Metabolism of N8-monoacetylspermidine in rat hepatoma cells. Investigation of its effect on the activity of L-ornithine decarboxylase.

Recent evidence has indicated a role for the acetyl derivatives of polyamines, particularly N8-monoacetylspermidine, as activators of L-ornithine decarboxylase in rat hepatoma tissue culture (HTC) cells. This is in contrast with the well-described negative regulatory control of ornithine decarboxylase exerted by their non-acetylated counterparts. Because of the possibility of a rapid extracellular and intracellular catabolism of the acetyl derivatives of polyamines, the metabolism of N8-monoacetylspermidine and its effect on HTC cell ornithine decarboxylase have been investigated, under conditions which eliminate its extracellular catabolism. Differing from previous reports, we demonstrate that N8-monoacetylspermidine does not elevate ornithine decarboxylase activity when added at low concentrations to the culture medium of HTC cells. Higher concentrations decrease ornithine decarboxylase activity in a dose-dependent manner. This effect cannot be unambiguously attributed to the effect of the acetyl derivative itself, because of the presence in situ of a very active N8-monoacetylspermidine deacetylase, which generates spermidine intracellularly.

Regulation of the T 15 idiotype-positive, T-independent immune response to Streptococcus pneumoniae R 36 a (Pn). I. Specific suppressor T cells induced by Pn in vitro are antigen-specific and idiotype-positive.

Normal BALB/c spleen cells incubated for 2 days with Streptococcus pneumoniae R 36 a (Pn) vaccine in vitro acquired the specific ability to inhibit the T-independent anti-Pn response of fresh lymphocytes. The activated suppressor cells were susceptible to cytotoxic treatment with mouse anti-theta serum plus complement, and they inhibited the anti-Pn response of B lymphocytes deprived of T cells. The suppressive effect was eliminated by adsorbtion of cells on dishes coated with the C polysaccharide from Pn, and treatment of the suppressor cells with a rabbit antibody specific for TEPC-15 myeloma protein, in the presence of complement, abolished the suppressive effect. The results indicate that stimulation of lymphocytes with a T-independent antigen in vitro activates suppressor T cells bearing a specific antigen receptor that may express the idiotype(s) characteristic of anti-Pn antibody, and that these cells inhibit the Pn-reactive B cells directly.

Post-translational modification of the protein-synthesis initiation factor eIF-4D by spermidine in rat hepatoma cells.

The rates of synthesis and turnover of the rare amino acid hypusine [N6-(4-amino-2-hydroxybutyl)-2,6-diaminohexanoic acid] in protein were studied in relationship to polyamine metabolism and growth rates in rat hepatoma tissue-culture (HTC) cells. Hypusine is selectively formed in the eukaryotic translation initiation factor eIF-4D, by a post-translational mechanism involving spermidine [Cooper, Park, Folk, Safer & Braverman (1983) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 80, 1854-1857]. The half-life of the hypusine-containing protein was longer than 24 h. In cells whose intracellular spermidine pools had been initially depleted, by using DL-alpha-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO), maximum synthesis rates of hypusine in protein were 5-10 times higher, on restoration of endogenous spermidine contents by exogenous addition, than those observed in untreated exponential-phase cultures. In cells pretreated with DFMO, the rate of hypusine synthesis was constant for up to 1 h after the addition of 5 microM-spermidine, whereas endogenous spermidine contents varied from less than 1 to more than 10 nmol/mg of protein. However, the overall amount of hypusine formed, during the first 1 h after the addition of various concentrations of spermidine (0.05-10 microM) to the culture medium, was markedly dependent on the final endogenous spermidine content achieved at the end of the 1 h measurement interval. Early in exponential-phase growth, protein-bound hypusine was synthesized at a rate of 1-2 pmol/h per mg of protein. This rate decreased to less than 0.5 pmol/h per mg of protein when cell growth rates decreased as cultures reached high cell densities. Analysis of the polyamine substrate specificity for hypusine formation showed that N1-acetylspermidine did not compete with spermidine in the reaction, nor did N1-(buta-2,3-dienyl)-N2-methylbutane-1,4-diamine, and irreversible inhibitor of polyamine oxidase, block the reaction. On the basis of comparative radiolabelling experiments, spermine was either a poor substrate, or not a substrate, for hypusine formation. These results confirm that spermidine is the likely precursor of the aminohydroxybutyl moiety of hypusine, and show that overall hypusine formation, but not necessarily the synthesis rate, is dependent on the endogenous spermidine concentration, especially under conditions where spermidine concentrations are initially low, as is the case after DFMO treatment, and then increase.

Effects of (2R, 5R)-6-heptyne-2,5-diamine, a potent inhibitor of L-ornithine decarboxylase, on rat hepatoma cells cultured in vitro.

