Lipid requirement for cell cycling. The effect of selective inhibition of lipid synthesis

A fast-acting lipid checkpoint in G1 prevents mitotic defects

Lipid synthesis increases during the cell cycle to ensure sufficient membrane mass, but how insufficient synthesis restricts cell-cycle entry is not understood. Here, we identify a lipid checkpoint in G1 phase of the mammalian cell cycle by using live single-cell imaging, lipidome, and transcriptome analysis of a non-transformed cell. We show that synthesis of fatty acids in G1 not only increases lipid mass but extensively shifts the lipid composition to unsaturated phospholipids and neutral lipids. Strikingly, acute lowering of lipid synthesis rapidly activates the PERK/ATF4 endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress pathway that blocks cell-cycle entry by increasing p21 levels, decreasing Cyclin D levels, and suppressing Retinoblastoma protein phosphorylation. Together, our study identifies a rapid anticipatory ER lipid checkpoint in G1 that prevents cells from starting the cell cycle as long as lipid synthesis is low, thereby preventing mitotic defects, which are triggered by low lipid synthesis much later in mitosis.

Enhanced Efficacy of Combination of Gemcitabine and Phosphatidylserine-Targeted Nanovesicles against Pancreatic Cancer

Phosphatidylserine (PS) is often externalized in viable pancreatic cancer cells and is therapeutically targetable using PS-selective drugs. One of the first-line treatments for advanced pancreatic cancer disease, gemcitabine (GEM), provides only marginal benefit to patients. We therefore investigated the therapeutic benefits of combining GEM and the PS-targeting drug, saposin C-dioleoylphosphatidylserine (SapC-DOPS), for treating pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Using cell-cycle analyses and a cell surface PS-based sorting method in vitro, we observed an increase in surface PS as cells progress through the cell cycle from G1 to G2/M. We also observed that GEM treatment preferentially targets G1 phase cells that have low surface PS, resulting in an increased median surface PS level of PDAC cells. Inversely, SapC-DOPS preferentially targets high surface PS cells that are predominantly in the G2/M phase. Finally, combination therapy in subcutaneous and orthotopic PDAC tumors in vivo with SapC-DOPS and GEM or Abraxane (Abr)/GEM (one of the current standards of care) significantly inhibits tumor growth and increases survival compared with individual treatments. Our studies confirm a surface PS and cell cycle-based enhancement of cancer cytotoxicity following SapC-DOPS treatment in combination with GEM or Abr/GEM. Thus, PDAC patients treated with Abr/GEM may benefit from concurrent administration of SapC-DOPS.

The paradox of metabolism in quiescent stem cells

The shift between a proliferating and a nonproliferating state is associated with significant changes in metabolic needs. Proliferating cells tend to have higher metabolic rates, and their metabolic profiles facilitate biosynthesis, as compared to those of nondividing cells of the same sort. Recent studies have elucidated specific molecules that control metabolic changes while cells shift between proliferation and quiescence. Embryonic stem cells, which are rapidly proliferating, tend to have metabolic patterns that are similar to those of nonstem cells in a proliferative state. Moreover, although adult stem cells tend to be quiescent, their metabolic profiles have been reported in multiple organs to more closely resemble those of proliferating than those of nondividing cells in some respects. The findings raise questions about whether there are metabolic profiles that are required for stemness, and whether these profiles relate to the metabolic properties that may be required for quiescence. Here, we review the literature on how metabolism changes upon commitment to proliferation and compare the proliferating and nonproliferating metabolic states of differentiated cells and embryonic and adult stem cells.

Cyclin-dependent kinase activity enhances phosphatidylcholine biosynthesis in Arabidopsis by repressing phosphatidic acid phosphohydrolase activity

Coordination of endomembrane biogenesis with cell cycle progression is considered to be important in maintaining cell function during growth and development. We previously showed that the disruption of PHOSPHATIDIC ACID PHOSPHOHYDROLASE (PAH) activity in Arabidopsis thaliana stimulates biosynthesis of the major phospholipid phosphatidylcholine (PC) and causes expansion of the endoplasmic reticulum. Here we show that PC biosynthesis is repressed by disruption of the core cell cycle regulator CYCLIN-DEPENDENT KINASE A;1 (CDKA;1) and that this repression is reliant on PAH. Furthermore, we show that cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) phosphorylate PAH1 at serine 162, which reduces both its activity and membrane association. Expression of a CDK-insensitive version of PAH1 with a serine 162 to alanine substitution represses PC biosynthesis and also reduces the rate of cell division in early leaf development. Together our findings reveal a physiologically important mechanism that couples the rate of phospholipid biosynthesis and endomembrane biogenesis to cell cycle progression in Arabidopsis.

CTP:phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase: Function, regulation, and structure of an amphitropic enzyme required for membrane biogenesis

CTP:phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase (CCT) catalyzes a rate-limiting and regulated step in the CDP-choline pathway for the synthesis of phosphatidylcholine (PC) and PC-derived lipids. Control of CCT activity is multi-layered, and includes direct regulation by reversible membrane binding involving a built-in lipid compositional sensor. Thus CCT contributes to phospholipid compositional homeostasis. CCT also modifies the curvature of its target membrane. Knowledge of CCT structure and regulation of its catalytic function are relatively advanced compared to many lipid metabolic enzymes, and are reviewed in detail. Recently the genetic origins of two human developmental and lipogenesis disorders have been traced to mutations in the gene for CCTα.

Metabolic control of the cell cycle

Cell division is a metabolically demanding process, requiring the production of large amounts of energy and biomass. Not surprisingly therefore, a cell's decision to initiate division is co-determined by its metabolic status and the availability of nutrients. Emerging evidence reveals that metabolism is not only undergoing substantial changes during the cell cycle, but it is becoming equally clear that metabolism regulates cell cycle progression. Here, we overview the emerging role of those metabolic pathways that have been best characterized to change during or influence cell cycle progression. We then studied how Notch signaling, a key angiogenic pathway that inhibits endothelial cell (EC) proliferation, controls EC metabolism (glycolysis) during the cell cycle.

Phosphatidylcholine alteration identified using MALDI imaging MS in HBV-infected mouse livers and virus-mediated regeneration defects

In this study, we investigated whether hepatitis B virus (HBV) causes the alteration of lipid metabolism and composition during acute infection and liver regeneration in a mouse model. The liver controls lipid biogenesis and bile acid homeostasis. Infection of HBV causes various liver diseases and impairs liver regeneration. As there are very few reports available in the literature on lipid alterations by HBV infection or HBV-mediated liver injury, we have analyzed phospholipids that have important roles in liver regeneration by using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI)-imaging mass spectrometry (IMS) in the livers of HBV model mice. As a result, we identified different phosphatidylcholines (PCs) showing significant changes in their composition as well as cationized ion adduct formation in HBV-infected mouse livers which are associated with virus-mediated regeneration defects. To find the factor of altered PCs, the expression kinetics of enzymes was also examined that regulate PC biosynthesis during liver regeneration. It is noteworthy that the expression of choline-phosphate cytidylyltransferase A (PCYT1A) was significantly delayed in wild type HBV-expressing livers. Moreover, the amount of hepatic total PC was also significantly decreased in wt HBV-expressing mice. These results suggest that infection of HBV alters the composition of PCs which may involve in HBV-mediated regeneration defects and liver disease.

