Hiv-1 tat protein suppresses the nerve growth-factor (ngf)-mediated differentiation of PC12 rat pheochromocytoma cell-line

In order to evaluate the effect of the regulatory human immunodeficiency virus-type 1 (HIV-1) Tat protein on the process of neuronal differentiation, two tat-transfected and mock-transfected PC12 cell lines were cultured in the absence or presence of 100-1000 ng/ml of nerve growth factor (NGF). As expected, NGF was able to induce a clearcut morphological differentiation of mock-transfected PC12 into sympathetic-like neurons, also reducing the percentage of cells in S phase. On the other hand, NGF was unable to reduce the percentage of PC12-tat cells in S phase and/or to induce their neuronal differentiation. Only the addition in culture of 5 mu g/ml neutralizing anti-Tat antibody plus 1000 ng/ml NGF was effective in decreasing the percentage of PC12-tat in S phase and inducing partial signs of neuronal differentiation in serum-free cultures. The ability of Tat protein to suppress the neuronal differentiation pathway controlled by NGF further contribute to the definition of its role in tumor promotion during the course of HTV-1 disease.

Nuclear protein kinase C-delta: a possible check-point of cell cycle progression

Protein kinase Cs (PKCs) belong to a serine/threonine kinase family, ubiquitously expressed and claimed to be involved in physiological processes including apoptosis, cell growth and differentiation. The question of the subcellular localization and activity of PKCs remains to be clarified. Here we report that nuclear PKC-delta cooperates to regulate the S-G2/M phase transition of cell cycle, apparently being associated to chromosome condensation and alignment on the metaphase plate.

The role of the nuclear Akt activation and Akt inhibitors in all-trans-retinoic acid-differentiated HL-60 cells

The pharmacological inhibitors of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathway have been proposed in the treatment of leukemia based on their antiproliferative effects. However, several studies demonstrated the activation of PI3K in the nuclei of all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) - differentiated HL-60 cells, raising the possibility that PI3K/Akt-inhibitors may block antitumor properties of retinoids. The aim of the present study was to investigate the possible activation of nuclear Akt in ATRA-treated cells and to test the effects of Akt-inhibitors on ATRA-mediated differentiation. The Akt-activity was found to be increased in the nuclei and lysates of ATRA-differentiated HL-60 and NB4 cells. The down-modulation of the expression of Akt protein in HL-60 cells using siRNA reduces the CD11b expression in ATRA-treated cells. The treatment of both cell lines with the commercially available Akt inhibitors inhibited the growth of both control and ATRA-treated cells. Akt-inhibitors had no inhibitory effects on ATRA-mediated growth arrest and the expression of CD11b in HL-60 cells, but increased the percentage of control cells expressing CD11b. In contrast, the presence of Akt inhibitors reduced the expression of CD11b in ATRA-treated NB4 cells.

Inositide-modifying enzymes: a cooperative role in regulating nuclear morphology during differentiation of myeloid cells

Differentiation and functional response of mature myeloid cells require cytoskeleton remodelling in a dynamic system that involves subcellular organization and regional signalling. Within the myeloid lineage, neutrophils constitute a cell type in which different cell compartments, and predominantly the nucleus, undergo distinctive large changes involving actin reorganization. In the context of the progressive elucidation of the nuclear structure and composition that has been achieved in the last two decades, it is now clear that the nucleus possesses an ordered and dynamic skeletal structure which shares many properties with the cytoskeleton, and the full set of substrates and enzymes that participate in the inositol lipid metabolism. Consolidated evidence indicate that the changes in cytoskeleton assembly are regulated also by phosphoinositides in a way dependent on their local concentration and availability. Indeed, enzymes able to affect the amount and phosphorylation of inositol lipids can play fundamental roles in determining the architectural transitions of the cell. The expression pattern and the changes of activity of PLC and PI 3-K in the nucleus during differentiation of tumoral myeloid precursors suggest that these enzymes play a crucial role in modifying the intranuclear pool of phosphoinositides, which in turn induce the changes in nucleoskeleton associated to granulocytic maturation. It can be speculated that defective control of nucleoskeleton assembly is one of the causes of dysregulated cell maturation or differentiative block in the course of myeloid leukemias. Inositide modifying enzymes can thus be regarded as potential targets for molecularly designed therapeutic intervention on hematological malignancies.

