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Background/aims: Transcription factors coupled to cyclic adenosine mono phosphate (cAMP) signalling in the cAMP-responsive elements binding (CREB)/ATF family constitute a family of activators or repressors that bind to cAMP-responsive promoter elements (CREs) in the regulatory regions of cAMP-inducible genes. A role for CREB/ATF family has been advocated in the control of hepatocellular carcinoma progression. CREB appears to be activated by the X protein of hepatitis B virus, which links to the unphosphorylated form of CREB and activates transcription, thus obviating an otherwise indispensable Ser-133 phosphorylation. Identification of factors capable of triggering transcription via cAMP-responsive elements modulator (CREM)/CREB signalling in the absence of Ser phosphorylation will improve our knowledge of the molecular mechanism of liver cell proliferation., Methods: To isolate and study proteins binding and activating CREB and/or CREM in the liver, we performed the screening of a mouse liver cDNA library using the Two-Hybrid System., Results: We report the identification and characterization of a novel peptide, VTIP-peptide (VTIP-P), which binds and enhances the activation of CREM/CREB, obviating the need for transcription factor phosphorylation. We demonstrated that VTIP-P physically interacts with the activation domain (AD) of the transcription factors CREB/CREM and activates transcription by modifying their phosphorylation pattern in hepatoma cells. The data allowed the conclusion that VTIP-P binds the AD of CREB and CREM by stabilizing their phosphorylation., Conclusion: The characterization of molecules capable of interfering in the liver with an important pathway such as CREB could be significant in designing and/or developing new therapeutic approaches to the control of liver cell proliferation.

The liver has the ability to autonomously regulate growth and mass. Following partial hepatectomy, hormones, growth factors, cytokines and their coupled signal transduction pathways have been implicated in hepatocyte proliferation. To understand the mechanisms responsible for the proliferative response, we studied liver regeneration by characterization of novel genes that are activated in residual hepatocytes. A regenerating liver cDNA library screening was performed with cDNA-subtracted probes derived from regenerating and normal liver. Here, we describe the biology of Hops (for hepatocyte odd protein shuttling). HOPS is a novel shuttling protein that contains an ubiquitin-like domain, a putative NES and a proline-rich region. HOPS is rapidly exported from the nucleus and is overexpressed during liver regeneration. Evidence shows that cAMP governs HOPS export in hepatocytes of normal and regenerating liver and is mediated via CRM-1. We demonstrate that HOPS binds to elongation factor eEF-1A and interferes in protein synthesis. HOPS overexpression in H-35-hepatoma and 3T3-NIH cells strongly reduces proliferation.

Phosphatidylcholine-dependent phospholipase C is an enzyme which hydrolyses phosphatidylcholine giving origin to diacylglicerol and phosphorylcholine. Diacylglicerol has many effect and activates also protein kinase C. Since the presence of protein kinase C in the hepatocyte nuclei and the existence of a phospholipidic fraction in the chromatin have been demonstrated, we investigated if phosphatidylcholine-dependent phospholipase C could be present in the nuclei. The results obtained have shown the presence of this enzyme in the chromatin fraction which differs with respect to that of nuclear membrane in pH and Km. The activity has been also evaluated during liver regeneration. In the chromatin an increase of activity has been shown 12 h and 30 h after hepatectomy, i.e. at the beginning of hepatocyte S-phase. No similar behaviour has been observed in the nuclear membrane. It has been suggested that diacylglicerol, produced by the hydrolysis of chromatin phosphatidylcholine, may have a role in initiating DNA synthesis through the prolonged activation of the nuclear form of protein kinase C., (Copyright 1999 Academic Press.)

Nuclear membrane fluidity is measured in rat liver by use of the fluorescence anisotropy of two probes: diphenylhexatriene and its cationic derivative trimethylammonium-diphenylhexatriene. It has been shown that, in 2-month-old rat liver cells, the bilayer surface is less fluid than the hydrophobic core. The fluidity was higher in 6-day-old rat liver nuclei, in which both the amount of cholesterol and the cholesterol/phospholipid ratio decreased. The influence of the single phospholipids, and in particular of phosphatidylcholine, has been studied by increasing the phosphatidylcholine with a choline base exchange reaction in isolated nuclear membranes. After this reaction, the fluorescence anisotropy of the bilayer surface increased, whereas at the hydrophobic core it decreased. Analysis of fatty acid composition shows an increase of phosphatidylcholine unsaturated fatty acids. The results show that the fluidity of nuclear membranes changes in relation to the lipid content and to the fatty acid composition. The role of nuclear membrane fluidity in cell function is discussed.