Desmosterol and DHCR24: unexpected new directions for a terminal step in cholesterol synthesis

3β-Hydroxysterol Δ(24)-reductase (DHCR24) catalyzes the conversion of desmosterol to cholesterol. This ultimate step of cholesterol biosynthesis appears to be remarkable in its diverse functions and the number of diseases it is implicated in from vascular disease to Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection to cancer to Alzheimer's disease. This review summarizes the present knowledge on the DHCR24 gene, sterol Δ(24)-reductase protein and the regulation of both. In addition, the functions of desmosterol, DHCR24 and their roles in human diseases are discussed. It is apparent that DHCR24 exerts more complex effects than what would be expected based on the enzymatic activity of sterol Δ(24)-reduction alone, such as its influence in modulating oxidative stress. Increasing information about DHCR24 membrane association, processing, enzymatic regulation and interaction partners will provide further fundamental insights into DHCR24 and its many and varied biological roles.

Impaired phosphatidylcholine biosynthesis does not attenuate liver regeneration after 70% partial hepatectomy in hepatic CTP:phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase-α deficient mice

Phosphatidylcholine (PC) is the major component of mammalian membranes, and the induction of PC biosynthesis has been shown to be an essential step in cell proliferation in various cell lines. Cytidine triphosphate (CTP):phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase α (CTα) regulates the primary pathway of PC biosynthesis in the liver. The targeted disruption of CTα in murine liver (LCTα−/− mice) decreases hepatic PC mass and the number of cells in the liver, suggesting CTα as an important factor for hepatocyte proliferation. To elucidate the role of CTα in hepatic cell division in vivo, we monitored liver regeneration after 70% partial hepatectomy in LCTα−/− and loxP flanked (floxed) LCTα (control) mice. To our surprise, liver re-growth, DNA synthesis, and PC mass after surgery were not impaired in LCTα−/− mice, despite reduced total PC synthesis. Furthermore, PC synthesis in the control mice was not induced after 70% partial hepatectomy. We conclude that CTα is not essential for proliferation of hepatocytes in vivo, and that basal hepatic PC biosynthesis is sufficient to sustain regeneration after 70% partial hepatectomy.

Specific interaction between E2F1 and Sp1 regulates the expression of murine CTP:phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase alpha during the S phase

CTP:phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase alpha (CCTalpha) is a key enzyme for phosphatidylcholine biosynthesis in mammalian cells. This enzyme plays an essential role in all processes that require membrane biosynthesis such as cell proliferation and viability. Thus, CCTalpha activity and expression fluctuate during the cell cycle to achieve PtdCho requirements. We demonstrated, for the first time, that CCTalpha is localized in the nucleus in cells transiting the S phase, whereas it is localized in the cytoplasm of G(0)-arrested cells, suggesting a specific role of nuclear CCTalpha during the S phase. We also investigated how E2F1 influences the regulation of the CCTalpha-promoter during the S phase; we demonstrated that E2F1 is necessary, but not sufficient, to activate CCTalpha expression when this factor is over-expressed. However, when E2F1 and Sp1 were over-expressed, the transcription from the CCTalpha-promoter reporter construct was super-activated. Transient transfection studies demonstrated that E2F1 could super-activate Sp1-dependent transcription in a promoter containing only the Sp1 binding sites "B" or "C", and that Sp1 could activate Sp1-dependent transcription in a promoter containing the E2F site, thus, further demonstrating a functional interaction of these factors. In conclusion, the present results allowed us to portray the clearest picture of the CCTalpha-gene expression in proliferating cells, and understand the mechanism by which cells coordinate cell cycle progression with the requirement for phosphatidylcholine.

(18)F-labeled positron emission tomographic radiopharmaceuticals in oncology: an overview of radiochemistry and mechanisms of tumor localization

Molecular imaging is the visualization, characterization, and measurement of biological processes at the molecular and cellular levels in a living system. At present, positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) is one the most rapidly growing areas of medical imaging, with many applications in the clinical management of patients with cancer. Although [(18)F]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-PET/CT imaging provides high specificity and sensitivity in several kinds of cancer and has many applications, it is important to recognize that FDG is not a "specific" radiotracer for imaging malignant disease. Highly "tumor-specific" and "tumor cell signal-specific" PET radiopharmaceuticals are essential to meet the growing demand of radioisotope-based molecular imaging technology. In the last 15 years, many alternative PET tracers have been proposed and evaluated in preclinical and clinical studies to characterize the tumor biology more appropriately. The potential clinical utility of several (18)F-labeled radiotracers (eg, fluoride, FDOPA, FLT, FMISO, FES, and FCH) is being reviewed by several investigators in this issue. An overview of design and development of (18)F-labeled PET radiopharmaceuticals, radiochemistry, and mechanism(s) of tumor cell uptake and localization of radiotracers are presented here. The approval of clinical indications for FDG-PET in the year 2000 by the Food and Drug Administration, based on a review of literature, was a major breakthrough to the rapid incorporation of PET into nuclear medicine practice, particularly in oncology. Approval of a radiopharmaceutical typically involves submission of a "New Drug Application" by a manufacturer or a company clearly documenting 2 major aspects of the drug: (1) manufacturing of PET drug using current good manufacturing practices and (2) the safety and effectiveness of a drug with specific indications. The potential routine clinical utility of (18)F-labeled PET radiopharmaceuticals depends also on regulatory compliance in addition to documentation of potential safety and efficacy by various investigators.

Transcriptional regulation of phosphatidylcholine biosynthesis

Phosphatidylcholine biosynthesis in animal cells is primarily regulated by the rapid translocation of CTP:phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase alpha between a soluble form that is inactive and a membrane-associated form that is activated. Until less than 10 years ago there was no information on the transcriptional regulation of phosphatidylcholine biosynthesis. Research has identified the transcription factors Sp1, Rb, TEF4, Ets-1 and E2F as enhancing the expression of the cytidylyltransferase and Net as a factor that represses cytidylyltransferase expression. Key transcription factors involved in cholesterol or fatty acid metabolism (SREBPs, LXRs, PPARs) do not have a major role in transcriptional regulation of the cytidylyltransferase. Rather than being linked to cholesterol or energy metabolism, regulation of the cytidylyltransferase is linked to the cell cycle, cell growth and differentiation. Transcriptional regulation of phospholipid biosynthesis is more elegantly understood in yeast and involves responses to inositol, choline and zinc in the culture medium.

