[Signaling pathways that control the growth and survival of prostate tumor cells in the absence of androgens]. / Signal'nye puti, kontroliruiushchie rost i vyzhivaemost' kletok raka predstatel'noi zhelezy v otsutstvie androgenov.

Androgen-dependent human prostate adenocarcinoma cell line LNCaP was used to study the effect of androgen deprivation on the cell response to TNF-related cytokines. Several signaling pathways were implicated in cell survival in the absence of androgens. In androgen-deprived LNCaP cells, TNF-alpha and TRAIL stimulated the cell growth and activated the mitogenic and antiapoptotic signaling pathways involving NF-kappa B, STAT3, PI3K, and beta-catenin. The results suggested a role of cytokines in the survival of prostate adenocarcinoma cells deprived of androgens in vitro.

The role of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase in the regulation of cell response to steroid hormones.

Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI-3 kinase) has been implicated in the regulation of many cellular processes, including growth and transformation. We describe the effect of glucocorticoids on cell growth, phosphoinositide formation and PI-3 kinase activity in Rous sarcoma virus-transformed hamster fibroblasts (HET-SR). Using a prolonged dexamethasone treatment of HET-SR cells we have selected a new glucocorticoid receptor-positive cell subline, HET-SR(h), that was resistant to growth inhibitory action of dexamethasone and/or non-hormonal drugs (vinblastine, adriamycin) and was characterized by higher levels of phosphoinositide formation and increased PI-3 kinase activity. Study of the short-term hormone action has shown that both dexamethasone-sensitive and -resistant sublines responded to hormone by a decrease in phospholipid turnover rate. At the same time, in both cell lines activation of PI-3 kinase after dexamethasone addition was revealed. Dexamethasone-dependent activation of PI-3 kinase was more significant and maintained for a longer period in HET-SR(h) cells than in parent HET-SR cells. Finally, by transfecting p110*, a constitutively active catalytic subunit of PI-3 kinase, into hormone-sensitive HET-SR cells, we have found a marked increase in cell resistance to growth inhibitory dexamethasone action. These results suggest that PI-3 kinase may serve as one of the factors providing cell resistance to cytostatic drugs.

Stabilization and activation of p53 are regulated independently by different phosphorylation events.

Treatment of mouse or human cells with the protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitors H7 or bisindolylmaleimide I induced an increase in the lifetime of p53, leading to its accumulation. In inhibitor-treated cells, p53 translocated to the nuclei and bound to DNA but was not competent to induce transcription. However, transactivation could be induced by subsequent DNA damage. Phorbol ester, a potent activator of PKC, significantly inhibited the accumulation of p53 after DNA damage. Therefore, constitutive PKC-dependent phosphorylation of p53 itself, or of a protein that interacts with p53, is required for the rapid degradation of p53 in untreated cells. Furthermore, an increase in the lifetime of p53 is not accompanied necessarily by its activation. Treatment with the PKC inhibitors decreased the overall level of p53 phosphorylation but led to the appearance of a phosphopeptide not seen in tryptic digests of p53 from untreated cells. Therefore, the lifetime and activities of p53 are likely to be regulated by distinct alterations of the phosphorylation pattern of p53, probably caused by the actions of different kinases.

[Regulatory protein factor CTCF interacts with a segment of the chicken c-myc oncogene promotor, capable of changing to a noncanonical conformation]. / Reguliatornyi belkovyi faktor CTCF vzaimodeistvuet s uchastkom promotora onkogena c-myc kur, sposobnym k perekhody v nekanonicheskuiu konformatsiiu.

To identify the regions in the chicken c-myc promoter that are necessary for the binding of a nuclear trans-acting factor CTCF--the potential oncogene activator--we used a synthetic analog of the natural binding site that contains three correctly spaced CCCTC-repeats that are known to be involved in CTCF-binding. Gel retardation experiments failed to detect any CTCF-binding activity with this synthetic site. We conclude that GC-transversions made in the regions presumed to be invalid, do in fact interfere with the protein binding. The secondary structure analysis with S1-nuclease shows the presence of an unusual DNA conformation of the CTCF-binding site in the supercoiled plasmids, that can not be detected with the artificial construction. The precise mapping of S1 nuclease cleavage reveals several hypersensitive sites in the CCCTC-zone. Thus, an altered secondary structure may be functionally important for the protein recognition in vivo.

[Differences in expression and functional organization of the rat tyrosine aminotransferase gene in two lines of Morris hepatoma, 8994 and 7777]. / Razlichiia v ékspressii, funktsional'no'i organizatsii gena tirozinaminotransferazy krys v dvukh liniiakh gepatom Morrisa 8994 i 7777.

