Cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase activity in normal and neoplastic rat mammary cells grown in monolayer culture.

The activity of cyclic 3':5'-nucleotide phosphodiesterase (PDE) (EC 3.1.4.17) was measured in cultured normal and neoplastic rat mammary epithelium. Total PDE activity in normal cells was 1.6 to 6 times higher than that in tumor cells over a concentration range of 0.01 to 1 mM cyclic adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate. PDE activity was distributed between the low-speed (4000 x g) particulate and supernatant fractions in both cell lines, with the particulate fraction possessing 60 to 70% of the total. Double reciprocal kinetic plots were nonlinear, suggesting the presence of high- and low-affinity PDE activities. Similar, but not identical biphasic curves obtained from both normal and neoplastic cells suggested that at least two different PDE activities were present in a membrane-bound as well as a soluble form. Apparent Michealis constants for the high-affinity enzyme ranged from 2 to 6 muM; the low-affinity enzyme was 1 mM. In the presence of 10 mM caffeine and at a substrate concentration of 1 muM, PDE activity was inhibited 40 and 80% of basal levels in normal and tumor cells, respectively. In general, the membrane-bound enzyme was inhibited to a greater extent than the soluble, regardless of the cell line examined. Although normal cells exhibited higher PDE activities in terms of total specific activity, when soluble activities were compared at low substrate concentrations, the opposite was the case. At a substrate concentration of 0.01 muM, normal cell, low-Km soluble specific activity was 40% less than comparable tumor cell activity. Our results support the contention that PDE is induced by its own substrate, cyclic adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate. In addition, they suggest that the low cyclic adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate steady-state levels characteristic of malignant cells are maintained by a soluble high-affinity isozyme of PDE.     

Purification and characterization of high-affinity cyclic adenosine 5'-monophosphate phosphodiesterases from human acute myelogenous leukemic cells

Soluble, high-affinity cyclic adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate (cyclic AMP) phosphodiesterases extracted from blast cells of patients with acute myelogenous leukemia have been characterized by physical, kinetic, and immunological criteria and fractionated to a high degree of purity. Procedures used in this study were similar to those used to purify the high-affinity enzyme from dog kidney. Two forms of high-affinity enzyme were found in blast cells. Form A was similar to the known type IV phosphodiesterases, including those of normal lymphocytes and monocytes. It showed a molecular weight near 60,000, a rate of hydrolysis of cyclic AMP 7 to 10 times that of cyclic guanosine 3':5'-monophosphate (cyclic GMP), competitive inhibition by cyclic GMP for cyclic AMP hydrolysis, and identical immunoreactivity by Western transfer analysis. This enzyme form was purified to apparent homogeneity by physical criteria but showed a low maximum velocity relative to other phosphodiesterase forms. A second, different form of high-affinity phosphodiesterase (Form B) was also resolved and partially purified. By comparison with Form A, this enzyme eluted from diethylaminoethyl cellulose at slightly lower ionic strength, had a lower molecular weight, appeared specific for cyclic AMP as substrate, showed no inhibition of cyclic AMP hydrolysis by cyclic GMP, and displayed no immunological cross-reactivity to the Mr 60,000 enzyme. Neither enzyme form was activated by calmodulin or proteolysis, whereas both showed comparable inhibition by 6,7-dimethoxy-1-veratrylisoquinoline, 1-methyl-3-isobutylxanthine, and 1,3-dimethylxanthine.     

Cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases in neoplastic and nonneoplastic human mammary tissues.

Cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase activity was studied in 33 malignant neoplastic, 2 benign neoplastic, and 18 nonneoplastic human mammary tissues. Enzyme activity, using both cyclic adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate and cyclic guanosine 3':5'-monosphosphate as substrates, was measured in whole homogenates over a concentration range of 1 to 100 muM. Specific activity was calculated at substrate concentrations of 1 muM (low KM enzyme activity) and 100 muM (high KM activity). Diethylaminoethyl cellulose chromatography was used to separate the different enzyme species. The malignant neoplastic tissues had higher levels of both low-KM cyclic adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate and low-KM cyclic guanosine 3':5'-monophosphate phosphodiesterases. Further, the mean value of the ratio of low-km cyclic adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate to low-KM cyclic guanosine 3':5'-monophosphate activity was higher for the cancer tissues than for the nonneoplastic tissues. Diethylaminoethyl cellulose chromatography indicated the presence of three enzymes in both neoplastic and nonneoplastic mammary tissue. The kinetic as well as regulatory properties of the separated enzymes indicated that they are distinct enzyme activities. The phosphodiesterase properties were similar for neoplastic and nonneoplastic tissues and resembled those described previously in many other mammalian tissues. While both neoplastic and nonneoplastic tissues had detectable levels of the protein activator for phosphodiesterase, the cancer tissues appeared to have a higher level.     

Effect of epidermal growth factor and 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate on the phosphorylation of soluble acidic proteins in A431 epidermoid carcinoma cells

Treatment of [32P]phosphate prelabeled intact human A431 epidermoid carcinoma cells with epidermal growth factor (EGF, 100 ng/ml) or 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA, 10(-7)M) resulted in a selective enhancement in the phosphorylation of the following soluble acidic proteins: a phosphoprotein with a molecular weight of 17,000 (pp17; similar notation used throughout) pI approximately 5.5); pp27 (pI approximately 5.5); pp34 (pI approximately 6.2); and pp80 (pI approximately 4.5) as detected by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. EGF or TPA induced a 4- to 6-fold increase in the phosphorylation of pp17 and a 2- to 4-fold increase in the phosphorylation of pp27, pp34, and pp80 within 15 min after treatment of subconfluent A431 cells. Alkali treatment of the gels removed most of the incorporated [32P] phosphate from the phosphoproteins, including pp27, pp34, and pp80; however, the phosphoester bond in pp17 was stable to alkaline hydrolysis since there was no removal of [32P]phosphate from this protein. Treatment of A431 cells with dibutyryl cyclic adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate (1 mM) also increased the phosphorylation of pp17, pp27, and pp34 but not of pp80. Activation of endogenous calcium- and phospholipid-dependent protein kinase C in the cytosol of A431 cells in a cell-free system resulted in the enhanced phosphorylation of pp27, pp34, and pp80 but not of pp17 while exogenous addition of the catalytic subunit of cyclic adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate-dependent protein kinase to cytosol preparations resulted in the phosphorylation of pp17, pp27, and pp34, but not of pp80. These results demonstrate that at least four soluble acidic proteins are phosphorylated in A431 cells in response to either EGF or TPA in vivo suggesting that these two agents may exert part of their biological effects on A431 cells through a biochemical pathway involving the phosphorylation of several common proteins; moreover, the studies suggest that these four acidic proteins may be substrates in vitro for protein kinase C and/or a cyclic adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate-dependent protein kinase.     

Effects of dibutyryl cyclic adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate on the growth of cultured human small-cell lung carcinoma and the specific cellular activity of L-dopa decarboxylase

High activity of L-dopa decarboxylase separates small (oat)-cell from non-small-cell lung cancer in cell culture. The present study investigates relationships between the specific cellular activity of this enzyme and: (a) cell growth kinetics of an established line (O-H-1) of human small cell lung carcinoma, and (b) responses of these cells to treatment with cyclic adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate and sodium butyrate. The O-H-1 cells, as for most other established small-cell lines, grow as suspended cell aggregates. During growth, the specific cellular activity of L-dopa decarboxylase parallels levels for [3H]thymidine labeling index and the ratio of cells in G2-M to those in G1-G0 phases of the cell cycle. Each of these parameters is 2- to 3-fold higher during exponential versus stationary growth. Continuous treatment with dibutyryl cyclic adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate (dcAMP; 0.1 or 1 mM) and 1 mM theophylline produces simultaneous cessation of cell growth and an increase in cellular L-dopa decarboxylase activity. During this period, analyses of DNA histograms reveal an increase in the number of cells in the G2-M phase; the rate of increase in the ratio of G2-M to G1-Go cells paralleled the rate of increase in specific activity of the enzyme. The effects of the dcAMP were promptly reversible; release of the apparent G2-M block preceded regrowth of the cells and was accompanied by a return of L-dopa decarboxylase activity to base-line levels. The changes in enzyme activity were specific for cyclic adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate; another cyclic adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate analogue, 8-bromo adenosine cyclic 3':5'-monophosphate yielded similar increases in L-dopa decarboxylase to those seen with dcAMP, while 0.01 to 1 mM butyrate alone produced the inhibition of cell growth but no changes in specific activity of L-dopa decarboxylase or percentage of cells in the different phases of the cell cycle. We conclude that the specific activity of L-dopa decarboxylase, a key neuroendocrine marker for cultured small-cell lung carcinoma, is highest during proliferative growth and/or when these cells are in the G2M phase of the cell cycle. The differential effects of dcAMP and sodium butyrate offer potential for exploring neuroendocrine differentiation in this important lung cancer and related endocrine neoplasms.     

