A putative role for nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide-promoted nuclear protein modification in the antitumor activity of N-methyl-N-nitrosourea.

Incubation of HeLa cells with the anticancer agent N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU) results in: (a) depression of intracellular nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide levels; (b) stimulation of the chromatin-associated, chromosomal protein-modifying enzyme polyadenosine diphosphoribose [poly(ADP-ribose)] polymerase, which uses nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide as substrate; and (c) some fragmentation of cellular DNA. DNase treatment of HeLa nuclei in vitro also stimulates poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase activity, but not in nuclei derived from MNU-treated cells unless they have been subsequently incubated to allow for recovery from MNU damage. DNA polymerase activity is stimulated in vitro by poly(ADP) ribosylation of nuclear proteins. By using intact nuclei derived from MNU-treated HeLa cells, the repair via elongation of single-strand DNA breaks is demonstrated in vitro. This repair is dependent on DNA polymerase activity and is enhanced by adenosine diphosphate ribosylation of histones. Inhibition of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase with nicotinamide results in extensive degradation of MNU-damaged DNA. Taken as a whole, these results suggest that poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase may play a role in the repair of alkylation damage to cellular DNA and that the inhibition of this enzyme in vivo might be exploited to potentiate the antitumor and carcinogenic activities of MNU.     

Effect of 1-methyl-1-nitrosourea on poly(adenosine diphosphate-ribose) polymerase activity at the nucleosomal level.

The stimulation of poly(adenosine diphosphate ribose) [poly(ADP-ribose)] polymerase activity at the nuclear level after damage of HeLa cells by 1-methyl-1-nitrosourea has been previously reported. We have observed a similar activation of the enzyme after treatment of cells with MNU at the nucleosomal level of chromatin (greater than 1N). This stimulation of enzyme activity did not occur through an inhibition of the glycohydrolase enzyme which cleaves poly(ADP-ribose), or elongation of poly(ADP-ribose) chains, or an increased biosynthesis of enzyme protein. The increased activity appears to be a consequence of the generation of more acceptor sites on nuclear proteins for initiation of poly(ADP-ribose) synthesis. The data indicate that MNU increased the accessibility of nucleosome core histones for modification by poly(ADP) ribosylation.     

Nuclear protein changes in rat hepatomas correlating with growth rate.

The nature of nuclear proteins that are soluble in 8 M urea-50 mM phosphate, pH 7.6, was compared in rat liver and Morris hepatomas, Isoelectric focusing, using carrier ampholytes for a pH gradient of 3.5 to 10, indicated that with increasing growth rate of the hepatomas there was a progressive tendency for a decrease in nonhistone nuclear proteins with isoelectric points in the range 7.5 to 8.9 and an increase in the range 5.1 to 6.7. Studies on the influence of time on the pH gradient revealed that a nonuniform drift provided a better resolution of the pH range 7.5 to 8.9 at 7 hr than at 24 hr, while the latter time for electrofocusing gave an improved resolution of the pH range 5.1 to 6.7 Polyarcylamide gel electrophoresis in a urea-acetic acid system showed that 8 M urea-50 mM phosphate; pH 7.6 extracted a small part of the histones from nuclei of both liver and hepatomas. There was less extraction of histones from the hepatoma nuclei, especially in two rapidly growing hepatomas with the most notable difference being seen in the lysine-rich H1 histone. The results suggested that in addition to qualitative or quantitative changes in nonhistone nuclear proteins in liver cancer there are alterations in the binding of histones to chromatin.     

Effect of bleomycin on [3H]Thymidine 5'-Triphosphate incorporation into host liver and hepatoma nuclei.

