Threonine phosphorylation is associated with mitosis in HeLa cells.

Phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of proteins play an important role in the regulation of mitosis and meiosis. In our previous studies we have described mitosis-specific monoclonal antibody MPM-2 that recognizes a family of phosphopeptides in mitotic cells but not in interphase cells. These peptides are synthesized in S phase but modified by phosphorylation during G2/mitosis transition. The epitope for the MPM-2 is a phosphorylated site. In this study, we attempted to determine which amino acids are phosphorylated during the G2-mitosis (M) transition. We raised a polyclonal antibody against one of the antigens recognized by MPM-2, i.e. a protein of 55 kDa, that is present in interphase cells but modified by phosphorylation during mitosis. This antibody recognizes the p55 protein in both interphase and mitosis while it is recognized by the monoclonal antibody MPM-2 only in mitotic cells. Phosphoamino acid analysis of protein p55 from 32P-labeled S-phase and M-phase HeLa cell extracts after immunoprecipitation with anti-p55 antibodies revealed that threonine was extensively phosphorylated in p55 during G2-M but not in S phase, whereas serine was phosphorylated during both S and M phases. Tyrosine was not phosphorylated. Identical results were obtained when antigens recognized by MPM-2 were subjected to similar analysis. As cells completed mitosis and entered G1 phase phosphothreonine was completely dephosphorylated whereas phosphoserine was not. These results suggest that phosphorylation of threonine might be specific to some of the mitosis-related events.

Modulation of 4'-(9-acridinylamino)methanesulfon-m-anisidide-induced, topoisomerase II-mediated DNA cleavage by gossypol.

Our earlier studies have shown that gossypol [1,1',6,6',7,7'-hexahydroxy-5,5-diisopropyl - 3,3'-dimethyl - (2,2'- binaphthalene)-8,8'-dicarboxyaldehyde], a male contraceptive, inhibits DNA synthesis by decreasing the activities of DNA polymerase alpha and beta, resulting in the arrest of cells in mid-S phase [L.J. Rosenberg, R.C. Adlakha, D.M. Desai, and P.N. Rao, Biochim. Biophys. Acta, 866: 258-267, 1986]. Now we have examined the effects of gossypol on another enzyme of importance to cellular functions, topoisomerase II (topo II). We have determined the consequences of gossypol treatment on 4'-(9-acridinylamino)methane-sulfon-m anisidide (m-AMSA)-induced topoisomerase II-mediated, protein-associated DNA cleavage using the alkaline elution technique. In HeLa cells pretreated with gossypol (3.4-17.5 microM) for 8-16 h we observed a dose- and time-dependent decrease (50-75%) in DNA cleavage compared to that quantified in cells treated with m-AMSA alone. Gossypol by itself did not induce more than 25 rad-equivalents of DNA single-strand breaks even at the highest dose tested (26 microM). [14C]m-AMSA uptake was identical in treated and untreated cells. Pretreatment of cells with another inhibitor of DNA synthesis, thymidine, which blocks cells at G1/S boundary increased the m-AMSA-induced DNA cleavage by 25%, suggesting that the effect of gossypol might be due to the arrest of cells in mid-S phase. In contrast to gossypol's effects on m-AMSA-induced DNA cleavage, m-AMSA-induced cytotoxicity was actually increased in gossypol pretreated cells. Gossypol blocked topo II strand passing activity (decatenation of kinetoplast DNA) of cellular extracts from HeLa cells. The inhibition of this activity by gossypol was synergistic with the inhibition produced by m-AMSA or etoposide. These data suggest that gossypol can both inhibit topo II catalytic activity and interfere with the stabilization of topo II-DNA complex formation by m-AMSA. These data indicate that the magnitude of m-AMSA-induced DNA cleavage may not necessarily parallel the magnitude of m-AMSA-induced cytotoxicity. The cytotoxicity data may rather be explained by an action of gossypol and m-AMSA to block topo II catalytic activity at a point in the enzyme's strand passing cycle prior to cleavage complex formation that might be particularly toxic to cells in S phase. Gossypol should therefore be useful in improving our understanding of the cellular role of topo II and the consequences of interference with topo II activity by active antineoplastic agents.

