Minute ring-shaped particles in cultured cells of malignant origin

Chemotherapy in conjoint aging-tumor systems: some simple models for addressing coupled aging-cancer dynamics

Background

In this paper we consider two approaches to examining the complex dynamics of conjoint aging-cancer cellular systems undergoing chemotherapeutic intervention. In particular, we focus on the effect of cells growing conjointly in a culture plate as a precursor to considering the larger multi-dimensional models of such systems. Tumor cell growth is considered from both the logistic and the Gompertzian case, while normal cell growth of fibroblasts (WI-38 human diploid fibroblasts) is considered as logistic only.

Results

We demonstrate, in a simple approach, how the interdependency of different cell types in a tumor, together with specifications of for treatment, can lead to different evolutionary patterns for normal and tumor cells during a course of therapy.

Conclusions

These results have significance for understanding appropriate pharmacotherapy for elderly patients who are also undergoing chemotherapy.

The proteasome: a proteolytic nanomachine of cell regulation and waste disposal

The final destination of the majority of proteins that have to be selectively degraded in eukaryotic cells is the proteasome, a highly sophisticated nanomachine essential for life. 26S proteasomes select target proteins via their modification with polyubiquitin chains or, in rare cases, by the recognition of specific motifs. They are made up of different subcomplexes, a 20S core proteasome harboring the proteolytic active sites hidden within its barrel-like structure and two 19S caps that execute regulatory functions. Similar complexes equipped with PA28 regulators instead of 19S caps are a variation of this theme specialized for the production of antigenic peptides required in immune response. Structure analysis as well as extensive biochemical and genetic studies of the 26S proteasome and the ubiquitin system led to a basic model of substrate recognition and degradation. Recent work raised new concepts. Additional factors involved in substrate acquisition and delivery to the proteasome have been discovered. Moreover, first insights in the tasks of individual subunits or subcomplexes of the 19S caps in substrate recognition and binding as well as release and recycling of polyubiquitin tags have been obtained.

Autoantibodies against the multicatalytic proteinase in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

Sera from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus contain specific autoantibodies directed against different polypeptide components of the multicatalytic proteinase (also known as proteasome or prosome). These human autoantibodies, in contrast to polyclonal antibodies obtained in rabbits against the purified enzyme, recognize highly conserved epitopes of the multicatalytic proteinase polypeptides from yeast to human.

Prosomes, subcomplexes of untranslated mRNP

PROSOMES are a novel class of small RNP particles of uniform morphology, but of variable RNA (pRNA) and protein composition (about 650,000 MW; 12 nm diameter in the EM). They were discovered as subcomplexes of free mRNP, tightly attached to inactive mRNA in the cytoplasm. The pRNAs hybridize stably to mRNA. Prosomes associate in vitro to mRNA and inhibit cell free protein synthesis inducing an mRNA structure unable to interact with ribosomes. Many types of prosomes were observed. The individual particle is made up by a variable combination of about 20 characteristic proteins and one or several pRNa. Some prosomal proteins are glycosylated, phosphorylated and, possibly, ADP-ribosylated and are highly conserved in evolution whilst others vary with the species and the mRNA population they are associated to. A protease activity was found associated to prosomes. The function(s) of the prosomes is(are) still unknown. The differential inhibition of in vitro protein synthesis points to a capacity to recognize mRNA and to keep it in an inactive state. The observation with the aid of monoclonal antibodies (pMABs) that prosomes and thus mRNP are attached to the intermediate filaments (IF) raises the question if one of the functions of the IF might be in the topological distribution of mRNA within the cell. Similar to the cytokeratin fibers, the prosome networks bridge neighboring cells at specific positions. The nucleus also contains some prosomal antigens, located on chromosomes and on the nuclear matrix. Their presence and distribution in the cell compartments varies with the cell type and the prosomal antigen probed. Oocytes contain large amounts of prosomes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Involvement of the proteasome in various degradative processes in mammalian cells

