 is stimulated synergistically by SCF, and we present evidence that both the synergy and the inhibition of c-kit responses may be mediated by direct interaction with IL-3 receptor. Further, the relative level of tyrosine phosphorylation of various substrates by either cytokine alone differs from that produced by the combination of the two cytokines, suggesting that cell signaling by the combination of the two cytokines differs from that produced by either alone. PMID:21383156

A xenograft model reveals that PU.1 functions as a tumor suppressor for multiple myeloma in vivo

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nishimura, Nao; Endo, Shinya; Ueno, Shikiko

We previously demonstrated that PU.1 expression is down-regulated in the majority of myeloma cell lines and primary myeloma cells from patients. We introduced the tet-off system into the human myeloma cell lines U266 and KMS12PE that conditionally express PU.1 and demonstrated that PU.1 induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in myeloma cells in vitro. Here, we established a mouse xenograft model of myeloma using these cell lines to analyze the effects of PU.1 on the phenotype of myeloma cells in vivo. When doxycycline was added to the drinking water of mice engrafted with these myeloma cells, all mice had continuous growth ofmore » subcutaneous tumors and could not survived more than 65 days. In contrast, mice that were not exposed to doxycycline did not develop subcutaneous tumors and survived for at least 100 days. We next generated mice engrafted with subcutaneous tumors 5–10 mm in diameter that were induced by exposure to doxycycline. Half of the mice stopped taking doxycycline-containing water, whereas the other half kept taking the water. Although the tumors in the mice taking doxycycline continued to grow, tumor growth in the mice not taking doxycycline was significantly suppressed. The myeloma cells in the tumors of the mice not taking doxycycline expressed PU.1 and TRAIL and many of such cells were apoptotic. Moreover, the expression of a cell proliferation marker Ki67 was significantly decreased in tumors from the mice not taking doxycycline, compared with that of tumors from the mice continuously taking doxycycline. The present data strongly suggest that PU.1 functions as a tumor suppressor of myeloma cells in vivo. - Highlights: • PU.1 suppresses xenograft myeloma cell growth and prolongs survival periods of mice. • PU.1 induces TRAIL expression and apoptosis in myeloma cells in vivo. • PU.1 suppresses Ki67 expression in myeloma cells in vivo. • Up-regulation of PU.1 is a promising strategy for generating anti-myeloma agents.« less

Conditionally immortal ovarian cell lines for investigating the influence of ovarian stroma on the estrogen sensitivity and tumorigenicity of ovarian surface epithelial cells.

PubMed

Jiang, Feng; Saunders, Beatriz O; Haller, Edward; Livingston, Sandra; Nicosia, Santo V; Bai, Wenlong

2003-01-01

The tendency of the ovarian surface epithelium (OSE) to undergo metaplastic and morphogenetic changes during the life cycle, at variance with the adjacent peritoneal mesothelial cells, suggests that its biology may be regulated by underlying ovarian stromal cues. However, little is known about the role that the ovarian stroma plays in the pathobiology of the OSE, largely because of the lack of a suitable in vitro model. Here, we describe the establishment and characterization of conditionally immortalized ovarian stromal and surface epithelial cell lines from H-2K(b)-tsA58 transgenic mice that carry the thermolabile mutant of SV-40 large T antigen under the control of an interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma)-inducible promoter. These cells express functional T antigens, grow continuously under permissive conditions at 33 degrees C in the presence of IFN-gamma, and stop dividing when the activity and expression of the tumor antigen is suppressed by restrictive conditions without IFN-gamma at 39 degrees C. Morphological, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural analyses show that conditionally immortal OSE cells form cobblestone-like monolayers, express cytokeratin and vimentin, contain several microvilli, and develop tight junctions, whereas stromal cells are spindle-like, express vimentin but not cytokeratin, and contain rare microvilli, thus exhibiting epithelial and stromal phenotypes, respectively. At variance with the reported behavior of rat epithelial cells, conditionally immortal mouse epithelial cells are not spontaneously transformed after continuous culture in vitro. More importantly, conditioned media from stromal cells cultured under permissive conditions increase the specific activity of the endogenous estrogen receptor in BG-1 human ovarian epithelial cancer cells and promote these cells' anchorage-independent growth, suggesting the paracrine influence of a stromal factor. In addition, stromal cells cultured under restrictive conditions retain this growth-stimulatory activity, which, therefore, appears to be independent of T antigen expression. These established cell lines should provide a useful in vitro model system for studying the role of cellular interactions in OSE cell growth and tumorigenesis.

Space shuttle flight (STS-45) of L8 myoblast cells results in the isolation of a nonfusing cell line variant.

PubMed

Kulesh, D A; Anderson, L H; Wilson, B; Otis, E J; Elgin, D M; Barker, M J; Mehm, W J; Kearney, G P

1994-08-01

Myoblast cell cultures have been widely employed in conventional (1g) studies of biological processes because characteristics of intact muscle can be readily observed in these cultured cells. We decided to investigate the effects of spaceflight on muscle by utilizing a well characterized myoblast cell line (L8 rat myoblasts) as cultured in the recently designed Space Tissue Loss Flight Module "A" (STL-A). The STL-A is a "state of the art," compact, fully contained, automated cell culture apparatus which replaces a single mid-deck locker on the Space Shuttle. The L8 cells were successfully flown in the STL-A on the Space Shuttle STS-45 mission. Upon return to earth, reculturing of these spaceflown L8 cells (L8SF) resulted in their unexpected failure to fuse and differentiate into myotubes. This inability of the L8SF cells to fuse was found to be a permanent phenotypic alteration. Scanning electron microscopic examination of L8SF cells growing at 1g on fibronectin-coated polypropylene fibers exhibited a strikingly different morphology as compared to control cells. In addition to their failure to fuse into myotubes, L8SF cells also piled up on top of each other. When assayed in fusion-promoting soft agar, L8SF cells gave rise to substantially more and larger colonies than did either preflight (L8AT) or ground control (L8GC) cells. All data to this point indicate that flying L8 rat myoblasts on the Space Shuttle for a duration of 7-10 d at subconfluent densities results in several permanent phenotypic alterations in these cells.

Tumour response endpoints in the BA1112 rat sarcoma.

PubMed Central

Martin, D. F.; Moulder, J. E.; Fischer, J. J.

1980-01-01

The rat rhabdomyosarcoma BA1112 has a number of features which make it a useful model for the study of tumour response to radiation therapy. It is a transplantable tumour, isologous to an inbred line of WAG/Rij rats and it elicits no demonstrable host immune response. The tumour grows locally at the implantation site and rarely metastasizes. It is known to contain hypoxic cells which reoxygenate during a prolonged course of fractionated radiation therapy. The growth and radiation response characteristics of the tumour have remained stable for over 15 years. A newly developed in vitro assay for tumour cell clonogenicity greatly facilitates the measurement of radiation dose-response curves and the monitoring of cell response following in vivo treatment. The in vivo response of the tumour to fractionated radiation therapy is analysed in terms of cellular response, reoxygenation and cell proliferation. PMID:6932936

Human Embryonic and Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Research Trends: Complementation and Diversification of the Field

PubMed Central

Kobold, Sabine; Guhr, Anke; Kurtz, Andreas; Löser, Peter

2015-01-01

Summary Research in human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) is rapidly developing and there are expectations that this research may obviate the need to use human embryonic stem cells (hESCs), the ethics of which has been a subject of controversy for more than 15 years. In this study, we investigated approximately 3,400 original research papers that reported an experimental use of these types of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) and were published from 2008 to 2013. We found that research into both cell types was conducted independently and further expanded, accompanied by a growing intersection of both research fields. Moreover, an in-depth analysis of papers that reported the use of both cell types indicates that hESCs are still being used as a “gold standard,” but in a declining proportion of publications. Instead, the expanding research field is diversifying and hESC and hiPSC lines are increasingly being used in more independent research and application areas. PMID:25866160

Tissue engineered tumor models.

PubMed

Ingram, M; Techy, G B; Ward, B R; Imam, S A; Atkinson, R; Ho, H; Taylor, C R

2010-08-01

Many research programs use well-characterized tumor cell lines as tumor models for in vitro studies. Because tumor cells grown as three-dimensional (3-D) structures have been shown to behave more like tumors in vivo than do cells growing in monolayer culture, a growing number of investigators now use tumor cell spheroids as models. Single cell type spheroids, however, do not model the stromal-epithelial interactions that have an important role in controlling tumor growth and development in vivo. We describe here a method for generating, reproducibly, more realistic 3-D tumor models that contain both stromal and malignant epithelial cells with an architecture that closely resembles that of tumor microlesions in vivo. Because they are so tissue-like we refer to them as tumor histoids. They can be generated reproducibly in substantial quantities. The bioreactor developed to generate histoid constructs is described and illustrated. It accommodates disposable culture chambers that have filled volumes of either 10 or 64 ml, each culture yielding on the order of 100 or 600 histoid particles, respectively. Each particle is a few tenths of a millimeter in diameter. Examples of histological sections of tumor histoids representing cancers of breast, prostate, colon, pancreas and urinary bladder are presented. Potential applications of tumor histoids include, but are not limited to, use as surrogate tumors for pre-screening anti-solid tumor pharmaceutical agents, as reference specimens for immunostaining in the surgical pathology laboratory and use in studies of invasive properties of cells or other aspects of tumor development and progression. Histoids containing nonmalignant cells also may have potential as "seeds" in tissue engineering. For drug testing, histoids probably will have to meet certain criteria of size and tumor cell content. Using a COPAS Plus flow cytometer, histoids containing fluorescent tumor cells were analyzed successfully and sorted using such criteria.

Engineering bone tissue substitutes from human induced pluripotent stem cells.

PubMed

de Peppo, Giuseppe Maria; Marcos-Campos, Iván; Kahler, David John; Alsalman, Dana; Shang, Linshan; Vunjak-Novakovic, Gordana; Marolt, Darja

2013-05-21

Congenital defects, trauma, and disease can compromise the integrity and functionality of the skeletal system to the extent requiring implantation of bone grafts. Engineering of viable bone substitutes that can be personalized to meet specific clinical needs represents a promising therapeutic alternative. The aim of our study was to evaluate the utility of human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) for bone tissue engineering. We first induced three hiPSC lines with different tissue and reprogramming backgrounds into the mesenchymal lineages and used a combination of differentiation assays, surface antigen profiling, and global gene expression analysis to identify the lines exhibiting strong osteogenic differentiation potential. We then engineered functional bone substitutes by culturing hiPSC-derived mesenchymal progenitors on osteoconductive scaffolds in perfusion bioreactors and confirmed their phenotype stability in a subcutaneous implantation model for 12 wk. Molecular analysis confirmed that the maturation of bone substitutes in perfusion bioreactors results in global repression of cell proliferation and an increased expression of lineage-specific genes. These results pave the way for growing patient-specific bone substitutes for reconstructive treatments of the skeletal system and for constructing qualified experimental models of development and disease.

Were the original eubacteria thermophiles?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Achenbach-Richter, L.; Gupta, R.; Stetter, K. O.; Woese, C. R.; Johnson, P. C. (Principal Investigator)

1987-01-01

Thermotoga maritima is one of the more unusual eubacteria: It is highly thermophilic, growing at temperatures higher than any other eubacterium; its cell wall appears to have a unique structure and its lipids a unique composition; and the organism is surrounded by a loose-fitting sheath of unknown function. Its phenotypic uniqueness is matched by its phylogenetic position; Thermotoga maritima represents the deepest known branching in the eubacterial line of descent, as measured by ribosomal RNA sequence comparisons. T. maritima also represents the most slowly evolving of eubacterial lineages. The fact that the two deepest branchings in the eubacterial line of descent (the other, the green non-sulfur bacteria and relatives, i.e. Chloroflexus, Thermomicrobium, etc.) are both basically thermophilic and slowly evolving, strongly suggests that all eubacteria have ultimately arisen from a thermophilic ancestor.

Agronomic performance of new open pollinated experimental lines of broccoli (Brassica oleracea L. var. italica) evaluated under organic farming

PubMed Central

Moehring, Jens; Zikeli, Sabine; Fleck, Michael; Claupein, Wilhelm; Graeff-Hoenninger, Simone

2018-01-01

In order to develop new open pollinating cultivars of broccoli for organic farming, two experiments were conducted during fall 2015 and spring 2016. This study was aimed at comparing the agronomic performance of eleven new open pollinating breeding lines of broccoli to introduce new lines and to test their seasonal suitability for organic farming. Field experiments were carried out at the organic research station Kleinhohenheim of the University of Hohenheim (Stuttgart-Germany). Different agronomic traits total biomass fresh weight, head fresh weight, head diameter, hollow-stem, fresh weight harvest index and marketable yield were assessed together with commercial control cultivars. The data from both experiments were analyzed using a two-stage mixed model approach. In our study, genotype, growing season and their interaction had significant effects on most traits. Plants belonging to the fall growing season had bigger sizes in comparison to spring with significantly (p< 0.0001) higher biomass fresh weight. Some experimental lines had significant lower head fresh weight in spring in comparison to the fall season. The high temperature during the harvest period for the spring season affected the yield negatively through decreasing the firmness of broccoli heads. The low average minimum temperatures during the spring growing season lead to low biomass fresh weight but high fresh weight harvest index. Testing the seasonal suitability of all open pollinating lines showed that the considered fall season was better for broccoli production. However, the change in yield between the fall and the spring growing season was not significant for “Line 701” and “CHE-MIC”. Considering the expression of different agronomic traits, “CHE-GRE-G”, “Calinaro” and “CAN-SPB” performed the best in the fall growing season, and “CHE-GRE-G”, “CHE-GRE-A”, “CHE-BAL-A” and “CHE-MIC” and “Line 701” were best in the spring growing season, specifically due to the highest marketable yield and proportion of marketable heads. PMID:29738530

Ginseng-berry-mediated gold and silver nanoparticle synthesis and evaluation of their in vitro antioxidant, antimicrobial, and cytotoxicity effects on human dermal fibroblast and murine melanoma skin cell lines

PubMed Central

Jiménez Pérez, Zuly Elizabeth; Mathiyalagan, Ramya; Markus, Josua; Kim, Yeon-Ju; Kang, Hyun Mi; Abbai, Ragavendran; Seo, Kwang Hoon; Wang, Dandan; Soshnikova, Veronika; Yang, Deok Chun

2017-01-01

There has been a growing interest in the design of environmentally affable and biocompatible nanoparticles among scientists to find novel and safe biomaterials. Panax ginseng Meyer berries have unique phytochemical profile and exhibit beneficial pharmacological activities such as antihyperglycemic, antiobesity, antiaging, and antioxidant properties. A comprehensive study of the biologically active compounds in ginseng berry extract (GBE) and the ability of ginseng berry (GB) as novel material for the biosynthesis of gold nanoparticles (GBAuNPs) and silver nanoparticles (GBAgNPs) was conducted. In addition, the effects of GBAuNPs and GBAgNPs on skin cell lines for further potential biological applications are highlighted. GBAuNPs and GBAgNPs were synthesized using aqueous GBE as a reducing and capping agent. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized for their size, morphology, and crystallinity. The nanoparticles were evaluated for antioxidant, anti-tyrosinase, antibacterial, and cytotoxicity activities and for morphological changes in human dermal fibroblast and murine melanoma skin cell lines. The phytochemicals contained in GBE effectively reduced and capped gold and silver ions to form GBAuNPs and GBAgNPs. The optimal synthesis conditions (ie, temperature and v/v % of GBE) and kinetics were investigated. Polysaccharides and phenolic compounds present in GBE were suggested to be responsible for stabilization and functionalization of nanoparticles. GBAuNPs and GBAgNPs showed increased scavenging activity against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl free radicals compared to GBE. GBAuNPs and GBAgNPs effectively inhibited mushroom tyrosinase, while GBAgNPs showed antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. In addition, GBAuNPs were nontoxic to human dermal fibroblast and murine melanoma cell lines, and GBAgNPs showed cytotoxic effect on murine melanoma cell lines. The current results evidently suggest that GBAgNPs can act as potential agents for antioxidant, anti-tyrosinase, and antibacterial activities. In addition, GBAuNPs can be further developed into mediators in drug delivery and as antioxidant, anti-tyrosinase, and protective skin agents in cosmetic products. Consequently, the study showed the advantages of using nanotechnology and green chemistry to enhance the natural properties of GBs. PMID:28260881

Supplement Analysis for the Transmission System Vegetation Management Program FEIS (DOE/EIS-0285/SA-15)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

N /A

BPA proposes to clear unwanted vegetation in the rights-of-ways and around tower structures that may impede the operation and maintenance of the subject transmission lines. Work also includes clearing of a small (<1/4 mile) section of access road. All work will be in accordance with the National Electrical Safety Code and BPA standards. See Section 1.1 of the attached checklist for detailed information on each section of the referenced transmission lines. BPA will conduct the vegetation control with the goal of removing tall-growing vegetation that is currently or will soon be a hazard to the transmission lines and where possiblemore » to promote low-growing plant communities in the right-of-way. This project meets the standards and guidelines for the Transmission System Vegetation Management Program Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) and Record of Decision (ROD). The vegetation needing control is mainly Douglas Fir, Alder, and blackberries as indicated in Section 1.2 of the attached checklist. The work involved in the ROW includes: clearing tall growing vegetation that is currently or will soon pose a hazard to the lines; treating the associated stumps and re-sprouts with herbicide to ensure that the roots are killed preventing new sprouts; and selectively eliminating tall growing vegetation before it reaches a height or density to begin competing with low-growing vegetation. All work will take place in existing rights-of-ways and around transmission structures. All work will be accomplished by selective vegetation control methods to assure that there is little potential harm to non-target vegetation and to low-growing plants. The work will provide system reliability and fire protection. Also, all off right-of-way trees that are potentially unstable and will fall within a minimum distance or into the zone where the conductors swing will be removed. Access roads will be treated using mowing and herbicide applications. The work will provide system reliability. The subject transmission lines range from 115kV to 230kV and are made up of accompanying access roads, steel and wooden transmission line structures and associated switching platforms. The minimum clearance ranges from 21 feet for 115kV lines to 23 feet for 230kV lines. ROW easement widths vary along the length of the project. Vegetation control for this project is designed to provide a 3 year maintenance free interval. In summary, the overall vegetation management scheme will be to selectively remove tall growing vegetation then apply selective herbicide treatment using cut stump applications.« less

Detection and isolation of rare cells by 2-step enrichment high-speed flow cytometry/cell sorting and single cell LEAP laser ablation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zordan, M. D.; Leary, James F.

2011-02-01

The clonal isolation of rare cells, especially cancer and stem cells, in a population is important to the development of improved medical treatment. We have demonstrated that the Laser-Enabled Analysis and Processing (LEAP, Cyntellect Inc., San Diego, CA) instrument can be used to efficiently produce single cell clones by photoablative dilution. Additionally, we have also shown that cells present at low frequencies can be cloned by photoablative dilution after they are pre-enriched by flow cytometry based cell sorting. Circulating tumor cells were modeled by spiking isolated peripheral blood cells with cells from the lung carcinoma cell line A549. Flow cytometry based cell sorting was used to perform an enrichment sort of A549 cells directly into a 384 well plate. Photoablative dilution was performed with the LEAPTM instrument to remove any contaminating cells, and clonally isolate 1 side population cell per well. We were able to isolate and grow single clones of side population cells using this method at greater than 90% efficiency. We have developed a 2 step method that is able to perform the clonal isolation of rare cells based on a medically relevant functional phenotype.

Total Phenolic and Flavonoid Contents of Aqueous Extract of Stinging Nettle and In Vitro Antiproliferative Effect on Hela and BT-474 Cell Lines.

PubMed

Fattahi, Sadegh; Zabihi, Ebrahim; Abedian, Zeinab; Pourbagher, Roghayeh; Motevalizadeh Ardekani, Ali; Mostafazadeh, Amrollah; Akhavan-Niaki, Haleh

2014-01-01

Phenolic compounds including flavonoids and phenolic acids are plants secondary metabolites. Due to their ability to act as antioxidant agents, there is a growing interest to use those components in traditional medicine for cancer prevention or treatment. The aim of this study was to measure the amounts of total phenolics and flavonoids as well as anti-proliferative effect of aqueous extract of Stinging nettle on BT-474 and Hela cell lines. The amounts of phenolics content and total flavonoids were determined by folin ciocalteu and aluminium chloride methods, respectively. The free radical scavenging activity was measured by using diphenyl - picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). The reducing power of the extract was measured in the presence of potassium hexacyanoferrate and its antiproliferative activity was assessed on BT-474 and Hela cell lines using MTT assay. Total phenolic content was 322.941± 11.811 mg gallic acid/g extract. Total flavonoid content was 133.916±12.006 mg Catechin/g. The IC50 of DPPH radical was 1.2 mg/ ml and the reducing power was 218.9± 15.582 μg ascorbic acid/ g. Cell viability of BT-474 cells decreased to less than half of the control (no added extract) at the presence of 3 mg/ ml extract while no significant changes were detected for Hela cells at similar conditions. There was no significant difference in the percentage of surviving cells between consecutive days (day 1, 2 and 3) for both BT-474 and Hela cells (P>0.05). Although the relatively high amount of phenolic and flavonoid contents of the aqueous extract make this plant a promising candidate for diseases treatment; however, there is not a direct relationship between the amounts of these antioxidant components and the efficiency in in vitro cancer treatment.

Total Phenolic and Flavonoid Contents of Aqueous Extract of Stinging Nettle and In Vitro Antiproliferative Effect on Hela and BT-474 Cell Lines

PubMed Central

Fattahi, Sadegh; Zabihi, Ebrahim; Abedian, Zeinab; Pourbagher, Roghayeh; Motevalizadeh Ardekani, Ali; Mostafazadeh, Amrollah; Akhavan-Niaki, Haleh

2014-01-01

Phenolic compounds including flavonoids and phenolic acids are plants secondary metabolites. Due to their ability to act as antioxidant agents, there is a growing interest to use those components in traditional medicine for cancer prevention or treatment. The aim of this study was to measure the amounts of total phenolics and flavonoids as well as anti-proliferative effect of aqueous extract of Stinging nettle on BT-474 and Hela cell lines. The amounts of phenolics content and total flavonoids were determined by folin ciocalteu and aluminium chloride methods, respectively. The free radical scavenging activity was measured by using diphenyl - picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). The reducing power of the extract was measured in the presence of potassium hexacyanoferrate and its antiproliferative activity was assessed on BT-474 and Hela cell lines using MTT assay. Total phenolic content was 322.941± 11.811 mg gallic acid/g extract. Total flavonoid content was 133.916±12.006 mg Catechin/g. The IC50 of DPPH radical was 1.2 mg/ ml and the reducing power was 218.9± 15.582 μg ascorbic acid/ g. Cell viability of BT-474 cells decreased to less than half of the control (no added extract) at the presence of 3 mg/ ml extract while no significant changes were detected for Hela cells at similar conditions. There was no significant difference in the percentage of surviving cells between consecutive days (day 1, 2 and 3) for both BT-474 and Hela cells (P>0.05). Although the relatively high amount of phenolic and flavonoid contents of the aqueous extract make this plant a promising candidate for diseases treatment; however, there is not a direct relationship between the amounts of these antioxidant components and the efficiency in in vitro cancer treatment. PMID:25035860

pH-responsive, gluconeogenic renal epithelial LLC-PK1-FBPase+cells: a versatile in vitro model to study renal proximal tubule metabolism and function

PubMed Central

Curthoys, Norman P.

2014-01-01

Ammoniagenesis and gluconeogenesis are prominent metabolic features of the renal proximal convoluted tubule that contribute to maintenance of systemic acid-base homeostasis. Molecular analysis of the mechanisms that mediate the coordinate regulation of the two pathways required development of a cell line that recapitulates these features in vitro. By adapting porcine renal epithelial LLC-PK1 cells to essentially glucose-free medium, a gluconeogenic subline, termed LLC-PK1-FBPase+ cells, was isolated. LLC-PK1-FBPase+ cells grow in the absence of hexoses and pentoses and exhibit enhanced oxidative metabolism and increased levels of phosphate-dependent glutaminase. The cells also express significant levels of the key gluconeogenic enzymes, fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase (FBPase) and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK). Thus the altered phenotype of LLC-PK1-FBPase+ cells is pleiotropic. Most importantly, when transferred to medium that mimics a pronounced metabolic acidosis (9 mM HCO3−, pH 6.9), the LLC-PK1-FBPase+ cells exhibit a gradual increase in NH4+ ion production, accompanied by increases in glutaminase and cytosolic PEPCK mRNA levels and proteins. Therefore, the LLC-PK1-FBPase+ cells retained in culture many of the metabolic pathways and pH-responsive adaptations characteristic of renal proximal tubules. The molecular mechanisms that mediate enhanced expression of the glutaminase and PEPCK in LLC-PK1-FBPase+ cells have been extensively reviewed. The present review describes novel properties of this unique cell line and summarizes the molecular mechanisms that have been defined more recently using LLC-PK1-FBPase+ cells to model the renal proximal tubule. It also identifies future studies that could be performed using these cells. PMID:24808535

Differentiation "in vitro" of primary and immortalized porcine mesenchymal stem cells into cardiomyocytes for cell transplantation.

PubMed

Moscoso, I; Centeno, A; López, E; Rodriguez-Barbosa, J I; Santamarina, I; Filgueira, P; Sánchez, M J; Domínguez-Perles, R; Peñuelas-Rivas, G; Domenech, N

2005-01-01

Cell transplantation to regenerate injured tissues is a promising new treatment for patients suffering several diseases. Bone marrow contains a population of progenitor cells known as mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), which have the capability to colonize different tissues, replicate, and differentiate into multilineage cells. Our goal was the isolation, characterization, and immortalization of porcine MSCs (pMSCs) to study their potential differentiation "in vitro" into cardiomyocytes. pMSCs were obtained from the aspirated bone marrow of Large-White pigs. After 4 weeks in culture, adherent cells were phenotypically characterized by flow cytometry and immunochemistry by using monoclonal antibodies. Primary pMSCs were transfected with the plasmid pRNS-1 to obtain continuous growing cloned cell lines. Fresh pMSCs and immortalized cells were treated with 5-azacytidine to differentiate them into cardiomyocytes. Flow cytometry analysis of isolated pMSCs demonstrated the following phenotype, CD90(pos), CD29(pos), CD44(pos), SLA-I(pos), CD106(pos), CD46(pos) and CD45(neg), CD14(neg), CD31(neg), and CD11b(neg), similar to that described for human MSC. We derived several stable immortalized MSC cell lines. One of these, called pBMC-2, was chosen for further characterization. After "in vitro" stimulation of both primary or immortalized cells with 5-azacytidine, we obtained different percentages (30%-50%) of cells with cardiomyocyte characteristics, namely, positive for alpha-Actin and T-Troponin. Thus, primary or immortalized pMSCs derived from bone marrow and cultured were able to differentiate "ex vivo" into cardiac-like muscle cells. These elements may be potentials tools to improve cardiac function in a swine myocardial infarct model.

Production of Recombinant Adenovirus Containing Human Interlukin-4 Gene

PubMed Central

Mojarrad, Majid; Abdolazimi, Yassan; Hajati, Jamshid; Modarressi, Mohammad Hossein

2011-01-01

Objective(s) Recombinant adenoviruses are currently used for a variety of purposes, including in vitro gene transfer, in vivo vaccination, and gene therapy. Ability to infect many cell types, high efficiency in gene transfer, entering both dividing and non dividing cells, and growing to high titers make this virus a good choice for using in various experiments. In the present experiment, a recombinant adenovirus containing human IL-4 coding sequence was made. IL-4 has several characteristics that made it a good choice for using in cancer gene therapy, controlling inflammatory diseases, and studies on autoimmune diseases. Materials and Methods In brief, IL-4 coding sequence was amplified by and cloned in pAd-Track-CMV. Then, by means of homologous recombination between recombinant pAd-Track-CMV and Adeasy-1 plasmid in bacteria, recombinant adenovirus complete genome was made and IL-4 containing shuttle vector was incorporated into the viral backbone. After linearization, for virus packaging, viral genome was transfected into HEK-293 cell line. Viral production was conveniently followed with the aid of green fluorescent protein. Results Recombinant adenovirus produced here, was capable to infecting cell lines and express interlukin-4 in cell. Conclusion This system can be used as a powerful, easy, and cost benefit tool in various studies on cancer gene therapy and also studies on immunogenetics. PMID:23493491

Expression, Biochemistry, and Stabilization with Camel Antibodies of Membrane Proteins: Case Study of the Mouse 5-HT3 Receptor.

PubMed

Hassaïne, Ghérici; Deluz, Cédric; Grasso, Luigino; Wyss, Romain; Hovius, Ruud; Stahlberg, Henning; Tomizaki, Takashi; Desmyter, Aline; Moreau, Christophe; Peclinovska, Lucie; Minniberger, Sonja; Mebarki, Lamia; Li, Xiao-Dan; Vogel, Horst; Nury, Hugues

2017-01-01

There is growing interest in the use of mammalian protein expression systems, and in the use of antibody-derived chaperones, for structural studies. Here, we describe protocols ranging from the production of recombinant membrane proteins in stable inducible cell lines to biophysical characterization of purified membrane proteins in complex with llama antibody domains. These protocols were used to solve the structure of the mouse 5-HT3 serotonin receptor but are of broad applicability for crystallization or cryo-electron microscopy projects.

The Role of MMP-1 in Breast Cancer Growth and Metastasis to the Brain in a Xenograft Model

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-12-07

growing metastases [32]. Fitzgerald et al. [33] reported high proliferation rates of brain metastases of this cell line, as we also found for metastases of...EP: Brain metastases: the HER2 paradigm. Clin Cancer Res 2007, 13:1648–1655. 3. Palmieri D, Fitzgerald D, Shreeve SM, et al: Analyses of resected...2005, 87:273–286. 9. Murray GI, Duncan ME, O’Neil P, et al: Matrix metalloproteinase-1 is associated with poor prognosis in colorectal cancer. Nat

Genipin-crosslinked microcarriers mediating hepatocellular aggregates formation and functionalities.

PubMed

Lau, Ting Ting; Wang, Chunming; Png, Sze Wei; Su, Kai; Wang, Dong-An

2011-01-01

In engineered regenerative medicine, various types of scaffolds have been customized to pursue the optimal environment for different types of therapeutic cells. In liver therapeutic research, hepatocytes require attachment to solid anchors for survival and proliferation before they could grow into cellular aggregates with enhanced functionalities. Among the various biomaterials scaffolds and vehicles, microspherical cell carriers are suited to these requirements. Individual spheres may provide two-dimensional (2D) cell-affinitive surfaces for cell adhesion and spreading; whereas multiple microcarriers may form three-dimensional (3D) matrices with inter-spherical space for cell expansion and multicellular aggregation. In this study, we culture human liver carcinoma cell line (HepG2) cells on genipin-crosslinked gelatin microspheres of two different sizes. Results suggest that both microcarriers support cell adhesion, proliferation, and spontaneous formation of hepatocellular aggregates, among which the spheres with bigger size (200-300 μm) seem more favorable than the smaller ones in terms of aggregate formation and liver specific functionalities. These findings suggest that the genipin-crosslinked microcarrier is a competent vehicle for liver cell delivery. Copyright © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Vitamin D binding protein-macrophage activating factor (DBP-maf) inhibits angiogenesis and tumor growth in mice.

PubMed

Kisker, Oliver; Onizuka, Shinya; Becker, Christian M; Fannon, Michael; Flynn, Evelyn; D'Amato, Robert; Zetter, Bruce; Folkman, Judah; Ray, Rahul; Swamy, Narasimha; Pirie-Shepherd, Steven

2003-01-01

We have isolated a selectively deglycosylated form of vitamin D binding protein (DBP-maf) generated from systemically available DBP by a human pancreatic cancer cell line. DBP-maf is antiproliferative for endothelial cells and antiangiogenic in the chorioallantoic membrane assay. DBP-maf administered daily was able to potently inhibit the growth of human pancreatic cancer in immune compromised mice (T/C=0.09). At higher doses, DBP-maf caused tumor regression. Histological examination revealed that treated tumors had a higher number of infiltrating macrophages as well as reduced microvessel density, and increased levels of apoptosis relative to untreated tumors. Taken together, these data suggest that DBP-maf is an antiangiogenic molecule that can act directly on endothelium as well as stimulate macrophages to attack both the endothelial and tumor cell compartment of a growing malignancy.

Determination of the intracellular Ca2+ concentration in the N1E-115 neuronal cell line in perspective of its use for peripheric nerve regeneration.