Cyclic adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate-dependent protein phosphorylation and the control of leukemia L1210 cell growth

Synergistic increases in the survival of mice bearing an L1210 leukemia tumor have been demonstrated previously after treatment with 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea together with theophylline over those treated with either agent alone. These results imply that manipulation of cyclic adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate (cyclic AMP) levels in L1210 cells may result in alteration of sensitivity to chemotherapy and alterations in tumor growth. In the present study, we have shown that in vivo treatment of L1210 cells with theophylline results in changes in intracellular cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase activity levels as well as in an apparent redistribution of both the nuclear and cytoplasmic isozymes. Biochemical events in the tumor cells immediately after administration of theophylline in vivo or a cyclic AMP analog (8-parachlorophenylthio cyclic adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate in vitro were independent of the presence of 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea. The changes apparently involve signal transduction via the adenylate cyclase system and manifest as: (a) increased sensitivity of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase to activation by cyclic AMP after treatment of L1210 cells with theophylline; (b) decrease in endogenous nuclear protein phosphorylation sites; and (c) protein kinase isozyme redistribution between nuclear and extranuclear compartments, i.e., a relative increase of the type I isozyme activity in the nuclear and of the type II isozyme activity in the 900 x g supernatant fractions after treatment of the mice with theophylline. The relative activity increases are accompanied by a relative decrease of type II activity from the nucleus and type I isozyme activity from the 900 x g extranuclear supernatant fraction. These events appear temporally related to changes in nuclear RNA metabolism as evidenced by altered kinetics of RNA precursor uptake and incorporation into tumor cell RNA after treatment. These results imply that the cyclic AMP-dependent phosphorylative modification of intracellular proteins may play a regulatory role in tumor cell growth and in theophylline-mediated tumor regression.     

Characterization of the cyclic adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate effector system in hormone-dependent and hormone-independent rat mammary carcinomas

We have compared the properties of cyclic adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate (cAMP)-dependent protein kinases I and II in hormone-dependent/cAMP-sensitive (DMBA tumor) and hormone-independent/cAMP-resistant (DMBA 1 tumor) rat mammary carcinomas. cAMP-resistance was not due to less total kinase in the hormone-independent tumor, grossly altered distribution between soluble and particulate forms of the kinase (80% soluble in either tumor), alteration in the relative proportion of isozymes I and II of the protein kinase (the soluble and the particulate fraction from both tumors contained about 50% of either isozyme), or a decreased sensitivity towards cAMP (both isozymes had affinities for cAMP and its derivatives that corresponded closely with those of isozymes from normal tissues). Furthermore, the sensitivity of the enzymes towards thermal denaturation was identical for samples from the two tumor types. Subtle differences did, however, exist between the regulatory moieties [regulatory subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase II (RII)] of isozyme II from the two tumors: autophosphorylated RII from the hormone-independent tumor migrated as a doublet corresponding to Mrs 54,000 and 52,000 on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels, against Mrs 53,000 and 52,000 for RII from the hormone-dependent tumor; RII from the two tumors showed different elution profiles upon DEAE-cellulose chromatography; a considerable proportion of the soluble RII in the hormone-independent tumor formed supramolecular aggregates as judged by size-exclusion chromatography. No such microheterogeneity was noted for isozyme I. This study thus shows that the lack of cAMP-responsiveness of one tumor is related either to a defect distal to the cAMP-dependent protein kinases or to the appearance of the new subtype of RII in the resistant tumor. If the latter explanation is correct, it means that the part of the RII molecule responsible for interaction with other proteins rather than that responsible for cAMP-binding and control of protein kinase activity modulates the growth-inhibiting response to cAMP.     