Expression and structural organization of tyrosine aminotransferase (TAT) gene in Morris hepatoma cell line 7777 with active and glucocorticoid-inducible TAT gene and in hepatoma 8994, where TAT gene does not function were analysed. No differences in the number of receptor macromolecules, translocation and nuclear binding of hormone-receptor complexes in hormone sensitive (7777) and resistant (8994) cell lines were demonstrated. Dexamethasone increases TAT gene transcription in 7777 cell line but not 8994. Restriction analysis of TAT gene does not reveal any differences either in structural or in regulatory regions. Gel retardation assay with cloned TAT fragment (-400 b.p.) from normal hepatocytes showed identical shift of mobility in 7777 and 8994 cell lines. Moreover, 5'-flanking sequence (-890 b.p.) of TAT gene linked to the bacterial CAT gene is transiently expressed in both cell lines. We have shown that HpaII site (-105 b.p.) of TAT gene is methylated in those cells where TAT gene does not function (thymus, spleen, Zajdela ascites hepatoma) and is demethylated in TAT gene expressing hepatoma 7777 and normal rat hepatocytes. In hepatoma 8994 there are no DNAse I hypersensitive regions, typical to functioning TAT gene from hepatoma 7777 and normal hepatocytes.

A novel sequence-specific DNA binding protein which interacts with three regularly spaced direct repeats of the CCCTC-motif in the 5'-flanking sequence of the chicken c-myc gene.

The chicken c-myc 5'-flanking sequence has previously been shown to bind multiple proteins present in undifferentiated and differentiated red blood cells. In this report the protein binding to one specific region within a hypersensitive site approximately 200 base pairs upstream of the start of transcription has been analysed in detail. Using a combination of a modified agarose gel retardation assay with O-phenanthroline-copper footprinting in situ, missing contact point and methylation interference techniques, two proteins were found to bind to overlapping sequences within 180-230 bp upstream of the start of transcription. One protein resembles the transcription factor Sp1, the other is a protein which binds to three regularly spaced repeats of the core sequence CCCTC. This CCCTC-binding factor was termed CTCF. It requires additional sequences outside the three recognition motifs for tight binding. CTCF was purified to near homogeneity by sequence-specific DNA chromatography. The approximate molecular weight of the CTCF was estimated to be 130,000. Removal of 110 bp sequence binding both CTCF and Sp1-like proteins leads to a 4 to 8-fold increase in transcription of stably transfected c-myc fusion constructs in chicken embryonic fibroblasts, suggesting that the CTCF is likely to be one of multiple nuclear factors involved in the transcriptional regulation of the chicken c-myc gene.

[Activation of transcription of the tyrosine aminotransferase gene in the rat McA-RN 7777 hepatoma cell line by cycloheximide]. / Aktvatsiia transkriptsii gena tirozinaminotransferazy v kletochnoi linii gepatomy krysy McA-RN 7777 tsiklogeksimidom.

The expression of the tyrosine aminotransferase (TAT) mRNA after cycloheximide treatment was analysed by Northern blotting method in Morris rat hepatoma cell lines. The level of TAT mRNA increased after 6-8 h of cycloheximide treatment only in the McA-RH 7777 cell line. McA-RH 7777 nuclear run-off assay showed that TAT transcription was induced by cycloheximide treatment. Both glucocorticoid and cycloheximide modulated TAT gene transcription in a synergistic way. There was no induction of TAT expression following cycloheximide or cycloheximide glucocorticoid simultaneous treatment in another cell line (McA-RH 8994), while c-myc and c-fos expression was superinduced by cycloheximide treatment. The possible mechanism of transcription regulation and its damage in hepatoma cells is discussed.

[Regulation of proliferative and protein-synthesizing reactions in human peripheral blood lymphocytes by glucocorticoids]. / Reguliatsiia proliferativnykh i beloksinteziruiushchikh reaktsii v limfotsitakh perifericheskoi krovi cheloveka gliukokortikoidami.

Glucocorticoids control protein synthesis and [3H]thymidine incorporation into DNA in resting and mitogen-stimulated in vitro human peripheral blood lymphocytes. This effect depends on the dose and time of hormone addition to the culture medium. Using two-dimensional electrophoresis, it was demonstrated that the steroids can regulate the expression of various proteins in intact and mitogen-stimulated human peripheral blood lymphocytes. This is suggestive of a dynamic control by glucocorticoids of the synthesized protein transcription during the cell cycle of a given population. These results also indicate that such a dynamic control is not due to the fluctuations in the number of receptor macromolecules, the presence or absence of the acceptor site on the DNA but, rather, to the modulation of the biological activity of specific nuclear factors capable of regulating the transcription of definite genes.

