Reporter cell lines are useful tools for monitoring biological activity of nuclear receptor ligands.

To characterize the specificity of synthetic compounds for nuclear receptors, we established stable cell lines expressing the luciferase gene and different wild-type or chimaeric receptors. MCF-7 cells, which express the oestrogen receptor alpha (ER alpha), and HeLa cells, which do not express the oestrogen receptor, were transfected with a plasmid containing the luciferase gene downstream from a minimum promoter (beta-globin) and an oestrogen-responsive element, generating the MELN and the HELN cell lines, respectively. MELN cells enabled the detection of compounds that bind to the ER alpha or interfere with its pathway. HELN cells were used to establish stable transfectants expressing different nuclear receptors containing the DNA-binding domain of the oestrogen receptors. We thus established ER alpha or ER beta reporter cell lines by transfecting ER alpha or ER beta expression plasmids, and also retinoic acid receptor alpha, beta or gamma reporter cell lines by transfecting the chimaeric RAR gene, in which the DNA-binding domain was replaced by the ER alpha DNA-binding domain.

Reporter cell lines to study the estrogenic effects of xenoestrogens.

In order to characterize the estrogenic activity of chemicals, we established complementary in vitro recombinant receptor-reporter gene assays in stably transfected MCF-7 and HeLa cells. MCF-7 cells which express the endogenous estrogen receptor alpha (ER alpha) were stably transfected with only an estrogen-regulated luciferase gene. These cells enable the detection of compounds which bind to ER alpha or interfere with the induction of ER alpha mediated gene expression. Furthermore, HeLa cells, which do not express endogenous ERs, were transfected with an ER alpha or an ER beta construct together with an estrogen-regulated luciferase gene, or a chimeric GAL4-ER alpha receptor and the corresponding luciferase reporter gene. Finally, we tested these four cellular models as tools to check the estrogenic activities of several potential xenoestrogens and to detect estrogenic activity in wastewater sewage treatment effluents. In all of the models, nonylphenol mixture (NPm), 4n-nonylphenol (4nNP), 2,4'-DDE, 4,4'-DDE and wastewater sewage treatment effluent were active, while PCB mixture (Aroclor 1254), PCB 77, atrazine and lindane (gamma hexachlorocyclohexane) were inactive. Dioxin partially activates the estrogen receptor in MCF-7 cells while in HeLa-derived cell lines, it decreased the estrogenic-induced expression of luciferase.

[Applications of luminescence reactions in life science]. / Applications des réactions de luminescence dans le domaine des sciences de la vie.

Bioluminescence and chemiluminescence have emerged in the last decade as a major tool for biochemical and biological studies. Several very sensitive assays have been developed in our laboratory such as enzymatic assays, immunoassays and detection of nucleic acids. The use of a new instrumentation allowing to dimensional photon counting has permit the emergence of new investigations at the cellular level. In addition to the advantages of sensitivity and the real-time non-invasive nature of this detection system, the imaging potential of using low-light and photon counting video cameras has been particularly influential in establishing its ascendence over more traditional systems. This review provides a reflection in this field through several applications in life sciences.

Detection of single base substitutions in polynucleotides by capture with immobilized oligonucleotides.

We have improved a sandwich hybridization assay to detect single base substitutions in polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplified DNA sequences. The target DNA was captured by an immobilized oligonucleotide and revealed using a second oligonucleotide coupled to an enzyme. Short oligonucleotides (13, 15 bases) were used to obtain specific hybridization at 37 degrees C. We developed two different assay formats for rapid identification of PCR products: a microtitration plate format with oligonucleotides bound to polystyrene and a channelling assay using oligonucleotides immobilized on Sepharose, which did not require any separation step. The specificity and advantages of both methods are described.

Quantitative and qualitative analysis of amplified DNA sequences by a competitive hybridization assay.

The presence of allelic sequence variations in DNA fragments can be easily detected by measuring the extent of DNA strand exchange between test double-stranded PCR products (target) and labeled standard double-stranded PCR products (probe). Under selected hybridization conditions, sequences identical to the probe decreased the formation of double-labeled hybrid, whereas differing sequences were not efficient enough to compete with the regeneration of the probe. A single base substitution in the target DNA increased the percentage of remaining double-labeled probe. A general procedure involving denaturation and hybridization in solution under different temperature conditions or using different probes enabled sequence identification. The degree of regeneration of double-labeled probe was determined using a bioluminescent assay. We evaluated the specificity of this method with two probes (108 and 131 bp) and several targets with different base substitutions.

A multiple luminescent procedure for the detection of different papillomaviruses on dot blots.

We developed a method based on the use of various luminescent systems for identification of several nucleic acid sequences on the same dot blots. In a simultaneous assay, the target DNA molecules were hybridized with different DNA probes. These probes were labelled with biotin or digoxigenin or directly coupled to enzymes such as glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, peroxidase or alkaline phosphatase. After hybridization, these labels were detected by luminescent reactions using an amplified camera. Rapid detection and specific identification of pathogenic agents such as human papillomaviruses (HPV) could be performed in a single step by this procedure. Polymerase chain reaction was carried out using general primers and virus types were identified on dot blots using short HPV 11, 16 and 18 specific oligonucleotides.

