Extracts of bone contain a potent regulator of bone formation.

We prepared aqueous extracts of whole femorae and tibiae of embryonic chicks. An amount of extract containing 25 microgram of protein resulted in a 500% increase in DNA synthesis in calvarial cell culture, and significant effects were detected with 5 microgram (55%). The time course for stimulation of DNA synthesis showed a peak occurring 16-20 h after addition of the extract. This matrix factor is nondialyzable, and fractionation on a column of Sephadex G-100 indicated a molecular weight of 60-80,000. At the maximum dose used, [3H]proline incorporation into total protein of calvarial cells was increased by 55%, and thus far, all fractions active in promoting DNA synthesis have been found to increase collagen synthesis in cultured chick tibiae. These data are consistent with an effect on osteoblasts as well as bone precursor cells. Extracts prepared from tibiae of 2-day-old chicks, from which the marrow had been removed, also stimulated DNA synthesis (280% increase), thus ruling out the possibility that the factor is a relatively nonspecific nitrogen from the hematopoietic cell line. We conclude that bone matrix contains a substance which could regulate bone formation in vitro by control of mitosis in osteogenic precursors and/or stimulation of osteoblast activity.

Inhibition of growth and increased expression of insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) and -6 in prostate cancer cells stably transfected with antisense IGFBP-4 complementary deoxyribonucleic acid.

Insulin-like growth factor-binding proteins (IGFBPs) both stimulate and inhibit IGF activity, and in the M12 prostate cancer cell line, overexpression of IGFBP-4 was shown to delay tumorigenesis while decreasing the production of IGFBP-2. We have performed the reverse experiment, inhibition of IGFBP-4 expression with antisense complementary DNA, in two prostate tumor cell lines, ALVA-31 and M12. Expression of antisense messenger RNA transcripts was verified by RNase protection assays, and inhibition of mature IGFBP-4 in cell medium was demonstrated by Western blotting. Both transfected lines (ALVA-31asBP4 and M12asBP4) proliferated more slowly in monolayer culture than parental controls. Colony formation in soft agar was strongly inhibited in both cases, and the rate of tumor formation and growth in male athymic nude mice injected with M12asBP4 was markedly reduced relative to that in mice receiving M12 control cells. Apoptosis induced by the topoisomerase inhibitor etoposide was also enhanced in transfected cells. The effects on colony formation in soft agar and tumor formation in mice were maintained for the duration of the experiments, in contrast to the delayed growth observed in the previous study of IGFBP-4 overexpression. A significant difference was found in the patterns of IGFBP expression; production of both messenger RNA and protein for IGFBP-3 and IGFBP-6 was greatly increased in the M12asBP4 and ALVA31asBP4 cell lines. Up-regulation of these binding proteins has been observed in association with actions of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) in prostate cancer cells, and the data suggest a role for IGFBP-3 and IGFBP-6 in the suppression of prostate tumor cell growth.

Protein and messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) for the type 1 insulin-like growth factor (IGF) receptor is decreased and IGF-II mRNA is increased in human prostate carcinoma compared to benign prostate epithelium.

Insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) and the type 1 IGF receptor (IGF-R) are involved in normal growth and development of the human prostate. Changes in levels of IGF-R and IGFs have been shown for several malignancies. Immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization were performed to compare the expression of IGF-R and IGF-II in vivo in prostate tissue containing benign epithelium, high grade prostate intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN), and adenocarcinoma. Messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) hybridization signals and immunoreactivity for IGF-R were localized primarily to epithelial cells, with less signal in stroma. IGF-R mRNA was significantly decreased by 42% in PIN and 35% in cancer cells compared to that in benign epithelium (P < 0.0001). IGF-R immunostaining was significantly decreased by 32% in PIN and by 42% in malignant epithelium compared to that in benign epithelium (P < 0.004). IGF-II mRNA was also localized primarily to epithelial cells. IGF-II mRNA was significantly increased by 30% in adenocarcinoma compared to that in benign epithelium (P < 0.03). Immunoreactivity for IGF-II was localized to both stroma and epithelium. Protein levels for IGF-II were not significantly increased in cancer cells compared to those in benign epithelium. The decrease in the type 1 IGF receptor and increase in IGF-II mRNA may affect prostate cancer proliferation and differentiation.

