Suppression of Moloney sarcoma virus immunity following sensitization with attenuated virus. (1/2343)

Murine sarcoma virus (Moloney strain) (MSV-M)-induced tumors are unusual in that they regularly appear less than 2 weeks after virus inoculation, progress for 1 to 2 weeks, and are rejected by normal adult BALB/c mice. Rejectio leaves the animals immune to tumor induction. In the present study, presensitization of normal adult BALB/c mice with attenuated MSV-M resulted in an altered pattern of tumor immunity. Injection of active MSV-M into the presensitized animals resulted in tumor induction and rejection similar to that observed in normal animals, but rejection failed to produce protection against the secondary inoculation with MSV-M. After the second inoculation with active MSV-M, tumors appeared and progressed but ultimately were rejected. Over 80% of the mice died, 25% after the primary challenge and the remainder after the secondary challenge. At death, all mice had histological evidence of leukemia which was the probable cause of death. The animals that died following the secondary challenge also had evidence of disseminated MSV-M. Solid tumor nodules were found in skeletal muscle distant from the original site of inoculation, and active MSV-M was isolated from spleen and lungs. The possibility that the results were produced by specific suppression of MSV-Moloney leukemia virus immunity is discussed.  (+info)

Polarized distribution of Bcr-Abl in migrating myeloid cells and co-localization of Bcr-Abl and its target proteins. (2/2343)

Bcr-Abl plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of Philadelphia chromosome-positive leukemia. Although a large number of substrates and interacting proteins of Bcr-Abl have been identified, it remains unclear whether Bcr-Abl assembles multi-protein complexes and if it does where these complexes are within cells. We have investigated the localization of Bcr-Abl in 32D myeloid cells attached to the extracellular matrix. We have found that Bcr-Abl displays a polarized distribution, colocalizing with a subset of filamentous actin at trailing portions of migrating 32D cells, and localizes on the cortical F-actin and on vesicle-like structures in resting 32D cells. Deletion of the actin binding domain of Bcr-Abl (Bcr-AbI-AD) dramatically enhances the localization of Bcr-Abl on the vesicle-like structures. These distinct localization patterns of Bcr-Abl and Bcr-Abl-AD enabled us to examine the localization of Bcr-Abl substrate and interacting proteins in relation to Bcr-Abl. We found that a subset of biochemically defined target proteins of Bcr-Abl redistributed and co-localized with Bcr-Abl on F-actin and on vesicle-like structures. The co-localization of signaling proteins with Bcr-Abl at its sites of localization supports the idea that Bcr-Abl forms a multi-protein signaling complex, while the polarized distribution and vesicle-like localization of Bcr-Abl may play a role in leukemogenesis.  (+info)

Azo dyes prevent hydrocarbon-induced leukemia in the rat. (3/2343)

A set of intraveous injections of 7,8,12-trimethylbenz[a]anthracene consistently elicited leukemia in more than 75% of young adult Long-Evans female rats. There was a profound reduction in the incidence of leukemia in companion groups of rats fed small amounts (1--10 mg) of Sudan III or Sudan IV prior to each injection of the carcinogenic hydrocarbon. Repeated feedings of 1 mg of Sudan III induced cumulative increases in the concentration of menadione reductase (EC 1.6.99.2) in liver, whereas protein concentration was unchanged. A single feeding of 1 mg of Sudan III prevented fatal toxicity in all members of large groups of rats injected with massive doses of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene, but 50% of the survivors developed leukemia; unprotected rats succumbed in 1--3 days. Sudan III was not carcinogenic under the experimental conditions.  (+info)

L-Asparagine synthetase in serum as a marker for neoplasia. (4/2343)

L-Asparagine synthetase appears in serum approximately 7 days after the s.c. implantation of 1 X 10(5) cells of Leukemia 5178Y/AR (resistant to L-asparaginase) and increases in activity as the neoplasm grows and metastasizes. The principal source of the enzyme is the primary tumor. After intravranial inoculation of tumor, the rate of leakage of the enzyme is more pronounced than when the subcutaneous, intramuscular, or intraperitoneal routes are used. 1-(2-Chloroethyl)-3-cyclohexyl-1-nitrosourea (NSC 79037), a nitro-sourea effective in the palliation of L5178Y/AR, temporarily halts the influx of enzyme into the blood stream, as does surgical excision of the s.c. tumor nodules. Treatment of mice with L-asparaginase within 24 hr of inoculation of the tumor markedly augments both tumor growth and the rate of penetration of L-asparagine synthetase into the circulation. Several other L-asparagine synthetase into the circulation. Several other L-asparaginase-resistant tumors also were found to spill L-asparagine synthetase into the serum, but the correlation between this phenomenon and the specific activity of the enzyme in homogenates of the tumor was imperfect.  (+info)

A novel ubiquitin-specific protease, UBP43, cloned from leukemia fusion protein AML1-ETO-expressing mice, functions in hematopoietic cell differentiation. (5/2343)