Ornithine decarboxylase, polyamines and CD11b expression in HL-60 cells during differentiation induced by retinoic acid

Polyamines (PA) and retinoic acid affect mammalian cell growth, differentiation and apoptosis. Retinoic acid induces granulocytic differentiation of mieloid cell lines and, during this process, is responsible for the expression of CD11b, a surface antigen. In this study we investigate the effects of retinoic acid on HL-60 cells, monitoring ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity (enzyme rate of PA), putrescine (PUT), spermidine (SPD), spermine (SPM) levels, CD11b myeloid surface marker differentiation, cell cycle, and apoptosis. ODC activity and PUT levels are correlated with mieloid cell differentiation induced by retinoic acid treatment. Only the ODC/PUT ratio is connected with retinoic acid treated HL-60 cells. Treated cultures show a decrease of proliferation and a cell block in the G0/G1 phase, with consequent diminished S phase. The G0/G1 and S phases are significantly related to ODC activity and to PUT and SPD behavior, whereas in differentiating condition only the decrease of PUT is related to the S phase. CD11b expression, stimulated by retinoic acid treatment, is associated with the SPM trend. Total PA behavior agrees with apoptotic cell increase after 96 h of stimulation. Our data show that retinoic acid treatment modifies ODC activity and the turnover of PA. PUT, SPD and SPM, therefore, have a different role, and may be involved in the differentiative/apoptotic program of retinoic acid treated HL-60 cells.

Retinoic acid maintains differentiated cell morphology and functions in long-term cultured porcine hepatocytes: obtaining functional cells for prolonged treatments with bioartificial liver

Porcine hepatocytes show several immunological characteristics and enzymatic activities of human liver, representing an ideal xenogenic source of cells as biological component of bioartificial liver (BAL). Isolated hepatocytes rapidly lose their specific metabolic activities and their typical morphology when cultured in the presence of serum. Since in BAL porcine hepatocytes are perfused by the patient's plasma, procedures able to minimize de-differentiation of cells could be useful for long-term treatment of acute liver failure (ALF). In this work we found that, in the presence of micromolar concentration of All trans-retinoic acid (ATRA), porcine parenchymal liver cells undergo to a lower extent the de-differentiating effects of long-term culture in the presence of serum. The evaluation of lidocaine metabolism showed that ATRA-treated cells retain specific hepatocyte function for a significantly longer time when compared to control hepatocytes. A tyrosine phosphorylation of PLC-gamma1 was observed in concomitance with the ATRA-induced maximal functional activity. An increased expression of PLC-beta3 and PKC-alpha and -beta2 was also evidentiated at the longer time points explored, when the effects of ATRA in preservation of the differentiated morphology were maximal. These results provide the first evidence that ATRA plays a differentiating role in adult porcine hepatocytes cultured under de-differentiating conditions. The administration of ATRA to isolated parenchymal cells from pig liver may provide functional hepatocytes for prolonged treatment with BAL.

Fhit protein expression in human gastric cancer and related precancerous lesions

The FHIT gene is altered in several types of tumors and abnormal expression of Fhit protein have also been reported in some preneoplastic lesions. We have determined the Fhit expression on histological samples of 26 patients affected by preneoplastic lesions who developed a gastric cancer within 2 years. The expression of the Fhit protein was always present in all preneoplastic lesions, while the Fhit protein immunostaining was distributed unevenly in 10 cases and completely lost in 6. The complete loss of Fhit expression only in areas of neoplastic low differentiation suggests that FHIT gene takes part in late gastric carcinogenesis.

Requirement of tyrosine-phosphorylated Vav for morphological differentiation of all-trans-retinoic acid-treated HL-60 cells

Our previous data demonstrated that cellular and nuclear tyrosine-phosphorylated Vav associate with phosphoinositide 3-kinase during all-trans-retinoic acid-dependent granulocytic differentiation of HL-60 cells. In this study, aimed to analyze the mechanism by which Vav is recruited and activated, we report that the Src homology 2 domain of Vav interacts with tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins in a differentiation-dependent manner. Two adaptor proteins, Cbl and SLP-76, were identified, showing a discrete distribution inside the cells, with Cbl absent from the nuclei and SLP-76 particularly abundant in the nuclear compartment. Of note, Vav interacts with the tyrosine kinase Syk, which is also present in the nuclear compartment and may phosphorylate Vav in vitro when cells differentiate. Inhibition of Syk activity by piceatannol prevents both in vitro and in vivo Vav tyrosine phosphorylation, its association with the regulatory subunit of phosphoinositide 3-kinase, and the nuclear modifications typically observed during granulocytic differentiation of this cell line. These findings suggest that tyrosine-phosphorylated Vav and its association with phosphoinositide 3-kinase play a crucial role in all-trans-retinoic acid-induced reorganization of the nucleoskeleton, which is responsible for the changes in nuclear morphology observed during granulocytic differentiation of HL-60 cells.

