Mutations in the E1a gene of adenovirus type 5 alter the tumorigenic properties of transformed cloned rat embryo fibroblast cells

Astrocyte elevated gene-1 (AEG-1) functions as an oncogene and regulates angiogenesis

Astrocyte-elevated gene-1 (AEG-1) expression is increased in multiple cancers and plays a central role in Ha-ras-mediated oncogenesis through the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt signaling pathway. Additionally, overexpression of AEG-1 protects primary and transformed human and rat cells from serum starvation-induced apoptosis through activation of PI3K/Akt signaling. These findings suggest, but do not prove, that AEG-1 may function as an oncogene. We now provide definitive evidence that AEG-1 is indeed a transforming oncogene and show that stable expression of AEG-1 in normal immortal cloned rat embryo fibroblast (CREF) cells induces morphological transformation and enhances invasion and anchorage-independent growth in soft agar, two fundamental biological events associated with cellular transformation. Additionally, AEG-1-expressing CREF clones form aggressive tumors in nude mice. Immunohistochemistry analysis of tumor sections demonstrates that AEG-1-expressing tumors have increased microvessel density throughout the entire tumor sections. Overexpression of AEG-1 increases expression of molecular markers of angiogenesis, including angiopoietin-1, matrix metalloprotease-2, and hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha. In vitro angiogenesis studies further demonstrate that AEG-1 promotes tube formation in Matrigel and increases invasion of human umbilical vein endothelial cells via the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Tube formation induced by AEG-1 correlates with increased expression of angiogenesis markers, including Tie2 and hypoxia-inducible factor-alpha, and blocking AEG-1-induced Tie2 with Tie2 siRNA significantly inhibits AEG-1-induced tube formation in Matrigel. Overall, our findings demonstrate that aberrant AEG-1 expression plays a dominant positive role in regulating oncogenic transformation and angiogenesis. These findings suggest that AEG-1 may provide a viable target for directly suppressing the cancer phenotype.

A cancer-specific transcriptional signature in human neoplasia

The molecular anatomy of cancer cells is being explored through unbiased approaches aimed at the identification of cancer-specific transcriptional signatures. An alternative biased approach is exploitation of molecular tools capable of inducing cellular transformation. Transcriptional signatures thus identified can be readily validated in real cancers and more easily reverse-engineered into signaling pathways, given preexisting molecular knowledge. We exploited the ability of the adenovirus early region 1 A protein (E1A) oncogene to force the reentry into the cell cycle of terminally differentiated cells in order to identify and characterize genes whose expression is upregulated in this process. A subset of these genes was activated through a retinoblastoma protein/E2 viral promoter required factor-independent (pRb/E2F-independent) mechanism and was overexpressed in a fraction of human cancers. Furthermore, this overexpression correlated with tumor progression in colon cancer, and 2 of these genes predicted unfavorable prognosis in breast cancer. A proof of principle biological validation was performed on one of the genes of the signature, skeletal muscle cell reentry-induced (SKIN) gene, a previously undescribed gene. SKIN was found overexpressed in some primary tumors and tumor cell lines and was amplified in a fraction of colon adenocarcinomas. Furthermore, knockdown of SKIN caused selective growth suppression in overexpressing tumor cell lines but not in tumor lines expressing physiological levels of the transcript. Thus, SKIN is a candidate oncogene in human cancer.

Insights into glutamate transport regulation in human astrocytes: cloning of the promoter for excitatory amino acid transporter 2 (EAAT2)

Glutamate transport is central to neurotransmitter functions in the brain. Impaired glutamate transport induces neurotoxicity associated with numerous pathological processes, including stroke/ischemia, temporal lobe epilepsy, Alzheimer's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Huntington's disease, HIV-1-associated dementia, and growth of malignant gliomas. Excitatory amino acid transporter-2 (EAAT2) is a major glutamate transporter in the brain expressed primarily in astrocytes. We presently describe the cloning and characterization of the human EAAT2 promoter, demonstrating elevated expression in astrocytes. Regulators of EAAT2 transport, both positive and negative, alter EAAT2 transcription, promoter activity, mRNA, and protein. These findings imply that transcriptional processes can regulate EAAT2 expression. Moreover, they raise the intriguing possibility that the EAAT2 promoter may be useful for targeting gene expression in the brain and for identifying molecules capable of modulating glutamate transport that could potentially inhibit, ameliorate, or prevent various neurodegenerative diseases.

