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In addition to its tumor-promoting activity in honnone-receptive tissue, the carcinogenic estrogen diethylstilbestrol (DES) has been found to induce cell transformation, aneuploidy and micronucleus formation in mammalian cells. The majority of these micronuclei contained whole chromosomes and were fonned during mitosis. Here a possible relationship between a disturbance in cell cycle progression and micronucleus fonnation is investigated by exposing Syrian hamster embryo (SHE) cells to DES. Continuous bromodeoxyuridine labeling followed by bivariate Hoechst 33258/ethidium bromide flow cytometry was employed for analysis of cell cycle transit and related to the time course of micronucleus formation. Treatment of SHE cells with DES resulted in delayed and impaired cell activation (exit from the GO/G 1 phase), impaired S-phase transit and, mainly, G2-phase traverse. Cells forming micronuclei, on the other hand, were predominantly in G2 phase during DES treatment. These results suggest that impairment of Sand G2 transit may involve a process ultimately leading to micronucleus formation.
In the inhalation system described an animal can be kept in the same atmosphere of a 2-liter desiccator for up to 24 h. The expired carbon dioxide is adsorbed with soda lime and the resulting reduced pressure is balanced by a supply of oxygen also used for the inflow of the chemical to be investigated. Urine and faeces can be collected ~eparately and the system allows a periodical control of the concentration of the chemical by sampling the air with needle and syringe.
Ich habe versucht darzulegen, daß mechanistische Überlegungen zur Extrapolation der Dosis-WirkungsBeziehung herangezogen werden können. Ein nichtlinearer Verlauf ist nicht nur bei den epigenetischen Kanzerogenen wahrscheinlich, sondern auch bei den DNA-bindenden. Echte Schwellen sind aber nur in solchen Fällen zu erwarten, wo kein endogenes Korrelat besteht. Immerhin können auch steile Nichtlinearitäten zu einer drastischen Risikoreduktion führen, so daß die Anstrengungen dahin gehen sollten, die Steigung und den Bereich des überproportionalen Abfalls experimentell zu zeigen. In einer heterogenen Population kann die 0 0- sis-Wirkungs-Kurve zusätzliche "Wellen" bekommen und wird dadurch grundsätzlich flacher. Im Extremfall ergibt sich eine lineare Dosis-Wirkungs-Beziehung unabhängig vom Wirkmechanismus des Kanzerogens. Diese Proportionalität zwischen tiefster Dosis und Effekt wird bei genotoxischen Kanzerogenen aus mechanistischen Gründen schon für eine homogene Population postuliert, doch kann dies in einer heterogenen Population auch bei epigenetischen Kanzerogenen in Frage kommen.
Terahertz electromagnetic fields are non-ionizing electromagnetic fields in the frequency range from 0.1 to 10 THz. Potential applications of these electromagnetic fields include the whole body scanners, which currently apply millimeter waves just below the terahertz range, but future scanners will use higher frequencies in the terahertz range. These and other applications will bring along human exposure to these fields. Up to now, only a limited number of investigations on biological effects of terahertz electromagnetic fields have been performed. Therefore, research is strongly needed to enable reliable risk assessment. Cells were exposed for 2 h, 8 h, and 24 h with different power intensities ranging from 0.04 mW/cm2 to 2 mW/cm2, representing levels below, at, and above current safety limits. Genomic damage on the chromosomal level was measured as micronucleus formation. DNA strand breaks and alkali-labile sites were quantified with the comet assay. No DNA strand breaks or alkali-labile sites were observed as a consequence of exposure to terahertz electromagnetic fields in the comet assay. The fields did not cause chromosomal damage in the form of micronucleus induction.
Streptococcus pneumoniae is a common pathogen that causes various infections, such as sepsis and meningitis. A major pathogenic factor of S. pneumoniae is the cholesterol-dependent cytolysin, pneumolysin. It produces cell lysis at high concentrations and apoptosis at lower concentrations. We have shown that sublytic amounts of pneumolysin induce small GTPase-dependent actin cytoskeleton reorganization and microtubule stabilization in human neuroblastoma cells that are manifested by cell retraction and changes in cell shape. In this study, we utilized a live imaging approach to analyze the role of pneumolysin’s pore-forming capacity in the actin-dependent cell shape changes in primary astrocytes. After the initial challenge with the wild-type toxin, a permeabilized cell population was rapidly established within 20–40 minutes. After the initial rapid permeabilization, the size of the permeabilized population remained unchanged and reached a plateau. Thus, we analyzed the non-permeabilized (non-lytic) population, which demonstrated retraction and shape changes that were inhibited by actin depolymerization. Despite the non-lytic nature of pneumolysin treatment, the toxin’s lytic capacity remained critical for the initiation of cell shape changes. The non-lytic pneumolysin mutants W433F-pneumolysin and delta6-pneumolysin, which bind the cell membrane with affinities similar to that of the wild-type toxin, were not able to induce shape changes. The initiation of cell shape changes and cell retraction by the wild-type toxin were independent of calcium and sodium influx and membrane depolarization, which are known to occur following cellular challenge and suggested to result from the ion channel-like properties of the pneumolysin pores. Excluding the major pore-related phenomena as the initiation mechanism of cell shape changes, the existence of a more complex relationship between the pore-forming capacity of pneumolysin and the actin cytoskeleton reorganization is suggested.