Arrest of hormone-dependent mammary cancer growth in vivo and in vitro by cholera toxin

Growth of 7,12-dimethylbenz(alpha)anthracene-induced mammary carcinoma in rat was arrested by daily s.c. injections of cholera toxin. At a dose of 2 micrograms/200-g rat, tumors regressed to 50% of their initial size within 2 weeks, and 85% of tumors regressed completely within 4 to 5 weeks. The same response to cholera toxin was observed with another hormone-dependent mammary tumor, MTW9, but not with the hormone-independent tumors, DMBA No. 1 and MT 13762. The latter result was consistent with the lack of response of these hormone-independent tumors to hormone removal (ovariectomy) or N6,O2'-dibutyryl cyclic adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate treatment. The growth-inhibitory effect of cholera toxin was dose dependent, and upon cessation of treatment tumors resumed growth; after complete regression, however, tumors did not reappear until 6 months after termination of the treatment. An amount of cholera toxin as high as 10 micrograms/day/200-g rat s.c. injected over a 6-week period showed no systemic toxicity in the animals. The growth of human breast cancer cells (MCF-7) in culture was also inhibited by a daily supplement of cholera toxin. At a concentration of 100 ng/ml, the cell replication ceased completely within 2 days. The growth inhibitions, both in vivo and in vitro, were accompanied by marked increases in the cellular cyclic adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate content and type II cyclic adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate-dependent protein kinase activity as well as a decrease of estrogen binding activity. Thus, extinction of mammary cancer can be achieved by cholera toxin, an agent that stimulates the intracellular cyclic adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate system.     

Croton oil- and benzo(a)pyrene-induced changes in cyclic adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate and cyclic guanosine 3':5'-monophosphate phosphodiesterase activities in mouse epidermis.

The topical application of croton oil, benzo(a)pyrene, acetic acid, and 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate to mouse skin caused an increase in the activity of epidermal low-affinity cyclic adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate (cyclic AMP) phosphodiesterase. The increase was most pronounced with croton oil, began between 4 and 6 hr after application of this material, and was maintained for at least 48 hr. The activity of cyclic guanosine 3':5'-monophosphate phosphodiesterase was also increased by treatment with croton oil or 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate, but detailed time courses were not obtained. Increased activity was observed in both the soluble fractions and the washed particulate fractions of epidermis. Fractionation of soluble extracts from acetone-treated epidermis on DEAE-cellulose columns showed the presence of enzymes with specificity for both cyclic AMP and cyclic guanosine 3':5'-monophosphate, together with a peak catalyzing the hydrolysis of both cyclic AMP and cyclic guanosine 3':5'-monophosphate. The activity of this latter nonspecific activity was selectively increased following treatment with croton oil. The increase in cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase activity was partially abolished by multiple injections of cycloheximide, suggesting that new protein synthesis was involved. Injection of the alpha-receptor antagonist phentolamine abolished a croton oil-induced rise in epidermal cyclic AMP levels and decreased the induction of cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase activity. From these results it was concluded that the increase in enzyme activity was induced by cyclic AMP.     

Effect of phorbol myristate acetate on cyclic nucleotide levels in mouse epidermis.

Basal levels of cyclic adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate and cyclic guanosine 3':5'-monophosphate were determined in mouse epidermis in vivo after a single topical treatment with the tumor promoter phorbol myristate acetate. No changes in cyclic adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate levels were found from 0 to 72 hr after treatment. A twofold increase in cyclic guanosine 3':5'-monophosphate was found 36 hr after treatment. This increase had subsided by 72 hr. The effect of phorbol myristate acetate on DNA, RNA, and protein synthesis in the epidermis of Ha/ICR mice was also measured.     