The effect of bleomycin on [3H]thymidine 5'-triphosphate ([3H]TTP) incorporation into isolated sucrose nuclei from host liver and Morris hepatomas has been compared. Bleomycin stimulates [3H]TTP incorporation 13-fold in host liver and hepatoma 16 nuclei, 8-fold in hepatoma 7800 nuclei, and 3-fold in hepatoma 7777 nuclei. Differences in the nuclear membranes are not responsible for the different response of the nuclei. Nuclei, denuded of their membranes by Triton X-100 treatment, give similar results to sucrose nuclei. Analysis of DNA extracted from liver or hepatoma nuclei incubated with bleomycin indicates that bleomycin produces scissions in the nuclear DNA and that some repair synthesis takes place. Incubation of nuclei with 111indium-labeled bleomycin shows an equal binding capacity of liver and hepatoma nuclei for bleomycin. Bleomycin also stimulates incorporation of [3H]TTP in a system using chromatin or calf thymus DNA as primer. Host liver or hepatoma chromatin incubated with a DNA polymerase extracted from normal rat liver nuclei is stimulated approximately to the same extent by bleomycin. When DNA polymerase extracts from host liver and hepatoma nuclei are assayed with calf thymus DNA as primer, bleomycin has a greater stimulatory effect on [3H]TTP incorporation with host liver DNA polymerase than with hepatoma DNA polymerase in the system. We suggest that a defect in the repair system in hepatoma nuclei is responsible for the relatively lower response to bleomycin.     

DNA synthesis in membrane-denuded nuclei and nuclear fractions from host liver and Morris hepatomas.

Incorporation of [3H]TTP into membrane-denuded nuclei and fractions of these nuclei from host liver and Morris hepatomas has been compared. Treatment of sucrose nuclei with Triton X-100 removed 95% of the phospholipids and 15 to 20% of the protein. These membrane-denuded nuclei remained physically stable. The Triton X-100-extracted nuclei incorporated label into their DNA in nuclear-incorporating system similar to sucrose nuclei with their membranes intact. Triton X-100-treated nuclei from hepatoma 7777 incorporated six times more label and those from hepatoma 7800 incorporated three times more label than Triton X-100-treated host liver nuclei. Nuclei from the three sources incorporated more label when exogenous DNA was added to the incubation system, but the difference in incorporation between the hepatoma nuclei and the host liver nuclei disappeared. When Triton X-100-treated nuclei, prepared from a tumor-bearing animal given injections of [3H]thymidine for 10 min were fractionated on sucrose gradients after disruption by high Mg2+ concentration, the fractions from hepatoma 7777 nuclei contained six times as much label as the host liver nuclear fractions. Nuclear fractions prepared from unabeled hepatomas or host livers had DNA polymerase activity. The activity, however, is the same in fractions prepared from hepatoma 7777 or host liver nuclei. It is suggested that the nuclear membrane does not play an important role in nuclear DNA synthesis. It is further suggested that the increased incorporation found with hepatoma nuclei is dependent on a physical or chemical arrangement of components within the nucleus and not solely on different enzyme levels.     

Poly(adenosine diphosphoribose) polymerase activity and adenosine diphosphate ribosylation of proteins during pancreatic degeneration and regeneration

The activity of poly(adenosine diphosphoribose) polymerase was measured in isolated rat pancreatic nuclei and was found to increase during pancreatic nuclei which follows an ethionine treatment, although a possible relationship of enzyme activity to the initial degenerative phase may also be considered. There is a 2-fold increase in the enzyme activity during the destruction process which remains high during the regeneration period. This increase of activity observed during regeneration is not related to a decrease of the polymer degradation. We have studied the adenosine diphosphate ribosylation of proteins during pancreatic regeneration, and we have found increases in the level of adenosine diphosphate ribosylations of these proteins just before regeneration and during the regeneration period. The in vivo adenosine diphosphate ribosylation of nuclear proteins does not correlate with synthetase activity measured in nuclei during the degeneration period but does correlate during the regeneration period and thereafter with the relative amount of enzymatic activity found in nuclei. Furthermore, as verified by autoradiography, labeling of the nuclei by polyadenosine diphosphoribose polymer shows a marked increase during regeneration.     

