Premature condensation induces breaks at the interface of early and late replicating chromosome bands bearing common fragile sites

Various studies suggest a tight relationship between chromosome rearrangements driving tumor progression and breaks at loci called common fragile sites. Most of these sites are induced after perturbation of the replication dynamics, notably by aphidicolin treatment. We have mapped the majority of these sites to the interface of R and G bands, which calls into question the previous assignment of aphidicolin-sensitive sites to R bands. This observation suggests that most of them correspond to loci that ensure the transition between early and late replicating domains. We show that calyculin A, which triggers chromosome condensation at any phase of the cell cycle but does not markedly impair replication, induces damage in the chromosomes of human lymphocytes treated in G(2) but not in G(1) phase. We demonstrate that these lesions colocalize with those induced by aphidicolin treatment. Hence, common fragile site stability is compromised, whether aphidicolin delays replication or calyculin A advances condensation. We also show that, in cells that go through an unperturbed S phase, completion of their replication and/or replication-associated chromatin reorganization occur all along the G(2) phase, which may explain their inability to condense properly after calyculin A treatment during this phase of the cell cycle.     

Initial amplification of duck hepatitis B virus covalently closed circular DNA after in vitro infection of embryonic duck hepatocytes is increased by cell cycle progression.

The relationship between the cell cycle and early amplification of duck hepatitis B virus covalently closed circular (CCC) DNA was studied after in vitro infection of fetal hepatocytes. We first showed that embryonic hepatocytes proliferated for at least 6 days after plating and that complete viral replication including CCC DNA amplification occurred in these proliferating cells. Addition of sodium butyrate or aphidicolin reversibly blocked cells in the G1 phase and diminished CCC DNA synthesis, which was restored after drug withdrawal, concomitantly with the entry of cells into S phase. Cell cycle progression of fetal hepatocytes can be triggered by stimulation with epidermal growth factor (EGF), hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), and tumor growth factor alpha (TGF-alpha). CCC DNA synthesis increased with progression to the S phase induced by EGF, HGF, and TGF-alpha alone or in combination. By contrast, tumor growth factor beta (TGF-beta) alone or in combination with EGF inhibited cell proliferation and viral DNA synthesis. By double labeling, viral nucleocapsids were found predominantly in bromodeoxyuridine-positive hepatocytes, indicating that high viral replication occurs preferentially in proliferating hepatocytes. CCC DNA was also detected mainly in cells in the S and G2/M phases separated from cells in the G1 phase by cell sorting. Taken together, these results show that hepatocyte proliferation may positively regulate the initial amplification of CCC DNA of avian hepadnaviruses, and may explain why mitosis is not necessarily associated with loss of CCC DNA.     

Hexamethylenebisacetamide-induced erythroleukemia cell differentiation involves modulation of events required for cell cycle progression through G1.

Hexamethylenebisacetamide (HMBA), a potent inducer of differentiation of transformed cells such as murine erythroleukemia cells, causes a prolongation of the G1 phase of the cell cycle during which commitment to terminal differentiation is first detected. Removal of HMBA prior to the G1 phase aborts commitment. To further define the relationship between the G1 phase and commitment to differentiation, we used two inhibitors of cell cycle progression: aphidicolin, which blocks cells at the G1/S interphase, and deferoxamine, which blocks cells at an earlier stage during G1. HMBA-induced prolongation of G1 is associated with the accumulation of underphosphorylated retinoblastoma protein, decrease in cyclin A protein levels, and commitment to differentiation. G1 arrest of murine erythroleukemia cells induced by aphidicolin or deferoxamine is not associated with accumulation of under-phosphorylated retinoblastoma protein, suppression of cyclin A protein, or commitment of cells to terminal differentiation. Neither of the cell cycle inhibitors alters the effect of HMBA in inducing the G1-associated changes or commitment to differentiation. Taken together, the present findings indicate that the site of action of HMBA which leads to commitment is in a stage of the G1 phase prior to the point of cell cycle block caused by deferoxamine or aphidicolin. HMBA appears to cause cell differentiation with suppression of cell cycle progression by an action that affects events required for cell progression through G1, including accumulation of underphosphorylated retinoblastoma protein and changes in regulation of cyclin levels.     

