Stable heat-resistant clones selected from wild-type and surface variants of B-16 melanoma

Alterations in heat-induced radiosensitization accompanied by nuclear structure alterations in Chinese hamster cells

This paper examined heat-induced radiosensitization in two Chinese hamster heat-resistant cell lines, HR-1 and OC-14, that were isolated from the same wild-type HA-1 cell line. It found a reduction of the magnitude of heat-induced radiosensitization after exposure to 43 degrees C in both HR-1 and OC-14 cells and a similar reduction after exposure to 45 degrees C in HR-1 cells, but not in OC-14 cells. The effect of heat exposure on a class of ionizing radiation-induced DNA damage that inhibits the ability of nuclear DNA to undergo super-coiling changes was also studied using the fluorescent halo assay in these three cell lines. Wild type cells exposed to either 43 or 45 degrees C before irradiation had a DNA rewinding ability that was intermediate between control and unheated cells, a phenomenon previously described as a masking effect. This masking effect was significantly reduced in HR-1 cells exposed to either 43 or 45 degrees C or in OC-14 cells exposed to 43 degrees C under conditions that heat-induced radiosensitization was reduced. In contrast, the masking effect was not altered in OC-14 cells exposed to 45 degrees C, conditions under which heat-induced radiosensitization was similar to that observed in wild-type HA-1 cells. These results suggest that a reduction in the masking effect is associated with a reduction of the magnitude of heat-induced radiosensitization in the HR-1 and OC-14 heat-resistant cell lines. The reduction of the masking effect in the cell lines resistant to heat-induced radiosensitization was associated with neither a reduction in the magnitude of the heat-induced increase in total nuclear protein content nor major differences in the protein profiles of the nucleoids isolated from heated cells.

Wheatgerm agglutinin-mediated toxicity in pancreatic cancer cells

Lectin binding specificities for carbohydrate allow phenotypic and functional characterization of membrane-associated glycoproteins expressed on cancer cells. This analysis examined wheatgerm agglutinin binding to pancreatic cancer cells in vitro and the resulting toxicity. Membrane preparations of nine human pancreatic carcinoma cell lines were studied for lectin binding using wheatgerm agglutinin (WGA), concanavalin A (ConA) and phytohaemagglutinin-L (PHA-L) in a lectin blot analysis. Cell proliferation in vitro was measured by thymidine incorporation in the absence or presence of lectins at various concentrations. Sialic acid binding lectins or succinyl-WGA (succWGA) served as controls. WGA toxicity was tested after swainsonine or neuraminidase pretreatment. Binding and uptake of fluorescein-labelled lectins was studied under fluorescence microscopy. All pancreatic cell lines displayed high WGA membrane binding, primarily to sialic acid residues. Other lectins were bound with weak to moderate intensity only. Lectin toxicity corresponded to membrane binding intensity, and was profound in case of WGA (ID50 at 2.5-5 microg ml(-1)). WGA exposure induced chromatin condensation, nuclear fragmentation and DNA release consistent with apoptosis. Important steps for WGA toxicity included binding to sialic acid on swainsonine-sensitive carbohydrate and lectin internalization. There was rapid cellular uptake and subsequent nuclear relocalization of WGA. In contradistinction to the other lectins studied, WGA proved highly toxic to human pancreatic carcinoma cells in vitro. WGA binding to sialic acid residues of N-linked carbohydrate, cellular uptake and subsequent affinity to N-acetyl glucosamine appear to be necessary steps. Further analysis of this mechanism of profound toxicity may provide insight relevant to the treatment of pancreatic cancer.

Membrane lipids of B16 melanoma cells and heat-resistant variants

Membrane lipid composition and fluidity of a series of B16 melanoma cell variants with increased resistance to heat were analysed for changes within the lipid component that may contribute to the acquisition of heat resistance. Within one series of heat-resistant lines the cholesterol content of the cells decreased as their heat resistance increased. The most heat-resistant line, WH75, had 40 per cent less cholesterol than the parent line. No change in the composition of phospholipid fatty acids was found. An increased level of membrane fluidity in WH75 was demonstrated by electron paramagnetic resonance using 5- or 12-doxyl stearic acid. When challenged by heat the increase in membrane fluidity was similar for WH75 and for the parent line. Thus the increased heat resistance of the variants is probably not due to their ability to adapt to heat challenge by increasing membrane thermostability. The inverse relationship between heat resistance and cholesterol content was not demonstrated in two other series of heat-resistant variants. The cholesterol decrease, therefore, is not a universal response of cells as they acquire heat resistance.

Heat-resistant variants of Chinese hamster fibroblasts altered in expression of heat shock protein

Heat-resistant variants of the Chinese hamster HA-1 line have been isolated after repeated heat treatments. The heat-resistant phenotype has been stable for over 70 passages. One of the members of the 70-kDa heat shock protein family was found to be synthesized at greater levels in the heat-resistant variants under normal growth conditions. Mild heat treatment of the variant lines induced a transient thermotolerance that was accompanied by additional increase in the synthesis of the 70-kDa heat shock proteins. Cell-free translation of total cellular RNA revealed greater amounts of 70-kDa heat shock protein mRNA in both control and heated variant cells. The greater levels of 70-kDa heat shock protein synthesized in the variant cells presumably are a reflection of altered levels of its messenger mRNA. In addition, we found that translational control plays a role in the elevated expression of heat shock proteins in heat-shocked HA-1 cells and their heat-resistant variants. The association of the heat-resistant phenotype with increased levels of a 70-kDa heat shock protein suggests strongly that this gene product plays a role in protecting cells from damage inflicted by elevated temperatures.

Heterogeneity in heat sensitivity and development of thermotolerance of cloned cell lines derived from a single human melanoma xenograft

One uncloned and five cloned cell lines were isolated from a single human melanoma xenograft in passage 39 in athymic mice. Cells from passages 7-12 in vitro were heated at 42.5, 43.5 or 44.5 degrees C and the colony forming ability of the cells was assayed in soft agar. The six cell lines showed individual and characteristic responses to heat treatment. The D0 values of the survival curves were in the ranges 76 +/- 5 to 131 +/- 13 min (42.5 degrees C), 12.5 +/- 1.1 to 22.2 +/- 1.9 min (43.5 degrees C) and 9.4 +/- 1.0 to 15.6 +/- 1.5 min (44.5 degrees C). Cells from all lines developed thermotolerance during protracted treatments at 42.5 degrees C. Thermotolerance was also studied by giving the cells a priming treatment of 43.5 degrees C for 90 min and then, after different fractionation intervals at 37 degrees C, second graded treatments at 43.5 degrees C. Thermotolerance ratio (TTR), i.e. the ratio of the slopes of the survival curves for preheated and single-heated cells, was used as a quantitative measure of the thermotolerance. Thermotolerance developed rapidly for all lines, reached a maximum at 12 or 16 h, and then decayed slowly. Maximum TTR varied among the lines from 4.2 +/- 0.5 to 6.0 +/- 0.9, i.e. within a factor of about 1.4. The survival curves and the TTR-curve for the uncloned line were positioned in the midst of those of the cloned lines. A linear correlation between maximum TTR and heat sensitivity was found for the six lines; maximum TTR decreased with increasing D0 value at 43.5 degrees C. Nevertheless, the lines which were most resistant before thermotolerance developed were also most resistant at maximum thermotolerance.