Rtgulatory aclio11s Iaken to reduu tht risk of harmfultffects of exposure to chemieals ofltn arenot commensurDtt with the toxicologicDf risk SJsstS&ment. A numbtr of factors relating to psychology, sociology, economics Dntl politics rather than science and medicine afftct tht final decision. Wemer Lutz and colleagues illustratt the situation using tht feuktmia-indudng chtmiCJJI benzene as an examplt.
Two forms of a DNA polymerase have been purified from microplasmodia of Physarum polycephalum by poly(ethyleneimine) precipitation and chromatography on DEAE-Sephacel, phosphocellulose, heparin Sepharose, hydroxyapatite, DNA-agarose, blue-Sepharose. They were separated from DNA polymerase cx on phosphocellulose and from each other on heparin-Sepharose. Form HS1 enzymewas 30-40% pure and form HS2 enzyme 60% with regard toprotein contents of the preparations. Form HS2 enzymewas generated from form HS1 enzyme on prolonged standing of enzyme preparations. The DNA polymerases were obtained as complexes of a 60-kDa protein associated with either a 135-kDa (HS1) or a 110-kDa (HS2) DNA-polymerizing polypeptidein a 1:1 molar stoichiometry. The biochemical function of the 60-kDa protein remained unknown. The complexes tended to dissociate during gradient centrifugation and during partition chromatography as weil as during polyacrylamide gradient gel electrophoresis under nondenaturing conditions at high dilutions of samples. Both forms existed in plasmodia extracts, their proportions depending on several factors including those which promoted proteolysis. The DNA polymerases resembled eucaryotic DNA polymerase ß by several criteria and were functionally indistinguishable from each other. It is suggested that lower eucaryotes contain repair DNA polymerases, which are similar to those of eubacteria on a molecular mass basis.
Mouse L-cells were transfected by electropenneabilization using the selectable plasmid pSV2-neo which confers resistance to G-418 (Geneticin). 1be DNA concentration used was 1 l'gfml, the field strength was 10 kV fcm, the duration of the pulse was S ~s. Transfeetion yield was optimal at a temperature of 4°C when using a time in between consecutive pulses of 1 minute compared to shorter (of the order of seoonds) or Ionger (3 minutes) time intervals. A more detailed study of the relationship between the number of pulses applied (up to 10) and transfection yield showed it to be almost linear in this range at 4 o C. The yield of transfectants in response to 10 pulses was up to 1000 per 106 cells (using 3.3 pg DNA per cell). The inßuence of the growth phase of the cells on the transfection yield and I or the subpopulation of the mouse L--ceU line used was shown. Furthennore the clone yield depended on the DNA per ceU ratio within a very small range.
Increased efficiency of transfection of murine hybridoma cells with DNA by electropermeabilization
(1988)
Dispase-treated murine hybridoma cells (SP2/0-Ag14) were transfected with the G418 resistance gene bearing plasmid pSV2-neo by electropermeabilization with a high degree of efficiency. The cells were subjected to intermittent multiple high-voltage short duration (5 p.s) DC pulses at intervals of 1 min in a weakly conducting medium followed by selection in G418-containing medium. The transfection medium, temperature, pulse duration, and voltage were empirically determined by preliminary electropermeabilization experiments. Increasing the number of pulses resulted in a higher percentage of transfected cells, but a decrease in the number of viable cells, with the optimal transfectant yield resulting when five pulses of 10 kV jcm were administered. This method allows the rapid and efficient injection of DNA into mammalian cells, and permits the rapid production of stable, drug resistant hybridoma celllines for use in subsequent fusion experiments.