Role of Histone Deacetylase in the Expression of CTP:Phosphocholine Cytidylyltransferase α

Histone acetylation plays an important role in chromatin remodeling and gene expression. The molecular mechanisms involved in cell-specific expression of CTP:phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase alpha (CTalpha) are not fully understood. In this study, we investigated whether or not histone deacetylation is involved in repression of CTalpha expression in quiescent C3H10T1/2 mouse embryo fibroblasts. We have examined the contributions of the Sp1 and E2F binding sites in the repression of CTalpha gene expression. Immunoprecipitation experiments showed that histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1) and HDAC activity are associated with Sp1 in serum-starved cells or during serum stimulation. However, HDAC1 association with E2F was only detected in serum-starved cells. By chromatin immunoprecipitation assays, we detected both direct and indirect association of HDAC1 with the CTalpha promoter. Treatment with the HDAC inhibitor trichostatin A induced CTalpha expression. Our data suggest that HDAC1 plays a critical role in CTalpha repression and that Sp1 and E2F may serve as key targets for HDAC1-mediated CTalpha repression in fibroblasts.

Lipid Biosynthesis and its Coordination with Cell Cycle Progression

The activation of cell cycle regulators at the G1/S boundary has been linked to the cellular protein synthesis rate. It is conceivable that regulatory mechanisms are required to allow cells to coordinate the synthesis of other macromolecules with cell cycle progression. The availability of highly synchronized cells and flow cytometric methods facilitates investigation of the dynamics of lipid synthesis in the entire cell cycle of the heterotrophic dinoflagellate Crypthecodinium cohnii. Flow cytograms of Nile red-stained cells revealed a stepwise increase in the polar lipid content and a continuous increase in neutral lipid content in the dinoflagellate cell cycle. A cell cycle delay at early G1, but not G2/M, was observed upon inhibition of lipid synthesis. However, lipid synthesis continued during cell cycle arrest at the G1/S transition. A cell cycle delay was not observed when inhibitors of cellulose synthesis and fatty acid synthesis were added after the late G1 phase of the cell cycle. This implicates a commitment point that monitors the synthesis of fatty acids at the late G1 phase of the dinoflagellate cell cycle. Reduction of the glucose concentration in the medium down-regulated the G1 cell size with a concomitant forward shift of the commitment point. Inhibition of lipid synthesis up-regulated cellulose synthesis and resulted in an increase in cellulosic contents, while an inhibition of cellulose synthesis had no effects on lipid synthesis. Fatty acid synthesis and cellulose synthesis are apparently coupled to the cell cycle via independent pathways.

Cell Cycle Dependence of Group VIA Calcium-independent Phospholipase A2 Activity

Homeostasis of phosphatidylcholine (PC) is regulated by the opposing actions between CTP:phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase (CT) and the group VIA Ca(2+)-independent phospholipase A(2) (iPLA(2)). We investigated this process during the cell cycle. PC mass doubles during late G(1) and early S phase when its rate of catabolism is lowest. We show that iPLA(2) activity is cell cycle-dependent with peak activity during G(2)/M and late S phase. iPLA(2) activity declines during G(1) and is lowest at the G(1)/S transition and early S phase. The accumulation of PC correlates with decreased iPLA(2) activity, suggesting that regulation of this enzyme contributes to phospholipid accumulation. The levels of 80 kDa iPLA(2) protein do not change and thus cannot account for changes in enzyme activity. Reverse transcriptase and real-time PCR experiments show that splice variant iPLA(2) mRNAs are preferentially expressed during G(2)/M. Immunoblot analyses with an antibody directed against the N terminus of iPLA(2) revealed a approximately 50 kDa protein that is of appropriate size to be the truncated protein encoded by the ankyrin-iPLA(2)-1 splice variant mRNA. The levels of truncated iPLA(2) protein were high in cells in late G(1) and S phase cells that had low iPLA(2) activity and low in G(2)/M cells that had high iPLA(2) activity. The truncated protein co-immunoprecipitated with full-length iPLA(2), indicating a physical interaction between the two proteins. Together, these data suggest that truncated iPLA(2) proteins associate with active iPLA(2) and down-regulate its activity during G(1). This down-regulation may contribute to phospholipid accumulation during the cell cycle.

Radiolabeled choline as a proliferation marker: Comparison with radiolabeled acetate

[11C]Choline is a potential tracer to detect tumors, especially brain and prostate cancers. The metabolism of [11C]choline defines the accumulation pattern of [11C]choline in tumors depicted by positron emission tomography. Choline is a precursor of phosphatidylcholine that is a major constituent of membrane lipids. Membrane lipid synthesis as well as DNA synthesis is activated during cell proliferation. We investigated the relation between [14C]choline metabolism and proliferative activity using 10 tumor cell lines and fibroblasts. [14C]Choline uptake was higher in tumor cells than in fibroblasts and was correlated with the proliferative activity, though the sensitivity of [14C]choline uptake to proliferative activity was less than that of [1-14C]acetate. [14C]Phosphocholine produced from [14C]choline by phosphorylation mainly contributed to this accumulation. [11C]Choline can be used for the evaluation of tumor proliferation through estimating choline kinase activity.

Phosphorylation of Sp1 by cyclin-dependent kinase 2 modulates the role of Sp1 in CTP:phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase alpha regulation during the S phase of the cell cycle

Phosphatidylcholine is the major lipid component in mammalian membranes. Phosphatidylcholine synthesis increases in C3H10T1/2 fibroblasts during the G(1) and S phases of the cell cycle. Previous studies demonstrated that the mRNA encoding CTP:phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase alpha (CTalpha) increases during S phase (Golfman, L. S., Bakovic, M., and Vance, D. E. (2001) J. Biol. Chem. 276, 43688-43692) and that this activation is driven by increased binding of Sp1 to the CTalpha promoter (Banchio, C., Schang, L. M., and Vance, D. E. (2003) J. Biol. Chem. 278, 32457-32464). We now demonstrate that cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2) phosphorylation of Sp1 activates CTalpha transcription during S phase. Sp1 binds in a phosphorylated state to the CTalpha promoter. Sp1 binding is enhanced by association with cyclin A/E and CDK2, both in vivo and in vitro. In cells that overexpress Sp1, co-expression of cyclin A and CDK2 induces a high and constant level of CTalpha expression, whereas reduction in the expression of cyclin A, cyclin E, and CDK2 eliminates the induction of CTalpha expression in S phase. Furthermore, CTalpha expression is decreased in cells overexpressing a dominant-negative form of CDK2 and in cells treated with the CDK2 kinase inhibitors roscovitine and olomoucine. These results enhance our understanding of the regulatory mechanisms involved in the expression of CTalpha in preparation for cell division.

Magnetic resonance spectroscopy of renal and other retroperitoneal tumors

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

This paper focuses on demonstrating the power of magnetic resonance spectroscopy when used as a clinical tool in the medical sciences. The main goal is to illustrate the potential of proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy in renal oncology.

RECENT FINDINGS

The broad application of spectroscopy to the study of tumors in human brain, breast and prostate is well documented in the literature; however, the method is not yet widely utilized in the study of renal tumors. The analysis of the in-vitro high-resolution magnetic resonance spectroscopy of specimens removed during surgery shows promise for identifying biochemical profiles characteristic of benign renal tumors and renal cancers of different grades. In particular, resonances of creatine, acetate, choline compounds, and lipid components seem to vary between benign and malignant tissue.