Comparative adenylate cyclase activities in homogenate and plasma membrane fractions of Morris hepatoma 5123tc (h).

Homogenate and plasma membrane fractions of Morris hepatoma 5123tc (h) and rat liver were studied with regard to their relative basal activties of adenylate cyclase and to the comparative responsiveness of this enzyme to glucagon, sodium fluoride, epinephrine, prostaglandin E1, and insulin. The basal adenylate cyclase activities of the hepatoma fractions were found to be similar to those of liver at an adenosine 5'triphosphate concentration of 3.2 mM; if the substrate affinity (Km adenosine 5'-triphosphate) of the tumor enzyme is comparable to that of liver, these findings suggest that the reduced basal cyclic adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate levels found to occur in hepatoma 5123tc (h) probably are not due to a decreased basal rate of formation of this cyclic nucleotide. Glucagon (5.6 muM) significantly stimulated adenylate cyclase in both fractions of hepatoma and livers; however, the responsiveness of the tumor enzyme to this hormone was substantially lower than the responsiveness of liver for both homogenate and plasma membrane preparations; i.e., activities were enhanced 18-fold (relative to the basal activity)for liver homogenate compared with only a 6-fold increase for tumor. With the plasma membrane preparations, glucagon increased the activities 5- and 3.5-fold in liver and hepatoma, respectively. Sodium fluoride (10mM), in contrast to glucagon, increased the adenylate cyclase activity to approximately the same extent (about 10-fold) in the liver and hepatoma preparations. Epinephrine (100 muM) enhanced the liver and hepatoma homogenate activites 3- to 4-fold and the hepatoma plasma membrane activities 2-fold; however, the liver plasma membrane activites were not increased. Prostaglandin E1 (56.6 MUM) significantly increased adenylate cyclase activites of liver and hepatoma homogenates (i.e., 1.5- and 3-fold, respectively) but not of the plasma membrane preparations. Insulin (0.7 muM) did not significantly alter adenylate cyclase activities in any of the preparations.     

Distribution and properties of type I and type II binding proteins in the cyclic adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate-dependent protein kinase system in Wilms' tumor

We compared the relative amounts and properties of cyclic adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate (cAMP)-binding proteins in surgical specimens of Wilms' tumor and normal kidney. Cytosolic fractions of both tissues contained type I and type II isozymes of cAMP-dependent protein kinase (adenosine triphosphate: protein phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.1.37). Among tumor samples, the mean ratio of type I to type II cAMP-binding activity was 2.76 +/- 0.52 (S.D.) contrasted with 1.36 +/- 0.23 for normal kidney (p less than 0.001). The total soluble cAMP-binding activities in normal and malignant tissues differed only slightly. Photoaffinity labeling of cytosol from either tissue, using cyclic adenosine 3':5'-[8-azido-32P]monophosphate, disclosed three cAMP-binding proteins (Mr 47,000, 51,000, and 55,000) that were identified as regulatory subunits of the holoenzyme. Three lower-molecular-weight proteins with unknown function were considered to be proteolytic products of the larger proteins. The Mr 47,000 protein, a monomeric regulatory subunit of type I kinase, was clearly the dominant protein in tumor specimens, but it was much less abundant in normal kidney. The temperature sensitivities of the cAMP-binding proteins and their dissociation constants for cyclic adenosine 3':5'-[8-azido-32P]monophosphate incorporation did not differ appreciably between tumor and normal tissues. Wilms' tumor appears to have a full complement of regulatory subunits of cAMP-dependent protein kinase that are capable of normal cellular function.     

