Identification of the border between fibronectin type III homologous repeats 2 and 3 of the neural cell adhesion molecule L1 as a neurite outgrowth promoting and signal transducing domain.

To determine the domains of the neural cell adhesion molecule L1 involved in neurite outgrowth, we have generated monoclonal antibodies against L1 and investigated their effects on neurite outgrowth of small cerebellar neurons in culture. When the 10 antibodies were coated as substrate, only antibody 557.B6, which recognizes an epitope represented by a synthetic peptide comprising amino acids 818 to 832 at the border between the fibronectin type III homologous repeats 2 and 3, was as efficacious as L1 in promoting neurite outgrowth, increasing intracellular levels of Ca2+, and stimulating the turnover of inositol phosphates. These findings suggest that neurite outgrowth and changes in these second messengers are correlated. Such a correlation was confirmed by the ability of Ca2+ channel antagonists and pertussis toxin to inhibit neurite outgrowth on L1 and antibody 557.B6. These observations indicate for the first time a distinct site on cell surface-bound L1 as a prominent signal-transducing domain through which the recognition events appear to be funneled to trigger neurite outgrowth, increase turnover of inositol phosphates, and elevate intracellular levels of Ca2+.

Recognition molecules myelin-associated glycoprotein and tenascin-C inhibit integrin-mediated adhesion of neural cells to collagen.

Because of the importance of collagens in mediating cell-substrate interactions and the association of collagens with neural recognition molecules in the peripheral nervous system, the ability of neural recognition molecules to modify the substrate properties of collagens, in particular collagen type I, for cell adhesion was determined. Two cell lines, the N2A neuroblastoma and PC12 pheochromocytoma, were investigated for their capacity to adhere to different collagen types in the absence or presence of several neural recognition molecules. Adhesion of N2A or PC12 cells and membrane vesicles from PC12 cells to collagen type I was reduced when the collagen had been preincubated prior to its application as substrate with the extracellular domain of myelin-associated glycoprotein (s-MAG) or, as control, fibroblast tenascin-C (F-tenascin). In mixture with other collagen types, s-MAG was only able to reduce the adhesiveness of collagen types III and V, but not of collagen types II and IV. F-tenascin reduced the adhesiveness of all collagen types tested. In contrast to F-tenascin, s-MAG had to be present during fibrillogenesis to exert its effect, indicating that it must be coassembled into the collagen fibril to block the binding site. Cell adhesion to collagen type I was dependent on Mg2+ or Mn2+ and inhibited by a monoclonal antibody to the alpha 1 integrin subunit. The combined observations indicate that s-MAG and F-tenascin interfere with cell binding, most probably by modifying the integrin binding site, and that the two molecules act by different mechanisms, both leading to reduction of adhesion.

Several extracellular domains of the neural cell adhesion molecule L1 are involved in neurite outgrowth and cell body adhesion.

The neural cell adhesion molecule L1 is a multidomain protein that plays important roles in cell adhesion, migration, and neurite outgrowth. To analyze structure-function relationships of L1 in neurite outgrowth and cell body adhesion, we have expressed and purified a set of different fragments of the extracellular part of this glycoprotein in CHO cells and in Escherichia coli. When neurite outgrowth from small cerebellar neurons was measured on substrate-coated L1 or L1 fragments, neurite outgrowth was promoted by the immunoglobulin-like domains I-II, III-IV, and V-VI, and by the fibronectin type III homologous repeats 1-2, while the fibronectin type III homologous repeats 3-5 were ineffective. In contrast, cell bodies of small cerebellar neurons adhered mostly to the immunoglobulin-like domains I-II and V-VI, and to the fibronectin type III homologous repeats 3-5, but less to the immunoglobulin-like domains III-IV and fibronectin type III homologous repeats 1-2. In both assays, the neuronal cell surface receptor for all active protein fragments was identified as L1. No significant differences in functional activities were found between fragments with and without carbohydrate structures. These findings indicate that L1 uses several domains for homophilic interactions overlapping for the two functions analyzed here, but also showing some regional specialization. Furthermore, we show that a homophilic molecule uses several domains in one function, with neurite outgrowth requiring more domains than adhesion for maximal activity.

A v-H-ras-dependent hemopoietic tumor model involving progression from a clonal stage of transformation competence to autocrine interleukin 3 production.

