Localization of a substrate specificity domain in the multidrug resistance protein.

Multidrug resistance protein (MRP) confers resistance to a number of natural product chemotherapeutic agents. It is also a high affinity transporter of some physiological conjugated organic anions such as cysteinyl leukotriene C(4) and the cholestatic estrogen, 17beta-estradiol 17(beta-D-glucuronide) (E(2)17betaG). We have shown that the murine orthologue of MRP (mrp), unlike the human protein, does not confer resistance to common anthracyclines and is a relatively poor transporter of E(2)17betaG. We have taken advantage of these functional differences to identify region(s) of MRP involved in mediating anthracycline resistance and E(2)17betaG transport by generating mrp/MRP hybrid proteins. All hybrid proteins conferred resistance to the Vinca alkaloid, vincristine, when transfected into human embryonic kidney cells. However, only those in which the COOH-terminal third of mrp had been replaced with the corresponding region of MRP-conferred resistance to the anthracyclines, doxorubicin, and epirubicin. Exchange of smaller segments of the COOH-terminal third of the mouse protein by replacement of either amino acids 959-1187 or 1188-1531 with those of MRP produced proteins capable of conferring some level of resistance to the anthracyclines tested. All hybrid proteins transported cysteinyl leukotriene C(4) with similar efficiencies. In contrast, only those containing the COOH-terminal third of MRP transported E(2)17betaG with an efficiency comparable with that of the intact human protein. The results demonstrate that differences in primary structure of the highly conserved COOH-terminal third of mrp and MRP are important determinants of the inability of the murine protein to confer anthracycline resistance and its relatively poor ability to transport E(2)17betaG.

A multidrug-resistance protein (MRP)-like transmembrane pump is highly expressed by resting murine T helper (Th) 2, but not Th1 cells, and is induced to equal expression levels in Th1 and Th2 cells after antigenic stimulation in vivo.

A transmembrane pump for organic anions was identified in resting murine T helper (Th) 2, but not Th1 lymphocyte cell clones, as revealed by extrusion of a fluorescent dye. Dye extrusion inhibition studies suggested that the pump may be the multidrug-resistance protein (MRP). The different expression of the pump in resting Th1 and Th2 cell clones correlated with their respective levels of MRP mRNA. The pump was inducible in Th1 cells by antigenic stimulation in vitro leading to equal expression in activated Th1 and Th2 cell clones. This suggested that dye extrusion might allow the detection of Th2 (resting or activated) or of activated Th1 cells ex vivo based on a functional parameter. To test this, mice were infected with Leishmania major parasites to activate L. major-specific T cells of either Th1 (C57BL/6 mice) or Th2 (BALB/c mice) phenotype: 2-3% of CD4+ lymph node T cells of both strains of mice extruded the dye, defining a cell subset that did not coincide with subsets defined by other activation markers. Fluorescence-activated cell-sorting revealed that the lymphokine response (Th1 or Th2, respectively) to L. major antigens was restricted to this dye-extruding subset.

Pharmacological characterization of the murine and human orthologs of multidrug-resistance protein in transfected human embryonic kidney cells.

Overexpression of the human multidrug-resistance protein (MRP) causes a form of multidrug resistance similar to that conferred by P-glycoprotein, although the two proteins are only distantly related. In contrast to P-glycoprotein, human MRP has also been shown to be a primary active transporter of a structurally diverse range of organic anionic conjugates, some of which may be physiological substrates. At present, the mechanism by which MRP transports these compounds and mediates multidrug resistance is not understood. With the objective of developing an animal model for studies on the normal functions of MRP and its ability to confer multidrug resistance in vivo, we recently cloned the murine ortholog of MRP (mrp). To assess the degree of functional conservation between mrp and MRP, we directly compared the drug cross-resistance profiles they confer when transfected into human embryonic kidney cells, as well as their ability to actively transport leukotriene C4, 17beta-Estradiol 17beta-(D-glucuronide), and vincristine; mrp and MRP conferred similar drug resistance profiles, with the exception that only MRP conferred resistance to the anthracyclines tested. Consistent with these findings, accumulation of [3H]vincristine and [3H]VP-16 was decreased, and efflux of [3H]vincristine was increased in both murine and human MRP-transfected cell populations, whereas only human MRP-transfected cells displayed decreased accumulation and increased efflux of [3H]daunorubicin. Membrane vesicles derived from both transfected cell populations transported leukotriene C4 in an ATP-dependent manner with comparable efficiency, although the efficiency of 17beta-estradiol 17beta-(D-glucuronide) transport was somewhat higher with MRP transfectants. ATP-dependent transport of vincristine was also observed with vesicles from mrp and MRP transfectants but only in the presence of glutathione. These studies reveal intrinsic differences between the murine and human MRP orthologs with respect to their ability to confer resistance to a major class of chemotherapeutic drugs.

