scholarly journals The radiosensitivity of rat thymocytes

1986 ◽  
Vol 238 (2) ◽  
pp. 517-521 ◽  
Author(s):  
M G Ord ◽  
L A Stocken

gamma-Irradiation in vitro apparently blocked a plasma-membrane associated, superoxide-producing, NADPH oxidase in rat thymocytes. Differential centrifugation of the mixed thymocytes indicated the smaller lymphocytes (approx. 6 microns diameter) to be the radiosensitive population. The oxidase system co-isolated in part with thymus nuclei and could be solubilized by detergent treatment [Bellavite, Jones, Cross, Papini & Rossi (1984) Biochem. J. 223, 639-648]. Endogenous NADPH was the rate-limiting component for superoxide formation in vitro. The level of NADPH was lowered by gamma-irradiation, an effect mimicked by GSSG in the presence of 50 microM-ZnCl2 to inhibit GSSG reductase. These findings are suggested as the metabolic basis for interphase death of small lymphocytes exposed to ionizing radiation.

Endocrinology ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 151 (11) ◽  
pp. 5315-5325 ◽  
Author(s):  
Su-min Li ◽  
Ling-wen Zeng ◽  
Lin Feng ◽  
Dong-bao Chen

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is one of the best characterized angiogenic factors controlling placental angiogenesis; however, how VEGF regulates placental angiogenesis has not yet completely understood. In this study, we found that all the components of assembling a functional NADPH oxidase (NOX2, p22phox, p47phox, p67phox, and Rac1) are expressed in ovine fetoplacental artery endothelial cells (oFPAECs) in vitro and ex vivo. Treatment with VEGF (10 ng/ml) rapidly and transiently activated Rac1 in oFPAECs in vitro and increased Rac1 association with p67phox in 5 min. Intracellular superoxide formation began to significantly increase after 25–30 min of VEGF stimulation, which was mediated by both VEGFR1 and VEGFR2. VEGF also stimulated oFPAE cell proliferation and migration and enhanced the formation of tube-like structures on Matrigel matrix. In oFAPEC transfected with specific Rac1 small interfering RNA (siRNA, 40 nm), VEGF-induced intracellular superoxide formation was completely abrogated in association with a 78% reduction of endogenous Rac1. In oFPAE cells transfected with the specific Rac1 siRNA, but not with transfection reagent alone or scrambled control siRNA, VEGF-induced cell proliferation, migration, and tube-like structure formation were dramatically inhibited. Pretreatment of an NADPH oxidase inhibitor apocynin also abrogates the VEGF-stimulated intracellular superoxide production and DNA synthesis in oFPAECs. Taken together, our results demonstrated that a Rac1/Nox2-based NADPH oxidase system is present in placental endothelial cells. This NADPH oxidase system appears to generate the second messenger superoxide that plays a critical role in the signaling control of the VEGF-induced placental angiogenesis.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Bianchi-Smiraglia ◽  
David W. Wolff ◽  
Daniel J. Marston ◽  
Zhiyong Deng ◽  
Zhannan Han ◽  
...  

AbstractPhysiological changes in GTP levels in live cells have never been considered a regulatory step of RAC1 activation because intracellular GTP concentration (determined by chromatography or mass spectrometry) was shown to be substantially higher than the in vitro RAC1 GTP dissociation constant (RAC1-GTP Kd). Here, by combining genetically encoded GTP biosensors and a RAC1 activity biosensor, we demonstrated that GTP levels fluctuating around RAC1-GTP Kd correlated with changes in RAC1 activity in live cells. Furthermore, RAC1 co-localized in protrusions of invading cells with several guanylate metabolism enzymes, including rate-limiting inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase 2 (IMPDH2), which was partially due to direct RAC1-IMPDH2 interaction. Substitution of endogenous IMPDH2 with IMPDH2 mutants incapable of binding RAC1 did not affect total intracellular GTP levels but suppressed RAC1 activity. Targeting IMPDH2 away from the plasma membrane did not alter total intracellular GTP pools but decreased GTP levels in cell protrusions, RAC1 activity, and cell invasion. These data provide a mechanism of regulation of RAC1 activity by local GTP pools in live cells.