In this study we developed a model of in vivo intrauterine partial liver resection in the fetal rabbit to analyze fetal liver regeneration. After intravenous anesthesia, 12 time-dated pregnant, California rabbits underwent a midline laparotomy and minimal hysterotomy at 24-25 days of gestational age. One fetus was exposed from each pregnant doe and the fetal liver was partially resected. Cesarean sections were performed 24, 48 and 72 h and 4 days after surgery. Three fetuses operated at 24 days of gestational age and 3 fetuses operated at 25 days were alive at retrieval. The fetuses and the sampled livers were weighed at retrieval and fetal liver weight showed a well-maintained value in all cases. Fetal livers were processed for the common histologic stains. Lymphocytes, polymorphonuclear leukocytes and phagocytes were counted from sections obtained in areas close to the edge of resection. Inflammatory cells showed a peculiar pattern of infiltration at different stages of repair, with a constantly increased number of phagocytes peaking 48 h after resection. Fetal liver seems to present a specific pattern of repair that differs from both the adult liver and other fetal tissues healing after injury.

Previous investigations have demonstrated the presence of phospholipids as a component of chromatin; however the mechanism of their synthesis, namely if they are synthesized in the nuclei or in the cytoplasm (microsomal fraction), from where they may eventually be transported to the nucleus, has not yet been clarified. The phosphatidylcholine, for example, can be formed, albeit in a limited amount, by an interconversion reaction between bases. The aim of the present research was to ascertain the presence of the enzyme complex responsible for this reaction in hepatocyte nuclei and in isolated nuclear membrane. The incorporation of [14C]-choline in phosphatidylcholine was assayed in microsomes, hepatocyte nuclei, liver nuclei and nuclear membranes of rat liver. The reaction was Ca(2+)-dependent and the specific activity was higher in microsomes but was present, albeit at a low level, also in nuclei and in nuclear membranes. Possible contaminations were excluded by specific microsomal markers and by the reaction time course. In fact, the nuclear reaction reached the maximum level slowly with respect to microsomes. Since the phosphatidylcholine extracted from the nuclei show an enrichment in unsaturated fatty acids of monoenoic fraction, such as oleic acid, the difference in reaction kinetics has been tentatively explained as due to the phosphatidylcholine fatty acid content. The presence of this base exchange enzyme complex may allow a fast change in chromatin phospholipid composition.

Fetal tissues present peculiar features of repair after injury. Although the development of fetal hepatocytes have already been studied in vitro and in transplant models, an in vivo study of fetal liver regeneration is still missed in the literature, to the best of our knowledge. Eight time-dated pregnant California rabbits (23, 24, 25, 30 days of gestational age) and 2 adult male California rabbits were anesthetized following a standardized i.v. protocol (ketamine 50 mg/kg; xilazine 5 mg/kg; propiopromazine 0.75 mg/kg; spontaneous breathing; no anesthetic gas). All the pregnant does underwent a midline laparotomy and a minimal hysterotomy to approach a fetus per each animal. In 2 cases, 1 fetus was delivered and prior to sacrifice the fetal liver was sampled in toto (30 days of gestational age). These pregnancies were allowed to continue to term and were uneventful with a full-term spontaneous delivery of the remaining fetuses. In the other 6 pregnancies, after the hysterotomy, the fetal abdomen was entered through a right-sided longitudinal incision and the liver was partially resected by thermocauterization. Fetal abdomen was closed in 1 layer (non absorbable suture 7-0). The fetus was then returned in the uterus and, after amniotic fluid restoration with warmed saline, the hysterotomy was sutured in double layer (polyglycolic 5-0). Maternal abdomen was closed in 1 layer (polyglycolic 4-0) and the skin in a continuous overlying fashion (silk 3-0). The abdominal cavity of the 2 adult male rabbits was entered through a right subcostal incision. Partial liver resection was performed, and abdominal and skin closure followed the same techniques used for the pregnant does. The treated livers were then sampled in toto at 24, 48, 72 hrs and 4 days after surgery from the fetuses, and at 7 days from the adult rabbits. Histological stains were: H & E; Van Gieson; Masson; Alcian Bleu; PAS. Fetal histology showed a low inflammatory reaction poor in PMN cells with minimal deposition of collagen and a high amount of glycogen in the hepatocytes. The inflammatory response to resection was much more evident in the adult samples as much as the abundant intra and extra-cellular deposition of collagen associated to a minor amount of intracellular glycogen. The peculiar features of liver regeneration in the fetus, deserve further experimental studies.