Amphibian oocyte maturation induced by extracts of Physarum polycephalum in mitosis.

The orderly progression of eukaryotic cells from interphase to mitosis requires the close coordination of various nuclear and cytoplasmic events. Studies from our laboratory and others on animal cells indicate that two activities, one present mainly in mitotic cells and the other exclusively in G1-phase cells, play a pivotal role in the regulation of initiation and completion of mitosis, respectively. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether these activities are expressed in the slime mold Physarum polycephalum in which all the nuclei traverse the cell cycle in natural synchrony. Extracts were prepared from plasmodia in various phases of the cell cycle and tested for their ability to induce germinal vesicle breakdown and chromosome condensation after microinjection into Xenopus laevis oocytes. We found that extract of cells at 10-20 min before metaphase consistently induced germinal vesicle breakdown in oocytes. Preliminary characterization, including purification on a DNA-cellulose affinity column, indicated that the mitotic factors from Physarum were functionally very similar to HeLa mitotic factors. We also identified a number of mitosis-specific antigens in extracts from Physarum plasmodia, similar to those of HeLa cells, using the mitosis-specific monoclonal antibodies MPM-2 and MPM-7. Interestingly, we also observed an activity in Physarum at 45 min after metaphase (i.e., in early S phase since it has no G1) that is usually present in HeLa cells only during the G1 phase of the cell cycle. These are the first studies to show that maturation-promoting factor activity is present in Physarum during mitosis and is replaced by the G1 factor (or anti-maturation-promoting factor) activity in a postmitotic stage. A comparative study of these factors in this slime mold and in mammalian cells would be extremely valuable in further understanding their function in the regulation of eukaryotic cell cycle and their evolutionary relationship to one another.

Cell cycle stage dependent variations in drug-induced topoisomerase II mediated DNA cleavage and cytotoxicity.

The DNA cleavage produced by 4'-(9-acridinylamino)methanesulfon-m-anisidide (m-AMSA) in mammalian cells is putatively mediated by topoisomerase II. We found that in synchronized HeLa cells the frequency of such cleavage was 4-15-fold greater in mitosis than in S while the DNA of G1 and G2 cells exhibited an intermediate susceptibility to cleavage. The hypersensitivity of mitotic DNA to m-AMSA-induced cleavage was acquired relatively abruptly in late G2 and was lost similarly abruptly in early G1. The susceptibility of mitotic cells to m-AMSA-induced DNA cleavage was not clearly paralleled by an increase in topoisomerase II activity (decatenation of kinetoplast DNA) in 350 mM NaCl extracts from mitotic cells compared to similar extracts from cells in G1, S, or G2. Furthermore, equal amounts of decatenating activity from cells in mitosis and S produced equal amounts of m-AMSA-induced cleavage of simian virus 40 (SV40) DNA; i.e., the interaction between m-AMSA and extractable enzyme was similar in mitosis and S. The DNA of mitotic cells was also hypersensitive to cleavage by 4'-demethylepipodophyllotoxin 4-(4,6-O-ethylidene-beta-D-glucopyranoside) (etoposide), a drug that produces topoisomerase II mediated DNA cleavage without binding to DNA. Thus, alterations in the drug-chromatin interaction during the cell cycle seem an unlikely explanation for results in whole cells. Cell cycle stage dependent fluctuations in m-AMSA-induced DNA cleavage may result from fluctuations in the structure of chromatin per se that occur during the cell cycle.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Inhibition of DNA polymerase alpha by gossypol.

Our earlier studies have shown that gossypol is a specific inhibitor of DNA synthesis in cultured cells at low doses. In an attempt to determine the mechanism for the inhibition of DNA synthesis by gossypol we observed that gossypol does not interact with DNA per se but may affect some of the enzymes involved in DNA replication. These studies indicated that gossypol inhibits both in vivo and in vitro the activity of DNA polymerase alpha (EC 2.7.7.7), a major enzyme involved in DNA replication, in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Kinetic analysis revealed that gossypol acts as a noncompetitive inhibitor of DNA polymerase alpha with respect to all four deoxynucleotide triphosphates and to the activated DNA template. Inhibition of DNA polymerase alpha does not appear to be due to either metal chelation or reduction of sulfhydryl groups on the enzyme. Gossypol also inhibited HeLa DNA polymerase beta in a dose-dependent manner, but had no effect on DNA polymerase gamma. These results suggest that inhibition of DNA polymerase alpha may account in part for the inhibition of DNA synthesis and the S-phase block caused by gossypol. The data also raise the possibility that gossypol may interfere with DNA repair processes as well.