Oncogene ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiuna Zhang ◽  
Xiaoyu Jiang ◽  
Jie Yin ◽  
Shiying Dou ◽  
Xiaoli Xie ◽  
...  

AbstractRING finger proteins (RNFs) play a critical role in cancer initiation and progression. RNF141 is a member of RNFs family; however, its clinical significance, roles, and mechanism in colorectal cancer (CRC) remain poorly understood. Here, we examined the expression of RNF141 in 64 pairs of CRC and adjacent normal tissues by real-time PCR, Western blot, and immunohistochemical analysis. We found that there was more expression of RNF141 in CRC tissue compared with its adjacent normal tissue and high RNF141 expression associated with T stage. In vivo and in vitro functional experiments were conducted and revealed the oncogenic role of RNF141 in CRC. RNF141 knockdown suppressed proliferation, arrested the cell cycle in the G1 phase, inhibited migration, invasion and HUVEC tube formation but promoted apoptosis, whereas RNF141 overexpression exerted the opposite effects in CRC cells. The subcutaneous xenograft models showed that RNF141 knockdown reduced tumor growth, but its overexpression promoted tumor growth. Mechanistically, liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry indicated RNF141 interacted with KRAS, which was confirmed by Co-immunoprecipitation, Immunofluorescence assay. Further analysis with bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) and Glutathione-S-transferase (GST) pull-down assays showed that RNF141 could directly bind to KRAS. Importantly, the upregulation of RNF141 increased GTP-bound KRAS, but its knockdown resulted in a reduction accordingly. Next, we demonstrated that RNF141 induced KRAS activation via increasing its enrichment on the plasma membrane not altering total KRAS expression, which was facilitated by the interaction with LYPLA1. Moreover, KRAS silencing partially abolished the effect of RNF141 on cell proliferation and apoptosis. In addition, our findings presented that RNF141 functioned as an oncogene by upregulating KRAS activity in a manner of promoting KRAS enrichment on the plasma membrane in CRC.


1996 ◽  
Vol 271 (43) ◽  
pp. 27188
Author(s):  
Lloyd W. Ruddock ◽  
Jeremy J.F. Coen ◽  
Caroline Cheesman ◽  
Robert B. Freedman ◽  
Timothy R. Hirst

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (13) ◽  
pp. 7232
Author(s):  
Gloria Lazzeri ◽  
Carla L. Busceti ◽  
Francesca Biagioni ◽  
Cinzia Fabrizi ◽  
Gabriele Morucci ◽  
...  

Norepinephrine (NE) neurons and extracellular NE exert some protective effects against a variety of insults, including methamphetamine (Meth)-induced cell damage. The intimate mechanism of protection remains difficult to be analyzed in vivo. In fact, this may occur directly on target neurons or as the indirect consequence of NE-induced alterations in the activity of trans-synaptic loops. Therefore, to elude neuronal networks, which may contribute to these effects in vivo, the present study investigates whether NE still protects when directly applied to Meth-treated PC12 cells. Meth was selected based on its detrimental effects along various specific brain areas. The study shows that NE directly protects in vitro against Meth-induced cell damage. The present study indicates that such an effect fully depends on the activation of plasma membrane β2-adrenergic receptors (ARs). Evidence indicates that β2-ARs activation restores autophagy, which is impaired by Meth administration. This occurs via restoration of the autophagy flux and, as assessed by ultrastructural morphometry, by preventing the dissipation of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3) from autophagy vacuoles to the cytosol, which is produced instead during Meth toxicity. These findings may have an impact in a variety of degenerative conditions characterized by NE deficiency along with autophagy impairment.