Using PCR-coupled subtractive screening-representational difference analysis, we have cloned a novel gene from AML1-ETO knockin mice. This gene is highly expressed in the yolk sac and fetal liver of the knockin mice. Nucleotide sequence analysis indicates that its cDNA contains an 1,107-bp open reading frame encoding a 368-amino-acid polypeptide. Further protein sequence and protein translation analysis shows that it belongs to a family of ubiquitin-specific proteases (UBP), and its molecular mass is 43 kDa. Therefore, we have named this gene UBP43. Like other ubiquitin proteases, the UBP43 protein has deubiquitinating enzyme activity. Protein ubiquitination has been implicated in many important cellular events. In wild-type adult mice, UBP43 is highly expressed in the thymus and in peritoneal macrophages. Among nine different murine hematopoietic cell lines analyzed, UBP43 expression is detectable only in cell lines related to the monocytic lineage. Furthermore, its expression is regulated during cytokine-induced monocytic cell differentiation. We have investigated its function in the hematopoietic myeloid cell line M1. UBP43 was introduced into M1 cells by retroviral gene transfer, and several high-expressing UBP43 clones were obtained for further study. Morphologic and cell surface marker examination of UBP43/M1 cells reveals that overexpression of UBP43 blocks cytokine-induced terminal differentiation of monocytic cells. These data suggest that UBP43 plays an important role in hematopoiesis by modulating either the ubiquitin-dependent proteolytic pathway or the ubiquitination state of another regulatory factor(s) during myeloid cell differentiation.  (+info)

Characterization of inhibitory and stimulatory forms of the murine natural killer cell receptor 2B4. (6/2343)

The receptor 2B4 belongs to the Ig superfamily and is found on the surface of all murine natural killer (NK) cells as well as T cells displaying non-MHC-restricted cytotoxicity. Previous studies have suggested that 2B4 is an activating molecule because cross-linking of this receptor results in increased cytotoxicity and gamma-interferon secretion as well as granule exocytosis. However, it was recently shown that the gene for 2B4 encodes two different products that arise by alternative splicing. These gene products differ solely in their cytoplasmic domains. One form has a cytoplasmic tail of 150 amino acids (2B4L) and the other has a tail of 93 amino acids (2B4S). To determine the function of each receptor, cDNAs for 2B4S and 2B4L were transfected into the rat NK cell line RNK-16. Interestingly, the two forms of 2B4 had opposing functions. 2B4S was able to mediate redirected lysis of P815 tumor targets, suggesting that this form represents an activating receptor. However, 2B4L expression led to an inhibition of redirected lysis of P815 targets when the mAb 3.2.3 (specific for rat NKRP1) was used. In addition, 2B4L constitutively inhibits lysis of YAC-1 tumor targets. 2B4L is a tyrosine phosphoprotein, and removal of domains containing these residues abrogates its inhibitory function. Like other inhibitory receptors, 2B4L associates with the tyrosine phosphatase SHP-2. Thus, 2B4L is an inhibitory receptor belonging to the Ig superfamily.  (+info)

In vivo efficacy of XR9051, a potent modulator of P-glycoprotein mediated multidrug resistance. (7/2343)

Overexpression of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) is a potential cause of multidrug resistance (MDR) in tumours. We have previously reported that XR9051 (N-(4-(2-(6,7-dimethoxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-2-isoquinolyl)ethyl)phe nyl)-3-((3Z,6Z)-6-benzylidene-1-methyl-2,5-dioxo-3-pipera zinylidene)methylbenzamide) is a potent and specific inhibitor of P-gp, which reverses drug resistance in several murine and human MDR cell lines. In this study we have evaluated the in vivo efficacy of this novel modulator in a panel of murine and human tumour models and examined its pharmacokinetic profile. Efficacy studies in mice bearing MDR syngeneic tumours (P388/DX Johnson, MC26) or human tumour xenografts (A2780AD, CH1/DOXr, H69/LX) demonstrated that co-administration of XR9051 significantly potentiated the anti-tumour activity of a range of cytotoxic drugs. This modulatory activity was observed following parenteral and oral co-administration of XR9051. In addition, the combination schedules were well-tolerated. Following intravenous administration in mice, XR9051 is rapidly distributed and accumulates in tumours and other tissues. In addition, the compound is well-absorbed after oral administration. These data suggest that XR9051 has the potential for reversing clinical MDR mediated by P-glycoprotien.  (+info)

Tumor-induced immunosuppression. (8/2343)

Three tumor systems, including a mastocytoma, plasmacytomas, and a leukemia-lymphoma were studied for their ability to modify humoral immunity to sheep erythrocytes both in vivo and in vitro. All tumors resulted in a depression of the hemolytic antibody plaque-forming cell response in susceptible mice. These studies indicated that the mechanism(s) of suppression, although not fully defined, were different for each model system investigated.  (+info)