Binding of benzo(a)pyrene and (+/-)-7 beta,8 alpha-dihydroxy-9 alpha, 10 alpha-epoxy-7,8,9, 10-tetrahydrobenzo(a)pyrene to histones

AKR-2B mouse embryo cells were incubated for 24 hr with [3H]benzo(a)pyrene, and the histones were isolated and analyzed using one- and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and autoradiography. The results revealed that (a) histones H1, H2A, and H3 incorporated significant amounts of label whereas little or no label was associated with histones H2B and H4 and (b) electrophoresis of the histones in the Triton:acid:urea gel system caused labeled histones to have a slower migration than did the corresponding unlabeled histones. Additional studies such as incubation of (+/-)-7 beta,8 alpha-[3H]dihydroxy-9 alpha,10 alpha-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo(a)pyrene with nuclei resulted in radioactive labeling of histones H1, H2A, H2B, and H3 and of high-mobility-group proteins HMG1 and HMG2. The low levels of label associated with histone H4 in the whole-cell and nuclear studies were further investigated by incubating isolated histones with (+/-)-7 beta,8 alpha-[3H]dihydroxy-9 alpha,10 alpha-epoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo(a)pyrene. Under these conditions, negligible amounts of radioactivity were associated with H4, while significant labeling of H1, H2A, H2B, and H3 and other nuclear proteins was observed. The results suggest that factors other than the presence of suitable nucleophilic acceptor sites on the histones may be necessary for carcinogen binding.     

Adenosine deaminase and adenosine kinase in rat hepatomas and kidney tumours.

Adenosine deaminase and adenosine kinase have been measured in rat liver, 12 transplantable hepatomas, regenerating, foetal and neonatal liver, adult and neonatal rat kidney and 2 transplantable kidney tumours. Adenosine, deaminase activity, relative to the normal liver value, was elevated 2-4 fold in hepatomas of rapid growth rate, was in the normal range in more slowly growing hepatomas and in regernerating liver, and was low in foetal and neonatal liver. Adenosine kinase activity was decreased, relative to rat liver values, in all the hepatomas; activity of this enzyme gave a negative correlation with tumour growth rate. Kinetic properties of the two enzymes were examined in partially purified preparations. Adenosine deaminases from both liver and rapidly growing hepatoma 3924A were subject to weak product inhibition by inosine. Adenosine kinase from liver and hepatoma 3924A was inhibited by the reaction products ADP and AMP, and the enzyme was also subject to excess substrate inhibition by concentrations of ATP in excess of 1 mM. In rat hepatoma cell lines growing in culture, the toxicity of adenosine correlated inversely with the ratio of adenosine deaminase activity to adenosine kinase activity. Chromatographic measurements showed that hepatoma cells incorporated less extracellular adenosine into their adenine nucleotide pools than did isolated liver cells. These results indicate that increased adenosine deaminase activity and decreased adenosine kinase activity may confer a selective advantage upon the cancer cell.     

Changes in 3H-thymidine incorporation into the DNA by histones from normal and tumor tissues

Attempts were made to isolate a factor from tumor tissue which, after injection, enhances the 3H-thymidine incorporation into the DNA of mice. This factor was in the cell nuclei and was extractable together with acid-soluble nuclear proteins (histones). Additional purification showed that this factor was either closely bound with the very lysine-rich histone (F1), or it was this histone itself. Acid-soluble nuclear proteins prepared from liver and thymus did not influence the incorporation of 3H-thymidine into DNA after injection. The very lysine-rich histone (F1) in these extracts was in an inactive form. It could be activated by separation from other acid-soluble nuclear proteins. Purified, the very lysine-rich histone (F1) enhanced the 3H-thymidine incorporation into DNA, regardless of its being prepared from tumor or nontumor tissues. By enhancing the incorporation of 3H-thymidine into DNA after injection, the very lysine-rich histone (F1) significantly differed from arginine-rich (F2aF3) and lysine-rich (F2b) histones which suppressed the 3H-thymidine incorporation.     

