Trypsin-induced alterations of insulin binding, microfilament organization and cell shape in fibroblastic cultures from non-diabetic and diabetic mice

Impact of trypsin on cell cytoplasm during detachment of cells studied by terahertz sensing

Trypsin is a very common enzyme used in cell culture to harvest cells by cleaving the proteins responsible for cell adhesion. However, trypsin also induces undesirable effects on cells, such as altering membrane proteins and the cytoskeleton, changing the composition of the cytoplasm and the cell volume, and even leading to cell death when used improperly. Using attenuated total reflection in the terahertz domain, confocal microscopy, and the propidium iodide test, we quantified in real time the change in cytoplasmic content induced by trypsin proteolysis on Madin-Darby canine kidney epithelial cells. We have observed a cytoplasmic modification from the very first seconds of trypsinization, following the change of cell volume due to mechanical re-equilibrium of the membrane. We found that the cytoplasmic alteration is associated with a transfer of small solutes: electrolytes and metabolites. We also found a very good nonlinear correlation between the side effects monitored by terahertz sensing and the cell height, regardless of the dependence of the cell height on trypsin concentration and exposure time.

Responses of rainbow trout intestinal epithelial cells to different kinds of nutritional deprivation

In order to develop an in vitro system to study the cell biology of starvation in the fish intestine, rainbow trout intestinal epithelial cells were subjected to three kinds of nutrient deprivation and evaluated for 7 days. The RTgutGC cell line was grown into monolayers in Leibovitz's basal medium supplemented with fetal bovine serum (L15/FBS) and then subjected to deprivation of serum (L15); of serum, amino acids, and vitamin (L15/ex); and of all nutrients (L15/salts). After 7 days of nutrient deprivation, the cells remained attached to the plastic surface as monolayers but changes were seen in shape, with the cells becoming more polygonal, actin and α-tubulin cytoskeleton organization, and in tight junction protein-1 (ZO-1) localization. Two barrier functions, transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) and Lucifer Yellow (LY) retention, were impaired by nutrient deprivation. In L15/FBS, cells rapidly healed a gap or wound in the monolayer. In L15 and L15/ex, some cells moved into the gap, but after 7 days, the wound remained unhealed, whereas in L15/salts, cells did not even migrate into the gap. Upon nutrient replenishment (L15/FBS) after 7 days in L15, L15/ex, or L15/salts, cells proliferated again and healed a wound. After 7 days of nutrient deprivation, monolayers were successfully passaged with trypsin and cells in L15/FBS grew to again form monolayers. Therefore, rainbow trout intestinal epithelial cells survived starvation, but barrier and wound healing functions were impaired.

Intestinal VIP receptors: differential effect of trypsin on the high and low affinity binding sites

The effects of trypsin treatment on VIP binding to rat intestinal epithelial cell membranes were examined. The decrease in specific binding of [125I]VIP is dependent on the amount of trypsin used and digestion time. Specific binding decreases by 50% after 8 min with 20 micrograms/ml trypsin. Trypsin is active in the 1-100 micrograms/ml concentration range (ED50 approximately equal to 5 micrograms/ml). Non-specific binding is unaltered by the enzyme. The effect of trypsin is abolished by trypsin inhibitor. Scatchard analysis of VIP binding reveals two types of binding sites: sites I characterized by a high affinity, a low capacity and a high sensitivity to low trypsin levels (1-5 micrograms/ml); sites II characterized by a low affinity, a high capacity, resistant to low trypsin levels (1-5 micrograms/ml) but sensitive to a high trypsin level (20 micrograms/ml). Trypsin decreases the binding capacity by lowering the site number without altering their affinity. Sites not destroyed by trypsin retain their functional characteristics: KD, sensitivity to GTP and coupling with adenylate cyclase. It is concluded that sites I and II are proteins with different structures and/or differently localized in the membrane.

Localization of insulin-like immunoreactivity in the neurons from primary cultures of rat brain

Brains from 1-day-old rats were dissociated with trypsin and the cells were maintained in culture for 3-4 weeks. These primary cultures contained insulin-like immunoreactivity in the limited populations of neurons. Typically, the fluorescent staining pattern observed in the soma was homogeneous and varicosity-like structures were observed on the neurites of the majority of insulin-like immunoreactive neurons. Serum deprivation of brain cell cultures did not reduce immunoreactivity, whereas cycloheximide caused approx. 80% decrease in the number of insulin-like immunoreactive neurons. Incubation of these cultures with [3H]valine resulted in the incorporation of radioactivity into immunoprecipitable insulin. These results suggest that insulin-like immunoreactivity present in the Central Nervous System (CNS) neurons may be synthesized by brain cell cultures.

Effects of trypsin on binding of insulin and concanavalin A and on glucose and proline transport in the R3230AC mammary adenocarcinoma

Effects of trypsin treatment on insulin and concanavalin A binding to, and glucose and proline transport in, dissociated R3230AC mammary adenocarcinoma cells were examined. Reduction of binding of 125I-labelled insulin was dependent on the amount of trypsin used, the temperature and the time of the incubation period. Under conditions that reduced insulin binding by greater than 75%, transport of glucose and proline was reduced by less than 15%. Scatchard analysis of insulin binding after trypsin treatment yielded slopes similar to those from cells not exposed to trypsin, assuming either two classes of receptors or an average affinity, Ke. Dissociation of bound insulin from untreated or trypsin-treated cells was enhanced by addition of excess unlabelled ligand. Insulin added in vitro, which decreased glucose transport in untreated cells, produced a decrease in glucose transport in cells treated with trypsin for 5 min (insulin binding was decreased 35%), but not in cells treated for 45 min (insulin binding was decreased 90%). Binding of the plant lectin concanavalin A was also reduced by trypsin treatment, but to a lesser extent and with a different time-course than for insulin. Scatchard analysis of the binding of concanavalin A in untreated and trypsin-treated cells yielded comparable values for Kd. The insulinomimetic actions of concanavalin A on glucose transport were abolished after brief exposure to trypsin. Pre-treatment of cells with concanavalin A reduced insulin binding and partially protected insulin receptors from trypsin digestion, but the inability to remove all of the concanavalin A precluded its use as a method to protect insulin receptors. Thus, in this rat mammary tumor, the number, but not the affinity or functional activity, of insulin receptors can be reduced by trypsin treatment without significant effects on glucose or A system amino acid transport.