Neoplastic cell transfonnation induced by estrogens and some other carcinogen& such as benzene appears to involve the induction of mitotic aneuploidy rather than DNA damage and point mutations. As metabolic activation may also play an important roJe in the mechanism of carcinogenesis of these nongenotoxic compounds, we have studied the Interaction of reactive quinone metabolites of various estrogens and of benzene with the major microtubular protein, tubulin, in a cell-free system. Covalent binding of the radioactively labeled metabolites to the a- and 13-subunit of tubulin was found to depend on the structure of the metabolite. When the adducted tubulins were tested in vitro for their ability to polymerize to microtubules, Inhibition of microtubule assembly was obsened in every case, although to varying extents. It is proposed that the fonnation of covalent tubulin adducts may impair the formation of mitotic spindies and thus contribute to chromosomal nondisjunction and aneuploidy induction.
In addition to hormonal activity, genetic darnage has been proposed as an important factor in oestrogen-mediated carcinogenesis. However, as short-term tests for oestrogens usually fail to show DNA mutations, lesions other than dassie nuclear DNA mutation have to be considered. Oestrogeninduced mitochondrial darnage was studied in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Stilbene-type, but not steroidal, oestrogens were found to induce respiration-dcficient petite mutation. The effect was inversely correlated with cytotoxicity and required aromatic hydroxyl groups at the stilbene molecule. It only occurred under growth conditions and apparently was not due to the A TPase inhibitory qualities of stilbene oestrogens. Other studies have shown that petite mutation clones, which can be induced by a variety of substances, contain altered mitochondrial DNA. The mechanism of petite mutation induction might be important in tumorigenesis by also acting on nuclear DNA or facilitating carcinogenesis by disturbance of mitochondrial function.
The ~fthetic oes~rog~n diethylsti~boestrol (DES) causes a dose-dependent elevation of the cytoplasuuc Ca concentratton m C6 rat ghoma cells. This Ca2+ rise is caused neither by Ca2+ influx nor ~-r release from the ~a2 + stores of the endoplasmic reticulum. Therefore it seems likely that DES mob!hzes Ca2+ from a nutochondrial source. The DES-induced Ca2+ signal is remarkably similar to the one mduced by the. tumou~ promotor ~hapsigargin. As this compound causes leakage of calcium from the endoplasmt~ rettculum tt ~ms posstble that DES induces a similar leakage from mitochondrial Ca2+ stores. It remaans to be estabhshed whether the DES-mediated rise in intracellular calcium is causally related to the tumour-promoting properties of this compound
lt is known that 5-azacytidine (5-AC) induces tumors in several organs of rats and mice. The mechanisms of these effects are still poorly understood although it is known that 5-AC can be incorporated into DNA. Furthermore, it can inhibit DNA methylation. The known data on its clastogenic andjor gene mutation-inducing potential are still controversial. Therefore, we have investigated the kinds of genotoxic effects caused by 5-AC in Syrian hamster embryo (SHE) fibroblasts. Three different endp6ints (micronucleus formation, unscheduled DNA synthesis (UDS) and cell transforrnation) were assayed under similar conditions of metabolism and dose at target in this cell system. 5-AC induces morphological transformation of SHE cells, but not UDS. Therefore, 5-AC does not seem to cause repairable DNA lesions. Furthermore, our studies revealed that 5-AC is a potent inducer of mkronuclei in the SHE system. Immunocytochemical analysis revealed that a certain percentage of these contain kinetochores indicating that 5-AC may induce both clastogenic events and numerical chromosome changes.
Some chromosomes in transformed rat cells and somatic cell hybrids fail to display the presence of kinetochore proteins as detected by antikinetochore antibodies. Suchchromosomes (K- Chromosomes) may constitute a novel mechanism for the genesis of aneuploidy. Wehave analyzed primary~ immortalized and malignant marnmalian cells for the presence of kinetochore proteins and micronuclei. Our resuJts suggest a correlation of the K- chromosome and micronucleus frequency with the variability in chromosome number. Upon in situ hybridization with the minor satellite and alpha satellite sequences some Kchromosomes showed a signal. This indicates that the observed lack of kinetocbores is not necessarily due to a lack of centromeric DNA. We conclude that dislocated K- chromosomes may become incorporated into micronuclei which are prone to loss. Such events would be associated with the generation of aneuploidy.