SUMMARY

The identification of specific metabolites that differentiate benign from malignant tissue in vivo would spare the patient with a solid renal mass from unnecessary biopsies prior to surgery, or from surgery when a lesion would best be treated medically.

Transcription of the CTP:phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase alpha gene is enhanced during the S phase of the cell cycle

We have studied the transcription of the CTP:phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase alpha (CTalpha) gene in C3H10T1/2 fibroblasts as a function of the cell cycle. The cells were incubated for 48 h with 0.5% fetal bovine serum. The cells were induced into the G(1) phase of the cell cycle by the addition of medium with 10% fetal bovine serum. The cells began the synthesis of DNA after 12 h. At 16 and 20 h there was an increased amount of CTalpha mRNA that coincided with an increase in the expression of CTalpha proximal promoter-luciferase constructs (-201/+38 and -130/+38). Luciferase constructs with the basal promoter (-52/+38) showed no change in activity during the cell cycle. Incorporation of [(3)H]choline into phosphatidylcholine began to increase by 8 h after the addition of serum and peaked at 18 h. The mass of phosphatidylcholine nearly doubled between 8 and 26 h after addition of serum. CT activity increased by 6 h after serum addition and was maintained until 22 h. Thus, the increase of phosphatidylcholine biosynthesis in the G(1) phase of the cell cycle is not due to enhanced transcription of the CTalpha gene. Instead increased transcription of the CTalpha gene occurred during the S phase of the cell cycle in preparation for mitosis.

Characterization of acetate metabolism in tumor cells in relation to cell proliferation: acetate metabolism in tumor cells

To reveal the metabolic fate of acetate in neoplasms that may characterize the accumulation patterns of [1-(11)C]acetate in tumors depicted by positron emission tomography. Four tumor cell lines (LS174T, RPMI2650, A2780, and A375) and fibroblasts in growing and resting states were used. In uptake experiments, cells were incubated with[1-(14)C]acetate for 40 min. [(14)C]CO(2) was measured in the tight-air chamber, and the metabolites in cells were identified by thin layer chromatography and paper chromatography. The glucose metabolic rate of each cell line was measured with [2,6-(3)H]2-deoxy-glucose (DG), and the growth activity of each cell line was estimated by measuring the incorporation of [(3)H]methyl thymidine into DNA. Compared with resting fibroblasts, all four tumor cell lines showed higher accumulation of (14)C activity from [1-(14)C]acetate. These tumor-to-normal ratios of [1-(14)C]acetate were larger than those of DG. Tumor cells incorporated (14)C activity into the lipid-soluble fraction, mostly of phosphatidylcholine and neutral lipids, more prominently than did fibroblasts. The lipid-soluble fraction of (14)C accumulation in cells showed a positive correlation with growth activity, whereas the water-soluble and CO(2) fractions did not. These findings suggest that the high tumor-to-normal ratio of [1-(14)C]acetate is mainly due to the enhanced lipid synthesis, which reflects the high growth activity of neoplasms. This in vitro study suggests that [1-(11)C]acetate is appropriate for estimating the growth activity of tumor cells.

Ceramide generation occurring during 7beta-hydroxycholesterol- and 7-ketocholesterol-induced apoptosis is caspase independent and is not required to trigger cell death

Biological activities of oxysterols seem tightly regulated. Therefore, the ability to induce cell death of structurally related oxysterols, such as those oxidized at C7(7alpha-, 7beta-hydroxycholesterol, and 7-ketocholesterol), was investigated on U937 cells at different times of treatment in a concentration range of 5-80 microg/ml. Whereas all oxysterols accumulate inside the cells, strong inhibition of cell growth and increased permeability to propidium iodide were observed only with 7beta-hydroxycholesterol and 7-ketocholesterol, which trigger an apoptotic process characterized by the occurrence of cells with fragmented and/or condensed nuclei, and by various cellular dysfunctions: loss of mitochondrial transmembrane potential, cytosolic release of cytochrome c, activation of caspase-9 and -3 with subsequent enhanced activity of caspase-3, degradation of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, and increased accumulation of cellular C16 : 0 and C24 : 1 ceramide species. This ceramide generation is not attributed to caspase activation since inhibition of 7beta-hydroxycholesterol- and 7-ketocholesterol-induced apoptosis by Z-VAD-fmk (100 microM), a broad spectrum caspase inhibitor, did not reduce C16 : 0 and C24 : 1 ceramide species accumulation. Conversely, when U937 cells were treated with 7beta-hydroxycholesterol and 7-ketocholesterol in the presence of fumonisin B1 (100 microM), a specific inhibitor of ceramide synthase, C16 : 0 and C24 : 1 ceramide species production was completely abrogated whereas apoptosis was not prevented. Noteworthy, 7alpha-hydroxycholesterol induced only a slight inhibition of cell growth. Collectively, these results are consistent with the notion that the alpha or beta hydroxyl radical position of oxysterols oxidized at C7 plays a key role in the induction of the apoptotic process. In addition, our findings demonstrate that 7beta-hydroxycholesterol- and 7-ketocholesterol-induced apoptosis involve the mitochondrial signal transduction pathway and they suggest that C16 : 0 and C24 : 1 ceramide species generated through ceramide synthase play a minor role in the commitment of 7beta-hydroxycholesterol- and 7-ketocholesterol-induced cell death.

Shuttling of CTP:Phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase between the nucleus and endoplasmic reticulum accompanies the wave of phosphatidylcholine synthesis during the G(0) --> G(1) transition

The transition from quiescence (G(0)) into the cell division cycle is marked by accelerated phospholipid turnover. We examined the rates of phosphatidylcholine (PC) synthesis and the activity, membrane affinity, and intracellular localization of the rate-limiting enzyme in the synthesis of PC, CTP:phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase (CT) during this transition. The addition of serum to quiescent IIC9 fibroblasts resulted in a wave of PC synthesis beginning at approximately 10 min, peaking at approximately 3 h with a >10-fold increase in rate, and declining to near basal rates by 10 h. CT activity, monitored in situ, was elevated approximately 3-fold between 1 and 2 h postserum. Neither CT mass nor its phosphorylation state changed during the surge in PC synthesis and CT activity. On the other hand, the ratio of particulate/soluble CT surged and then receded in concert with the wave of PC synthesis. During quiescence, CT was confined to the nucleus, as assessed by indirect immunofluorescence. Within 10 min after serum stimulation, a portion of the CT fluorescence appeared in the cytoplasm, where it intensified until approximately 4 h postserum. Thereafter, the cytoplasmic CT signal waned, while the nuclear signal increased, and by 8 h CT was once again predominantly nuclear. The dynamics of CT's apparent translocation in and out of the nucleus paralleled the wave of PC synthesis and the solubility changes of CT. Cytoplasmic CT co-localized with BiP, a resident endoplasmic reticulum protein, in a double labeling experiment. These data suggest that the wave of PC synthesis that accompanies the G(0) --> G(1) transition is regulated by the coordinated changes in CT activity, membrane affinity, and intracellular distribution. We describe for the first time a redistribution of CT from the nucleus to the ER that correlates with an activation of the enzyme. We propose that this movement is required for the stimulation of PC synthesis during entry into the cell cycle.

