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Near-edge x-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) measurements were performed on a variety of carbon materials, covering a range of hybrid bonding character from pure sp3 type to pure sp2 type. Diamond, chemical vapor deposited (CVD) diamond films of varying quality. Diamond-like carbon (DLC) films, and graphite were examined with this technique and these measurements were compared with Raman spectroscopy results and scanning electron microscopy images of carbon film morphology. For the mixed sp2 and sp3 bonded DLC materials, NEXAFS does not suffer from the large Raman cross-section difference between sp2 and sp3 type bonds, thus allowing unambiguous characterization of carbon thin films with a broader range of sp2/sp3 bonding ratios than possible with Raman spectroscopy alone. This capability was used to determine the transition point where the sequential-CVD carbon film growth technique produces predominately sp3 or sp2 bonded material. © 1996 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background YKL-40 has been implicated as a mediator of collagen synthesis and extracellular matrix re-modeling as well as mitogenesis. Elevated serum levels of YKL-40 have been associated with worse survival in a variety of malignancies including breast cancer. We wished to determine if immunohistochemically detected expression had prognostic implications in breast cancer. Methods A prospectively collected database of breast cancer patients treated at the University Hospital of Newark was used for analysis. Immunohistochemistry was performed on archived tumor tissue from 109 patients for whom full clinical information and follow up was available. Results YKL-40 expression was noted in 37 patients (34%). YKL-40 immunoreactivity significantly correlated with larger tumor size, poorer tumor differentiation, and a greater likelihood of being estrogen and/or progesterone receptor negative. No significant correlation was demonstrated between YKL-40 status and nodal stage. At a mean follow up of 3.2 years, disease-free survival was significantly worse in the subset of patients whose tumors demonstrated YKL-40 expression compared to the non-expressors. In multivariate analysis, YKL-40 status was independent of T-stage and N-stage in predicting disease recurrence. Conclusion Immunoreactivity for YKL-40 was a significant predictor of breast cancer relapse in this subset of patients. This was independent of T or N-stage and suggests that tumor immunohistochemistry for this protein may be a valuable prognostic marker in breast cancer.

The discovery of insulin by Frederick G Banting and his colleagues in 1921 marked a pivotal moment in medical history. Born in Ontario, Canada, in 1891, Banting's childhood was impacted by the death of his closest friend, Jane, who died of diabetes mellitus at a young age. This personal tragedy profoundly influenced him to choose a career in medicine and fueled his determination to find a cure for diabetes. This journey led to the discovery of Insulin with the help of Charles H Best and John JR Macleod, resulting in a Nobel Prize for this work. Their discoveries set the stage for advancements in clinical medicine and biotechnology, including developing recombinant insulin over 50 years later., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work., (Copyright © 2024, Sharma et al.)

Alois Alzheimer was a German psychologist and neuropathologist who significantly advanced the study of dementia with his discovery of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Based on his assessment of a 51-year-old female patient with symptoms of presenile dementia and after conducting a postmortem autopsy of her brain, Alzheimer distinguished two neurological substances - senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles - as unique markers of what was later deemed as AD. He recognized that dementia is not a natural consequence of age but rather a recognizable neurocognitive disorder. Despite the long-lasting criticism of his findings, Alzheimer's discovery fundamentally altered the landscape of neuropathological studies by establishing that AD was a clinically identifiable disease with distinct markers that could be targeted for treatment. Today, modern research on AD continues to build on the foundation laid by Alzheimer's discovery., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work., (Copyright © 2024, Thakor et al.)

Heterogeneous response to Enzalutamide, a second-generation androgen receptor signaling inhibitor, is a central problem in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) management. Genome-wide systems investigation of mechanisms that govern Enzalutamide resistance promise to elucidate markers of heterogeneous treatment response and salvage therapies for CRPC patients. Focusing on the de novo role of MYC as a marker of Enzalutamide resistance, here we reconstruct a CRPC-specific mechanism-centric regulatory network, connecting molecular pathways with their upstream transcriptional regulatory programs. Mining this network with signatures of Enzalutamide response identifies NME2 as an upstream regulatory partner of MYC in CRPC and demonstrates that NME2-MYC increased activities can predict patients at risk of resistance to Enzalutamide, independent of co-variates. Furthermore, our experimental investigations demonstrate that targeting MYC and its partner NME2 is beneficial in Enzalutamide-resistant conditions and could provide an effective strategy for patients at risk of Enzalutamide resistance and/or for patients who failed Enzalutamide treatment., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

