In vitro and in vivo inhibition of telomerase activity from Chinese hamster V79 cells.

While studying the inhibition of telomerase activity in Chinese hamster V79 cells using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based telomeric repeat amplification protocol (TRAP) assay, we had earlier observed that 7-deaza deoxy guanosine triphosphate (7-deaza dGTP) and oligonucleotide (TTAGGG)4 inhibited telomerase activity in vitro. In the present study, we report inhibition of telomerase activity by modified base 7-deaza deoxy adenosine triphosphate (7-deaza dATP) and phosphorothioate TTAGGG (PS-TTAGGG). Both the compounds inhibited telomerase activity in a concentration dependent manner; 8.5 microM of 7-deaza dATP and 0.1 microM of PS-TTAGGG being the concentration for 50% of the maximum inhibition. This observation supports our earlier hypothesis that incorporation of a modified nucleotide into telomere possibly interferes with the recognition of the telomerase and TTAGGG interferes with the RNA component of telomerase. We have further shown that treatment of cells with nicotinamide (NA) and benzamide (BA), well known inhibitors of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase, reduced telomerase activity. We speculate that modification of the telomeric binding proteins or other components by poly (ADP-ribosyl)ation may be involved in such inhibition.

Possible role of glutathione in resistance to heavy metals and hydrogen peroxide in a radioresistant Chinese hamster V79 cell strain.

To understand the cellular and biochemical nature of radioresistance in the strain M5 derived from Chinese hamster V79 cells, the sensitivity of the resistant cells towards CdCl2, Zn(Ac)2, and H2O2 by the colony forming ability has been tested. D0 values for these compounds in Chinese hamster V79 cells were 5.4 microM, 27.8 microM and 4.3 micrograms/ml respectively while for M5 cells these were 8.3 microM, 142.9 microM and 11.9 micrograms/ml respectively. The resistance to heavy metals as well as the oxidative damage could be reversed by the inhibition of glutathione synthesis by the drug buthionine sulfoximine (BSO). These set of data indicate that the cellular antioxidant glutathione plays an important role in the observed oxidant-resistant phenotype as well as heavy metal resistance in M5 cells.

Induction of apoptosis by ionizing radiation in Chinese hamster V79 cells and a radioresistant cell strain derived from V79.

DNA fragmentation into nucleosome ladder, a hall mark of apoptosis, could be obtained by as low as 0.58 Gy of gamma irradiation within 6 hr of irradiation which increased appreciably after 48 hr in V79 cells. In the same condition condensation of the nucleus and marginalization of the cytoplasm the characteristic morphology of apoptotic death were observed. Unirradiated controls had approximately 2% apoptotic cells. When cells were irradiated with 0.58 Gy, approximately 10% of the cells had the apoptotic morphology. This number increased to approximately 29% at 3.5 Gy dose. At a higher dose, apoptotic and necrotic cells were visualized. In radio resistant cells higher doses were required to induce morphological changes. The results indicated that gamma irradiation can induce apoptosis in Chinese hamster V79, fibroblast cell line and the radioresistant cell strain derived from V79 cells is also resistant to induction of apoptosis.

Mutational Pathways in Colorectal Carcinoma Cell Lines.

We studied the nature of mutational events in two highly malignant human colorectal carcinoma cell lines. In HCT116, the frequency of micro-satellite instability as detected by the electrophoretic shifts in the allele sizes of micro-satellite DNA sequence was 22% and 80% in two loci (D16S303 and D16S295) of dinucleotide repeats. In SW620, we failed to detect such mutation at any of the two micro satellite loci studied. However, there was a high frequency loss of heterozygosity in the micro satellite locus D16S303. Such high frequency loss of the D16S303 allele extended to other linked loci covering about 9 mega base pairs (Mbp). This set of data indicates that at least two pathway are involved in the development of colon tumour.