Labeling and other effects of actinomycin D on human chromosomes

Mutations in rDNA. 2. Effects of Actinomycin D on chromatid aberration induction in nucleolus organizer regions

A reconstructed karyotype of barley with all chromosomes interdistinguishable was treated with hydroxyurea (HU) and Actinomycin D (Act D). The distribution pattern of chromatid aberrations after treatment with HU alone is characterized by a marked preferential involvement in chromatid translocations of segments 36 (NOR of satellite chromosome 6) and 43 (NOR of satellite chromosome 7). Act D applied at the low concentration of 0.05 μg/ml (4.10(-8) M) before HU treatment, or combined with HU, was found to cause an apparent decrease of HU-induced aberration frequencies in NORs. The exchanges in both segments proved to be approximately a half lower after Act D application when compared to the respective controls (treatment with HU alone). A recovery period of 5 h between the prolonged pretreatment with Act D (15 h) and the HU treatment eliminated the effect of the drug. The possible dependence of mutation induction upon the transcriptional activity of rDNA in NORs after Act D application is discussed.

Mechanisms of expression of herpes simplex virus-common surface antigens in clonal cells of a herpes simplex virus type 2-transformed line

Rabbit antiserum hyperimmune to herpes simplex virus type 1 was used to study the expression of herpes simplex virus type-common surface antigens (CSA) by indirect immunofluorescence tests in three representative cell clones isolated from a herpes simplex virus type 2-transformed hamster line, 155-4. These three clones showed different phenotypes with respect to CSA expression: (i) a CSA-positive type (clone (155-4-213), in which the antigens increased soon (5 h) after seeding at 37 degrees C, but not after treatment with actinomycin D; (ii) a CSA-inducible type (clone 155-4-03), in which the antigens increased after treatment with actinomycin D (2 micrograms/ml) for 20 h, but not after seeding only; and (iii) a CSA-negative type (clone 155-4-16), in which the antigens did not increase after seeding or after actinomycin D treatment. CSA expression in the CSA-positive type was inhibited by 2-deoxy-D-glucose, but not by puromycin, suggesting that the expression required glycosylation, but not active protein synthesis. CSA expression in this type was insensitive to the protease inhibitors antipain and p-nitrophenyl-p'-guanidinobenzoate. On the other hand, actinomycin D-induced CSA expression in the CSA-inducible type was inhibited by both 2-deoxy-D-glucose and puromycin, suggesting that the induced expression required both glycosylation and protein synthesis. CSA expression induced in this type was sensitive to the two protease inhibitors at concentrations having little effect on overall cellular metabolism or cell viability. These results indicate that CSA expressions in the CSA-positive type and the CSA-inducible type are enhanced by different mechanisms.

3h-actinomycin-D binding to mitotic chromosomes of Drosophila melanogaster

The binding of 3H-AMD to the metaphase chromosomes of Drosophila melanogaster has been analyzed after two different periods of exposure to photographic emulsion. The entirely heterochromatic Y chromosome was markedly less labelled than euchromatin and other heterochromatic regions. Moreover, the few grains present on the Y chromosome were clustered in two regions, one localized in the middle Ys and the other in the proximal third of YL. This labelling pattern is not affected by removing histones with a 2-hour treatment with 2N HCl. It is suggested that the specific underlabelling of the Y chromosome reflects a peculiar AT richness.

Non-random chromosome changes in human cancer

Chromosome changes in human cancer cells appear to evolve by non-random losses and/or gains of particular homologues or groups. It is probable that some of the apparent losses or gains actually represent formation of new chromosome structures, which are then classified as markers or are misclassified as normal homologues. In many cancers these changes appear to continue at a high rate throughout the life of the cancer (so that in some cancers almost every cell will exhibit a different karyotype). In other cancers the rate of change may be slow or arrested so that all cells will have the same abnormal karyotype. One very common step in karyotype evolution is doubling of the entire chromosome complement (2n → 4n or more commonly, S → 2S where S is the stemline number). The 2S cells tend to replace the original stemline. Homologues which have larger amounts of concentrated blocks of heterochromatin (i.e. late replicating DNA) seem more apt to be lost.