High-risk pediatric B-ALL patients experience 5-year negative event rates up to 25%. Although some biomarkers of relapse are utilized in the clinic, their ability to predict outcomes in high-risk patients is limited. Here, we propose a random survival forest (RSF) machine learning model utilizing interpretable genomic inputs to predict relapse/death in high-risk pediatric B-ALL patients. We utilized whole exome sequencing profiles from 156 patients in the TARGET-ALL study (with samples collected at presentation) further stratified into training and test cohorts (109 and 47 patients, respectively). To avoid overfitting and facilitate the interpretation of machine learning results, input genomic variables were engineered using a stepwise approach involving univariable Cox models to select variables directly associated with outcomes, genomic coordinate-based analysis to select mutational hotspots, and correlation analysis to eliminate feature co-linearity. Model training identified 7 genomic regions most predictive of relapse/death-free survival. The test cohort error rate was 12.47%, and a polygenic score based on the sum of the top 7 variables effectively stratified patients into two groups, with significant differences in time to relapse/death (log-rank P = 0.001, hazard ratio = 5.41). Our model outperformed other EFS modeling approaches including an RSF using gold-standard prognostic variables (error rate = 24.35%). Validation in 174 standard-risk patients and 3 patients who failed to respond to induction therapy confirmed that our RSF model and polygenic score were specific to high-risk disease. We propose that our feature selection/engineering approach can increase the clinical interpretability of RSF, and our polygenic score could be utilized for enhance clinical decision-making in high-risk B-ALL., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2022 The Authors.)

Purpose/objective(s): The additional personnel and imaging procedures required for Adaptive Radiation Therapy (ART) pose a challenge for a broad implementation. We hypothesize that a change in transit fluence during the treatment course is correlated with the change of quality of life and thus can be used as a replanning trigger., Materials/methods: Twenty-one head and neck cancer (HNC) patients filled out an MD Anderson Dysphagia Inventory (MDADI) questionnaire, before-and-after the radiotherapy treatment course. The transit fluence was measured by the Watchdog (WD) in-vivo portal dosimetry system. The patients were monitored with daily WD and weekly CBCTs. The region of interest (ROI) of each patient was defined as the outer contour of the patient between approximate spine levels C1 to C4, essentially the neck and mandible inside the beam's eye view. The nth day integrated transit fluence change, Δϕ n , and the volume change, ΔV ROI , of the ROI of each patient was calculated from the corresponding WD and CBCT measurements. The correlation between MDADI scores and age, gender, planning mean dose to salivary glands sg >, weight change ΔW, ΔV ROI , and Δϕ n , were analyzed using the ranked-Pearson correlation., Results: No statistically significant correlation was found for age, gender and ΔW. sg > was found to have clinically important correlation with functional MDADI (ρ = -0.39, P = 0.081). ΔV ROI was found to have statistically significant correlation of 0.44, 0.47 and 0.44 with global, physical and functional MDADI ( P -value < 0.05). Δϕ n was found to have statistically significant ranked-correlation (-0.46, -0.46 and -0.45) with physical, functional and total MDADI ( P -value < 0.05)., Conclusion: A transit fluence based decision support metric (DSM) is statistically correlated with the dysphagia risk. It can not only be used as an early signal in assisting clinicians in the ART patient selection for replanning, but also lowers the resource barrier of ART implementation.

In adaptive radiation therapy of head and neck cancer, any significant anatomical changes observed are used to adapt the treatment plan to maintain target coverage without elevating the risk of xerostomia. However, the additional resources required for adaptive radiation therapy pose a challenge for broad-based implementation. It is hypothesized that a change in transit fluence is associated with volumetric change in the vicinity of the target and therefore can be used as a decision support metric for adaptive radiation therapy. This was evaluated by comparing the fluence with volumetric changes in 12 patients. Transit fluence was measured by an in vivo portal dosimetry system. Weekly cone beam computed tomography was used to determine volume change in the rectangular region of interest from condyloid process to C6. The integrated transit fluence through the region of interest on the day of the cone beam computed tomography scan was calculated with the first treatment as the baseline. The correlation between fluence change and volume change was determined. A logistic regression model was also used to associate the 5% region of interest volume reduction replanning trigger point and the fluence change. The model was assessed by a chi-square test. The area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve was also determined. A total of 46 pairs of measurements were obtained. The correlation between fluence and volumetric changes was found to be -0.776 ( P value <.001). The negative correlation is attributed to the increase in the photon fluence transport resulting from the volume reduction. The chi-square of the logistic regression was found to be 17.4 ( P value <.001). The area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve was found to be 0.88. Results indicate the change in transit fluence, which can be measured without consuming clinical resources or requiring additional time in the treatment room, can be used as a decision support metric for adaptive therapy.