ACAT-2, a second mammalian acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase. Its cloning, expression, and characterization

The synthesis of cholesterol esters by acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT, EC 2.3.1.26) is an important component of cellular cholesterol homeostasis. Cholesterol ester formation also is hypothesized to be important in several physiologic processes, including intestinal cholesterol absorption, hepatic lipoprotein production, and macrophage foam cell formation in atherosclerotic lesions. Mouse tissue expression studies and the disruption of the mouse ACAT gene (Acact) have indicated that more than one ACAT exists in mammals and specifically that another enzyme is important in mouse liver and intestine. We now describe a second mammalian ACAT enzyme, designated ACAT-2, that is 44% identical to the first cloned mouse ACAT (henceforth designated ACAT-1). Infection of H5 insect cells with an ACAT-2 recombinant baculovirus resulted in expression of a approximately 46-kDa protein in cell membranes that was associated with high levels of cholesterol esterification activity. Both ACAT-1 and ACAT-2 also catalyzed the esterification of the 3beta-hydroxyl group of a variety of oxysterols. Cholesterol esterification activities for ACAT-1 and ACAT-2 exhibited different IC50 values when assayed in the presence of several ACAT-specific inhibitors, demonstrating that ACAT inhibitors can selectively target specific forms of ACAT. ACAT-2 was expressed primarily in mouse liver and small intestine, supporting the hypothesis that ACAT-2 contributes to cholesterol esterification in these tissues. The mouse ACAT-2 gene (Acact2) maps to chromosome 15 in a region containing a quantitative trait locus influencing plasma cholesterol levels. The identification and cloning of ACAT-2 will facilitate molecular approaches to understanding the role of ACAT enzymes in mammalian biology.

Oocyte activation and passage through the metaphase/anaphase transition of the meiotic cell cycle is blocked in clams by inhibitors of HMG-CoA reductase activity

Cell cycle progression for postembryonic cells requires the activity of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase (HMG-R), the enzyme which catalyzes the production of the isoprenoid precursor, mevalonate. In this study, we examine the requirements of HMG-R activity for cell cycle progression during the meiotic and early mitotic divisions using oocytes and dividing embryos from the surf clam, Spisula solidissima. Using two different inhibitors of HMG-R, we find that the activity of this enzyme appears to be required at three distinct points of the cell cycle during meiosis. Depending on the stage at which these inhibitors are added to synchronous clam cultures, a reversible cell cycle block is triggered at the time of activation or at metaphase of either meiosis I or II, whereas there is not block to the mitotic cell cycle. Inhibition of HMG-R activity in activated oocytes does not affect the transient activation of p42MAPK but results in a block at metaphase of meiosis I that is accompanied by the stabilization of cyclins A and B and p34cdc2 kinase activity. Our results suggest that metabolites from the mevalonate biosynthetic pathway can act to influence the process of activation, as well as the events later in the cell cycle that lead to cyclin proteolysis and the exit from M phase during clam meiosis.

The effect of 9,11-secosterol, a newly discovered compound from the soft coral Gersemia fruticosa, on the growth and cell cycle progression of various tumor cells in culture

A new 9,11-secosterol, 24-nor-9,11-seco-11-acetoxy-3 beta,6 alpha-dihydroxycholest-7,22(E)-dien-9-one, was found to exhibit growth inhibitory (IC50 below 10 microM) and cytotoxic activities against human leukemia K562, human cervical cancer HeLa, and Ehrlich ascites tumor cells in vitro. The cytostatic concentrations of the compound generally caused the G2/M block in the cell cycle progression, but differences between the three tumor cell lines in the events leading to cell death were remarkable. While inhibiting cell proliferation, 9,11-secosterol caused accumulation of HeLa and K562 cells in the metaphase of mitosis. So, abnormal mitosis can play an important role in the cytotoxicity of 9,11-secosterol in these cell lines. In the Ehrlich ascites tumor cell line the increasing concentrations of the drug (up to 40 microM) did not cause an immediate cell killing. Instead, due to continued DNA synthesis without entry into mitosis, cells with high DNA ploidy were produced. It was shown that the cytoskeletal systems such as microtubules and microfilaments were not damaged by the action of 9,11-secosterol. Further studies are necessary to elucidate the mechanism of the cytotoxic effect of 9,11-secosterol.

Proliferative effect of mevalonate metabolites other than isoprenoids on cultured vascular smooth muscle cells

1. Recent investigations revealed that isoprenoid compounds serve as key substances for cellular proliferation through post-translational modification. Previously we reported that tissues of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) had a lower activity of isoprenoid biosynthesis when compared with the normotensive control rat (WKY). However, cultured vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) of SHR showed an enhanced growth rate. These findings led us to investigate further the effect of isoprenoid compounds on VSMC proliferation. 2. When the cells of WKY were stimulated with 5% fetal calf serum (FCS) in the presence of lovastatin, [3H]-thymidine incorporation decreased in a dose-dependent manner and was completely inhibited at 30 mumol/L. Exogenously added mevalonate showed a protective effect against lovastatin (81% protection at 0.1 mumol/L). 3. Fluoromevalonate (Fmev), an inhibitor of mevalonate-PP decarboxylase which converts mevalonate-PP into isoprenoids, showed a dual inhibitory effect. DNA synthesis was partially inhibited at 0.01-1 mumol/L, however at 10 mumol/L there was no detectable inhibition. The inhibitory effect was again observed at concentrations over 10 mumol/L. 4. In the presence of lovastatin and Fmev to block both HMG CoA reductase and mevalonate-PP decarboxylase, exogenous mevalonate dose dependently stimulated [3H]-thymidine incorporation induced by FCS. 5. These data suggest the positive effect of the initial mevalonate derivatives other than isoprenoid compounds on the proliferation of VSMC.

Membrane fatty acid changes during the cell cycle of CV-1 cells

Monolayers of CV-1 cells were synchronized at the G1/S boundary of the cell cycle by a 24-h 2 mM thymidine blockade. Uptake of tritiated thymidine indicated that the peak DNA synthesis occurred 6-8 h after release from the block and that cell cycle time was 18-20 h. The fatty acid composition of phospholipids extracted from cells at 0, 7, and 18 h postblockade was measured by gas chromatography. The results indicate cyclic changes in membrane fatty acids with a significant increase in long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids during the DNA synthesis phase (S phase) of the cell cycle.

