Changes in gene expression in response to polyamine depletion indicates selective stabilization of mRNAs.

We used differential display analysis to identify mRNAs responsive to changes in polyamine synthesis. As an overproducing model we used the kidneys of transgenic hybrid mice overexpressing ornithine decarboxylase and S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase, two key enzymes in polyamine biosynthesis. To identify mRNAs that respond to polyamine starvation, we treated Rat-2 cells with alpha-difluoromethylornithine, a specific inhibitor of polyamine biosynthesis. We isolated 41 partial cDNA clones, representing 37 differentially expressed mRNAs. Of these, 15 have similarity with known genes, five appear to be similar to reported expressed sequence tags and seventeen clones were novel sequences. Of the 35 mRNAs expressed differentially after alpha-difluoromethylornithine treatment, 26 were up-regulated. The expression of only three mRNAs was altered in the transgenic animals and all three were down-regulated. Determination of mRNA half-life of three of the mRNAs up-regulated in response to polyamine depletion revealed that the accumulation results from stabilization of the messages. Because most of the transcripts identified from Rat-2 cells suffering polyamine starvation were accumulated, we conclude that polyamine depletion, while blocking cell growth, is stabilizing mRNAs. This may be due to the lack of spermidine for post-translational modification of the eukaryotic initiation factor 5A, which plays a major role in mRNA turnover. The coupling of mRNA stabilization with cell-growth arrest in response to polyamine starvation provides cells with an economical way to resume growth after recovery from polyamine deficiency.

Transgenic mice overexpressing ornithine and S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylases maintain a physiological polyamine homoeostasis in their tissues.

Recent work has shown that transgenic mice overexpressing human ornithine decarboxylase display no marked changes in the tissue concentrations of spermidine or spermine in spite of a dramatic increase in putrescine levels. In the tissues of transgenic mice carrying the human spermidine synthase gene and in those of hybrid mice overexpressing both ornithine decarboxylase and spermidine synthase, spermidine and spermine levels remain within normal limits. To test whether the amount of the propylamine group donor, decarboxylated S-adenosylmethionine, limits the conversion of putrescine into the higher polyamines, we have produced transgenic mouse lines harbouring the rat S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase gene in their genome. However, neither these mice nor the hybrid mice overexpressing both ornithine decarboxylase and S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase displayed significant changes in their spermidine and spermine tissue levels. To study the mechanism by which cells maintain the constancy of the polyamine concentrations, we have determined the metabolic flux of polyamines in transgenic primary fibroblasts using pulse labelling. The results indicate that the polyamine flow is faster in transgenic primary fibroblasts than in non-transgenic fibroblasts and that the intracellular homoeostasis of higher polyamines is maintained at least partly by the acetylation of spermidine and spermine and their secretion into the medium.

The effect of crown ethers, tetraalkylammonium salts, and polyoxyethylene amphiphiles on pirarubicin incorporation in K562 resistant cells.

The basic distinguishing feature of all cells expressing functional P-glycoprotein-multidrug resistance (P-gp-MDR) is a decrease in steady-state accumulation drug levels as compared to drug-sensitive controls. In an attempt to identify mechanism(s) by which MDR can be circumvented, we examined the cellular accumulation, in resistant cells, of 4'-O-tetrahydropyranyl-doxorubicin (pirarubicin) alone and in conjunction with various molecules belonging to three different classes: the crown ethers, the tetraalkylammonium salts, and the polyoxethylene amphiphiles. The present study was performed using a spectrofluorometric method which enabled us to follow the uptake and release of fluorescent molecules by living cells while the cells were being incubated with the drug. Erythroleukemia K562 cell lines were used. Our data show that the compounds of these three completely different classes were able to increase the incorporation of pirarubicin provided they had a minimum degree of lipophilicity. Study of the growth inhibitory activity of these compounds revealed that cross-resistance to the tetraalkyl ammonium salt increased with the lipophilicity and was equal to 58 for tetraoctylammonium salt, the most lipophilic compound of this series. This demonstrates that neither the presence of a positive charge nor an aromatic moiety is required for MDR recognition.

Drug acetylator phenotypes in newborn infants.

The distribution of drug acetylator phenotypes in 100 healthy newborn infants was studied and compared with the acetylator phenotypes frequency in different age groups. Phenotyping was performed by assaying total and free sulphadimidine in the urine after single oral test dose of the drug/100 mg. As in elderly subjects, slow acetylator phenotype was predominant also in healthy newborns (83%), which was the highest frequency of all age groups observed. Acetylator phenotype in the newborn infants may be influenced by genetic, environmental (e.g., nutritive), as well as by developmental factors (e.g., postnatal enzyme deficiency, age-specific changes in organ functions, etc.). In this connection, slow acetylator phenotype of the neonate may be related to a negative pantothenic acid balance causing insufficient Coenzyme-A synthesis, too. The predominance of the slow acetylator phenotype resulting in higher drug sensitivity can be regarded clinically as a special risk factor in human neonates.