[Specific interaction of a nuclear protein factor from the CTF/NF-I family with 2 different promoter regions of the rat tyrosine aminotransferase gene]. / Spetsificheskoe vzaimodeistvie iadernogo belkovogo faktora semeistva CTF/NF-I s dvumia raznymi uchastkami promotora gena tirozinaminotransferazy krysy.

Using gel-retardation and DNase I footprinting assays, we have analysed sequence-specific DNA-protein interactions within proximal promoter fragment (from -2 to -210 bp relative to the transcription start) of the rat tyrosine aminotransferase (TAT) gene. Two distinct DNase I protection regions flanked at either boundary by sites of DNase I hypersensitivity were observed with the rat-liver nuclear extracts. The internal sequence of the region I non-coding strand, (-155)TGGGCCACCTTCCAAT(-170), is highly homologous to the NF-I consensus sequence TGG(N)6-7TGCCAA and also shares a CCAAT-box; the region II noncoding strand sequence includes asymmetrically positioned (-37)AGCCAAT(-43) recognition motif. Since there have been a number of reports about multiple DNA-binding factors that recognize CCAAT homologies, both regions were likely to interact with either a single or distinct factors. Here we show that both region I and II of the TAT gene promoter are binding to the same factor related to the human CTF/NF-I. The evidence for that is based on competition experiments using the DNA fragment containing a synthetic consensus sequence for the NF-I recognition site and on the indistinguishable chromatographic properties of the activity specifically binding to each of three DNA fragments containing NF-I consensus, region I and region II sequences.

[Nuclear factor A5 from the rat liver that requires a metal for specific interaction in vitro with distal element of the tyrosine aminotransferase gene promoter]. / Iadernyi belkovyi faktor A5 iz pecheni krysy, kotoromu neobkhodim metall dlia spetsificheskogo vzaimodeistviia in vitro s distal'nym élementom promotora gena tirozinaminotransferazy.

To detect nuclear protein factors which might account for a tissue-specific and inducible expression of the rat tyrosine aminotransferase (TAT) gene promoter, extracts from rat liver and spleen nuclei have been fractionated by heparin-sepharose chromatography and the fractions assayed for sequence-specific binding to the distal TAT gene promoter element (sequence between -313 and -210). Gel retardation experiments carried out in the presence or absence of Mg2+, Ca2+, or Zn2+ ions showed that there are at least two nuclear factors (A3 and A4) binding to the distal promoter element only in the presence of the chelator (20 mM EDTA). Incubation of the protein fractions with Zn2+ or Ca2+ instead of commonly used Mg2+allowed: (i) to avoid 3 2P-DNA-probe degradation by "contaminating" endogenous nucleases; and (ii) to detect another sequence-specific nuclear factor, A5. No other specific binding activities were found in the rat-liver nuclear fractions tested under these conditions. As the metal ions became inaccessible to chelation in excess of EDTA and EGTA when protein factor A5 was complexed to DNA we assumed that factor A5 is metalloprotein which requires Zn or Ca to maintain a structure of its DNA-binding domain. To identify the polypeptide possessing this domain, a protein gel blotting procedure was employed. By incubating gel blots with the 3 2P-DNA-probe in the buffer containing Zn2+, specific binding to the only polypeptide with approximate Mr 30 kDa was clearly revealed. Both gel retardation and gel blotting assays consistently showed that nuclear factor A5 is present in the liver, but not in the spleen extracts.

[Inhibition of proliferation of normal and neoplastic liver cells under conditions of prolonged hormonal stimulation]. / Tormozhenie proliferatsii normal'nykh i opukholevykh kletok pecheni v usloviiakh dlitel'noi gormonal'noi stimuliatsii.

Single injections of rats with hydrocortisone led to the inhibition of regenerating liver cell proliferation and protooncogene++ Ha-ras mRNA synthesis within 48 hours of hormonal induction. Administration of hydrocortisone to rats daily for 10 days resulted in a persistent decrease of the liver cell capacity to proliferate in response to partial hepatectomy. This inhibiting effect was observed for at least 7 days after cessation of hormonal stimulation; the level of Ha-ras mRNA was thereby decreased. A marked inhibition of ascite hepatoma cell growth was demonstrated after injections of those cells to mice induced with hydrocortisone for 10 days. Such a persistent effect of hydrocortisone is thought to be due to the depletion of the hormone-dependent hepatotrophic factors. The effect of the glucocorticoid hormone in vivo can be supposed to involve both the direct and indirect regulation of target cell proliferation. The latter is mediated via the changes in the activity of exogenous factors which control cell growth and proliferation.