Eukaryotic cells contain a 700-kDa proteolytic complex (the "proteasome" or multicatalytic endopeptidase complex), whose role in intracellular protein breakdown is unclear. It has been suggested that the proteasome functions in the rapid degradation of oxidant-damaged proteins and in the ATP-dependent proteolytic pathway. To test these possibilities, oxidant-damaged hemoglobin and albumin were produced by treating hemoglobin and albumin with phenylhydrazine, with hydroxyl radicals, or with both hydroxyl and superoxide radicals. After oxidant damage, these proteins were degraded more rapidly in erythrocyte extracts and also by the purified proteasome. However, complete removal of proteasomes from these extracts by immunoprecipitation (or inhibitors of its proteolytic activity) did not reduce the breakdown of oxidant-damaged hemoglobin and decreased degradation of hydroxyl- and superoxide-treated proteins by only 30-40%. Thus, erythrocytes must contain another proteolytic system for degradation of oxidant-damaged proteins. In contrast, immunoprecipitation of proteasomes with polyclonal or monoclonal antibodies prevented the ATP/ubiquitin-dependent degradation of lysozyme and also blocked the ATP-stimulated degradation of ubiquitin-conjugated lysozyme in reticulocyte and skeletal muscle extracts. These data indicate a critical role of the proteasome in the degradation of ubiquitin-conjugated proteins and suggest that the proteasome is associated with or is a component of the larger ubiquitin-conjugate-degrading enzyme complex.

Proteinase yscE of yeast shows homology with the 20 S cylinder particles of Xenopus laevis

Proteinase yscE of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been compared with the 20 S cylinder particles of Xenopus laevis. Both proteins are characterized by a similar group of 10-12 polypeptides with molecular masses ranging between 21 and 38 kDa. Antibodies generated against the 20 S Xenopus cylinder particles show cross-reactivity with yeast proteinase yscE subunits. The Xenopus particles and yeast proteinase yscE exhibit an identical image in electron microscopy. Both proteins appear as hollow cylinders mostly composed of four stacked annuli. The Xenopus 20 S particles exhibit proteolytic activity against the three peptide derivatives known to be substrates of proteinase yscE. The pH optimum for activity and the inhibition spectrum of the proteolytic activities of Xenopus 20 S particles and of yeast proteinase yscE are identical. The RNA content of the cylinder particles and of proteinase yscE is below 0.1 RNA chain per molecule. Our data suggest that proteinase yscE from yeast and the 20 S cylinder particles of X. laevis are homologous, highly conserved proteins carrying the catalytic character of a peptidase.

Molecular organization of a high molecular weight multi-protease complex from rat liver

A latent multifunctional protease with a molecular weight of 722,000 to 760,000 purified from rat liver cytosol has been reported. This paper reports on the structure and subunit composition of the enzyme. Electron microscopy showed that the enzyme was a ring-shaped particle of 160(+/- 7) A diameter and 110(+/- 10) A height with a small hole of 10 to 30 A diameter (1 A = 0.1 nm). Small-angle X-ray scattering analysis indicated that the enzyme had a prolate ellipsoidal structure with an ellipsoid cavity in the center. The maximum dimension of the enzyme was estimated to be 210 A from a pair-distance distribution function. The radius of gyration obtained from a Guinier plot and the Stokes radius based on the ellipsoidal model were 66 A and 76 A, respectively. On two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, the purified enzyme separated into 13 to 15 characteristic components with molecular weights of 22,000 to 33,000 and isoelectric points of 4 to 9. These multiple components were not artifacts produced by limited proteolysis during purification of the enzyme, because the cell-free translation products in a reticulocyte lysate with poly(A)-mRNA of rat liver consisted of multiple components of similar sizes, and because peptide mapping analyses with lysylendopeptidase and V8 protease demonstrated clear differences in the primary structures of these components. The 13 main components were isolated from the purified enzyme by reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography and shown to be non-identical. A model of the enzyme is proposed on the basis of these observations and previous physicochemical studies. Interestingly, the morphology of this protease is similar to that of the 16 to 22 S ring-shaped particles found in a variety of eukaryotic organisms. The structural similarity between this multi-protease complex and various reported subcellular particles is discussed.