Partial characterization of specific nuclear triiodothyronine binding sites in two transplantable Morris hepatomas in the rat

Binding sites for 3,3' -5-triiodo-L-thyronine are shown to be present in nuclei prepared from either the 5123tc or the 7777 minimal-deviation murine hepatomas. Certain of the apparent in vivo characteristics of these binding proteins in the hepatomas were found to differ from those seen in host liver nuclei. The maximal binding capacities of these binding sites in the tumors were found to be 60% of that in host rat liver nuclei, and the percent-occupancy in vivo somewhat elevated in the tumors. On the other hand, intrinsic affinity constants (Ka) were found similar when comparing the liver and hepatoma nuclei. Also, using DEAE-Sephadex column chromatography, the binding sites in the 7777 tumor were found to co-elute with similar proteins derived from host liver nuclei. It is concluded then that any differences noted between the characteristics of these binding sites in the liver and hepatoma nuclei are on a functional rather than on a structural basis. A possible connection between the lowered levels of these binding sites in hepatoma nuclei and the proliferative rates of these tumor cells is suggested.     

Increased histone acetylation and deacetylation in rat ascites hepatoma cells

Rates of histone acetylation and deacetylation in nuclei from fetal, adult, and two kinds of neoplastic rat hepatocytes were examined. Histone acetylation in isolated nuclei was measured in the presence of 6 mM sodium n-butyrate, a potent inhibitor of deacetylase, and in the absence of the inhibitor. The deacetylase activity was estimated from the difference between the rates with or without the inhibitor. Both histone acetylation and deacetylation in nuclei from hepatoma cells (AH 66 cells) occurred two times faster than those of nuclei from fetal and adult livers regardless of alpha-fetoprotein production. This increased acetylation and deacetylation in hepatoma cells may be ascribed to either the increased activities of the enzymes or the increased accessibility of histone to the enzymes in the chromatin. Autoradiographic analysis of acetylated histones showed that all of the internal histones of the nucleosomes were acetylated and that apparent difference was found in the pattern of acetylated fractions between hepatoma nuclei and normal liver cell nuclei.     

Preferential binding of the carcinogen benzo[a]pyrene to proteins of the nuclear matrix

Rat liver nuclei or hepatocytes were incubated with the procarcinogen benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) and its ultimate carcinogen, anti-benzo[a]pyrene-7,8-diol-9,10-epoxide (BPDE). When nuclei were fractionated by mild micrococcal nuclease digestion into different chromatin regions to determine the distribution of covalent binding to proteins, there was a much higher level of B[a]P bound to proteins of the non-released fraction than to those of released mono- and oligonucleosomes. When non-released material was further fractionated with 2 M NaCl, the highest level of B[a]P binding was found in the proteins of the salt-insoluble fraction. Electrophoretic analysis of [3H]B[a]P-modified nuclear proteins revealed radioactive species migrating in the regions of histones H1 and H3, high mobility group (HMG) proteins 1 and 2, and various high mol. wt non-histone proteins. The non-released fraction contained prominent B[a]P-modified species migrating in the position of the lamins, major components of the nuclear matrix. To confirm B[a]P modification of nuclear matrix proteins, following exposure to B[a]P or BPDE, nuclei were fractionated by a different procedure into an active chromatin fraction, a bulk chromatin fraction, a high-salt-extracted chromatin fraction and a nuclear matrix fraction. Proteins of the nuclear matrix bound consistently more B[a]P metabolites than those of bulk chromatin. This was true following exposure to B[a]P or both low and high concentrations of BPDE, in contrast to previous data on damage to nuclear matrix DNA. Proteins of active chromatin bound more carcinogen than bulk chromatin proteins at low concentrations of BPDE, but less than bulk chromatin at higher concentrations, in parallel with previous data on DNA damage in active chromatin. The potential significance of B[a]P binding to nuclear matrix proteins is discussed.     

