Morphometric analysis of B2cAMP induced reverse transformation in synchronized CHO cells

cAMP induced alterations of Chinese hamster ovary cells monitored by mass spectrometry

Chinese Hamster Ovary fibroblasts (CHO-K1) have shown different protein contents when undergoing differentiation by 3',5'-cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), which is known to induce reverse transformation (RT) from malignancy to fibroblast-like characteristics. The mass spectrometry (MS) investigation here reported about the behavior of CHO-K1 cells before and after exposure to cAMP reveals a change in the composition of nuclear proteins associated to an inhibition of the protein expression. Possible implications of this finding on the control of cell reverse transformation are discussed.

Reverse transformation, genome exposure, and cancer

The reverse transformation reaction whereby malignant cells are restored to a more normal phenotype has been reviewed. The primary causative action is ascribed to the genome exposure reaction in which a peripheral nuclear DNA region is restored to high sensitivity to DNase I, like that in normal cells. Various aspects of genome exposure around the nucleoli and the nuclear periphery are considered. The special role of the cytoskeleton in regulating exposure resulting in normal differentiation on the one hand and malignant transformation on the other is discussed. The action of the two-level system for regulation of the mammalian genome previously proposed is reviewed in relation to normal differentiation and malignancy with brief indication of roles played by various metabolites, transcription factors, protooncogenes, cell organelles, and processes like specific phosphorylation and dephosphorylation. Possible implications for cancer therapy and prevention and for the fields of genetic disease and toxicology are indicated.

Fluorescence cytometry of microtubules and nuclear DNA during cell-cycle and reverse-transformation

Synchronized CHO-K1 cells and their dibutyryl c-AMP treated counterparts have been characterized by means of static and flow fluorescence cytometry at the level of nuclear DNA and cytoplasmic microtubules. In order to confirm earlier findings on synchronized population, Carnoy fixed and hydrolyzed, several new findings are here reported at the level of single intact cell. The fluorescence intensity of DAPI-stained glutaraldehyde fixed 2C cells correlates well with the average absorbance of the corresponding Feulgen-stained cells, thereby appearing also to be a measure of chromatin condensation during the G1 phase. In the early part of G1, the drastic alteration in anti-beta tubulin immunostaining is shown to parallel microtubule depolymerization induced by calcium or colcemide. The known 1-2 h lengthening of the G1 period after reverse-transformation appears to correlate with a similar delay in the abrupt chromatin decondensation. The above results are discussed in terms of the role of microtubules and nuclear morphometry (and their coupling) in the control of cell cycle progression of transformed vs. fibroblast-like cells.

Critical nuclear DNA size and distribution associated with S phase initiation. Peripheral location of initiation and termination sites

Using HeLa S-3 cells synchronized by selective detachment, in this paper we report a parallel study of nuclear morphology and autoradiography grain patterns between middle G1 and middle S phases. Our results show two distinct [3H]-thymidine labeling patterns. The first "peripheral" labeling pattern has a characteristic nuclear size distribution, in contrast to the heterogeneous and varying size distributions of Feulgen-stained nuclei, and apparently is characteristic of very early S phase. The sizes of the second labeling pattern--homogeneous or inhomogeneous grain distribution throughout the nucleus--are equal or larger than the first and vary with S phase progression. Together, the corresponding nuclear sizes of the labeled nuclei represent the larger extreme of nuclear areas, and the labeling index closely parallels the fraction of nuclei with areas larger than the minimum size of the labeled nuclei. These results suggest a characteristic nuclear size (reflecting unique intranuclear DNA distribution) as a necessary, if not sufficient, requirement for S phase initiation. Parallel experimentation with rat liver cells-synchronized in vivo by partial hepatectomy and analyzed by thin section autoradiography--confirms the existence of a peripheral labeling pattern in both the very early part and the very late part of S phase, which reconciles our data with previous results and points to the fact that both initiation and termination sites for DNA replication are near the nuclear periphery.

Biophysical identification and sorting of high metastatic variants from B16 melanoma tumor

Chromatin structure, in terms of higher order nuclear-DNA condensation (scanning cytometry) and in terms of acridine orange primary binding sites (flow cytometry), is analyzed and shown to be significantly different between high (B16-F10) and low (B16-F1) metastatic variants of B16 melanoma. Furthermore, double staining of B16-F10 and B16-F1 with ethidium bromide (chromatin) and fluorescamine (membranes) provides the identification of a homogeneous subpopulation of cells with enhanced metastatic potential based on differential fluorescamine uptake. Fluorescamine uptake and poststaining viability is shown to be dependent upon the dye/cell ratio at which staining occurs. Utilizing a sterile cell sorting technique, a subpopulation of B16-F10 with increased fluorescamine uptake representing 30% of the total "intact cell" population was isolated by means of a fluorescence activated cell sorter and replated in vitro. This subpopulation when assayed in vivo produced significantly more pulmonary metastases than its parent cell line. Scanning cytometry of the Feulgen stained sorted subpopulation reveals that the cells possess a unique nuclear morphometry characterized by a 2C-3C DNA content and a large nuclear area (disperse chromatin). Finally, when we assay simultaneously for nuclear-DNA organization and cell membrane organization a progressive uncoupling between nuclear and cell morphometry is apparent if B16-F10 (versus B16-F1).

Normal versus abnormal cell proliferation. A unitary and analytical overview

The most recent findings on the molecular and cellular characterization of normal and abnormal cell proliferation are summarized. They include molecular spectroscopy, nucleic acid conformation, protein modifications, premature chromosome condensation, nucleoli changes, nuclear and cell morphometry, image analysis, flow microfluorimetry, and time-lapse cinematography. Biophysical and biochemical evidence in favor or against two cycles of chromatin condensation, followed by two abrupt random decondensations, per cell cycle are presented. Other biphasic changes at the molecular and cellular levels that favor the existence of two random transitions, or restriction points, per cell cycle are discussed. A comprehensive unitary model of the cell cycle is then outlined; this model is able to explain most findings on continuously dividing cells and on quiescent cells induced to proliferate. Within this analytical framework the physical-chemical and biological properties are given, in either normal or tumor cells, for the various types of "noncycling" cells that are here viewed as necessary steps in mammalian cell growth rather than separates states. The implications of the coupling of higher-order chromatin structure with cell geometry and growth, high in fibroblast-like cells but low in transformed cells, are also discussed. Molecular mechanisms likely responsible for the chromatin conformational changes occurring at the G0 leads to G1, G1 leads to S, G2 leads to M transitions are finally discussed in terms of polyelectrolyte theory.