Monocytic differentiation of HL-60 cells is characterized by the nuclear translocation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and of definite phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C isoforms

Immunochemical and immunocytochemical data indicate that nuclei of HL-60 cells contain different enzymes involved in the phosphoinositide cycle, such as PI 3-K and the phosphatidylinositol-specific PLC isoforms beta3, gamma1 and gamma2. These enzymes translocate differently to the nuclear fraction when HL-60 cells are treated with differentiating doses of vitamin D3: PI 3-K translocated progressively to the nucleus in parallel with full differentiation until 96 hours. PLC beta3 increased until 72 hours of treatment and then lowered its intranuclear amount and PLC gamma1 was unchanged at all the examined times. PLC gamma2 nuclear translocation increased progressively until 96 hours of vitamin D3 administration. A fourth PLC isozyme, beta2, present in the cytoplasm of untreated cells, translocates to the cytoplasm after vitamin D3 addition and reaches the highest concentration at the end of monocytic differentiation. Terminal monocytic differentiation was characterized at the nuclear level by high levels of PI 3-K and PLC gamma2 and by the novel expression of PLC beta2. We then observed that the xi isoform of PKC, constitutively present in nuclei of HL-60 cells, translocated to the nucleus when cells were induced to differentiate along the monocytic lineage, but the nuclear translocation of PKC xi was blocked as a consequence of PI 3-K inhibition by Wortmannin. These findings indicate that the main components of the noncanonical and canonical inositol lipid signal transduction pathways, including PI 3-K, PLC beta2 and beta3, PLC gamma2, undergo nuclear translocation and may therefore play a relevant role during monocytic differentiation at the nuclear level. Furthermore, PKC xi nuclear translocation appears to be related to PI 3-K activity.

Selective modulation of specific protein kinase C (PKC) isoforms in primary human megakaryocytic vs. erythroid cells

We have investigated the pattern of expression of classical (alpha, betaI, betaII, gamma), novel (delta) and atypical (zeta) protein kinase C (PKC) isoforms during the course of human hematopoietic differentiation along the closely related megakaryocytic and erythroid lineages. Using in situ immunofluorescence analysis, freshly isolated human pluripotent CD34+ hematopoietic progenitor cells expressed detectable amounts of all the PKC isoforms investigated. On the other hand, clear-cut differences in terms of PKC staining were noticed between cells belonging to the erythroid and megakaryocytic lineages, obtained after 9 days of serum-free liquid culture in the presence of specific growth factors. Specifically, 1) erythroid cells showed a very weak expression of PKC-alpha, -betaI, -betaII, and -gamma, while megakaryocytes showed an enhanced expression of all classical PKC isoforms, predominantly confined to the cytoplasm; 2) the expression of PKC-delta increased in the cytoplasmic and nuclear compartments of both erythroid and megakaryocytic cells with respect to CD34+ cells; and 3) atypical PKC-zeta isoform showed a striking accumulation in the nucleus during both erythroid and megakaryocytic differentiation.

Phosphoinositide 3-kinase activity is essential for all-trans-retinoic acid-induced granulocytic differentiation of HL-60 cells

Phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI 3-K) activity increases in HL-60 cells that are induced to granulocytic differentiation by all-trans-retinoic acid. Immunochemical and immunocytochemical analyses by confocal microscopy also reveal an increase in the amount of the enzyme, which is particularly evident at the nuclear level. Inhibition of PI 3-K activity by nanomolar concentrations of wortmannin and of its expression by transfection with an antisense fragment of p85alpha prevented the differentiative process. The data obtained indicate that PI 3-K activity plays an essential role in promoting granulocytic differentiation.

Nuclear association of tyrosine-phosphorylated Vav to phospholipase C-gamma1 and phosphoinositide 3-kinase during granulocytic differentiation of HL-60 cells

The granulocytic differentiation of HL-60 cells induced by all-trans retinoic acid was accompanied by a progressive tyrosine phosphorylation of specific proteins in either cells or isolated nuclei. Among these phosphoproteins, we identified the Vav adaptor in whole cells as well as in the inner nuclear compartment, where the increase in its tyrosine phosphorylation level was more conspicuous. We also demonstrated the differentiation-dependent association of nuclear phosphorylated Vav to phospholipase C-gamma1 and to the p85 regulatory subunit of phosphoinositide 3-kinase. The role of the Vav/phospholipase C-gamma1/phosphoinositide 3-kinase phosphoprotein complexes in the nuclei of HL-60 induced to differentiate along the granulocytic lineage is discussed.

Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase in HL-60 nuclei is bound to the nuclear matrix and increases during granulocytic differentiation

We have used HL-60 leukemia cells to investigate phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-K) during granulocytic differentiation at the nuclear level. Nuclei of HL-60 cells showed a constitutive presence of PI 3-K that increased when cells were treated with differentiating doses of ATRA. PI 3-K was also detected tightly bound to nuclear matrices of HL-60 cells, isolated by nuclease treatment and high salt extraction. Four days of ATRA treatment induced a striking increase of nuclear matrix bound PI 3-K. In situ morphological analysis by confocal microscopy showed the translocation of PI 3-K to the nucleus and to the subnuclear fractions. PI 3-K enzymatic activity was stimulated during the granulocytic differentiation process and parallelled the increase in content of nuclei and subnuclear fractions. PI 3-K activity was recovered in nuclei also without the addition of exogenous substrates, consistent with the presence of both substrates and enzyme in the nucleus. These results indicate that specific intracellular localization of PI 3-K determines the production of different phosphoinositides in the sites of the enzyme translocation, and suggest that 3-phosphoinositide metabolism may play a specific role in the nucleus, candidating PI 3-K as a key enzyme in promoting granulocytic differentiation of HL-60 cells.

Changes of nuclear PI-PLC gamma1 during rat liver regeneration

We have previously demonstrated that rat liver nuclei contain PI-PLC beta1 and gamma1 in the inner nuclear matrix and lamina associated with specific phosphodiesterase activity (Bertagnolo et al., 1995, Cell Signall. 7, 669-678). Since compensatory hepatic growth is an informative and well characterized model for natural cell proliferation, the presence of specific PI-PLC isoforms and their activity as well as PIP2 recovery were studied at various regenerating times, ranging from 3 to 22 h after partial hepatectomy. Three PI-PLC isoforms (beta1, gamma1, delta1) were examined in control and regenerating liver cells by using specific antibodies. By means of in situ immunocytochemistry and confocal microscopy, PI-PLC beta1 was found mainly in the nucleoplasm and this pattern was not modified after hepatectomy. On the contrary, the nuclear gamma1 isoform showed a marked decrease at 3 and 16 h after hepatectomy, but a clear increase at 22 h covering with bright intensity the whole nucleus. The PI-PLC delta1 isoform, which is exclusively cytoplasmic, was not altered during rat liver regeneration. By western blotting analysis on whole cell homogenates, none of the PI-PLC isozymes under study showed proliferation-linked modification. However, analyses of isolated nuclei identified changes in the nucleus associated PI-PLC gamma1 that paralleled the in situ observation whereas the beta1 isoform was unmodified at all the times examined. Nuclear phosphodiesterase activity on PIP2 was lower at 3 and 16 h, in comparison with sham operated rats, increased at 6 h and reached the highest value after 22 h. Consistently, the recovery of PIP2, obtained in conditions that optimise PIP-kinase activity, showed a marked decrease at 3 h and an increase up to 16 h of liver regeneration, followed by a further decrease at 22 h. These data are consistent with a close relationship between cell proliferation and the nuclear inositide cycle, depending, in rat liver, predominantly on the modulation of the gamma1 isoform of PI-PLC.

Intranuclear translocation of phospholipase C beta2 during HL-60 myeloid differentiation

Phospholipases C (PLC) beta3, gamma1, and gamma2 were detected in nuclei of HL-60 promyelocitic leukaemia cells. When HL-60 cells undergo terminal myeloid differentiation in the presence of ATRA, the beta2 isoform appeared inside nuclei and was up-regulated until 72 hours of ATRA treatment. The beta3 isozyme was also increased until 72 hours and both isoforms lowered their intranuclear amount at 96 hours and following days of treatment. By contrast PLC gamma1 and gamma2 progressively increased in the nucleus during granulocytic differentiation even after 72 hours of treatment. Terminal differentiation was characterised by the expression of high levels of PLC gamma1 and gamma2 and by low levels of PLC beta2 and beta3 in the nucleus. PIP2 and PIP hydrolysis paralleled the prevalence of the beta or gamma subfamily, respectively. Moreover, at all the examined times no changes of PLCs in the whole cell were detectable, indicating a de novo nuclear translocation of the beta2 and an increased accumulation of beta3, gamma1, and gamma2 isoforms. Thus, the intranuclear presence, expression, and activity of PLC isozymes, which are modulated during differentiation of HL-60 cells, implicate a role for nuclear phosphoinositide signalling in the process of cell maturation. In particular the nuclear translocation of PLC beta2 candidates this PLC as a key enzyme in the granulocytic differentiative commitment of HL-60 cells.