1.2-Dioxetanes, very reactive and high energy molecules. are involved as labile intermediates in dioxygenase- activated aerobic metabolism and in physiological processes. Various toxico1ogica1 tests reveal that dioxetanes are indeed genotoxic. In supercoiled DNA of bacteriophage PM2 they induce endonucleasesensitive sites, most of them are FPG protein-sensitive base modifications (8-hydroxyguanine, fonnamidopyrimidines). Pyrimidinedimersand sites ofbase loss (AP sites) which were probed by UV endonuclease and exonuclease 111 are minor lesions in this system. While the alky1-substituted dioxetanes do not show any significant mutagenic activity in different Salmonella typhimurium strains, heteroarene dioxetanes such as benzofuran and furocoumarin dioxetanes are strongly mutagenic in S. typhimurium strain TA I 00. DNA adducts formed with an intermediary alkyJating agent appear to be responsible for the mutagenic activity of benzofuran dioxetane. We assume that the benzofuran epoxides, generated in situ from benzofuran dioxetanes by deoxygenation are the ultimate mutagens of the latter. since benzofuran epoxides are highly mutagenic in the S. typhimurium strain TAIOO and they form DNA adducts. as detected by the 212Ppostlabelling technique. Our results imply that the type of D NA darnage promoted by dioxetanes is dependent on the structural feature of dioxetanes. Furthermore, the direct photochemical DNA darnage by energy transfer. i.e., pyrimidine dimers, plays a minor role in the genotoxicity of dioxetanes. Instead, photooxidation dominates in isolated DNA. while radical darnage and alkylation prevail in the cellular system.
5-Azacytidine was originally developed to treat human myelogenous leukemia. However, interest in this compound has expanded because of reports of its ability to affect cell differentiation and to alter eukaryotic gene expression. In an ongoing attempt to understand the biochemical effects of this compound, we examined the effects of 5-azacytidine on mitosis and on micronucleus formation in mammalian cells. In L5178Y mouse cells, 5-azacytidine induced micronuclei at concentrations at which we and others have already reported its mutagenicity at the tk locus. Using CREST staining and C-banding studies, we showed that the induced micronuclei contained mostly chromosomal fragments although some may have contained whole chromosomes. By incorporating BrdU into the DNA of SHE cells, we determined that micronuclei were induced only when the compound was added while the cells were in S phase. Microscopically visible effects due to 5-azacytidine treatment were not observed until anaphase of the mitosis following treatment or thereafter. 5-Azacytidine did not induce micronuclei via interference with formation of the metaphase chromosome arrangement in mitosis, a common mechanism leading to aneuploidy. SupravitalUV microscopy revealed that chromatid bridges were observed in anaphase and, in some cases, were sustained into interphase. In the first mitosis after 5-azacytidine treatment we observed that many cells were unable to perform anaphase separation. All of these observations indicate that 5-azacytidine is predominantly a clastogen through its incorporation into DNA.
Tbe benzodiazepines are a class of d.rugs that are widely used in the treatment of various psychiatric disorders. One member of um ~' oxazepam, is also a common metabolite of sevmd other benzod.iazepines. Since the evidence for the genetic toxicity and carcinogenic properties of these compounds is incol:lsb1ent, we investigated the oxazepam-induced fonnation of micronuclei in Syrian Hamster embryo fibroblast (SHE) cells, human amniotic fluid fibroblast-like (AFFL) cells and LS178Y mouse cells. A dose-dependent increase in micronucleus fractions was found in all tbree ceU llnes. The time course of micronucleus induction in L5178Y cells showed a maximum at 5 h after treatment, suggesting that the micronuclei were fonned in the first mitosis after treatment. Kinetochore staining (CREST -antiserum) revealed the presence of kinetochores in -SO% of the micronuclei in aU tbree ceU types. ThJs resu1t was further confinned by in situ bybridization in LS178Y cells and indicates tbe presence of wbole Chromosomes or centric fragments as weU as acentric fragments in the oxazepam-induced micronuclei. The LS178Y cells did not show a mutagenic response to oxazepam at any of the doses or expression times used.
This study was designed to investigate a previously unidentified potential mechanism for mutation induction as well as to clarify a biological comequence of micronucleus formation. We compared the induction of micronuclei with mutation inductioo as measured by trißuorothymidine (TFI') resistance in mouse L5178Y cells using four aneugens: colcemid, diethylstilbestrol, griseofulvin and vioblastine. AU four compounds induced micronuclei which appeared in the first cell cycle after treatment. More than 85% of the micronuclei induced by each compound stained positive for the presence of kinetochores implying that the micronuclei contained wbole cbromosomes. However, these same compounds were unable to induce TFf resistance under tbree different treatment regimes. We concluded that tbese compounds, under conditions where tbey induce primarily kinetochore positive micronuclel, were not able to induce mutations. Thus, the induction of micronuclei containing wbole chromosomes barborlog a select.able gene is not an early event leadlog to mutations in these cells.