To shed light on the question whether the phospholipids present in chromatin are native or are due to contamination from nuclear membranes, we labeled the phospholipids of isolated nuclei and determined the amount of phospholipids (PL) and PL fatty acid composition in nuclei and chromatin. The hepatocyte nuclei were isolated and radioiodinated by the lactoperoxidase method under saturating and nonsaturating conditions, and the radioactivity associated with chromatin extracted from these nuclei was monitored. Whereas 97% the label was recovered in the nuclear membranes, only 0.08-0.6% was found in chromatin. The PL present in chromatin were relative to the amounts present in the entire nuclei and calculated as percentage of total, phosphatidylethanolamine (10%), phosphatidylserine (22%), phosphatidylinositol (19%) phosphatidylcholine (14%), and sphingomyelin (35%). In sphingomyelin of chromatin-associated PL an enrichment in polyunsaturated fatty acids was seen. The data indicated that the PL found in isolated chromatin do not seem to be due to contamination from the nuclear membrane.

Tyrosine aminotransferase activity in rat liver increases during the first 24 hrs after partial hepatectomy with two peaks, one at 10 hrs and another at 18 hrs. This behaviour is due to an increase in TATmRNA synthesis. Expression of serine deydratase is also enhanced during the first 5 hrs after hepatectomy. It is suggested that the enhanced expression of the two genes is due to an increase in hormone incretion particularly glucagon and glucocorticoids.

The activity of the enzyme tyrosine aminotransferase and the synthesis of its specific mRNA were evaluated at different hours of the day in the liver of 3-, 12- and 24-month old BN rats. The enzyme activity has a circadian rhythm with a peak at midnight in 3- and 12-month old, which shifts to 03.00 hrs in 24-month old animals, in agreement with previous results. The expression of TATmRNA also changes during the day indicating circadian fluctuations which change with age. In 3-month old rats the TATmRNA peak is at 19.00 hrs, preceding that of the enzyme activity. In 12-month old rats the TATmRNA synthesis reaches a maximum at midnight and in 24-month old rats at 03.00 hrs. The results show that the circadian rhythm of tyrosine aminotransferase activity is due to a different gene expression throughout the day, which is influenced by age.

DNA extracted from isolated hepatic nuclei of rats at different aged (1 h, 6 and 30 days of life) has been characterized by (i) melting temperature, (ii) buoyant density, (iii) thermal denaturation on hydroxyapatite and (iv) nucleoside composition. The melting midpoint (Tm) determined spectrophotometrically in 0.1 X SSC (0.15 M NaCl/0.0015 M sodium citrate) is 71.9 +/- 0.4 for 1-h-old rats and decreases to 70.7 +/- 0.3 in 6-day-old animals. The buoyant densities of DNAs determined by CsCl on both native and alkaline-denaturated and reneutralized DNA were also found to decrease with age. Hydroxyapatite thermal denaturation of sonicated DNA confirmed the significant difference between the Tm values of 1-h-old and 6-day-old rats (86.5 +/- 0.5 and 85.2 +/- 0.1, respectively). The possibility that these differences in Tm values could be due to an increase in methyl bases, has been ruled out by the finding that the amount of [3H]methyl incorporated in relation to the DNA synthesis is constant at these two ages. The alternative possibility of a change in base composition has been tested by the chromatographic analysis of nucleosides. The dG + dC content is 0.433 +/- 0.003 in 1-h-old rats and decreases to 0.411 +/- 0.002 and to 0.403 +/- 0.005 in 6-day- and 30-day-old rats, respectively. The physiological significance of the different base composition is discussed in relation to the possibility that specific DNA sequences are synthesized during the non-premitotic synthesis which has been found to take place during the first 6 days of life.

DNA synthesis in newborn rat hepatocytes was studied in the first three days of life by means of repeated injections of (3H) thymidine. One group of animals was treated with the label adsorbed on activated charcoal (experimental group) and another group (controls) was given the label diluted in saline. The specific activity of DNA was higher in control group, but its increase was not linear with time; in the experimental group, the radioactivity was lower, but its increase with time was linear. The percentage of labeled nuclei was higher in the experimental animals than in the controls and increased linearly with time. The average number of grains/nucleus was considerably smaller in the experimental group than in the controls, in which also the percentage of labeled cells showed considerable variations during the first three days of life. It is concluded that activated charcoal adsorption increases label availability with time and, by keeping a lower label concentration in the pool, reduces the risk of radiation damage.

