ASK1 resistant neuroblastoma is deficient in activation of p38 kinase.

Apoptosis Signal-regulating Kinase 1 (ASK1) is known to either induce apoptosis or differentiation in various cell lines of neuronal origin. We analyzed the effect of the constitutively active mutant of ASK1 (ASK1-Delta N) in an adenoviral vector in four neuroblastoma cell lines, two murine, C1300 and NXS2, and two human, SH-SY5Y and IMR-32. Already after 24 h upon infection, C1300 and SH-SY5Y cells arrested in growth when judged by [(3)H]thymidine incorporation, and the majority of the cells demonstrated apoptotic appearance, which was confirmed by DNA-laddering in gel electrophoresis. In contrast, NXS2 and IMR-32 cell lines remained unaffected. Immunoblotting revealed strongly phosphorylated p38 MAPK accompanied by weakly phosphorylated JNK in C1300 and SH-SY5Y, whereas none of these kinases were activated by adenoviruses expressing the kinase negative ASK1 mutant or beta-galactosidase. There was no expression of phosphorylated kinases in IMR-32 cells, but NXS2 showed a faint band of phosphorylated p38 MAPK. Addition of the p38 MAPK specific inhibitor, SB203580, protected C1300 and SH-SY5Y cells from apoptosis induced by ASK1-Delta N. The anti-neoplastic agent, paclitaxel, activates ASK1 and JNK, and promotes the in vitro assembly of stable microtubules. Addition of 10 nM paclitaxel sensitised the NXS2 cell line to ASK1-induced cell death. Our results indicate that ASK1 induces apoptosis in neuroblastoma cells mainly via the p38 MAPK pathway, and resistant neuroblastoma cells can be sensitised to ASK1 by paclitaxel.

A glycoprotein from the liver constitutes the inner layer of the egg envelope (zona pellucida interna) of the fish, Oryzias latipes.

A glycoprotein from the liver, which shares epitopes with chorion (egg envelope or zona pellucida) glycoproteins, is present only in the spawning female fish, Oryzias latipes, under natural conditions. This spawning female-specific (SF) substance is distinct from vitellogenin but closely resembles a major glycoprotein component, ZI-3, of the inner layer (zona radiata interna) of the ovarian egg envelope with respect to some biochemical and immunochemical characteristics. Here we report that the [125I]SF substance, injected into the abdominal cavity of the spawning female fish, was rapidly transported by the blood circulation into the ovary and incorporated into the inner layer of egg envelope of the growing oocytes. The result strongly suggests that the SF substance from the liver is a precursor substance of the major component, ZI-3, of the inner layer of egg envelope in the fish.

Apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1) induces neuronal differentiation and survival of PC12 cells.

Apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1) is a ubiquitously expressed mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase that activates the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling cascades. We report here that expression of constitutively active ASK1 (ASK1DeltaN) induces neurite outgrowth in the rat pheochromocytoma cell line PC12. We found that p38 and to a lesser extent JNK, but not ERK, were activated by the expression of ASK1DeltaN in PC12 cells. ASK1DeltaN-induced neurite outgrowth was strongly inhibited by treatment with the p38 inhibitor SB203580 but not with the MEK inhibitors, suggesting that activation of p38, rather than of ERK, is required for the neurite-inducing activity of ASK1 in PC12 cells. We also observed that ASK1DeltaN induced expression of several neuron-specific proteins and phosphorylation of neurofilament proteins, confirming that PC12 cells differentiated into mature neuronal cells by ASK1. Moreover, ASK1DeltaN-expressing PC12 cells survived in serum-starved condition. ASK1 thus appears to mediate signals leading to both differentiation and survival of PC12 cells. Together with previous reports indicating that ASK1 functions as a pro-apoptotic signaling intermediate, these results suggest that ASK1 has a broad range of biological activities depending on cell types and/or cellular context.

Two constituent proteases of a teleostean hatching enzyme: concurrent syntheses and packaging in the same secretory granules in discrete arrangement.

Formation, accumulation, and storage of two components of the Oryzias latipes hatching enzyme, high and low choriolytic enzymes (HCE and LCE), were examined by immunocytochemical and immunoblotting methods. Both of the enzymes were found to be formed specifically in the hatching gland cells at the stages of lens formation to eye pigmentation and their accumulation proceeded markedly and concurrently up to Day 5.5 embryos (the stage just before hatching). The amount of HCE formed was more abundant than that of LCE. In the hatching gland cells, HCE and LCE were found to be packaged in the same secretory granules but in distinct arrangement; HCE is localized to the inside of granules whereas LCE is situated at the periphery of the same granules. Their segregated arrangement is compatible with their relative quantities formed per embryo. The results provide not only the cellular and developmental basis for a view that this hatching enzyme is an enzyme system composed of HCE and LCE but also a clue to the regulatory mechanism of concurrent syntheses of two different specific proteins in the same embryonic cell.