Autocrine interleukin 3 (IL-3)-secreting tumors were generated from an IL-3-dependent mouse mast cell line (PB-3c) after introduction of the v-H-ras oncogene. Tumor progression was characterized by four distinct phenotypes. The first corresponded to immortalized mast cells unresponsive to the oncogenic effect of v-H-ras. The second was expressed in a clonable subpopulation of PB-3c cells and was marked by the competence to form v-H-ras-dependent tumors (immortalized transformation competence). The third was a direct effect of v-H-ras expression on all PB-3c cells and was characterized in vitro by a reduced IL-3 requirement. Upon injection of v-H-ras-expressing, transformation-competent cells into mice, the final, fully malignant phenotype developed with a long latency period and was marked in vitro by independence of exogenous IL-3 and by autocrine IL-3 stimulation. Northern (RNA) blot analysis and an RNase A-T1 protection assay showed that IL-3 production was strictly associated with the tumor phenotype. Two of six tumors showed an alteration at the 5' region of the IL-3 gene. We conclude that v-H-ras required complementation by IL-3 gene rearrangement or an alternate event to generate autocrine mastocytomas.

Role of protein kinase C (PKC) in short- and long-term cellular responses: inhibition of agonist-mediated calcium transients and down-regulation of PKC.

Active tumor promoters such as 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA) or membrane-diffusible synthetic diacylglycerols such as 1,2-dioctanoyl-sn-glycerol (DiC8), which specifically activate protein kinase C (PKC), inhibited the agonist-mediated rise in cytosolic calcium [(Ca2+)i] in a mast cell line (PB-3c) and human platelets. TPA inhibition of agonist-mediated calcium transient in platelets was readily reversed by the PKC inhibitor staurosporine. In contrast to DiCs, only active tumor promoters induced a time- and dose-dependent translocation of cytosolic PKC to membranes as determined both enzymatically or by immunoblotting. However, the concentration of TPA required to induce a half-maximal subcellular redistribution of immunodetectable PKC activity was an order of magnitude greater than the half-maximal dose required to inhibit the intracellular rise in (Ca2+)i. Thus, activation of PKC seems not to be exclusively coupled to its translocation to membranes, suggesting that translocation of PKC is mainly involved in the down-regulation of PKC. Down-regulation of immunoprecipitable PKC was studied in various human breast cancer cell lines that display differential growth inhibitory responses toward the tumor promoter. TPA induced translocation of [35S]methionine-prelabeled cytosolic 80 kDa PKC to membranes followed by complete degradation of the enzyme (t1/2 = 2 h) without affecting PKC synthesis. During prolonged TPA exposure, 20-80% of total 80 kDa PKC of control cells was still synthetized as a membrane-bound 74/80 kDa PKC doublet. Although both proteins lacked PKC activity and phorbol ester binding, they revealed structural similarity with the active 80 kDa PKC form of untreated cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Altered protein kinase C in a mast cell variant defective in exocytosis.

The murine mast cell line PB-3c is dependent on interleukin 3 (IL-3) with respect to survival and proliferation. These cells also require IL-3 to display antigen-mediated serotonin release, which is coupled to a transient increase of cytosolic free calcium ([Ca2+]i). The antigen-mediated exocytosis is inhibited by phorbol 12-tetradecanoate 13-acetate (PTA), an activator of phospholipid/Ca2+-sensitive protein kinase. In contrast, the malignant mast cell variant PB-1 is IL-3 independent with respect to proliferation but is unable to undergo antigen-mediated exocytosis. Yet this cell line exhibits basal levels of [Ca2+]i, serotonin content, and numbers of IgE receptors comparable to those of PB-3c cells. Subcellular distribution studies revealed that the specific activity of cytosolic protein kinase C of PB-1 cells was only 40% of that found in PB-3c cells. Furthermore, the PB-1 cells showed a significantly higher specific activity of membrane-bound protein kinase C than PB-3c cells. Scatchard plot analysis of [3H]-phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate binding to intact PB-1 cells demonstrated the presence of 20% high-affinity (Kd = 6 nM) and 80% low-affinity (Kd = 60 nM) phorbol ester receptors, whereas PB-3c cells displayed only the low-affinity phorbol ester binding. Immunological characterization of protein kinase C from both cell lines revealed the presence of a normal 77-kDa protein kinase C holoenzyme in both cell lines. In addition, a 72-kDa protein kinase C-related protein band was found mainly in the membrane fraction of the PB-1 variant. It is suggested that this altered and membrane-bound form of protein kinase C may be involved in the blockage of the antigen-mediated exocytosis of PB-1 cells.

Translocation of protein kinase C is not required to inhibit the antigen-induced increase of cytosolic calcium in a mast cell line.