Regulation of 3-hydroxyl-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase activity in rat uterine tissues

Initiation of uterine DNA synthesis and mitosis in response to estrogen appears to depend upon the stimulation of protein synthesis. 3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase could have a key function in controlling uterine mitosis through its control of mevalonic acid and cholesterol synthesis as the rate-limiting enzyme in their synthetic pathways. These studies were initiated to examine the kinetics of the uterine increases in HMG-CoA reductase activity in response to estradiol. In the uterus of the ovariectomized mature rat, estradiol increased levels of enzyme activity in both the luminal epithelium and stroma-myometrium up to 12 h after estradiol treatment. Levels of HMG-CoA reductase activity decreased after 12 h in the luminal epithelium and further increased in the stroma-myometrium. Previous studies have shown that estradiol does not increase DNA synthesis and mitosis in the stroma-myometrium of the uterus of the ovariectomized mature rat. Since estradiol increased HMG-CoA reductase activity in both the luminal epithelium and stroma-myometrium, we conclude that even though increased HMG-CoA reductase activity may be a prerequisite for increased DNA synthesis, increases in uterine HMG-CoA reductase activity are not necessarily followed by increased DNA synthesis.

Cellular cholesterol metabolism in mitogen-stimulated lymphocytes--requirement for de novo synthesis

The relationship between cholesterol synthesis and uptake in proliferating lymphocytes has been examined. [14C]Acetate incorporation into lymphocytes cultured under lipoprotein-deficient conditions increased initially in response to mitogen, decreased after 24 h, and increased rapidly between 72 and 96 h. Addition of LDL (10 micrograms/ml) to the culture during the 'trough' period caused [14C]acetate incorporation to return rapidly to baseline, while at peak periods LDL suppression of cholesterol synthesis was minimal. Lymphocytes cultured in the presence of the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor, mevinolin, exhibited a time-dependent increase in their capacity to incorporate [14C]acetate into cholesterol, evident when mevinolin was removed by washing prior to assay. PHA enhanced 125I-labelled LDL receptor-mediated binding by lymphocytes cultured in lipoprotein-deficient medium over a 4 day period and mevinolin augmented the effect. [3H]Thymidine incorporation into mitogen-stimulated lipoprotein-deficient cultures was inhibited up to 75% by mevinolin (1 mumol/l). LDL (2.5-10 micrograms/ml) substantially reversed this inhibition in 72 h cultures, but only partially overcame inhibition in cells cultured for 96 h. Results suggest that endogenous cholesterol synthesis may be obligatory for lymphocyte proliferation after the initial round of cell division.

Cellular distribution of cholesterogenesis-linked, phosphoisoprenylated proteins in proliferating cells

A set of isoprenylated proteins has been detected in rapidly proliferating, suspension-grown murine lymphoma cells. Our evidence indicates that all of these isoprenylated proteins are phosphorylated. Subsequent to a 24 h incubation with mevinolin to deplete the intracellular mevalonate (MVA) level, cells were incubated with [3H]MVA and/or 32Pi and both total cell and subcellular fraction proteins were resolved via 1- and 2-D gel electrophoresis, then assessed via subsequent autoradiography. The phospho-isoprenylated proteins comprise a set spanning a molecular mass range of 21-69 kDa and all dispay acidic pI. MVA-derivatized proteins of 21-24 kDa, which consist of multiple isoforms, are present in both cytosolic and nuclear fractions. Larger phospho-isoprenylated protein species (44-69 kDa) are specifically localized within the nucleus, where applicable extraction protocols indicate that they are part of or closely affiliated with the nuclear matrix-intermediate filament (NM-IF) components. The localization of the 69 kDa prenylated species within the NM-IF fraction, together with evidence of its phosphorylation, supports recent indications that this protein is the nuclear matrix component lamin B.

Requirement for mevalonate in cycling cells: quantitative and temporal aspects

In order to investigate a requirement for isoprenoid compounds in the cell cycle, DNA synthesis was examined in cultured Chinese hamster ovary cells in which mevalonate biosynthesis was blocked with mevinolin, a competitive inhibitor of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase. Treatment of exponentially-growing cultures with mevinolin led to a decline in DNA synthesis and cell cycle arrest in G1. Synchronous DNA synthesis and cell division could be restored in the arrested cultures, in the absence of exogenous mevalonate, by removing the inhibitor from the culture thereby allowing expression of an induced level of HMG-CoA reductase. In order to quantitate the mevalonate requirement for entry into S phase, recovery of DNA synthesis was made dependent upon added mevalonate by preventing the induction of the enzyme using 25-hydroxycholesterol, a specific repressor of HMG-CoA reductase synthesis. When cultures were treated with both inhibitors, optimal recovery of DNA synthesis was obtained with 200 micrograms/ml mevalonate following an 8 h lag, whereas a progressively longer lag-time was found with lower concentrations of mevalonate. Exogenous dolichol, ubiquinone, or isopentenyladenine had no effect on the arrest or recovery of DNA synthesis. Cholesterol was required during the arrest incubation for cell viability, but was not sufficient for recovery in the absence of mevalonate. The recovery of DNA synthesis by 200 micrograms/ml mevalonate, which was maximal 14-16 h after the addition of mevalonate, only required that the mevalonate be present for the first 4 h, whereas more than an 8-h incubation was required for maximal recovery with 25 micrograms/ml mevalonate. Maximal recovery at either concentration of mevalonate was achieved after approximately 400 fmol mevalonate/micrograms protein was incorporated into non-saponifiable lipids. This quantity represents approximately 0.1% of the mevalonate required for the synthesis of total cellular isoprenoid compounds. The results indicate that production of a quantitatively minor product(s) of mevalonate metabolism is required during the first 4 h following release of the block before other cellular events necessary for entry into S phase can occur.

The regulation of sterol metabolism by cell interactions

Total and free cholesterol levels in C6 glial cells are regulated by a cell interaction-dependent mechanism that operates independently of exogenous cholesterol and serum lipoproteins. This mechanism, which is activated by changes in culture density, coordinately regulates the activities of HMG-CoA reductase and acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT). Both enzyme activities are low in sparse density cultures, rise as density increases from sparse to moderate, and decrease with further density increases. When culture density is abruptly elevated, both enzyme activities decay rapidly and with biphasic kinetics. Neither enzyme phosphorylation nor diffusible cytosolic factors appear to be directly involved in density suppression of HMG-CoA reductase. Studies with human fibroblasts that are defective in LDL receptor function demonstrate that density regulation does not require a functional LDL receptor. Extracellular matrix and soluble factors have also been ruled out as intercellular mediators. The specific growth rate of C6 cultures changes with density in the same manner as sterol metabolism. The possibility that growth and sterol metabolism are regulated by a common cell interaction-dependent mechanism is discussed.

Unfolding of nucleosome core induced by phosphatidylserine

The main experimental findings on the actual presence of lipids among the minor chromatin components are revised and discussed especially in the light of the reported effects that exogenous lipids induce in DNA and RNA synthesis by using purified templates. Moreover, all the available evidence of the influence of phospholipid liposomes on the activities and structure of isolated nuclei are reported. In order to further clarify the possible mechanism by which phospholipids could affect gene expression, the modifications at the nucleosome core level have been investigated by means of IAF staining and electron microscopy. The results obtained indicate that the increased transcriptional activity induced by PS MLV in isolated nuclei requires both the removal of histone H1, which causes the unfolding of the solenoid into the nucleosome fiber configuration of the chromatin, and the subsequent splitting of the H3 dimer. This latter process, monitored by IAF accessibility to H3 in isolated nucleosomes incubated with PS, causes the transition from the nucleosome to the lexosome structure, which is the configuration favoring the activity of RNA polymerases.