PubMed

Rodrigues, J M; Luís, A L; Lobato, J V; Pinto, M V; Lopes, M A; Freitas, M; Geuna, S; Santos, J D; Maurício, A C

2005-01-01

Entubulation repair of peripheral nerve injuries has a lengthy history. Several experimental and clinical studies have explored the effectiveness of many biodegradable and non-degradable tubes with or without addition of molecules and cells. The main objective of the present study was to develop an economical and also an easy way for culturing a neural cell line which was capable of growing, differentiating and producing locally nerve growth factors that are otherwise extremely expensive, inside 90 PLA/10 PLG nerve guides. For this purpose the authors have chosen the N1E-115 cell line, a clone of cells derived from mouse neuroblastoma C-1300 with the perspective of using this differentiated cellular system to cover the inside of 90 PLA/10 PLG nerve guides placed to bridge a gap in the rat sciatic nerve experimental model. The N1E-115 cells proliferate in normal culture medium but undergo neuronal differentiation in response to DMSO. Upon induction of differentiation, proliferation of N1E-115 cells ceases, extensive neurite outgrowth is observed and the membranes become highly excitable. While it is known that Ca2+ serves as an important intracellular signal for various cellular processes, such as growth and differentiation. It is also known that can be toxic to cells and is involved in the triggering of events leading to excitotoxic cell death in neurons. The [Ca2+]i in non-differentiated N1E-115 cells and after distinct periods of differentiation, have been determined by the epifluorescence technique using the Fura-2-AM probe. The results of this quantitative assessment revealed that N1E-115 cells which undergo neuronal differentiation for 48 hours in the presence of 1.5% DMSO are best qualified to be used to cover the interior of the nerve guides since the [Ca2+]i was not found to be elevated indicating thus that the onset the cell death processes was not occurred.

Brain Tumor’s Radioresistance: The Neighborhood Helps | Center for Cancer Research

Cancer.gov

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and most aggressive form of brain cancer. The primary treatment for GBM is radiation therapy. Unfortunately, while some patients initially respond, the vast majority of GBM patients fail radiotherapy, and the tumor usually grows back within two years. To gain a better understanding of the biological basis for GBM resistance to radiation, researchers initially studied GBM cell lines in vitro. In recent years, the focus has been on so-called tumor stem-like cells (TSCs), which are thought to be responsible for driving and maintaining tumor growth. To the researchers’ surprise, TSCs grown in vitro did not have the same ability to resist radiation as TSCs in the GBM tumors.

Platelets: No longer bystanders in liver disease

PubMed Central

Adams, David H.; Watson, Steve P.; Lalor, Patricia F.

2016-01-01

Growing lines of evidence recognize that platelets play a central role in liver homeostasis and pathobiology. Platelets have important roles at every stage during the continuum of liver injury and healing. These cells contribute to the initiation of liver inflammation by promoting leukocyte recruitment through sinusoidal endothelium. They can activate effector cells, thus amplifying liver damage, and by modifying the hepatic cellular and cytokine milieu drive both hepatoprotective and hepatotoxic processes. Conclusion: In this review we summarize how platelets drive such pleiotropic actions and attempt to reconcile the paradox of platelets being both deleterious and beneficial to liver function; with increasingly novel methods of manipulating platelet function at our disposal, we highlight avenues for future therapeutic intervention in liver disease. (Hepatology 2016;64:1774‐1784) PMID:26934463

The neural stem cell fate determinant TLX promotes tumorigenesis and genesis of cells resembling glioma stem cells.

PubMed

Park, Hyo-Jung; Kim, Jun-Kyum; Jeon, Hye-Min; Oh, Se-Yeong; Kim, Sung-Hak; Nam, Do-Hyun; Kim, Hyunggee

2010-11-01

A growing body of evidence indicates that deregulation of stem cell fate determinants is a hallmark of many types of malignancies. The neural stem cell fate determinant TLX plays a pivotal role in neurogenesis in the adult brain by maintaining neural stem cells. Here, we report a tumorigenic role of TLX in brain tumor initiation and progression. Increased TLX expression was observed in a number of glioma cells and glioma stem cells, and correlated with poor survival of patients with gliomas. Ectopic expression of TLX in the U87MG glioma cell line and Ink4a/Arf-deficient mouse astrocytes (Ink4a/Arf(-/-) astrocytes) induced cell proliferation with a concomitant increase in cyclin D expression, and accelerated foci formation in soft agar and tumor formation in in vivo transplantation assays. Furthermore, overexpression of TLX in Ink4a/Arf(-/-) astrocytes inhibited cell migration and invasion and promoted neurosphere formation and Nestin expression, which are hallmark characteristics of glioma stem cells, under stem cell culture conditions. Our results indicate that TLX is involved in glioma stem cell genesis and represents a potential therapeutic target for this type of malignancy.

Evidence for factors modulating radiation-induced G2-delay: potential application as radioprotectors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cheong, N.; Zeng, Z. C.; Wang, Y.; Iliakis, G.

2001-01-01

Manipulation of checkpoint response to DNA damage can be developed as a means for protecting astronauts from the adverse effects of unexpected, or background exposures to ionizing radiation. To achieve this goal reagents need to be developed that protect cells from radiation injury by prolonging checkpoint response, thus promoting repair. We present evidence for a low molecular weight substance excreted by cells that dramatically increases the duration of the G2-delay. This compound is termed G2-Arrest Modulating Activity (GAMA). A rat cell line (A1-5) generated by transforming rat embryo fibroblasts with a temperature sensitive form of p53 plus H-ras demonstrates a dramatic increase in radiation resistance after exposure to low LET radiation that is not associated with an increase in the efficiency of rejoining of DNA double strand breaks. Radioresistance in this cell line correlates with a dramatic increase in the duration of the G2 arrest that is modulated by a GAMA produced by actively growing cells. The properties of GAMA suggest that it is a low molecular weight heat-stable peptide. Further characterization of this substance and elucidation of its mechanism of action may allow the development of a biological response modifier with potential applications as a radioprotector. GAMA may be useful for protecting astronauts from radiation injury as preliminary evidence suggests that it is able to modulate the response of cells exposed to heavy ion radiation, similar to that encountered in outer space.

Activation of Estrogen Receptor Transfected into a Receptor-Negative Brest Cancer Cell Line Decreases the Metastatic and Invasive Potential of the Cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garcia, Marcel; Derocq, Danielle; Freiss, Gilles; Rochefort, Henri

1992-12-01

Breast cancers containing estrogen receptors are responsive to antiestrogen treatment and have a better prognosis than estrogen receptor-negative tumors. The loss of estrogen and progesterone receptors appears to be associated with a progression to less-differentiated tumors. We transfected the human estrogen receptor into the estrogen receptor-negative metastatic breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 in an attempt to restore their sensitivity to antiestrogens. Two stable sublines of MDA-MB-231 cells (HC1 and HE5) expressing functional estrogen receptors were studied for their ability to grow and invade in vitro and to metastasize in athymic nude mice. The number and size of lung metastases developed by these two sublines in ovariectomized nude mice was not markedly altered by tamoxifen but was inhibited 3-fold by estradiol. Estradiol also significantly inhibited in vitro cell proliferation of these sublines and their invasiveness in Matrigel, a reconstituted basement membrane, whereas the antiestrogens 4-hydroxytamoxifen and ICI 164,384 reversed these effects. These results show that estradiol inhibits the metastatic ability of estrogen receptornegative breast cancer cells following transfection with the estrogen receptor, whereas estrogen receptor-positive breast cancers are stimulated by estrogen, indicating that factors other than the estrogen receptor are involved in progression toward hormone independence. Reactivation or transfer of the estrogen receptor gene can therefore be considered as therapeutic approaches to hormone-independent cancers

A framework to quantify karyotype variation associated with CHO cell line instability at a single-cell level.

PubMed

Baik, Jong Youn; Lee, Kelvin H

2017-05-01

Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, the major mammalian host cells for biomanufacturing of therapeutic proteins, have been extensively investigated to enhance productivity and product quality. However, cell line instability resulting in unexpected changes in productivity or product quality continues to be a challenge. Based on previous reports about causes and characteristics of production instability, we hypothesized that chromosomal rearrangements due to genomic instability are associated with production instability and that these events can be characterized. We developed a production instability model using secreted alkaline phosphatase (SEAP)-expressing CHO cells (CHO-SEAP) as well as a framework to quantify chromosomal rearrangements by karyotyping. In the absence of methotrexate (MTX), CHO-SEAP cells exhibited a slightly increased growth rate, a significantly decreased specific productivity, and changes in the chromosomal rearrangement ratio of seven chromosomes. In contrast, when MTX was re-introduced, the growth rate and SEAP productivity reversed to the initial values, demonstrating the reversibility of production instability in CHO-SEAP cells. Fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis identified that the SEAP genes were incorporated in the chromosomal rearrangement (insertion) part of the der(Z9) chromosome. Karyotype analysis indicated that the insertion ratio of the der(Z9) chromosome decreased in the CHO-SEAP cells grown without MTX, demonstrating a correlation between chromosomal rearrangement and production instability. Our results support a mechanism for production instability, wherein a randomly generated chromosomal rearrangement (or genotype) results in cells with a growth advantage that is also associated with non (or low)-producing traits. As a result, the non-producing cells grow faster and thereby outgrow the producing population. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2017;114: 1045-1053. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

IFT88 influences chondrocyte actin organization and biomechanics.

PubMed

Wang, Z; Wann, A K T; Thompson, C L; Hassen, A; Wang, W; Knight, M M

2016-03-01

Primary cilia are microtubule based organelles which control a variety of signalling pathways important in cartilage development, health and disease. This study examines the role of the intraflagellar transport (IFT) protein, IFT88, in regulating fundamental actin organisation and mechanics in articular chondrocytes. The study used an established chondrocyte cell line with and without hypomorphic mutation of IFT88 (IFT88(orpk)). Confocal microscopy was used to quantify F-actin and myosin IIB organisation. Viscoelastic cell and actin cortex mechanics were determined using micropipette aspiration with actin dynamics visualised in live cells transfected with LifeACT-GFP. IFT88(orpk) cells exhibited a significant increase in acto-myosin stress fibre organisation relative to wild-type (WT) cells in monolayer and an altered response to cytochalasin D. Rounded IFT88(orpk) cells cultured in suspension exhibited reduced cortical actin expression with reduced cellular equilibrium modulus. Micropipette aspiration resulted in reduced membrane bleb formation in IFT88(orpk) cells. Following membrane blebbing, IFT88(orpk) cells exhibited slower reformation of the actin cortex. IFT88(orpk) cells showed increased actin deformability and reduced cortical tension confirming that IFT regulates actin cortex mechanics. The reduced cortical tension is also consistent with the reduced bleb formation. This study demonstrates for the first time that the ciliary protein IFT88 regulates fundamental actin organisation and the stiffness of the actin cortex leading to alterations in cell deformation, mechanical properties and blebbing in an IFT88 chondrocyte cell line. This adds to the growing understanding of the role of primary cilia and IFT in regulating cartilage biology. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Toxicological effects of three types of silver nanoparticles and their salt precursors acting on human U-937 and HL-60 cells.

PubMed

Barbasz, Anna; Oćwieja, Magdalena; Walas, Stanisław

2017-01-01

The growing popularity of nanomaterials requires a systematic study of their effects on the human body. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), due to their antiseptic properties, are used in almost every area of life. The purpose of the study was to examine whether the precursor used for the synthesis of nanoparticles affects their bio-influence and modifies their impact on cells of the human immune system. To compare the effects of precursor silver salts (AgNO 3 , CH 3 COOAg and AgClO 4 ) and corresponding nanoparticles (TAN TAA and TAC) cytotoxicity study was conducted on two cell lines U-937 and HL-60. For both cell lines, silver salts are more toxic than the corresponding nanoparticles. Cell viability after treatment with the two forms of silver (salt/particle) is dependent on silver dose and degree of cells differentiation. Addition of the silver salt of doses greater than 5 mg/L results in decreased cell viability by over 60%, whereas nanoparticles' addition reduces cell viability on average by 30%. On the basis of the determined LD 50 values it can be stated that for the tested cells the most toxic are AgClO 4 and TAC. Production of nitric oxide, which is a mediator of inflammation, is the greatest after treatment of the cells by TAC. Different interactions of studied nanoparticles with albumin has been found and it was shown that addition of albumin to the cells treated by nanoparticles reduces their toxic effects. Obtained by us highly purified, mono-disperse AgNPs exhibit diverse effects relative to the biological systems, depending on the precursor salt used.

An oncolytic measles virus-sensitive Group 3 medulloblastoma model in immune-competent mice.

PubMed

Lal, Sangeet; Carrera, Diego; Phillips, Joanna J; Weiss, William A; Raffel, Corey

2018-06-14

Oncolytic measles virus (MV) is effective in xenograft models of many tumor types in immune-compromised mice. However, no murine cell line exists that is tumorigenic, grows in immune-competent mice, and is killed by MV. The lack of such a model prevents an examination of the effect of the immune system on MV oncotherapy. Cerebellar stem cells from human CD46-transgenic immunocompetent mice were transduced to express Sendai virus C-protein, murine C-Myc, and Gfi1b proteins. The resultant cells were injected into the brain of NSG mice, and a cell line, called CSCG, was prepared from the resulting tumor. CSCG cells are highly proliferative, and express stem cell markers. These cells are permissive for replication of MV and are killed by the virus in a dose- and time-dependent manner. CSCG cells form aggressive tumors that morphologically resemble medulloblastoma when injected into the brains of immune-competent mice. On the molecular level, CSCG tumors overexpress natriuretic peptide receptor 3 and gamma-aminobutyric acid type A receptor alpha 5, markers of Group 3 medulloblastoma. A single intratumoral injection of MV‒green fluorescent protein resulted in complete tumor regression and prolonged survival of animals compared with treatments with phosphate buffered saline (P = 0.0018) or heat-inactivated MV (P = 0.0027). This immune-competent model provides the first platform to test therapeutic regimens of oncolytic MV for Group 3 medulloblastoma in the presence of anti-measles immunity. The strategy presented here can be used to make MV-sensitive murine models of any human tumor for which the driving mutations are known.

Sorption of Cr(VI), Cu(II) and Pb(II) by growing and non-growing cells of a bacterial consortium.

PubMed

Sannasi, P; Kader, J; Ismail, B S; Salmijah, S

2006-03-01

This paper reports the sorption of three metallic ions, namely Cr(VI), Cu(II) and Pb(II) in aqueous solution by a consortium culture (CC) comprising an acclimatised mixed bacterial culture collected from point and non-point sources. Metal sorption capability of growing and non-growing cells at initial pH of between 3 and 8 in the 1-100mg/L concentration range were studied based on Q(max) and K(f) values of the Langmuir and linearised Freundlich isotherm models, respectively. Maximal metal loading was generally observed to be dependent on the initial pH. Growing cells displayed significant maximal loading (Q(max)) for Pb(II) (238.09 mg/g) and Cu(II) (178.87 mg/g) at pH 6 and at pH 7 for Cr(VI) (90.91 mg/g) compared to non-growing cells (p < 0.05). At the pH range of 6-8, growing cells showed higher loading capacity compared to non-growing cells i.e. 38-52% for Cr, 17-28% for Cu and 3-17% for Pb. At lower metal concentrations and at more acidic pH (3-4) however, non-growing cells had higher metal loading capacity than growing cells. The metal sorption capacity for both populations were as follows: Pb(II) > Cu(II) > Cr(VI).

Monochromosomal hybrid cell assay for evaluating the genotoxicity of environmental chemicals

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sandhu, S.S.; Gudi, R.D.; Athwal, R.S.

1988-12-01

The development and utilization of a monochromosomal hybrid cell assay for detecting aneuploidy and chromosomal aberrations are described. The monochromosomal hybrid cell lines were produced by a two-step process involving transfer of a marker bacterial gene to a human chromosome and then by integration of that human chromosome into a mouse complement of chromosomes through microcell fusion. For chemically induced aneuploidy, the segregation of a single human chromosome among mouse chromosomes is used as a cytogenetic marker. The genetic assay for aneuploidy is based on the ability of the cells to grow in a medium that selects for the lossmore » of the human chromosome. The assay for clastogenicity is based on survival of the cells after treatment with the chemicals in medium that selects for retention of the human chromosome but loss of its segment containing diphtheria toxin locus. The assays greatly simplify the detection of chromosomal aberrations induced by environmental factors at low-dose levels.« less

Induction of apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in human colon carcinoma cells by Corema album leaves.

PubMed

León-González, Antonio J; Manson, Margaret M; López-Lizaro, Miguel; Navarro, Inmaculada; Martín-Cordero, Carmen

2014-01-01

The leaves of Corema album (Ericaceae), an endemic shrub which grows in Atlantic coastal areas of the Iberian Peninsula, are rich in flavonoids and other secondary metabolites. Silica gel column chromatography of the ethyl acetate extract from dried leaves was performed and a flavonic active fraction was obtained. The cytotoxic activity of this fraction was assessed using the colon cancer cell lines HCT116 and HT29. After 48 hours of treatment, cell viability was determined with luminescence-based ATPLite assay, showing IC50 values of 7.2 +/- 0.7 and 6.8 +/- 1.2 microg/mL, respectively. The study by flow cytometry revealed that the cytotoxicity of this fraction was mediated, at least in part, by induction of apoptosis and G2/M cell cycle arrest. The active fraction was then subjected to Sephadex LH-20 chromatography and two flavonoids were separated and identified as the flavanone pinocembrin and 2',4'-dihydroxychalcone after UV, MS and NMR analysis.

Flagellation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in newly divided cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Kun; Lee, Calvin; Anda, Jaime; Wong, Gerard

2015-03-01

For monotrichous bacteria, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, after cell division, one daughter cell inherits the old flagellum from its mother cell, and the other grows a new flagellum during or after cell division. It had been shown that the new flagellum grows at the distal pole of the dividing cell when the two daughter cells haven't completely separated. However, for those daughter cells who grow new flagella after division, it still remains unknown at which pole the new flagellum will grow. Here, by combining our newly developed bacteria family tree tracking techniques with genetic manipulation method, we showed that for the daughter cell who did not inherit the old flagellum, a new flagellum has about 90% chances to grow at the newly formed pole. We proposed a model for flagellation of P. aeruginosa.

Effects of caffeine on radiation-induced phenomena associated with cell- cycle traverse of mammalian cells

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Walters, R.A.; Gurley, L.R.; Tobby, R.A.

1974-02-01

Caffeine induced a state of G/sub 1/ arrest when added to an exponentially growing culture of Chinese hamster cells (line CHO). In addition to its effect on cell-cycle traverse, caffeine ameliorated a number of the responses of cells to ionizing radiation. The duration of the division delay period following x-irradiation of caffeine-treated cells was reduced, and the magnitude of reduction was dependent on caffeine concentration. Cells irradiated during the DNA synthetic phase in the presence of caffeine were delayed less in their exit from S, measured autoradiographically, and the radiation-induced reduction of radioactive thymidine incorporation into DNA was lessened. Cellsmore » synchronized by isoleucine deprivation, while being generally less sensitive to the effects of ionizing radiation than mitotically synchronized cells, were equally responsive to the effects of caffeine. The x-rayinduced reduction of phosphorylation of lysine-rich histone F1 was less in caffeine-treated cells than in untreated cells. Finally, survival after irradiation was only slightly reduced in caffeinetreated cells. A possible role of cyclic AMP in cell-cycle traverse of irradiated cells is discussed. (auth)« less

Aberrant methylation-mediated silencing of microRNAs contributes to HPV-induced anchorage independence

PubMed Central

Wilting, Saskia M.; Boon, Debby; Sørgård, Hanne; Lando, Malin; Snoek, Barbara C.; van Wieringen, Wessel N.; Meijer, Chris J.L.M.; Lyng, Heidi; Snijders, Peter J.F.; Steenbergen, Renske D.M.

2016-01-01

Cervical cancer and a subset of anogenital and head-and-neck carcinomas are caused by high-risk types of the human papillomavirus (hrHPV). During hrHPV-induced malignant transformation keratinocytes become able to grow anchorage independently, a tumorigenic trait at least partly associated with inactivation of tumor suppressor genes. We used hrHPV-containing keratinocytes to investigate the role of DNA methylation-mediated silencing of microRNAs (miRNAs) in the acquisition of anchorage independence. Anchorage dependent (n=11) and independent passages (n=19) of 4 hrHPV-immortalized keratinocyte cell lines were treated with 2′-deoxy-5-azacytidine (DAC). Genome-wide miRNA expression profiles before and after treatment were compared to identify miRNAs silenced by methylation. Bisulfite sequencing and methylation-specific PCR showed increased methylation of hsa-mir-129-2/-137/-935/-3663/-3665 and -4281 in anchorage independent HPV-transformed keratinocytes and cervical cancer cell lines. Mature miRNAs derived from hsa-mir-129-2/-137/-3663 and -3665 showed functional relevance as they decreased anchorage independence in cervical cancer cell lines. Cervical (pre)cancerous lesions demonstrated increased methylation of hsa-mir-129-2/-935/-3663/-3665 and -4281, underlining the clinical relevance of our findings. In conclusion, methylation-mediated silencing of tumor suppressive miRNAs contributes to acquisition of an anchorage independent phenotype. This study further substantiates the importance of miRNAs during early stages of carcinogenesis and underlines their potential as both disease markers and therapeutic targets. PMID:27270309

Aberrant methylation-mediated silencing of microRNAs contributes to HPV-induced anchorage independence.

PubMed

Wilting, Saskia M; Miok, Viktorian; Jaspers, Annelieke; Boon, Debby; Sørgård, Hanne; Lando, Malin; Snoek, Barbara C; van Wieringen, Wessel N; Meijer, Chris J L M; Lyng, Heidi; Snijders, Peter J F; Steenbergen, Renske D M

2016-07-12

Cervical cancer and a subset of anogenital and head-and-neck carcinomas are caused by high-risk types of the human papillomavirus (hrHPV). During hrHPV-induced malignant transformation keratinocytes become able to grow anchorage independently, a tumorigenic trait at least partly associated with inactivation of tumor suppressor genes. We used hrHPV-containing keratinocytes to investigate the role of DNA methylation-mediated silencing of microRNAs (miRNAs) in the acquisition of anchorage independence.Anchorage dependent (n=11) and independent passages (n=19) of 4 hrHPV-immortalized keratinocyte cell lines were treated with 2'-deoxy-5-azacytidine (DAC). Genome-wide miRNA expression profiles before and after treatment were compared to identify miRNAs silenced by methylation. Bisulfite sequencing and methylation-specific PCR showed increased methylation of hsa-mir-129-2/-137/-935/-3663/-3665 and -4281 in anchorage independent HPV-transformed keratinocytes and cervical cancer cell lines. Mature miRNAs derived from hsa-mir-129-2/-137/-3663 and -3665 showed functional relevance as they decreased anchorage independence in cervical cancer cell lines. Cervical (pre)cancerous lesions demonstrated increased methylation of hsa-mir-129-2/-935/-3663/-3665 and -4281, underlining the clinical relevance of our findings.In conclusion, methylation-mediated silencing of tumor suppressive miRNAs contributes to acquisition of an anchorage independent phenotype. This study further substantiates the importance of miRNAs during early stages of carcinogenesis and underlines their potential as both disease markers and therapeutic targets.

The velocity field of growing ear cartilage.

PubMed Central

Cox, R W; Peacock, M A

1978-01-01

The velocity vector field of the growing rabbit ear cartilage has been investigated between 12 and 299 days. Empirical curves have been computed for path lines and for velocities between 12 and 87 days. The tissue movement has been found to behave as an irrotational flow of material. Stream lines and velocity equipotential lines have been calculated and provide akinematic description of the changes during growth. The importance of a knowledge of the velocity vector in physical descriptions of growth and morphological differentiation at the tissue and cellular levels is emphasized. PMID:689993

Mechanism-based model for tumor drug resistance.

PubMed

Kuczek, T; Chan, T C

1992-01-01

The development of tumor resistance to cytotoxic agents has important implications in the treatment of cancer. If supported by experimental data, mathematical models of resistance can provide useful information on the underlying mechanisms and aid in the design of therapeutic regimens. We report on the development of a model of tumor-growth kinetics based on the assumption that the rates of cell growth in a tumor are normally distributed. We further assumed that the growth rate of each cell is proportional to its rate of total pyrimidine synthesis (de novo plus salvage). Using an ovarian carcinoma cell line (2008) and resistant variants selected for chronic exposure to a pyrimidine antimetabolite, N-phosphonacetyl-L-aspartate (PALA), we derived a simple and specific analytical form describing the growth curves generated in 72 h growth assays. The model assumes that the rate of de novo pyrimidine synthesis, denoted alpha, is shifted down by an amount proportional to the log10 PALA concentration and that cells whose rate of pyrimidine synthesis falls below a critical level, denoted alpha 0, can no longer grow. This is described by the equation: Probability (growth) = probability (alpha 0 less than alpha-constant x log10 [PALA]). This model predicts that when growth curves are plotted on probit paper, they will produce straight lines. This prediction is in agreement with the data we obtained for the 2008 cells. Another prediction of this model is that the same probit plots for the resistant variants should shift to the right in a parallel fashion. Probit plots of the dose-response data obtained for each resistant 2008 line following chronic exposure to PALA again confirmed this prediction. Correlation of the rightward shift of dose responses to uridine transport (r = 0.99) also suggests that salvage metabolism plays a key role in tumor-cell resistance to PALA. Furthermore, the slope of the regression lines enables the detection of synergy such as that observed between dipyridamole and PALA. Although the rate-normal model was used to study the rate of salvage metabolism in PALA resistance in the present study, it may be widely applicable to modeling of other resistance mechanisms such as gene amplification of target enzymes.

Composition, antibacterial, antioxidant and antiproliferative activities of essential oils from three Origanum species growing wild in Lebanon and Greece.

PubMed

Marrelli, Mariangela; Conforti, Filomena; Formisano, Carmen; Rigano, Daniela; Arnold, Nelly Apostolides; Menichini, Francesco; Senatore, Felice

2016-01-01

The essential oils from Origanum dictamnus, Origanum libanoticum and Origanum microphyllum were analysed by GC-MS, finding carvacrol, p-cymene, linalool, γ-terpinene and terpinen-4-ol as major components. The antioxidant activity by the DPPH and FRAP tests and the antiproliferative activity against two human cancer cell lines, LoVo and HepG2, were investigated, showing that the essential oil of O. dictamnus was statistically the most inhibitory on both the cell lines, while all the oils exerted a weak antioxidant activity. Furthermore, the samples were tested against 10 Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria; all the oils were active on Gram-positive bacteria but O. dictamnus essential oil was the most effective (MIC = 25-50 μg/mL), showing also a good activity against the Gram-negative Escherichia coli (MIC = 50 μg/mL). Data suggest that these essential oils and particularly O. dictamnus oil could be used as valuable new flavours with functional properties for food or nutraceutical products.

Identification of the Genome Segments of Bluetongue Virus Serotype 26 (Isolate KUW2010/02) that Restrict Replication in a Culicoides sonorensis Cell Line (KC Cells).

PubMed

Pullinger, Gillian D; Guimerà Busquets, Marc; Nomikou, Kyriaki; Boyce, Mark; Attoui, Houssam; Mertens, Peter P

2016-01-01

Bluetongue virus (BTV) can infect most ruminant species and is usually transmitted by adult, vector-competent biting midges (Culicoides spp.). Infection with BTV can cause severe clinical signs and can be fatal, particularly in naïve sheep and some deer species. Although 24 distinct BTV serotypes were recognized for several decades, additional 'types' have recently been identified, including BTV-25 (from Switzerland), BTV-26 (from Kuwait) and BTV-27 from France (Corsica). Although BTV-25 has failed to grow in either insect or mammalian cell cultures, BTV-26 (isolate KUW2010/02), which can be transmitted horizontally between goats in the absence of vector insects, does not replicate in a Culicoides sonorensis cell line (KC cells) but can be propagated in mammalian cells (BSR cells). The BTV genome consists of ten segments of linear dsRNA. Mono-reassortant viruses were generated by reverse-genetics, each one containing a single BTV-26 genome segment in a BTV-1 genetic-background. However, attempts to recover a mono-reassortant containing genome-segment 2 (Seg-2) of BTV-26 (encoding VP2), were unsuccessful but a triple-reassortant was successfully generated containing Seg-2, Seg-6 and Seg-7 (encoding VP5 and VP7 respectively) of BTV-26. Reassortants were recovered and most replicated well in mammalian cells (BSR cells). However, mono-reassortants containing Seg-1 or Seg-3 of BTV-26 (encoding VP1, or VP3 respectively) and the triple reassortant failed to replicate, while a mono-reassortant containing Seg-7 of BTV-26 only replicated slowly in KC cells.

Hydrogen peroxide production is affected by oxygen levels in mammalian cell culture.

PubMed

Maddalena, Lucas A; Selim, Shehab M; Fonseca, Joao; Messner, Holt; McGowan, Shannon; Stuart, Jeffrey A

2017-11-04

Although oxygen levels in the extracellular space of most mammalian tissues are just a few percent, under standard cell culture conditions they are not regulated and are often substantially higher. Some cellular sources of reactive oxygen species, like NADPH oxidase 4, are sensitive to oxygen levels in the range between 'normal' physiological (typically 1-5%) and standard cell culture (up to 18%). Hydrogen peroxide in particular participates in signal transduction pathways via protein redox modifications, so the potential increase in its production under standard cell culture conditions is important to understand. We measured the rates of cellular hydrogen peroxide production in some common cell lines, including C2C12, PC-3, HeLa, SH-SY5Y, MCF-7, and mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) maintained at 18% or 5% oxygen. In all instances the rate of hydrogen peroxide production by these cells was significantly greater at 18% oxygen than at 5%. The increase in hydrogen peroxide production at higher oxygen levels was either abolished or substantially reduced by treatment with GKT 137831, a selective inhibitor of NADPH oxidase subunits 1 and 4. These data indicate that oxygen levels experienced by cells in culture influence hydrogen peroxide production via NADPH oxidase 1/4, highlighting the importance of regulating oxygen levels in culture near physiological values. However, we measured pericellular oxygen levels adjacent to cell monolayers under a variety of conditions and with different cell lines and found that, particularly when growing at 5% incubator oxygen levels, pericellular oxygen was often lower and variable. Together, these observations indicate the importance, and difficulty, of regulating oxygen levels experienced by cells in culture. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

High expression of TROP2 characterizes different cell subpopulations in androgen-sensitive and androgen-independent prostate cancer cells.

PubMed

Xie, Jinhan; Mølck, Christina; Paquet-Fifield, Sophie; Butler, Lisa; Sloan, Erica; Ventura, Sabatino; Hollande, Frédéric

2016-07-12

Progression of castration-resistant tumors is frequent in prostate cancer. Current systemic treatments for castration-resistant prostate cancer only produce modest increases in survival time and self-renewing Tumor-Initiating Cells (TICs) are suspected to play an important role in resistance to these treatments. However it remains unclear whether the same TICs display both chemo-resistance and self-renewing abilities throughout progression from early stage lesions to late, castration resistant tumors. Here, we found that treatment of mice bearing LNCaP-derived xenograft tumors with cytotoxic (docetaxel) and anti-androgen (flutamide) compounds enriched for cells that express TROP2, a putative TIC marker. Consistent with a tumor-initiating role, TROP2high cells from androgen-sensitive prostate cancer cell lines displayed an enhanced ability to re-grow in culture following treatment with taxane-based chemotherapy with or without androgen blockade. TROP2 down-regulation in these cells reduced their ability to recur after treatment with docetaxel, in the presence or absence of flutamide. Accordingly, in silico analysis of published clinical data revealed that prostate cancer patients with poor prognosis exhibit significantly elevated TROP2 expression level compared to low-risk patients, particularly in the case of patients diagnosed with early stage tumors. In contrast, in androgen-independent prostate cancer cell lines, TROP2high cells did not exhibit a differential treatment response but were characterized by their high self-renewal ability. Based on these findings we propose that high TROP2 expression identifies distinct cell sub-populations in androgen-sensitive and androgen-independent prostate tumors and that it may be a predictive biomarker for prostate cancer treatment response in androgen-sensitive tumors.

Actin capping protein CAPZB regulates cell morphology, differentiation, and neural crest migration in craniofacial morphogenesis†

PubMed Central

Mukherjee, Kusumika; Ishii, Kana; Pillalamarri, Vamsee; Kammin, Tammy; Atkin, Joan F.; Hickey, Scott E.; Xi, Qiongchao J.; Zepeda, Cinthya J.; Gusella, James F.; Talkowski, Michael E.; Morton, Cynthia C.; Maas, Richard L.; Liao, Eric C.