A liver-specific nuclear protein that binds to the distal promoter element of the rat tyrosine aminotransferase gene.

Using a gel retardation assay and exonuclease III footprinting, we have analyzed sequence-specific DNA-binding nuclear factors which interact with the distal promoter element of the rat tyrosine aminotransferase gene. A factor called LspA1, binding to a sequence that resembles the consensus binding site for the transcription factor Ap-1, was shown to be present in adult rat-liver nuclear protein extracts but not in the extracts from embryonic liver or spleen nuclei.

[Regulation of the transcription of the tyrosine aminotransferase gene by glucocorticoids in Morris hepatoma 7777 and 8994 cells]. / Reguliatsiia transkriptsii gena tirozinaminotransferazy gliukokortikoidami v kletkakh gepatomy Morrisa 7777 i 8994.

Kinetics of tyrosine aminotransferase (TAT) mRNA synthesis in Morris rat hepatoma cell lines 7777 and 8994 after dexamethasone treatment (10(-7) M) was studied by molecular hybridization of the RNA with cloned fragments of TAT gene from rat liver cells. It was demonstrated that initiation of TAT gene transcription increased 20 minutes after glucocorticoid treatment. The level of TAT mRNA was not induced by dexamethasone in rat hepatoma cell line 8994. Actinomycin D prevented the deinduction of TAT by stabilization of TAT mRNA.

[Autogenic regulation of the sensitivity of liver cells to glucocorticoids during prolonged hormonal stimulation]. / Autogennaia reguliatsiia chuvstvitel'nosti kletok pecheni k gliukokortikoidam v usloviiakh dlitel'noi gormonal'noi stimuliatsii.

The mechanisms of reversible decrease of hormone-dependent induction of tyrosine aminotransferase (TAT) by rat liver cells after prolonged administration of the glucocorticoid was studied. It was shown that the main links of the glucocorticoid action mechanism (i.e., the formation of a cytoplasmic hormone-receptor complex and the hormone accumulation in the nuclei) do not change under these conditions. It was found also that one of the necessary prerequisites for the decrease of the hormone-dependent induction of TAT is the constant production by liver cells of large amounts of TAT irrespective of whether this process is induced by the glucocorticoid or by a non-hormonal inducer, e.g., tryptophan. Using the dot-hybridization technique, it was demonstrated that the inhibition of hormone-dependent induction of TAT is correlated with the reduction of mRNA TAT. It was supposed that the main links in the mechanism of inhibition of the hormone-dependent induction are the formation of a large excess of the inducible protein--TAT--in the cells as well as the accumulation of end products of the TAT-catalyzed transamination reaction which cause a feed-back repression of the de novo synthesis of TAT. Studies with cell cultures of Morris hepatoma which is known to be sensitive to glucocorticoids revealed the ability of glucose, the end product of gluconeogenesis reactions, to provide for selective inhibition of the hormone-induced accumulation of mRNA TAT in hepatoma cells.

[Glucocorticoid-mediated degradation of DNA in thymocytes of rats with transplantable Zajdela ascites hepatoma]. / Oposredovannyi gliukokortikoidami raspad DNK v timotsitakh krys s perevivaemoi astsitnoi gepatomoi Zaidela.

Tumour growth was shown to be associated with DNA breakdown in thymocytes of rats bearing Zajdela ascites hepatomas. The tumour action on the thymus is mediated through adrenal glands since bilateral adrenalectomy completely prevents DNA breakdown in thymocytes. Using Southern hybridization of DNA genome with probes for histone, ribosomal and heat shock gene (hsp 70), it was shown that the degradation products of specific DNA sequences are as heterogenous as those of total DNA, although marked differences in appearance of nucleosomal ladder were seen. These data were interpreted to indicate different patterns of DNA breakdown in dying thymocytes. DNA breakdown in thymocytes in vivo and in isolated rat liver nuclei in vitro seems to proceed by similar mechanisms.

[Effect of glucocorticoid hormones on DNA synthesis and expression of ras proto-oncogenes in proliferating rat liver cells]. / Deistvie gliukokortikoidnykh gormonov na sintez DNK i ékspressiiu protoonkogena tipa ras v kletkakh proliferiruiushchei pecheni krys.

A single injection of partially hepatectomized rats with glucocorticoids results in the blocking of DNA synthesis as well as in the inhibition of the protooncogene Ha-ras-1 mRNA accumulation in proliferating rat liver cells. The kinetics of the both hormone-induced effects differ from those observed for tyrosine aminotransferase induction. The effect of glucocorticoids persists for at least 48 hours and does not depend on the time of the hormone injection.