Identity of the 19S 'prosome' particle with the large multifunctional protease complex of mammalian cells (the proteasome)

There have been many reports that eukaryotic cells contain ring-shaped 19S or 20S particles which are composed of numerous polypeptide subunits ranging in size between 25 and 35 kilodaltons. Because these particles seemed to copurify with inactive mRNA, they were assumed to function in regulating mRNA translation and hence were named 'prosomes' (for 'programmed-o-some'). A number of properties have been reported for these structures, including an association with specific RNA species or with certain heat-shock proteins and involvement in tRNA processing or aminoacyl tRNA synthesis. However, these proposed activities have not been supported by definitive evidence. During studies of the proteolytic systems in mammalian tissues, we noted many similarities between these 19S particles and the high molecular weight protease complexes that are present in most or all eukaryotic cells. This (700 kilodalton) enzyme complex, designated here as LAMP for 'large alkaline multi-functional protease', contains three distinct endoproteolytic sites which function at neutral or alkaline pH and are specific for hydrolysis of proteins, hydrophobic peptides, or basic peptides. This protease also exists in a latent form which can be activated by polylysine, fatty acids, or ATP. In this report, we show that the prosomes and these protease complexes are very similar or identical with respect to their size, polypeptide composition, immunological cross-reactivity, appearance in the electron microscope, radial symmetry of subunits, subcellular localization, and proteolytic activities. Therefore, the 'prosome' probably plays a critical role in intracellular protein breakdown, and we propose that it be renamed 'proteasome'.

A 20S particle ubiquitous from yeast to human

We have purified and characterized a particle sedimenting at 20S from the postribosomal fraction of yeast, wheat germ, Drosophila melanogaster tissue culture cells, chicken embryo fibroblasts, rabbit reticulocyte lysate, and HeLa cells. Most of the protein constituents of the 20S particle have molecular weights of 20-35 kd and differ between species; however, some do have similar molecular weights and isoelectric points, suggesting they are related. Several low-molecular-weight RNAs, distinct from tRNAs, co-purify with the particle isolated from all these species and show increasingly more complex patterns ascending the arbitrary order from yeast to human (yeast, plant, insect, bird, and mammals). In Drosophila, we present evidence that these small RNAs are tightly associated with this 20S structure.

Eukaryotic pre-tRNA 5' processing nuclease: copurification with a complex cylindrical particle

In eukaryotes pre-tRNA species are processed at the 5' end by an endonuclease. Here we describe the first characterization of the structure of a eukaryotic pre-tRNA 5' processing endonuclease. The 5' pre-tRNAase, isolated from X. laevis ovaries, copurifies with a 16S macromolecular complex consisting of at least 14 polypeptides ranging in MW from about 20,000 to 32,000. These polypeptides comprise a cylindrical particle, apparently organized as a stack of four rings, similar or identical to a ubiquitous eukaryotic subcellular particle described in the literature over the past 15 years. Similar copurification is observed for the enzyme from HeLa cells, suggesting that the X. laevis enzyme is representative of a general class of eukaryotic pre-tRNA 5' processing nuclease.

Analysis of cytoplasmic 19 S ring-type particles in Drosophila which contain hsp 23 at normal growth temperature

Cytoplasmic 19 S particles were isolated from postpolysomal supernatants of 25 degrees C Drosophila embryos and culture cells. The particles were purified by salt extraction and sucrose gradient centrifugation. Electron microscopic investigation showed that the 19 S particles possess a ring-shaped morphology with an outer diameter of 12 nm and a hollow core of 3 nm. Biochemically the particles are characterized by a group of 16 polypeptides within the molecular weight range of 35 to 23 kDa, and small RNA molecules in the size range of 200 to 60 nucleotides. The RNP character of the particles is also shown by their buoyant density in Cs2SO4 of rho = 1.29 g/cm3 and their susceptibility to uv crosslinking and density in CsCl of rho = 1.38 g/cm3. Antibodies were raised against the proteins of the 19 S particles isolated from 25 degrees C cells and tested by immunoblotting after one- and two-dimensional gel-electrophoresis. Two of the antibodies raised cross react with the small heat-shock proteins hsp 28/27 and hsp 23. Comparative protease V8 cleavage of hsp 23 and the 23-kDa particle protein demonstrates that these two proteins are identical and that the small hsp of Drosophila must be a genuine part of the 19 S cytoplasmic ring-shaped complexes at normal growth temperature. The data support the idea of a general developmental role of some of the so-called heat-shock proteins.