Effects of mevinolin and mevalonate on cell growth in several transformed cell lines

Studies were conducted to explore the effects of mevinolin, a competitive inhibitor of HMG CoA reductase, on the growth and morphology of normal and transformed murine fibroblasts. Mevinolin is known to block DNA synthesis and cell growth in a number of kinds of non-transformed cells. Eight cell lines were studied, including two normal fibroblast cell lines (C3H 10T 1/2 and NIH 3T3) and derivatives of these cell lines transformed by chemical carcinogens, X-irradiation or the H-ras oncogene. All of the eight cell lines displayed appreciable growth inhibition by 5 microM mevinolin and marked inhibition by 30 microM mevinolin. Mevinolin also induced a marked rounding in the morphology of all of the cell lines. These effects of mevinolin on cell growth and morphology were blocked or reversed by the addition of mevalonic acid. Thus, both normal and transformed cells require mevalonate, or an as yet unidentified metabolite of mevalonate for their growth, even though some transformed cells have become relatively autonomous of other growth factors. Whereas mevinolin acted primarily as a cytostatic agent for most of the cell lines studied, with the transformed cell line MCA/10T 1/2, which ordinarily grows to a very high cell density, prolonged exposure to mevinolin caused marked cytotoxicity. Thus mevinolin might be useful as an anti-tumor agent for specific tumors.

Obligatory relationship between the sterol biosynthetic pathway and DNA synthesis and cellular proliferation in glial primary cultures

Primary cultures of newborn rat brain, which are composed predominantly of astroglia, were used to examine the relationship between the sterol biosynthetic pathway and DNA synthesis and cellular proliferation. Reduction of the fetal calf serum content of the culture medium from 10 to 0.1% (vol/vol) for an interval of 48 h between days 4 and 6 in culture resulted in a quiescent state characterized by inhibition of DNA synthesis and cellular proliferation. When 10% fetal calf serum was returned to the medium for these quiescent cells, within 24 h DNA synthesis increased markedly. Preceding the rise in DNA synthesis was an increase in sterol synthesis, which occurred within 12 h of the return of the quiescent cells to the 10% fetal calf serum. Exposure of the quiescent cells to mevinolin, a specific inhibitor of sterol synthesis at the 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase step, completely inhibited the increase in DNA synthesis that followed serum repletion. The increase in total protein synthesis that followed serum repletion was not similarly inhibited by mevinolin. When mevinolin was removed after causing the 24-h inhibition of DNA synthesis, the cultured cells underwent active DNA synthesis and proliferation. Thus, inhibition of the sterol biosynthetic pathway resulted in a specific and reversible inhibition of DNA synthesis and glial proliferation in developing glial cells. These findings establish a valuable system for the examination of glial proliferation, i.e., primary glial cultures subjected to serum depletion and subsequent repletion. Moreover, the data establish an obligatory relationship between the sterol biosynthetic pathway and DNA synthesis and cellular proliferation in developing glia.

Differentiation of neuroblastoma cells induced by an inhibitor of mevalonate synthesis: relation of neurite outgrowth and acetylcholinesterase activity to changes in cell proliferation and blocked isoprenoid synthesis

Mevinolin, a competitive inhibitor of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase, stimulates neurite outgrowth and acetylcholinesterase (ACE) activity in C1300 (Neuro-2A) murine neuroblastoma cells. Sprouting of neurites began within 4-8 h, before changes in cell proliferation could be detected by [3H]thymidine incorporation or flow cytometry. In contrast, the increase in ACE activity was temporally correlated with suppression of DNA synthesis, which occurred after 8 h. The activity of the membrane marker enzyme phosphodiesterase I was not stimulated by mevinolin. Suppression of protein synthesis with cycloheximide blocked the induction of ACE activity but only partially inhibited neurite outgrowth in the mevinolin-treated cultures. When mevinolin was removed from the culture medium, most of the cells retracted their neurites within 2 h, but ACE activity did not decline until DNA synthesis began to return to control levels after 10 h. Similarly, retraction of neurites in differentiated cells exposed to colchicine was not accompanied by a decrease in ACE activity. DNA histograms suggested that mevinolin arrests neuroblastoma cells in both the G1 and G2/M compartments of the cell cycle. Other cytostatic drugs that arrest cells at different stages of the cell cycle did not cause Neuro-2A cells to form neurites such as those seen in the mevinolin-treated cultures. When incorporation of [3H]acetate into isoprenoid compounds was studied in cultures containing mevinolin in concentrations ranging from 0.25 microM to 25 microM, the labeling of cholesterol, dolichol, and ubiquinone was suppressed by 90% or more at all concentrations. However, significant growth arrest and cell differentiation were observed only at the highest concentrations of mevinolin. Supplementing the medium with 100 microM mevalonate prevented the cellular response to mevinolin, but additions of cholesterol, dolichol, ubiquinone, or isopentenyl adenine were generally ineffective. The cholesterol content of neuroblastoma cells incubated with 25 microM mevinolin for 24 h was not diminished, and protein glycosylation, measured by [3H]mannose incorporation, was decreased only after 24 h at high mevinolin concentration. These studies suggest that the stimulation of neurite outgrowth and the increase in ACE activity induced by mevinolin are independent phenomena. Whereas neurite outgrowth is not related directly to the effects of mevinolin on cell cycling, the induction of ACE is correlated with the inhibition of cell proliferation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Inhibition, post-hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA regulation and relation to cell growth of cholesterol biosynthesis in cultured human skin fibroblasts

Cholesterol biosynthesis in cultured human skin fibroblasts was studied by [14C]acetic acid incorporation into non-saponifiable lipids and quantification of labeled cholesterol among its precursors. Synthesis was slow, in spite of a high 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase (HMG-CoA) activity and led to an accumulation of unexpected non-polar metabolites identified as C-30 sterones, but not C-27 sterol precursors. This supports a post-HMG-CoA regulation at the lanosterol demethylation step. Cholesterol biosynthesis was stimulated by cell culture in lipid depleted medium and was inhibited by pentadecane-2-one which acts mainly at two post-HMG-CoA steps: lanosterol demethylation and lathosterol isomerisation to cholesterol. A parallel pentadecane-2-one inhibition of cell growth was also observed, even when cells were cultured in the presence of whole serum. This indicates the existence of a relationship between endogenous cholesterol synthesis and cell growth and sheds additional light on the role of post-HMG-CoA regulation in this phenomenon.