Activation of the Notch-regulated transcription factor CBF1/RBP-Jkappa through the 13SE1A oncoprotein

Signaling through the Notch pathway controls cell growth and differentiation in metazoans. Following binding of its ligands, the intracellular part of the cell surface Notch1 receptor (Notch1-IC) is released and translocates to the nucleus, where it alters the function of the DNA-binding transcription factor CBF1/RBP-Jkappa. As a result, CBF1/RBP-Jkappa is converted from a repressor to an activator of gene transcription. Similarly, the Epstein Barr viral oncoprotein EBNA2, which is required for B-cell immortalization, activates genes through CBF1. Moreover, the TAN-1 and int-3 oncogenes represent activated versions of Notch1 and Notch4, respectively. Here, we show that the adenoviral oncoprotein 13S E1A also binds to CBF1/RBP-Jkappa, displaces associated corepressor complexes, and activates CBF1/RBP-Jkappa-dependent gene expression. Our results suggest that the central role of the Notch-CBF1/RBP-Jkappa signaling pathway in cell fate decisions renders it susceptible to pathways of viral replication and oncogenic conversion.

Human adenovirus type 9 E4 open reading frame 1 encodes a cytoplasmic transforming protein capable of increasing the oncogenicity of CREF cells

The induction of estrogen-dependent rat mammary tumors by human adenovirus type 9 (Ad9) requires the Ad9 E4 open reading frame 1 (9ORF1) protein, which alone can transform that rat embryo fibroblast cell line CREF in vitro. In the present study, independent pools of both 9ORF1-expressing and control CREF cells were generated by selection with G418 and compared with respect to transformed properties. Indirect immunofluorescence analyses revealed that more than 99% of the cells that made up the 9ORF1-transfected pools expressed 9ORF1 protein and, together with confocal laser scanning microscopy, indicated that this E4 protein was located predominantly within the cytoplasm of cells. With regard to transformation, cells of the 9ORF1-expressing pools differed from those of control pools by forming foci, displaying morphological alterations, growing more efficiently in soft agar, and reaching higher saturation densities. Following injection into immunocompetent syngeneic rats, the 9ORF1-expressing pool cells exhibited greatly enhanced oncogenicity compared with control pool cells. These results show that 9ORF1 protein (i) localizes predominantly within the cytoplasm, (ii) confers multiple general transformed characteristics to CREF cells in vitro, and (iii) increases the tumorigenic properties of these cells in vivo.

Detachment of transformed cells. Role of CD44 variants

A parallel-plate flow chamber was used to quantify the detachment of normal cloned rat embryo fibroblasts (CREF) fibroblasts, ras-transformed CREF fibroblasts (CREF T24), and CREF T24 fibroblasts transfected with a Krev/RAP1A suppressor gene (HK B1) from a confluent monolayer of normal CREF fibroblasts to determine if the expression patterns of CD44 variants (mol wt 110 and 140 kDa) corresponded with detachment properties and metastatic potential. In the detachment assay, known shear stresses ranging from 20-24 dyn/cm2 were applied to the adherent cells and the number of cells detached from the monolayer after 180 s was determined. Results showed that cellular expression of CD44 variants correlated with the metastatic potential of the cells and with the cells' ability to detach from a monolayer of normal cells. Western blot analysis showed a low level of expression of the CD44 variants in the normal cell line, CREF, and the lowly metastatic cell line, HK B1. Detachment studies showed a low percentage of detachment of both of these cell lines from a normal cell monolayer. Tumor-derived (HK B1-T) and lung nodule-derived (HK B1-M) cell lines were established and both formed tumors and metastasis with reduced latency periods as compared to HK B1, but still showed a markedly delayed latency period compared to the highly metastatic cell line, CREF T24. Both of these cell lines showed a higher expression of the CD44 variants as compared to CREF and HK B1, and detached easier than CREF and HK B1. CREF T24 showed a much higher level of expression of the variants and had a higher percentage detachment than all other cell lines. To further test the role of the CD44 variants in the ability of the cells to detach from the normal monolayer, CREF cells were transfected with a DNA construct that constitutively expresses the CD44 variants and the detachment properties of three randomly selected clones were studied. Clones 2 and 3 showed a low level of expression of the CD44 variants after transfection and detached from the normal monolayer similar to CREF. Clone 1 showed a high level of expression of the CD44 variants and the detachment of these cells was significantly higher than CREF. From these results, it is concluded that in the five cell lines studied, expression of the CD44 variants play a significant role in the ability of the cells to detach from a monolayer of normal cells. It is hypothesized that this detachment may be an important component of a cell's ability to metastasize.