Telomere integrity is critical for telomere function and genomic stability. We previously demonstrated that non-erythroid α-spectrin (αIISp) is present in mammalian cell nuclei where it is important in repair of DNA interstrand cross-links (ICLs) and chromosome stability. We now demonstrate that αIISp is also important for telomere maintenance after ICL damage. It localizes to telomeres in S phase after ICL damage where it has enhanced association with TRF1 and TRF2 and is required for recruitment of the ICL repair protein, XPF, to damage-induced foci at telomeres. In telomerase-positive normal cells depleted of αIISp by siRNA or in Fanconi anemia, complementation group A (FA-A) cells, where αIISp levels are 35-40% of normal, ICL damage results in failure of XPF to localize to telomeres, markedly increased telomere dysfunction-induced foci, followed by catastrophic loss of telomeres. Restoration of αIISp levels to normal in FA-A cells corrects these deficiencies. Our studies demonstrate that αIISp is critical for repair of DNA ICLs at telomeres, likely by facilitating the recruitment of repair proteins similar, but not identical, to its proposed role in repair of DNA ICLs in genomic DNA and that this function in turn is critical for telomere maintenance after DNA ICL damage.

Science advances both by conceptual leaps and by improved observational and analytic tools. Mechanism and function in biological systems can best be understood in the context of the complex microenvironments in which they occur, and for this purpose morphologic analysis can be critical. Technological advances in cell and tissue imaging are currently finding application in a wide variety of basic, translational, and clinical biomedical studies. "Biophotonics in Pathology" was designed as a multi-authored work to describe the various kinds of imaging strategies that have been developed as computational power keeps increasing. Some of these overlap with radiologic techniques and others do not. The field is continuously evolving, and in this commentary I will touch on additional techniques for morphology-based interrogation of cells and tissues that have recently been described. However, it is important to note that though we are expanding our armamentarium as pathologists, our radiological colleagues have been doing this for many years. Clearly, they have embraced new imaging techniques to a greater extent than have pathologists. This commentary discusses some of the factors responsible for this, and suggests that pathology and radiology are converging towards a more holistic approach to diagnostic imaging.

Despite significant differences in genetic profiles, cancer cells share common phenotypic properties, including membrane-associated changes that facilitate invasion and metastasis. The Corning Epic optical biosensor was used to monitor dynamic mass rearrangements within and proximal to the cell membrane in tumor cell lines derived from cancers of the colon, bone, cervix, lung and breast. Data was collected in real time and required no exogenously added signaling moiety (signal-free technology). Cell lines displayed unique profiles over the time-courses: the time-courses all displayed initial signal increases to maximal values, but the rate of increase to those maxima and the value of those maxima were distinct for each cell line. The rate of decline following the maxima also differed among cell lines. There were correlations between the signal maxima and the observed metastatic behavior of the cells in xenograft experiments; for most cell types the cells that were more highly metastatic in mice had lower time-course maxima values, however the reverse was seen in breast cancer cells. The unique profiles of these cell lines and the correlation of at least one profile characteristic with metastatic behavior demonstrate the potential utility of biophysical tumor cell profiling in the study of cancer biology.