Location of a protease-hypersensitive region in the multidrug resistance protein (MRP) by mapping of the epitope of MRP-specific monoclonal antibody QCRL-1.

Multidrug resistance protein (MRP) is a Mr 190,000 integral membrane phosphoglycoprotein which has been shown by transfection studies to confer multidrug resistance. We have previously raised and characterized a panel of MRP-specific monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) which detect distinct epitopes in the MRP molecule (D. R. Hipfner et A, Cancer Res., 54. 5788-5792, 1994), and, in the present study, we have identified the epitope of one of these, MAb QCRL-1. Immunoblot analysis of MRP fragments generated by digestion with formic acid or trypsin suggested that the MAb QCRL-1 epitope was located in the region connecting the two halves of MRP. Subsequent analyses of a series of truncated bacterial glutathione S-transferase fusion proteins containing segments of human MRP further localized the MAb QCRL-1 epitope to a region encompassing amino acids 903-956. Similar experiments with an analogous segment of murine MRP demonstrated that MAb QCRL-1 was highly specific for the human protein. The reactivity of MAb QCRL-1 with a series of overlapping hexapeptides and heptapeptides within this region identified the human MRP-specific heptapeptide SSYSGDI (corresponding to amino acids 918-924) as the epitope, and this peptide was shown to specifically inhibit MAb QCRL-1 binding to MRP. The results of these studies confirm that this epitope has a cytoplasmic location consistent with the topology of MRP predicted from hydrophobicity analyses. These experiments also revealed the presence of a number of protease-sensitive sites on either side of the MAb QCRL-1 epitope in the cytoplasmic domain connecting the two halves of MRP. Future epitope-mapping studies with other MRP-specific MAbs win provide additional insights into the topology of MRP, and may help to identify functionally important regions of this protein. Moreover, definition of the epitope recognized by MAb QCRL-1 as well as the other MAbs will facilitate the use of these reagents for immunohistological studies of MRP expression in drug-resistant tumors.

Structure and expression of the messenger RNA encoding the murine multidrug resistance protein, an ATP-binding cassette transporter.

In vitro, overexpression of the human multidrug-resistance protein (MRP) causes a form of multidrug resistance similar to that conferred by P-glycoprotein, although the two proteins are only very distantly related. Studies with MRP-enriched membrane vesicles have demonstrated that the protein can bind and transport cysteinyl leukotrienes, as well as some other glutathione conjugates, with high affinity. In contrast, there is no direct evidence of the ability of MRP to bind or transport unmodified forms of the drugs to which it confers resistance. To facilitate studies of the physiological function(s) of MRP and its ability to cause multidrug resistance in vivo, we cloned and characterized the mRNA specifying its murine homolog. The murine MRP mRNA encodes a protein of 1528 amino acids that is 88% identical to human MRP. Although detectable by Northern blotting at variable levels in a wide range of tissues, in situ hybridization experiments revealed that MRP mRNA expression in some tissues is cell-type specific. High levels of the mRNA were detected in epithelia lining bronchi and bronchioles, as well as stage-specific expression in the seminiferous epithelium of the testes. Comparison of the predicted hydropathy profiles of human and murine MRP suggests a highly conserved membrane topology, the most distinctive feature of which is an extremely hydrophobic NH2-terminal region containing five or six potential transmembrane sequences. This structural feature is shared with the sulfonylurea receptor and the yeast cadmium factor 1 but is not present in members of the superfamily, such as the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator and P-glycoproteins. Finally, we used overlapping cDNAs to construct an episomally replicating murine MRP expression vector that was stably transfected into HeLa cells. MRP-Transfected cell populations expressed markedly elevated levels of a 180-190-kDa protein that cross-reacted with a polyclonal antiserum raised against a peptide that is completely conserved in murine and human MRPs. The MRP transfectants also displayed increased resistance to vincristine (5-6-fold) and doxorubicin (< 2-fold).

Computer vocations for severely physically disabled persons: survey results.

Clients with physical disabilities were assessed for their computer skills and other characteristics related to computer vocations. Then a series of surveys were undertaken to determine availability of computer programming jobs for properly trained students, the best training program to suit these jobs, the equipment to train persons with disabilities, and the numbers of qualified applicants to warrant establishment of such a program. Results indicated that while programming is not a good job prospect, terminal operations appear promising, and occupations related to microcomputers warranted further study. The IBM Personal Computer was recommended, and a sufficient interest was demonstrated to establish the program for one year. Training programs in the United States provided a basis for establishment of the training course for trainees with disabilities.