Genetic analysis of carcinogen enhancement of type 5 adenovirus transformation of cloned Fischer rat embryo fibroblast cells

Pretreatment of CREF cells with methyl methanesulfonate (MMS) before infection with the host-range cold-sensitive type 5 adenovirus (Ad5) mutant H5hr1 results in a dose-dependent carcinogen enhancement of viral transformation (CET). The properties of CET observed with H5hr1, which include both an MMS dose-dependent enhancement in the number of transformed foci and an increase in transformation frequency after correction for cell toxicity, are not observed in carcinogen-pretreated wild-type (wt) Ad5 (H5wt)-infected CREF cells. This study was conducted to determine the role of the viral E1A and E1B transforming genes of H5hr1 in mediating the unique CET phenotype of H5hr1. Coinfection of MMS-pretreated CREF cells with H5wt or H5sub309 (which displays a wt Ad5 phenotype) and H5hr1 resulted in a suppression of the unique CET phenotype that was directly related to the multiplicity of infection with wt Ad5. Suppression of the unique H5hr1 CET phenotype was also apparent in MMS-pretreated CREF cells coinfected with H5hr1 and an Ad5 mutant expressing either a wt 13S E1A-encoded 289 amino-acid (aa) protein and an intact wt E1B gene or a wt 13S E1A-encoded 289-aa protein and a 22S E1B-encoded 495-aa protein. In contrast, the unique H5hr1 CET phenotype was not suppressed in MMS-pretreated CREF cells coinfected with H5hr1 and Ad5 or Ad2 mutants expressing either a wt 12S E1A-encoded 243-aa protein and both wt E1B gene products or an intact wt E1A gene and a wt E1B 13S-encoded 175-aa protein. That genetic changes in both the E1A and E1B viral regions of H5hr1 were required to induce the unique CET phenotype was also indicated by the inability of a recombinant Ad5 containing the 0-4.5 map-unit region of H5hr1 and the 4.5-100 map-unit region of H5sub309 to display the H5hr1 unique CET phenotype. Direct confirmation of the requirement for both gene regions of H5hr1 to mediate its unique CET was obtained by generating CREF cells stably expressing a wt Ad5 E1A 13S-encoded 289-aa protein and a wt E1B 22S-encoded 495-aa protein. In these CREF transformants (which displayed a CREF-like morphology), transformation by H5hr1 was not reduced, but the unique CET phenotype after MMS pretreatment was eliminated. These results suggest that alterations in both the 13S-encoded E1A and 22S-encoded E1B gene products of H5hr1 contribute to its unique CET.

Induced expression of the endogenous beta interferon gene in adenovirus type 5-transformed rat fibroblasts

Tumorigenesis is a multistep process involving both genetic and epigenetic changes resulting in altered cellular gene expression. While many phenotypic attributes of transformed cells have been described, the cellular genes responsible for these phenotypes are largely unknown. In this study, we show that the interferon-stimulated gene (ISG) ISG15 is expressed in all adenovirus type 5 (Ad5)-transformed rodent cells tested, in an E1A-dependent manner. We find that the level of ISG15 mRNA correlates with the level of the transcription factor ISGF3, which has been postulated to be the transcriptional activator of ISGs. Consistent with the activation of the interferon transduction pathway in Ad5-transformed cells, beta interferon mRNA is expressed in all but the parental untransformed cell line. The level of ISG15 mRNA in Ad5-transformed cells correlated inversely with the ability of these cells to proliferate in soft agar. This appears to have functional significance, since the phenotype of poor growth in agar could be conferred upon a cell line that grows efficiently in soft agar by using conditioned media from cells that grow poorly in soft agar. The same effect could be mimicked by applying rat interferon. We conclude that the degree of activation of the interferon signal transduction pathway explains differences in the transformation phenotypes among Ad5-transformed cell lines.