Characterization of protein phosphorylation of the cytosol of AH-66 hepatoma ascites cells

Endogenous phosphorylation reaction of the cytosol fraction of AH-66 hepatoma ascites cells in vitro was compared with that of normal rat liver. Cytosolic proteins with molecular weights of 125,000, 98,000, and 40,000 of AH-66 cells were heavily phosphorylated in a cyclic adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate-independent manner, but no counterpart was detected in normal liver cytosol. In order to examine whether these phosphoproteins were specifically present in AH-66 cytosol, cyclic adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate-independent protein kinases which phosphorylate these phosphoproteins were partially purified from AH-66 and liver cytosol by successive chromatography. Both kinase preparations were essentially free of endogenous protein substrates and catalyzed the phosphorylation of exogenous substrates, such as casein and phosvitin, but not histone and protamine. Both kinases markedly catalyzed the phosphorylation of the Mr 125,000, 98,000, and 40,000 proteins in AH-66 cytosol. The Mr 125,000, 98,000 and 40,000 proteins in liver cytosol were less intensely phosphorylated by the addition of the kinase from AH-66 cytosol. From these results, we conclude that these phosphoproteins are present in both AH-66 cytosol and liver cytosol but are highly concentrated in AH-66 cytosol.     

The binding of aflatoxin B1 to rat liver nuclear proteins and its effect on DNA-dependent RNA synthesis

This paper reports studies on the binding of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) to rat liver nuclear proteins in vivo and in vitro, and its effect on RNA synthesis. Two hours after rats (200 g) were given a single i.p. injection of 300 micrograms AFB1 containing 50 microCi [3H]AFB1/100 g body wt, AFB1 was found bound to the free nuclear proteins (29.7 pmol/mg protein), histones (20.3 pmol/mg protein) and chromatin-bound non-histone proteins (13.8 pmol/mg protein). The binding of AFB1 to histones was further studied in vitro. We found that for a given type of histone, the binding level varied greatly depending on the conditions used. Under both in vivo and in vitro conditions, however, H3 was always the most efficient substrate, and H4/H2B always the least efficient substrates for AFB1 binding. These results suggest that the binding preference was mainly related to the intrinsic properties of the histone type, and was little affected by the geometric arrangement of the histones in chromatin. Using nuclear proteins added to the RNA synthesizing system in vitro, we found that only the histone fraction had a strong inhibitory effect. Further studies, however, indicated that this inhibition was not due to histones per se, but rather to poly-ADP-ribosylated histones present in the histone preparations. No detectable difference in effect was found between control and AFB1-bound nuclear proteins on RNA synthesis. Moreover, higher levels of AFB1 binding to histones did not potentiate the inhibitory effect. We therefore conclude, and in direct support to our previous correlation studies (see the preceding paper), that the binding of AFB1 to nuclear proteins has no inhibitory effect on RNA synthesis.     

Comparison of nuclear nonhistone phosphoproteins of rat liver and Novikoff hepatoma.

As part of a continuing comparison of nuclear proteins of tumors and other tissues, 32P-labeled nuclear proteins were extracted successively with 0.15 and 0.35 m NaC1 from the nuclei of normal, regenerating, and thioacetamide-treated rat liver as well as Novikoff hepatoma 3 hr after injection of 32Pi into rats. Separation of proteins of these fractions with aqueous phenol was carried out before two-dimensional electrophoresis on polyacrylamide gels. By autoradiography many common spots were found, but four 32P-labeled protein spots, CU', C13p, C21p, and CMp, were found in the Novikoff hepatoma and not in the various liver samples studied. Two spots, B6 and B10, were found in the liver patterns and not in the tumor. Sot B33 was very dense in regenerating liver but was only a faint spot in thioacetamide-treated liver. The greater density of Spots CU', C13p, C21p, and CMp in the tumor patterns is consistent with the increased density reported earlier for spots of the C-region of a variety of tumors.     

Elevated concentration of a dexamethasone-receptor translocation inhibitor in Novikoff hepatoma cells.