血清饥饿法用于细胞周期同步化的方法学研究

目的探讨血清饥饿法进行细胞周期同步化实验的影响因素。方法用无血清和低血清浓度培养基饥饿Anip973和AGZY83-a两种人肺腺癌细胞系，分别在培养48h、72h和5d时收集各组细胞，用流式细胞分析仪分析细胞周期各时相细胞百分数。结果Anip973细胞系在含O．2％FBS的RPMI1640培养基中培养5d得到理想结果，G0-G1期细胞百分比高达84．19％。AGZY83-a在含O．2％FBS的RPMI1640培养基中培养48h也获得较满意的结果，G0-G1期细胞百分比达61．30％。结论细胞类型、血清浓度和饥饿时间是血清饥饿法进行细胞周期同步化实验成功与否的影响因素。可应用血清饥饿法使不同细胞系同步于G0-G1期。     

Colony stimulating factor-induced differentiation of murine M1 myeloid leukemia cells is permissive in early G1 phase.

Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) induces differentiation of M1 murine myeloid leukemia cells into mature granulocytes/macrophages and also causes accumulation of the cells in the G1 phase of the cell cycle. We examined, therefore, whether synchronization of M1 cells in the G1 phase could affect G-CSF-induced differentiation as quantitated by expression of Fc fragment receptors (FcR) and lysozyme activity. Cells were arrested in early G1 by density inhibition in the absence of serum and in late G1 by addition of aphidicolin. Cells synchronized in early G1, when stimulated with G-CSF, showed enhanced expression of FcR and lysozyme activity. Eighty percent of the cells expressed FcR 18 hr after addition of G-CSF while, in exponentially growing cells, this percentage was reached 72 hr after addition of G-CSF. Cells synchronized in late G1 did not show enhanced expression of differentiation markers. These results imply that with respect to G-CSF-induced differentiation, the G1 phase can be separated into an early permissive and a later nonpermissive stage.     

Regulation of human lung epithelial cell numbers by diesel exhaust particles.

Particulate air pollution is associated with respiratory morbidity and has cytotoxic and pro-inflammatory effects. The effects of diesel exhaust particles (DEP) on proliferation and apoptosis of A549 lung epithelial cells were examined. When deprived of serum (serum starvation), epithelial cell numbers fell, but DEP (5-200 microg.mL-1) prevented this. Using flow cytometric analysis of propidium iodide (PI) staining, DEP (10 microg.mL-1) increased cells in the S phase of cell cycle from 12.85 to 18.75% after 48 h, reversing serum starvation-induced G0/1 arrest. DEP also reduced the increase in apoptotic cells, as defined by double expression of annexin V/PI, observed after serum starvation (from 28.35 to 15.46%). The antioxidants, N-acetylcysteine (NAC; 33 mM) and AEOL10113 (10-100 microM), the N-terminal c-jun kinase inhibitor, SP600125 (33 microM), and nuclear factor-kappaB inhibitor, SN50 (33 microM), inhibited DEP-induced cell number increase. NAC inhibited DEP-induced reduction of G0/1 and increase in cells in the S and G2/M phases. Expression of p21CIP1/WAF1 mRNA and protein seen with serum starvation was reduced by DEP. In conclusion, diesel exhaust particles prevented serum starvation-led decreases in A549 epithelial cells by inducing cell cycle progression and preventing apoptosis, processes involving oxidative stress, inhibition of p21CIP1/WAF1 expression and stimulation of N-terminal c-jun kinase and nuclear factor-kappaB. Therefore, low-dose diesel exhaust particle exposure may lead to lung epithelial cell hyperplasia.     

Different cell cycle regulation of vascular smooth muscle in genetic hypertension

Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) from spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) proliferate faster than those from Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY). Therefore regulation of cell cycle progression was examined in VSMC from both strains. Analysis of G1 progression was performed in VSMC synchronized by serum starvation. Double staining for propidium iodide and bromodeoxyuridine revealed that G1 progression was faster in SHR as compared with WKY. Indeed, 59+/-6% of VSMC from SHR but only 14+/-10% of those from WKY had left G1 phase after 24 hours of mitogenic stimulation. Moreover, 15+/-2% of SHR cells had already completed the cycle at this time point. Western blot analysis demonstrated that the level of cyclin D, cyclin E, and cyclin A was higher in SHR cells progressing through G1 phase, whereas expression of cyclin-dependent kinase 2 as well as the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors p21 and p27 were similar in the two groups. Consistent with a higher level of cyclins, the activity of cyclin-dependent kinase 2 was more pronounced in SHR cells. Analysis of G2 progression was performed in VSMC synchronized by treatment with aphidicolin and revealed an additional difference in cell cycle regulation between SHR and WKY. Indeed, the level of cell division cycle kinase 2 was higher in cells from SHR, whereas that of its catalytic partner cyclin B was similar. Consistent with this pattern of expression, the activity of cell division cycle kinase 2 was more pronounced in VSMC from SHR as compared with WKY. Thus, these data demonstrate that the different proliferation of VSMC from SHR and WKY is related to a different progression in G1 phase as the result of the expression of cyclin D, cyclin A, and cyclin E as well as a different progression in G2 phase caused by expression of cell division cycle kinase 2.     

Hepatitis C virus core protein induces apoptosis and impairs cell-cycle regulation in stably transformed Chinese hamster ovary cells

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is associated with the development of hepatocellular carcinoma. Several lines of evidence suggest that the core protein of HCV may play a role in the development of this cancer. The authors examined regulation of the cell cycle in stable cell lines derived from Chinese hamster ovary (CHO-K1) cells that constitutively expressed one or more of the structural proteins of HCV. In media containing low concentrations of serum (serum starvation), cell lines expressing the core protein showed a significantly lower population of viable cells than noncore-expressing cells. The low viability of the core-expressing cells was a result of the increased population of cells undergoing apoptosis. Interestingly, the cell cycle analysis revealed that the arresting function at G(0) was impaired, and the cell cycle was accelerated in core-expressing cell lines even under serum starvation. Thus, the HCV core protein sensitizes the apoptosis to serum starvation, although it promotes the cell cycle in CHO-K1 cells. To explain these findings, the authors examined the expression of revival apoptosis and cell-cycle-related genes. Expression of the c-myc genes was significantly induced in core-expressing cells in response to serum starvation. Other apoptosis-inducing genes downstream of c-myc, p53, p21WAF1/CIP1 and Bax were significantly highly induced, although there was no induction of Bcl-2, which prevents apoptosis in core-expressing cells. Thus, the HCV core protein induced apoptosis and impaired the regulation of the cell cycle by activating c-myc expression, whereas the p53 and Bax pathways play a role in the induction of apoptosis.     

Tolerance and Persistence of Ebola Virus in Primary Cells from Mops condylurus,a Potential Ebola Virus Reservoir

Although there have been documented Ebola virus disease outbreaks for more than 40 years, the natural reservoir host has not been identified. Recent studies provide evidence that the Angolan free-tailed bat (Mops condylurus), an insectivorous microbat, is a possible ebolavirus reservoir. To investigate the potential role of this bat species in the ecology of ebolaviruses, replication, tolerance, and persistence of Ebola virus (EBOV) were investigated in 10 different primary bat cell isolates from M. condylurus. Varying EBOV replication kinetics corresponded to the expression levels of the integral membrane protein NPC1. All primary cells were highly tolerant to EBOV infection without cytopathic effects. The observed persistent EBOV infection for 150 days in lung primary cells, without resultant selective pressure leading to virus mutation, indicate the intrinsic ability of EBOV to persist in this bat species. These results provide further evidence for this bat species to be a likely reservoir of ebolaviruses.     

CAPG Is Required for Ebola Virus Infection by Controlling Virus Egress from Infected Cells

The replication of Ebola virus (EBOV) is dependent upon actin functionality, especially at cell entry through macropinocytosis and at release of virus from cells. Previously, major actin-regulatory factors involved in actin nucleation, such as Rac1 and Arp2/3, were shown important in both steps. However, downstream of nucleation, many other cell factors are needed to control actin dynamics. How these regulate EBOV infection remains largely unclear. Here, we identified the actin-regulating protein, CAPG, as important for EBOV replication. Notably, knockdown of CAPG specifically inhibited viral infectivity and yield of infectious particles. Cell-based mechanistic analysis revealed a requirement of CAPG for virus production from infected cells. Proximity ligation and split-green fluorescent protein reconstitution assays revealed strong association of CAPG with VP40 that was mediated through the S1 domain of CAPG. Overall, CAPG is a novel host factor regulating EBOV infection through connecting actin filament stabilization to viral egress from cells.     

