Gαi/o-dependent Ca(2+) mobilization and Gαq-dependent PKCα regulation of Ca(2+)-sensing receptor-mediated responses in N18TG2 neuroblastoma cells

A functional Ca(2+)-sensing receptor (CaS) is expressed endogenously in mouse N18TG2 neuroblastoma cells, and sequence analysis of the cDNA indicates high homology with both rat and human parathyroid CaS cDNAs. The CaS in N18TG2 cells appears as a single immunoreactive protein band at about 150 kDa on Western blots, consistent with native CaS from dorsal root ganglia. Both wild type (WT) and Gαq antisense knock-down (KD) cells responded to Ca(2+) and calindol, a positive allosteric modulator of the CaS, with a transient increase in intracellular Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)]i), which was larger in the Gαq KD cells. Stimulation with 1 mM extracellular Ca(2+) (Ca(2+)e) increased [Ca(2+)]i in N18TG2 Gαq KD compared to WT cells. Ca(2+) mobilization was dependent on pertussis toxin-sensitive Gαi/o proteins and reduced by 30 μM 2-amino-ethyldiphenyl borate and 50 μM nifedipine to the same plateau levels in both cell types. Membrane-associated PKCα and p-PKCα increased with increasing [Ca(2+)]e in WT cells, but decreased in Gαq KD cells. Treatment of cells with 1 μM Gӧ 6976, a Ca(2+)-specific PKC inhibitor reduced Ca(2+) mobilization and membrane-associated PKCα and p-PKCα in both cell types. The results indicate that the CaS-mediated increase in [Ca(2+)]i in N18TG2 cells is dependent on Gαi/o proteins via inositol-1,4,5-triphosphate (IP3) channels and store-operated Ca(2+) entry channels, whereas modulation of CaS responses involving PKCα phosphorylation and translocation to the plasma membrane occurs via a Gαq mechanism.

Enhanced glutathione depletion, protein adduct formation, and cytotoxicity following exposure to 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE) in cells expressing human multidrug resistance protein-1 (MRP1) together with human glutathione S-transferase-M1 (GSTM1)

4-Hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE) is one of the most reactive products of lipid peroxidation and has both cytotoxic and genotoxic effects in cells. Several enzymatic pathways have been reported to detoxify HNE, including conjugation by glutathione-S-transferases (GSTs). Removal of the resulting HNE-glutathione conjugate (HNE-SG) by an efflux transporter may be required for complete detoxification. We investigated the effect of expression of GSTM1 and/or the ABC efflux transporter protein, multidrug-resistance protein-1 (MRP1), on HNE-induced cellular toxicity. Stably transfected MCF7 cell lines were used to examine the effect of GSTM1 and/or MRP1 expression on HNE-induced cytotoxicity, GSH depletion, and HNE-protein adduct formation. Co-expression in the MCF7 cell line of GSTM1 with MRP1 resulted in a 2.3-fold sensitization to HNE cytotoxicity (0.44-fold IC(50) value relative to control) rather than the expected protection. Expression of either GSTM1 or MRP1 alone also resulted in slight sensitization to HNE cytotoxicity (0.79-fold and 0.71-fold decreases in IC(50) values, respectively). Co-expression of GSTM1 and MRP1 strongly enhanced the formation of HNE-protein adducts relative to the non-expressing control cell line, whereas expression of either MRP1 alone or GSTM1 alone yielded similarly low levels of HNE-protein adducts to that of the control cell line. Glutathione (GSH) levels were reduced by 10-20% in either the control cell line or the MCF7/GSTM1 cell line with the same HNE exposure for 60min. However, HNE induced >80% depletion of GSH in cells expressing MRP1 alone. Co-expression of both MRP1 and GSTM1 caused slightly greater GSH depletion, consistent with the greater protein adduct formation and cytotoxicity in this cell line. Since expression of GSTM1 or MRP1 alone did not strongly sensitize cells to HNE, or result in greater HNE-protein adducts than in the control cell line, these results indicate that MRP1 and GSTM1 collaborate to enhance HNE-protein adduct formation and HNE cytotoxicity, facilitated by GSH depletion mediated by both MRP1 and GSTM1.