Regulation of proliferation of prostate epithelial cells by 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 is accompanied by an increase in insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3.

The biologically active form of vitamin D, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25-(OH)2D3) has been shown to regulate the proliferation of human prostate epithelial cell lines. Since the insulin-like growth factor (IGF) system is involved in the transformation process of epithelial cells, the following study was undertaken to determine if the IGF system, in particular IGF binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3), is altered by 1,25-(OH)2D3 in normal prostate epithelial cells as part of a mechanism for inhibition of transformation. Two cell systems were used in this study: (1) primary cultures of benign human prostate epithelial cells (PECs) and (2) an SV40-T immortalized prostate epithelial cell line (P153) that is non-tumorigenic. 1,25-(OH)2D3 was added to parallel sets of PECs and P153 cells in addition to the presence or absence of IGF-I or des(1-3)IGF-I. Treatment with 1,25-(OH)2D3 resulted in significant growth inhibition of both PECs and P153 cells. Furthermore, 1,25-(OH)2D3 inhibited IGF-induced proliferation, but this was partially reversed by high concentrations of IGF-I. Western ligand blots of condition media demonstrated a significant increase in IGFBP-3; likewise Northern blots demonstrated an increase in mRNA for IGFBP-3. Proliferation assays using an antibody designed to block the IGF-independent effects of IGFBP-3 failed to reverse the inhibitory effect of 1,25-(OH)2D3. Thus, IGFBP-3 acts in an IGF-dependent manner to inhibit cell growth of benign prostate epithelial cells.

Proteases of Senescing Oat Leaves: II. Reaction to Substrates and Inhibitors.

Two proteases isolated from senescent oat (Avena sativa) leaves have been subjected to further study. One of these, an acid protease active at pH 4.2, is inhibited by phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride (PMSF) but not by iodoacetamide (IAc). The other, active at pH 6.6, is inhibited by both PMSF and IAc. These results, together with previously reported evidence that mercaptoethanol stimulates the activity of only the neutral protease, are taken to indicate that the acid protease is probably of the serine type, whereas the neutral enzyme is of the sulfhydryl type. Both enzymes are inhibited by irradiation in the presence of rose bengal, a selective histidine modification reagent. The acid protease was completely unaffected by chelators, but data on the neutral protease were equivocal.All protein substrates tested were attacked by both enzymes, though at strikingly different rates. Characterization of the digestion products, with denatured hemoglobin as substrate, indicated that the acidic enzyme is an endoprotease, while the neutral one is an exoprotease. Evidence is presented that these proteases undergo autolysis in vitro.

Inhibition of transcription of cytosine-containing DNA in vitro by the alc gene product of bacteriophage T4.

The alc gene product (gpalc) of bacteriophage T4 inhibits the transcription of cytosine-containing DNA in vivo. We examined its effect on transcription in vitro by comparing RNA polymerase isolated from Escherichia coli infected with either wild-type T4D+ or alc mutants. A 50 to 60% decline in RNA polymerase activity, measured on phage T7 DNA, was observed by 1 min after infection with either T4D+ or alc mutants; this did not occur when the infecting phage lacked gpalt. In the case of the T4D+ strain but not alc mutants, this was followed by a further decrease. By 5 min after infection the activity of alc mutants was 1.5 to 2.5 times greater than that of the wild type on various cytosine-containing DNA templates, whereas there was little or no difference in activity on T4 HMdC-DNA, in agreement with the in vivo specificity. Effects on transcript initiation and elongation were distinguished by using a T7 phage DNA template. Rifampin challenge, end-labeling with [gamma-32P]ATP, and selective initiation with a dinucleotide all indicate that the decreased in vitro activity of the wild-type polymerase relative to that of the alc mutants was due to inhibition of elongation, not to any difference in initiation rates. Wild-type (but not mutated) gpalc copurified with RNA polymerase on heparin agarose but not in subsequent steps. Immunoprecipitation of modified RNA polymerase also indicated that gpalc was not tightly bound to RNA polymerase intracellularly. It thus appears likely that gpalc inhibits transcript elongation on cytosine-containing DNA by interacting with actively transcribing core polymerase as a complex with the enzyme and cytosine-rich stretches of the template.

Proteases of senescing oat leaves: I. Purification and general properties.