Ultrastructural and purification studies on human tumor nucleolar antigens and nucleolar particles

The presence of common nucleolar antigens in a broad array of human malignant tumors has led to several lines of investigations. In addition to studies on an increasing number of benign and malignant neoplasms with a variety of antibodies designed to statistically evaluate the presence of nucleolar antigens, purification procedures and chemical analyses are being used to characterize the specific antigens. The localization of the nucleolar antigens in HeLa cells was studied by the postembedding immunoelectron microscopic procedure employing rabbit antibodies to nucleoli or nuclear Tris extracts of these cells. The products of the peroxidase-antiperoxidase complexes visualized by the reaction with diaminobenzidine in nucleoli were mainly found in the nucleolonemas which contain the dense nucleolar RNP components. When these nucleoli became compact after treatment of HeLa cells with adriamycin, the distribution of the immunoreactive products was altered along with distribution of the dense nucleolar components. The human nucleolar antigens were mainly localized to nucleolar regions containing the nucleolar RNP components. Improved purification of the antigens made it possible to provide a satisfactory amino acid analysis of one pI 6.3 antigen. Interestingly, some of the nucleolar antigen was found in miniparticle undescribed until now.

Oncornavirus-like particles in malignant melanoma and control biopsies

Tests for the presence of oncornavirus-like particles in human biopsies were made by the Spiegelman simultaneous assay for 70S RNA and RNA-dependent DNA polymerase and by detection of 600-900S particles, incorporating 3H-uridine, produced by cultured biopsy cells. Thirty-one malignant melanoma biopsies from 29 patients were studied. Using the simultaneous assay, evidence of virus-like particles was found in 15/26 (58%) of melanoma biopsies, 0/3 naevi pools, 1/4 samples of skin adjacent to melanoma, 0/3 samples of normal adult skin and 0/3 prepuces. The velocity sedimentation technique was shown to be a useful screening test for oncornaviruses in studies of two virus-producing mouse cell lines (TKL-5 and WEHI-22), and was positive with 7/9 melanoma biopsies. Overall, these results are compatible with the earlier findings of similar virus-like particles in malignant melanoma cell lines, but the exact nature of the particles remains to be defined.

Consideration of atherosclerotic plaques as benign neoplasms

The monoclonal nature of atherosclerotic plaques, as well as their altered cell size, proliferation rate and function have led to the hypothesis that plaque tissue is analogous to benign tumors. To test this hypothesis, we have studied rates of DNA release by histologically-normal human arterial wall tissue and by early atherosclerotic plaques during incubation in a maintenance medium. No DNA was detected in media conditioned by normal arterial tissue after a 24 h incubation period, but plaque tissue (like benign tumors) released 10-100 ng DNA/ml during this period. These data offer additional support for the thesis that atherosclerotic plaques are similar to benign tumors.

Survey of human lymphoblastoid cell lines and primary cultures of normal and leukaemic leukocytes for oncornavirus production

Velocity sedimentation of uridine-labelled cultures was found to be more reliable than isopycnic sedimentation in detecting oncornavirus production in lymphoid cells. Of 13 cell lines (including six derivea from Burkitt's lymphomas and two from leukaemic leukocytes) only one, the leukaemia-derived, Epstein-Barr virus-producing line QIMR-WIL, showed any activity. The nature of the QIMR-WIL particles was further defined by isolation of uridine-labelled 70S RNA and by the simultaneous assay for reverse transcriptase and 70S RNA, but production of such particles was detected in only three of 10 assays. Pretreatment of cells with 5'-iododeoxyuridine or culture in arginine-free medium did not induce particle production. Syncytia assays using XC cells were negative. Of 13 primary cultures (nine samples of leukaemic leukocytes and four of cord leukocytes) treated with mitogens and subjected to inducing conditions, one (leukocytes from a patient with acute myelogenous leukaemia) showed evidence in successive assays of oncornavirus synthesis. The low and transient yield of oncornavirus-like particles obtained in this work parallels that reported in previous studies of fresh lymphoid cells and primary cultures.