Kinetic analysis of regulatory events in G1 leading to proliferation or quiescence of Swiss 3T3 cells.

Kinetic analysis of cellular response to serum deprivation or inhibition of protein synthesis was performed on Swiss 3T3 cells. Time-lapse cinematographic analysis of individual cells transiently exposed to serum-free medium (with or without the addition of purified growth factors) or cycloheximide enabled a detailed mapping of the magnitude and variability of cellular response in different parts of the cell cycle. In all cells, in all stages of the cell cycle, serum deprivation resulted in inhibition of protein synthesis, but only in postmitotic cells in the first 3-4 hr of G1 (here denoted the G1pm phase) did it produce cell-cycle arrest. During G1pm, the cells are highly dependent on the continuous presence of serum growth factors and a high level of protein synthesis in order to progress toward mitosis. A 1-hr exposure to serum-free medium or to cycloheximide was sufficient to force most G1pm cells into a state of quiescence (G0), from which the cells required 8 hr to return to G1pm. During G1pm the cells complete the growth factor-dependent processes leading to commitment for proliferation. Thereafter they enter the growth factor-independent pre-DNA-synthetic part of G1 (here denoted G1ps). The commitment process in G1pm could be successfully completed in the presence of platelet-derived growth factor as the only supplied growth factor. Epidermal growth factor and insulin were insufficient for the completion of the commitment processes in G1pm, although they were able to temporarily prevent the G1pm cells from entering G0 during serum starvation. Under conditions optimal for proliferation, the cells complete the commitment processes in G1pm within a remarkably constant time period. Almost all cells in the population left G1pm and entered G1ps between the third and fourth hour after mitosis. The duration of G1ps, on the other hand, showed a large intercellular variability consistent with a transition-probability event. In fact, G1ps accounts for most of the variability in G1 and cell cycle time.     

Mode of action of erythropoietin (Epo) in an Epo-dependent murine cell line. II. Cell cycle dependency of Epo action

Erythropoietin (Epo), a glycoprotein hormone, regulates the proliferation and differentiation of committed erythroid progenitor cells. We investigated the effect of Epo on the kinetics of an Epo-dependent cell line (DA-1ER), which was cloned from the murine interleukin 3-dependent cell line, DA-1. Flow cytometry and [3H]thymidine incorporation were used to analyze the cell cycle. Removal of Epo from the culture medium resulted in the accumulation of the cells in the G1 phase. Eighteen hours after the removal of Epo, 75%-80% of the cells were arrested in G1 phase. Readdition of Epo to these quiescent cells allowed them to progress from the G1 to the S phase with a lag period of 10 h. Epo was required throughout the lag period in order to achieve maximal DNA synthesis. When the cells were arrested in the G2/M phase or the G1/S interphase by colcemid and thymidine, respectively, and then released from the arrest, they could complete the cell cycle in the absence of Epo. These findings suggest that Epo is only required in the G1 phase for the cells to progress through the cell cycle.     

Endothelial adhesion of synchronized gastric tumor cells changes during cell cycle transit and correlates with the expression level of CD44 splice variants

AIM: To study adhesion capacity and CD44 expression of human gastric adenocarcinoma MKN45 cells at different stages of a first cell cycle. METHODS: MKN45 cells were synchronized by aphidicolin and assayed for adhesion to an endothelial cell (HUVEC) monolayer. Surface expression of CD44 and CD44 splice variants on MKN45 cells was evaluated by flow cytometry. Functional relevance of CD44 adhesion receptors was investigated by blocking studies using anti CD44 monoclonal antibodies or by hyaluronan digestion. RESULTS: Adhesion of MKN45 to HUVEC was increased during G2/M transit, after which adhesion returned to baseline levels with cell cycle completion. In parallel, CD44 splice variants CD44v4, CD44v5, and CD44v7 were all up-regulated on MKN45 during cell cycle progression with a maximum effect in G2/M. The function of CD44 surface receptors was assessed with specific receptor blocking monoclonal antibodies or removal of hyaluronan by digestion with hyaluronidase. Both strategies inhibited tumor cell adhesion to HUVEC by nearly 50%, which indicates that MKN45-HUVEC-interaction is CD44 dependent. CONCLUSION: CD44 expression level is linked to the cell cycle in gastrointestinal tumor cells, which in turn leads to cell cycle dependent alterations of their adhesion behaviour to endothelium.     