Cross-linking of receptor bound IgE antibodies by multivalent antigen (DNP8-BSA) on PB-3c cells leads to an increase of cytosolic calcium ((Ca2+)i). Active tumor promoting phorbol esters and teleocidin which specifically activate the phospholipid Ca2+-sensitive protein kinase (PKC), inhibited the antigen-mediated rise in (Ca2+)i and induced a time and dose-dependent translocation of cytosolic PKC to membranes of the PB-3c cells as determined by enzyme activity or immunoblotting using a polyclonal anti-PKC antibody. This TPA concentration did not affect the subcellular distribution of PKC, although 1 nM of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) inhibited to 50% the antigen-mediated increase in (Ca2+)i. The concentration of TPA required to induce a half-maximal subcellular redistribution of immunodetectable PKC activity was an order of magnitude greater than the half-maximal dose required to inhibit the antigen-mediated increase in (Ca2+)i. These data demonstrate that the TPA-dependent activation of PKC is not directly coupled to its translocation to membranes.

Interleukin-3-dependent expression of the c-myc and c-fos proto-oncogenes in hemopoietic cell lines.

Using Northern blot analysis the expression of several proto-oncogenes was studied in established lines of mast cell precursors. Upon removal of interleukin-3 (IL-3) from the culture medium, factor-dependent cells stop dividing. During the first 7 h, however, normal amounts of total cellular mRNAs are maintained, and this is reflected in unchanged levels of several transcripts, such as actin, c-Ha-ras and c-fes. In contrast, within 1.5 h of IL-3 removal, the levels of c-myc and c-fos mRNAs decrease drastically and addition of IL-3 at that stage quickly induces back the levels found in actively growing cultures. In factor-independent cells, which proliferate actively even in the absence of IL-3, high levels of c-myc and c-fos transcripts are maintained in the absence of growth factor. In cells arrested by serum starvation, addition of 10% serum induces massive amounts of c-fos transcripts, but not of c-myc, and cell proliferation is not restored. The data suggest that the c-myc and c-fos proto-oncogenes play an important role in mediating the multiple effects of IL-3 on hemopoietic progenitor cells.

An improved preservation technique for cells of hemopoietic origin.

A new technique for the cryopreservation of cell lines of hemopoietic origin is described. It uses a combination of 10% polyvinylpyrrolidone or hydroxyethylstarch with 15% glycerol, a slow stepwise addition of the cryoprotectants before freezing, cooling at 4 degrees C/min, rapid rewarming, and a slow step-wise dilution after thawing. This technique has given improved recovery rates with a number of basophil/mast cell lines, as well as a wide range of hemopoietic cells including hybridomas.

Growth-factor-independent proliferation in vitro and tumorigenicity in vivo are associated in basophil/mast-cell lines and their somatic hybrids.

According to a current model, leukemic cells arise from normal hemopoietic progenitors as a result of two phenotypic changes: (1) a shift from a high to a low probability of completing differentiation, and (2) the loss of requirement for physiological growth regulators, such as multilineage hemopoietic growth factor (MHGF). In agreement with this model, we have recently reported that the spontaneous, in vitro, malignant transformation of a factor-dependent basophil/mast-cell line was coincidental with the appearance of MHGF-independent proliferation in vitro. We have now fused the MHGF-independent cells with their nontransformed counterparts. In the present study, 29 out of 32 hybrid clones analyzed exhibited an association between, on the one hand, the absence of MHGF requirement in vitro and high tumorigenicity in vivo and, on the other hand, MHGF-dependent proliferation in vitro and a reduced capacity to make tumors in vivo. These data support the idea that the tumorigenic behavior of the transformed cells in vivo and their lack of requirement for MHGF in vitro are directly related.

MBM-1, a differentiation marker of mouse hemopoietic cells defined by a rat monoclonal antibody.

Hybridoma clones were isolated after the fusion of mouse myeloma cells with spleen cells from a rat immunized with mouse bone marrow. One of them produced a monoclonal antibody reacting with a murine cell surface differentiation antigen that we have termed MBM-1 (Mouse Bone Marrow-1). This antigen is present on eosinophils, on neutrophils, and on subpopulations of lymphocytes and macrophages, but appears to be absent from erythroid cells. Precursor cell analysis, after sorting of bone marrow cells using a fluorescence-activated cell sorter, suggests that the antigen is absent from most progenitors with the exception of certain cells in the macrophage lineage.

Spontaneous, in vitro, malignant transformation of a basophil/mast cell line.