Nuclear translocation of protein kinase C-alpha and -zeta isoforms in HL-60 cells induced to differentiate along the granulocytic lineage by all-trans retinoic acid

We investigated whether members of the protein kinase C (PKC) family of enzymes were involved in the nuclear events underlying granulocytic differentiation induced by 10(-6) M all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) in HL-60 cells. PKC activity was analysed by using a serine substituted specific peptide which enabled the evaluation of the whole catalytic activity of both Ca2+ -dependent and Ca2+ -independent PKC isoforms. In parallel, the subcellular distribution of various PKC isoforms was evaluated by Western blot, immunoprecipitation and in situ immunocytochemistry analyses. The level of PKC catalytic activity in the nuclei of HL-60 cells significantly (P < 0.01) and progressively increased from 1 h of ATRA treatment onwards. Consistently, PKC-alpha and -zeta showed a striking and selective accumulation inside the nucleus upon treatment with ATRA. On the other hand, PKC-beta I and -beta II, the only two other isoforms present at nuclear level, did not show any significant modification upon ATRA treatment. The remaining PKC isoforms were not detectable inside the nucleus and showed only modest and non-significant variations, also in whole cell homogenates, upon ATRA treatment, except PKC-delta which showed a progressive down-regulation. Our data suggest that a selective nuclear translocation of PKC-alpha and -zeta might be involved in the process of granulocytic differentiation induced by ATRA in HL-60 cells.

Low nanogram range quantitation of diglycerides and ceramide by high-performance liquid chromatography

A method for ceramide (CER) and diradylglycerol (DG) determination after normal-phase HPLC separation was developed. The free oxydril group of ceramide and diradylglycerol is coupled to the carboxylic group of the fluorescent label (+)-6-methoxy-alpha-methyl-2 naphthaleneacetic acid (NAP), using as catalytic agents 4-dimethylaminopyridine and N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide. The use of NAP-free acid instead of the halide-activated form ensures higher stability of the reagent, lower reaction temperatures, and improved yield and reproducibility. The yield of the reaction is greater than 90% after a period of 3 h at the temperature of -20 degrees C. Over 85% of the starting material is recovered at the end of HPLC separation. The lower detection limit is below 5 ng for CER and 150 ng for DG. Under the conditions employed in the assay, no significant hydrolysis of triglycerides, sphingolipids, or phospholipids occurs and the esterification reaction is not affected by components of crude lipid extracts. Since separation and/or purification steps are not required, cellular levels of CER and DG can be easily and rapidly measured.

Identification of PI-PLC beta 1, gamma 1, and delta 1 in rat liver: subcellular distribution and relationship to inositol lipid nuclear signalling

The subcellular distribution of PI-PLC beta 1, gamma 1, and delta 1 has been investigated in rat liver by western blot and immunohistochemical analysis with a panel of isoform-specific antibodies. The data obtained in situ on cryo-sectioned tissue indicate that PI-PLC beta 1 is predominantly nuclear, while gamma 1 is largely cytoplasmic and delta 1 is sharply restricted to the cytoplasm. In fractionation experiments, the Western blot analysis indicated that the recovery of the nuclear isoforms beta 1 and gamma 1 was not affected by the removal of the nuclear membrane, and that the two enzymes persisted in nuclear matrix and lamina, obtained after nuclease digestion and extraction with high salt and detergent. The assay of the phosphodiesterase activity in different cell fractions correlates with the observed relative abundance of the enzymes, and specific inhibition with neutralizing anti-beta 1 and -gamma 1 isoforms confirms that these are the enzymes active at the nuclear level. These results demonstrate that in rat liver cells, as in other cell types, different members of the PI-PLC family show a discrete intracellular distribution, and suggest that PI-PLC beta 1 and gamma 1 play a central role in modulating the nuclear phosphoinositide cycle.