The behaviour in time of labelled nuclear DNA in the hepatocytes of newborn rats was studied using autoradiographic and biochemical techniques in two groups of experiments. In the first group H-3-thymidine was injected to the mothers at the 16th day of pregnancy and the amount of labelled DNA was evaluated in the newborns after delivery. In the second group H-3-thymidine was injected to the newborns two hours after birth and the labelled DNA was studied at the same time intervals as the first group. The amount of labelled thymidine incorporated into the first group of animals remains constant for the first three days of life, thereafter a reduction in specific activity of DNA is observed concomitant with an increase of the percentage of labelled nuclei and a decrease of the number of grains per nucleus. These results show that mitotic divisions, which are absent during the first three days of life, take place between the third and sixth days of life. The decrease of the specific activity is therefore due to dilution and not to loss of labelled DNA. In the second group of experiments the DNA labelled with H-3-thymidine shows a decrease by about 30--40% per day during the first three days of life accompanied by a decrease in the number of grains per nucleus without changes in the percentage of labelled nuclei. These data show that DNA synthesized during the first day after birth is metabolically unstable, unlike that synthesized during foetal life.

A developmental study of rat hepatic endonuclease has been performed. Nuclei, from different stages of hepatocyte maturation, were analyzed for endogenous endonuclease activity. The chromatin extracted from these nuclei does not show any fragmentation during the first 17 days of fetal development. On the 18th day of fetal life there is a massive increase in specific endonuclease activity. At birth this activity reaches a maximum level (3.5 units/mg DNA); thereafter it undergoes a gradual decrease. The size of the basic DNA repeats produced by the endonuclease action is 218.9 +/- 1.6 in 18-day-old fetuses and decreases to 204.9 +/- 2.5 in 19-day-old fetuses, a value which remains constant in the following fetal and postnatal life. This difference in monomer size is due to changes in the chromatin structure. Micrococcal nuclease digests show that the "nucleosome core" does not change during hepatocyte development. Therefore, the difference in size of the endonuclease DNA fragments must be due to the linker regions.

Active phosphorylase was determined in rat livers during the end of the fetal period and the first days of life. This enzyme increases between the 16th day of gestation and birth. After birth, another increase in observed that takes place with 6 h. In the neonatal liver, the rapid increase in active phosphorylase, is inhibited by high levels of blood glucose, but is unaffected by actinomycin D. In fetal liver glucagon administration is followed after 5 h by an increase in total phosphorylase with only a small increase in active phosphorylase; this effect is blocked by actinomycin D. The fetal changes are interpreted as de novo synthesis, whereas the neonatal increase is due to an activation of inactive phosphorylase. Both enzymatic changes appear to be regulated by glycogen. The role of phosphorylase in the regulation of glycogen metabolism in neonatal liver is discussed.

The activity of rat liver tyrosine amino transferase (TAT) increases after hepatectomy with a first prominent peak at 8 h and a second peak at 18 h. This change in activity is probably due to de novo enzyme synthesis since it is prevented by actinomycin-D (AMD). In the same period an increase of the lysosomal converting enzyme (convertase) which catalyses the in vitro transition of TAT from form I to form III, has been observed; this is not accompanied by changes of other lysosomal enzymes, such as acid phosphatase and cathepsin L. The activity of convertase is equal to that of the controls (sham operated animals) 2 h after hepatectomy, increases three times at 5 h, maintains the same value at 8 h and then decreases slowly to control level after 24 h. The correlation between the activity changes of the two enzymes strongly suggests a physiological role of convertase in TAT turnover.

Nuclear, chromatin and microsomal fractions were isolated from hepatocytes prepared from rats injected with [32P]O4(2-) and killed subsequently at times between 1 and 48 h. Specific activities of the total phospholipids (PL) were determined for each subcellular fraction. The major points noted were the initial specific activity of the chromatin PL was half that of both nuclear and microsomal PL at 1 h; the first peak of labelling occurred at 6 h in both nuclear and microsomal PL, but was 3 h later (9h) in the chromatin PL; and a second peak of labelling occurred in the chromatin and microsomal PL, but not in those of the nuclei. On fractionation of the PL, the major and most metabolically active components were phosphatidylcholine + phosphatidylethanolamine, whilst sphingomyelin accounted for only about 8 per cent of the total PL. The chromatin and microsomal fractions were somewhat similar in their labelling patterns though with a delayed peaking of activity in the chromatin. This is indicative of a synthesis and transport of PL from the microsomes to the chromatin.