Parasitology ◽  
1978 ◽  
Vol 76 (2) ◽  
pp. 159-176 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. E. Gutteridge ◽  
B. Cover ◽  
Maria Gaborak

SummaryIsolation of blood and intracellular forms of Trypanosoma cruzi was made mainly from rats (90–110 g) which had received 580 rad of whole-body γ-irradiation not more than 24 h before subcutaneous inoculation with 107 trypomastigotes of the Sonya strain of T. cruzi. Unirradiated chinchillas (250–350 g) were, however, used for some experiments. Blood forms were isolated using a technique involving differential centrifugation to remove most of the erythrocytes and DEAE–cellulose chromatography to remove the remaining blood cells. Overall recoveries were usually in the range 30–70%. Parasites were mainly (approximately 98%) broad forms and were motile, metabolically active (as judged by respiratory and radio-tracer incorporation studies) and had lost none of their infectivity for mice. Intracellular forms were isolated from hind-limb muscle tissue. This was disrupted in an MSE tissue homogenizer and the homogenate incubated with DNase, collagenase and trypsin. Parasites, contaminated only by a few blood cells, were then obtained by differential centrifugation. For purer preparations, a terminal sucrose gradient step was used. Recoveries ranged between 40 and 70%. About 1–3% of the parasites isolated were epimastigotes and trypomastigotes; the remainder are probably best collectively termed ‘amastigotes’, though they were pointed and most had a short, free flagellum. They were undamaged as judged by light and electron microscopy and metabolically active as judged by respiratory and radio-tracer incorporation studies. However, the infectivity for mice of both these purified preparations and the initial cell homogenates could be accounted for by the epimastigotes and trypomastigotes present in them. Preliminary biochemical studies with isolated parasites have shown that blood, intracellular and culture forms of T. cruzi have a respiratory system which is in part sensitive to CN- and that all forms synthesize nucleic acids and proteins when incubated in vitro. There appears, however, to be a lack of DNA synthesis in blood stages, and thus it is not surprising that these forms do not divide.


2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Fiske ◽  
Michael White ◽  
Stephanie Valtierra ◽  
Sara Herrera ◽  
Keith Solvang ◽  
...  

In Parkinson’s disease (PD), midbrain dopaminergic neuronal death is linked to the accumulation of aggregated α-synuclein. The familial PD mutant form of α-synuclein, E46K, has not been thoroughly evaluated yet in an organismal model system. Here, we report that E46K resembled wild-type (WT) α-synuclein in Saccharomyces cerevisiae in that it predominantly localized to the plasma membrane, and it did not induce significant toxicity or accumulation. In contrast, in Schizosaccharomyces pombe, E46K did not associate with the plasma membrane. Instead, in one strain, it extensively aggregated in the cytoplasm and was as toxic as WT. Remarkably, in another strain, E46K extensively associated with the endomembrane system and was more toxic than WT. Our studies recapitulate and extend aggregation and phospholipid membrane association properties of E46K previously observed in vitro and cell culture. Furthermore, it supports the notion that E46K generates toxicity partly due to increased association with endomembrane systems within cells.


2002 ◽  
Vol 68 (4) ◽  
pp. 1524-1533 ◽  
Author(s):  
Florian Helbig ◽  
Jörg Steighardt ◽  
Werner Roos

ABSTRACT On searching for endogenous, low-molecular-weight effectors of benzodiazepine alkaloid biosynthesis in Penicillium cyclopium uric acid was isolated from ethanolic or autoclaved mycelial extracts of this fungus. The isolation was based on a three-step high-pressure liquid chromatography procedure guided by a microplate bioassay, and uric acid was identified by mass spectrometry and the uricase reaction. Conidiospore suspensions that were treated with this compound during the early phase of outgrowth developed emerged cultures with an enhanced rate of alkaloid production. Uric acid treatment did not increase the in vitro measurable activity of the rate-limiting biosynthetic enzyme, cyclopeptine synthetase. However, these cultures displayed a reduced rate of uptake of the alkaloid precursor l-phenylalanine into the vacuoles of the hyphal cells as assayed in situ. It is suggested that the depressed capacity of vacuolar uptake caused by the contact of outgrowing spores with uric acid liberated from hyphal cells results in an enhanced availability of the precursor l-phenylalanine in the cytoplasm and thus accounts at least in part for the increase in alkaloid production.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document