Inositol lipid phosphorylation and breakdown in rat liver nuclei is affected by hydrocortisone blood levels

The possibility that inositol lipid metabolism is related to nuclear events accompanying steroid hormone action has been investigated by comparing lipid phosphorylation and breakdown in normal rat liver nuclei and in hypo- and hypercortisolemic conditions. Lipid phosphorylation in vitro showed the presence of diacylglycerol (DAG)-, phosphatidylinositol (PI)- and phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate (PIP)-kinase activity, with differences between total tissue homogenates and isolated nuclei, relevant to the treatment in vivo. Administration of hydrocortisone (HC) produced a marked decrease in the phosphorylated nuclear products without influencing the homogenate kinase activity. Under conditions which were optimal for the kinase activities, nuclear PIP-kinase was strongly increased in presence of a high blood level of HC whereas PI-kinase activity was reduced. From these observations it appears that the observed differences were due to specific modulation of kinase activities rather than to changes in the availability of substrates. The phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C (PLC) activity was also investigated. In the presence of a high HC blood level, the phosphodiesteratic cleavage of PIP strongly increased, while that of phosphatidylinositol bisphosphate (PIP2) was similar in normal and hypercortisolemic conditions. Nuclear phosphoinositide hydrolysis was affected by PLC, beta and gamma isoforms, which were equally represented in all the conditions investigated, indicating that the observed changes of activity were due to a modulation rather than to a change in the amount of enzyme. These results suggest that inositol lipid metabolism plays a role in the nuclear modifications accompanying steroid hormone induction of transcriptional activity.

Nuclear translocation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase in rat pheochromocytoma PC 12 cells after treatment with nerve growth factor

Immunocytochemical analysis of PI 3-kinase localization in PC 12 cells demonstrates that the enzyme translocates to the nucleus after cell treatment with differentiating doses of NGF. The association of PI 3-kinase to the nucleus occurs rapidly (within minutes) and increases with the time of exposure of NGF. We suggest that PI-3 kinase specific localization may determine the production of novel phosphoinositides in cell compartments targeted to effect diverse cell responses. The nuclear translocation is consistent with accumulating data on the existence of a nuclear inositol lipid cycle which could also include 3-phosphorylated inositides, participating to the modulation of the cell response to extracellular stimuli.

Diacylglycerol kinase activity in rat liver nuclei

Membrane-depleted rat liver nuclei contain diacylglycerol (DAG) kinase showing a specific activity which doubles that of the whole homogenate. In contrast, cytoplasmic and plasma membrane marker enzymes attain a specific activity of 0.4% at the most, when nuclear DAG kinase approaches 4.5% of the total tissue activity. The enzyme shows a Km of 161 and 200 microM for ATP in both nuclei and microsomes whereas the Km for DAG is 75 microM in nuclei and 658 microM in microsomes. Octylglucoside, CHAPS and Triton X-100 behave mainly as inhibitors, while deoxycholate stimulates the enzyme activity in both cellular fractions, increasing specific activity (3.2-fold in nuclei and 29.1-fold in microsomes) and decreasing Km for DAG (39 microM in nuclei and 237 microM in microsomes). Phospholipids and ceramide stimulate the enzyme activity in isolated nuclei, while no effect occurs in the microsomal fraction. At variance, sphingosine behaves as an inhibitor in both cellular fractions. DAG kinase also utilizes endogenous substrates mobilized by Bacillus cereus phospholipase C, which hydrolyses nuclear phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine and by phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C, which hydrolyses nuclear PI and PIP. These data indicate that nuclear DAG can be controlled by converting it into phosphatidic acid by the action of a nuclear enzyme and support the contention that protein kinase C activity can be modulated at the nuclear level by a discrete system involving phospholipase C and DAG kinase that could operate independently from the cytoplasm.

Decrease in nuclear phospholipids associated with DNA replication

Lipid metabolism in nuclei is very active and appears involved in the transduction of signals to the genome in response to agonists acting at the plasma membrane level. However, the precise topology of nuclear lipid metabolism and the relationship between nuclear lipids and crucial events of the cell function, such as DNA replication, have not been fully elucidated. By using a recently developed cytochemical method for detecting phospholipids inside the nucleus of intact cells at the electron microscope level, we have analyzed the changes in intranuclear phospholipids in DNA-replicating versus resting cells, which are both present in the same sample of regenerating liver after partial hepatectomy. The pattern of DNA synthesis in replicating cells has been monitored by electron microscope immunocytochemistry after bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) labeling. The data obtained, which allow a fine localization and a quantitative analysis of both DNA synthesis and phospholipid distribution, indicate a significant reduction in the phospholipids detectable inside the nucleus in all steps of the S phase. This could depend on an increased nuclear phospholipid hydrolysis, whose products should in turn activate some of the enzymes involved in the control of DNA replication.