Induction and progression of the transformed phenotype in cloned rat embryo fibroblast cells: studies employing type 5 adenovirus and wild-type and mutant Ha-ras oncogenes

Transformation of cloned rat embryo fibroblast (CREF) cells with the wild-type 5 adenovirus (wtAd5) transforming genes E1A and E1B (which extend from 0 to 11.2 map units) results in morphologically transformed cells that exhibit an increased saturation density in monolayer culture and display an anchorage-independent phenotype. WtAd5-transformed CREF (wtAd5 CREF) cells do not, however, induce tumors when injected subcutaneously into athymic nude mice or syngeneic Fischer rats. We have analyzed the effect of the ras oncogene and site-specific mutants in the ras oncogene that result in p21 proteins with altered biochemical properties on the oncogenic and metastatic properties of singly (ras) and doubly (ras + wtAd5) transformed CREF cells. Transformants expressing the wild-type ras p21 protein and ras mutants producing p21 proteins that retained GTP-binding properties grew in agar, induced tumors in nude mice and syngeneic rats, and metastasized to the lungs of rats when injected into their tail veins. In contrast, cells transformed with the ras mutant 116K (which contains a mutation at residue 116 that produces a Lys instead of an Asn and does not bind GTP or induce CREF cells to grow in agar) did not become morphologically transformed and were not oncogenic when injected subcutaneously into either nude mice or Fischer rats; further, such cells were not metastatic when injected into the tail veins of Fischer rats. When the wild-type ras or the ras mutants, including 116K, were expressed in nontumorigenic E1A-plus-E1B-expressing wtAd5 CREF cells, transformed cells induced tumors in both types of animals. The CREF cells doubly transformed with 116K + wtAd5, unlike transformants containing the wild-type ras and the other ras mutants that still retained GTP binding, were still unable to induce lung metastases. In addition, 116K + wtAd5-transformed CREF cells also did not display any alterations in morphology distinguishable from wtAd5 CREF cells and were not able to grow in agar with increased efficiency. These results indicate that the loss of GTP-binding ability by this mutant p21 ras protein eliminated the ability of these proteins to induce an oncogenic phenotype in an immortal but normal CREF cell line. However, the mutant ras could cooperate with wtAd5 transforming genes in transformed CREF cells to make these cells progress to an oncogenic (but not metastatic) phenotype.

Cytokinesis is more rapid in Ha-T24-ras transfected rat embryo fibroblasts than in non-transfected control cells

It has long been known that neoplastic cells are characterized by increases in cell motility. Earlier studies from this laboratory indicated that mitotic events were also altered in many tumor and experimentally transformed cells and that this included increases in metaphase duration and a reduction in the duration of cytokinesis. The studies presented in this paper were done to determine whether or not transfection of normal rat embryo fibroblasts by the Ha-T24-ras oncogene could also produce such alterations in mitotic events. The results obtained with the use of time lapse video microscopy indicate that neither the duration of metaphase nor the rate of chromosome movement during anaphase was altered but that the rate of furrow progression during cytokinesis occurred at a significantly more rapid rate. Thus, the cellular alterations induced by transfection with Ha-T24-ras accelerate microfilament-dependent cytokinetic furrowing without significant effects on microtubule-dependent mitotic events. One of several possible mechanisms that could account for these observations involves a down regulation of protein kinase C which has been reported to occur in many neoplastic cells including those transformed by ras. Such a hypothesis could also have broader implications because it may be applicable to the increase in motility and metastatic activity generally observed in transformed cells.