Cell cycle-dependent modulation of telomerase activity in tumor cells.

Telomerase is a ribonucleoprotein complex that is thought to add telomeric repeats onto the ends of chromosomes during the replicative phase of the cell cycle. We tested this hypothesis by arresting human tumor cell lines at different stages of the cell cycle. Induction of quiescence by serum deprivation did not affect telomerase activity. Cells arrested at the G1/S phase of the cell cycle showed similar levels of telomerase to asynchronous cultures; progression through the S phase was associated with increased telomerase activity. The highest level of telomerase activity was detected in S-phase cells. In contrast, cells arrested at G2/M phase of the cell cycle were almost devoid of telomerase activity. Diverse cell cycle blockers, including transforming growth factor beta1 and cytotoxic agents, also caused inhibition of telomerase activity. These results establish a direct link between telomerase activity and progression through the cell cycle.     

Colony-stimulating factor (CSF) controls proliferation of CSF-dependent cells by acting during the G1 phase of the cell cycle.

Proliferation of granulocyte/macrophage (GM) progenitor cells in soft agar cultures is dependent on the continuous presence of colony-stimulating factors (CSF). To elucidate this dependency we studied the effect of deprivation and readdition of CSF on the cell cycle kinetics of a GM-CSF-dependent murine mast/basophil cell line (PT-18). Flow cytometry and [3H]thymidine incorporation have been used to analyze the complete cell cycle. Removal of CSF from the culture medium resulted in accumulation of the cells in the G1 phase. Eighteen hours after removal of CSF, 85% of the cells were arrested in G1 phase. Readdition of GM-CSF to such quiescent cells was followed by progression of the cells from G1 into S phase with a lag period of 10 hr. A similar lag period was observed when cells released from G2+M arrest progressed, in the presence of CSF, to S phase via the G1 phase. These findings indicate that deprivation of GM-CSF does not move PT-18 cells out of the cycle to a G0 phase but rather arrests them at early G1 phase. Finally, we demonstrate that, for the cells to progress through the cell cycle, the requirement for the presence of GM-CSF is limited to the first 6 hr of the 10-hr duration of the G1 phase.     

Synthesis of human immunodeficiency virus DNA in a cell-to-cell transmission model.

Cell-to-cell transmission of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) was modelled by coculturing virus-infected cells with uninfected target cells at a ratio of 1:4. While H9 cells persistently infected with HTLV-IIIB did not contain unintegrated viral DNA detectable by Southern blotting, when cocultured with uninfected HUT-78 cells the mixed culture effectively underwent a new round one-step virus replication which began de novo synthesis of free viral DNA within 4 hours. Linear DNA was synthesized before the accumulation of circular DNA, and two seemingly distinct phases of viral DNA synthesis were involved. When both virus donor cells and recipient cells were arrested in the G0/G1 phase of the cell cycle, accumulation of circular viral DNA was inhibited. In contrast to cell-free virus infection of resting human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), where no free viral DNA of discrete sizes could be detected by Southern blot, cell-to-cell transmission infection of resting PBMC resulted in the synthesis of full-length linear as well as circular viral DNA. The efficiency with which cell-to-cell transmission of HIV initiates virus replication underlines the importance of this mode of transmission in virus dissemination in vivo.     

Endothelial adhesion of synchronized gastric tumor cells changes during cell cycle transit and correlates with the expression level of CD44 splice variants

AIM: To study adhesion capacity and CD44 expression of human gastric adenocarcinoma MKN45 cells at different stages of a first cell cycle.METHODS: MKN45 cells were synchronized by aphidicolin and assayed for adhesion to an endothelial cell (HUVEC)monolayer. Surface expression of CD44 and CD44 splice variants on MKN45 cells was evaluated by flow cytometry.Functional relevance of CD44 adhesion receptors was investigated by blocking studies using anti CD44 monoclonal antibodies or by hyaluronan digestion.RESULTS: Adhesion of MKN45 to HUVEC was increased during G2/M transit, after which adhesion returned to baseline levels with cell cycle completion. In parallel, CD44splice variants CD44v4, CD44v5, and CD44v7 were all upregulated on MKN45 during cell cycle progression with a maximum effect in G2/M. The function of CD44 surface receptors was assessed with specific receptor blocking monodonal antibodies or removal of hyaluronan by digestion with hyaluronidase. Both strategies inhibited tumor cell adhesion to HUVEC by nearly 50%, which indicates that MKN45-HUVEC-interaction is CD44 dependent.CONCLUSION: CD44 expression level is linked to the cell cycle in gastrointestinal tumor cells, which in turn leads to cell cyde dependent alterations of their adhesion behaviour to endothelium.     

