New site-directed polyclonal antibody maps N-terminus of occluded region of the non-transformed glucocorticoid receptor oligomer to within BUGR epitope

Using a 17-mer synthetic peptide for immunization, a polyclonal antibody (WS933) directed against amino acid residues 395-411 of the mouse glucocorticoid receptor (GCR) has been raised and used to probe the significance of this region in forming the receptor oligomer and to localize the truncation site of the mutant GCR of the P1798 lymphosarcoma. This region of the receptor, which encompasses the BUGR epitope, is amino-terminal of and immediately adjacent to the DNA-binding domain. The polyclonal antibody WS933 reacted with both native and denatured forms of the wild-type mouse GCR as judged by its ability to shift the transformed receptor peak on Sephacryl S300 columns, to immunoadsorb the receptor to protein A Sepharose, and by immunoblot analysis where it identified the 98 kDa receptor protein in the cortisol-sensitive line of the P1798 mouse lymphosarcoma. WS933 also reacted with rat and rabbit GCR, but not human GCR. These characteristics were shared by the BUGR-2 monoclonal antibody. Unexpectedly, there were two highly significant differences between WS933 and BUGR-2. The first was the ability of WS933 to bind to the mutant 45 kDa GCR of the cortisol-resistant P1798 lymphosarcoma as judged by its capability of shifting the receptor peak on Sephacryl S300 columns. BUGR-2, in contrast, was unable to shift this mutant receptor peak. Secondly, WS933 was unable to react with the non-DNA-binding form of the wild-type (or mutant) GCR, whereas BUGR-2 could react with the non-DNA-binding form of the wild-type GCR. The first observation suggests that the truncation site of the mutant receptor may lie within a portion of the BUGR domain. Additionally, the second observation implies that at least part of the region lying within amino acid residues 395-411 of the mouse GCR is occluded in the receptor oligomer and that this site only becomes available upon transformation of the GCR to the DNA-binding form. This data provides the first mapping of the amino-terminus of the occluded region of the non-transformed receptor, and suggests that WS933 will be a useful probe for characterizing mutant as well as wild type glucocorticoid receptors.

The truncated glucocorticoid receptor in the P1798 mouse lymphosarcoma is associated with resistance to glucocorticoid lysis but not to other glucocorticoid-induced functions

Glucocorticoid receptors in lines of the P1798 mouse lymphosarcoma either sensitive or resistant to glucocorticoid-induced lysis have been characterized and their functional significance determined. The glucocorticoid receptor from the cortisol-sensitive tumor is an Mr approximately 98,000 protein with a Stokes radius of 7.4 nm in the oligomeric, non-DNA-binding state and 5.6 nm in the transformed, DNA-binding state. This receptor binds glucocorticoid and reacts with the BUGR-2 monoclonal antibody. In contrast, two abnormal receptor species were identified in the cortisol-resistant tumor. One is an Mr approximately 98,000 non-steroid-binding but immunologically reactive protein. The other is an Mr approximately 45,000 species which contains both steroid- and DNA-binding sites but exhibits little or no reactivity with BUGR-2, suggesting that its NH2 terminus is truncated in a region within or adjacent to the BUGR epitope. This species had Stokes radii of 5.8 and 3.5 nm in nontransformed and transformed states, respectively. In both tumor lines, glucocorticoids stimulated the activities of glutamine synthetase and 5'-nucleotidase and the synthesis of glucocortin. However, glucocorticoid-induced tumor regression occurred only in the cortisol-sensitive tumor. Additionally, the glucocorticoid inducibility of a specific protein in the sensitive, but not in the resistant, tumor was demonstrated, as well as the presence of a protein specific to the resistant line. Taken together, these results suggest that the truncated glucocorticoid receptor in the P1798 lymphosarcoma is functional, although possibly in a more restricted gene-specific manner, and that the lysis defect, while possibly resulting from a truncated receptor, may also result from the inability of glucocorticoids to induce a critical protein in the pathway of programmed cell death and/or from the presence of a protein which inhibits the lytic response.

