Presence of insulin receptors in cultured glial C6 cells. Regulation by butyrate

Nuclear targeting of chlorin e6 enhances its photosensitizing activity

Although photosensitizers, molecules that produce active oxygen species upon activation by visible light, are being extensively used in photodynamic therapy to treat cancer and other clinical conditions, problems include normal cell and tissue damage and associated side effects, which are attributable in part to the fact that cytotoxic effects are largely restricted to the plasma membrane. We have previously shown that the photosensitizer chlorin e6 has significantly higher photosensitizing activity when present in conjugates containing specific ligands and thus able to be internalized by receptor-expressing cells. In this study we use insulin-containing conjugates to which variants of the simian virus SV40 large tumor antigen nuclear localization signal (NLS) were linked to target chlorin e6 to the nucleus, a hypersensitive site for active oxygen species-induced damage. NLSs were either included as peptides cross-linked to the carrier bovine serum albumin or encoded within the sequence of a beta-galactosidase fusion protein carrier. The results for photosensitization demonstrate clearly for the first time that NLSs increase the photosensitizing activity of chlorin e6, maximally reducing the EC50 by a factor of over 2000-fold. This has wide-reaching implications for achieving efficient cell type-specific photodynamic therapy.

Insulin receptor in mouse neuroblastoma cell line N18TG2: binding properties and visualization with colloidal gold

Insulin function in the nervous system is still poorly understood. Possible roles as a neuromodulator and as a growth factor have been proposed (Baskin et al., 1987, Ann. Rev. Physiol. 49, 335-347). Stable cell lines may provide an appropriate experimental system for the analysis of insulin action on the various cellular components of the central nervous system. We report here a study to investigate the presence and the properties of insulin specific binding sites in the murine neuroblastoma line, N18TG2, together with insulin action on cell growth and metabolism. Also, receptor internalization has been studied. Binding experiments, carried out in standard conditions at 20 degrees C, enabled us to demonstrate that these cells bind insulin in a specific manner, thus confirming previous findings on other cell lines. Saturation curves showed the presence of two binding sites with Kd 0.3 and 9.7 nM. Competition experiments with porcine and bovine insulin showed an IC50 of 1 and 10 nM, respectively. Competition did not occur in the presence of the unrelated hormones ACTH and FSH. Dissociation experiments indicated the existence of an internalization process of the ligand-receptor complex; this was confirmed by an ultrastructural study using gold conjugated insulin. As far as the insulin action in N18TG2 cells is concerned, physiological concentrations stimulate cell proliferation, whereas no stimulation of glucose uptake was observed, indicating that insulin action in these cells is not mediated by general metabolic effects. On the basis of these data, N18TG2 line appears to be a very suitable model for further studies of the neuronal type insulin receptors, and possibly insulin specific action on the nervous system.

Comparative biochemical, morphological, and immunocytochemical studies between C-6 glial cells of early and late passages and advanced passages of glial cells derived from aged mouse cerebral hemispheres

We have used C6 glial cells (2B clone), early and late passage, as well as advanced passages (8-17) of glial cells derived from aged (18-month-old) mouse cerebral hemispheres (MACH), as model systems for studying glial properties. In this study passages 20-24 were considered "early" and passages 73-90 were considered "late." Activities of glutamine synthetase (GS) and cyclic nucleotide phosphohydrolase (CNP) were used as biochemical markers for astrocytes and oligodendrocytes, respectively. Glial phenotypes were identified immunocytochemically using double staining for glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and A2B5 antigen (type 1 and type 2 astrocytes) or galactocerebroside (GalC) and A2B5 antigen (oligodendrocytes); cells positive for A2B5 and negative for both GFAP and GalC were considered to be precursor cells. Cultures were grown either in DMEM supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum or in serum-free chemically defined medium (CDM) supplemented with insulin and transferrin. We report that early-passage C6 glial cells continue to be bipotential cells and when grown in the absence of serum express high GS and CNP activities correlating with the high number of GFAP- and GalC-positive cells, respectively. Late-passage cells continued to be committed to the type 2 astrocytic phenotype regardless of media composition (+/- serum). MACH cultures consist of protoplasmic type 1 astrocytes, differentiated type 2 astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes as well as glial progenitor cells. When these cultures were grown in CDM+transferrin, both GS and CNP activities increased, suggesting that transferrin has provided the signal for progenitor cells present in these cultures derived from aged brain to differentiate into type 2 astrocytes and oligodendrocytes.

Endocytosis and intracellular transport of the glycolipid-binding ligand Shiga toxin in polarized MDCK cells

The glycolipid-binding cytotoxin produced by Shigella dysenteriae 1, Shiga toxin, binds to MDCK cells (strain 1) only after treatment with short-chain fatty acids like butyric acid or with the tumor promoter 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate. The induced binding sites were found to be functional with respect to endocytosis and translocation of toxin to the cytosol. Glycolipids that bind Shiga toxin appeared at both the apical and the basolateral surface of polarized MDCK cells grown on filters, and Shiga toxin was found to be endocytosed from both sides of the cells. This was demonstrated by EM of cells incubated with Shiga-HRP and by subcellular fractionation of cells incubated with 125I-labeled Shiga toxin. The data indicated that toxin molecules are endocytosed from coated pits, and that some internalized Shiga toxin is transported to the Golgi apparatus. Fractionation of polarized cells incubated with 125I-Shiga toxin showed that the transport of toxin to the Golgi apparatus was equally efficient from both poles of the cells. After 1-h incubation at 37 degrees C approximately 10% of the internalized toxin was found in the Golgi fractions. The results thus suggest that glycolipids can be efficiently transported to the Golgi apparatus from both sides of polarized MDCK cell monolayers.

Secretin receptors in the neuroglioma hybrid cell line NG108-15. Characterization and regulation of their expression

Secretin receptors in membranes from the neuroblastoma-glioma hybrid cell line NG108-15 were investigated by 125I-secretin binding and adenylate cyclase activation. On both parameters the corresponding relative potencies of parent peptides were, respectively: secretin greater than helodermin greater than peptide histidine isoleucinamide = vasoactive intestinal peptide. With secretin analogs and secretin fragments, the order of potency for binding was: secretin = [Val5]secretin greater than [Ala2]secretin = [Ala11]secretin greater than [Ala4, Val5] secretin greater than [Ala4]secretin greater than [D-Phe4] secretin greater than [D-Phe2]secretin = secretin (2-27) greater than secretin (3-27) greater than secretin (7-27). Also, on adenylate cyclase, [D-Phe4]secretin, [D-Phe2]secretin, secretin (2-27) and secretin (3-27) were partial agonists while secretin (7-27) was ineffective. The differentiating agent N6,2'-O-dibutyryladenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (1 mM) increased the density of secretin receptors and secretin-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity after a lag period of 4 h. After incubation for 24 h, receptor number and enzyme activity were increased 4- and 3-fold, respectively. These effects were inhibited totally by 1 microgram/ml cycloheximide and halved by 5 micrograms/ml actinomycin D. They were mimicked by 1 mM sodium butyrate but were not reproduced by either 8-bromoadenosine 3',5'-monophosphate or the phosphodiesterase inhibitor rac-4-(3-Butoxy-4-methoxybenzyl)-2-imidazolidinone.