2016-01-01

CAPZB is an actin-capping protein that caps the growing end of F-actin and modulates the cytoskeleton and tethers actin filaments to the Z-line of the sarcomere in muscles. Whole-genome sequencing was performed on a subject with micrognathia, cleft palate and hypotonia that harbored a de novo, balanced chromosomal translocation that disrupts the CAPZB gene. The function of capzb was analyzed in the zebrafish model. capzb−/− mutants exhibit both craniofacial and muscle defects that recapitulate the phenotypes observed in the human subject. Loss of capzb affects cell morphology, differentiation and neural crest migration. Differentiation of both myogenic stem cells and neural crest cells requires capzb. During palate morphogenesis, defective cranial neural crest cell migration in capzb−/− mutants results in loss of the median cell population, creating a cleft phenotype. capzb is also required for trunk neural crest migration, as evident from melanophores disorganization in capzb−/− mutants. In addition, capzb over-expression results in embryonic lethality. Therefore, proper capzb dosage is important during embryogenesis, and regulates both cell behavior and tissue morphogenesis. PMID:26758871

Treating cancer stem cells and cancer metastasis using glucose-coated gold nanoparticles

PubMed Central

Hu, Chenxia; Niestroj, Martin; Yuan, Daniel; Chang, Steven; Chen, Jie

2015-01-01

Cancer ranks among the leading causes of human mortality. Cancer becomes intractable when it spreads from the primary tumor site to various organs (such as bone, lung, liver, and then brain). Unlike solid tumor cells, cancer stem cells and metastatic cancer cells grow in a non-attached (suspension) form when moving from their source to other locations in the body. Due to the non-attached growth nature, metastasis is often first detected in the circulatory systems, for instance in a lymph node near the primary tumor. Cancer research over the past several decades has primarily focused on treating solid tumors, but targeted therapy to treat cancer stem cells and cancer metastasis has yet to be developed. Because cancers undergo faster metabolism and consume more glucose than normal cells, glucose was chosen in this study as a reagent to target cancer cells. In particular, by covalently binding gold nanoparticles (GNPs) with thio-PEG (polyethylene glycol) and thio-glucose, the resulting functionalized GNPs (Glu-GNPs) were created for targeted treatment of cancer metastasis and cancer stem cells. Suspension cancer cell THP-1 (human monocytic cell line derived from acute monocytic leukemia patients) was selected because it has properties similar to cancer stem cells and has been used as a metastatic cancer cell model for in vitro studies. To take advantage of cancer cells’ elevated glucose consumption over normal cells, different starvation periods were screened in order to achieve optimal treatment effects. Cancer cells were then fed using Glu-GNPs followed by X-ray irradiation treatment. For comparison, solid tumor MCF-7 cells (breast cancer cell line) were studied as well. Our irradiation experimental results show that Glu-GNPs are better irradiation sensitizers to treat THP-1 cells than MCF-7 cells, or Glu-GNPs enhance the cancer killing of THP-1 cells 20% more than X-ray irradiation alone and GNP treatment alone. This finding can help oncologists to design therapeutic strategies to target cancer stem cells and cancer metastasis. PMID:25844037

α2β1 integrin affects metastatic potential of ovarian carcinoma spheroids by supporting disaggregation and proteolysis

PubMed Central

Shield, Kristy; Riley, Clyde; Quinn, Michael A; Rice, Gregory E; Ackland, Margaret L; Ahmed, Nuzhat

2007-01-01

Background Ovarian cancer is characterized by a wide-spread intra-abdominal metastases which represents a major clinical hurdle in the prognosis and management of the disease. A significant proportion of ovarian cancer cells in peritoneal ascites exist as multicellular aggregates or spheroids. We hypothesize that these cellular aggregates or spheroids are invasive with the capacity to survive and implant on the peritoneal surface. This study was designed to elucidate early inherent mechanism(s) of spheroid survival, growth and disaggregation required for peritoneal metastases Methods In this study, we determined the growth pattern and adhesive capacity of ovarian cancer cell lines (HEY and OVHS1) grown as spheroids, using the well established liquid overlay technique, and compared them to a normal ovarian cell line (IOSE29) and cancer cells grown as a monolayer. The proteolytic capacity of these spheroids was compared with cells grown as a monolayer using a gelatin zymography assay to analyze secreted MMP-2/9 in conditioned serum-free medium. The disaggregation of cancer cell line spheroids was determined on extracellular matrices (ECM) such as laminin (LM), fibronectin (FN) and collagen (CI) and the expression of α2, α3, αv, α6 and β1 interin was determined by flow cytometric analysis. Neutralizing antibodies against α2, β1 subunits and α2β1 integrin was used to inhibit disaggregation as well as activation of MMPs in spheroids. Results We demonstrate that ovarian cancer cell lines grown as spheroids can sustain growth for 10 days while the normal ovarian cell line failed to grow beyond 2 days. Compared to cells grown as a monolayer, cancer cells grown as spheroids demonstrated no change in adhesion for up to 4 days, while IOSE29 cells had a 2–4-fold loss of adhesion within 2 days. Cancer cell spheroids disaggregated on extracellular matrices (ECM) and demonstrated enhanced expression of secreted pro-MMP2 as well as activated MMP2/MMP9 with no such activation of MMP's observed in monolayer cells. Flow cytometric analysis demonstrated enhanced expression of α2 and diminution of α6 integrin subunits in spheroids versus monolayer cells. No change in the expression of α3, αv and β1 subunits was evident. Conversely, except for αv integrin, a 1.5–7.5-fold decrease in α2, α3, α6 and β1 integrin subunit expression was observed in IOSE29 cells within 2 days. Neutralizing antibodies against α2, β1 subunits and α2β1 integrin inhibited disaggregation as well as activation of MMPs in spheroids. Conclusion Our results suggest that enhanced expression of α2β1 integrin may influence spheroid disaggregation and proteolysis responsible for the peritoneal dissemination of ovarian carcinoma. This may indicate a new therapeutic target for the suppression of the peritoneal metastasis associated with advanced ovarian carcinomas. PMID:17567918

Embryonic stem cells growing in 3-dimensions shift from reliance on the substrate to each other for mechanical support.

PubMed

Teo, Ailing; Lim, Mayasari; Weihs, Daphne

2015-07-16

Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) grow into three-dimensional (3D) spheroid structures en-route to tissue growth. In vitro spheroids can be controllably induced on a two-dimensional (2D) substrate with high viability. Here we use a method for inducing pluripotent embryoid body (EB) formation on flat polyacrylamide gels while simultaneously evaluating the dynamic changes in the mechano-biology of the growing 3D spheroids. During colony growth in 3D, pluripotency is conserved while the spheroid-substrate interactions change significantly. We correlate colony-size, cell-applied traction-forces, and expressions of cell-surface molecules indicating cell-cell and cell-substrate interactions, while verifying pluripotency. We show that as the colony size increases with time, the stresses applied by the spheroid to the gel decrease in the 3D growing EBs; control cells growing in 2D-monolayers maintain unvarying forces. Concurrently, focal-adhesion mediated cell-substrate interactions give way to E-cadherin cell-cell connections, while pluripotency. The mechano-biological changes occurring in the growing embryoid body are required for stabilization of the growing pluripotent 3D-structure, and can affect its potential uses including differentiation. This could enable development of more effective expansion, differentiation, and separation approaches for clinical purposes. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Patient-derived Xenograft (PDX) Models In Basic and Translational Breast Cancer Research

PubMed Central

Dobrolecki, Lacey E.; Airhart, Susie D.; Alferez, Denis G.; Aparicio, Samuel; Behbod, Fariba; Bentires-Alj, Mohamed; Brisken, Cathrin; Bult, Carol J.; Cai, Shirong; Clarke, Robert B.; Dowst, Heidi; Ellis, Matthew J.; Gonzalez-Suarez, Eva; Iggo, Richard D.; Kabos, Peter; Li, Shunqiang; Lindeman, Geoffrey J.; Marangoni, Elisabetta; McCoy, Aaron; Meric-Bernstam, Funda; Piwnica-Worms, Helen; Poupon, Marie-France; Reis-Filho, Jorge; Sartorius, Carol A.; Scabia, Valentina; Sflomos, George; Tu, Yizheng; Vaillant, François; Visvader, Jane E.; Welm, Alana; Wicha, Max S.

2017-01-01

Patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models of a growing spectrum of cancers are rapidly supplanting long-established traditional cell lines as preferred models for conducting basic and translational pre-clinical research. In breast cancer, to complement the now curated collection of approximately 45 long-established human breast cancer cell lines, a newly formed consortium of academic laboratories, currently from Europe, Australia, and North America, herein summarizes data on over 500 stably transplantable PDX models representing all three clinical subtypes of breast cancer (ER+, HER2+, and “Triple-negative” (TNBC)). Many of these models are well-characterized with respect to genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic features, metastatic behavior, and treatment response to a variety of standard-of-care and experimental therapeutics. These stably transplantable PDX lines are generally available for dissemination to laboratories conducting translational research, and contact information for each collection is provided. This review summarizes current experiences related to PDX generation across participating groups, efforts to develop data standards for annotation and dissemination of patient clinical information that does not compromise patient privacy, efforts to develop complementary data standards for annotation of PDX characteristics and biology, and progress toward “credentialing” of PDX models as surrogates to represent individual patients for use in pre-clinical and co-clinical translational research. In addition, this review highlights important unresolved questions, as well as current limitations, that have hampered more efficient generation of PDX lines and more rapid adoption of PDX use in translational breast cancer research. PMID:28025748

Transport of choline by Madin-Darby canine kidney cells.

PubMed

Zlatkine, P; Moll, G; Blais, A; Loiseau, A; Le Grimellec, C

1993-12-12

Choline is an essential precursor for the synthesis of phosphatidylcholine, the most abundant phospholipid classes in renal cells, as well as for the synthesis of the osmolyte glycerophosphorylcholine. The characteristics of choline uptake in the renal epithelial cell line MDCK were investigated. In the range of physiological concentrations, choline entered MDCK cells, grown as a monolayer on solid support, via a specific sodium-independent transport system (apparent Km = 43 microM, apparent Vmax = 284 pmol/mg protein per 5 min). Cell ATP depletion, addition of KCl to the medium to reduce the cell membrane potential, and hemicholinium-3 (HC-3) inhibited choline uptake. Specific binding of [3H]HC-3 was detected on the apical membrane of cells grown on plastic dishes, whereas it occurred only on the basolateral domain of cells grown on permeant support. When growing cells on filter, choline uptake from the basolateral side was 10-times the apical uptake. This suggests that the choline carrier present at the apical domain of cells grown on solid support is either inactivated or no longer targeted to the apical but to the basolateral membrane of MDCK cells grown on filter.

Matrix Rigidity Regulates Cancer Cell Growth by Modulating Cellular Metabolism and Protein Synthesis

PubMed Central

Tilghman, Robert W.; Blais, Edik M.; Cowan, Catharine R.; Sherman, Nicholas E.; Grigera, Pablo R.; Jeffery, Erin D.; Fox, Jay W.; Blackman, Brett R.; Tschumperlin, Daniel J.; Papin, Jason A.; Parsons, J. Thomas

2012-01-01

Background Tumor cells in vivo encounter diverse types of microenvironments both at the site of the primary tumor and at sites of distant metastases. Understanding how the various mechanical properties of these microenvironments affect the biology of tumor cells during disease progression is critical in identifying molecular targets for cancer therapy. Methodology/Principal Findings This study uses flexible polyacrylamide gels as substrates for cell growth in conjunction with a novel proteomic approach to identify the properties of rigidity-dependent cancer cell lines that contribute to their differential growth on soft and rigid substrates. Compared to cells growing on more rigid/stiff substrates (>10,000 Pa), cells on soft substrates (150–300 Pa) exhibited a longer cell cycle, due predominantly to an extension of the G1 phase of the cell cycle, and were metabolically less active, showing decreased levels of intracellular ATP and a marked reduction in protein synthesis. Using stable isotope labeling of amino acids in culture (SILAC) and mass spectrometry, we measured the rates of protein synthesis of over 1200 cellular proteins under growth conditions on soft and rigid/stiff substrates. We identified cellular proteins whose syntheses were either preferentially inhibited or preserved on soft matrices. The former category included proteins that regulate cytoskeletal structures (e.g., tubulins) and glycolysis (e.g., phosphofructokinase-1), whereas the latter category included proteins that regulate key metabolic pathways required for survival, e.g., nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase, a regulator of the NAD salvage pathway. Conclusions/Significance The cellular properties of rigidity-dependent cancer cells growing on soft matrices are reminiscent of the properties of dormant cancer cells, e.g., slow growth rate and reduced metabolism. We suggest that the use of relatively soft gels as cell culture substrates would allow molecular pathways to be studied under conditions that reflect the different mechanical environments encountered by cancer cells upon metastasis to distant sites. PMID:22623999

Synthetic tambjamine analogues induce mitochondrial swelling and lysosomal dysfunction leading to autophagy blockade and necrotic cell death in lung cancer.

PubMed

Rodilla, Ananda M; Korrodi-Gregório, Luís; Hernando, Elsa; Manuel-Manresa, Pilar; Quesada, Roberto; Pérez-Tomás, Ricardo; Soto-Cerrato, Vanessa

2017-02-15

Current pharmacological treatments for lung cancer show very poor clinical outcomes, therefore, the development of novel anticancer agents with innovative mechanisms of action is urgently needed. Cancer cells have a reversed pH gradient compared to normal cells, which favours cancer progression by promoting proliferation, metabolic adaptation and evasion of apoptosis. In this regard, the use of ionophores to modulate intracellular pH appears as a promising new therapeutic strategy. Indeed, there is a growing body of evidence supporting ionophores as novel antitumour drugs. Despite this, little is known about the implications of pH deregulation and homeostasis imbalance triggered by ionophores at the cellular level. In this work, we deeply analyse for the first time the anticancer effects of tambjamine analogues, a group of highly effective anion selective ionophores, at the cellular and molecular levels. First, their effects on cell viability were determined in several lung cancer cell lines and patient-derived cancer stem cells, demonstrating their potent cytotoxic effects. Then, we have characterized the induced lysosomal deacidification, as well as, the massive cytoplasmic vacuolization observed after treatment with these compounds, which is consistent with mitochondrial swelling. Finally, the activation of several proteins involved in stress response, autophagy and apoptosis was also detected, although they were not significantly responsible for the cell death induced. Altogether, these evidences suggest that tambjamine analogues provoke an imbalance in cellular ion homeostasis that triggers mitochondrial dysfunction and lysosomal deacidification leading to a potent cytotoxic effect through necrosis in lung cancer cell lines and cancer stem cells. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Nitric Oxide Prodrug JS-K Is Effective against Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer Cells In Vitro and In Vivo: Involvement of Reactive Oxygen SpeciesS⃞

PubMed Central

Chakrapani, Harinath; Saavedra, Joseph E.; Morris, Nicole L.; Holland, Ryan J.; Kosak, Ken M.; Shami, Paul J.; Anderson, Lucy M.; Keefer, Larry K.

2011-01-01

Non–small-cell lung cancer is among the most common and deadly forms of human malignancies. Early detection is unusual, and there are no curative therapies in most cases. Diazeniumdiolate-based nitric oxide (NO)-releasing prodrugs are a growing class of promising NO-based therapeutics. Here, we show that O2-(2,4-dinitrophenyl)-1-[(4-ethoxycarbonyl)piperazin-1-yl]diazen-1-ium-1,2-diolate (JS-K) is a potent cytotoxic agent against a subset of human non–small-cell lung cancer cell lines both in vitro and as xenografts in mice. JS-K treatment led to 75% reduction in the growth of H1703 lung adenocarcinoma cells in vivo. Differences in sensitivity to JS-K in different lung cancer cell lines seem to be related to their endogenous levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS)/reactive nitrogen species (RNS). Other related factors, levels of peroxiredoxin 1 (PRX1) and 8-oxo-deoxyguanosine glycosylase (OGG1), also correlated with drug sensitivity. Treatment of the lung adenocarcinoma cells with JS-K resulted in oxidative/nitrosative stress in cells with high basal levels of ROS/RNS, which, combined with the arylating properties of the compound, was reflected in glutathione depletion and alteration in cellular redox potential, mitochondrial membrane permeabilization, and cytochrome c release. Inactivation of manganese superoxide dismutase by nitration was associated with increased superoxide and significant DNA damage. Apoptosis followed these events. Taken together, the data suggest that diazeniumdiolate-based NO-releasing prodrugs may have application as a personalized therapy for lung cancers characterized by high levels of ROS/RNS. PRX1 and OGG1 proteins, which can be easily measured, could function as biomarkers for identifying tumors sensitive to the therapy. PMID:20962031

The nitric oxide prodrug JS-K is effective against non-small-cell lung cancer cells in vitro and in vivo: involvement of reactive oxygen species.

PubMed

Maciag, Anna E; Chakrapani, Harinath; Saavedra, Joseph E; Morris, Nicole L; Holland, Ryan J; Kosak, Ken M; Shami, Paul J; Anderson, Lucy M; Keefer, Larry K

2011-02-01

Non-small-cell lung cancer is among the most common and deadly forms of human malignancies. Early detection is unusual, and there are no curative therapies in most cases. Diazeniumdiolate-based nitric oxide (NO)-releasing prodrugs are a growing class of promising NO-based therapeutics. Here, we show that O(2)-(2,4-dinitrophenyl)-1-[(4-ethoxycarbonyl)piperazin-1-yl]diazen-1-ium-1,2-diolate (JS-K) is a potent cytotoxic agent against a subset of human non-small-cell lung cancer cell lines both in vitro and as xenografts in mice. JS-K treatment led to 75% reduction in the growth of H1703 lung adenocarcinoma cells in vivo. Differences in sensitivity to JS-K in different lung cancer cell lines seem to be related to their endogenous levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS)/reactive nitrogen species (RNS). Other related factors, levels of peroxiredoxin 1 (PRX1) and 8-oxo-deoxyguanosine glycosylase (OGG1), also correlated with drug sensitivity. Treatment of the lung adenocarcinoma cells with JS-K resulted in oxidative/nitrosative stress in cells with high basal levels of ROS/RNS, which, combined with the arylating properties of the compound, was reflected in glutathione depletion and alteration in cellular redox potential, mitochondrial membrane permeabilization, and cytochrome c release. Inactivation of manganese superoxide dismutase by nitration was associated with increased superoxide and significant DNA damage. Apoptosis followed these events. Taken together, the data suggest that diazeniumdiolate-based NO-releasing prodrugs may have application as a personalized therapy for lung cancers characterized by high levels of ROS/RNS. PRX1 and OGG1 proteins, which can be easily measured, could function as biomarkers for identifying tumors sensitive to the therapy.

Cu isotope fractionation response to oxidative stress in a hepatic cell line studied using multi-collector ICP-mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Flórez, María R; Costas-Rodríguez, Marta; Grootaert, Charlotte; Van Camp, John; Vanhaecke, Frank

2018-03-01

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are generated in biological processes involving electron transfer reactions and can act in a beneficial or deleterious way. When intracellular ROS levels exceed the cell's anti-oxidant capacity, oxidative stress occurs. In this work, Cu isotope fractionation was evaluated in HepG2 cells under oxidative stress conditions attained in various ways. HepG2 is a well-characterised human hepatoblastoma cell line adapted to grow under high oxidative stress conditions. During a pre-incubation stage, cells were exposed to a non-toxic concentration of Cu for 24 h. Subsequently, the medium was replaced and cells were exposed to one of three different external stressors: H 2 O 2 , tumour necrosis factor α (TNFα) or UV radiation. The isotopic composition of the intracellular Cu was determined by multi-collector ICP-mass spectrometry to evaluate the isotope fractionation accompanying Cu fluxes between cells and culture medium. For half of these setups, the pre-incubation solution also contained N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) as an anti-oxidant to evaluate its protective effect against oxidative stress via its influence on the extent of Cu isotope fractionation. Oxidative stress caused the intracellular Cu isotopic composition to be heavier compared to that in untreated control cells. The H 2 O 2 and TNFα exposures rendered similar results, comparable to those obtained after mild UV exposure. The heaviest Cu isotopic composition was observed under the strongest oxidative conditions tested, i.e., when the cell surfaces were directly exposed to UV radiation without apical medium and in absence of NAC. NAC mitigated the extent of isotope fractionation in all cases.

Heparanase expression is a prognostic indicator for postoperative survival in pancreatic adenocarcinoma

PubMed Central

Rohloff, J; Zinke, J; Schoppmeyer, K; Tannapfel, A; Witzigmann, H; Mössner, J; Wittekind, C; Caca, K

2002-01-01

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma has a median survival of less than 6 months from diagnosis. This is due to the difficulty in early diagnosis, the aggressive biological behaviour of the tumour and a lack of effective therapies for advanced disease. Mammalian heparanase is a heparan-sulphate proteoglycan cleaving enzyme. It helps to degrade the extracellular matrix and basement membranes and is involved in angiogenesis. Degradation of extracellular matrix and basement membranes as well as angiogenesis are key conditions for tumour cell spreading. Therefore, we have analysed the expression of heparanase in human pancreatic cancer tissue and cell lines. Heparanase is expressed in cell lines derived from primary tumours as well as from metastatic sites. By immunohistochemical analysis, it is preferentially expressed at the invading edge of a tumour at both metastatic and primary tumour sites. There is a trend towards heparanase expression in metastasising tumours as compared to locally growing tumours. Postoperative survival correlates inversely with heparanase expression of the tumour reflected by a median survival of 34 and 17 month for heparanase negative and positive tumours, respectively. Our results suggest, that heparanase promotes cancer cell invasion in pancreatic carcinoma and could be used as a prognostic indicator for postoperative survival of patients. British Journal of Cancer (2002) 86, 1270–1275. DOI: 10.1038/sj/bjc/6600232 www.bjcancer.com © 2002 Cancer Research UK PMID:11953884

Development of a novel engineered E. coli host cell line platform with improved column capacity performance for ion-exchange chromatography.

PubMed

Mukherjee, Rudra Palash; Fruchtl, McKinzie S; Beitle, Robert R; Brune, Ellen M

2018-02-01

This article reports on the analysis of an engineered Escherichia coli designed to reduce the host cell protein (HCP) burden on recombinant protein purification by column chromatography. Since downstream purification accounts for a major portion of production costs when using a recombinant platform, minimization of HCPs that are initially captured or otherwise interfere during chromatography will positively impact the entire purification process. Such a strategy, of course, would also require the cell line to grow, and express recombinant proteins, at levels comparable to, or better than, its parent strain. An E. coli strain with a small number of strategic deletions (LTSF06) was transformed to produce three different recombinant biologics to examine growth and expression, and with another model protein to assess growth and the effect of selectively reduced HCPs on target product capture on DEAE ion exchange medium. Cell growth levels were maintained or increased for all constructs, and a significant reduction in HCP adsorption was realized. Indeed, a breakthrough analysis indicated that as a result of reducing adsorption of particular HCPs, a 37% increase in target protein capture was observed. This increase in product capture efficiency was achieved by focusing not on HCPs that co-elute with the recombinant target, but rather on those possessing particular column adsorption and elution characteristics. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Vitamin D Binding Protein-Macrophage Activating Factor (DBP-maf) Inhibits Angiogenesis and Tumor Growth in Mice1

PubMed Central

Kisker, Oliver; Onizuka, Shinya; Becker, Christian M; Fannon, Michael; Flynn, Evelyn; D'Amato, Robert; Zetter, Bruce; Folkman, Judah; Ray, Rahul; Swamy, Narasimha; Pirie-Shepherd, Steven

2003-01-01

Abstract We have isolated a selectively deglycosylated form of vitamin D binding protein (DBP-maf) generated from systemically available DBP by a human pancreatic cancer cell line. DBP-maf is antiproliferative for endothelial cells and antiangiogenic in the chorioallantoic membrane assay. DBP-maf administered daily was able to potently inhibit the growth of human pancreatic cancer in immune compromised mice (T/C=0.09). At higher doses, DBP-maf caused tumor regression. Histological examination revealed that treated tumors had a higher number of infiltrating macrophages as well as reduced microvessel density, and increased levels of apoptosis relative to untreated tumors. Taken together, these data suggest that DBP-maf is an antiangiogenic molecule that can act directly on endothelium as well as stimulate macrophages to attack both the endothelial and tumor cell compartment of a growing malignancy. PMID:12659668

Innervation of taste buds revealed with Brainbow-labeling in mouse.

PubMed

Zaidi, Faisal N; Cicchini, Vanessa; Kaufman, Daniel; Ko, Elizabeth; Ko, Abraham; Van Tassel, Heather; Whitehead, Mark C

2016-12-01

Nerve fibers that surround and innervate the taste bud were visualized with inherent fluorescence using Brainbow transgenic mice that were generated by mating the founder line L with nestin-cre mice. Multicolor fluorescence revealed perigemmal fibers as branched within the non-taste epithelium and ending in clusters of multiple rounded swellings surrounding the taste pore. Brainbow-labeling also revealed the morphology and branching pattern of single intragemmal fibers. These taste bud fibers frequently innervated both the peripheral bud, where immature gemmal cells are located, and the central bud, where mature, differentiated cells are located. The fibers typically bore preterminal and terminal swellings, growth cones with filopodia, swellings, and rounded retraction bulbs. These results establish an anatomical substrate for taste nerve fibers to contact and remodel among receptor cells at all stages of their differentiation, an interpretation that was supported by staining with GAP-43, a marker for growing fibers and growth cones. © 2016 Anatomical Society.

BRANCHING PATTERNS OF INDIVIDUAL SYMPATHETIC NEURONS IN CULTURE

PubMed Central

Bray, D.

1973-01-01

The growth of single sympathetic neurons in tissue culture was examined with particular regard to the way in which the patterns of axonal or dendritic processes (here called nerve fibers), were formed. The tips of the fibers were seen to advance in straight lines and to grow at rates that did not vary appreciably with time, with their position in the cell outgrowth, or with the fiber diameter. Most of the branch points were formed by the bifurcation of a fiber tip (growth cone), apparently at random, and thereafter remained at about the same distance from the cell body. It seemed that the final shape of a neuron was the result of the reiterated and largely autonomous activities of the growth cones. The other parts of the cell played a supportive role but, apart from this, had no obvious influence on the final pattern of branches formed. PMID:4687915

Effects of Pectin Molecular Weight Changes on the Structure, Dynamics, and Polysaccharide Interactions of Primary Cell Walls of Arabidopsis thaliana: Insights from Solid-State NMR.

PubMed

Phyo, Pyae; Wang, Tuo; Xiao, Chaowen; Anderson, Charles T; Hong, Mei

2017-09-11

Significant cellulose-pectin interactions in plant cell walls have been reported recently based on 2D 13 C solid-state NMR spectra of intact cell walls, but how these interactions affect cell growth has not been probed. Here, we characterize two Arabidopsis thaliana lines with altered expression of the POLYGALACTURONASE INVOLVED IN EXPANSION1 (PGX1) gene, which encodes a polygalacturonase that cleaves homogalacturonan (HG). PGX1 AT plants overexpress PGX1, have HG with lower molecular weight, and grow larger, whereas pgx1-2 knockout plants have HG with higher molecular weight and grow smaller. Quantitative 13 C solid-state NMR spectra show that PGX1 AT cell walls have lower galacturonic acid and xylose contents and higher HG methyl esterification than controls, whereas high molecular weight pgx1-2 walls have similar galacturonic acid content and methyl esterification as controls. 1 H-transferred 13 C INEPT spectra indicate that the interfibrillar HG backbones are more aggregated whereas the RG-I side chains are more dispersed in PGX1 AT cell walls than in pgx1-2 walls. In contrast, the pectins that are close to cellulose become more mobile and have weaker cross peaks with cellulose in PGX1 AT walls than in pgx1-2 walls. Together, these results show that polygalacturonase-mediated plant growth is accompanied by increased esterification and decreased cross-linking of HG, increased aggregation of interfibrillar HG, and weaker HG-cellulose interactions. These structural and dynamical differences give molecular insights into how pectins influence wall dynamics during cell growth.

Differential effects on cell motility, embryonic stem cell self-renewal and senescence by diverse Src kinase family inhibitors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tamm, Christoffer, E-mail: christoffer.tamm@imbim.uu.se; Galito, Sara Pijuan, E-mail: sara.pijuan@imbim.uu.se; Anneren, Cecilia, E-mail: cecilia.anneren@imbim.uu.se

2012-02-15

The Src family of non-receptor tyrosine kinases (SFKs) has been shown to play an intricate role in embryonic stem (ES) cell maintenance. In the present study we have focused on the underlying molecular mechanisms responsible for the vastly different effects induced by various commonly used SFK inhibitors. We show that several diverse cell types, including fibroblasts completely lacking SFKs, cannot undergo mitosis in response to SU6656 and that this is caused by an unselective inhibition of Aurora kinases. In contrast, PP2 and PD173952 block motility immediately upon exposure and forces cells to grow in dense colonies. The subsequent halt inmore » proliferation of fibroblast and epithelial cells in the center of the colonies approximately 24 h post-treatment appears to be caused by cell-to-cell contact inhibition rather than a direct effect of SFK kinase inhibition. Interestingly, in addition to generating more homogenous and dense ES cell cultures, without any diverse effect on proliferation, PP2 and PD173652 also promote ES cell self-renewal by reducing the small amount of spontaneous differentiation typically observed under standard ES cell culture conditions. These effects could not be mirrored by the use of Gleevec, a potent inhibitor of c-Abl and PDGFR kinases that are also inhibited by PP2. -- Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer SFK inhibitor SU6656 induces senescence in mouse ES cells. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer SU6656 inhibits mitosis in a SFK-independent manner via cross-selectivity for Aurora kinases. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer SFK inhibitor PP2 impairs cell motility in various cell lines, including mouse ES cells. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Ensuing impeded motility, PP2 inhibits proliferation of various cells lines except for mouse ES cells. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer SFK inhibitors PP2 and PD173952 impede spontaneous differentiation in standard mouse ES culture maintenance.« less

Assessment of different 3D culture systems to study tumor phenotype and chemosensitivity in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

PubMed

Zeeberg, Katrine; Cardone, Rosa Angela; Greco, Maria Raffaella; Saccomano, Mara; Nøhr-Nielsen, Asbjørn; Alves, Frauke; Pedersen, Stine Falsig; Reshkin, Stephan Joel

2016-07-01

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly malignant disease with a very poor prognosis, due to the influence of the tumor stroma, which promotes tumor growth, early invasion and chemoradiation resistance. Efforts to develop models for identifying novel anticancer therapeutic compounds have been hampered by the limited ability of in vitro models to mimic these in vivo tumor-stroma interactions. This has led to the development of various three-dimensional (3D) culture platforms recapitulating the in vivo tumor-stroma crosstalk and designed to better understand basic cancer processes and screen drug action. However, a consensus for different experimental 3D platforms is still missing in PDAC. We compared four PDAC cell lines of different malignancy grown in 2D monolayers to three of the more commonly used 3D techniques (ultralow adhesion concave microwells, Matrigel inclusion and organotypic systems) and to tumors derived from their orthotopic implantation in mice. In these 3D platforms, we observed that cells grow with very different tumor morphologies and the organotypic setting most closely resembles the tumor cytoarchitecture obtained by orthotopically implanting the four cell lines in mice. We then analyzed the molecular and cellular responses of one of these cell lines to epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) stimulation with EGF and inhibition with erlotinib and found that only in the 3D platforms, and especially the organotypic, cells: i) responded to EGF by changing the expression of signalling components underlying cell-stroma crosstalk and tissue architecture, growth, invasion and drug resistance (E-cadherin, EGFR, ezrin, β1 integrin, NHERF1 and HIF-1α) similar to those reported in vivo; ii) had stimulated growth and increased erlotinib sensitivity in response to EGF, more faithfully mimicking their known in vivo behaviour. Altogether, these results, indicate the organotypic as the most relevant physiological 3D system to study the complex tumor stroma interactions driving progression and determining chemio-resistance.

Combinatorial cytotoxic effects of Curcuma longa and Zingiber officinale on the PC-3M prostate cancer cell line

PubMed Central

Kurapati, Kesava Rao V.; Samikkannu, Thangavel; Kadiyala, Dakshayani B.; Zainulabedin, Saiyed M.; Gandhi, Nimisha; Sathaye, Sadhana S.; Indap, Manohar A.; Boukli, Nawal; Rodriguez, Jose W.; Nair, Madhavan P.N.