Implementation of micromethods to resolve problems of human breast tumor heterogeneity in analysis of cyclic 3':5'-nucleotide phosphodiesterase

Individual human infiltrating ductal carcinomas and fibroadenomas were sectioned frozen to yield an alternating sequence of stained and lyophilized material. Stained preparations were used as references permitting microdissection of regions of tumor involvement in the corresponding dried sections. Tissues quantities of 5 to 25 micrograms dry weight were incubated under mineral oil in reaction volumes of 5 microliters and analyzed for cyclic adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate phosphodiesterase (PDE). The observed affinity constants for the 27,000 x g soluble PDE from benign tumors were 4.7 and 49.9 microM, while those for malignant tumors were 6.3 and 28.5 microM. The soluble enzyme of both tumor types eluted in three peaks on DEAE-Sephacel microcolumns. Both tumor types possessed a PDE activator eluting at 350 mM NaCl, although endogenous PDE activities were unaffected by additions of either this activator or 200 microM ethylene glycol bis(beta-aminoethyl ether)N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid. Individual microsections of benign tumors contained total PDE levels 2-fold higher than those of malignant tumors. Homogenates prepared from pooled microsections of the same tumors possessed only one-half of the total activity. Differential losses of enzyme in various preparation schemes as well as the use of tumor samples differing in cell density were suggested to account for some of the apparently conflicting literature values for breast tumor PDE.     

Characterization of an adenosine 5'-triphosphate- and deoxyadenosine 5'-triphosphate-activated nucleotidase from human malignant lymphocytes

The kinetic properties of a soluble, magnesium-dependent 5'-nucleotidase from human malignant lymphocytes have been determined. The partially purified enzyme is distinct from plasma membrane-associated 5'-nucleotidase and is free of nonspecific phosphatase activity. Among purine ribonucleotides, it reacted efficiently with inosine 5'-monophosphate and guanosine 5 -monophosphate and to a lesser degree with deoxyguanosine 5'-monophosphate. Adenosine 5'-monophosphate and deoxyadenosine 5'-monophosphate were 30-fold less efficient substrates. Increasing concentrations of adenosine 5'-triphosphate and deoxyadenosine 5'-triphosphate from 0 to 3 mM enhanced 5'-nucleotidase activity up to 7-fold. Guanosine 5'-triphosphate and deoxyguanosine 5'-triphosphate were much less effective enzyme activators, while uridine 5'-triphosphate was without effect. Inorganic phosphate inhibited dephosphorylating activity in both adenosine 5'-triphosphate-supplemented and unsupplemented buffer. The activation of this 5'-nucleotidase by deoxyadenosine 5'-triphosphate, combined with the relative inability of the enzyme to dephosphorylate deoxyadenosine 5'-monophosphate, conceivably may contribute to the adenine nucleotide degradation induced by deoxyadenosine in normal and malignant lymphocytes.     

Characterization of a cyclic nucleotide-independent protein kinase highly active in human adrenocortical carcinoma

Study of the protein kinase activity pattern of four human adrenocortical carcinoma showed that in all the samples examined a histone kinase (HK III) activity was present at high level, whereas it was barely detectable in normal tissue. HK III was separated from other known adrenocortical protein kinases by diethylaminoethyl cellulose chromatography. Isolated HK III exhibited a histone (H2B) protamine-phosphotranferase selectivity and used adenosine triphosphate but not guanosine triphosphate as phosphate donor. Serine was identified as the only target amino acid phosphorylated in the protein substrate. HK III showed an apparent molecular weight of 65,000 upon gel filtration and an apparent sedimentation coefficient of 3.7S. HK III activity was cyclic adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate independent and was not influenced by calcium, calmodulin, polyamines, and heparin. The significance of HK III activity in adrenocortical carcinoma extracts at a high level as compared to that of normal tissue remains to be clarified with regard both to its possible relationship with tumoral cell growth and differentiation processes and to its potential interest as a marker of human tumoral tissue activity.     