Cytotoxicity and mutagenicity of 5-methylchrysene and its 1,2-dihydrodiol in V79MZ cells modified to express human CYP1A1 or CYP1B1, in the presence or absence of human GSTP1 coexpression

The environmental carcinogen 5-methylchrysene (5MC) can be activated to mutagenic metabolites by several isozymes of cytochrome P-450 (CYP). The resulting reactive diol-epoxides can be detoxified via conjugation by glutathione S-transferases (GST). We investigated whether expression of human glutathione S-transferase P1 (hGSTP1) would differentially protect cells against the cytotoxicity or mutagenicity of 5MC or its 1,2-dihydrodiol intermediate (5MC-1,2-diol) in V79MZ cells with activation via stably transfected human CYP1B1 (hCYP1B1) as compared to activation by human CYP1A1 (hCYP1A1). The parent compound 5MC was only 2-fold more cytotoxic in the CYP-expressing cell lines than in the V79MZ parental cell line, while 5MC-1,2-dihydrodiol was more than 30-fold more cytotoxic in CYP-transfected cells compared to V79MZ cells. Cells co-expressing either hCYP1B1 or hCYP1A1 together with hGSTP1 were 2-fold less sensitive to 5MC or 5MC-1,2-diol cytotoxicity than their CYP-only parent lines. The 5MC was highly mutagenic with similar potency in both hCYP-transfected cell lines, while 5MC-1,2-diol was 2-fold more mutagenic in hCYP1B1-transfected cells as compared to hCYP1A1 cells. Coexpression of hGSTP1 with either hCYP reduced 5MC or 5MC-1,2-diol mutagenicity by 1.4-4.5-fold compared to the corresponding hCYP-only expressing cell lines. The greater protection against mutagenicity of 5MC is in contrast to our previous studies in which we found greater protection by hGSTP1 against cytotoxicity than mutagenicity of benzo[a]pyrene in cells co-expressing hCYP1A1. Protection against mutagenicity by hGSTP1 was greater with activation of either compound by hCYP1B1 than with hCYP1A1 activation. These studies show that the relative efficacy of protection by hGSTP1 against mutagenicity of 5MC or 5MC-1,2-diol is in part determined by the specific CYP pathway that catalyzes activation to the toxic or mutagenic metabolites.

Protective Efficacy of hGSTM1-1 against B[a]P and (+)- or ( )-B[a]P-7,8-Dihydrodiol Cytotoxicity, Mutagenicity, and Macromolecular Adducts in V79 Cells Coexpressing hCYP1A1

Transgenic cell lines were constructed to study the dynamics of competition between activation versus detoxification of benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) or B[a]P-7,8-dihydrodiol metabolites. Stably transfected V79MZ cells expressing human cytochrome P4501A1 (hCYP1A1) alone or in combination with human glutathione-S-transferase M1 (hGSTM1) were used to determine how effectively this GST isozyme protects against cytotoxic, genotoxic, and mutagenic effects of B[a]P or the enantiomeric dihydrodiol metabolites (+)-benzo[a]pyrene-7,8-dihydrodiol ((+)-B[a]P-7,8-diol) and (-)-benzo[a]pyrene-7,8-dihydrodiol ((-)-B[a]P-7,8-diol). Expression of hGSTM1 in the presence of hCYP1A1 conferred significant 8.5-fold protection against B[a]P-induced cytotoxicity, but protection against cytotoxicity of either B[a]P-7,8-diol enantiomer was not significant. Mutagenicity of B[a]P at the hprt locus was dose and time dependent in cells that expressed hCYP1A1. Mutagenicity of B[a]P was reduced by 21-32% and mutagenicity induced by the B[a]P-7,8-diols was reduced 20-58% in cells further modified to coexpress hGSTM1-1 compared to cells expressing hCYP1A1 alone. Expression of hGSTM1-1 reduced adducts in total cellular macromolecules by twofold, in good correlation with the reduction in B[a]P mutagenicity. These results indicate that while hGSTM1-1 effectively protects against hCYP1A1-mediated cytotoxicity of B[a]P, a significant fraction of the mutagenicity that results from activation of B[a]P and its 7,8-dihydrodiol metabolites by hCYP1A1 is derived from B[a]P metabolites that are not detoxified by hGSTM1.