Partial purification and characterization of mitotic factors from HeLa cells.

Extracts from mitotic HeLa cells, when injected into Xenopus laevis oocytes, exhibit maturation-promoting activity (MPA) as evidenced by the breakdown of the germinal vesicle and the condensation of chromosomes. In this study we have attempted to purify and characterize these mitotic factors. When 0.2 M NaCl-soluble extracts of mitotic HeLa cells were concentrated by ultrafiltration and subjected to affinity chromatography on hydroxylapatite followed by DNA-cellulose, the proteins with MPA eluted as a single peak and their specific activity was increased approx. 200-fold compared with crude extracts. The molecular weight of the mitotic factors was estimated to be 100 kD as determined by chromatography on Sephacryl S-200. SDS-PAGE of the partially-purified mitotic factors indicated the presence of several polypeptides ranging from 40-150 kD with a major band of about 50 kD. The majority of these polypeptides were found to be phosphoproteins as revealed by 32P-labeling and autoradiography. Very little or no phosphorylation was observed at the 50 kD band. Several of these polypeptides were reactive with mitosis-specific monoclonal antibodies, MPM-1 or MPM-2, as shown by immunoblots of these proteins but the major polypeptide band at 50 kD was not. Removal of the immunoreactive polypeptides by precipitation with these antibodies did not destroy the MPA. The MPA of the crude or the partially-purified mitotic factors was destroyed by injection of (but not pretreatment with) alkaline phosphatase within 45 min after injection of mitotic factors. These results are discussed in terms of a possible role of phosphorylation-dephosphorylation of non-histone proteins in the regulation of mitosis and meiosis.

Phosphorylation of non-histone proteins associated with mitosis in HeLa cells.

Our previous studies indicated that certain non-histone proteins (NHP) extractable with 0.2 M NaCl from mitotic HeLa cells induce germinal vesicle breakdown and chromosome condensation in Xenopus laevis oocytes. Since the maturation-promoting activity of the mitotic proteins is stabilized by phosphatase inhibitors, we decided to examine whether phosphorylation of NHP plays a role in the condensation of chromosomes during mitosis. HeLa cells, synchronized in S phase, were labeled with 32P at the end of S phase, and the cells subsequently collected while they were in G2, mitosis, or G1. Cytoplasmic, nuclear, or chromosomal proteins were extracted and separated by gel electrophoresis. The labeled protein bands were detected by radioautography. The results indicated an 8-10-fold increase in the phosphorylation of NHP from mid-G2 to mitosis, followed by a similar-size decrease as the cells divided and entered G1. The NHP phosphorylation rate increased progressively during G2 traverse and reached a peak in mitosis. Radioautography of the separated NHP revealed eight prominent, extensively phosphorylated protein bands with molecular masses ranging from 27.5 to 100 kD. These NHP were rapidly dephosphorylated during M-G1 transition. Phosphorylation-dephosphorylation of NHP appeared to be a dynamic process, with the equilibrium shifting to phosphorylation during G2-M and dephosphorylation during M-G1 transitions. These results suggest that besides histone H1 phosphorylation, phosphorylation of this subset of NHP may also play a part in mitosis.

Inactivation of mitotic factors by ultraviolet irradiation of HeLa cells in mitosis.