Mouse models are valuable tools in the study of human chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). The New Zealand Black (NZB) strain is a naturally occurring model of late-onset CLL characterized by B-cell hyperproliferation and autoimmunity early in life, followed by progression to CLL. Other genetically engineered models of CLL that have been developed include (NZB x NZW) F1 mice engineered to express IL5, mice expressing human TCL1A, and mice overexpressing both BCL2 and a tumour necrosis factor receptor-associated factor. The applicability to human CLL varies with each model, suggesting that CLL is a multifactorial disease. Our work with the de novo NZB model has revealed many similarities to the human situation, particularly familial CLL. In NZB, the malignant clones express CD5, zap-70, and have chromosomal instability and germline Ig sequence. We also identified a point mutation in the 3'-flanking sequence of Mirn16-1, which resulted in decreased levels of the microRNA, miR-16 in lymphoid tissue. Exogenous restoration of miR-16 to an NZB malignant B-1 cell line resulted in cell cycle alterations, suggesting that the altered expression of Mirn15a/16-1 is an important molecular lesion in CLL. Future studies utilizing the NZB mouse could ascertain the role of environmental triggers, such as low dose radiation and organic chemicals in the augmentation of a pre-existing propensity to develop CLL.

Adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) and HTLV-1 associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP) are associated with Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) infection. The viral transactivator, Tax is able to mediate the cell cycle progression by targeting key regulators of the cell cycle such as p21/waf1, p16/ink4a, p53, cyclins D1-3/cdk complexes, and the mitotic spindle checkpoint MAD apparatus, thereby deregulating cellular DNA damage and checkpoint control. Genome expression profiling of infected cells exemplified by the development of DNA microarrays represents a major advance in genome-wide functional analysis. Utilizing cDNA microarray analysis, we have observed an apparent opposing and paradoxical regulatory network of host cell gene expression upon the introduction of DNA damage stress signal. We find the apparent induction of cell cycle inhibitors, and pro- as well as anti-apoptotic gene expression is directly linked to whether cells are at either G1, S, or G2/M phases of the cell cycle. Specifically, a G1/S block is induced by p21/waf1 and p16/ink4a, while pro-apoptotic expression at S, and G2/M is associated with caspase activation, and anti-apoptotic gene expression is associated with up regulation of Bcl-2 family member, namely bfl-1 gene. Therefore, the microarray results indicating expression of both pro- and anti-apoptotic genes could easily be explained by the particular stage of the cell cycle. Mechanism and the functional outcome of induction for both pathways are discussed.

The transcription factor B-cell-specific activator protein (BSAP) plays an important role in B-cell development. We explored the involvement of BSAP in the growth regulation of malignant B-1 cells derived from the NZB murine model of human chronic lymphocytic leukemia. BSAP protein was found in normal B-2 cells, elevated in normal B-1 cells, and highest in NZB malignant B-1 cells. When these malignant B-1 cells were treated with antisense oligonucleotides for BSAP, their growth was inhibited with a G2/M phase arrest. In contrast, B cell lines that did not appear to be of B-1 origin (IgG+/B220+/BSAPlow) were unaffected by treatment with antisense BSAP oligonucleotides. Centrifugal elutriation experiments showed that BSAP mRNA was expressed at the highest levels in the G2/M phases in malignant B-1 cells. Treatment with demecolcine (Colcemid), a known mitotic blocker, resulted in a decrease in the level of BSAP gene expression in malignant B-1 cells, further demonstrating links between BSAP expression and successful G2/M transition in the cell cycle. These data suggest a correlation between BSAP and the development of B-1 malignancy, perhaps through the regulation of cell-cycle progression.

Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is associated with adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) and HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP). T-cell transformation is mainly due to the actions of the viral phosphoprotein Tax. Tax interacts with multiple transcriptional factors, aiding the transcription of many cellular genes. Here, we report that the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21/waf1 is overexpressed in all HTLV-1-infected cell lines tested as well as in ATL and HAM/TSP patient samples. Tax was found to be able to transactivate the endogenous p21/waf1 promoter, as detected by RNase protection, as well as activate a series of wild-type and 5'-deletion constructs linked to a luciferase reporter cassette. Wild-type but not a mutant form of Tax (M47) transactivated the p21/waf1 promoter in a p53-independent manner and utilized a minimal promoter that contained E2A and TATA box sequences. The p21/waf1 protein was reproducibly observed to be complexed with cyclin A/cdk2 and not with any other known G(1), S, or G(2)/M cyclins. Functionally, the association of p21/cyclin A/cdk2 decreased histone H1 phosphorylation in vitro, as observed in immunoprecipitations followed by kinase assays, and affected other substrates, such as the C terminus of Rb protein involved in c-Abl and histone deacetylase-1 (HDAC1) regulation. Interestingly, upon the use of a stress signal, such as gamma-irradiation, we found that the p21/cyclin A/cdk2 complex was able to block all known phosphorylation sites on the Rb molecule. Finally, using elutriated cell cycle fractions and a stress signal, we observed that the HTLV-1-infected T cells containing wild-type Tax, which had been in early or mid-G(1) phase prior to gamma-irradiation, arrested in G(1) and did not undergo apoptosis. This may be an important mechanism for an oncogenic virus such as HTLV-1 to stop the host at the G(1)/S boundary and to repair the damaged DNA upon injury, prior to S-phase entry.