2015-01-01

Background Many plant-derived products exhibit potent chemopreventive activity against animal tumor models as well as rodent and human cancer cell lines. They have low side effects and toxicity and presumably modulate the factors that are critical for cell proliferation, differentiation, senescence and apoptosis. The present study investigates the effects of some medicinal plant extracts from generally recognized as safe plants that may be useful in the prevention and treatment of cancer. Methods Clonogenic assays using logarithmically-growing cells were performed to test the effect. The cytotoxic effects of Curcuma longa and Zingiber officinale were studied using sulforhodamine B assay, tetrazolium dye assay, colony morphology and microscopic analysis. Results Out of the 13 lyophilized plant-derived extracts evaluated for growth-inhibitory effects on the PC-3M prostate cancer cell line, two extracts derived from C. longa and Z. officinale showed significant inhibitory effects on colony-forming ability. The individual and augmentative effects of these two extracts were tested for their narrow range effective lower concentration on PC-3M in clonogenic assays. At relatively lower concentrations, C. longa showed significant inhibition of colony formation in clonogenic assays; whereas at same concentrations Z. officinale showed only moderate inhibitory effects. However, when both the agents were tested together at the same concentrations, the combined effects were much more significant than their individual ones. On normal prostate epithelial cells both C. longa and Z. officinale had similar effects but at a lower magnitude. These observations were confirmed by several cytotoxicity assays involving the morphological appearance of the colonies, microscopic observations, per cent inhibition in comparison to control by sulforhodamine B and tetrazolium dye assay. Conclusions From these observations, it was concluded that the combined effects of C. longa and Z. officinale are much greater than their individual effects, suggesting the role of multiple components and their synergistic mode of actions to elicit stronger beneficial effects. PMID:23072849

Antisense down-regulation of the strawberry β-galactosidase gene FaβGal4 increases cell wall galactose levels and reduces fruit softening

PubMed Central

Paniagua, Candelas; Blanco-Portales, Rosario; Barceló-Muñoz, Marta; García-Gago, Juan A.; Waldron, Keith W.; Quesada, Miguel A.; Muñoz-Blanco, Juan; Mercado, José A.

2016-01-01

Strawberry softening is characterized by an increase in the solubilization and depolymerization of pectins from cell walls. Galactose release from pectin side chains by β-galactosidase enzymes has been proposed as one reason for the increase in soluble pectins. A putative β-galactosidase gene, FaβGal4, has been identified using a custom-made oligonucleotide-based strawberry microarray platform. FaβGal4 was expressed mainly in the receptacle during fruit ripening, and was positively regulated by abscisic acid and negatively regulated by auxins. To ascertain the role of FaβGal4 in strawberry softening, transgenic plants containing an antisense sequence of this gene under the control of the CaMV35S promoter were generated. Phenotypic analyses were carried out in transgenic plants during three consecutive growing seasons, using non-transformed plants as control. Two out of nine independent transgenic lines yielded fruits that were 30% firmer than control at the ripe stage. FaβGal4 mRNA levels were reduced by 70% in ripe fruits from these selected transgenic lines, but they also showed significant silencing of FaβGal1, although the genes did not share significant similarity. These two transgenic lines also showed an increase in pectin covalently bound to the cell wall, extracted using Na2CO3. The amount of galactose in cell walls from transgenic fruits was 30% higher than in control; notably, the galactose increase was larger in the 1 M KOH fraction, which is enriched in hemicellulose. These results suggest that FaβGal4 participates in the solubilization of covalently bound pectins during ripening, reducing strawberry fruit firmness. PMID:26585222

Humanized medium (h7H) allows long-term primary follicular thyroid cultures from human normal thyroid, benign neoplasm, and cancer.

PubMed

Bravo, Susana B; Garcia-Rendueles, Maria E R; Garcia-Rendueles, Angela R; Rodrigues, Joana S; Perez-Romero, Sihara; Garcia-Lavandeira, Montserrat; Suarez-Fariña, Maria; Barreiro, Francisco; Czarnocka, Barbara; Senra, Ana; Lareu, Maria V; Rodriguez-Garcia, Javier; Cameselle-Teijeiro, Jose; Alvarez, Clara V

2013-06-01

Mechanisms of thyroid physiology and cancer are principally studied in follicular cell lines. However, human thyroid cancer lines were found to be heavily contaminated by other sources, and only one supposedly normal-thyroid cell line, immortalized with SV40 antigen, is available. In primary culture, human follicular cultures lose their phenotype after passage. We hypothesized that the loss of the thyroid phenotype could be related to culture conditions in which human cells are grown in medium optimized for rodent culture, including hormones with marked differences in its affinity for the relevant rodent/human receptor. The objective of the study was to define conditions that allow the proliferation of primary human follicular thyrocytes for many passages without losing phenotype. Concentrations of hormones, transferrin, iodine, oligoelements, antioxidants, metabolites, and ethanol were adjusted within normal homeostatic human serum ranges. Single cultures were identified by short tandem repeats. Human-rodent interspecies contamination was assessed. We defined an humanized 7 homeostatic additives medium enabling growth of human thyroid cultures for more than 20 passages maintaining thyrocyte phenotype. Thyrocytes proliferated and were grouped as follicle-like structures; expressed Na+/I- symporter, pendrin, cytokeratins, thyroglobulin, and thyroperoxidase showed iodine-uptake and secreted thyroglobulin and free T3. Using these conditions, we generated a bank of thyroid tumors in culture from normal thyroids, Grave's hyperplasias, benign neoplasms (goiter, adenomas), and carcinomas. Using appropriate culture conditions is essential for phenotype maintenance in human thyrocytes. The bank of thyroid tumors in culture generated under humanized humanized 7 homeostatic additives culture conditions will provide a much-needed tool to compare similarly growing cells from normal vs pathological origins and thus to elucidate the molecular basis of thyroid disease.

vasa and piwi are required for mitotic integrity in early embryogenesis in the spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum.

PubMed

Schwager, Evelyn E; Meng, Yue; Extavour, Cassandra G

2015-06-15

Studies in vertebrate and invertebrate model organisms on the molecular basis of primordial germ cell (PGC) specification have revealed that metazoans can specify their germ line either early in development by maternally transmitted cytoplasmic factors (inheritance), or later in development by signaling factors from neighboring tissues (induction). Regardless of the mode of PGC specification, once animal germ cells are specified, they invariably express a number of highly conserved genes. These include vasa and piwi, which can play essential roles in any or all of PGC specification, development, or gametogenesis. Although the arthropods are the most speciose animal phylum, to date there have been no functional studies of conserved germ line genes in species of the most basally branching arthropod clade, the chelicerates (which includes spiders, scorpions, and horseshoe crabs). Here we present the first such study by using molecular and functional tools to examine germ line development and the roles of vasa and piwi orthologues in the common house spider Parasteatoda (formerly Achaearanea) tepidariorum. We use transcript and protein expression patterns of Pt-vasa and Pt-piwi to show that primordial germ cells (PGCs) in the spider arise during late embryogenesis. Neither Pt-vasa nor Pt-piwi gene products are localized asymmetrically to any embryonic region before PGCs emerge as paired segmental clusters in opisthosomal segments 2-6 at late germ band stages. RNA interference studies reveal that both genes are required maternally for egg laying, mitotic progression in early embryos, and embryonic survival. Our results add to the growing body of evidence that vasa and piwi can play important roles in somatic development, and provide evidence for a previously hypothesized conserved role for vasa in cell cycle progression. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Antisense down-regulation of the strawberry β-galactosidase gene FaβGal4 increases cell wall galactose levels and reduces fruit softening.

PubMed

Paniagua, Candelas; Blanco-Portales, Rosario; Barceló-Muñoz, Marta; García-Gago, Juan A; Waldron, Keith W; Quesada, Miguel A; Muñoz-Blanco, Juan; Mercado, José A

2016-02-01

Strawberry softening is characterized by an increase in the solubilization and depolymerization of pectins from cell walls. Galactose release from pectin side chains by β-galactosidase enzymes has been proposed as one reason for the increase in soluble pectins. A putative β-galactosidase gene, FaβGal4, has been identified using a custom-made oligonucleotide-based strawberry microarray platform. FaβGal4 was expressed mainly in the receptacle during fruit ripening, and was positively regulated by abscisic acid and negatively regulated by auxins. To ascertain the role of FaβGal4 in strawberry softening, transgenic plants containing an antisense sequence of this gene under the control of the CaMV35S promoter were generated. Phenotypic analyses were carried out in transgenic plants during three consecutive growing seasons, using non-transformed plants as control. Two out of nine independent transgenic lines yielded fruits that were 30% firmer than control at the ripe stage. FaβGal4 mRNA levels were reduced by 70% in ripe fruits from these selected transgenic lines, but they also showed significant silencing of FaβGal1, although the genes did not share significant similarity. These two transgenic lines also showed an increase in pectin covalently bound to the cell wall, extracted using Na2CO3. The amount of galactose in cell walls from transgenic fruits was 30% higher than in control; notably, the galactose increase was larger in the 1 M KOH fraction, which is enriched in hemicellulose. These results suggest that FaβGal4 participates in the solubilization of covalently bound pectins during ripening, reducing strawberry fruit firmness. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology.

Hair cell heterogeneity and ultrasonic hearing: recent advances in understanding fish hearing.

PubMed Central

Popper, A N

2000-01-01

The past decade has seen a wealth of new data on the auditory capabilities and mechanisms of fishes. We now have a significantly better appreciation of the structure and function of the auditory system in fishes with regard to their peripheral and central anatomy, physiology, behaviour, sound source localization and hearing capabilities. This paper deals with two of the newest of these findings, hair cell heterogeneity and the detection of ultrasound. As a result of this recent work, we now know that fishes have several different types of sensory hair cells in both the ear and lateral line and there is a growing body of evidence to suggest that these hair cell types arose very early in the evolution of the octavolateralis system. There is also some evidence to suggest that the differences in the hair cell types have functional implications for the way the ear and lateral line of fishes detect and process stimuli. Behavioural studies have shown that, whereas most fishes can only detect sound to 1-3 kHz, several species of the genus Alosa (Clupeiformes, i.e. herrings and their relatives) can detect sounds up to 180 kHz (or even higher). It is suggested that this capability evolved so that these fishes can detect one of their major predators, echolocating dolphins. The mechanism for ultrasound detection remains obscure, though it is hypothesized that the highly derived utricle of the inner ear in these species is involved. PMID:11079414

Magneto-thermally responsive hydrogels for bladder cancer treatment: Therapeutic efficacy and in vivo biodistribution.

PubMed

Jaiswal, Manish K; Pradhan, Lina; Vasavada, Shaleen; De, Mrinmoy; Sarma, H D; Prakash, Anand; Bahadur, D; Dravid, Vinayak P

2015-12-01

Bladder cancer is one of the deadliest forms of cancer in modern medicine which despite recent progress has remained incurable and challenging for researchers. There is unmet need to address this endemic as the number of patients are growing by about 10,000 every year world-wide. Here, we report a minimally invasive magnetic chemotherapy method to address this problem where polyethylene glycol (PEG) functionalized Fe3O4 magnetic nanostructures (MNS) are homogeneously embedded in thermally responsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide, NIPAAm) hydrogels (HG). The system (HG-MNS) loaded with anti-cancer drug doxorubicin (DOX) incubated with cancer cell lines subjected to external radiofrequency (RF) field can remotely stimulate the release of drug smartly at the site. The in vitro efficacy investigated on bladder cancer (T-24) cell lines showed the potential of the system in dealing with the disease successfully. Further, the materials preferential accumulation via systemic delivery was studied using swiss mice model. Vital tissue organs like liver, lung and heart were analysed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). A detail accounts of the materials optimization, cytotoxicity and anti-proliferation activity tests with apoptosis analysis by flow cytometry after RF exposure (250 kHz) to the cells and in vivo biodistribution data are discussed in the paper. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fish Viruses: Buffers and Methods for Plaquing Eight Agents Under Normal Atmosphere

PubMed Central

Wolf, Ken; Quimby, M. C.

1973-01-01

A universal procedure was sought for plaque assay of eight fish viruses (bluegill myxovirus, channel catfish virus, eel virus, Egtved virus, infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus, infectious pancreatic necrosis virus, lymphocystis virus, and the agent of spring viremia of carp (Rhabdovirus carpio), in dish cultures of various fish cells. Eagle minimal essential medium with sodium bicarbonate-CO2 buffer (Earle’s salt solution) was compared with minimal essential medium buffered principally with tris (hydroxymethyl)aminomethane or N-2-hydroxyethylpiperazine-N′-2′-ethanesulfonic acid at a pH or in the range of 7.6 to 8.0 depending upon temperature. Five fish cell lines collectively capable of replicating all fish viruses thus far isolated were tested and quantitatively found to grow comparably well in the three media. Two-phase (gel-liquid) media incorporating the various buffer systems allowed plaquing at 15 to 33 C either in partial pressures of CO2 or in normal atmosphere, but greater efficiency and sensitivity were obtained with the organic buffers, and, overall, the best results were obtained with tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane. Epizootiological data, specific fish cell line response, and plaque morphology permit presumptive identification of most of the agents. At proper pH, use of organic buffers obviates the need for CO2 incubators. Images PMID:4349252

Morphodynamics of a growing microbial colony driven by cell death

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghosh, Pushpita; Levine, Herbert

2017-11-01

Bacterial cells can often self-organize into multicellular structures with complex spatiotemporal morphology. In this work, we study the spatiotemporal dynamics of a growing microbial colony in the presence of cell death. We present an individual-based model of nonmotile bacterial cells which grow and proliferate by consuming diffusing nutrients on a semisolid two-dimensional surface. The colony spreads by growth forces and sliding motility of cells and undergoes cell death followed by subsequent disintegration of the dead cells in the medium. We model cell death by considering two possible situations: In one of the cases, cell death occurs in response to the limitation of local nutrients, while the other case corresponds to an active death process, known as apoptotic or programmed cell death. We demonstrate how the colony morphology is influenced by the presence of cell death. Our results show that cell death facilitates transitions from roughly circular to highly branched structures at the periphery of an expanding colony. Interestingly, our results also reveal that for the colonies which are growing in higher initial nutrient concentrations, cell death occurs much earlier compared to the colonies which are growing in lower initial nutrient concentrations. This work provides new insights into the branched patterning of growing bacterial colonies as a consequence of complex interplay among the biochemical and mechanical effects.

Variability in the production of tannins and other polyphenols in cell cultures of 12 Nordic plant species.

PubMed

Suvanto, Jussi; Nohynek, Liisa; Seppänen-Laakso, Tuulikki; Rischer, Heiko; Salminen, Juha-Pekka; Puupponen-Pimiä, Riitta

2017-08-01

The polyphenol profiles of 18 cell cultures from 12 plant species were screened. The detected polyphenol fingerprints were diverse and differed from polyphenol profiles typically found in corresponding plant species. Cell cultures originating from 12 different plant species growing or grown in the Nordic countries were screened for their ability to synthesize polyphenols to assess their suitability for future studies and applications. The focus was on plant families Rosaceae and Ericaceae. On average, the Rosaceae cultures were the most efficient to produce hydrolysable tannins and the Ericaceae cultures were the most efficient to produce proanthocyanidins. This is in line with the general trend of polyphenols found in Rosaceae and Ericaceae leaves and fruits, even though several individual cell cultures differed from natural plants in their polyphenolic composition. Overall, several of the studied cell cultures exhibited capability in producing a large variety of polyphenols, including tannins with a high molecular weight, thus also showing promise for further studies concerning, for example, the accumulation of specific polyphenols or biosynthesis of polyphenols in the cell cultures.

Rapidly responsive silk fibroin hydrogels as an artificial matrix for the programmed tumor cells death.

PubMed

Ribeiro, Viviana P; Silva-Correia, Joana; Gonçalves, Cristiana; Pina, Sandra; Radhouani, Hajer; Montonen, Toni; Hyttinen, Jari; Roy, Anirban; Oliveira, Ana L; Reis, Rui L; Oliveira, Joaquim M

2018-01-01

Timely and spatially-regulated injectable hydrogels, able to suppress growing tumors in response to conformational transitions of proteins, are of great interest in cancer research and treatment. Herein, we report rapidly responsive silk fibroin (SF) hydrogels formed by a horseradish peroxidase (HRP) crosslinking reaction at physiological conditions, and demonstrate their use as an artificial biomimetic three-dimensional (3D) matrix. The proposed SF hydrogels presented a viscoelastic nature of injectable hydrogels and spontaneous conformational changes from random coil to β-sheet conformation under physiological conditions. A human neuronal glioblastoma (U251) cell line was used for screening cell encapsulation and in vitro evaluation within the SF hydrogels. The transparent random coil SF hydrogels promoted cell viability and proliferation up to 10 days of culturing, while the crystalline SF hydrogels converted into β-sheet structure induced the formation of TUNEL-positive apoptotic cells. Therefore, this work provides a powerful tool for the investigation of the microenvironment on the programed tumor cells death, by using rapidly responsive SF hydrogels as 3D in vitro tumor models.

Modified Cross-Linking, Ligation, and Sequencing of Hybrids (qCLASH) Identifies Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus MicroRNA Targets in Endothelial Cells.

PubMed

Gay, Lauren A; Sethuraman, Sunantha; Thomas, Merin; Turner, Peter C; Renne, Rolf

2018-04-15

Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) tumors are derived from endothelial cells and express Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) microRNAs (miRNAs). Although miRNA targets have been identified in B cell lymphoma-derived cells and epithelial cells, little has been done to characterize the KSHV miRNA targetome in endothelial cells. A recent innovation in the identification of miRNA targetomes, cross-linking, ligation, and sequencing of hybrids (CLASH), unambiguously identifies miRNAs and their targets by ligating the two species while both species are still bound within the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC). We developed a streamlined quick CLASH (qCLASH) protocol that requires a lower cell input than the original method and therefore has the potential to be used on patient biopsy samples. Additionally, we developed a fast-growing, KSHV-negative endothelial cell line derived from telomerase-immortalized vein endothelial long-term culture (TIVE-LTC) cells. qCLASH was performed on uninfected cells and cells infected with either wild-type KSHV or a mutant virus lacking miR-K12-11/11*. More than 1,400 cellular targets of KSHV miRNAs were identified. Many of the targets identified by qCLASH lacked a canonical seed sequence match. Additionally, most target regions in mRNAs originated from the coding DNA sequence (CDS) rather than the 3' untranslated region (UTR). This set of genes includes some that were previously identified in B cells and some new genes that warrant further study. Pathway analysis of endothelial cell targets showed enrichment in cell cycle control, apoptosis, and glycolysis pathways, among others. Characterization of these new targets and the functional consequences of their repression will be important in furthering our understanding of the role of KSHV miRNAs in oncogenesis. IMPORTANCE KS lesions consist of endothelial cells latently infected with KSHV. Cells that make up these lesions express KSHV miRNAs. Identification of the targets of KSHV miRNAs will help us understand their role in viral oncogenesis. The cross-linking and sequencing of hybrids (CLASH) protocol is a method for unambiguously identifying miRNA targetomes. We developed a streamlined version of CLASH, called quick CLASH (qCLASH). qCLASH requires a lower initial input of cells than for its parent protocol. Additionally, a new fast-growing KSHV-negative endothelial cell line, named TIVE-EX-LTC cells, was established. qCLASH was performed on TIVE-EX-LTC cells latently infected with wild-type (WT) KSHV or a mutant virus lacking miR-K12-11/11*. A number of novel targets of KSHV miRNAs were identified, including targets of miR-K12-11, the ortholog of the cellular oncogenic miRNA (oncomiR) miR-155. Many of the miRNA targets were involved in processes related to oncogenesis, such as glycolysis, apoptosis, and cell cycle control. Copyright © 2018 American Society for Microbiology.

Receptor-Like Kinase RUPO Interacts with Potassium Transporters to Regulate Pollen Tube Growth and Integrity in Rice

PubMed Central

Liu, Lingtong; Zheng, Canhui; Kuang, Baijan; Wei, Liqin; Yan, Longfeng; Wang, Tai

2016-01-01

During sexual reproduction of flowering plants, the pollen tube grows fast and over a long distance within the pistil to deliver two sperms for double fertilization. Growing plant cells need to communicate constantly with external stimuli as well as monitor changes in surface tension of the cell wall and plasma membrane to coordinate these signals and internal growth machinery; however, the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. Here we show that the rice member of plant-specific receptor-like kinase CrRLK1Ls subfamily, Ruptured Pollen tube (RUPO), is specifically expressed in rice pollen. RUPO localizes to the apical plasma membrane and vesicle of pollen tubes and is required for male gamete transmission. K+ levels were greater in pollen of homozygous CRISPR-knockout lines than wild-type plants, and pollen tubes burst shortly after germination. We reveal the interaction of RUPO with high-affinity potassium transporters. Phosphorylation of RUPO established and dephosphorylation abolished the interaction. These results have revealed the receptor-like kinase as a regulator of high-affinity potassium transporters via phosphorylation-dependent interaction, and demonstrated a novel receptor-like kinase signaling pathway that mediates K+ homeostasis required for pollen tube growth and integrity. PMID:27447945

Human Uterine Cervical Stromal Stem Cells (hUCESCs): Why and How they Exert their Antitumor Activity

PubMed Central

SCHNEIDER, JOSÉ; EIRÓ, NOEMÍ; PÉREZ-FERNÁNDEZ, ROMÁN; MARTÍNEZ-ORDÓÑEZ, ANXO; VIZOSO, FRANCISCO

2016-01-01

Our research team has recently isolated and characterized a new stromal stem cell line (hUCESCs) obtained from cytological smears, as routinely performed for cervical cancer screening. We have, furthermore, described that both hUCESCs directly, as well as the secretome contained in the conditioned medium used for growing them (hUCESCs-CM) have potent antitumoral, anti-inflammatory, antibiotic, antimycotic and re-epitheliasation-enhancing properties. The scientific explanation our team proposes for these pleiotropic effects are directly related to the site of origin of hUCESCs, the human cervical transition zone, which has unique features that biologically justify the different actions of hUCESCs and hUCESCs-CM. We, herein, expose our working theory for the biological activity of hUCESCs and hUCESCs-CM. PMID:27566652

Dynamic morphologies of pollen plastids visualised by vegetative-specific FtsZ1-GFP in Arabidopsis thaliana.

PubMed

Fujiwara, Makoto T; Hashimoto, Haruki; Kazama, Yusuke; Hirano, Tomonari; Yoshioka, Yasushi; Aoki, Seishiro; Sato, Naoki; Itoh, Ryuuichi D; Abe, Tomoko

2010-06-01

The behaviour and multiplication of pollen plastids have remained elusive despite their crucial involvement in cytoplasmic inheritance. Here, we present live images of plastids in pollen grains and growing tubes from transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana lines expressing stroma-localised FtsZ1-green-fluorescent protein fusion in a vegetative cell-specific manner. Vegetative cells in mature pollen contained a morphologically heterogeneous population of round to ellipsoidal plastids, whilst those in late-developing (maturing) pollen included plastids that could have one or two constriction sites. Furthermore, plastids in pollen tubes exhibited remarkable tubulation, stromule (stroma-filled tubule) extension, and back-and-forth movement along the direction of tube growth. Plastid division, which involves the FtsZ1 ring, was rarely observed in mature pollen grains.

Study of budding yeast colony formation and its characterizations by using circular granular cell

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aprianti, D.; Haryanto, F.; Purqon, A.; Khotimah, S. N.; Viridi, S.

2016-03-01

Budding yeast can exhibit colony formation in solid substrate. The colony of pathogenic budding yeast can colonize various surfaces of the human body and medical devices. Furthermore, it can form biofilm that resists drug effective therapy. The formation of the colony is affected by the interaction between cells and with its growth media. The cell budding pattern holds an important role in colony expansion. To study this colony growth, the molecular dynamic method was chosen to simulate the interaction between budding yeast cells. Every cell was modelled by circular granular cells, which can grow and produce buds. Cohesion force, contact force, and Stokes force govern this model to mimic the interaction between cells and with the growth substrate. Characterization was determined by the maximum (L max) and minimum (L min) distances between two cells within the colony and whether two lines that connect the two cells in the maximum and minimum distances intersect each other. Therefore, it can be recognized the colony shape in circular, oval, and irregular shapes. Simulation resulted that colony formation are mostly in oval shape with little branch. It also shows that greater cohesion strength obtains more compact colony formation.

Inhibition of telomerase recruitment and cancer cell death.

PubMed

Nakashima, Mai; Nandakumar, Jayakrishnan; Sullivan, Kelly D; Espinosa, Joaquín M; Cech, Thomas R

2013-11-15

Continued proliferation of human cells requires maintenance of telomere length, usually accomplished by telomerase. Telomerase is recruited to chromosome ends by interaction with a patch of amino acids (the TEL patch, for TPP1 glutamate (E) and leucine (L)-rich patch) on the surface of telomere protein TPP1. In previous studies, interruption of this interaction by mutation prevented telomere extension in HeLa cells, but the cell culture continued to grow. We now show that the telomerase inhibitor BIBR1532 acts together with TEL patch mutations to inhibit the growth of HeLa cell lines and that apoptosis is a prominent mechanism of death of these cells. Survivor cells take over the population beginning around 40 days in culture. These cells no longer express the TEL patch mutant TPP1, apparently because of silencing of the expression cassette, a survival mechanism that would not be available to cancer cells. These results provide hope that inhibiting the binding of telomerase to the TEL patch of TPP1, perhaps together with a modest inhibition of the telomerase enzyme, could comprise an effective anticancer therapy for the ∼90% of human tumors that are telomerase-positive.

Knockin' on pollen's door: live cell imaging of early polarization events in germinating Arabidopsis pollen

PubMed Central

Vogler, Frank; Konrad, Sebastian S. A.; Sprunck, Stefanie

2015-01-01

Pollen tubes are an excellent system for studying the cellular dynamics and complex signaling pathways that coordinate polarized tip growth. Although several signaling mechanisms acting in the tip-growing pollen tube have been described, our knowledge on the subcellular and molecular events during pollen germination and growth site selection at the pollen plasma membrane is rather scarce. To simultaneously track germinating pollen from up to 12 genetically different plants we developed an inexpensive and easy mounting technique, suitable for every standard microscope setup. We performed high magnification live-cell imaging during Arabidopsis pollen activation, germination, and the establishment of pollen tube tip growth by using fluorescent marker lines labeling either the pollen cytoplasm, vesicles, the actin cytoskeleton or the sperm cell nuclei and membranes. Our studies revealed distinctive vesicle and F-actin polarization during pollen activation and characteristic growth kinetics during pollen germination and pollen tube formation. Initially, the germinating Arabidopsis pollen tube grows slowly and forms a uniform roundish bulge, followed by a transition phase with vesicles heavily accumulating at the growth site before switching to rapid tip growth. Furthermore, we found the two sperm cells to be transported into the pollen tube after the phase of rapid tip growth has been initiated. The method presented here is suitable to quantitatively study subcellular events during Arabidopsis pollen germination and growth, and for the detailed analysis of pollen mutants with respect to pollen polarization, bulging, or growth site selection at the pollen plasma membrane. PMID:25954283

Processing of DNA double strand breaks by alternative non-homologous end-joining in hyperacetylated chromatin.

PubMed

Manova, Vasilissa; Singh, Satyendra K; Iliakis, George

2012-08-22

Mammalian cells employ at least two subpathways of non-homologous end-joining for the repair of ionizing radiation induced DNA double strand breaks: The canonical DNA-PK-dependent form of non-homologous end-joining (D-NHEJ) and an alternative, slowly operating, error-prone backup pathway (B-NHEJ). In contrast to D-NHEJ, which operates with similar efficiency throughout the cell cycle, B-NHEJ operates more efficiently in G2-phase. Notably, B-NHEJ also shows strong and as of yet unexplained dependency on growth activity and is markedly compromised in serum-deprived cells, or in cells that enter the plateau-phase of growth. The molecular mechanisms underpinning this response remain unknown. Since chromatin structure or changes in chromatin structure are prime candidate-B-NHEJ-modulators, we study here the role of chromatin hyperacetylation, either by HDAC2 knockdown or treatment with the HDAC inhibitor TSA, on the repair by B-NHEJ of IR-induced DSBs. siRNA-mediated knockdown of HDAC2 fails to provoke histone hyperacetylation in Lig4-/- MEFs and has no detectable effect on B-NHEJ function. Treatment with TSA that inhibits multiple HDACs causes efficient, reversible chromatin hyperacetylation in Lig4-/- MEFs, as well as in human HCT116 Lig4-/- cells and the human glioma cell line M059K. The IR yield of DSBs in TSA-treated cells remains similar to that of untreated cells despite the expected chromatin relaxation. In addition, chromatin hyperacetylation leaves unchanged repair of DSBs by B-NHEJ in irradiated exponentially growing, or plateau-phase cells. Notably, under the experimental conditions employed here, chromatin hyperacetylation fails to detectably modulate B-NHEJ in M059K cells as well. In summary, the results show that chromatin acetylation or deacetylation does not affect the kinetics of alternative NHEJ in all types of cells examined both in exponentially growing and serum deprived cultures. We conclude that parameters beyond chromatin acetylation determine B-NHEJ efficiency in the plateau-phase of growth.

US-1136, US-1137, and US-1138 cowpea lines for cover crop use

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Following five years of field evaluation, three cowpea populations were selected as best adapted for use as a cover crop. A pure line selection procedure was used to develop genetically uniform lines from the segregating populations. Field evaluations demonstrated that the lines grow rapidly for u...

Induction of a menopausal state alters the growth and histology of ovarian tumors in a mouse model of ovarian cancer.

PubMed

Laviolette, Laura A; Ethier, Jean-François; Senterman, Mary K; Devine, Patrick J; Vanderhyden, Barbara C

2011-05-01

Ovarian cancer is often diagnosed in women after menopause when the levels of the serum gonadotropins follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) are increased because of the depletion of growing follicles within the ovary. The ability of FSH and LH to modulate the disease has not been well studied owing to a lack of physiologically relevant models of ovarian cancer. In this study, 4-vinylcyclohexene diepoxide (VCD) was used to deplete ovarian follicles and increase the levels of circulating FSH and LH in the tgCAG-LS-TAg mouse model of ovarian cancer. VCD-induced follicle depletion was performed either before or after induction of the oncogene SV40 large and small T-antigens in the ovarian surface epithelial cells of tgCAG-LS-TAg mice, which was mediated by the intrabursal delivery of an adenovirus expressing Cre recombinase (AdCre). tgCAG-LS-TAg mice injected with AdCre developed undifferentiated ovarian tumors with mixed epithelial and stromal components and some features of sex cord stromal tumors. Treatment with VCD before or after AdCre injection yielded tumors of similar histology, but with the unique appearance of Sertoli cell nests. In mice treated with VCD before the induction of tumorigenesis, the ovarian tumors tended to grow more slowly. The human ovarian cancer cell lines SKOV3 and OVCAR3 responded similarly to increased levels of gonadotropins in a second model of menopause, growing more slowly in ovariectomized mice compared with cycling controls. These results suggest that follicle depletion and increased gonadotropin levels can alter the histology and the rate of growth of ovarian tumors.

Effect of purified fractions from cell culture supernate of high-density pre-B acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells (ALL3) on the growth of ALL3 cells at low density.

PubMed

Patel, Sapan J; Darie, Costel C; Clarkson, Bayard D

2017-02-01

The mechanisms underlying the aberrant growth and interactions between cells are not understood very well. The pre-B acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells directly obtained from an adult patient grow very poorly or do not grow at all at low density (LD), but grow better at high starting cell density (HD). We found that the LD ALL3 cells can be stimulated to grow in the presence of diffusible, soluble factors secreted by ALL3 cells themselves growing at high starting cell density. We then developed a biochemical purification procedure that allowed us to purify the factor(s) with stimulatory activity and analyzed them by nanoliquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (nanoLC-MS/MS). Using nanoLC-MS/MS we have identified several proteins which were further processed using various bioinformatics tools. This resulted in eight protein candidates which might be responsible for the growth activity on non-growing LD ALL3 cells and their involvement in the stimulatory activity are discussed. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Evaluation of the neurotoxic/neuroprotective role of organoselenides using differentiated human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cell line challenged with 6-hydroxydopamine.

PubMed

Lopes, Fernanda Martins; Londero, Giovana Ferreira; de Medeiros, Liana Marengo; da Motta, Leonardo Lisbôa; Behr, Guilherme Antônio; de Oliveira, Valeska Aguiar; Ibrahim, Mohammad; Moreira, José Cláudio Fonseca; Porciúncula, Lisiane de Oliveira; da Rocha, João Batista Teixeira; Klamt, Fábio

2012-08-01

It is well established that oxidative stress plays a major role in several neurodegenerative conditions, like Parkinson disease (PD). Hence, there is an enormous effort for the development of new antioxidants compounds with therapeutic potential for the management of PD, such as synthetic organoselenides molecules. In this study, we selected between nine different synthetic organoselenides the most eligible ones for further neuroprotection assays, using the differentiated human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cell line as in vitro model. Neuronal differentiation of exponentially growing human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells was triggered by cultivating cells with DMEM/F12 medium with 1% of fetal bovine serum (FBS) with the combination of 10 μM retinoic acid for 7 days. Differentiated cells were further incubated with different concentrations of nine organoselenides (0.1, 0.3, 3, 10, and 30 μM) for 24 h and cell viability, neurites densities and the immunocontent of neuronal markers were evaluated. Peroxyl radical scavenging potential of each compound was determined with TRAP assay. Three organoselenides tested presented low cytotoxicity and high antioxidant properties. Pre-treatment of cells with those compounds for 24 h lead to a significantly neuroprotection against 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) toxicity, which were directly related to their antioxidant properties. Neuroprotective activity of all three organoselenides was compared to diphenyl diselenide (PhSe)₂, the simplest of the diaryl diselenides tested. Our results demonstrate that differentiated human SH-SY5Y cells are suitable cellular model to evaluate neuroprotective/neurotoxic role of compounds, and support further evaluation of selected organoselenium molecules as potential pharmacological and therapeutic drugs in the treatment of PD.