Extracts from mitotic HeLa cells, when injected into fully grown Xenopus laevis oocytes, exhibit maturation-promoting activity (MPA) indicated by germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD) and chromosome condensation. Recently, we observed that the MPA of mitotic cell extracts is neutralized by the inhibitors of mitotic factors (IMF) in HeLa cells, which are activated at telophase and remain active throughout the G1 period. The activity of the IMF coincides with the process of chromosome decondensation, which begins at telophase and continues until the beginning of S phase, when chromatin reaches its most decondensed state. The objective of the present study was to investigate whether these two phenomena - chromosome decondensation and the activation of IMF - were related. The activity of IMF was measured in N2O-blocked mitotic HeLa cells, in which chromosome decondensation was induced by exposure to ultraviolet light, and subsequent incubation in medium containing inhibitors of DNA synthesis, hydroxyurea and arabinosylcytosine (araC). u.v. irradiation activated IMF was seen even at very high doses of X-irradiation. The IMF seemed to inactivate the mitotic factors directly by forming a complex that precipitated on heating at 60 degrees C for 15 min. Mg2+ or polyamines (i.e. spermine, spermidine, and putrescine), agents known to promote chromatin condensation partially restored the MPA of the u.v.-irradiated mitotic cell extracts. These results tend to support the conclusion that the IMF play a role in the decondensation of chromosomes.

Chromosome condensation and decondensation factors in the life cycle of eukaryotic cells.

In this chapter, we have attempted to review our recent work pertaining to the regulation of the chromosome condensation-decondensation cycle within the life cycle of mammalian cells. The results summarized here strongly suggest that this sequence of events may be regulated by different protein factors. Mitotic factors injected into fully grown X. laevis oocytes induce meiotic maturation, i.e., GVBD and chromosome condensation. These factors, which accumulate slowly in the beginning of G2 and reach a threshold at the G2-mitosis transition, have a great affinity for chromatin and are localized on metaphase chromosomes, as well as in the cytoplasm. They are nondialyzable, heat- and Ca2+-sensitive, Mg2+-dependent nonhistone proteins with an approximate molecular mass of 100,000 Da. At the telophase of mitosis, the mitotic factors are rapidly inactivated by another set of factors, IMF. IMF are also nondialyzable nonhistone proteins, but unlike mitotic factors, are heat-stable. They are also stable over a broad pH range, but are extremely sensitive to low pH. IMF are activated at telophase and remain active throughout the G1 period, thus coinciding with the process of chromosome decondensation. Although evidence implicating IMF in the regulation of chromosome decondensation is still largely circumstantial, data summarized here nevertheless suggest a strong correlation between these two phenomena. The way in which mitotic factors and IMF might bring about the condensation-decondensation of chromosomes has not been established. Our studies on the role of protein phosphorylation and the use of monoclonal antibodies specific for mitotic cells have provided some evidence implicating nonhistone protein phosphorylation-dephosphorylation in the regulation of mitosis. A causal link between these events is suggested, but remains to be established. Characterization of these factors will help us learn about their functions, as well as lead to a better understanding of the events regulating the chromosome condensation-decondensation cycle in eukaryotic cells.

Evidence for the presence of inhibitors of mitotic factors during G1 period in mammalian cells.

Our earlier studies indicated that the mitotic factors, which induce germinal vesicle breakdown and chromosome condensation when injected into fully grown Xenopus oocytes, are preferentially associated with metaphase chromosomes and that they bind to chromatin as soon as they are synthesized during the G2 phase. In this study, we attempted to determine the fate of these factors as the cell completes mitosis and enters G1. Extracts from HeLa cells at different points during G1, S, and G2 periods were mixed with mitotic extracts in various proportions, incubated, and then injected into Xenopus oocytes to determine their maturation-promoting activity. The maturation-promoting activity of the mitotic extracts was neutralized by extracts of G1 cells during all stages of G1 but not by those of late S and G2 phase cells. Extracts of quiescent (G0) human diploid fibroblasts exhibited very little inhibitory activity. However, UV irradiation of G0 cells, which is known to cause decondensation of chromatin, significantly enhanced the inhibitory activity of extracts of these cells. These factors are termed inhibitors of mitotic factors (IMF). They seem to be activated, rather than newly synthesized, as the cell enters telophase when chromosomes begin to decondense. The IMF are nondialyzable, nonhistone proteins with a molecular weight of greater than 12,000. Since mitotic factors are known to induce chromosome condensation, it is possible that IMF, which are antagonistic to mitotic factors, may serve the reverse function of the mitotic factors, i.e., regulation of chromosome decondensation.

Chromosome-bound mitotic factors: release by endonucleases.

