Use of gene transfer to study expression of steroid-responsive genes

Structural basis for nuclear hormone receptor DNA binding

The gene family of nuclear receptors is characterized by the presence of a typical, well conserved DNA-binding domain. In general, two zinc coordinating modules are folded such that an α-helix is inserted in the major groove of the DNA-helix displaying a sequence similar to one of two hexameric consensus motifs. Both zinc molecules coordinate four cysteines. Although the DNA-binding domains as well as the hormone response elements are very similar, each nuclear receptor will affect transcription of a specific set of target genes. This is in part due to some important receptor-specific variations on the general theme of DNA interaction. For most nuclear receptors, the DNA-binding domain dimerizes on DNA, which explains why most hormone response elements consist of a repeat of two hexamers. The hexamer dimers can be organized either as direct, inverted or everted repeats with spacers of varying lengths. The DNA can be bound by homodimers, heterodimers and for some orphan receptors, as monomer. Another key element for DNA binding by nuclear receptors is the carboxy-terminal extension of the DNA-binding domain extending into the hinge region. This part not only co-determines sequence specificity, but also affects other functions of the receptors like nuclear translocation, intranuclear mobility and transactivation potential. Moreover, allosteric signals passing through towards other receptor domains, explain why to some extent, the DNA elements can also be considered as controlling ligands.

Antiandrogens: clinical applications

Antiandrogens, preventing androgen action at target tissue level, are used in the treatment of various androgen-dependent diseases. Pharmacologically these substances have either a steroidal structure, like cyproterone acetate (CPA) and spironolactone (SPL), or a non-steroidal structure, like flutamide (FLU). In women with hyperandrogenism (PCO syndrome, idiopathic hirsutism, acne), clinical benefit may be obtained with CPA, which also displays a progestational activity and an antigonadotropic effect. CPA (25-50 mg/day) is used in combination with ethinyl-estradiol (EE) (20-30 micrograms/day) in reversed sequential regimen. SPL, less effective than CPA may be employed in moderate hirsutism and acne at dosages of 100-200 mg/day. During SPL treatment menstrual irregularities are frequent: in this case an association with oral contraceptives is indicated. SPL + bromocriptine (2.5-5 mg/day) has been experienced with success in PCO syndrome. The pure antiandrogen FLU, inducing progressive increase in LH and testosterone secretion, may be used only in combination with oral contraceptives. In men antiandrogens have been tested in BPH and prostatic carcinoma. In BPH the decrease in nuclear receptors and DHT nuclear content during CPA or FLU may represent the rational base of the medical treatment. An improvement in urinary obstructive manifestation has been observed with CPA alone or associated with tamoxifen (100 mg + 100 mg day). In advanced prostatic carcinoma antiandrogens represent a good alternative to estrogen therapy with less side effects and in combination with surgical or medical castration (LH-RH analogues) achieve a complete androgen blockade. An increase in the percentage of remissions and survival has been reported.

How the study of the biological activities of antiandrogens can be oriented towards the clinic

Antiandrogens can be used in various androgen-dependent diseases. Depending upon the therapeutic indication, they can be administered systemically or topically. Systemic treatment with an antiandrogen will inhibit androgen action not only in the desired target site but also in all other target tissues; thus, it will block the androgen-dependent feedback regulating the secretion (hypothalamo-pituitary-testis axis) or the action (protein factors) of androgens. In contrast, topical treatment (acting through cutaneous receptors or local metabolism) should not produce systemic side effects especially in man. Pharmacological assays which can select antiandrogens irrespective of the mechanism measure changes in the final androgenic response, but they consume a great deal of time and test compound and bear little relation to therapeutic activity. Therefore, the biological strategy that we report here and which, at Roussel-Uclaf, has led to the selection of a systemic and a topical antiandrogen (RU 23908 and RU 38882) has consisted in successively performing: (1) in vitro assays which measure an effect at a specific level in the mechanism of antiandrogen action, e.g. interaction with the androgen receptor. Assessing interactions with other classes of steroid hormone receptor can be used to predict possible hormonal side-effects, (2) in vitro determinations of agonist or antagonist activity, e.g. in pituitary cells (LH response to LHRH) or mammary tumor cells (induction of androgen-dependent proteins), (3) in vivo antiandrogen assays after a single treatment (induction of mouse kidney proteins, rat prostatic binding protein) or after repeated treatment (inhibition of the growth of rat accessory glands or of hamster sebaceous glands), to determine the active dose of the compound and possibly the absence of systemic effects by the topical route, (4) assays in animal models designed to mimic a therapeutic context e.g. for prostate cancer: inhibition of the "flare-up" effect of LHRH-A or of the trophic effect of perfused adrenal androgens on rat prostate, antitumoral activity in experimental cancer models. For hyperseborrhoea and acne: histological and stereological analysis of rat skin biopsies to measure the volume density of the smooth endoplasmic reticulum vesicles of the differentiating cells of the sebaceous gland.

Detection of chloramphenicol acetyl transferase activity in transfected cells: a rapid and sensitive HPLC-based method

An assay based on high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) has been developed for determining the expression of the acetyl coenzyme A: chloramphenicol 3-O-acetyltransferase gene in transfected cells. The assay is based on the separation of extracted, nonradioactive chloramphenicol and its acetylated derivatives by reverse-phase HPLC, using UV absorbance for detection. In addition to eliminating the need for costly [14C]chloramphenicol, this assay is as sensitive and much faster than the commonly used method involving thin-layer chromatography.

An unusually long poly(purine)-poly(pyrimidine) sequence is located upstream from the human thyroglobulin gene

A region of human genomic DNA encompassing the 5' end of the thyroglobulin gene has been sequenced and the position of the transcriptional start site has been determined. The 5' non-translated portion of the mRNA displays a quasi-palindromic sequence which could allow this region to adopt a hairpin structure. The first exon of the gene encodes a 19 amino-acids signal peptide and the 3 first amino acids of the mature protein. Apart from the canonical TATA-Box and from a CAAT-Box homology, the promoter region contains a 209 bp-long poly(purine)-poly (pyrimidine) sequence located between positions-512 and -304 relative to the transcription start. When contained in a supercoiled plasmid, this sequence exhibits sensitivity to S1 nuclease at two distinct positions. A precise mapping of the borders of the sensitive regions was achieved by extending primers from both ends of the sequence after digestion by the enzyme. The resulting data can be explained by a model involving the formation of a triple helix structure.

Expression of amplified human beta interferon genes using heavy metal induction in Chinese hamster ovary cells

An expression cassette consisting of the human beta-interferon (beta-IFN) cDNA fused to the human metallothionein (MeT)IIA promoter has been linked to a selectable mouse dihydrofolate reductase gene (dhfr) and used to transform dhfr-deficient Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. Transformants resistant to increasing concentrations of methotrexate (Mtx) were isolated and found to secrete beta-IFN either constitutively or upon induction with cadmium (up to 325 000 units beta-IFN/10(6) cells/24 h). Molecular analysis demonstrates a large increase in beta-IFN-specific DNA sequences and beta-IFN mRNA levels in amplified cell lines, with initiation of transcription occurring at the authentic start point for the MeT promoter.