Bone marrow - mesenchymal stem cells impact on the U937 cells in the presence of staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB).

PubMed

Ejtehadifar, Mostafa; Halabian, Raheleh; Ghazavi, Ali; Khansarinejad, Behzad; Mosayebi, Ghasem; Imani Fooladi, Abbas Ali

2018-04-14

The growing resistance against conventional chemotherapy in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a noticeable clinical concern. Therefore, many researchers are looking for novel substances to overcome drug resistance in cancer. Staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB) is a superantigen (SAg) and a promising compound which has lethal effects on malignant cells. In this unprecedented study, SEB was used against U937 cells in a co-culture system in the presence of human bone marrow-mesenchymal stem cells (hBM-MSCs). The effects of hBM-MSCs on the proliferation and survival of U937 cell line with SEB was assessed using MTT assay and AnnexinV/PI flowcytometry, respectively. Moreover, the expression of IL-6, IL-10, TGF-β, and inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa-B kinase (IKKb) was evaluated by real-time PCR technique. The same experiments were also carried out using hBM-MSCs-conditioned medium (hBM-MSCs-CM). The results showed that SEB reduced the proliferation and survival of U937 cell line, but hBM-MSCs or hBM-MSCs-CM suppressed the effects of SEB. Furthermore, real-timePCR demonstrated that SEB could decrease the expression of IL-6, IL-10, and TGF-β in hBM-MSCs (P < .05), while the production of IKKb was increased in comparison with the control group. These findings help us to have a broader understanding ofthe usage of SEB in the treatment of haematological malignancies, especially if it is targeted against hBM-MSCs to disrupt their supportive effects on malignant cells. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Leiodermatolide, a novel marine natural product, has potent cytotoxic and anti-mitotic activity against cancer cells, appears to affect microtubule dynamics, and exhibits anti-tumor activity

PubMed Central

Guzmán, Esther A.; Xu, Qunli; Pitts, Tara P.; Mitsuhashi, Kaoru Ogawa; Baker, Cheryl; Linley, Patricia A.; Oestreicher, Judy; Tendyke, Karen; Winder, Priscilla L.; Suh, Edward M.; Wright, Amy E.

2016-01-01

Pancreatic cancer, the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the United States, has a negative prognosis because metastasis occurs before symptoms manifest. Leiodermatolide, a polyketide macrolide with antimitotic activity isolated from a deep water sponge of the genus Leiodermatium, exhibits potent and selective cytotoxicity towards the pancreatic cancer cell lines AsPC-1, PANC-1, BxPC-3, and MIA PaCa-2, and potent cytotoxicity against skin, breast and colon cancer cell lines. Induction of apoptosis by leiodermatolide was confirmed in the AsPC-1, BxPC-3 and MIA PaCa-2 cells. Leiodermatolide induces cell cycle arrest but has no effects on in vitro polymerization or depolymerization of tubulin alone, while it enhances polymerization of tubulin containing microtubule associated proteins (MAPs). Observations through confocal microscopy show that leiodermatolide, at low concentrations, causes minimal effects on polymerization or depolymerization of the microtubule network in interphase cells, but disruption of spindle formation in mitotic cells. At higher concentrations, depolymerization of the microtubule network is observed. Visualization of the growing microtubule in HeLa cells expressing GFP-tagged plus end binding protein EB-1 showed that leiodermatolide stopped the polymerization of tubulin. These results suggest that leiodermatolide may affect tubulin dynamics without directly interacting with tubulin and hint at a unique mechanism of action. In a mouse model of metastatic pancreatic cancer, leiodermatolide exhibited significant tumor reduction when compared to gemcitabine and controls. The anti-tumor activities of leiodermatolide, as well as the proven utility of anti-mitotic compounds against cancer, make leiodermatolide an interesting compound with potential chemotherapeutic effects that may merit further research. PMID:27376928

In vitro studies of cellular and molecular developmental toxicity of adjuvants, herbicides, and fungicides commonly used in Red River Valley, Minnesota.

PubMed

Lin, N; Garry, V F

2000-07-28

Recent epidemiologic studies showed increased frequency of birth defects in pesticide applicators and general population of the Red River Valley, Minnesota. These studies further indicated that this crop growing area used more chlorophenoxy herbicides and fungicides than elsewhere in Minnesota. Based on frequency of use and known biology, certain herbicides, pesticide additives, fungicides, and mycotoxins are suspect agents. To define whether these agents affect developmental endpoints in vitro, 16 selected agrochemicals were examined using the MCF-7 breast cancer cell line. In the flow cytometric assay, cell proliferation in this estrogen-responsive cell line indicates xenobiotic-mediated estrogenic effects. Cell viability, morphology, ploidy, and apoptosis were incorporated in this assay. Data showed that the adjuvants X-77 and Activate Plus induced significant cell proliferation at 0.1 and 1 microg/ml. The commercial-grade herbicides 2,4-D LV4 and 2,4-D amine induced cell proliferation at 1 and 10 microg/ml. The reagent-grade 2,4-D products failed to induce proliferation over the same concentration range, suggesting that other ingredients in the commercial products, presumably adjuvants, could be a factor in these results. The fungicides triphenyltin and mancozeb induced apoptosis at concentrations of 4.1 microg/ml (10(-5) M) and 50 microg/ml, respectively. Triphenyltin also induced aneuploidy (C2/M arrest) at 0.41 microg/ml (10(-6) M). Data provide a mechanistic step to understanding human reproductive and developmental effects in populations exposed to these agrochemicals, and initiative to focusing limited resources for future in vivo animal developmental toxicity studies.

Dynamic Analysis of Human Natural Killer Cell Response at Single-Cell Resolution in B-Cell Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma.

PubMed

Sarkar, Saheli; Sabhachandani, Pooja; Ravi, Dashnamoorthy; Potdar, Sayalee; Purvey, Sneha; Beheshti, Afshin; Evens, Andrew M; Konry, Tania

2017-01-01

Natural killer (NK) cells are phenotypically and functionally diverse lymphocytes that recognize and kill cancer cells. The susceptibility of target cancer cells to NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity depends on the strength and balance of regulatory (activating/inhibitory) ligands expressed on target cell surface. We performed gene expression arrays to determine patterns of NK cell ligands associated with B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (b-NHL). Microarray analyses revealed significant upregulation of a multitude of NK-activating and costimulatory ligands across varied b-NHL cell lines and primary lymphoma cells, including ULBP1, CD72, CD48, and SLAMF6. To correlate genetic signatures with functional anti-lymphoma activity, we developed a dynamic and quantitative cytotoxicity assay in an integrated microfluidic droplet generation and docking array. Individual NK cells and target lymphoma cells were co-encapsulated in picoliter-volume droplets to facilitate monitoring of transient cellular interactions and NK cell effector outcomes at single-cell level. We identified significant variability in NK-lymphoma cell contact duration, frequency, and subsequent cytolysis. Death of lymphoma cells undergoing single contact with NK cells occurred faster than cells that made multiple short contacts. NK cells also killed target cells in droplets via contact-independent mechanisms that partially relied on calcium-dependent processes and perforin secretion, but not on cytokines (interferon-γ or tumor necrosis factor-α). We extended this technique to characterize functional heterogeneity in cytolysis of primary cells from b-NHL patients. Tumor cells from two diffuse large B-cell lymphoma patients showed similar contact durations with NK cells; primary Burkitt lymphoma cells made longer contacts and were lysed at later times. We also tested the cytotoxic efficacy of NK-92, a continuously growing NK cell line being investigated as an antitumor therapy, using our droplet-based bioassay. NK-92 cells were found to be more efficient in killing b-NHL cells compared with primary NK cells, requiring shorter contacts for faster killing activity. Taken together, our combined genetic and microfluidic analysis demonstrate b-NHL cell sensitivity to NK cell-based cytotoxicity, which was associated with significant heterogeneity in the dynamic interaction at single-cell level.

On the metal tolerance and resilience capacity of Helichrysum italicum G. Don growing on mine soils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maleci, Laura; Tani, Corrado; Bini, Claudio; Wahsha, Mohammad

2016-04-01

Heavy metal accumulation produces significant physiological and biochemical responses in vascular plants. Plants growing on abandoned mine sites are of particular interest, since they are genetically tolerant to high metal concentrations. In this work we examined the effects of heavy metals (HM) on the morphology of Helichrysum italicum growing on mine soils, with the following objectives: to determine the fate of HM within the soil-plant system; to highlight morphological modifications at anatomical and cytological level; to ascertain the plant tolerance to heavy metals, and their resilience capacity. Wild specimens of Helichrysum italicum, with their soil clod, were gathered from sites with different contamination levels by heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Fe, Pb, Zn) in the abandoned Niccioleta mine (Tuscany, Italy). Plants were brought to the botanical laboratory of the University of Florence, and appeared macroscopically not affected by toxic signals (e.g. reduced growth, leaf necrosis) induced by soil HM concentration. Leaves and roots taken at the same growing season were observed by light microscopy (LM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Light microscopy observations show a clear difference in the cell organization of not-contaminated and contaminated samples. In particular, the secreting trichomes, which are responsible for the characteristic flavour of the plant, present a different morphology in the polluted specimens with respect to the not-polluted ones. Indeed, the latter present the typical trichomes of the Asteraceae family, with two lines of cells bearing the secretion accumulated on the apical cuticular space. Trichomes of the polluted plants, instead, present a completely different morphology, with a stalk of 3-4 cells and a large secreting apical cell (i.e. they are capitate hairs). Samples from contaminated sites, moreover, present a palisade parenchyma less organized, and a reduction of leaf thickness proportional to HM concentration. The poor structural organisations, and the reduced foliar thickness of the contaminated plants, are related to soil contamination. A gradual restoration of cell organization suggests that somewhat resilience occurred in plants. Moreover, the presence of stress-tolerant mycorrhizal fungi could contribute to reduce metal toxicity. The resilience capacity suggests that Helichrysum italicum could be a useful species in remediation projects. Keywords: Heavy metals Mine soils Plant morphology Helichrysum italicum Ultrastructure

Supplement Analysis for the Transmission System Vegetation Management Program FEIS (DOE/EIS-0285/SA-127- Eugene-Alvey#2

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sherer, Brett M.

2003-02-19

BPA proposes to remove unwanted vegetation along the right-of-way, access roads, and around tower structures of the subject transmission line corridor that may impede the operation and maintenance of the identified transmission lines. BPA plans to conduct vegetation control with the goal of removing tall growing vegetation that is currently or will soon be a hazard to the transmission line. BPA’s overall goal is to have low-growing plant communities along the rights-of-way to control the development of potentially threatening vegetation. Vegetation Management for the Eugene-Alvey 115 kV transmission line from structure 7/1 through structure 12/2m, and along portions of themore » following adjacent transmission lines: Hawkins-Alvey 115KV and Alvey-Lane 115KV.« less

Proper design of silica nanoparticles combines high brightness, lack of cytotoxicity and efficient cell endocytosis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rampazzo, Enrico; Voltan, Rebecca; Petrizza, Luca; Zaccheroni, Nelsi; Prodi, Luca; Casciano, Fabio; Zauli, Giorgio; Secchiero, Paola

2013-08-01

Silica-based luminescent nanoparticles (SiNPs) show promising prospects in nanomedicine in light of their chemical properties and versatility. In this study, we have characterized silica core-PEG shell SiNPs derivatized with PEG moieties (NP-PEG), with external amino- (NP-PEG-amino) or carboxy-groups (NP-PEG-carbo), both in cell cultures as well as in animal models. By using different techniques, we could demonstrate that these SiNPs were safe and did not exhibit appreciable cytotoxicity in different relevant cell models, of normal or cancer cell types, growing either in suspension (JVM-2 leukemic cell line and primary normal peripheral blood mononuclear cells) or in adherence (human hepatocarcinoma Huh7 and umbilical vein endothelial cells). Moreover, by multiparametric flow cytometry, we could demonstrate that the highest efficiency of cell uptake and entry was observed with NP-PEG-amino, with a stable persistence of the fluorescence signal associated with SiNPs in the loaded cell populations both in vitro and in vivo settings suggesting this as an innovative method for cell traceability and detection in whole organisms. Finally, experiments performed with the endocytosis inhibitor Genistein clearly suggested the involvement of a caveolae-mediated pathway in SiNP endocytosis. Overall, these data support the safe use of these SiNPs for diagnostic and therapeutic applications.Silica-based luminescent nanoparticles (SiNPs) show promising prospects in nanomedicine in light of their chemical properties and versatility. In this study, we have characterized silica core-PEG shell SiNPs derivatized with PEG moieties (NP-PEG), with external amino- (NP-PEG-amino) or carboxy-groups (NP-PEG-carbo), both in cell cultures as well as in animal models. By using different techniques, we could demonstrate that these SiNPs were safe and did not exhibit appreciable cytotoxicity in different relevant cell models, of normal or cancer cell types, growing either in suspension (JVM-2 leukemic cell line and primary normal peripheral blood mononuclear cells) or in adherence (human hepatocarcinoma Huh7 and umbilical vein endothelial cells). Moreover, by multiparametric flow cytometry, we could demonstrate that the highest efficiency of cell uptake and entry was observed with NP-PEG-amino, with a stable persistence of the fluorescence signal associated with SiNPs in the loaded cell populations both in vitro and in vivo settings suggesting this as an innovative method for cell traceability and detection in whole organisms. Finally, experiments performed with the endocytosis inhibitor Genistein clearly suggested the involvement of a caveolae-mediated pathway in SiNP endocytosis. Overall, these data support the safe use of these SiNPs for diagnostic and therapeutic applications. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Synthetic procedures, 1H and 13C NMR spectra, TEM and DLS measurements, and absorption and emission spectra. See DOI: 10.1039/c3nr02563b

Supplement Analysis for the Transmission System Vegetation Management Program FEIS (DOE/EIS-0285/SA-141- Salem Albany #2)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Barndt, Shawn L.

Vegetation Management for the Salem Albany #2 115 kV transmission line from Salem Substation to Albany Substation. BPA proposes to remove unwanted vegetation along the right-of-way, access roads, switch platforms, microwave beam paths, and around tower structures of the subject transmission line corridor that may impede the operation and maintenance of the identified transmission lines. BPA plans to conduct vegetation control with the goal of removing tall growing vegetation that is currently or will soon be a hazard to the transmission line. BPA’s overall goal is to have low-growing plant communities along the rights-of-way to control the development of potentiallymore » threatening vegetation.« less

Supplement Analysis for the Transmission System Vegetation Management Program FEIS (DOE/EIS-0285/SA-122- Bonneville-Alcoa

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stratton, Elaine

2003-02-19

Vegetation Management for the Bonneville-Alcoa 115kV transmission line. BPA proposes to remove unwanted vegetation along the right-of-way, along access roads and around tower structures along the subject transmission line corridor that may impede the operation and maintenance of the identified transmission lines. All work will be in accordance with the National Electrical Safety Code and BPA standards. BPA plans to conduct vegetation control with the goal of removing tall growing vegetation that is currently or will soon be a hazard to the transmission line. BPA’s overall goal is to have low-growing plant communities along the rights-of-way to control the developmentmore » of potentially threatening vegetation.« less

[Relationship between sensitivity of tumor cells to chemotherapeutic agent in vivo and in vitro: experiment with mouse lymphoma cells].

PubMed

Li, Chuan-gang; Li, Mo-lin; Shu, Xiao-hong; Jia, Yu-jie; Liu, Yong-ji; Li, Ming

2007-06-12

To study the relationship of the sensitivity of tumor cells to chemotherapeutic agent between in vivo and in vitro. Mouse lymphoma cells of the line E14 were cultured and melphalan resistant EL4 cell line (EL4/melphalan) was established by culturing EL4 cells with continuous low-concentration and intermittent gradually-increasing-concentration of melphalan in vitro. MTT assay was used to evaluate the drug sensitivity and the resistance index of the EL4/melphalan cells to melphalan was calculated. EL4/melphalan and EL4 cells of the concentration of 5 x 10(8)/L were inoculated separately into 20 C57BL/6 mice subcutaneously. 12 days later, the EL4 and EL4/melphalan tumor-bearing mice were randomly divided into 2 groups respectively, 5 mice in each group. Treatment groups were given 7.5 mg/kg melphalan intraperitoneally, and control groups were given the same volume of normal saline. The tumor size was observed every other day. Compared with the EL4 cells, the EL4/melphalan cells had no obvious changes morphologically. They could grow in RPMI 1640 medium containing 5 mg/ml melphalan. The resistance index was 2.87 against melphalan. After the treatment of melphalan of the dose 7.5 mg/kg, the tumor sizes of the treatment groups and control groups inoculated with both EL4 cells and the EL4/melphalan cells gradually decreased at the similar speed, and about one week later all tumors disappeared. However, the tumors of the control groups grew progressively and all the mice died at last. The chemotherapeutic effects of tumors in vivo have nothing to do with the effects of the chemotherapeutic agents on tumor cells in vitro. The tumor cells resistant to melphalan in vitro remain sensitive to the drug in vivo.

Relationships of a growing magnetic flux region to flares

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Martin, S. F.; Bentley, R. D.; Schadee, A.; Antalova, A.; Kucera, A.; Dezso, L.; Gesztelyi, L.; Harvey, K. L.; Jones, H.; Livi, S. H. B.

1984-01-01

The evolution of flare sites at the boundaries of major new and growing magnetic flux regions within complexes of active regions has been analyzed using H-alpha images. A spectrum of possible relationships of growing flux regions to flares is described. An 'intimate' interaction between old and new flux and flare sites occurs at the boundaries of their regions. Forced or 'intimidated' interaction involves new flux pushing older, lower flux density fields toward a neighboring old polarity inversion line, followed by the occurrence of a flare. In 'influential' interaction, magnetic lines of force over an old polarity inversion line reconnect to new emerging flux, and a flare occurs when the magnetic field overlying the filament becomes too weak to prevent its eruption. 'Inconsequential' interaction occurs when a new flux region is too small or has the wrong orientation for creating flare conditions. 'Incidental' interaction involves a flare occurring without any significant relationship to new flux regions.

CLO: The cell line ontology

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Cell lines have been widely used in biomedical research. The community-based Cell Line Ontology (CLO) is a member of the OBO Foundry library that covers the domain of cell lines. Since its publication two years ago, significant updates have been made, including new groups joining the CLO consortium, new cell line cells, upper level alignment with the Cell Ontology (CL) and the Ontology for Biomedical Investigation, and logical extensions. Construction and content Collaboration among the CLO, CL, and OBI has established consensus definitions of cell line-specific terms such as ‘cell line’, ‘cell line cell’, ‘cell line culturing’, and ‘mortal’ vs. ‘immortal cell line cell’. A cell line is a genetically stable cultured cell population that contains individual cell line cells. The hierarchical structure of the CLO is built based on the hierarchy of the in vivo cell types defined in CL and tissue types (from which cell line cells are derived) defined in the UBERON cross-species anatomy ontology. The new hierarchical structure makes it easier to browse, query, and perform automated classification. We have recently added classes representing more than 2,000 cell line cells from the RIKEN BRC Cell Bank to CLO. Overall, the CLO now contains ~38,000 classes of specific cell line cells derived from over 200 in vivo cell types from various organisms. Utility and discussion The CLO has been applied to different biomedical research studies. Example case studies include annotation and analysis of EBI ArrayExpress data, bioassays, and host-vaccine/pathogen interaction. CLO’s utility goes beyond a catalogue of cell line types. The alignment of the CLO with related ontologies combined with the use of ontological reasoners will support sophisticated inferencing to advance translational informatics development. PMID:25852852

Growth plate-derived hedgehog-signal-responsive cells provide skeletal tissue components in growing bone.

PubMed

Haraguchi, Ryuma; Kitazawa, Riko; Imai, Yuuki; Kitazawa, Sohei

2018-04-01

Longitudinal bone growth progresses by continuous bone replacement of epiphyseal cartilaginous tissue, known as "growth plate", produced by columnar proliferated- and differentiated-epiphyseal chondrocytes. The endochondral ossification process at the growth plate is governed by paracrine signals secreted from terminally differentiated chondrocytes (hypertrophic chondrocytes), and hedgehog signaling is one of the best known regulatory signaling pathways in this process. Here, to investigate the developmental relationship between longitudinal endochondral bone formation and osteogenic progenitors under the influence of hedgehog signaling at the growth plate, genetic lineage tracing was carried out with the use of Gli1 CreERT2 mice line to follow the fate of hedgehog-signal-responsive cells during endochondral bone formation. Gli1 CreERT2 genetically labeled cells are detected in hypertrophic chondrocytes and osteo-progenitors at the chondro-osseous junction (COJ); these progeny then commit to the osteogenic lineage in periosteum, trabecular and cortical bone along the developing longitudinal axis. Furthermore, in ageing bone, where longitudinal bone growth ceases, hedgehog-signal responsiveness and its implication in osteogenic lineage commitment is significantly weakened. These results show, for the first time, evidence of the developmental contribution of endochondral progenitors under the influence of epiphyseal chondrocyte-derived secretory signals in longitudinally growing bone. This study provides a precise outline for assessing the skeletal lineage commitment of osteo-progenitors in response to growth-plate-derived regulatory signals during endochondral bone formation.

Respiratory Fluid Mechanics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grotberg, James

2005-11-01

This brief overview of our groups activities includes liquid plug propagation in single and bifurcating tubes, a subject which pertains to surfactant delivery, liquid ventilation, pulmonary edema, and drowning. As the plug propagates, a variety of flow patterns may emerge depending on the parameters. It splits unevenly at airway bifurcations and can rupture, which reopens the airway to gas flow. Both propagation and rupture may damage the underlying airway wall cells. Another topic is surfactant dynamics and flow in a model of an oscillating alveolus. The analysis shows a nontrivial cycle-averaged surfactant concentration gradient along the interface that generates steady streaming. The steady streaming patterns particularly depend on the ratio of inspiration to expiration time periods and the sorption parameter. Vortices, single and multiple, may be achieved, as well as a saddle point configuration. Potential applications are pulmonary drug administration, cell-cell signaling pathways, and gene therapy. Finally, capillary instabilities which cause airway closure, and strategies for stabilization, will be presented. This involves the core-annular flow of a liquid-lined tube, where the core (air) is forced to oscillate axially. The stabilization mechanism is similar to that of a reversing butter knife, where the core shear wipes the growing liquid bulge, from the Rayleigh instability, back on to the tube wall during the main tidal volume stroke, but allows it to grow back as the stroke and shear turn around.

Important factors for cell-membrane permeabilization by gold nanoparticles activated by nanosecond-laser irradiation

PubMed Central

Yao, Cuiping; Rudnitzki, Florian; Hüttmann, Gereon; Zhang, Zhenxi; Rahmanzadeh, Ramtin

2017-01-01

Purpose Pulsed-laser irradiation of light-absorbing gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) attached to cells transiently increases cell membrane permeability for targeted molecule delivery. Here, we targeted EGFR on the ovarian carcinoma cell line OVCAR-3 with AuNPs. In order to optimize membrane permeability and to demonstrate molecule delivery into adherent OVCAR-3 cells, we systematically investigated different experimental conditions. Materials and methods AuNPs (30 nm) were functionalized by conjugation of the antibody cetuximab against EGFR. Selective binding of the particles was demonstrated by silver staining, multiphoton imaging, and fluorescence-lifetime imaging. After laser irradiation, membrane permeability of OVCAR-3 cells was studied under different conditions of AuNP concentration, cell-incubation medium, and cell–AuNP incubation time. Membrane permeability and cell viability were evaluated by flow cytometry, measuring propidium iodide and fluorescein isothiocyanate–dextran uptake. Results Adherently growing OVCAR-3 cells can be effectively targeted with EGFR-AuNP. Laser irradiation led to successful permeabilization, and 150 kDa dextran was successfully delivered into cells with about 70% efficiency. Conclusion Antibody-targeted and laser-irradiated AuNPs can be used to deliver molecules into adherent cells. Efficacy depends not only on laser parameters but also on AuNP:cell ratio, cell-incubation medium, and cell–AuNP incubation time. PMID:28848345

Synthesis and evaluation of 1-amino-6-halo-β-carbolines as antimalarial and antiprion agents.

PubMed

Thompson, Mark J; Louth, Jennifer C; Little, Susan M; Jackson, Matthew P; Boursereau, Yohan; Chen, Beining; Coldham, Iain

2012-04-01

Malaria is one of the world's most devastating parasitic diseases, causing almost one million deaths each year. Growing resistance to classical antimalarial drugs, such as chloroquine, necessitates the discovery of new therapeutic agents for successful control of this global disease. Here, we report the synthesis of some 6-halo-β-carbolines as analogues of the potent antimalarial natural product, manzamine A, retaining its heteroaromatic core whilst providing compounds with much improved synthetic accessibility. Two compounds displayed superior activity to chloroquine itself against a resistant Plasmodium falciparum strain, identifying them as promising leads for future development. Furthermore, in line with previous reports of similarities in antimalarial and antiprion effects of aminoaryl-based antimalarial agents, the 1-amino-β-carboline libraries were also found to possess significant bioactivity against a prion-infected cell line. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Identification of biomarkers of radioresponse and subsequent progression towards lung cancer in normal human bronchial epithelial cells after HZE particle irradiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Story, Michael; Ding, Liang-Hao; Park, Seongmi; Minna, John

Using variants of a non-oncogenically immortalized human bronchial epithelial cell line HBEC3-KT, we have examined global gene expression patterns after low and high LET irradiation up to 24h post-IR. Using supervised analyses we have identified 427 genes whoes expression can be used to discriminate the cellular response to γ-vs Si or Fe particles even when the biological outcome, cell death, is equivalent. Furthermore, genetic background also determines gene expression response. When HBEC3-KT is compared to the HBEC3-KT cells line where mutant k-RAS is over-expressed and p53 has been knocked down, HBEC-3KTr53, principal component analysis clearly shows that the response of each cell resides in a different 3-D space, that is, basal gene expression patterns as well as the gene expression response are unique to each cell type. Using regression analysis to examine these 427 genes show clusters of genes whose temporal expression patterns are the same and which are unique to a given radiation type. Ultimately, this approach will allow for the interrogation of gene promoters to identify response elements that drive how cells respond to different radiation types. We are extending our examination to O particles and are now examining gene expression as a function of beam quality. We have made substantial progress in the determination of cellular transformation by HZE particles for these cell lines. (Transformation as defined by the ability to grow in soft agar.) For HBEC-3KT, the spontaneous transformation frequency is about 10- 7.ExposuretoeitherF eorSiparticlesinc KT r53celllinedidnotshowanyincreaseintransf ormationf requencyaf terdosesof upto1Gy, however, thesp 3KT.W ehavenowisolatedover160individualf ocithatf ormedinsof tagarf romcellculturesthatwereirradia termcultureandthenre-introducedintosof tagartoassurethattheabilitytogrowinsof tagarisclonal.T odatew 30 With these cell isolates in hand we will begin to determine tumorigenicity by subcutaneous injections in nude mice. Tumors that develop will be examined for radiosensitivity and aggres-siveness and will be also be examined for genomic, epigenomic and proteomic changes. Com-parisons of unirradiated cells, transformed cells, and tumor cells will allow the development of biomarkers of radiation-induced lung cancer, in particular HZE-induced lung tumors, and help to generate risk factors for lung cancer as a result of travel through deep space environments.

Thyroid cell lines in research on goitrogenesis.

PubMed

Gerber, H; Peter, H J; Asmis, L; Studer, H

1991-12-01

Thyroid cell lines have contributed a lot to the understanding of goitrogenesis. The cell lines mostly used in thyroid research are briefly discussed, namely the rat thyroid cell lines FRTL and FRTL-5, the porcine thyroid cell lines PORTHOS and ARTHOS, The sheep thyroid cell lines OVNIS 5H and 6H, the cat thyroid cell lines PETCAT 1 to 4 and ROMCAT, and the human thyroid cell lines FTC-133 and HTh 74. Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells and COS-7 cells, stably transfected with TSH receptor cDNA and expressing a functional TSH receptor, are discussed as examples for non-thyroidal cells, transfected with thyroid genes.

Analysis of renal cancer cell lines from two major resources enables genomics-guided cell line selection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sinha, Rileen; Winer, Andrew G.; Chevinsky, Michael; Jakubowski, Christopher; Chen, Ying-Bei; Dong, Yiyu; Tickoo, Satish K.; Reuter, Victor E.; Russo, Paul; Coleman, Jonathan A.; Sander, Chris; Hsieh, James J.; Hakimi, A. Ari

2017-05-01

The utility of cancer cell lines is affected by the similarity to endogenous tumour cells. Here we compare genomic data from 65 kidney-derived cell lines from the Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia and the COSMIC Cell Lines Project to three renal cancer subtypes from The Cancer Genome Atlas: clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC, also known as kidney renal clear cell carcinoma), papillary (pRCC, also known as kidney papillary) and chromophobe (chRCC, also known as kidney chromophobe) renal cell carcinoma. Clustering copy number alterations shows that most cell lines resemble ccRCC, a few (including some often used as models of ccRCC) resemble pRCC, and none resemble chRCC. Human ccRCC tumours clustering with cell lines display clinical and genomic features of more aggressive disease, suggesting that cell lines best represent aggressive tumours. We stratify mutations and copy number alterations for important kidney cancer genes by the consistency between databases, and classify cell lines into established gene expression-based indolent and aggressive subtypes. Our results could aid investigators in analysing appropriate renal cancer cell lines.

Tumor metastasis-associated human MTA1 gene and its MTA1 protein product: role in epithelial cancer cell invasion, proliferation and nuclear regulation.

PubMed

Nicolson, Garth L; Nawa, Akihiro; Toh, Yasushi; Taniguchi, Shigeki; Nishimori, Katsuhiko; Moustafa, Amr

2003-01-01

Using differential cDNA library screening techniques based on metastatic and nonmetastatic rat mammary adenocarcinoma cell lines, we previously cloned and sequenced the metastasis-associated gene mta1. Using homology to the rat mta1 gene, we cloned the human MTA1 gene and found it to be over-expressed in a variety of human cell lines (breast, ovarian, lung, gastric and colorectal cancer but not melanoma or sarcoma) and cancerous tissues (breast, esophageal, colorectal, gastric and pancreatic cancer). We found a close similarity between the human MTA1 and rat mta1 genes (88% and 96% identities of the nucleotide and predicted amino acid sequences, respectively). Both genes encode novel proteins that contain a proline rich region (SH3-binding motif), a putative zinc finger motif, a leucine zipper motif and 5 copies of the SPXX motif found in gene regulatory proteins. Using Southern blot analysis the MTA1 gene was highly conserved, and using Northern blot analysis MTA1 transcripts were found in virtually all human cell lines (melanoma, breast, cervix and ovarian carcinoma cells and normal breast epithelial cells). However, the expression level of the MTA1 gene in normal breast epithelial cells was approximately 50% of that found in rapidly growing adenocarcinoma and atypical epithelial cell lines. Experimental inhibition of MTA1 protein expression using antisense phosphorothioate oligonucleotides resulted in inhibition of growth and invasion of human MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells with relatively high MTA1 expression. Furthermore, the MTA1 protein was localized in the nuclei of cells transfected with a mammalian expression vector containing a full-length MTA1 gene. Although some MTA1 protein was found in the cytoplasm, the vast majority of MTA1 protein was localized in the nucleus. Examination of recombinate MTA1 and related MTA2 proteins suggests that MTA1 protein is a histone deacetylase. It also appears to behave like a GATA-element transcription factor, since transfection of a GATA-element reporter into MTA1-expressing cells resulted in 10-20-fold increase in reporter expression over poorly MTA1-expressing cells. Since it was reported that nucleosome remodeling histone deacetylase complex (NuRD complex) involved in chromatin remodeling contains MTA1 protein and a MTA1-related protein (MTA2), we examined NuRD complexes for the presence of MTA1 protein and found an association of this protein with histone deacetylase. The results suggest that the MTA1 protein may serve multiple functions in cellular signaling, chromosome remodeling and transcription processes that are important in the progression, invasion and growth of metastatic epithelial cells.

Laser bioprinting of human induced pluripotent stem cells-the effect of printing and biomaterials on cell survival, pluripotency, and differentiation.