p53/56(lyn) is a member of the src family that is predominantly expressed in hematopoietic cells and is thought to play a role in cellular proliferation. In this study, we demonstrate the participation of p53/56(lyn) in 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) (1, 25D(3))-induced growth arrest in HL60 cells. We show that the mRNA and protein levels of p53/56(lyn) are markedly elevated after 1, 25D(3) treatment, which is accompanied by an increase of p53/56(lyn) kinase activity. We also demonstrate that treatment with p53/56(lyn) antisense oligodeoxynucleotides reverses the 1,25D(3)-induced G1/S block, and results in an accumulation of cells with S-phase DNA content. BrdU pulse-chase experiments reveal that this accumulation results from an increased proportion of cells actively synthesizing DNA, which are inhibited from exiting the S-phase compartment. These results indicate that upregulation of p53/56(lyn) contributes significantly to the G1/S growth arrest induced by 1,25D(3) in HL60 cells and thus its activation may be a desirable outcome of chemotherapeutic regimens., (Copyright 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.)

Differentiation of mammalian cells implies cessation of DNA replication and cell proliferation; the potential controls of this coupling are examined here. It is clear that the known or proposed mechanisms of down-regulation of replicative cellular activities vary in different lineages of cell differentiation, and occur in all phases of the cell cycle. In G1 these regulators include p21/Cip1 or p27/Kip1, pRb, and p53; the novel, recently reported mechanisms of their action are summarized. In S phase the availability of nucleotide precursors, the origin recognition complex (ORC), and other replication proteins may be important in differentiation, and in G2 phase the cdc2/cyclin B complex and replication licensing factors determine normal G2 traverse versus an arrest or polyploidisation. Other replication-related mechanisms include transcription factors, e.g., Sp1, telomerase, and nuclear matrix changes. Thus, differentiation alters the activity not only of the various checkpoint proteins, but also of the components of the replicative machinery itself., (Copyright 1999 Academic Press.)

We have previously shown that apoptosis induced in thymocytes by dexamethasone or teniposide (VM-26) could be inhibited by 1-(5-isoquinolinylsulfonyl)-2-methylpiperazine (H7) and sangivamycin, both relatively specific inhibitors for protein kinase C, but not by N-(2-guanidinoethyl)-5-isoquinolinesulfonamide (HA1004), a more specific inhibitor for cAMP-dependent protein kinases. Apoptosis in this model system was not blocked by EGTA and no increase in cytosolic Ca2+ was observed during apoptosis induced by either dexamethasone or VM-26, suggesting that this kinase was Ca2+-independent. In the present study, we demonstrate that addition of 10 microM sangivamycin to thymocyte cultures up to 2 h after addition of either inducer resulted in virtually complete inhibition of apoptosis. Addition of 10 microM sangivamycin at 3 or 4 h after addition of inducer resulted in partial inhibition of apoptosis. Computerized image analysis of two-dimensional PAGE analyses of whole-cell lysates demonstrated that treatment of mouse thymocytes with VM-26 resulted in a limited number of de novo phosphorylation events within 1 h of treatment. The most prominent phosphorylation events associated with VM-26-induced apoptosis were that two intracellular protein species (Protein 1: m.w. = 22.9 kDa, pI, 5.11; and Protein 2: m.w. = 22.9 kDa, pI, 4.98). Similar phosphorylation events were seen in cells treated with dexamethasone. Finally, Western blot analysis suggests that de novo protein phosphorylation induced by VM-26 is on serine/threonine residues. These results provide further evidence that the mechanism of VM-26-induced apoptosis of murine thymocytes involves the action of one or more serine/threonine kinases., (Copyright 1998 Academic Press.)