Insulin and insulin-like growth factors stimulate deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis in PC12 pheochromocytoma cells

The effects of insulin and insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) on the replication of PC12 pheochromocytoma cells were investigated. Incubation of PC12 cells for 2-3 days in low (0.3%) serum medium decreased [3H]thymidine incorporation into PC12 cell DNA to approximately 30% of that in control (15% serum) medium. Incubation of the cells in low serum medium also slowed the growth of the cultures and increased the percentage of cells in the G0/G1 phase of the cell cycle. Addition of insulin to cells in low serum medium increased [3H]thymidine incorporation into the cells, increased the number of cells in PC12 cultures, and decreased the percentage of cells in the G0/G1 phase of the cell cycle. IGF-I and IGF-II also increased [3H]thymidine incorporation into PC12 cells incubated in low serum medium. IGF-I (EC50, approximately 0.3 nM) was a more potent stimulus of [3H]thymidine incorporation than was insulin (EC50, approximately 3.5 nM). These data suggest that insulin and IGFs are growth factors for PC12 cells, and that the growth-promoting effects of these agents may be mediated by a type I IGF receptor on PC12 cells.     

The activity of extracellular signal-regulated kinase is required during G2/M phase before metaphase–anaphase transition in synchronized leukemia cell lines

The pharmacological inhibitors of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) have been suggested as a novel molecular target-based therapy for acute myeloid leukemia. Several studies have established the role of ERK in cell cycle progression from G₁ to S phase in response to mitogen, but the role of ERK after the restriction point is less clarified. In this study, we used models of aphidicolin and nocodazole-synchronized HL-60 and NB4 leukemia cell lines to determine the kinetics of ERK activity during the progression of the cell cycle and to test the effects of commercially available inhibitors on G₂/M progression of synchronized leukemia cells. In aphidicolin-synchronized cells, the activity of ERK was low during early S phase and increased at late S and G₂/M phase of the cell cycle. The presence of MEK inhibitors PD 98059 and U0126 caused a delay in G₂/M phase. In nocodazole-synchronized cells, the activity of ERK was low during M/G₁ transition and MEK inhibitors had no effects on return of the cells to G₁ phase. These results demonstrate that the activity of ERK is required during G₂/M phase of leukemia cell cycle before the cells reach metaphase–anaphase transition.     

Cellular levels of thymosin immunoreactive peptides are linked to proliferative events: evidence for a nuclear site of action.

Thymosin alpha 1 (T alpha 1), the N-terminal 28-amino acid fragment of prothymosin alpha (ProT alpha), and ProT alpha, although originally isolated from whole thymus extracts, are also present in nonthymic cells and tissues. We used an ELISA with an antibody raised against T alpha 1 to investigate the relationship between intracellular levels of thymosin immunoreactive peptide(s) (TIP) and cell proliferation in a rat small intestinal IEC-6 cell line. Increasing TIP levels were observed during cell proliferation, which decreased when proliferation was halted by cellular contact inhibition. Serum feeding of cells previously rendered quiescent by serum starvation resulted in a significant increase in TIP within 1 hr. Conversely, serum starvation decreased TIP levels within 1 hr. Peak TIP levels appeared after 3 hr of serum incubation, while maximum [3H]thymidine incorporation was noted after 9 hr, suggesting maximum TIP concentrations in the G1 phase of the proliferative cycle. Immunoelectron microscopy demonstrated an association of TIP with condensed nuclear chromatin. These results support a relation of intracellular TIP levels to IEC-6 cell proliferation and also a nuclear site of action. HPLC analysis of cellular homogenates from proliferating IEC-6 cells revealed a peak of immune reactivity that elutes in the position of T alpha 1.