Cyclic adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate-dependent and -independent protein kinase in acute myeloblastic leukemia

Determination of levels and isozymic patterns of protein kinase activities was performed upon extracts from two human leukemia cell lines (K562 and HL-60) and blast cells from five untreated patients with acute myeloblastic leukemia and compared to activities from normal human peripheral blood granulocytes and bone marrow samples enriched for proliferative myeloid cells. The leukemic cells studied were found to have higher specific activities of cytosol cyclic adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate (cAMP)-independent casein kinase and lower activation by cAMP of their cytosol histone kinase compared to the normal myeloid cells studied. Diethylaminoethyl-cellulose chromatography revealed correspondingly higher amounts of cAMP-independent protein kinase isoenzymes (two casein kinase and one histone kinase peaks) in the leukemic cells, as well as altered ratios of the two cAMP-dependent isozymes. Casein phosphorylating activities extracted from the nuclei of the leukemic cell lines were also high compared to normal myeloid cells. Further purification and estimation of molecular weights of the isoenzymes present in leukemia were accomplished by gel filtration, using Sephacryl S-200. Resolution of the acute myeloblastic leukemia cell line nuclear casein kinase activity into two peaks was also thereby accomplished. The nuclear peaks eluted earlier than the corresponding cytoplasmic peaks; thus, the nuclear isoenzymes may not be identical to those from the cytoplasm. The increased protein kinase activity noted in such cells may be an important biochemical concomitant of transformation.     

Functional changes in the regulatory subunit of the type II cyclic adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate-dependent protein kinase isozyme during normal and neoplastic lung development

The abilities of cyclic adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate (cAMP) and cyclic 8-azidoadenosine 3':5'-[32P]monophosphate (8-N3-[32P]cAMP) to bind to the regulatory subunit (RII) of the type II cAMP-dependent protein kinase isozyme and to cause subsequent dissociation of the holoenzyme were compared in extracts from adult and neonatal mouse lung and lung adenoma. RII in extracts from adult lung exhibits equal numbers of high- (Kd 15 nM) and low- (Kd 230 nM) affinity 8-N3-[32P]cAMP binding sites. In the neonate, the proportion of high-affinity sites is reduced to 20% while, in lung adenoma, only low-affinity RII binding is observed. Low-affinity RII binding is correlated with an inability of cAMP to dissociate the type II holoenzyme completely. Sucrose gradient sedimentation of adult lung cytosol in the presence of cAMP shows complete dissociation of the type I isozyme, while only some of the type II holoenzyme is dissociated. This is in contrast to the case with lung tumor cytosol, in which only low-affinity binding is observed and no apparent dissociation of the type II isozyme occurs. cAMP does promote RII dephosphorylation within the holoenzyme, however, suggesting that cAMP can bind to RII without dissociating the tetramer. Consistent with this interpretation, photoincorporation of 8-N3-[32P]cAMP prior to sucrose gradient sedimentation results in the formation of a photolabeled RII complex which sediments at the same rate as does the holoenzyme. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis of RII photolabeled at low and high concentrations of 8-N3-[32P]cAMP suggests that these altered binding and dissociation characteristics of the type II isozyme are not due to the presence of a structurally altered RII molecule. After DEAE-cellulose chromatography of lung cytosol, only high-affinity RII binding is observed, and all of the RII can now be dissociated with cAMP. Low-affinity binding may thus reflect either an altered conformational state of RII or the interaction of the type II kinase with other cytosolic molecules which can affect RII binding and dissociation without altering the functional properties of the type I isozyme.     

Increased guanylate cyclase activity and guanosine 3',5'-monophosphate content in ethionine-induced hepatomas.