Drug resistance that occurs during cancer chemotherapy has been a major problem in controlling neoplastic progression. To study the cellular mechanisms of acquired drug resistance we developed 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25D3)-resistant sublines of promyelocytic leukemia HL60 cells which have increased proliferation rates (Exp. Cell Res., 224, 312, 1996; Cancer Res., 50, 5513, 1996). We report here that the resistant sublines display varying degrees of shortening of the G1 phase as compared to the parental HL60-G cells. Protein levels of cyclins E, D1, D2 and D3 are elevated in these resistant cell lines, and cyclin D1 is especially high in 40AF cells, which has the shortest G1 length. The protein levels of cyclin-dependent kinase (Cdk)2, Cdk4 and Cdk6 are not altered in the resistant sublines. Both Cdk2 and Cdk6-associated kinase activites are increased in the resistant sublines, but not Cdk4 kinase activity. Protein levels of p27Kip1 are not consistently altered in the resistant sublines as compared to the parental HL60-G cells, but are reduced relative to HL60-G cells arrested by 96 h treatment with 1,25D3. Interestingly, the resistant cell lines constitutively express high levels of retinoblastoma protein (pRb), and pRb is highly phosphorylated, indicating that the G1 cyclin/Cdk complexes in the resistant cells are physiologically active. The results suggest that the increased activity of cyclin D/Cdk6, and perhaps cyclin E/Cdk2, lead to rapid hyperphosphorylation of pRb and consequently a shorter early G1 phase, and that in the resistant cells the increased ratio of cyclin E to p27Kip1 results in activation of Cdk2 and contributes to the abrogation of the 1,25D3-induced block to the S phase entry. Additionally, it is apparent that constitutively increased levels of pRb are compatible with increased rates of cell proliferation.

This report describes a murine monoclonal IgM antibody, 6E3.C4, induced by retrovirus infection of BALB/ c-H-2b mice which inhibits mitogen stimulation of both mouse and human lymphocytes in vitro. The molecule bound by this antibody appears to be an activation antigen since binding is upregulated by mitogen stimulation. Analysis of the epitope bound by mAb 6E3.C4 revealed that it is associated with a 52-kDa protein with a pI of approximately 5.7 as determined by Western blot analysis. A protein expressing this or a cross-reactive epitope was isolated and determined to be alpha-tubulin by amino acid sequencing. Reactivity with purified alpha-tubulin confirms this identification. These findings suggest a potential role for a cell surface molecule that is either alpha-tubulin or a cross-reactive molecule in the activation processes of T cells.

The control of DNA replication is central to the control of cell proliferation, and defects in S phase regulation have been implicated in senescence and neoplasia. To examine the regulation of DNA replication in lymphocytes, an in vitro system was developed in which lymphocyte derived proteins could regulate the initiation of DNA replication in isolated quiescent nuclei. Cytosolic extracts from mitogen or IL-2 activated lymphocytes as well as lymphoblastoid cell lines produce a factor (Activator of DNA replication; ADR) that can induce DNA synthesis in isolated quiescent nuclei, and DNA synthesis in this system is consistent with DNA replication and not repair. ADR activity is tightly associated with a protease activity and is not detectable in resting cells, but can be induced by a mechanism dependent on serine/threonine and tyrosine phosphorylation. Quiescent cells contain an ADR inhibitor which blocks DNA synthesis in isolated normal nuclei but not in nuclei from transformed cells, a potential factor in the uncontrolled proliferation of neoplastic cells. The control of cellular DNA replication is dependent on the interaction of origin sequences with specific replicative and regulatory proteins. However, mammalian origins of DNA replication are not well defined. Plasmids containing a replication origin within the human rRNA gene can act as replicative templates in our cell-free replication system, thus allowing a detailed molecular dissection of replication initiation in a completely human experimental system.

A number of chemotherapeutic agents which inhibit the DNA topoisomerases markedly potentiate cell death mediated by tumor necrosis factor, suggesting a role for these enzymes in the TNF cytotoxic mechanism. To investigate this possibility, topoisomerase I and II activities were assayed following TNF addition to murine L929 cells. Topoisomerase I and II activities increased within 15 min of TNF addition and returned to baseline levels within 1 and 2 hr, respectively. The increases in both topoisomerase activities were blocked by H-7 (but not H-8) and similar increases were seen following PMA addition. However, concentrations of H-7 which blocked the increased topoisomerase activities had no effect on TNF cytotoxicity nor on the enhancement of TNF cytotoxicity by topoisomerase inhibitors. Thus, in these cells topoisomerase activities are directly modified by TNF during the initial phases of a cytotoxic response. However, neither TNF cytotoxicity nor the enhancement of TNF cytotoxicity by topoisomerase inhibitors appears to require the TNF-mediated increases in topoisomerase activities.