Despite the apparent similarity of the dexamethasone-receptor concentration in the rat liver and Novikoff hepatoma cytoplasms, the in vitro translocation of the dexamethasone-receptor complex into liver or hepatoma nuclei was three times greater from liver as compared to hepatoma cytosol; both cytosols showed an apparent saturation of nuclear receptor sites. Although the competitive interaction of the receptor complex with nuclei suggested that they were qualitatively similar, the translocation of additional dexamethasone-receptor from liver cytosol into nuclei presaturated with the receptor complex from hepatoma cytosol suggested that they were different. However, the latter observation, as well as the initial differential nuclear uptake of the dexamethasone-receptor complex from liver and hepatoma cytosols, can be accounted for by a higher concentration of a translocation inhibitor in the hepatoma cytosol. Thus hepatoma cytosol, at a protein concentration of 6 mg/ml and free of activated receptor complex, was four times more inhibitory to nuclear uptake of the activated complex than was a comparable preparation of liver cytosol. A study of the kinetics of nuclear uptake of the partially purified dexamethasone-receptor complex from hepatoma confirmed that, in the absence of cytoplasmic translocation inhibitor, nuclear acceptor sites were not limiting in vitro. Evidence is presented which suggests, but does not prove, that the cytoplasmic translocation inhibitor functions as such in the intact cell.     

Effect of camptothecin and adriamycin on bleomycin-induced tritiated thymidine triphosphate incorporation in a rat nuclear system.

We investigated the effect of camptothecin and adriamycin on [3H]TTP incorporation and bleomycin-stimulated [3H]TTP incorporation in host liver and hepatoma nuclei of rats. Camptothecin neither stimulated nor inhibited incorporation in the regular nuclear incorporating system. Bleomycin stimulated incorporation to a much greater extent in host liver nuclei and slow-growing hepatomas than it did in the fast-growing hepatoma 7777. Addition of camptothecin to bleomycin stimulated incorporation of [3H]TTP even further. This camptothecin stimulation was slightly greater in hepatoma nuclei than it was in host liver nuclei. Adriamycin inhibited [3H]TTP incorporation in the regular system as well as the bleomycin-induced incorporation. Hepatoma nuclei were more sensitive to this inhibition than were host liver nuclei. Sucrose density gradients indicated that camptothecin caused DNA strand scissions in addition to those produced by bleomycin. Camptothecin alone produced some single-strand but no double-strand scissions. The action of bleomycin was dependent on sulfhydryl-reducing agents. Camptothecin could partially substitute for this requirement. Adriamycin did not produce DNA breaks as determined by neutral or alkaline sucrose density gradients. Despite complete inhibition of bleomycin-induced [3H]TTP incorporation, adriamycin did not prevent bleomycin-induced DNA breaks. The inhibitory effect of adriamycin might have been on the repair system.     

Histone deacetylase inhibitors induce in human hepatoma HepG2 cells acetylation of p53 and histones in correlation with apoptotic effects

This report shows that histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACIs) induced apoptosis in human hepatoma HepG2 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Trichostatin A (TSA), ITF2357 and suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA), which were very effective agents, caused apoptotic effects after a lag phase of 12-16 h. In order to elucidate the mechanism of HDACIs action in HepG2 cells we have studied the effects of TSA, ITF2357 and SAHA on acetylation of p53 and histones H2A, H2B, H3 and H4. It was observed that HDACIs rapidly induced acetylation of these proteins, being the effects clearly visible already at 30 min of treatment at the same doses which caused apoptosis. Analysis of the immunocomplexes, obtained from nuclear extracts using an antibody against p53, revealed the presence of acetylated p53 together with acetylated forms of histones and histone acetyltransferases p300 and PCAF. Experiments performed using pifithrin-alpha, a reversible inhibitor of p53, showed a correlation between acetylation of p53 and induction of apoptosis. In addition treatment with siRNA against p53 indicated that p53 is involved in the acetylation of histones. In conclusion, this report suggests that complexes constituted by acetylated p53, acetylated histones and coactivators can play a central role in HDACI-induced apoptosis in HepG2 cells.