Cytotoxicity and mutagenicity of dibenzo[a,l]pyrene and (+/-)-dibenzo[a,l]pyrene-11,12-dihydrodiol in V79MZ cells co-expressing either hCYP1A1 or hCYP1B1 together with human glutathione-S-transferase A1

We have used V79MZ hamster lung fibroblasts stably transfected with human cytochrome P450-1A1 (hCYP1A1; cell line designated V79MZh1A1) or P450-1B1 (hCYP1B1; cell line designated V79MZh1B1) alone, or in combination with human glutathione-S-transferase (GST) alpha-1 (hGSTA1), in order to examine GST protection against cytotoxicity and mutagenicity of dibenzo[a,l]pyrene (DBP) and the intermediate dihydrodiol metabolite (+/-)-DBP-11,12-dihydrodiol (DBPD). At comparable expression levels of hCYP1A1 and hCYP1B1, both DBP and DBPD were more cytotoxic in V79MZ1A1 (IC(50)=2.7 and 0.7nM, respectively) than in V79MZh1B1 (IC(50)=6.0 and 4.8nM, respectively). In contrast, both DBP and DBPD were two- to four-fold more mutagenic in V79MZh1B1 than in V79MZ1A1. Co-expression of hGSTA1 with hCYP1A1 decreased DBP cytotoxicity two-fold compared to V79MZh1A1 with hCYP1A1 alone, and provided a small, yet still statistically significant, 1.3-fold protection against DBPD. Protection against mutagenicity of these compounds was comparable to that for cytotoxicity in cells expressing hCYP1A1. In V79MZh1B1 cells, co-expression of hGSTA1 conferred up to five-fold protection against DBP cytotoxicity, and up to nine-fold protection against the (+/-)-DBP-dihydrodiol cytotoxicity relative to the cells expressing hCYP1B1 alone. Co-expression of hGSTA1 also reduced mutagenicity of DBP or its dihydrodiol to a lesser extent (1.3-1.8-fold) than the protection against cytotoxicity in cells expressing hCYP1B1. These findings demonstrate that the protective efficacy of hGSTA1 against DBP and DBPD toxicity is variable, depending on the compound or metabolite present, the specific cytochrome P450 isozyme expressed, and the specific cellular damage endpoint examined.

Expression of human glutathione S-transferase P1 confers resistance to benzo[a]pyrene or benzo[a]pyrene-7,8-dihydrodiol mutagenesis, macromolecular alkylation and formation of stable N2-Gua-BPDE adducts in stably transfected V79MZ cells co-expressing hCYP1A1

Transgenic cell lines were constructed to study dynamic competition between activation versus detoxification of benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) and its metabolites. Transfected V79MZ cells expressing human cytochrome P4501A1 (hCYP1A1) alone, or expressing hCYP1A1 in combination with human glutathione S-transferase P1 (hGSTP1), were used to determine how effectively GST protects against macromolecular damage or mutagenicity of B[a]P or its enantiomeric dihydrodiol metabolites (+)-benzo[a]pyrene-7,8-dihydrodiol [(+)B[a]P-7,8-diol] and (-)-benzo[a]pyrene-7,8-dihydrodiol [(-)-B[a]P-7,8-diol]. Mutagenicity of B[a]P at the hprt locus was dose- and time-dependent in cells that expressed hCYP1A1. Mutagenicity was reduced in cells further modified to co-express hGSTP1. Dose-response and time-course studies indicated that mutagenicity was reduced up to 3-fold by hGSTP1 expression, compared with cells expressing hCYP1A1 alone. Mutagenicity induced by the B[a]P 7,8-dihydrodiols was also dose-dependent, and was reduced 2- to 5-fold by hGSTP1. Expression of hGSTP1 reduced B[a]P adducts in total cellular macromolecules by 3.8-fold, which correlated with the reduction in B[a]P mutagenicity and with reduction in the formation of the proximate metabolite B[a]P 7,8-dihydrodiols from B[a]P. However, measurement of total B[a]P metabolites bound to DNA isolated from cells incubated with [3H]-B[a]P revealed only 12, 33 and 24% reduction at 12, 24 and 48 h, respectively, by GSTP1 expression. Nevertheless, (32)P-post-labeling analysis demonstrated nearly total prevention of the known B[a]P-DNA adduct, N2-guanine-benzo[a]pyrene-7,8-diol-9,10-epoxide (BPDE), in cells co-expressing hGSTP1. This adduct, thought to be the most mutagenic of the stable B[a]P adducts, accounts for 15% or less of the total DNA adducts observed. These results indicate that the reduction in hCYP1A1-mediated B[a]P mutagenesis by hGSTP1 is probably largely due to prevention of the N2-guanine-BPDE adduct. However, the significant fraction (30-40%) of this mutagenesis and the majority of the total DNA binding that are not prevented together suggest formation by hCYP1A1 of a subset of mutagenic metabolites of B[a]P that are not effectively detoxified by hGSTP1.