The supernatant of Mycoplasma arginini-infected murine L5178Y T lymphoma cell cultures (SN-L51) synergizes with small concentrations of IFN-gamma to activate murine peritoneal, thioglycollate-elicited macrophages (M phi) to exhibit cytostatic activity against tumor cells. Treatment of M phi with IFN-gamma and SN-L51 sequentially, but not in the reverse order, activates M phi, which indicates that SN-L51 contains a M phi-triggering factor (MTF). MTF activity could be inhibited by small concentrations of prostaglandin E2, but not by polymyxin B. M phi activated by IFN-gamma plus MTF produce cytostatic effects on tumor cells through a nitric oxide-dependent pathway. MTF activity in SN-L51 is associated with infection of L5178Y cells by M. arginini. Mycoplasma-free L5178Y cells do not produce MTF activity, infection of these L5178Y cells with M. arginini generates the activity, and supernatants of pure M. arginini cultures contain MTF activity. MTF activity is thermostable and resistant to acid, dilute alkali, proteases, and nucleases. MTF was partially purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation, chromatography, electrophoresis, and electroelution. On 12.5% SDS-urea gels, MTF activity migrated with a molecular mass of 2.5 to 4 kDa. MTF activity and the silver staining of this band was resistant to proteinase K; however, Coomassie staining of this band was abolished by proteinase K. The combined data suggest that MTF is either a stable peptide or a peptide linked to lipid or carbohydrate.

In response to exposure to the inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF) and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), murine brain microvascular endothelial cells (MME) synthesize the cell surface molecule, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), and the intracellular enzyme, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). However, iNOS synthesis requires the presence of both TNF and IFN-gamma, while VCAM-1 can be induced by either cytokine alone. We examined the induction of VCAM-1 and iNOS under a variety of conditions to better define the regulation of TNF and IFN-gamma signal transduction pathways in MME. We utilized the analysis of steady-state levels of iNOS mRNA as well as the measurement of MME-released NO-EDRF (nitric oxide as an endothelium-derived relaxing factor) activity and accumulation of nitrite in the culture medium to define iNOS expression and activity. VCAM-1 expression was determined by flow cytometric analysis. Our data indicate that low density lipoproteins inhibited cytokine-induced iNOS activity by affecting the steady-state levels of iNOS mRNA. Methylxanthines (caffeine and theophylline) as well as several calcium-mobilizing agents inhibited the expression/activity of both iNOS and VCAM-1 in MME. The effectiveness of these agents was dependent upon the degree of disruption in cell calcium homeostasis during cytokine treatment. Cells which had been pretreated with calcium-modulating drugs and then washed and allowed to return to normal calcium homeostasis showed little to no effect from these agents. In addition, our results suggest that NO produced by iNOS acts as a metabolic switch during inflammation by inhibiting oxidative phosphorylation and forcing vascular endothelial cells to temporarily utilize anaerobic energy metabolism.

We previously investigated the role of an aprotinin-binding protein (ADR) in the initiation of DNA replication in isolated quiescent nuclei. In the present study, we have used a cell-free DNA replication system to test the ability of plasmid vectors which contain sequences from the human ribosomal RNA gene to serve as replicative templates in vitro when exposed to ADR-containing preparations. Significant dTTP incorporation was seen using DNA from either a 7-kb sequence in the 5' spacer region (CHE) or a 7-kb sequence which begins near the end of the 28S coding region and extends into the 3' spacer region (ADBB), while sequences from other regions of the rRNA gene mediated little or no dTTP incorporation. The characteristics of plasmid-directed dTTP incorporation indicate that most incorporation is due to DNA replication and not repair or damage-initiated processes. To conclusively demonstrate origin-dependent replication in the plasmid system and to further map replication origins, an approach was developed using ddGTP to restrict the length of daughter strands followed by hybridization of these replication products to restriction fragments spanning the putative origin region. This approach allowed us to identify replication origin activity apart from parent strand repair or synthesis initiated at random damaged sites. One of the origins was localized to a 1375-bp fragment within the 5' spacer region, and this fragment contains sequences homologous to those found in other replication origins.