Ethionine-induced hepatomas are characterized by high adenylate cyclase activity and cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate content relative to those of surrounding liver or liver from pair-fed control rats. The present study examined the properties of the guanylate cyclase-cyclic guanosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cGMP) system of these tissues. cGMP levels of the ethionine-induced hepatomas, determined in both specimens quick-forzen in situ and after in vitro incubation of tissue slices, were approximately 2 times higher than those of surrounding liver or controls. Higher cGMP in the tumors was associated with an increase in whole homogenate, soluble, and particulate guanylate cyclase activities, as well as an increase in soluble cGMP-phosphodiesterase activity. 3-Isobutyl-1-methylxanthine, a potent inhibitor of cGMP-phosphodiesterase activity, potentiated the differences in cGMP between slices of the hepatomas and surrounding liver or control, suggesting that the higher steady-state cGMP content of the tumors reflected enhanced basal cGMP synthesis which was partially offset by increased nucleotide degradation. In the hepatomas, a greater proportion of the total guanylate cyclase activity was located in the particulate cell fraction (31%) as compared to the subcellular distribution of enzyme activity in either surrounding liver or controls (15% of total in the particulate fraction). Carbamylcholine, which increased cGMP 3-fold in surrounding liver and controls, failed to alter cGMP levels inslices of hepatoma. Further, the relative changes in both cGMP accumulation and guanylate cyclase activity of the tumors in response to NaN3, NH2OH, and NaNO2 were blunted compared to surrounding liver or controls, although in each instance a response was clearly evident. Ethionine-induced hepatomas are thus characterized by: (a) significant increases in cGMP content and in guanylate cyclase and cGMP-phosphodiesterase activities, (b) a change in the subcellular distribution of guanylate cyclase, and (c) altered responsiveness of the guanylate cyclase-cGMP system to several agonists.     

Stimulation of N6,O2'-dibutyryl cyclic adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate of ectopic production of the free beta subunit of chorionic gonadotropin by a human brain tumor cell line

Previous studies have favored a basic difference in the regulation of specialized protein production by cells derived from the usual tissue of origin (eutopic) and cancer cells derived from a tissue not normally producing the protein (ectopic). Thus N6,O2'-dibutyryl cyclic adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate was believed to stimulate only eutopic (but not ectopic) chorionic gonadotropin production, and butyrate to stimulate only ectopic (but not eutopic). However, in CBT, a human brain tumor cell line, we find that N6,O2'-dibutyryl cyclic adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate, but not butyrate, stimulated ectopic production of the beta subunit of chorionic gonadotropin. We conclude that neither butyrate nor cyclic adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate derivatives reliably discriminate ectopic from eutopic regulation.     

Increased activity of type I regulatory subunit of cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate-dependent protein kinase in estrogen-induced pituitary tumors.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown that binding of [3H]cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cAMP) is increased in cytosol of diethylstilbestrol (DES)-induced pituitary tumors. In tumor cells, the cAMP-binding proteins that stimulate cell proliferation have been shown to predominate over those that inhibit it. PURPOSE: This study was designed to determine the type of regulatory subunit (R) of cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PK) responsible for this binding by determining the type of subunit that is increased in DES-induced pituitary tumors. METHODS: Experiments were carried out on three groups of Fischer 344 rats: 1) rats with DES-induced pituitary tumors, 2) ovariectomized rats receiving short-term estrogen treatment with estradiol benzoate (E2) for 4 days, and 3) ovariectomized control rats. We performed immunoprecipitation of RI and RII subunits with polyclonal antibodies in pituitary cytosol (direct method) or after separation of subunits by DEAE-cellulose chromatography (indirect method). The concentration of cAMP was also quantified by radioimmunoassay in pituitaries from the three groups. RESULTS: Direct immunoprecipitation with RI antibody demonstrated a statistically significant increase in [3H]cAMP bound to RI in rats receiving E2 for 4 days over that for control rats and an even more significant increase in rats with DES-induced pituitary tumors. There was little change in the nucleotide [3H]cAMP bound to RII. Immunoprecipitation of the eluted fractions after chromatography demonstrated an RI subunit in peaks 1 and 2, whereas RII was contained almost exclusively in peak 2. After chromatography (indirect method), immunoprecipitation with RI and RII antibody indicated an overall increase in the level of binding to RI protein in tumors. Levels of cAMP in DES-induced pituitary tumors were also high compared with levels in controls or in glands from estrogen-treated rats. CONCLUSIONS: In DES-induced pituitary tumors, cAMP may be preferentially bound to one isozyme of PK, which supports current theories that cell proliferation and tumor growth correlate with high expression of the RI subunit. IMPLICATIONS: We plan studies to investigate the effects on tumor growth of the site-selective analogue 8-chloro-cAMP, which binds to RII and causes the elevated levels of the RI subunit of the tumor cells to return to normal levels.