Human adenovirus type 9-induced rat mammary tumors

Following subcutaneous inoculation of newborn Wistar-Furth rats with human adenovirus type 9 (Ad9), 16 of 16 female and 0 of 11 male rats developed mammary tumors. Tumor-positive animals usually developed tumors in multiple glands. Histopathological analyses indicated that three general categories of tumor could be identified. Mammary fibroadenomas were the most common tumor type encountered, but phyllodeslike tumors and solid sarcomas were also frequently found. In situ hybridization and immunohistochemical techniques established that benign fibroadenomas were derived from mammary fibroblasts (collagen type I- and vimentin-positive cells) and that malignant tumors were derived from myoepithelial cells (collagen type IV-, vimentin-, and muscle-specific actin-positive cells). The fact that mammary tumors were limited to female rats suggested that female hormones are essential for tumor growth and development. In this regard, ovariectomy of Ad9-infected female rats prevented tumor development, while subsequent diethylstilbestrol (DES) treatment elicited tumor formation. In addition, Ad9-infected and castrated male rats which received DES also developed mammary tumors. Established male mammary tumors regressed when DES treatment was stopped and reappeared after DES treatment was resumed. Together, these results indicate that estrogen is required for both initiation and maintenance of Ad9-induced mammary tumors. Southern blot analysis of high-molecular-weight tumor DNA showed that mammary tumor cells contained single or multiple integrated copies of the entire Ad9 genome. RNase protection experiments established that estrogen receptor as well as Ad9 E1a and E4 mRNAs were expressed in mammary tumors, but Ad9 E3 and, surprisingly, E1b mRNAs were not expressed at detectable levels.

The influence of the presence of adenovirus 5 E1a and E1b sequences on the pathology of rat embryonic fibroblasts transfected with activated c-Ha-ras and v-ras

We compared the pathology of two groups of tumors following implantation of cells enmeshed in alginate beads into the syngeneic rat. The first group of tumors was generated by implanting alginate beads containing cloned embryonic fibroblasts (CREF) that were transfected with activated c-Ha-ras (T24) and v-ras (pH1) (CREF tumors). The second group was created by implantation of CREF cells that were transfected with E1a and E1b of wild type adenovirus type 5 prior to transfection with T24 and pH1 (Wt tumors). Alginate beads were implanted at three different sites in the rat, i.e. subcutaneous in the flank, subcutaneous in the tail and under the renal capsule. Tumorigenicity, invasiveness and metastatic capacity of the transfectant cell lines were determined. The tumor latency period (TLP), the doubling time of the tumors and the metastatic capacity of the cell lines depended on the site of implantation. Invasion was not influenced by site-dependency. Wt tumors were invasive and generally had longer TLP than the CREF tumors. Wt tumors did not metastasize to the lungs as opposed to CREF tumors. We concluded that the genetic background of Wt cells modulated the effect of ras transfection by stretching the TLP and by limiting the metastatic potential to the draining lymph nodes. Malignancy per se was not repressed since no differences in invasive capacity were noticed.

Suppression of adenovirus type 5 E1A-mediated transformation and expression of the transformed phenotype by caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE)

Viral transformation and DNA-transfection assays were employed to investigate the differential toxic effect of caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE), an extract of the honeybee hive product propolis, on adenovirus type 5 (Ad5)-transformed cloned rat embryo fibroblast (CREF) cells. CAPE inhibited, in a dose-dependent manner, both de novo and carcinogen-enhanced transformation of CREF cells by H5hr1, the cold-sensitive (cs) host-range mutant of Ad5. CAPE had a selective inhibitory effect on Ad5-induced transformation when a wild-type (wt) Ad5 E1A gene or a cs Ad5 E1A gene (at 37 degrees C, but not at 32 degrees C) was cotransfected into CREF cells with a dominant-acting bacterial hygromycin-resistance gene. A requirement for the expression of Ad5 E1A-encoded mRNAs and transforming proteins and sensitivity to CAPE was demonstrated using CREF cells stably transformed by a cs Ad5 E1A gene and an Ad5 E1A gene under the transcriptional control of a mouse mammary tumor virus promoter. To distinguish between the effects of the two Ad5 E1A-encoded proteins of 289 amino acids (aa) and 243 aa, CREF cells were stably transformed with cDNAs encoding either the 13S or the 12S E1A mRNA. CREF cells expressing the 13S E1A-encoded 289-aa protein were more sensitive to the growth-suppressing effect of CAPE than cells producing only the 12S E1A-encoded 243-aa protein. However, the growth-suppressing and toxic effects of CAPE were greatest in cells expressing both E1A-encoded transforming proteins. Analysis of the effect of CAPE on E1A and beta-actin gene expression in wt and cs E1A and H5hr1-transformed CREF cells indicated that low levels of CAPE, which were growth suppressive, did not selectively suppress E1A expression. These results demonstrated that cellular changes induced in CREF cells by the 13S E1A-encoded 289-aa protein of Ad5, when expressed alone or in combination with the 12S E1A-encoded 243-aa protein, rendered transformed cells sensitive to the growth-suppressing and toxic effects of CAPE.