PubMed

Koch, Lothar; Deiwick, Andrea; Franke, Annika; Schwanke, Kristin; Haverich, Axel; Zweigerdt, Robert; Chichkov, Boris

2018-04-25

Research on human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) is one of the fastest growing fields in biomedicine. Generated from patient's own somatic cells, hiPSCs can be differentiated towards all functional cell types and returned to the patient without immunological concerns. 3D printing of hiPSCs could enable the generation of functional organs for replacement therapies or realization of organ-on-chip systems for individualized medicine. Printing of living cells was demonstrated with immortalized cell lines, primary cells, and adult stem cells with different printing technologies and biomaterials. However, hiPSCs are more sensitive to handling procedures, in particular, when dissociated into single cells. Both pluripotency and directed differentiation are influenced by numerous environmental factors including culture media, biomaterials, and cell density. Notably, existing literature on the effect of applied biomaterials on pluripotency is rather ambiguous. In this study, laser bioprinting of undifferentiated hiPSCs in combination with different biomaterials was performed and the impact on cells' behavior, pluripotency, and differentiation was investigated. Our findings suggest that hiPSCs are indeed more sensitive to the applied biomaterials, but not to laser printing itself. With appropriate biomaterials, such as the hyaluronic acid based solutions applied in this study, hiPSCs can be successfully laser printed without losing their pluripotency.

Using mass spectrometry to detect, differentiate, and semiquantitate closely related peptide hormones in complex milieu: measurement of IGF-II and vesiculin.

PubMed

Lee, Kate L; Middleditch, Martin J; Williams, Geoffrey M; Brimble, Margaret A; Cooper, Garth J S

2015-03-01

The search for an islet β-cell growth factor has been a key objective in recent diabetes research, because the ability to regenerate and/or protect the functioning β-cell population in patients could result in a great advancement for diabetes treatment. IGF-I and IGF-II are known to play crucial roles in fetal growth and prenatal development, and there is growing evidence that IGF-II increases β-cell proliferation and survival in vitro and in vivo. A search for the source of IGF-II-like immunoreactivity in isolated β-cell secretory granules from the murine cell line βTC6-F7 revealed a novel 2-chain IGF-II-derived peptide, which we named vesiculin and which has been shown to be a full insulin agonist. Here, we present a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method that enables selective detection and semiquantitation of the highly related IGF-II and vesiculin molecules. We have used this method to measure these 2 peptides in conditioned media from 2 β-cell lines, produced under increasing glucose concentrations. This technique detected both IGF-II and vesiculin in media conditioned by MIN6 and βTC6-F7 cells at levels in the range of 0 to 6 μM (total insulin, 80-450 μM) and revealed a glucose-stimulated increase in insulin, IGF-II, and vesiculin. IGF-II was detected in adult human and neonatal mouse serum in high levels, but vesiculin was not present. The methodology we present herein has utility for detecting and differentiating active peptides that are highly related and of low abundance.

miR-138 overexpression is more powerful than hTERT knockdown to potentiate apigenin for apoptosis in neuroblastoma in vitro and in vivo

PubMed Central

Chakrabarti, Mrinmay; Banik, Naren L.; Ray, Swapan K.

2013-01-01

Decrease in expression of the tumor suppressor microRNA-138 (miR-138) correlates well with an increase in telomerase activity in many human cancers. The ability of almost all human cancer cells to grow indefinitely is dependent on presence of telomerase activity. The catalytic component of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) regulates telomerase activity in most of the human cancers including malignant neuroblastoma. We observed an indirect increase in the expression of miR-138 after the transfection with hTERT short hairpin RNA (shRNA) plasmid in human malignant neuroblastoma SK-N-DZ and SK-N-BE2 cell lines. Transfection with hTERT shRNA plasmid followed by treatment with the flavonoid apigenin (APG) further increased expression of miR-138. Direct transfection with miR-138 mimic was more powerful than transfection with hTERT shRNA plasmid in potentiating efficacy of APG for decreasing cell viability and colony formation capability of both cell lines. Upregulation of miR-138 was also more effective than down regulation of hTERT in enhancing efficacy of APG for induction of apoptosis in malignant neuroblastoma cells in vitro and in vivo. We delineated that apoptosis occurred with induction of molecular components of the extrinsic and intrinsic pathways in SK-N-DZ and SK-N-BE2 cells both in vitro and in vivo. In conclusion, these results demonstrate that direct miR-138 overexpression is more powerful than hTERT down regulation in enhancing pro-apoptotic effect of APG for controlling growth of human malignant neuroblastoma in cell culture and animal models. PMID:23562653

Evaluating cell lines as tumour models by comparison of genomic profiles

PubMed Central

Domcke, Silvia; Sinha, Rileen; Levine, Douglas A.; Sander, Chris; Schultz, Nikolaus

2013-01-01

Cancer cell lines are frequently used as in vitro tumour models. Recent molecular profiles of hundreds of cell lines from The Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia and thousands of tumour samples from the Cancer Genome Atlas now allow a systematic genomic comparison of cell lines and tumours. Here we analyse a panel of 47 ovarian cancer cell lines and identify those that have the highest genetic similarity to ovarian tumours. Our comparison of copy-number changes, mutations and mRNA expression profiles reveals pronounced differences in molecular profiles between commonly used ovarian cancer cell lines and high-grade serous ovarian cancer tumour samples. We identify several rarely used cell lines that more closely resemble cognate tumour profiles than commonly used cell lines, and we propose these lines as the most suitable models of ovarian cancer. Our results indicate that the gap between cell lines and tumours can be bridged by genomically informed choices of cell line models for all tumour types. PMID:23839242

Some Kinds of Cancer Kids Get

MedlinePlus

... normal grow too fast and spread out of control. A group or mass of growing cells is called a ... person, these white blood cells multiply out of control. They fill up the bone ... Cancer A brain tumor is a group or clump of fast-growing cells that can ...

Migration and Differentiation of GFP-transplanted Bone Marrow-derived Cells into Experimentally Induced Periodontal Polyp in Mice.

PubMed

Matsuda, Saeka; Shoumura, Masahito; Osuga, Naoto; Tsujigiwa, Hidetsugu; Nakano, Keisuke; Okafuji, Norimasa; Ochiai, Takanaga; Hasegawa, Hiromasa; Kawakami, Toshiyuki

2016-01-01

Perforation of floor of the dental pulp is often encountered during root canal treatment in routine clinical practice of dental caries. If perforation were large, granulation tissue would grow to form periodontal polyp. Granulation tissue consists of proliferating cells however their origin is not clear. It was shown that the cells in granulation tissue are mainly from migration of undifferentiated mesenchymal cells of the bone marrow. Hence, this study utilized GFP bone marrow transplantation mouse model. The floor of the pulp chamber in maxillary first molar was perforated using ½ dental round bur. Morphological assessment was carried out by micro CT and microscopy and GFP cell mechanism was further assessed by immunohistochemistry using double fluorescent staining with GFP-S100A4; GFP-Runx2 and GFP-CD31. Results of micro CT revealed alveolar bone resorption and widening of periodontal ligament. Histopathological examination showed proliferation of fibroblasts with some round cells and blood vessels in the granulation tissue. At 2 weeks, the outermost layer of the granulation tissue was lined by squamous cells with distinct intercellular bridges. At 4 weeks, the granulation tissue became larger than the perforation and the outermost layer was lined by relatively typical stratified squamous epithelium. Double immunofluorescent staining of GFP and Runx2 revealed that both proteins were expressed in spindle-shaped cells. Double immunofluorescent staining of GFP and CD31 revealed that both proteins were expressed in vascular endothelial cells in morphologically distinct vessels. The results suggest that fibroblasts, periodontal ligament fibroblasts and blood vessels in granulation tissue were derived from transplanted-bone marrow cells. Thus, essential growth of granulation tissue in periodontal polyp was caused by the migration of undifferentiated mesenchymal cells derived from bone marrow, which differentiated into fibroblasts and later on differentiated into other cells in response to injury.

C2x: A tool for visualisation and input preparation for CASTEP and other electronic structure codes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rutter, M. J.

2018-04-01

The c2x code fills two distinct roles. Its first role is in acting as a converter between the binary format .check files from the widely-used CASTEP [1] electronic structure code and various visualisation programs. Its second role is to manipulate and analyse the input and output files from a variety of electronic structure codes, including CASTEP, ONETEP and VASP, as well as the widely-used 'Gaussian cube' file format. Analysis includes symmetry analysis, and manipulation arbitrary cell transformations. It continues to be under development, with growing functionality, and is written in a form which would make it easy to extend it to working directly with files from other electronic structure codes. Data which c2x is capable of extracting from CASTEP's binary checkpoint files include charge densities, spin densities, wavefunctions, relaxed atomic positions, forces, the Fermi level, the total energy, and symmetry operations. It can recreate .cell input files from checkpoint files. Volumetric data can be output in formats useable by many common visualisation programs, and c2x will itself calculate integrals, expand data into supercells, and interpolate data via combinations of Fourier and trilinear interpolation. It can extract data along arbitrary lines (such as lines between atoms) as 1D output. C2x is able to convert between several common formats for describing molecules and crystals, including the .cell format of CASTEP. It can construct supercells, reduce cells to their primitive form, and add specified k-point meshes. It uses the spglib library [2] to report symmetry information, which it can add to .cell files. C2x is a command-line utility, so is readily included in scripts. It is available under the GPL and can be obtained from http://www.c2x.org.uk. It is believed to be the only open-source code which can read CASTEP's .check files, so it will have utility in other projects.

Abnormal development of floral meristem triggers defective morphogenesis of generative system in transgenic tomatoes.

PubMed

Chaban, Inna; Khaliluev, Marat; Baranova, Ekaterina; Kononenko, Neonila; Dolgov, Sergey; Smirnova, Elena

2018-04-21

Parthenocarpy and fruit malformations are common among independent transgenic tomato lines, expressing genes encoding different pathogenesis-related (PR) protein and antimicrobal peptides. Abnormal phenotype developed independently of the expression and type of target genes, but distinctive features during flower and fruit development were detected in each transgenic line. We analyzed the morphology, anatomy, and cytoembryology of abnormal flowers and fruits from these transgenic tomato lines and compared them with flowers and fruits of wild tomatoes, line YaLF used for transformation, and transgenic plants with normal phenotype. We confirmed that the main cause of abnormal flower and fruit development was the alterations of determinate growth of generative meristem. These alterations triggered different types of anomalous growth, affecting the number of growing ectopic shoots and formation of new flowers. Investigation of the ovule ontogenesis did not show anomalies in embryo sac development, but fertilization did not occur and embryo sac degenerated. Nevertheless, the ovule continued to differentiate due to proliferation of endothelium cells. The latter substituted embryo sac and formed pseudoembryonic tissue. This process imitated embryogenesis and stimulated ovary growth, leading to the development of parthenocarpic fruit. We demonstrated that failed fertilization occurred due to defective male gametophyte formation, which was manifested in blocked division of the nucleus in the microspore and arrest of vegetative and generative cell formation. Maturing pollen grains were overgrown microspores, not competent for fertilization but capable to induce proliferation of endothelium and development of parthenocarpic ovary. Thus, our study provided new data on the structural transformations of reproductive organs during development of parthenocarpic fruits in transgenic tomato.

Maize early endosperm growth and development: from fertilization through cell type differentiation.

PubMed

Leroux, Brian M; Goodyke, Austin J; Schumacher, Katelyn I; Abbott, Chelsi P; Clore, Amy M; Yadegari, Ramin; Larkins, Brian A; Dannenhoffer, Joanne M

2014-08-01

• Given the worldwide economic importance of maize endosperm, it is surprising that its development is not the most comprehensively studied of the cereals. We present detailed morphometric and cytological descriptions of endosperm development in the maize inbred line B73, for which the genome has been sequenced, and compare its growth with four diverse Nested Association Mapping (NAM) founder lines.• The first 12 d of B73 endosperm development were described using semithin sections of plastic-embedded kernels and confocal microscopy. Longitudinal sections were used to compare endosperm length, thickness, and area.• Morphometric comparison between Arizona- and Michigan-grown B73 showed a common pattern. Early endosperm development was divided into four stages: coenocytic, cellularization through alveolation, cellularization through partitioning, and differentiation. We observed tightly synchronous nuclear divisions in the coenocyte, elucidated that the onset of cellularization was coincident with endosperm size, and identified a previously undefined cell type (basal intermediate zone, BIZ). NAM founders with small mature kernels had larger endosperms (0-6 d after pollination) than lines with large mature kernels.• Our B73-specific model of early endosperm growth links developmental events to relative endosperm size, while accounting for diverse growing conditions. Maize endosperm cellularizes through alveolation, then random partitioning of the central vacuole. This unique cellularization feature of maize contrasts with the smaller endosperms of Arabidopsis, barley, and rice that strictly cellularize through repeated alveolation. NAM analysis revealed differences in endosperm size during early development, which potentially relates to differences in timing of cellularization across diverse lines of maize. © 2014 Botanical Society of America, Inc.

Continuous hematopoietic cell lines as model systems for leukemia-lymphoma research.

PubMed

Drexler, H G; Matsuo, A Y; MacLeod, R A

2000-11-01

Along with other improvements, the advent of continuous human leukemia-lymphoma (LL) cell lines as a rich resource of abundant, accessible and manipulable living cells has contributed significantly to a better understanding of the pathophysiology of hematopoietic tumors. The first LL cell lines, Burkitt's lymphoma-derived lines, were established in 1963. Since then, more than 1000 cell lines have been described, although not all of them in full detail. The major advantages of continuous cell lines is the unlimited supply and worldwide availability of identical cell material, and the infinite viable storability in liquid nitrogen. LL cell lines are characterized generally by monoclonal origin and differentiation arrest, sustained proliferation in vitro under preservation of most cellular features, and specific genetic alterations. The most practical classification of LL cell lines assigns them to one of the physiologically occurring cell lineages, based on their immunophenotype, genotype and functional features. Truly malignant cell lines must be discerned from Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-immortalized normal cells, using various distinguishing parameters. However, the picture is not quite so straightforward, as some types of LL cell lines are indeed EBV+, and some EBV+ normal cell lines carry also genetic aberrations and may mimic malignancy-associated features. Apart from EBV and human T-cell leukemia virus in some lines, the majority of wild-type LL cell lines are virus-negative. The efficiency of cell line establishment is rather low and the deliberate establishment of new LL cell lines remains by and large an unpredictable random process. Difficulties in establishing continuous cell lines may be caused by the inappropriate selection of nutrients and growth factors for these cells. Clearly, a generally suitable microenvironment for hematopoietic cells, either malignant or normal, cannot yet be created in vitro. The characterization and publication of new LL cell lines should provide important and informative core data, attesting to their scientific significance. Large percentages of LL cell lines are contaminated with mycoplasma (about 30%) or are cross-contaminated with other cell lines (about 15-20%). Solutions to these problems are sensitive detection, effective elimination and rigorous prevention of mycoplasma infection, and proper, regular authentication of cell lines. The underlying cause, however, appears to be negligent cell culture practice. The willingness of investigators to make their LL cell lines available to others is all too often limited. There is a need in the scientific community for clean and authenticated high-quality LL cell lines to which every scientist has access. These are offered by various institutionalized public cell line banks. It has been argued that LL cell lines are genetically unstable (both cytogenetically and molecular genetically). For instance, cell lines are supposed to acquire numerical and structural chromosomal alterations and various types of mutations (e.g. point mutations) in vitro. We present evidence that while nearly 100% of all LL cell lines indeed carry genetic alterations, these alterations appear to be stable rather than unstable. As an example of the practical utility of LL cell lines, the recent advances in studies of classical and molecular cytogenetics, which in large part were made possible by cell lines, are highlighted. A list of the most useful, robust and publicly available reference cell lines that may be used for a variety of experimental purposes is proposed. Clearly, by opening new avenues for investigation, studies of LL cell lines have provided seminal insights into the biology of hematopoietic neoplasia. Over a period of nearly four decades, these initially rather exotic cell cultures, known only to a few specialists, have become ubiquitous powerful research tools that are available to every investigator.

Protein Arginine Methyltransferase 5 as a Driver of Lymphomagenesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Porsha Latrice

Over the past decade, it has become clear that oncogenesis is a process driven by a wide variety of triggers including gene mutations, gene amplifications, inflammation, and immune deficiency. The growing pool of data collected from whole genome and epigenome studies of both solid and blood cancers has pointed toward dysregulation of chromatin remodelers as a unique class of cancer drivers. Next generation sequencing studies of lymphomas have identified a wide array of somatic mutations affecting enzymes that regulate epigenetic control of gene expression. Lymphoma is a type of cancer that originates in secondary lymphoid organs and manifests as an outgrowth of transformed lymphocytes, or white blood cells (WBCs) in the blood. The majority of lymphoma cases can be grouped into the Non-Hodgkins lymphoma (NHL) subset and mainly occurs in B-cells. B-cell NHL is a heterogeneous set of cancers that would benefit from new therapies to improve patient progression-free survival. Cancers such as NHL typically present with a combination of genetic and epigenetic aberrations that contribute to the malignancy program. The epigenetic modifier protein arginine methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5) is required for B-cell transformation following Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection, and is overexpressed in various subsets of B-cell NHL. Based on these data we hypothesized that PRMT5 is a major driver of B-cell lymphomagenesis. To explore the role of PRMT5 in the development and progression of B-cell NHL we created a small molecule inhibitors targeted to PRMT5. Using the NHL subset mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) as a model we tested the efficacy of the drug. We discovered that PRMT5 was overexpressed in MCL primary samples and cell lines as compared to normal resting B cells. Furthermore, use of the small molecule inhibitor decreased the proliferation and viability in these cells without affecting the normal B-cells. Additionally, use of inhibitors caused G2/M cell cycle and decreased the expression of the oncogenic cell cycle proteins cyclin D1, CDK4 and c-myc but de-repressed the expression of the tumor suppressors PDCD4, C/EBPbeta and ST7. Finally, Nanostring analysis confirmed the dysregulation of multiple microRNA pathways which is attenuated with PRMT5 inhibition. To further explore the role of PRMT5 as a potential driver of lymphomagenesis, we created an Emu-PRMT5 mouse model that overexpressed human PRMT5 in the B-lymphoid compartment of FVB/N mice. Using this model we demonstrated an increase in the incidence of lymphoma as compared to non-transgenic mice. Most of the lymphomas developed were pre-B-cell however the model also generated a number of T-cell lymphomas. Indeed we were also able to isolate and propagate the Tg813 T-cell lymphoma cell line from a transgenic mouse tumor. Inhibition of PRMT5 in the Tg813 cell line with a small molecule inhibitor resulted in apoptosis and loss of the expression of the oncogenic proteins cyclin D1 and c-myc. Furthermore, engraftment of the 813 cell line into both SCID and FVB/N mice caused disseminated lymphoma, characterized by organomegaly and lymphoid tumors, and was lethal within 21 days post-engraftment. Genetic editing utilizing CRISPR/CAS9 technology and an inducible guide RNA system illustrated that genetic knockout of PRMT5 in this line led to decreased proliferation. Taken together, these data demonstrate the role of PRMT5 as a lymphoma driver and describe a novel class of inhibitors in MCL as well as the first PRMT5 transgenic mouse model.

Cancer Tissue Engineering: A Novel 3D Polystyrene Scaffold for In Vitro Isolation and Amplification of Lymphoma Cancer Cells from Heterogeneous Cell Mixtures

PubMed Central

Caicedo-Carvajal, Carlos E.; Liu, Qing; Remache, Yvonne; Goy, Andre; Suh, K. Stephen

2011-01-01

Isolation and amplification of primary lymphoma cells in vitro setting is technically and biologically challenging task. To optimize culture environment and mimic in vivo conditions, lymphoma cell lines were used as a test case and were grown in 3-dimension (3D) using a novel 3D tissue culture polystyrene scaffold with neonatal stromal cells to represent a lymphoma microenvironment. In this model, the cell proliferation was enhanced more than 200-fold or 20,000% neoplastic surplus in 7 days when less than 1% lymphoma cells were cocultured with 100-fold excess of neonatal stroma cells, representing 3.2-fold higher proliferative rate than 2D coculture model. The lymphoma cells grew and aggregated to form clusters during 3D coculture and did not maintained the parental phenotype to grow in single-cell suspension. The cluster size was over 5-fold bigger in the 3D coculture by day 4 than 2D coculture system and contained less than 0.00001% of neonatal fibroblast trace. This preliminary data indicate that novel 3D scaffold geometry and coculturing environment can be customized to amplify primary cancer cells from blood or tissues related to hematological cancer and subsequently used for personalized drug screening procedures. PMID:22073378

Working towards recalcitrance mechanisms: increased xylan and homogalacturonan production by overexpression of GAlactUronosylTransferase12 (GAUT12) causes increased recalcitrance and decreased growth in Populus

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Biswal, Ajaya K.; Atmodjo, Melani A.; Pattathil, Sivakumar

The development of fast-growing hardwood trees as a source of lignocellulosic biomass for biofuel and biomaterial production requires a thorough understanding of the plant cell wall structure and function that underlie the inherent recalcitrance properties of woody biomass. Downregulation of GAUT12.1 in Populus deltoides was recently reported to result in improved biomass saccharification, plant growth, and biomass yield. To further understand GAUT12.1 function in biomass recalcitrance and plant growth, here we report the effects of P. trichocarpa GAUT12.1 overexpression in P. deltoides. Increasing GAUT12.1 transcript expression by 7-49% in P. deltoides PtGAUT12.1-overexpression (OE) lines resulted in a nearly complete oppositemore » biomass saccharification and plant growth phenotype to that observed previously in PdGAUT12.1-knockdown (KD) lines. This also included significantly reduced glucose, xylose, and total sugar release (12-13%), plant height (6-54%), stem diameter (8-40%), and overall total aerial biomass yield (48-61%) in 3-month-old, greenhouse-grown PtGAUT12.1-OE lines compared to controls. Total lignin content was unaffected by the gene overexpression. Importantly, selected PtGAUT12.1-OE lines retained the recalcitrance and growth phenotypes upon growth for 9 months in the greenhouse and 2.8 years in the field. PtGAUT12.1-OE plants had significantly smaller leaves with lower relative water content, and significantly reduced stem wood xylem cell numbers and size. At the cell wall level, xylose and galacturonic acid contents increased markedly in total cell walls as well as in soluble and insoluble cell wall extracts, consistent with increased amounts of xylan and homogalacturonan in the PtGAUT12.1-OE lines. This led to increased cell wall recalcitrance, as manifested by the 9-15% reduced amounts of recovered extractable wall materials and 8-15% greater amounts of final insoluble pellet in the PtGAUT12.1-OE lines compared to controls. The combined phenotype and chemotype data from P. deltoides PtGAUT12.1-OE and PdGAUT12.1-KD transgenics clearly establish GAUT12.1 as a recalcitrance- and growth-associated gene in poplar. Overall, the data support the hypothesis that GAUT12.1 synthesizes either an HG-containing primer for xylan synthesis or an HG glycan required for proper xylan deposition, anchoring, and/or architecture in the wall, and the possibility of HG and xylan glycans being connected to each other by a base-sensitive covalent linkage.« less

Working towards recalcitrance mechanisms: increased xylan and homogalacturonan production by overexpression of GAlactUronosylTransferase12 (GAUT12) causes increased recalcitrance and decreased growth in Populus

DOE PAGES

Biswal, Ajaya K.; Atmodjo, Melani A.; Pattathil, Sivakumar; ...

2018-01-17

The development of fast-growing hardwood trees as a source of lignocellulosic biomass for biofuel and biomaterial production requires a thorough understanding of the plant cell wall structure and function that underlie the inherent recalcitrance properties of woody biomass. Downregulation of GAUT12.1 in Populus deltoides was recently reported to result in improved biomass saccharification, plant growth, and biomass yield. To further understand GAUT12.1 function in biomass recalcitrance and plant growth, here we report the effects of P. trichocarpa GAUT12.1 overexpression in P. deltoides. Increasing GAUT12.1 transcript expression by 7-49% in P. deltoides PtGAUT12.1-overexpression (OE) lines resulted in a nearly complete oppositemore » biomass saccharification and plant growth phenotype to that observed previously in PdGAUT12.1-knockdown (KD) lines. This also included significantly reduced glucose, xylose, and total sugar release (12-13%), plant height (6-54%), stem diameter (8-40%), and overall total aerial biomass yield (48-61%) in 3-month-old, greenhouse-grown PtGAUT12.1-OE lines compared to controls. Total lignin content was unaffected by the gene overexpression. Importantly, selected PtGAUT12.1-OE lines retained the recalcitrance and growth phenotypes upon growth for 9 months in the greenhouse and 2.8 years in the field. PtGAUT12.1-OE plants had significantly smaller leaves with lower relative water content, and significantly reduced stem wood xylem cell numbers and size. At the cell wall level, xylose and galacturonic acid contents increased markedly in total cell walls as well as in soluble and insoluble cell wall extracts, consistent with increased amounts of xylan and homogalacturonan in the PtGAUT12.1-OE lines. This led to increased cell wall recalcitrance, as manifested by the 9-15% reduced amounts of recovered extractable wall materials and 8-15% greater amounts of final insoluble pellet in the PtGAUT12.1-OE lines compared to controls. The combined phenotype and chemotype data from P. deltoides PtGAUT12.1-OE and PdGAUT12.1-KD transgenics clearly establish GAUT12.1 as a recalcitrance- and growth-associated gene in poplar. Overall, the data support the hypothesis that GAUT12.1 synthesizes either an HG-containing primer for xylan synthesis or an HG glycan required for proper xylan deposition, anchoring, and/or architecture in the wall, and the possibility of HG and xylan glycans being connected to each other by a base-sensitive covalent linkage.« less

Micro-Topographies Promote Late Chondrogenic Differentiation Markers in the ATDC5 Cell Line.

PubMed

Le, Bach Q; Vasilevich, Aliaksei; Vermeulen, Steven; Hulshof, Frits; Stamatialis, Dimitrios F; van Blitterswijk, Clemens A; de Boer, Jan

2017-05-01

Chemical and mechanical cues are well-established influencers of in vitro chondrogenic differentiation of ATDC5 cells. Here, we investigate the role of topographical cues in this differentiation process, a study not been explored before. Previously, using a library of surface micro-topographies we found some distinct patterns that induced alkaline phosphatase (ALP) production in human mesenchymal stromal cells. ALP is also a marker for hypertrophy, the end stage of chondrogenic differentiation preceding bone formation. Thus, we hypothesized that these patterns could influence end-stage chondrogenic differentiation of ATDC5 cells. In this study, we randomly selected seven topographies among the ALP influencing hits. Cells grown on these surfaces displayed varying nuclear shape and actin filament structure. When stimulated with insulin-transferrin-selenium (ITS) medium, nodule formation occurred and in some cases showed alignment to the topographical patterns. Gene expression analysis of cells growing on topographical surfaces in the presence of ITS medium revealed a downregulation of early markers and upregulation of late markers of chondrogenic differentiation compared to cells grown on a flat surface. In conclusion, we demonstrated that surface topography in addition to other cues can promote hypertrophic differentiation suitable for bone tissue engineering.

Ontological representation, integration, and analysis of LINCS cell line cells and their cellular responses.

PubMed

Ong, Edison; Xie, Jiangan; Ni, Zhaohui; Liu, Qingping; Sarntivijai, Sirarat; Lin, Yu; Cooper, Daniel; Terryn, Raymond; Stathias, Vasileios; Chung, Caty; Schürer, Stephan; He, Yongqun

2017-12-21

Aiming to understand cellular responses to different perturbations, the NIH Common Fund Library of Integrated Network-based Cellular Signatures (LINCS) program involves many institutes and laboratories working on over a thousand cell lines. The community-based Cell Line Ontology (CLO) is selected as the default ontology for LINCS cell line representation and integration. CLO has consistently represented all 1097 LINCS cell lines and included information extracted from the LINCS Data Portal and ChEMBL. Using MCF 10A cell line cells as an example, we demonstrated how to ontologically model LINCS cellular signatures such as their non-tumorigenic epithelial cell type, three-dimensional growth, latrunculin-A-induced actin depolymerization and apoptosis, and cell line transfection. A CLO subset view of LINCS cell lines, named LINCS-CLOview, was generated to support systematic LINCS cell line analysis and queries. In summary, LINCS cell lines are currently associated with 43 cell types, 131 tissues and organs, and 121 cancer types. The LINCS-CLO view information can be queried using SPARQL scripts. CLO was used to support ontological representation, integration, and analysis of over a thousand LINCS cell line cells and their cellular responses.

Incorrect strain information for mouse cell lines: sequential influence of misidentification on sublines.

PubMed

Uchio-Yamada, Kozue; Kasai, Fumio; Ozawa, Midori; Kohara, Arihiro

2017-03-01

Misidentification or cross-contamination of cell lines can cause serious issues. Human cell lines have been authenticated by short tandem repeat profiling; however, mouse cell lines have not been adequately assessed. In this study, mouse cell lines registered with the JCRB cell bank were examined by simple sequence length polymorphism (SSLP) analysis to identify their strains. Based on comparisons with 7 major inbred strains, our results revealed their strains in 80 of 90 cell lines. However, 12 of the 80 cell lines (15%) were found to differ from registered information. Of them, 4 cell lines originated from the same mouse, which had been generated through mating between two different inbred strains. The genotype of the mouse sample had not been examined after the backcross, leading to strain misidentification in those cell lines. Although 8 other cell lines had been established as sublines of a BALB/c cell line, their SSLP profiles are similar to a Swiss cell line. This affects differences in genotypes between inbred and outbred strains. Because the use of inbred samples and interbreeding between strains are not involved in human materials, our results suggest that the cause and influence of misidentification in mouse cell lines are different from those in human.

Advances in cholangiocyte immunobiology

PubMed Central

Syal, Gaurav; Fausther, Michel

2012-01-01

Cholangiocytes, or bile duct epithelia, were once thought to be the simple lining of the conduit system comprising the intra- and extrahepatic bile ducts. Growing experimental evidence demonstrated that cholangiocytes are in fact the first line of defense of the biliary system against foreign substances. Experimental advances in recent years have unveiled previously unknown roles of cholangiocytes in both innate and adaptive immune responses. Cholangiocytes can release inflammatory modulators in a regulated fashion. Moreover, they express specialized pattern-recognizing molecules that identify microbial components and activate intracellular signaling cascades leading to a variety of downstream responses. The cytokines secreted by cholangiocytes, in conjunction with the adhesion molecules expressed on their surface, play a role in recruitment, localization, and modulation of immune responses in the liver and biliary tract. Cholangiocyte survival and function is further modulated by cytokines and inflammatory mediators secreted by immune cells and cholangiocytes themselves. Because cholangiocytes act as professional APCs via expression of major histocompatibility complex antigens and secrete antimicrobial peptides in bile, their role in response to biliary infection is critical. Finally, because cholangiocytes release mediators critical to myofibroblastic differentiation of portal fibroblasts and hepatic stellate cells, cholangiocytes may be essential in the pathogenesis of biliary cirrhosis. PMID:22961800

Advances in cholangiocyte immunobiology.

PubMed

Syal, Gaurav; Fausther, Michel; Dranoff, Jonathan A

2012-11-15

Cholangiocytes, or bile duct epithelia, were once thought to be the simple lining of the conduit system comprising the intra- and extrahepatic bile ducts. Growing experimental evidence demonstrated that cholangiocytes are in fact the first line of defense of the biliary system against foreign substances. Experimental advances in recent years have unveiled previously unknown roles of cholangiocytes in both innate and adaptive immune responses. Cholangiocytes can release inflammatory modulators in a regulated fashion. Moreover, they express specialized pattern-recognizing molecules that identify microbial components and activate intracellular signaling cascades leading to a variety of downstream responses. The cytokines secreted by cholangiocytes, in conjunction with the adhesion molecules expressed on their surface, play a role in recruitment, localization, and modulation of immune responses in the liver and biliary tract. Cholangiocyte survival and function is further modulated by cytokines and inflammatory mediators secreted by immune cells and cholangiocytes themselves. Because cholangiocytes act as professional APCs via expression of major histocompatibility complex antigens and secrete antimicrobial peptides in bile, their role in response to biliary infection is critical. Finally, because cholangiocytes release mediators critical to myofibroblastic differentiation of portal fibroblasts and hepatic stellate cells, cholangiocytes may be essential in the pathogenesis of biliary cirrhosis.

Establishment and characterization of three immortal bovine muscular epithelial cell lines.