Additional evidence is presented to support our recently reported conclusion that the mitotic factors of mammalian cells, which induce germinal vesicle breakdown and chromosome condensation when injected into fully grown Xenopus laevis oocytes, are localized on metaphase chromosomes. Chromosomes isolated from mitotic HeLa cells were further purified on sucrose gradients and digested for varying periods with either the micrococcal nuclease or DNase II. At each time point of digestion the amount of mitotic factors released was determined by injecting a supernatant of these fractions, obtained by high-speed centrifugation, into oocytes. The amount of DNA rendered acid soluble under the conditions of digestion used was 3% ot 5% of the total chromosomal DNA. The extent of release of mitotic factors with both nucleases was estimated to be about 30% to 40% as evidenced by the reextraction of the undigested chromosomal pellet with 0.2 M NaC1. Similar results were obtained when nuclei from G2 cells were digested under identical conditions. The release of these chromosome-bound mitotic factors by mild digestion with these nucleases though only partial, clearly demonstrates that a significant proportion of these factors are localized on metaphase chromosomes.

Localization of mitotic factors on metaphase chromosomes.

The objective of this study was to determine whether the mitotic factors of HeLa cells, which induce meiotic maturation, i.e. germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD) and chromosome condensation, when injected into fully grown Xenopus laevis oocytes, were localized in the cytoplasm or associated with the metaphase chromosomes. Cytoplasmic extracts were prepared by lysing mitotic HeLa cells in low-salt hypotonic buffer and separating the chromosomes by centrifugation. Th mitotic factors bound to chromosomes were extracted with high-salt (0.2 M-NaCl) buffer. Both the cytoplasmic and chromosomal protein fractions were evaluated for their maturation-promoting activity (MPA) in the Xenopus oocytes. The results of this study indicate that both the cytoplasmic and chromosomal fractions are identical in many respects, including their ability to induce GVBD, but the specific activity of the chromosomal fraction was at least threefold greater than that of the cytoplasmic fraction. These data suggest that a major portion of the mitotic factors is localized on the metaphase chromosomes. This association does not appear to be due to adventitious binding of mitotic proteins to chromosomes during the extraction procedures. Furthermore, when extracts were prepared in a similar way from early- and mid-G2-phase HeLa cells, only the nuclear extracts had MPA and no activity was found in the cytoplasmic fraction. Both the cytoplasmic and nuclear extracts of late-G2 cells exhibited MPA. These data support the conclusion that the mitotic factors become preferentially bound to chromatin as soon as they are synthesized, and as the cell synthesizes more of these factors in preparation for mitosis, increasing amounts of them are retained in the cytoplasm.

Immunosuppressive activity of a purified spleen extract (lymphocytic chalone?) is not due to polyamines spermine and spermidine.

Spermine, spermidine and a purified spleen extract (PSE) have been compared in vivo in these three tests: hemolytic plaque forming capacity in sensitized mice, delayed hypersensitivity reaction and 3H-thymidine incorporation into various tissue cells. The results obtained demonstrated that the immunosuppressive activity of PSE cannot be attributed to those polyamines. Ion exchange analysis of PSE before and after acid hydrolysis confirmed the absence of free and/or bound polyamines in the studied extract.

Automated analysis of common basic amino acids, mono-, di-, and polyamines, phenolicamines, and indoleamines in crude biological samples.

A fully automated, fast, and sensitive method for the separation of common basic amino acids and mono-, di-, and polyamines as well as phenolic- and indoleamines is described. Picomole level determination of hydroxytryptophan, tryptophan, histidine, lysine, ethanol amine, arginine, noradrenaline, diaminopropane, putrescine, histamine, cadaverine, dopamine, hexamethylenediamine, agmatine, tyramine, phenethylamine, serotonin, 5,6-dihydroxytryptamine, 5-methoxytryptamine, tryptamine, spermidine, and spermine is carried out by ion-exchange column chromatography on a single sample in 170 min of total analysis. This method is well suited for crude extracts without preliminary purification, thus reducing preparative losses. The reproducibility of the method has been studied and the percentage recovery of the different compounds after column chromatography is reported. Its application to crude samples from different biological sources such as microorganisms, vegetables, platelets, and urine is presented. This method could serve as a powerful tool for the analysis of these amino compounds in which there is currently a considerable interest.