Enhancement of adenovirus transformation of cloned rat embryo fibroblast cells by gamma irradiation

We have analyzed the effect of gamma irradiation on the induction of morphological transformation of cloned rat embryo fibroblast (CREF) cells by the host-range cold-sensitive type 5 adenovirus mutant, H5hr1. Treatment of CREF cells with 1-6 Gy of gamma irradiation immediately prior to viral infection resulted in dose-dependent decrease in cell survival and concomitant increase in viral transformation frequency. Exposure of CREF cells to 1-6 Gy of gamma radiation alone resulted in a similar dose-dependent inhibition in cell survival but without any subsequent morphological transformation. The effect of gamma irradiation on viral transformation was greatest when cells were irradiated directly before viral infection. The reduction in the enhancement of transformation was both dose and time dependent. The ability of gamma irradiation to enhance viral transformation was substantially reduced if CREF cells were treated with inhibitors of RNA (actinomycin D) and protein (cycloheximide) synthesis. Employing a single-cell colony transfer assay and in situ hybridization with a 32P-labeled Ad5 DNA probe, we found that gamma irradiation of CREF cells prior to infection with H5hr1 resulted, 10 and 17 d after infection and replating, in an increase in the percentage of surviving CREF colonies that contain Ad5 DNA. Analysis of viral DNA integration by DNA-filter hybridization (Southern blot analysis) in H5hr1-transformed CREF clones isolated from untreated and gamma-irradiated cultures indicates that gamma irradiation caused increases in both the number of copies of Ad5 E1A DNA sequences integrated into cellular DNA and the number of unique Ad5 E1A DNA integration sites in transformed cells. These results indicate that gamma irradiation enhancement of adenovirus transformation was a consequence of radiation-induced cellular factors with finite life spans that are mediators of enhanced viral transformation. Potentially important components of the radiation enhancement process appear to involve an alteration in both the retention of free Ad5 DNA in surviving cells and an alteration in the profile of viral-DNA integration in gamma-irradiated cells.

Regulation of adenovirus and cellular gene expression and of cellular transformation by the E1B-encoded 175-amino-acid protein

Mutants of type 5 adenovirus that fail to express the E1B-gene-encoded 175-amino-acid (175R) protein are unable to morphologically transform primary or continuous cultures of rat embryo fibroblast cells. This phenotype could result from a direct effect of this E1B polypeptide (along with E1A polypeptides) on cellular gene expression resulting in a pathway leading to altered cell growth or from an indirect role of the 175R protein made possible by its ability to modulate viral early-gene (most likely E1A) expression. To distinguish between these two models, viruses were constructed that expressed the individual E1A 13S and 12S genes in the presence of either the E1B 175R or 495R protein. Regardless of the E1A gene product that was expressed, viruses that failed to express the E1B 175R protein were transformation defective. Additional studies suggest that the E1A 289R protein and E1B 495R protein function in a common pathway leading to the establishment of the transformed cell. We also observe that E3 gene expression by viruses that fail to express the E1A 289R protein affects the efficiency of focus formation. When tested in both nonpermissive CREF cells and permissive HeLa cells, the lack of 175R protein expression appeared to have no effect (a transient twofold decrease in E1A mRNA accumulation was observed in CREF cells) on viral early-gene expression. These results suggest that the initiation of the transformed cell phenotype occurs because of some interaction in a common pathway between the viral E1A proteins and E1B 175R protein. Furthermore, we have shown that the E1B 175R protein does not enhance the rate of transcription initiation from the mouse immunoglobulin heavy chain gene promoter when these sequences are localized on a viral genome, and it does not diminish the ability of the E1A proteins to decrease the rate of enhancer-dependent transcription.