Two proteases active in the senescing first leaves of oat seedlings (Avena sativa cv. Victory) have been purified approximately 500-fold by a combination of ammonium sulfate precipitation, affinity chromatography on hemoglobin-Sepharose, and ion exchange chromatography on DEAE-Sephadex. The enzymes show pH optima of 4.2 and 6.6 with denatured hemoglobin as substrate, and the molecular weights of both are about 76,000. Their optimum temperatures are close to 50 C. Small amounts of a third enzyme, active at pH 3.5, may also be present. The enzyme active at pH 6.6 shows evidence of a sulfhydryl residue in the active site.

Regulation of bone repletion in rats subjected to varying low-calcium stress.

Weanling Sprague-Dawley rats subjected to varying degrees of low-Ca dietary stress (depletion) showed graded increases in the rate of endosteal bone formation when normal dietary Ca was restored (repletion). There was a strong positive correlation between the rate of bone resorption in depletion and the rate of bone formation attained after 1 wk of repletion. However, bone formation declined rapidly within the first 4 wk of repletion, despite the persistence of a substantial endosteal bone volume deficit. Furthermore the medullary area (indicative of bone volume) did not by itself determine the bone formation rate. Bone volume in test groups was restored to control levels after 6 mo of repletion, and this result could be predicted by a kinetic analysis. Thus, although very high rates of formation in early repletion decline rapidly, smaller increments relative to controls must be sustained for long periods. Our data indicate that increased formation rats at all stages of repletion are a consequence of elevations in both osteoblast number and osteoblast activity.

IGF-binding proteins in human prostate tumor cells: expression and regulation by 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3.

The expression of the six known insulin-like growth factor binding proteins (IGFBPs) and their corresponding messenger RNAs has been examined in three cell lines established from surgical and biopsy specimens of human prostate carcinoma. All three cell lines produced both IGFBP-4 and IGFBP-6 and the respective mRNAs; expression of IGFBP-6 has not been previously demonstrated in human prostate tumor cells. No other binding proteins were detected. The levels of IGFBP mRNAs were not regulated by androgens or IGF-1, but the level of IGFBP-6 mRNA was sharply increased by 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)D3). The stimulation was dose-dependent with a maximum effect at 10 nM 1,25(OH)D3 and a clearly discernible effect at 0.1 nM. The results support a role for vitamin D in the control of prostate tumor growth, mediated at least in part by interaction with IGFs and specific IGFBPs.

Growth inhibition of human prostate tumor cells by an agonist of gonadotrophin-releasing hormone.

The effect of [D-Leu6,des-Gly-NH2(10),Proethylamide9]-GnRH, leuprolide, was determined for the human primary prostate tumor cell line ALVA-31 by in vitro mitogenic assays. Prostate tumor cell proliferation was inhibited up to 50% by leuprolide. Inhibition was not observed in parallel cultures treated with other low molecular weight bioactive peptides. The incorporation and metabolic reduction of testosterone was not affected by concentrations of leuprolide that were inhibitory in the mitogenic assay. Specific high-affinity binding of 125I-labeled leuprolide was also demonstrated on intact tumor cells with an estimated effective median dose (ED50) of < 1 x 10(-9)M. Inhibition of prostate tumor growth was further demonstrated in Balb/c athymic intact and castrate male mice bearing ALVA-31 tumor xenografts following chronic administration of leuprolide. These data clearly demonstrate that leuprolide can inhibit the growth of a human prostate carcinoma cell line. Studies conducted in castrate animals further suggest an alternative mechanism of growth inhibition that appears to be independent of the suppression of steroid hormone biosynthesis by LHRH analogues.

Identification of bacteriophage T4 prereplicative proteins on two-dimensional polyacrylamide gels.

Bacteriophage T4 makes a large number of prereplicative proteins, which are involved in directing the transition from host to phage functions, in producing the new T4 DNA, and in regulating transcriptional shifts. We have used two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (nonequilibrium pH gradient electrophoresis gels in the first dimension and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gradient slab gels in the second) to identify a number of new prereplicative proteins. The products of many known genes are identified because they are missing in mutants with amber mutations of those genes, as analyzed by us and/or by previous workers. Some have also been identified by running purified proteins as markers on gels with labeled extracts from infected cells. Other proteins that are otherwise unknown are characterized as missing in infections with phage carrying certain large deletions and, in some cases, are correlated with sequence data.