[Detection of nucleic acid sequences by bioluminescence. Importance of an internal reference system for qualitative and quantitative analysis]. / Détection par bioluminescence de séquences d'acides nucléiques. Importance du système de référence interne pour l'analyse qualitative et quantitative.

Various luminescent detection systems were used to detect and quantify simultaneously several probes. For quantitative analysis, one probe was used as an internal standard to evaluate the amplification yield and the others to quantify the amplified target. After using hybridization in solution, accurate results were obtained. For a qualitative analysis, amplified sequences were hybridized to specific oligonucleotides which were labelled or immobilized. To compare amplified fragments to products of known sequences, we developed a more efficient technique based on DNA strand exchange occurring during hybridization in solution. This method allowed to detect a single base substitution in DNA fragments of 280 base pairs.

Quantification of DNA sequences obtained by polymerase chain reaction using a bioluminescent adsorbent.

We studied various parameters affecting the sensitivity of assays that use nucleic acid hybridization in solution followed by capture of the hybrid on a solid phase. Sensitivity is limited not only by nonspecific binding of the detection components but also by reannealing of the target or probe to itself. To perform sensitive assays, the probe concentration must be low enough to reduce high nonspecific binding. Under these conditions, however, the strand displacement reaction or the reannealing of the target to itself drastically decreases the hybridization yield, particularly when the target and the probes are different sizes. To improve DNA detection, we propose a sandwich method based on hybridization of oligonucleotides with a single-strand DNA obtained by polymerase chain reaction under asymmetric conditions. The assay can be performed in one step using a bioluminescent detection procedure which does not require any separation step. The specificity of the method is sufficient to perform a rapid detection and quantification of papillomavirus in biological samples.

[A bioluminescent solid phase for immunoassays and the detection of nucleic probes]. / Une phase solide bioluminescente pour les dosages immunologiques et la détection de sondes nucléiques.

A luminescent adsorbent constituted of bacterial luciferase, FMN oxidoreductase and a protein, such as an antibody or an oligonucleotide coimmobilized on Sepharose, has been used to detect a label enzyme (Glucose 6 phosphate dehydrogenase). The label enzyme, bound to the solid phase, produces NADH and start an enzymatic chain reaction leading to light emission. The dehydrogenase, which is not bound to the solid phase, produces NADH in solution which is rapidly oxidized by a scavenger system (lactate dehydrogenase plus pyruvate) and thus does not participate in light emission. Using this solid phase, binding assays do not require separation of the excess of label, and the assay protocol is limited to the addition of sample, and luminescent reagents. The authors have used this solid phase for rapid immunoassays of haptens and proteins but also for the rapid quantitation of DNA sequences obtained by enzymatic amplification catalysed by a thermostable DNA polymerase.

Use of bioluminescence in nucleic acid hybridization reactions.

Luminescence reactions can be used to detect specific nucleic acid sequences hybridized with a nucleic probe. Different labels such as cytidine sulphone, fluorescein, and biotin can be incorporated into DNA or oligonucleotide molecules and detected by antibody or avidin conjugates coupled to glucose-6P dehydrogenase. On supports such as nitrocellulose filters, sensitivity is not greatly increased using luminescence, but detection is rapid and easy to perform using polaroid film. Moreover, hybridization can be performed with different labelled probes on the same sample. In solution, luminescence can be used to monitor sandwich reactions. The method is less sensitive than detection on filters but can easily be automated. The performance of these assays can be increased considerably by enzymatic amplification of the target catalysed by a thermostable polymerase.

Bioluminescent assays using glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase: application to biotin and streptavidin detection.

A streptavidin-glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) conjugate was synthesized and its properties were studied, along with those of biotin-G6PDH conjugates. Two bioluminescent assays were used. Streptavidin was assayed in two steps: streptavidin samples were first incubated with a small amount of biotin-G6PDH and then with biotinylated rabbit gamma-globulins. The complex was immobilized on a bioluminescent immunoadsorbent. In the single-step biotin assay, free biotin was allowed to compete with biotin linked to rabbit gamma-globulins for binding to streptavidin-G6PDH in the presence of the bioluminescent immunoadsorbent. Neither assay required washing or separation steps and the sensitivity was 0.2 ng for streptavidin and 100 fg for biotin. Different applications are described: studies of biotin reactivity when linked to probes in solution or immobilized, and quantitation of biotin in biotinylated DNA probes and oligonucleotides.

Use of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase as a new label for nucleic acid hybridization reactions.