Regulation of thyroidal inducibility of Na,K-ATPase and binding of epidermal growth factor in wild-type and cold-sensitive E1a mutant type 5 adenovirus-transformed CREF cells

We have analyzed the relationship between expression of the transformed phenotype and thyroid hormone (triiodothyronine, T3) inducibility of Na,K-ATPase and binding of 125I-epidermal growth factor (EGF) to cell membrane receptors in wild-type (wt) and mutant type 5 adenovirus (Ad5)-transformed CREF cells displaying a cold-sensitive (cs) expression of the transformed phenotype. CREF cells respond to thyroid hormone treatment with increased Na,K-ATPase activity and bind similar levels of 125I-EGF at 32 degrees C, 37 degrees C and 39.5 degrees C. In contrast, CREF cells transformed by wt Ad5 or the E1a plus E1b-transforming genes of wt Ad5 are refractile to T3 treatment and bind lower levels of 125I-EGF than CREF cells at all three temperatures. By employing a series of cloned CREF cell lines transformed by a host-range cold-sensitive mutant virus, H5hr1 or H5dl101, or the E1a or E1a plus E1b genes from these viruses, we have investigated expression of the transformed state and its relationship with hormone inducibility and EGF binding. When cs virus, cs E1a- or cs E1a plus E1b-transformed CREF clones were grown at 32 degrees C, a nonpermissive transforming temperature in which cs-transformed cells exhibit properties similar to untransformed CREF cells, T3 induced Na,K-ATPase activity and these cells bound similar levels of 125I-EGF as CREF cells. However, when cs virus- and cs Ela plus E1b-transformed CREF clones were incubated at 37 degrees C or 39.5 degrees C, temperatures at which cs-transformed cells exhibit properties similar to wt Ad5-transformed CREF cells, they did not respond to T3 and bound lower levels of 125I-EGF than CREF cells. In the case of cs E1a-transformed CREF clones, thyroid hormone responsiveness was observed at both 32 degrees C and 37 degrees C, but not at 39.5 degrees C. By performing temperature shift experiments--i.e. 32 degrees C to 37 degrees C, 32 degrees C to 39.5 degrees C, 37 degrees C to 32 degrees C, and 39.5 degrees C to 32 degrees C, it was demonstrated that after a shift from lower to higher temperature a 24-hr lag period was required for cs-transformed CREF cells to lose T3 inducibility and exhibit reduced EGF binding, whereas 96 hr after a shift from higher to lower temperature a 96-hr lag period was required for cs-transformed cells to regain T3 inducibility and increased 125I-EGF binding.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Mutations in the E1a gene of type 5 adenovirus result in oncogenic transformation of Fischer rat embryo cells

Transformation of a specific clone of Fischer rat embryo (CREF) cells with wild-type 5 adenovirus (Ad5) or the E1a plus E1b transforming gene regions of Ad5 results in epithelioid transformants that grow efficiently in agar but that do not induce tumors when inoculated into nude mice or syngeneic Fischer rats. In contrast, CREF cells transformed by a host-range Ad5 mutant, H5hrl, which contains a single base-pair deletion of nucleotide 1055 in E1a resulting in a 28-kd protein (calculated) in place of the wild-type 51-kd acidic protein, display a cold-sensitive transformation phenotype and an incomplete fibroblastic morphology but surprisingly do induce tumors in nude mice and syngeneic rats. Tumors develop in both types of animals following injection of CREF cells transformed by other cold-sensitive Ad5 E1a mutants (H5dl101 and H5in106), which contain alterations in their 13S mRNA and consequently truncated 289AA proteins. CREF cells transformed with only the E1a gene (0-4.5 m.u.) from H5hrl or H5dl101 also produce tumors in these animals. To directly determine the role of the 13S E1a encoded 289AA protein and the 12S E1a encoded 243AA protein in initiating an oncogenic phenotype in adenovirus-transformed CREF cells, we generated transformed cell lines following infection with the Ad2 mutant pm975, which synthesizes the 289AA E1a protein but not the 243AA protein, and the Ad5 mutant H5dl520 and the Ad2 mutant H2dl1500, which do not produce the 289AA E1a protein but synthesize the normal 243AA E1a protein. All three types of mutant adenovirus-transformed CREF cells induced tumors in nude mice and syngeneic rats. Tumor formation by these mutant adenovirus-transformed CREF cells was not associated with changes in the arrangement of integrated adenovirus DNA or in the expression of adenovirus early genes. These results indicate, therefore, that oncogenic transformation of CREF cells can occur in the presence of a wild-type 13S E1a protein or a wild-type 12S E1a protein when either protein is present alone, but does not occur when both wild-type E1a proteins are present.