Discrete subcellular localization of phosphoinositidase C beta, gamma and delta in PC12 rat pheochromocytoma cells

Phosphoinositidase C activity was revealed in nuclei isolated from PC12 rat pheochromocytoma cells incubated with tritiated phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate and phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate. Phosphoinositide breakdown was found to be optimal at neutral pH and Ca++ concentrations ranging from endogenous levels to millimolar values. To characterize the enzymes involved, three monoclonal antibodies directed against the beta, gamma and delta phosphoinositidase C isoforms were employed. A combination of Western blot immunochemical analysis on cytoplasmic and nuclear fractions and of in situ immunocytochemistry on intact cells and isolated nuclei indicated that phosphoinositidase C gamma, though predominantly cytoplasmic, was present in both cell compartments. On the contrary, phosphoinositidase C beta was exclusively localized in the nucleus, whereas phosphoinositidase C delta was restricted to the cytoplasm. These data suggest that inositol lipid breakdown is controlled by different phosphoinositidase C isozymes in the various cell compartments, and support the notion that a separate phosphoinositide signalling system is located in the nucleus.

Nuclear localization and signalling activity of phosphoinositidase C beta in Swiss 3T3 cells

The hydrolysis of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PtdInsP2) is a widespread receptor-coupled signalling system at the plasma membrane of most eukaryotic cells. The existence of an entirely separate nuclear phosphoinositide signalling system is suggested from evidence that purified nuclei synthesize PtdInsP2 and phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate (PtdInsP) in vitro and that a transient decrease in the mass of these lipids occurs when Swiss 3T3 cells are cultured in the presence of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1). These IGF-1-dependent changes in inositol lipids coincide with an increase in nuclear diacyglycerol and precede translocation to the nucleus and activation of protein kinase C (refs 5, 6). Circumstantial evidence that links these changes with mitosis comes from the isolation of a 3T3 clone that expresses the type-1 IGF receptor and binds IGF-1 peptide but does not respond mitogenically or show transient mass changes in nuclear inositol lipids. A key question is how IGF-1 initiates the rapid breakdown of PtdInsP and PtdInsP2 in the nucleus. Here we present evidence that nuclei of 3T3 cells contain the beta-isozyme of phosphoinositidase C, whereas the gamma-isozyme is confined to the cytoplasm and that IGF-1 treatment stimulates exclusively the activity of nuclear phosphoinositidase C.

Increased phosphorylation of nuclear substrates for rat brain protein kinase C in regenerating rat liver nuclei

Protein phosphorylation catalysed by rat brain protein kinase C (PKC) has been studied in nuclei isolated from normal and regenerating rat liver. Histone H1 and a 40,000 molecular weight protein were hyperphosphorylated at all the explored regeneration times, ranging from 3 to 22 h after partial hepatectomy. Phosphorylation of the two substrates was totally dependent on calcium and lipids and was abolished by low concentration of staurosporine. The observed early change of phosphate content of histone H1 and of the 40,000 molecular weight protein on the time scale of liver regeneration suggests that PKC might be involved in the initial nuclear events leading to cell proliferation.

In vitro phosphorylation of lamin B by protein kinase C in friend erythroleukemia. Effect of chemically induced differentiation

Nuclear matrix isolated from murine erythroleukemia cells (Friend cells) has been phosphorylated with gamma 32P-ATP and purified protein kinase C in order to identify specific nuclear substrates for the enzyme. HMBA has been employed to induce the cell to differentiate and to compare the changes of phosphorylation profile after erythroid differentiation. Lamin B has been found to be hyperphosphorylated by rat brain PK-C in nuclear matrix purified from uninduced cells. This difference characterizes the cells from 14 to 72 hrs of HMBA treatment and indicates that the ability of lamin B to be phosphorylated by PK-C is linked to the differentiated state. The involvement of PK-C in lamin phosphorylation might represent an early step of the signalling pathway utilized by erythroid differentiating agents to target the cell nucleus.