PubMed

Jin, Xun; Lee, Joong-Seob; Kwak, Sungwook; Lee, Soo-Yeon; Jung, Ji-Eun; Kim, Tae-Kyung; Xu, Chenxiong; Hong, Zhongshan; Li, Zhehu; Kim, Sun-Myung; Pian, Xumin; Lee, Dong-Hee; Yoon, Jong-Taek; You, Seungkwon; Choi, Yun-Jaie; Kim, Huunggee

2006-02-28

We have established three immortal bovine muscular epithelial (BME) cell lines, one spontaneously immortalized (BMES), the second SV40LT-mediated (BMEV) and the third hTERT-mediated (BMET). The morphology of the three immortal cell lines was similar to that of early passage primary BME cells. Each of the immortal cell lines made cytokeratin, a typical epithelial marker. BMET grew faster than the other immortal lines and the BME cells, in 10% FBS-DMEM medium, whereas neither the primary cells nor the three immortal cell lines grew in 0.5% FBS-DMEM. The primary BME cells and the immortal cell lines, with the exception of BMES, made increasing amounts of p53 protein when treated with doxorubicin, a DNA damaging agent. On the other hand, almost half of the cells in populations of the three immortal cell lines may lack p16(INK4a) regulatory function, compared to primary BME cells that were growth arrested by enforced expression of p16(INK4a). In soft-agar assays, the primary cells and immortal cell lines proved to be less transformed in phenotype than HeLa cells. The three immortal epithelial-type cell lines reported here are the first cell lines established from muscle tissue of bovine or other species.

Investigation of the expression of RIF1 gene on head and neck, pancreatic and brain cancer and cancer stem cells.

PubMed

GursesCila, Hacer E; Acar, Muradiye; Barut, Furkan B; Gunduz, Mehmet; Grenman, Reidar; Gunduz, Esra

2016-12-01

Recent studies have shown that cancer stem cells are resistant to chemotherapy. The aim of this study was to compare RIF1 gene expression in head and neck, pancreatic cancer and glioma cell lines and the cancer stem cells isolated from these cell lines. UT-SCC-74 from Turku University and UT-SCC-74B primary tumor metastasis and neck cancer cell lines, YKG-1 glioma cancer cell line from RIKEN, pancreatic cancer cell lines and ASPC-1 cells from ATCC were grown in cell culture. To isolate cancer stem cells, ALDH-1 for UT-SCC-74 and UT-SCC-74B cell line, CD-133 for YKG-1 cell line and CD-24 for ASPC-1 cell line, were used as markers of cancer stem cells. RNA isolation was performed for both cancer lines and cancer stem cells. RNAs were converted to cDNA. RIF1 gene expression was performed by qRT-PCR analysis. RIF1 gene expression was compared with cancer cell lines and cancer stem cells isolated from these cell lines. The possible effect of RIF1 gene was evaluated. In the pancreatic cells, RIF1 gene expression in the stem cell-positive cell line was 256 time that seen in the stem cell-negative cell line. Considering the importance of RIF1 in NHEJ and of NHEJ in pancreatic cancer, RIF1 may be one of the genes that plays an important role in the diagnoses and therapeutic treatment of pancreatic cancer. The results of head and neck and brain cancers are inconclusive and further studies are required to elucidate the connection between RIF1 gene and these other types of cancers.

Mix-ups and mycoplasma: the enemies within.

PubMed

Drexler, Hans G; Uphoff, Cord C; Dirks, Willy G; MacLeod, Roderick A F

2002-04-01

Human leukemia-lymphoma (LL) cell lines represent important tools for experimental research. Among the various problems associated with cell lines, the two most common concern contaminations: (1) cross-contamination with unrelated cells and (2) contamination with microorganisms, in particular mycoplasma. The bad news is that about one-third of the cell lines are either cross-contaminated or mycoplasma-infected or both. The good news is that there are means to recognize and overcome these problems. In cases where, during attempts to establish new LL cell lines, primary LL cultures are cross-contaminated with continuous cell lines, intended new cell lines simply cannot be established ("early" cross-contamination). In cases of "late" cross-contamination of existing LL cell lines where the intrusive cells have a growth advantage, the original ("uncontaminated") cell lines may still be available elsewhere. DNA fingerprinting and cytogenetic analysis appear to be the most suitable approaches to detect cross-contaminations and to authenticate LL cell lines. A different but related aspect of "false" LL cell lines is the frequent misclassification of cell lines whereby the actual cell type of the cell line does not correspond to the purported model character of the cell line. Mycoplasma infection can have a multitude of effects on the eukaryotic cells which, due to the variety of infecting mycoplasma species and many other contributing parameters, cannot be predicted, rendering resulting data questionable at best. Practical procedures for the detection and elimination of mycoplasma contamination have been developed. Diagnostic and preventive strategies in order to hem the alarming increase in "false" and mycoplasma-positive LL cell lines are recommended.

Immune receptors CD40 and CD86 in oral keratinocytes and implications for oral lichen planus.

PubMed

Marshall, Alison; Celentano, Antonio; Cirillo, Nicola; Mirams, Michiko; McCullough, Michael; Porter, Stephen

2017-01-01

Lichen planus (LP) is a chronic T-cell-mediated mucocutaneous inflammatory disease that targets stratified epithelia, including those lining the oral cavity. The intraoral variant of LP (OLP) is associated with interferon (IFN)-γ production by infiltrating T lymphocytes; however, the role of epithelial cells in the etiopathogenesis OLP is not completely understood. There is however a growing body of evidence regarding the involvement of epithelial-derived cytokines, immune receptors, and costimulatory molecules in the pathobiological processes that promote and sustain OLP. In the present study, we used a reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction assay to assess whether CD40-a receptor found mainly on antigen presenting cells-and the costimulatory molecule CD86 were expressed in oral keratinocytes (three strains of primary normal oral keratinocytes and the H357 cell line) in the presence or absence of IFN-γ. To further characterize the involvement of CD40 in OLP, expression and distribution of receptor and ligand (CD40/CD154) in tissues from OLP were evaluated by immunohistochemistry. The present results are the first to show that both CD40 and CD86 are constitutively expressed at low levels in oral keratinocytes and that their expression was enhanced by IFN-γ stimulation. The intensity of CD40 staining in OLP tissues was strong. Taken together, the results strongly suggest that CD40 and CD86 play a role in the pathophysiology of oral inflammatory diseases such as OLP.

Establishment of proliferative tetraploid cells from telomerase-immortalized normal human fibroblasts.

PubMed

Ohshima, Susumu; Seyama, Atsushi

2016-06-01

Aneuploidy is observed in the majority of human cancers and is considered to be causally related to carcinogenesis. Although malignant aneuploid cells are suggested to develop from polyploid cells formed in precancerous lesions, the mechanisms of this process remain elusive. This is partly because no experimental model is available where nontransformed polyploid human cells propagate in vitro. We previously showed that proliferative tetraploid cells can be established from normal human fibroblasts by treatment with the spindle poison demecolcine (DC). However, the limited lifespan of these cells hampered detailed analysis of a link between chromosomal instability and the oncogenic transformation of polyploid cells. Here, we report the establishment of proliferative tetraploid cells from the telomerase-immortalized normal human fibroblast cell line TIG-1. Treatment of immortalized diploid cells with DC for 4 days resulted in proliferation of cells with tetraploid DNA content and near-tetraploid/tetraploid chromosome counts. Established tetraploid cells had functional TP53 despite growing at almost the same rate as diploid cells. The frequency of clonal and sporadic chromosome aberrations in tetraploid cells was higher than in diploid cells and in one experiment, gradually increased with repeated subculture. This study suggests that tetraploid cells established from telomerase-immortalized normal human fibroblasts can be a valuable model for studying chromosomal instability and the oncogenic potential of polyploid cells. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Feeder-cell-independent culture of the pig-embryonic-stem-cell-derived exocrine pancreatic cell line, PICM-31

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The adaptation to feeder-independent growth of a pig embryonic stem cell-derived pancreatic cell line is described. The parental PICM-31 cell line, previously characterized as an exocrine pancreas cell line, was colony-cloned two times in succession resulting in the subclonal cell line, PICM-31A1. P...

Epigenetic mediated transcriptional activation of WNT5A participates in arsenical-associated malignant transformation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jensen, Taylor J.; Wozniak, Ryan J.; Arizona Cancer Center, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85724

2009-02-15

Arsenic is a human carcinogen with exposure associated with cancer of the lung, skin, and bladder. Many potential mechanisms have been implicated as playing a role in the process of arsenical-induced malignancy including the perturbation of signaling pathways and aberrant epigenetic regulation. We initiated studies to examine the role of a member of the non-canonical WNT signaling pathway, WNT5A, in UROtsa cells and arsenite [URO-ASSC] and monomethylarsonous acid [URO-MSC] malignantly transformed variants. We present data herein that suggest that WNT5A is transcriptionally activated during arsenical-induced malignant transformation. This WNT5A transcriptional activation is correlated with the enrichment of permissive histone modificationsmore » and the reduction of repressive modifications in the WNT5A promoter region. The epigenetic activation of WNT5A expression and acetylation of its promoter remain after the removal of the arsenical, consistent with the maintenance of an anchorage independent growth phenotype in these cells. Additionally, treatment with epigenetic modifying drugs supports a functional role for these epigenetic marks in controlling gene expression. Reduction of WNT5A using lentiviral shRNA greatly attenuated the ability of these cells to grow in an anchorage independent fashion. Extension of our model into human bladder cancer cell lines indicates that each of the cell lines examined also express WNT5A. Taken together, these data suggest that the epigenetic remodeling of the WNT5A promoter is correlated with its transcriptional activation and this upregulation likely participates in arsenical-induced malignant transformation.« less

Arkadia regulates tumor metastasis by modulation of the TGF-β pathway.

PubMed

Briones-Orta, Marco A; Levy, Laurence; Madsen, Chris D; Das, Debipriya; Erker, Yigit; Sahai, Erik; Hill, Caroline S

2013-03-15

TGF-β can act as a tumor suppressor at early stages of cancer progression and as a tumor promoter at later stages. The E3 ubiquitin ligase Arkadia (RNF111) is a critical component of the TGF-β signaling pathway, being required for a subset of responses, those mediated by Smad3-Smad4 complexes. It acts by mediating ligand-induced degradation of Ski and SnoN (SKIL), which are 2 potent transcriptional repressors. Here, we investigate the role of Arkadia in cancer using model systems to address both potential tumor-suppressive and tumor-promoting roles. Stable reexpression of Arkadia in lung carcinoma NCI-H460 cells, which we show contain a hemizygous nonsense mutation in the Arkadia/RNF111 gene, efficiently restored TGF-β-induced Smad3-dependent transcription, and substantially decreased the ability of these cells to grow in soft agar in vitro. However, it had no effect on tumor growth in vivo in mouse models. Moreover, loss of Arkadia in cancer cell lines and human tumors is rare, arguing against a prominent tumor-suppressive role. In contrast, we have uncovered a potent tumor-promoting function for Arkadia. Using 3 different cancer cell lines whose tumorigenic properties are driven by TGF-β signaling, we show that loss of Arkadia function, either by overexpression of dominant negative Arkadia or by siRNA-induced knockdown, substantially inhibited lung colonization in tail vein injection experiments in immunodeficient mice. Our findings indicate that Arkadia is not critical for regulating tumor growth per se, but is required for the early stages of cancer cell colonization at the sites of metastasis.

Regulation of the angiopoietin-2 gene by hCG in ovarian cancer cell line OVCAR-3.

PubMed

Pietrowski, D; Wiehle, P; Sator, M; Just, A; Keck, C

2010-05-01

Angiogenesis is a crucial step in growing tissues including many tumors. It is regulated by pro- and antiangiogenic factors including the family of angiopoietins and their corresponding receptors. In previous work we have shown that in human ovarian cells the expression of angiopoietin 2 (ANG2) is regulated by human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). To better understand the mechanisms of hCG-dependent regulation of the ANG2-gene we have now investigated upstream regulatory active elements of the ANG2-promoter in the ovarian carcinoma cell line OVCAR-3. We cloned several ANG2-promoter-fragments of different lengths into a luciferase reporter-gene-vector and analyzed the corresponding ANG2 expression before and after hCG stimulation. We identified regions of the ANG2-promoter between 1 048 bp and 613 bp upstream of the transcriptional start site where hCG-dependent pathways promote a significant downregulation of gene expression. By sequence analysis of this area we found several potential binding sites for transcription factors that are involved in regulation of ANG2-expression, vascular development and ovarian function. These encompass the forkhead family transcription factors FOXC2 and FOXO1 as well as the CCAAT/enhancer binding protein family (C/EBP). In conclusion, we have demonstrated that the regulation of ANG2-expression in ovarian cancer cells is hCG-dependent and we suggest that forkhead transcription factor and C/EBP-dependent pathways are involved in the regulation of ANG2-expression in ovarian cancer cells. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart-New York.

Molecularly Targeted Dose-Enhancement Radiotherapy Using Gold and Luminescent Nanoparticles in an Orthotopic Human Prostate Cancer Rat Model

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-10-01

cell lines, such as cervix cancer cell line (HeLa) and breast cancer cell line (MDA-MB-231), were also employed. The experiments with other cell lines...breast cancer cell line (MDA-MB- 231), and cervix cancer cell line (HeLa). Different from our hypothesis, prostate cancer cell lines did not present...Radiotherapy Using Gold and Luminescent Nanoparticles in an Orthotopic Human Prostate Cancer Rat Model PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Kwang Song

[The factors involved in invasive ability of endometrial carcinoma cells].

PubMed

Mori, Y; Mizuuchi, H; Sato, K; Okamura, N; Kudo, R

1994-06-01

The in vitro invasive ability, the expression of cell adhesion molecule E-cadherin, activity of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) and K-ras point mutation were investigated in eight human endometrial carcinoma cell lines. 1) In vitro invasive abilities of endometrial carcinoma cell lines depend on the degree of cell differentiation and the origin of cell lines. A poorly-differentiated carcinoma cell line (NUE-1) and a cell line derived from metastatic lymph node (SNG-M) were more invasive than moderately-(HEC-1A, HEC-1BE) and well-differentiated (HEC-6, Ishikawa) cell lines. 2) Immunohistochemically, less or non-invasive cell lines expressed E-cadherin strongly, whereas a highly invasive cell line (NUE-1) expressed E-cadherin weakly. 3) When cultured on Matrigel-coated dishes, the tumor cells derived from moderately- and well-differentiated carcinoma aggregated with each other and did not invade Matrigel in the invasion assay. The aggregated cells expressed E-cadherin more strongly when cultured on Matrigel. 4) 72-kD gelatinase (MMP-2) was secreted in serum-free conditioned medium of all cell lines. In an invasive cell line (NUE-1,SNG-M), the activity of MMP-2 was stronger than in other cell lines. And the activity of 92-kDa gelatinase (MMP-9) was detected in most invasive cell line (NUE-1). 5) Point mutation of K-ras codon 12 was detected in four of eight (50%) cell lines by the PCR-RFLP method. The changes in the DNA sequence were identified, but K-ras point mutation was not correlated with in vitro invasiveness of the tumor cells.

Giant oral lipoma: a rare entity*

PubMed Central

Ponce, José Burgos; Ferreira, Gustavo Zanna; Santos, Paulo Sérgio da Silva; Lara, Vanessa Soares

2016-01-01

Lipomas are very common benign slow-growing soft tissue neoplasms composed of mature adipose tissue mostly diagnosed in the fifth decade of life. These tumors rarely present in the oral cavity, representing less than approximately 5% of all benign mouth tumors. They are usually less than 2cm in size and etiology remains unclear. We report a young male patient presenting with a giant lipoma in the buccal mucosa. Histopathology revealed a large area of mature fat cells consistent with conventional lipoma and an area of the mucosal lining of the lesion suggestive of morsicatio buccarum. In the present article, we emphasize the clinicopathological features and differential diagnosis of the disease. PMID:28300904

Cytotoxic and antioxidant constituents from the leaves of Psidium guajava.

PubMed

Feng, Xiao-He; Wang, Zi-Hao; Meng, Da-Li; Li, Xian

2015-01-01

Psidium guajava (Myrtaceae) is an evergreen shrub growing extensively throughout the tropical and subtropical areas. Four new compounds, guavinoside C, D, E and F (1-3, 10) were isolated from the leaves of P. guajava, along with six known ones (4-9). Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic analysis. Compounds 1, 4 and 10 showed significant cytotoxic activities on HeLa, SGC-7901 and A549 cell lines, respectively. Compounds 1 and 4-10 showed antioxidant activities in DPPH, ABTS and FRAP assays, and five of them (1, 4-6, 10) exhibited stronger activities than that of vitamin C. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ovarian cancer stem cells.

PubMed

Zeimet, A G; Reimer, D; Sopper, S; Boesch, M; Martowicz, A; Roessler, J; Wiedemair, A M; Rumpold, H; Untergasser, G; Concin, N; Hofstetter, G; Muller-Holzner, E; Fiegl, H; Marth, C; Wolf, D; Pesta, M; Hatina, J

2012-01-01

Because of its semi-solid character in dissemination and growth, advanced ovarian cancer with its hundreds of peritoneal tumor nodules and plaques appears to be an excellent in vivo model for studying the cancer stem cell hypothesis. The most important obstacle, however, is to adequately define and isolate these tumor-initiating cells endowed with the properties of anoikis-resistance and unlimited self-renewal. Until now, no universal single marker or marker constellation has been found to faithfully isolate (ovarian) cancer stem cells. As these multipotent cells are known to possess highly elaborated efflux systems for cytotoxic agents, these pump systems have been exploited to outline putative stem cells as a side-population (SP) via dye exclusion analysis. Furthermore, the cells in question have been isolated via flow cytometry on the basis of cell surface markers thought to be characteristic for stem cells.In the Vienna variant of the ovarian cancer cell line A2780 a proof-of-principle model with both a stable SP and a stable ALDH1A1+ cell population was established. Double staining clearly revealed that both cell fractions were not identical. Of note, A2780V cells were negative for expression of surface markers CD44 and CD117 (c-kit). When cultured on monolayers of healthy human mesothelial cells, green-fluorescence-protein (GFP)-transfected SP of A2780V exhibited spheroid-formation, whereas non-side-population (NSP) developed a spare monolayer growing over the healthy mesothelium. Furthermore, A2780V SP was found to be partially resistant to platinum. However, this resistance could not be explained by over-expression of the "excision repair cross-complementation group 1" (ERCC1) gene, which is essentially involved in the repair of platinated DNA damage. ERCC1 was, nonetheless, over-expressed in A2780V cells grown as spheres under stem cell-selective conditions as compared to adherent monolayers cultured under differentiating conditions. The same was true for the primary ovarian cancer cells B-57.In summary our investigations indicate that even in multi-passaged cancer cell lines hierarchic government of growth and differentiation is conserved and that the key cancer stem cell population may be composed of small overlapping cell fractions defined by various arbitrary markers.

The association of TP53 mutations with the resistance of colorectal carcinoma to the insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor inhibitor picropodophyllin

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background There is growing evidence indicating the insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF-1R) plays a critical role in the progression of human colorectal carcinomas. IGF-1R is an attractive drug target for the treatment of colon cancer. Picropodophyllin (PPP), of the cyclolignan family, has recently been identified as an IGF-1R inhibitor. The aim of this study is to determine the therapeutic response and mechanism after colorectal carcinoma treatment with PPP. Methods Seven colorectal carcinoma cell lines were treated with PPP. Following treatment, cells were analyzed for growth by a cell viability assay, sub-G1 apoptosis by flow cytometry, caspase cleavage and activation of AKT and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) by western blot analysis. To examine the in vivo therapeutic efficacy of PPP, mice implanted with human colorectal carcinoma xenografts underwent PPP treatment. Results PPP treatment blocked the phosphorylation of IGF-1R, AKT and ERK and inhibited the growth of TP53 wild-type but not mutated colorectal carcinoma cell lines. The treatment of PPP also induced apoptosis in TP53 wild-type cells as evident by the presence of sub-G1 cells and the cleavage of caspase-9, caspase-3, DNA fragmentation factor-45 (DFF45), poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), and X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP). The loss of BAD phosphorylation in the PPP-treated TP53 wild type cells further suggested that the treatment induced apoptosis through the BAD-mediated mitochondrial pathway. In contrast, PPP treatment failed to induce the phosphorylation of AKT and ERK and caspase cleavage in TP53 mutated colorectal carcinoma cell lines. Finally, PPP treatment suppressed the growth of xenografts derived from TP53 wild type but not mutated colorectal carcinoma cells. Conclusions We report the association of TP53 mutations with the resistance of treatment of colorectal carcinoma cells in culture and in a xenograft mouse model with the IGF-1R inhibitor PPP. TP53 mutations often occur in colorectal carcinomas and could be used as a biomarker to predict the resistance of colorectal carcinomas to the treatment by this IGF-1R inhibitor. PMID:24182354

In Vitro Cytotoxicity of Low-Dose-Rate Radioimmunotherapy by the Alpha-Emitting Radioimmunoconjugate Thorium-227-DOTA-Rituximab

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dahle, Jostein, E-mail: jostein.dahle@rr-research.n; Krogh, Cecilie; Melhus, Katrine B.

2009-11-01

Purpose: To determine whether the low-dose-rate alpha-particle-emitting radioimmunoconjugate {sup 227}Th-1,4,7,10-p-isothiocyanato-benzyl-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7, 10-tetraacetic acid (DOTA)-rituximab can be used to inactivate lymphoma cells growing as single cells and small colonies. Methods and Materials: CD20-positive lymphoma cell lines were treated with {sup 227}Th-DOTA-rituximab for 1-5 weeks. To simulate the in vivo situation with continuous but decreasing supply of radioimmunoconjugates from the blood pool, the cells were not washed after incubation with {sup 227}Th-DOTA-rituximab, but half of the medium was replaced with fresh medium, and cell concentration and cell-bound activity were determined every other day after start of incubation. A microdosimetric model was established tomore » estimate the average number of hits in the nucleus for different localizations of activity. Results: There was a specific targeted effect on cell growth of the {sup 227}Th-DOTA-rituximab treatment. Although the cells were not washed after incubation with {sup 227}Th-DOTA-rituximab, the average contribution of activity in the medium to the mean dose was only 6%, whereas the average contribution from activity on the cells' own surface was 78%. The mean dose rates after incubation with 800 Bq/mL {sup 227}Th-DOTA-rituximab varied from 0.01 to 0.03 cGy/min. The average delay in growing from 10{sup 5} to 10{sup 7} cells/mL was 15 days when the cells were treated with a mean absorbed radiation dose of 2 Gy alpha-particle radiation from {sup 227}Th-DOTA-rituximab, whereas it was 11 days when the cells were irradiated with 6 Gy of X-radiation. The relative biologic effect of the treatment was estimated to be 2.9-3.4. Conclusions: The low-dose-rate radioimmunoconjugate {sup 227}Th-DOTA-rituximab is suitable for inactivation of single lymphoma cells and small colonies of lymphoma cells.« less

Placenta-an alternative source of stem cells

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Matikainen, Tiina; Laine, Jarmo

2005-09-01

The two most promising practical applications of human stem cells are cellular replacement therapies in human disease and toxicological screening of candidate drug molecules. Both require a source of human stem cells that can be isolated, purified, expanded in number and differentiated into the cell type of choice in a controlled manner. Currently, uses of both embryonic and adult stem cells are investigated. While embryonic stem cells are pluripotent and can differentiate into any specialised cell type, their use requires establishment of embryonic stem cell lines using the inner cell mass of an early pre-implantation embryo. As the blastocyst ismore » destroyed during the process, ethical issues need to be carefully considered. The use of embryonic stem cells is also limited by the difficulties in growing large numbers of the cells without inducing spontaneous differentiation, and the problems in controlling directed differentiation of the cells. The use of adult stem cells, typically derived from bone marrow, but also from other tissues, is ethically non-controversial but their differentiation potential is more limited than that of the embryonic stem cells. Since human cord blood, umbilical cord, placenta and amnion are normally discarded at birth, they provide an easily accessible alternative source of stem cells. We review the potential and current status of the use of adult stem cells derived from the placenta or umbilical cord in therapeutic and toxicological applications.« less

In vitro Development of Chemotherapy and Targeted Therapy Drug-Resistant Cancer Cell Lines: A Practical Guide with Case Studies

PubMed Central

McDermott, Martina; Eustace, Alex J.; Busschots, Steven; Breen, Laura; Crown, John; Clynes, Martin; O’Donovan, Norma; Stordal, Britta

2014-01-01

The development of a drug-resistant cell line can take from 3 to 18 months. However, little is published on the methodology of this development process. This article will discuss key decisions to be made prior to starting resistant cell line development; the choice of parent cell line, dose of selecting agent, treatment interval, and optimizing the dose of drug for the parent cell line. Clinically relevant drug-resistant cell lines are developed by mimicking the conditions cancer patients experience during chemotherapy and cell lines display between two- and eight-fold resistance compared to their parental cell line. Doses of drug administered are low, and a pulsed treatment strategy is often used where the cells recover in drug-free media. High-level laboratory models are developed with the aim of understanding potential mechanisms of resistance to chemotherapy agents. Doses of drug are higher and escalated over time. It is common to have difficulty developing stable clinically relevant drug-resistant cell lines. A comparative selection strategy of multiple cell lines or multiple chemotherapeutic agents mitigates this risk and gives insight into which agents or type of cell line develops resistance easily. Successful selection strategies from our research are presented. Pulsed-selection produced platinum or taxane-resistant large cell lung cancer (H1299 and H460) and temozolomide-resistant melanoma (Malme-3M and HT144) cell lines. Continuous selection produced a lapatinib-resistant breast cancer cell line (HCC1954). Techniques for maintaining drug-resistant cell lines are outlined including; maintaining cells with chemotherapy, pulse treating with chemotherapy, or returning to master drug-resistant stocks. The heterogeneity of drug-resistant models produced from the same parent cell line with the same chemotherapy agent is explored with reference to P-glycoprotein. Heterogeneity in drug-resistant cell lines reflects the heterogeneity that can occur in clinical drug resistance. PMID:24639951

Immortal, telomerase-negative cell lines derived from a Li-Fraumeni syndrome patient exhibit telomere length variability and chromosomal and minisatellite instabilities.

PubMed

Tsutsui, Takeki; Kumakura, Shin-Ichi; Tamura, Yukiko; Tsutsui, Takeo W; Sekiguchi, Mizuki; Higuchi, Tokihiro; Barrett, J Carl

2003-05-01

Five immortal cell lines derived from a Li-Fraumeni syndrome patient (MDAH 087) with a germline mutant p53 allele were characterized with respect to telomere length and genomic instability. The remaining wild-type p53 allele is lost in the cell lines. Telomerase activity was undetectable in all immortal cell lines. Five subclones of each cell line and five re-subclones of each of the subclones also showed undetectable telomerase activity. All five immortal cell lines exhibited variability in the mean length of terminal restriction fragments (TRFs). Subclones of each cell line, and re-subclones of the subclones also showed TRF variability, indicating that the variability is owing to clonal heterogeneity. Chromosome aberrations were observed at high frequencies in these cell lines including the subclones and re-subclones, and the principal types of aberrations were breaks, double minute chromosomes and dicentric chromosomes. In addition, minisatellite instability detected by DNA fingerprints was observed in the immortal cell lines. However, all of the cell lines were negative for microsatellite instability. As minisatellite sequences are considered recombinogenic in mammalian cells, these results suggest that recombination rates can be increased in these cell lines. Tumor-derived human cell lines, HT1080 cells and HeLa cells that also lack p53 function, exhibited little genomic instability involving chromosomal and minisatellite instabilities, indicating that chromosomal and minisatellite instabilities observed in the immortal cell lines lacking telomerase activity could not result from loss of p53 function.

Development of apoptosis-resistant dihydrofolate reductase-deficient Chinese hamster ovary cell line.

PubMed

Lee, Suk Kyoo; Lee, Gyun Min

2003-06-30

Apoptosis-resistant dihydrofolate reductase-deficient CHO cell line (dhfr(-) CHO-bcl2) was developed by introduction of the bcl-2 gene into the dhfr(-) CHO cell line (DUKX-B11, ATCC CRL-9096) and subsequent selection of clones stably overexpressing Bcl-2 in the absence of selection pressure. When the dhfr(-) CHO-bcl2 cell line was used as a host cell line for development of a recombinant CHO (rCHO) cell line expressing a humanized antibody, it displayed stable expression of the bcl-2 gene during rCHO cell line development and no detrimental effect of Bcl-2 overexpression on specific antibody productivity. Taken together, the results obtained demonstrate that the use of an apoptosis-resistant dhfr(-) CHO cell line as the host cell line saves the effort of establishing an apoptosis-resistant rCHO cell line and expedites the development process of apoptosis-resistant rCHO cells producing therapeutic proteins. Copyright 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biotechnol Bioeng 82: 872-876, 2003.

FGF2-mediated reciprocal tumor cell-endothelial cell interplay contributes to the growth of chemoresistant cells: a potential mechanism for superficial bladder cancer recurrence.

PubMed

Chen, Yule; Zhu, Guodong; Wu, Kaijie; Gao, Yang; Zeng, Jin; Shi, Qi; Guo, Peng; Wang, Xinyang; Chang, Luke S; Li, Lei; He, Dalin

2016-04-01

Patients with superficial bladder cancer can be definitively cured by one single transurethral resection (TUR) with additional intravesical chemotherapy; however, up to 75 % of cases display frequent and multiple recurrences. One of the major causes of recurrence is that chemotherapeutic drugs used in intravesical regimens may induce chemoresistance. However, the mechanisms by which these chemoresistant cells develop into recurrent tumors remain unclear. Recent clinical evidence revealed that the expression of pro-angiogenic factor FGF2 was associated with early local relapse in patients with superficial bladder cancer. In this study, we conducted a preliminary investigation of the mechanisms of chemoresistant cells mediated bladder cancer recurrence, focusing on FGF2-initiated tumor cell-endothelial cell interaction on chemoresistant cancer cell growth. We found that the expression of FGF2 was increased in chemoresistant bladder cell lines and in bladder tissues after intravesical chemotherapy. Although chemoresistant bladder cells grow slower than parental cells, chemoresistant bladder cancer cells had stronger ability than parental cells to stimulate endothelial cell migration, growth, and tube formation by producing FGF2. Inversely, endothelial cells significantly promoted chemoresistant bladder cancer growth in vitro and in vivo. Thus, targeting chemotherapy-induced FGF2 upregulation may provide a promising approach to manage the recurrence of superficial bladder cancer.

Sustainable use of marine resources: cultivation of sponges.

PubMed

Brümmer, F; Nickel, M

2003-01-01

Among all metazoan phyla, sponges are known to produce the largest number of bioactive compounds, some of them metabolites with human therapeutic value. Therefore, an increasing interest in basic cell biology research up to biochemical engineering can be observed aiming at the production of sponge metabolites under completely controlled conditions. One major obstacle is the limited availability of larger quantities of defined sponge material--the so-called supply problem. In this chapter, different approaches used so far for producing sponge biomass by in situ aquaculture as well as some significant progress in the maintenance of sponges in aquaria are reviewed. These approaches are mainly based on old methods for producing commercial bath sponges as well as on experience in maintaining sponges in public aquaria and on the usage of artificial substrates for a natural-like colonization structure. In recent years, great efforts have been made to set up in vitro culture systems for the cultivation of sponge cells. One of the major advantages of cell cultures is the possibility to control and manipulate the cultivation conditions depending on the sponge species and the target metabolite. Up to now, monolayer cultures of dissociated sponge cells have been shown in a few cases to produce the desired product. However, to date, no continuously growing sponge cell line has been established. Organotypic culture systems, which maintain or mimic the natural tissue structure, have been developed in recent years and demonstrate a promising way towards the biotechnology of sponges. Successful attempts to produce sponge metabolites using the three-dimensional growing primmorphs are given. The use of sponge fragments, another three-dimensional approach, has reappeared and has also been successfully used as an in vitro approach as well as for the biotechnological production of boreal sponge tissue.

Multi-scale lung modeling.

PubMed

Tawhai, Merryn H; Bates, Jason H T

2011-05-01

Multi-scale modeling of biological systems has recently become fashionable due to the growing power of digital computers as well as to the growing realization that integrative systems behavior is as important to life as is the genome. While it is true that the behavior of a living organism must ultimately be traceable to all its components and their myriad interactions, attempting to codify this in its entirety in a model misses the insights gained from understanding how collections of system components at one level of scale conspire to produce qualitatively different behavior at higher levels. The essence of multi-scale modeling thus lies not in the inclusion of every conceivable biological detail, but rather in the judicious selection of emergent phenomena appropriate to the level of scale being modeled. These principles are exemplified in recent computational models of the lung. Airways responsiveness, for example, is an organ-level manifestation of events that begin at the molecular level within airway smooth muscle cells, yet it is not necessary to invoke all these molecular events to accurately describe the contraction dynamics of a cell, nor is it necessary to invoke all phenomena observable at the level of the cell to account for the changes in overall lung function that occur following methacholine challenge. Similarly, the regulation of pulmonary vascular tone has complex origins within the individual smooth muscle cells that line the blood vessels but, again, many of the fine details of cell behavior average out at the level of the organ to produce an effect on pulmonary vascular pressure that can be described in much simpler terms. The art of multi-scale lung modeling thus reduces not to being limitlessly inclusive, but rather to knowing what biological details to leave out.