It has recently become possible to grow basophil/mast cells in vitro for extended periods of time. Normally, these cultures remain fully dependent upon the presence of an adequate supply of growth factor(s) and the cells express several basophil/mast cell differentiated traits. We report here a case of spontaneous, in vitro, malignant transformation of such a basophil/mast cell line. The transformed cells no longer require the addition of growth factor(s) for continuous proliferation in vitro, and they have become highly tumorigenic in vivo. In contrast, when compared to their untransformed counterparts, they display the same set of differentiated traits, characteristic of immature basophil/mast cells. Thus, the data support the hypothesis that cell transformation results from a decreased sensitivity of precursor cells toward normal growth regulators but does not affect significantly the expression of differentiated functions.

A simple, single-step technique for selecting and cloning hybridomas for the production of monoclonal antibodies.

A simple method is described by which hybridomas can be selected and cloned in a single step immediately after fusion. This is done by plating the cells in semi-solid medium containing methylcellulose and the components of the HAT selection system. A number of variables have been examined in order to optimise the technique. The system is particularly suitable for isolating large numbers of hybridomas secreting different monoclonal antibodies. Evidence is presented to show that the colonies which grow in the system are in all probability clones. Thus, the need for routine recloning of the hybridomas is eliminated. In this way, the technique cuts down on the amount of tissue culture work associated with the production of monoclonal antibodies. Using this technique, it is easier to plate out large numbers of cells and to recover many independent hybridoma clones, than is the case when using cloning by limiting dilution.

Newly isolated Friend cell lines are blocked at the same stage of erythroid differentiation as established clones.

Friend erythroleukemia cells, a widely used in vitro model of murine erythropoiesis, express prior to induction, a state of erythroid differentiation similar to that of the early erythroblast in vivo. To investigate whether this uniform and stable epigenetic state was the result of a selection in long-term culture for the corresponding cell type, 29 new cell lines were isolated from the hemopoietic organs of DBA/2 mice infected with Friend virus and were analyzed without delay for the expression of several erythroid traits. All the lines examined displayed levels of expression of the markers indistinguishable from those displayed by established Friend cell clones. Thus, newly isolated Friend cell lines appear to be blocked at essentially the same stage of erythroid differentiation as established clones. This indicates that the expression of several characteristic erythroid markers is remarkably stable in vitro and does not result from long-term selection. In contrast, the capacity of these cells to respond to chemical inducers varies considerably from clone to clone and with time in culture.

Inducibility of spleen focus-forming virus by BrdUrd is controlled by the differentiated state of the cell.

All Friend cells--except thymidine kinase (ATP:thymidine 5'-phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.1.21)-deficient mutants--are highly inducible for the release of biologically active spleen focus-forming virus (SFFV) after exposure to BrdUrd. We studied SFFV production in somatic cell hybrids made between Friend leukemia cells (FLC) and cells expressing various differentiation programs. High inducibility of SFFV and release of constitutive Friend virus (FV) and SFFV are eliminated in all hybrids in which the potential for erythroid differentiation is suppressed. FV release and its induction by BrdUrd are unchanged in hybrids that maintain the expression of erythroid differentiation.

Chicken hematopoietic cells transformed by seven strains of defective avian leukemia viruses display three distinct phenotypes of differentiation.

Chicken hematopoietic cells transformed in vitro and in vivo by seven strains of replication-defective avian leukemia viruses were assayed for the expression of six erythroid and five myeloid differentiation parameters, including differentiation-specific surface antigens as detected by newly developed antisera. The transformed cells were found to display three distinct phenotypes of differentiation. First, cells transformed by AEV resemble erythroblasts. They express heme, globin, carbonic anhydrase and erythrocyte cell surface antigen at low levels, and histone H5 and erythroblast cell surface antigen at high levels. Second, cells transformed by MC29, CMII, OK10 and MH2 viruses have macrophage-like properties. They strongly express Fc receptors, phagocytic capacity and macrophage cell surface antigen, but only weakly express myeloblast cell surface antigen and are negative for ATPase activity. Third, cells transformed by AMV and E26 viruses resemble myeloblasts in that they weakly express Fc receptors, phagocytic capacity and macrophage cell surface antigen but strongly express myeloblast cell surface antigen and ATPase activity. No difference was found between in vitro- and in vivo-transformed cells in the parameters tested. In light of recent genetic and biochemical evidence, we believe that these phenotypes reflect the action of three new types of viral-transforming genes, designated erb (erythroblast), mac (macrophage) and myb (myeloblast).