We describe here a sensitive new procedure for detecting DNA hybridization by dot blots. The method utilizes DNA or oligonucleotide probes labeled with biotin, sulfone, or haptens that can be detected by glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) conjugates. Biotin labeling of DNA gave the best sensitivity. G6PDH activity was revealed by staining or by bioluminescence using an FMN oxidoreductase and a luciferase from Beneckea harveyi. Bioluminescent detection offered better sensitivity and faster revelation than the colorimetric assay and was found to be very useful in visualizing single mutations in human DNA after hybridization with an allele-specific biotinylated oligonucleotide probe. Revelation can be performed using a luminometer, photographic films, or a very sensitive video camera. The detection is limited by the nonspecific binding of the labeled reagent (streptavidin or antibodies). This limit is similar to that obtained with other nonisotopic labeling procedures, but our method is faster and several hybridization reactions can be performed on the same support.

Enzymatic androgen assay: some properties of human placental microsomal aromatase.

The androgen content of biological fluids can be determined after their conversion into estrogens using human placental microsomal aromatase (HPMA). The purpose of this paper is to report some physico-chemical properties of HPMA. Using an accurate, specific and sensitive assay for HPMA, Km values for dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), androstenedione and testosterone were found to increase with increasing amount of the detergent (Triton X-100) added. Analysis at substrate concentrations 5-10 times above and below the Km values did not indicate any anomalous kinetic behaviour. Triton X-100, used for enzyme solubilization, significantly decreased the rate of aromatization of the three substrates by increasing their Km values. This effect was more important for testosterone than for androstenedione or DHEA. Using a new protocol for the determination of aromatase activity, kinetic properties of aromatase before and after solubilization are described.

[Chemiluminescence and bioluminescence in clinical analysis. Perspectives of development]. / Chimioluminescence et bioluminescence en analyse clinique. Perspectives de développement.

Until now, the methods of analysis by luminescence have not developed greatly in clinical biology because of the instability of the reagents and the absence of a single protocol applicable to a sufficiently wide range of assays. For this reason, the application has been limited to several assays using a specific bioluminescence reaction i.e., the ATP assay (for the measurement of bacterial contamination), and several assays which evaluate NADH production (bile acids, triglycerides, lactate). Research on assay methods that are very specific and very sensitive and do not use radioactive molecules has led to, among other things, the development of new techniques using luminescence reactions. These reactions are of two types: chemiluminescence reactions, which use molecules (luminol, dioxetane, derivatives of acridine and imidazol) that lead to an emission of light under the action of various chemical and enzymatic compounds; bioluminescence reactions produced by specific enzymatic systems (luciferases). Chemiluminescence reactions are used in several immunometric assays. The chemiluminescent marker fixed to the antigen or antibody has a low molecular weight: for this reason it does not lead to a significant modification of immunoreactivity and it is highly stable. Moreover, in certain cases it is possible to use particular properties of these markers (energy transfer, modification of the efficiency of the luminescent reaction) to carry out homogeneous immunometric assays requiring no separation step. Bioluminescence reactions have been less developed, because of the instability of enzymatic systems. However, these reactions are by far the most sensitive of all the detection techniques currently used.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Bioluminescent assay of femtomole levels of estrone and estradiol.

A rapid and very sensitive enzymatic assay of estrogens was developed using the transhydrogenase reaction of the human estradiol-17 beta dehydrogenase and bioluminescence for the quantification of NADH accumulated during the first reaction. The assay requires two steps: first, the addition of transhydrogenase buffer, and a few minutes later the addition of the bioluminescence reagent. The method can determine 0.1 to 50 pg of estrogens in the assay, in 1 h, with a coefficient of variation of 5%.

Enzymatic determination of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate in biological fluids.

A simple method is described for the determination of androgens, particularly dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS), in human plasma and urine. The method does not involve extraction or chromatography. An internal standard is used as reference. The androgens are enzymatically converted to estrogens and these latter compounds can be measured by the enzymatic method previously described [1]. The range of accuracy was between 99 and 103%. The precision of the method was 2.5%. The sensitivity was 0.1 pM per sample. The method is suitable for routine use, and one worker can easily perform twenty assays in one day.

Active site-directed irreversible inhibition of 3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase from human placenta.

To obtain a placental microsome preparation able to convert androstenedione and testosterone specifically to estrogens, 3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase must be eliminated. After solubilisation by Triton X-100, the remaining 3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity is inhibited by 11 alpha-bromoacetoxyprogesterone, an alkylating analogue of progesterone, which behaves as an irreversible active site-directed inhibitor. The enzyme is protected against inactivation and alkylation by steroid and coenzyme substrates. The inhibition is specific to 3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase and the estrogen synthetase (aromatase) activity contained in the preparation is not affected by this inhibitor.

Enzymatic determination of estradiol and estrone in plasma and urine.

Plasma and urine estradiol and estrone can be determined using the transhydrogenase function of the estradiol dehydrogenase of human placenta: in the conditions described the transhydrogenase activity which is directly related to the estrogen concentration is measured by spectrophotometry. Estrone and estradiol can be determined together or separately if estrone is previously reacted with hydrazine with a limit of sensitivity of 10 picograms in the sample. On urine samples the assay is performed directly without extraction, a simplification which makes the method highly suitable for numerous routine determinations.