Glucocorticoid effects on membrane lipid mobility during differentiation of murine B lymphocytes

The lateral motion of membrane lipids on lipopolysaccharide-stimulated murine B lymphocytes was measured using photobleaching recovery techniques. The mobility of the phospholipid analog 3,3'-dioctadecylindocarbocyanine iodide (DiI) was measured at 37 degrees C on B lymphocytes 48 h after stimulation by various concentrations of lipopolysaccharide. DiI mobility on lymphoblasts from cultures stimulated with 10 micrograms/ml lipopolysaccharide was reduced 50% compared with unstimulated, small B cells. However, both lower and higher lipopolysaccharide concentrations caused some decrease in lipid mobility. Lipid mobility was measured on B cells stimulated with 10 micrograms/ml lipopolysaccharide at zero time, on lymphoblasts at 18, 24, 48 and 72 h, and on immunoglobulin (Ig) -secreting lymphocytes at 96 h. The diffusion coefficient of DiI on both control and lipopolysaccharide-treated cells at zero time is 6.3 X 10(-9) cm2 X s-1. This value remains unchanged for unstimulated cells over 72 h. Lipid mobility of lipopolysaccharide-activated lymphoblasts decreased during incubation with lipopolysaccharide to 5.0, 3.4, 2.8 and 2.4 X 10(-9) cm2 X s-1 after 18, 24, 48 and 72 h, respectively. DiI mobility on immunoglobulin (Ig) -secreting lymphocytes identified at the foci of Protein A-coated sheep red blood cells plaques is 8.6 X 10(-9) cm2 X s-1, a value similar to that of unstimulated B cells. The effect of introducing various concentrations of a synthetic glucocorticoid, triamcinolone acetonide (TA), to 48 h lipopolysaccharide-stimulated cells for 6 h was examined. Maximal TA effect was observed at a concentration of 10(-7) M, which caused an increase in lipid mobility to 7.5 X 10(-9) cm2 X s-1. Exposing resting B cells (t = 0) or lymphoblasts (t = 24, 48 or 72 h) to TA for 3 h had no effect on lipid mobility. Treatment for 6 h with 10(-7) MTA increased DiI diffusion to 12.6, 9.9, 7.5 and 6.8 X 10(-9) cm2 X s-1 on control cells and on 24, 48 and 72 h lipopolysaccharide-activated lymphoblasts, respectively. A longer incubation of 12 h with 10(-7) MTA caused no further change in lipid lateral diffusion. The response was glucocorticoid-specific. In lymphoblasts (48 h) incubated an additional 6 h with 10(-7) MTA and a 100-fold excess of cortexolone or progesterone, the increase in lipid mobility was substantively blocked; estradiol and testosterone had no effect on lipid lateral diffusion.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Anti-inflammatory properties of an oxidized sterol

A polar photoproduct of cholesterol oxidation, 7-ketocholesterol, was able to inhibit in a dose-dependent manner the mouse ear-swelling response to irritants such as croton oil or cantharidin. Its anti-inflammatory properties were much less than equivalent concentrations of hydrocortisone, but the oxidized sterol did not induce any systemic effects (as measured by thymolytic activity), as did topical hydrocortisone. It is concluded that 7-ketocholesterol has weak anti-inflammatory activity, and its mode of action may be different from that of glucocorticoids.

Oxidized sterols inhibit the formation of podophyllin-induced metaphase figures in mouse vaginal epithelia

The antimitotic activity of oxidized derivatives of cholesterol was investigated using an assay developed by Van Scott and Bonder. In this assay, a drug that has antimitotic activity and is not a metaphase-blocking agent will inhibit the formation of podophyllin-induced metaphase figures, as counted on histologic specimens. Mouse vaginal epithelia were classified as being estrogen or progesterone predominant on the basis of histologic criteria. Podophyllin-injected mice in the estrogenic phase of the estrus cycle demonstrated high metaphase-figure counts, with an average of 284.86 +/- 132.01. In this group, all intravaginally administered compounds, inhibited the formation of metaphase figures, including a propylene-glycol ethanol vehicle (60% suppression); thus, it is concluded that animals in this phase are not a suitable model for assaying antimitotic activity. Mice in the progesterone-predominant phase of the estrus cycle had lower counts of podophyllin-induced metaphase figures, i.e., 142.13 +/- 39.29. In this group, 25-OH-cholesterol was the most effective inhibitor (59% suppression), followed by 7-ketocholesterol (48% suppression) and methotrexate (40% suppression). Cholesterol (5% suppression) and vehicle (20% suppression) did not have any significant effects. Progesterone-predominant epithelium was only susceptible to methotrexate and oxidized sterols. This suggests that oxidized sterols may have antimitotic activity.

Regulation of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase and cholesterol synthesis and esterification during the first cell cycle of liver regeneration

The regenerating rat liver provides a unique in vivo synchronized system for study of the interrelationships between mevalonate and sterol metabolism during the cell cycle. The regulation of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase, cholesterol synthesis and acyl coenzyme A: cholesterol acyltransferase during the first cell cycle was investigated. At 8 h postoperative and prior to onset of DNA synthesis or S phase, cholesterol synthesis was depressed in the regenerating liver relative to that in sham-operated controls. This suppression was observed whether assayed in vitro with liver homogenates utilizing radiolabeled acetate, mevalonate or water or in vivo with tritium water. In contrast, at this time point, 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase activity was increased in microsomes prepared both in the presence and absence of NaF. By 24 h, well into S phase and approaching mitosis, reductase activity and cholesterol synthesis both approached levels observed in the sham-operated control animals. There were no detectable changes in acyl-CoA: cholesterol acyltransferase activity at any time point. Thus, at the 8 h time point, the regulation of the three processes appeared uncoupled. The increased levels of in vitro expressed 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase activity compared with the decrease in the rate of both cholesterol and squalene biosynthesis suggested diversion of mevalonate into products other than squalene or sterols. We propose that this may reflect the needs of the cell for a nonsterol metabolite of mevalonate necessary for entry of cells into S phase.

Stimulation of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase in mouse uterine epithelial cells by oestradiol-17 beta

The characteristics of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase from mouse uterine epithelial cells were studied. Preliminary experiments showed that enzyme activity was stimulated approx. 10-fold 18h after administration of 100ng of oestradiol-17 beta. This activity was associated with all particulate fractions of the uterine luminal cell. The Km for D-3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA was 5.54 +/- 1.12 microM. The detailed time-course of oestrogen stimulation showed two peaks of activity, 9 and 15h after hormone treatment. The DNA content of the epithelial cells doubled between 6 and 12h after hormone treatment, whereas the protein content increased linearly over the 18h period. The peak of enzyme activity at 9h is associated with early S phase of the epithelial cells; the peak at 15h may be associated with a second S phase or with mitosis. Pretreatment with progesterone for 3 days before injection of oestradiol-17 beta (a treatment which inhibits uterine epithelial DNA synthesis) reduced the oestrogenic stimulation of enzyme activity by 63%; progesterone treatment alone did not stimulate enzyme activity. These data suggest that uterine epithelial 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase may play an important role in the cell cycle in this tissue.