Induction of DNA–protein crosslinks by dichloromethane in a V79 cell line transfected with the murine glutathione-S-transferase theta 1 gene

Dichloromethane (DCM) is considered a probable human carcinogen. Laboratory studies have shown an increased incidence of lung and liver cancer in mice but not in rats or hamsters. Despite the correlation between metabolism of DCM by the glutathione-S-transferase (GST) pathway and the occurrence of tumors in different species, the mechanism of tumor induction by DCM metabolites produced through the GST pathway remains unclear. In this study a V79 cell line stably transfected with the murine GST theta 1 gene (mGSTT1) was compared to the parent cell line (MZ) to determine how the construct affects DCM metabolism and the sensitivity of the cell line to DNA damage and cytotoxicity. V79 cells were treated with DCM (2.5-10mM) or formaldehyde (150-600muM) for 2h. Also, formaldehyde produced by V79 cytosol metabolism of DCM was measured spectrophotometrically. DNA damage and DNA-protein crosslinks were measured by the standard and proteinase K-modified alkaline single cell gel electrophoresis (SCG) assays. Cytotoxicity was assessed by trypan blue stain exclusion, the Live/Dead((R)) cell viability/cytotoxicity kit for animal cells, and the neutral red assay. After DCM treatment a significant concentration-dependent increase in tail moment in the V79 MZ cells was observed compared to a significant concentration-dependent decrease in tail moment in the V79 mGSTT1 cells. Post-incubation with proteinase K significantly increased DNA migrations in DCM-treated V79 mGSTT1 cells. DCM formed significantly higher levels of formaldehyde in the cytosol of the V79 mGSTT1 cells than in the cytosol of the V79 MZ cells. Results using the cytotoxicity assays were comparable using the trypan blue and Live/Dead((R)) assays, neither showing a difference in response between the two cell lines when exposed to either formaldehyde or DCM. These results indicate that V79 mGSTT1 can metabolize DCM to a genotoxic and cytotoxic metabolite, which is likely formaldehyde. This is the first time that the magnitude of the GSTT1 effect can be observed in mammalian cells without confounding caused by using cells with different genetic backgrounds.

Modeling the metabolic competency of glutathione S-transferases using genetically modified cell lines

Certain chemopreventive agents are thought to work in part via induction of GST expression. We have utilized transgenic cell lines to show that GST expression can protect against DNA alkylation, and in some cases cytotoxicity caused by electrophilic carcinogens conjugated by GSTs (e.g. 4-NQO, B[a]P, DiB[a,l]P, AFB(1), and certain drugs). However, factors governing protection by GST are complex and vary with different agents and end-points. For example, expression of GST alone was sufficient for partial protection against DNA alkylation by 4-NQO, but protection against 4-NQO cytotoxicity was only observed when the ATP-dependent GS-X transport protein MRP1 was also co-expressed. The dynamic competition between activation and detoxification is the focus of current studies in cells that co-express both CYP1A1 and either hGSTP1 or hGSTM1. Expression of hGSTP1 largely blocked B[a]P toxicity induced via the moderate activation by rat or human CYP1A1. With DiB[a,l]P, GSTs gave up to 7-fold protection against toxicity only when activated by human CYP1A1. However, cells with CYP1A1+GST remained at least 20-fold more sensitive to DiB[a,l]P than parent cells lacking either activity, due to strong activation by hCYP1A1. In summary, we have found that protection by GSTs against B[a]P or DiB[a,l]P toxicity is highly variable depending on differences in: (a) the PAH structure; (b) the human vs. rat CYP1A1 expressed; (c) GST isozyme(s) expressed; (d) cellular expression of conjugate transporters; or (e) DNA damage versus cytoxicity end-points.