Primary culture of normal rat mammary epithelial cells within a basement membrane matrix. II. Functional differentiation under serum-free conditions

A serum-free primary culture system is described which allows normal rat mammary epithelial cells (RMECs) embedded within a reconstituted basement membrane to undergo extensive growth and functional differentiation as detected by synthesis and secretion of the milk products casein and lipid. RMECs isolated from mammary glands of immature virgin rats were seeded within an extracellular matrix preparation derived from the Engelbreth-Holm-Swarm sarcoma and cultured in a serum-free medium consisting of Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium-F12 containing insulin, prolactin, progesterone, hydrocortisone, epidermal growth factor, bovine serum albumin, transferrin, and ascorbic acid. Casein synthesis and secretion were documented at the electron microscopic level as well as by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) assay using a polyclonal antibody against total rat caseins. Numerous secretory vesicles with casein micelles were noted near the apical surface of the RMECs, and secreted casein was observed in the lumen. These ultrastructural data were confirmed by the ELISA assay which showed that microgram amounts of casein per well were synthesized by the RMECs and that the amount of casein increased with time in culture. Using immunoblot analysis it was demonstrated that the full complement of casein proteins was synthesized. In addition to casein protein, beta-casein mRNA levels were shown to increase with time. Synthesized lipid was detected at both the light and electron microscopic levels. Phase contrast photomicrographs demonstrated extensive intracellular lipid accumulation within the ductal and lobuloalveolarlike colonies, and at the electron micrograph level, lipid droplets were predominantly localized near the apical surface of the RMECs. The lipid nature of these droplets was verified by oil red O staining. Results from this study demonstrate that RMECs from immature virgin rats proliferate extensively and rapidly develop the capacity to synthesize and secrete casein and lipid when grown within a reconstituted basement membrane under defined serum-free conditions. This unique system should thus serve as an excellent model in which the regulation of mammary development and gene expression can be investigated.

Short-term primary culture of rat prostate tumor epithelial cells on reconstituted basement membrane as a useful in vitro model to assess drug action on prostatic cancer: efficacy of the thiazolidinedione derivative CGP 19984

A model system has been developed that permits short-term culture of rat R3327 prostate adenocarcinoma epithelial cells on a reconstituted basement membrane. Growth of prostate tumor cells under these conditions resulted in an enriched epithelial cell population that exhibited an eightfold increase in cell number in 10 days. This model system was used to test the efficacy of the thiazolidinedione derivative CGP 19984, a drug that inhibits luteinizing hormone secretion in vivo. At concentrations ranging between 1 and 25 micrograms/ml, CGP 19984 inhibited growth of the prostate tumor epithelial cells in a dose-dependent manner. The results thus demonstrate a direct effect of CGP 19984, which complements its indirect antitumor action in vivo, and suggest that this drug might be an effective agent for treatment of prostatic cancer. Moreover, growth of prostate tumor epithelial cells on a reconstituted basement membrane provides a useful system for in vitro testing of drugs for prostate cancer.

Binding of the glucocorticoid receptor complex to the nucleosomal core in the P1798 mouse lymphosarcoma

Binding of the glucocorticoid receptor complex to nucleosomes has been studied using the mouse P1798 lymphosarcoma. Cells were incubated with [3H]triamcinolone acetonide (TA), and nuclei prepared and digested with 3 different concentrations of micrococcal nuclease. After fractionation with EDTA and NaCl, it was observed that [3H]TA bound with similar specific radioactivity to mononucleosomes containing both core and linker DNA, of 183 +/- 5, and 168 +/- 4 base pair lengths, respectively, as well as to core size DNA, of 148 +/- 3 base pair length, suggesting that the glucocorticoid receptor bound to the core portion of the nucleosome. Steroid binding was found to be associated with regions of the nucleosome that were depleted in histone H1 and enriched in high mobility group (HMG) proteins 1 and 2; only negligible binding was noted in nucleosomes enriched in histone H1 and depleted in HMG proteins. In addition to binding to core nucleosomes, the glucocorticoid receptor complex was also shown to bind to a fraction sedimenting at 5-6 S on sucrose gradients characterized by subnucleosome and mononucleosome size DNA, as well as by core histones. While binding of the steroid receptor complex to linker regions of the nucleosome cannot be ruled out, this data would appear to present the first concrete evidence that glucocorticoid binding, at least in the P1798 lymphosarcoma, is to core nucleosomes. Some caution in interpretation of the results is indicated, however, on 2 points: (1) receptor redistribution during nuclease digestion cannot be ruled out; (2) only the binding of a small proportion of the steroid receptor complex may be physiologically relevant.