Box C/D small nucleolar RNA (snoRNA) U60 regulates intracellular cholesterol trafficking.

PubMed

Brandis, Katrina A; Gale, Sarah; Jinn, Sarah; Langmade, Stephen J; Dudley-Rucker, Nicole; Jiang, Hui; Sidhu, Rohini; Ren, Aileen; Goldberg, Anna; Schaffer, Jean E; Ory, Daniel S

2013-12-13

Mobilization of plasma membrane (PM) cholesterol to the endoplasmic reticulum is essential for cellular cholesterol homeostasis. The mechanisms regulating this retrograde, intermembrane cholesterol transfer are not well understood. Because mutant cells with defects in PM to endoplasmic reticulum cholesterol trafficking can be isolated on the basis of resistance to amphotericin B, we conducted an amphotericin B loss-of-function screen in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells using insertional mutagenesis to identify genes that regulate this trafficking mechanism. Mutant line A1 displayed reduced cholesteryl ester formation from PM-derived cholesterol and increased de novo cholesterol synthesis, indicating a deficiency in retrograde cholesterol transport. Genotypic analysis revealed that the A1 cell line contained one disrupted allele of the U60 small nucleolar RNA (snoRNA) host gene, resulting in haploinsufficiency of the box C/D snoRNA U60. Complementation and mutational studies revealed the U60 snoRNA to be the essential feature from this locus that affects cholesterol trafficking. Lack of alteration in predicted U60-mediated site-directed methylation of 28 S rRNA in the A1 mutant suggests that the U60 snoRNA modulates cholesterol trafficking by a mechanism that is independent of this canonical function. Our study adds to a growing body of evidence for participation of small noncoding RNAs in cholesterol homeostasis and is the first to implicate a snoRNA in this cellular function.

Heparanase augments insulin receptor signaling in breast carcinoma

PubMed Central

Goldberg, Rachel; Sonnenblick, Amir; Hermano, Esther; Hamburger, Tamar; Meirovitz, Amichay; Peretz, Tamar; Elkin, Michael

2017-01-01

Recently, growing interest in the potential link between metabolic disorders (i.e., diabetes, obesity, metabolic syndrome) and breast cancer has mounted, including studies which indicate that diabetic/hyperinsulinemic women have a significantly higher risk of bearing breast tumors that are more aggressive and associated with higher death rates. Insulin signaling is regarded as a major contributor to this phenomenon; much less is known about the role of heparan sulfate-degrading enzyme heparanase in the link between metabolic disorders and cancer. In the present study we analyzed clinical samples of breast carcinoma derived from diabetic/non-diabetic patients, and investigated effects of heparanase on insulin signaling in breast carcinoma cell lines, as well as insulin-driven growth of breast tumor cells. We demonstrate that heparanase activity leads to enhanced insulin signaling and activation of downstream tumor-promoting pathways in breast carcinoma cells. In agreement, heparanase enhances insulin-induced proliferation of breast tumor cells in vitro. Moreover, analyzing clinical data from diabetic breast carcinoma patients, we found that concurrent presence of both diabetic state and heparanase in tumor tissue (as opposed to either condition alone) was associated with more aggressive phenotype of breast tumors in the patient cohort analyzed in our study (two-sided Fisher's exact test; p=0.04). Our findings highlight the emerging role of heparanase in powering effect of hyperinsulinemic state on breast tumorigenesis and imply that heparanase targeting, which is now under intensive development/clinical testing, could be particularly efficient in a growing fraction of breast carcinoma patients suffering from metabolic disorders. PMID:28038446

miR-888 is an expressed prostatic secretions-derived microRNA that promotes prostate cell growth and migration

PubMed Central

Lewis, Holly; Lance, Raymond; Troyer, Dean; Beydoun, Hind; Hadley, Melissa; Orians, Joseph; Benzine, Tiffany; Madric, Kenya; Semmes, O John; Drake, Richard; Esquela-Kerscher, Aurora

2014-01-01

microRNAs (miRNAs) are a growing class of small non-coding RNAs that exhibit widespread dysregulation in prostate cancer. We profiled miRNA expression in syngeneic human prostate cancer cell lines that differed in their metastatic potential in order to determine their role in aggressive prostate cancer. miR-888 was the most differentially expressed miRNA observed in human metastatic PC3-ML cells relative to non-invasive PC3-N cells, and its levels were higher in primary prostate tumors from cancer patients, particularly those with seminal vesicle invasion. We also examined a novel miRNA-based biomarker source called expressed prostatic secretions in urine (EPS urine) for miR-888 expression and found that its levels were preferentially elevated in prostate cancer patients with high-grade disease. These expression studies indicated a correlation for miR-888 in disease progression. We next tested how miR-888 regulated cancer-related pathways in vitro using human prostate cancer cell lines. Overexpression of miR-888 increased proliferation and migration, and conversely inhibition of miR-888 activity blocked these processes. miR-888 also increased colony formation in PC3-N and LNCaP cells, supporting an oncogenic role for this miRNA in the prostate. Our data indicates that miR-888 functions to promote prostate cancer progression and can suppress protein levels of the tumor suppressor genes RBL1 and SMAD4. This miRNA holds promise as a diagnostic tool using an innovative prostatic fluid source as well as a therapeutic target for aggressive prostate cancer. PMID:24200968

Self-assembled Nanomaterials for Chemotherapeutic Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shieh, Aileen

The self-assembly of short designed peptides into functional nanostructures is becoming a growing interest in a wide range of fields from optoelectronic devices to nanobiotechnology. In the medical field, self-assembled peptides have especially attracted attention with several of its attractive features for applications in drug delivery, tissue regeneration, biological engineering as well as cosmetic industry and also the antibiotics field. We here describe the self-assembly of peptide conjugated with organic chromophore to successfully deliver sequence independent micro RNAs into human non-small cell lung cancer cell lines. The nanofiber used as the delivery vehicle is completely non-toxic and biodegradable, and exhibit enhanced permeability effect for targeting malignant tumors. The transfection efficiency with nanofiber as the delivery vehicle is comparable to that of the commercially available RNAiMAX lipofectamine while the toxicity is significantly lower. We also conjugated the peptide sequence with camptothecin (CPT) and observed the self-assembly of nanotubes for chemotherapeutic applications. The peptide scaffold is non-toxic and biodegradable, and drug loading of CPT is high, which minimizes the issue of systemic toxicity caused by extensive burden from the elimination of drug carriers. In addition, the peptide assembly drastically increases the solubility and stability of CPT under physiological conditions in vitro, while active CPT is gradually released from the peptide chain under the slight acidic tumor cell environment. Cytotoxicity results on human colorectal cancer cells and non-small cell lung cancer cell lines display promising anti-cancer properties compared to the parental CPT drug, which cannot be used clinically due to its poor solubility and lack of stability in physiological conditions. Moreover, the peptide sequence conjugated with 5-fluorouracil formed a hydrogel with promising topical chemotherapeutic applications that also display increased stability and controlled release of the active drug in vitro.

Whole Blood Transcriptomics Is Relevant to Identify Molecular Changes in Response to Genetic Selection for Feed Efficiency and Nutritional Status in the Pig.

PubMed

Jégou, Maëva; Gondret, Florence; Vincent, Annie; Tréfeu, Christine; Gilbert, Hélène; Louveau, Isabelle

2016-01-01

The molecular mechanisms underlying feed efficiency need to be better understood to improve animal efficiency, a research priority to support a competitive and sustainable livestock production. This study was undertaken to determine whether pig blood transcriptome was affected by differences in feed efficiency and by ingested nutrients. Growing pigs from two lines divergently selected for residual feed intake (RFI) and fed isoproteic and isocaloric diets contrasted in energy source and nutrients were considered. Between 74 and 132 days of age, pigs (n = 12 by diet and by line) received a regular diet rich in cereals and low in fat (LF) or a diet where cereals where partially substituted by lipids and fibers (HF). At the end of the feeding trial, the total number of white blood cells was not affected by the line or by the diet, whereas the red blood cell number was higher (P<0.001) in low RFI than in high RFI pigs. Analysis of the whole blood transcriptome using a porcine microarray reveals a higher number of probes differentially expressed (DE) between RFI lines than between diets (2,154 versus 92 probes DE, P<0.01). This corresponds to 528 overexpressed genes and 477 underexpressed genes in low RFI pigs compared with high RFI pigs, respectively. Overexpressed genes were predominantly associated with translational elongation. Underexpressed genes were mainly involved in the immune response, regulation of inflammatory response, anti-apoptosis process, and cell organization. These findings suggest that selection for RFI has affected the immune status and defense mechanisms of pigs. Genes DE between diets were mainly related to the immune system and lipid metabolism. Altogether, this study demonstrates the usefulness of the blood transcriptome to identify the main biological processes affected by genetic selection and feeding strategies.

Whole Blood Transcriptomics Is Relevant to Identify Molecular Changes in Response to Genetic Selection for Feed Efficiency and Nutritional Status in the Pig

PubMed Central

Jégou, Maëva; Gondret, Florence; Vincent, Annie; Tréfeu, Christine; Gilbert, Hélène; Louveau, Isabelle

2016-01-01

The molecular mechanisms underlying feed efficiency need to be better understood to improve animal efficiency, a research priority to support a competitive and sustainable livestock production. This study was undertaken to determine whether pig blood transcriptome was affected by differences in feed efficiency and by ingested nutrients. Growing pigs from two lines divergently selected for residual feed intake (RFI) and fed isoproteic and isocaloric diets contrasted in energy source and nutrients were considered. Between 74 and 132 days of age, pigs (n = 12 by diet and by line) received a regular diet rich in cereals and low in fat (LF) or a diet where cereals where partially substituted by lipids and fibers (HF). At the end of the feeding trial, the total number of white blood cells was not affected by the line or by the diet, whereas the red blood cell number was higher (P<0.001) in low RFI than in high RFI pigs. Analysis of the whole blood transcriptome using a porcine microarray reveals a higher number of probes differentially expressed (DE) between RFI lines than between diets (2,154 versus 92 probes DE, P<0.01). This corresponds to 528 overexpressed genes and 477 underexpressed genes in low RFI pigs compared with high RFI pigs, respectively. Overexpressed genes were predominantly associated with translational elongation. Underexpressed genes were mainly involved in the immune response, regulation of inflammatory response, anti-apoptosis process, and cell organization. These findings suggest that selection for RFI has affected the immune status and defense mechanisms of pigs. Genes DE between diets were mainly related to the immune system and lipid metabolism. Altogether, this study demonstrates the usefulness of the blood transcriptome to identify the main biological processes affected by genetic selection and feeding strategies. PMID:26752050

Leukemia-lymphoma cell lines as model systems for hematopoietic research.

PubMed

Drexler, Hans G; MacLeod, Roderick A F

2003-01-01

Continuous human leukemia-lymphoma (LL) cell lines comprise a rich self-renewing resource of accessible and manipulable living cells which has illuminated the pathophysiology of hematopoietic tumors as well as basic cell biology. The major key advantages of continuous cell lines are the unlimited supply and worldwide availability of identical cell material and their cryopreservation. LL cell lines are characterized generally by monoclonal origin and differentiation arrest, sustained proliferation in vitro with preservation of most cellular features, and specific genetic alterations. The most practical classification of LL cell lines assigns them to one of the physiologically occurring cell lineages, based on their immunophenotype, genotype and functional features. Truly malignant cell lines may be distinguished from Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-immortalized normal cells, using various operational and conceptual parameters. The characterization and publication of new LL cell lines provides important and informative core data which, by opening new avenues for investigation, have become ubiquitous powerful research tools that are available to every investigator by reference cell repositories. There is a need in the scientific community for clean and authenticated LL cell lines to which every scientist has access as offered by these institutionalized public cell line banks. A list of the most useful, robust and freely available reference cell lines is proposed in this review. Clearly, studies of LL cell lines have provided seminal insights into the biology of hematopoietic neoplasia.

Cytotoxic Activity and Antiproliferative Effects of Crude Skin Secretion from Physalaemus nattereri (Anura: Leptodactylidae) on in vitro Melanoma Cells.

PubMed

Cruz e Carvalho, Andréa; Márquez, César Augusto Prías; Azevedo, Ricardo Bentes; Joanitti, Graziella Anselmo; Pires Júnior, Osmindo Rodrigues; Fontes, Wagner; Castro, Mariana S

2015-10-08

Anuran secretions are rich sources of bioactive molecules, including antimicrobial and antitumoral compounds. The aims of this study were to investigate the therapeutic potential of Physalaemus nattereri skin secretion against skin cancer cells, and to assess its cytotoxic action mechanisms on the murine melanoma cell line B16F10. Our results demonstrated that the crude secretion reduced the viability of B16F10 cells, causing changes in cell morphology (e.g., round shape and structure shrinkage), reduction in mitochondrial membrane potential, increase in phosphatidylserine exposure, and cell cycle arrest in S-phase. Together, these changes suggest that tumor cells die by apoptosis. This skin secretion was also subjected to chromatographic fractioning using RP-HPLC, and eluted fractions were assayed for antiproliferative and antibacterial activities. Three active fractions showed molecular mass components in a range compatible with peptides. Although the specific mechanisms causing the reduced cell viability and cytotoxicity after the treatment with crude secretion are still unknown, it may be considered that molecules, such as the peptides found in the secretion, are effective against B16F10 tumor cells. Considering the growing need for new anticancer drugs, data presented in this study strongly reinforce the validity of P. nattereri crude secretion as a rich source of new anticancer molecules.

Milk fat globule membrane isolate induces apoptosis in HT-29 human colon cancer cells.

PubMed

Zanabria, Romina; Tellez, Angela M; Griffiths, Mansel; Corredig, Milena

2013-02-01

A native milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) isolate obtained from raw milk was assessed for its anticarcinogenic capacity using a colon cancer cell line (HT-29). To prevent microbial contamination and eliminate the presence of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the milk used for MFGM isolation, the milk was obtained from the mammary glands of cows using a catheter. Cell proliferation assays demonstrated a reduction of exponentially growing cancer cells of up to 53%, expressed as DNA synthesis (BrdU test), after 72 h stimulation with 100 μg of MFGM protein per mL. Using a similar MFGM concentration, the sulforhodamine B assay resulted in 57% reduction of cell density after 48 h incubation. This bioactivity was comparable to that of known anticancer drugs, 0.1 mM melphalan and 20 μM C2-ceramide, which achieved a cell division reduction of 25 and 40%, respectively, under the same experimental conditions. The toxic effect of the MFGM extracts on HT-29 cells was confirmed by the significant reduction in lactate dehydrogenase enzyme (LDH) by the residual viable cells. An increase of caspase-3 activity (up to 26%) led to the conclusion that MFGM has an apoptotic effect on HT-29 cancer cells.

Clustering of brain tumor cells: a first step for understanding tumor recurrence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khain, Evgeniy; Nowicki, M. O.; Chiocca, E. A.; Lawler, S. E.; Schneider-Mizell, C. M.; Sander, L. M.

2012-02-01

Glioblastoma tumors are highly invasive; therefore the overall prognosis of patients remains poor, despite major improvements in treatment techniques. Cancer cells detach from the inner tumor core and actively migrate away [1]; eventually these invasive cells might form clusters, which can develop to recurrent tumors. In vitro experiments in collagen gel [1] followed the clustering dynamics of different glioma cell lines. Based on the experimental data, we formulated a stochastic model for cell dynamics, which identified two mechanisms of clustering. First, there is a critical value of the strength of adhesion; above the threshold, large clusters grow from a homogeneous suspension of cells; below it, the system remains homogeneous, similarly to the ordinary phase separation. Second, when cells form a cluster, there is evidence that their proliferation rate increases. We confirmed the theoretical predictions in a separate cell migration experiment on a substrate and found that both mechanisms are crucial for cluster formation and growth [2]. In addition to their medical importance, these phenomena present exciting examples of pattern formation and collective cell behavior in intrinsically non-equilibrium systems [3]. [4pt] [1] A. M. Stein et al, Biophys. J., 92, 356 (2007). [0pt] [2] E. Khain et al, EPL 88, 28006 (2009). [0pt] [3] E. Khain et al, Phys. Rev. E. 83, 031920 (2011).

Cell oxidation-reduction imbalance after modulated radiofrequency radiation.

PubMed

Marjanovic, Ana Marija; Pavicic, Ivan; Trosic, Ivancica

2015-01-01

Aim of this study was to evaluate an influence of modulated radiofrequency field (RF) of 1800 MHz, strength of 30 V/m on oxidation-reduction processes within the cell. The assigned RF field was generated within Gigahertz Transversal Electromagnetic Mode cell equipped by signal generator, modulator, and amplifier. Cell line V79, was irradiated for 10, 30, and 60 min, specific absorption rate was calculated to be 1.6 W/kg. Cell metabolic activity and viability was determined by MTT assay. In order to define total protein content, colorimetric method was used. Concentration of oxidised proteins was evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) marked with fluorescent probe 2',7'-dichlorofluorescin diacetate were measured by means of plate reader device. In comparison with control cell samples, metabolic activity and total protein content in exposed cells did not differ significantly. Concentrations of carbonyl derivates, a product of protein oxidation, insignificantly but continuously increase with duration of exposure. In exposed samples, ROS level significantly (p < 0.05) increased after 10 min of exposure. Decrease in ROS level was observed after 30-min treatment indicating antioxidant defence mechanism activation. In conclusion, under the given laboratory conditions, modulated RF radiation might cause impairment in cell oxidation-reduction equilibrium within the growing cells.

Impacts of genetic line, gender and season on feeding behavior of grow-finish swine

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Feeding behavior contains important information that can enable producers to better manage livestock. A study was conducted to quantify these impacts. Data were collected on barrows and gilts (n = 931) from 3 different genetic lines (Landrace x Yorkshire material line with three different sire bree...

Sites of ozone sensitivity in diverse maize inbred lines

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Tropospheric ozone (O3) is an air pollutant that costs ~$14-26 billion in global crop losses and is projected to worsen in the future. Potential sites of O3 sensitivity in maize were tested by growing 200 inbred lines, including the nested association mapping population founder lines, under ambient...

Manufacturing recombinant proteins in kg-ton quantities using animal cells in bioreactors.

PubMed

De Jesus, Maria; Wurm, Florian M

2011-06-01

Mammalian cells in bioreactors as production host are the focus of this review. We wish to briefly describe today's technical status and to highlight emerging trends in the manufacture of recombinant therapeutic proteins, focusing on Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. CHO cells are the manufacturing host system of choice for more than 70% of protein pharmaceuticals on the market [21]. The current global capacity to grow mammalian cells in bioreactors stands at about 0.5 million liters, whereby the largest vessels can have a working volume of about 20,000l. We are focusing in this article on the upstream part of protein manufacturing. Over the past 25 years, volumetric yields for recombinant cell lines have increased about 20-fold mainly as the result of improvements in media and bioprocess design. Future yield increases are expected to come from improved gene delivery methods, from improved, possibly genetically modified host systems, and from further improved bioprocesses in bioreactors. Other emerging trends in protein manufacturing that are discussed include the use of disposal bioreactors and transient gene expression. We specifically highlight here current research in our own laboratories. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mycoplasmal Infections Prevent Apoptosis and Induce Malignant Transformation of Interleukin-3-Dependent 32D Hematopoietic Cells

PubMed Central

Feng, Shaw-Huey; Tsai, Shien; Rodriguez, Jose; Lo, Shyh-Ching

1999-01-01

32D cells, a murine myeloid cell line, rapidly undergo apoptosis upon withdrawal of interleukin-3 (IL-3) supplement in culture. We found that 32D cells, if infected by several species of human mycoplasmas that rapidly activated NF-κB, would live and continue to grow in IL-3-depleted culture. Mycoplasma-infected cells showed no evidence of autocrine production of IL-3. Pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC) blocked activation of NF-κB and led to prominent cell death. Heat-killed mycoplasmas or mycoplasmal membrane preparations alone could support continued growth of 32D cells in culture without IL-3 supplement for a substantial period of time. However, upon removal of heat-inactivated mycoplasmas, 32D cells quickly became apoptotic. In comparison, live Mycoplasma fermentans or M. penetrans infection for 4 to 5 weeks induced malignant transformation of 32D cells. Transformed 32D cells grew autonomously and no longer required support of growth-stimulating factors including IL-3 and mycoplasmas. The transformed 32D cells quickly formed tumors when injected into nude mice. Karyotyping showed that development of chromosomal changes and trisomy 19 was often associated with malignant transformation and tumorigenicity of 32D cells. Mycoplasmal infections apparently affected the fidelity of genomic transmission in cell division as well as checkpoints coordinating the progression of cell cycle events. PMID:10567525

CHARACTERISTICS OF GROWTH OF SARCOMA AND CARCINOMA CULTIVATED IN VITRO

PubMed Central

Lambert, Robert A.; Hanes, Frederic M.

1911-01-01

1. The transplantable sarcomata of rats and mice grow very readily by the method of cultivating tissues in vitro. 2. Sarcomatous tissue grows in conformity to a type which may be regarded as characteristic for tissues of mesenchymal origin. 3. The growth of sarcoma cells in vitro consists in ameboid wandering into the surrounding plasma, karyokinetic proliferation. and evidences of active metabolism on the part of the cells. 4. Mouse carcinomata can be cultivated in vitro. The outgrowth of carcinoma cells assumes a sheet-like form, only one cell in thickness. They migrate into the plasma by ameboid movement, the advancing edge showing numerous prolongations of the cytoplasm into pseudopods. 5. Karyokinetic figures are frequently seen in growing carcinoma cells. The cells show evidences of active metabolism. 6. Both sarcoma and carcinoma cells cultivated in vitro show active phagocytosis; carmin particles placed in the plasma are taken up rapidly by the growing cells. PMID:19867430

[Establishment of human embryonic stem cell lines and their therapeutic application].

PubMed

Suemori, Hirofumi

2004-03-01

Embryonic stem (ES) cell lines are pluripotent stem cell lines that can be propagated indefinitely in culture, retaining their potency to differentiate into every type of cell and tissue in the body. ES cell lines were first established from mouse blastocysts, and have been used for research in developmental biology. ES cells have been proven to be very valuable in the genetic modification of the mouse, especially in producing knockout mice. Since establishment of human ES cell lines was reported, their use in cell replacement therapies has been enthusiastically expected. There have been reports of the differentiation of several useful cell types from human ES cell lines, and clinical use of functional tissues and cells from human ES cells is anticipated. In Japan, there have also been many demands for the use of human ES cells in basic and pre-clinical research. We obtained governmental permission to establish human ES cell lines in April 2002 and started research using donated frozen embryos in January 2003. We successfully established three ES cell line from three blastocysts. These cell lines will be distributed at cost to researchers who have governmental permission to use human ES cells.

An Efficient Platform for Astrocyte Differentiation from Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells.

PubMed

Tcw, Julia; Wang, Minghui; Pimenova, Anna A; Bowles, Kathryn R; Hartley, Brigham J; Lacin, Emre; Machlovi, Saima I; Abdelaal, Rawan; Karch, Celeste M; Phatnani, Hemali; Slesinger, Paul A; Zhang, Bin; Goate, Alison M; Brennand, Kristen J

2017-08-08

Growing evidence implicates the importance of glia, particularly astrocytes, in neurological and psychiatric diseases. Here, we describe a rapid and robust method for the differentiation of highly pure populations of replicative astrocytes from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs), via a neural progenitor cell (NPC) intermediate. We evaluated this protocol across 42 NPC lines (derived from 30 individuals). Transcriptomic analysis demonstrated that hiPSC-astrocytes from four individuals are highly similar to primary human fetal astrocytes and characteristic of a non-reactive state. hiPSC-astrocytes respond to inflammatory stimulants, display phagocytic capacity, and enhance microglial phagocytosis. hiPSC-astrocytes also possess spontaneous calcium transient activity. Our protocol is a reproducible, straightforward (single medium), and rapid (<30 days) method to generate populations of hiPSC-astrocytes that can be used for neuron-astrocyte and microglia-astrocyte co-cultures for the study of neuropsychiatric disorders. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Neuroglobin Overexpression Inhibits AMPK Signaling and Promotes Cell Anabolism

PubMed Central

Cai, Bin; Li, Wenjun; Mao, XiaoOu; Winters, Ali; Ryou, Myoung-Gwi; Liu, Ran; Greenberg, David A.; Wang, Ning; Jin, Kunlin; Yang, Shao-Hua

2017-01-01

Neuroglobin (Ngb) is a recently discovered globin with preferential localization to neurons. Growing evidence indicates that Ngb has distinct physiological functions separate from the oxygen storage and transport roles of other globins, such as hemoglobin and myoglobin. We found increased ATP production and decreased glycolysis in Ngb-overexpressing immortalized murine hippocampal cell line (HT-22), in parallel with inhibition of AMPK signaling and activation of acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC). In addition, lipid and glycogen content was increased in Ngb-overexpressing HT-22 cells. AMPK signaling was also inhibited in brain and heart from Ngb-overexpressing transgenic mice. Although Ngb overexpression did not change glycogen content in whole brain, glycogen synthase was activated in cortical neurons of Ngb overexpressing mouse brain and Ngb overexpression primary neurons. Moreover, lipid and glycogen content was increased in hearts derived from Ngb-overexpressing mice. These findings suggest that Ngb functions as a metabolic regulator and enhances cellular anabolism through the inhibition of AMPK signaling. PMID:25616953

Neuroglobin Overexpression Inhibits AMPK Signaling and Promotes Cell Anabolism.

PubMed

Cai, Bin; Li, Wenjun; Mao, XiaoOu; Winters, Ali; Ryou, Myoung-Gwi; Liu, Ran; Greenberg, David A; Wang, Ning; Jin, Kunlin; Yang, Shao-Hua

2016-03-01

Neuroglobin (Ngb) is a recently discovered globin with preferential localization to neurons. Growing evidence indicates that Ngb has distinct physiological functions separate from the oxygen storage and transport roles of other globins, such as hemoglobin and myoglobin. We found increased ATP production and decreased glycolysis in Ngb-overexpressing immortalized murine hippocampal cell line (HT-22), in parallel with inhibition of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling and activation of acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC). In addition, lipid and glycogen content was increased in Ngb-overexpressing HT-22 cells. AMPK signaling was also inhibited in the brain and heart from Ngb-overexpressing transgenic mice. Although Ngb overexpression did not change glycogen content in whole brain, glycogen synthase was activated in cortical neurons of Ngb-overexpressing mouse brain and Ngb overexpression primary neurons. Moreover, lipid and glycogen content was increased in hearts derived from Ngb-overexpressing mice. These findings suggest that Ngb functions as a metabolic regulator and enhances cellular anabolism through the inhibition of AMPK signaling.

Lymphatic endothelial cells are a replicative niche for Mycobacterium tuberculosis

PubMed Central

Lerner, Thomas R.; de Souza Carvalho-Wodarz, Cristiane; Repnik, Urska; Russell, Matthew R.G.; Borel, Sophie; Diedrich, Collin R.; Rohde, Manfred; Wainwright, Helen; Collinson, Lucy M.; Wilkinson, Robert J.; Griffiths, Gareth; Gutierrez, Maximiliano G.

2016-01-01

In extrapulmonary tuberculosis, the most common site of infection is within the lymphatic system, and there is growing recognition that lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) are involved in immune function. Here, we identified LECs, which line the lymphatic vessels, as a niche for Mycobacterium tuberculosis in the lymph nodes of patients with tuberculosis. In cultured primary human LECs (hLECs), we determined that M. tuberculosis replicates both in the cytosol and within autophagosomes, but the bacteria failed to replicate when the virulence locus RD1 was deleted. Activation by IFN-γ induced a cell-autonomous response in hLECs via autophagy and NO production that restricted M. tuberculosis growth. Thus, depending on the activation status of LECs, autophagy can both promote and restrict replication. Together, these findings reveal a previously unrecognized role for hLECs and autophagy in tuberculosis pathogenesis and suggest that hLECs are a potential niche for M. tuberculosis that allows establishment of persistent infection in lymph nodes. PMID:26901813

Biology of MET: a double life between normal tissue repair and tumor progression

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

MNNG HOS transforming gene (MET) is a class IV receptor tyrosine kinase, expressed on the surface of epithelial cells. The interaction with the hepatocyte grow factor (HGF) induces MET dimerization and the activation of multiple intracellular pathways leading to cell proliferation, anti-apoptosis, morphogenic differentiation, motility, invasion, and angiogenesis. Knock out mice have demonstrated that MET is necessary for normal embryogenesis including the formation of striate muscles, liver and trophoblastic structures. The overexpression of MET and HGF are common in solid tumors and contribute to determine their growth. Indeed, MET has been cloned as a transforming gene from a chemically induced human osteosarcoma cell line and therefore is considered a proto-oncogene. Germline MET mutations are characteristic of hereditary papillary kidney cancers and MET amplification is observed in tumors including lung and gastric adenocarcinomas. The inhibition of MET signaling is the target for specific drugs that are raising exciting expectation for medical treatment of cancer. PMID:25992381

The quest for restoring hearing: Understanding ear development more completely.

PubMed

Jahan, Israt; Pan, Ning; Elliott, Karen L; Fritzsch, Bernd

2015-09-01

Neurosensory hearing loss is a growing problem of super-aged societies. Cochlear implants can restore some hearing, but rebuilding a lost hearing organ would be superior. Research has discovered many cellular and molecular steps to develop a hearing organ but translating those insights into hearing organ restoration remains unclear. For example, we cannot make various hair cell types and arrange them into their specific patterns surrounded by the right type of supporting cells in the right numbers. Our overview of the topologically highly organized and functionally diversified cellular mosaic of the mammalian hearing organ highlights what is known and unknown about its development. Following this analysis, we suggest critical steps to guide future attempts toward restoration of a functional organ of Corti. We argue that generating mutant mouse lines that mimic human pathology to fine-tune attempts toward long-term functional restoration are needed to go beyond the hope generated by restoring single hair cells in postnatal sensory epithelia. © 2015 WILEY Periodicals, Inc.

Structure of small-scale magnetic fields in the kinematic dynamo theory.

PubMed

Schekochihin, Alexander; Cowley, Steven; Maron, Jason; Malyshkin, Leonid

2002-01-01

A weak fluctuating magnetic field embedded into a a turbulent conducting medium grows exponentially while its characteristic scale decays. In the interstellar medium and protogalactic plasmas, the magnetic Prandtl number is very large, so a broad spectrum of growing magnetic fluctuations is excited at small (subviscous) scales. The condition for the onset of nonlinear back reaction depends on the structure of the field lines. We study the statistical correlations that are set up in the field pattern and show that the magnetic-field lines possess a folding structure, where most of the scale decrease is due to the field variation across itself (rapid transverse direction reversals), while the scale of the field variation along itself stays approximately constant. Specifically, we find that, though both the magnetic energy and the mean-square curvature of the field lines grow exponentially, the field strength and the field-line curvature are anticorrelated, i.e., the curved field is relatively weak, while the growing field is relatively flat. The detailed analysis of the statistics of the curvature shows that it possesses a stationary limiting distribution with the bulk located at the values of curvature comparable to the characteristic wave number of the velocity field and a power tail extending to large values of curvature where it is eventually cut off by the resistive regularization. The regions of large curvature, therefore, occupy only a small fraction of the total volume of the system. Our theoretical results are corroborated by direct numerical simulations. The implication of the folding effect is that the advent of the Lorentz back reaction occurs when the magnetic energy approaches that of the smallest turbulent eddies. Our results also directly apply to the problem of statistical geometry of the material lines in a random flow.

Chandipura virus growth kinetics in vertebrate cell lines, insect cell lines & embryonated eggs.

PubMed

Jadi, R S; Sudeep, A B; Kumar, Satyendra; Arankalle, V A; Mishra, A C

2010-08-01

Since not much information on Chandipura virus is available, an attempt was made to study the growth kinetics of the virus in certain vertebrate, invertebrate cell lines and embryonated chicken eggs. Comparative study of Chandipura virus (CHPV) growth kinetics in three vertebrate cell lines [Vero E6, Rhabdo myosarcoma (RD), Porcine stable kidney (PS) cell lines], two insect cell lines [Aedes aegypti (AA) and Phlebotomus papatasi (PP-9) cell lines] and embryonated pathogen free chicken eggs was conducted, by tissue culture infective dose 50 per cent (TCID(50)) and indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA). All the cell lines and embryonated egg supported the growth of CHPV and yielded high virus titre. The vertebrate cell lines showed distinct cytopathic effect (CPE) within 4-6 h post infection (PI), while no CPE was observed in insect cell lines. PP-9 cell line was the most sensitive system to CHPV as viral antigen could be detected at 1 h PI by IFA. Our results demonstrated that all the systems were susceptible to CHPV and achieved high yield of virus. However, the PP-9 cell line had an edge over the others due to its high sensitivity to the virus which might be useful for detection and isolation of the virus during epidemics.