Inositol lipids in Friend erythroleukemia cells: evidence for changes in nuclear metabolism after differentiation

The incorporation of 32Pi into phospholipids was studied in Friend erythroleukemia cells either induced or not to erythroid differentiation with 4 mM hexamethylenebisacetamide (HMBA). The effect of the differentiating agent on the recovery of radiolabelled phospholipids was compared in whole cells, isolated nuclei and nuclear matrix after in vivo labelling for 1 hr. The procedure employed for the isolation of nuclei was demonstrated to allow only negligible lipid redistribution caused by cell manipulations. Among the lipids extractable from nuclei, acidic phospholipids, and particularly polyphosphoinositides, were more represented than in whole cells, while small differences were found in the other phospholipid classes examined. The comparison between the uninduced and induced condition showed that the relative amounts of nuclear inositol lipids were modified by HMBA treatment of the cells, with a decreased recovery of phosphatidylinositol 4,5 bisphosphate. These results indicate that phosphatidylinositol and its phosphorylation products synthesized in vivo show a different metabolism in nuclei and whole cells. They appear to be tightly bound nuclear components, also present in membrane-deprived nuclei and nuclear matrix, and are probably related to the nuclear events involved in erythroid differentiation.

Nuclear inositol lipids in Friend erythroleukemia cells. Changes related to differentiation induced by hexamethylenebisacetamide

Subcellular distribution of inositol lipids has been studied in Friend Erythroleukemia Cells following induction to erythroid differentiation with hexamethylenebisacetamide, after labelling with [3H]myo-inositol. In situ autoradiography indicated that inositol-derived molecules were present also in the nuclear compartment of uninduced and induced cells. Fractionation studies showed that the nuclear polyphosphoinositides were deeply changed after short induction times, while the whole cell inositol lipids resulted only slightly modified by the inducer. The nuclear recovery of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate was largely increased after 2 hrs of induction, suggesting that inositol lipid metabolism is involved in the early differentiation events occurring at the nuclear level.

Uptake and phosphorylation of phosphatidylinositol by rat liver nuclei. Role of phosphatidylinositol transfer protein

The incorporation of phosphatidyl[2-3H]inositol ([3H]PI) from vesicles or microsomal membranes into rat liver nuclei is greatly stimulated by phosphatidylinositol transfer protein (PI-TP). The nuclei are able to phosphorylate [3H]PI, with the production of phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate (PIP). Recovery of tritiated inositol trisphosphate, inositol phosphate, glycerophosphoinositol and inositol, suggests that in isolated nuclei a large set of enzymes of the PI cycle is present, similar to the enzymes involved in the plasma membrane PI cycle. Incubation with [gamma-32P]ATP shows that isolated nuclei are able to phosphorylate endogenous PI to PIP and phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2). In the presence of exogenous PI and detergent the synthesis of PIP is increased, indicating that in nuclei the PI pool is suboptimal for the PI-kinase activity. The present study suggests that PI-TP may be involved in providing substrates for PI metabolism at the nuclear level.

Lipid phosphorylation in isolated rat liver nuclei. Synthesis of polyphosphoinositides at subnuclear level

Isolated rat liver nuclei and subnuclear fractions synthesize polyphosphoinositides in vitro in a mode dependent on the presence of nuclear membrane, detergent and exogenous substrates. The nuclear membrane is not essential as a source of lipid kinases, since the addition of exogenous phosphatidylinositol or phosphatidylinositol monophosphate to reaction mixtures lacking membranes restores the synthesis of phosphatidylinositol mono- and bisphosphate, respectively. Inositide phosphorylation is best accomplished by high-salt extracted nuclei and pre-detergent lamina. These data suggest that the nucleus, and especially the nuclear periphery, is a cell compartment in which polyphosphoinositide synthesis occurs; this might be related to the progression of phosphatidylinositol metabolism-dependent signals to the genetic apparatus.

RFLP analysis in families with sporadic hemophilia A. Estimate of the mutation ratio in male and female gametes

To investigate the sporadic occurrence of hemophilia A and to estimate the sex ratio of mutation rates directly, 17 families with isolated cases of the disorder were studied by RFLP analysis and by clotting assays. Three RFLPs, one intragenic and two with close linkage to hemophilia A, were used. In eight families the RFLP study excluded the carrier status of the maternal grandmothers. Since hemostatic studies showed that the eight mothers of these propositi were hemophilia carriers, the origin of the newly mutated genes was inferred from the RFLP patterns: six hemophilic genes derived from the normal maternal grandfathers and two, from maternal grandmothers. The data indicate a higher mutation rate in males than in females, as previously suggested by segregation analysis and coagulation studies. However the sex ratio indicated by the RFLP analysis is lower than previously reported and could explain previous conflicting estimates.

Two TaqI RFLPs in the human von Willebrand factor gene

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