DL-alpha-Difluoromethylornithine (F2MeOrn), the most widely-used inhibitor of L-ornithine decarboxylase, has been a useful tool to demonstrate that polyamine biosynthesis is required to maintain maximum rates of cell proliferation. However, in most eukaryotic cell systems, F2MeOrn exerts cytostatic rather than cytotoxic effects. This may be due to the fact that this inhibitor creates only incomplete polyamine deficiency. In particular, F2MeOrn scarcely depletes intracellular spermine levels. We now demonstrate in rat hepatoma tissue culture (HTC) cells that (2R, 5R)-6-heptyne-2,5-diamine, a more potent irreversible inhibitor of L-ornithine decarboxylase than F2MeOrn, decreases the concentrations of all polyamines including spermine. In parallel with the depletion of these amines, there is a progressive decrease in the rate of cell proliferation and in cell viability. Restoration of the intracellular polyamine content, by addition to the medium of polyamines or a high concentration of L-ornithine, the substrate of L-ornithine decarboxylase, further demonstrates that the antiproliferative effects of (2R, 5R)-6-heptyne-2,5-diamine do result from polyamine deficiency. These findings support the concept that polyamines play an essential function in the cell division processes and emphasize the vital function of spermine in mammalian cells.

Metabolism of acetyl derivatives of polyamines in cultured polyamine-deficient rat hepatoma cells.

The acetyl derivatives of polyamines, N1-acetylspermine (N1-AcSPM) and N1-acetylspermidine (N1-AcSPD), are in vitro better substrates of tissue polyamine oxidase than the corresponding non-acetylated polyamines. Rat hepatoma tissue culture (HTC) cells, depleted of their putrescine (PUT) and spermidine (SPD) content by the use of DL-alpha-difluoromethylornithine (DFMeOrn), an irreversible inhibitor of L-ornithine decarboxylase, were used to study in situ the catabolism of these acetyl derivatives of polyamines. Normal intracellular spermidine content was restored by the addition of N1-acetylspermidine to polyamine-deficient cells. Addition of spermine (SPM) did not restore the spermidine content, although this polyamine elevated the spermine content of the cells. N1-Acetylspermidine reestablished normal spermidine levels of the cells and elevated the cellular putrescine content more efficiently and more rapidly than spermidine. Monoacetylputrescine and N1, N12-diacetylspermine (di-AcSPM) were ineffective in restoring putrescine and spermidine contents. These findings support the concept that N1-acetylspermine and N1-acetylspermidine are natural substrates of tissue polyamine oxidase and suggest poor membrane permeability of monoacetylputrescine (AcPUT) and N1, N12-diacetylspermine. Furthermore, they indicate that acetylation of polyamines by the cytosolic acetyl CoA: polyamine N1-acetyltransferase is the rate-limiting step of polyamine catabolism in rat hepatoma cells. Growth inhibition by DL-alpha-difluoromethylornithine was reversed by N1-acetylspermine and N1-acetylspermidine but not by monoacetylputrescine and N1, N12-diacetylspermine. These results suggest again that the antiproliferative effect of DL-alpha-dilfuoromethylornithine is related to inhibition of polyamine biosynthesis.

Immunosuppressive effects of (2R,5R)-6-heptyne-2,5-diamine an inhibitor of polyamine synthesis: I. Effects on mitogen-induced immunoglobulin production in human cultured lymphocytes.

The consequences of specific inhibition of polyamine biosynthesis by (2R,5R)-6-heptyne-2,5-diamine (MAP) a potent inhibitor of L-ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), on immunoglobulin (Ig) production were studied in cultured human peripheral blood lymphocytes stimulated with pokeweed mitogen (PWM). MAP inhibits the usual PWM-induced increase of polyamine (putrescine, spermidine and spermine) concentrations and reduces concomitantly cell replication. In parallel with these biochemical effects, IgG and IgM production are diminished, a 95% decrease being observed at 100 microM MAP concentration. That the suppressive effects of the ODC inhibitor result from polyamine deficiency, and not from unrelated pharmacological effects, is demonstrated by the restoration of normal Ig production when 10 microM putrescine or spermidine are added to the culture medium. These findings established that the cellular immunological response can be affected by specific inhibition of polyamine biosynthesis and deserve further consideration both under in vitro and in vivo conditions.

Immunosuppressive effects of (2R,5R)-6-heptyne-2,5-diamine, an inhibitor of polyamine synthesis: II. Beneficial effects on the development of a lupus-like disease in MRL-lpr/lpr mice.

(2R,5R)-6-heptyne-2,5-diamine (MAP; MDL 72175), a potent irreversible inhibitor of L-ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), possesses immunosuppressive activities in vitro as the result of inhibition of lymphocyte polyamine biosynthesis. The effects of MAP were now studied in vivo in MRL-lpr/lpr female mice, an animal model for human systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Administration of MAP (0.2% in drinking water; drug intake: 0.25-0.35 g/kg body weight/day) to female mice for 15 weeks, starting 8 weeks after birth, reduced by 47% the number of spleen cells, retarded development of lymphadenopathy and, at that time, markedly prolonged the survival of the mice. At week 23, MAP reduced plasma IgG concentrations by 50% whereas, in contrast, those of IgM were elevated 1.5-fold. No statistically significant effects of MAP were observed on plasma levels of anti-DNA autoantibodies although serum anti-RNP and anti-Sm titres tended downwards during treatment. Neither glomerular lesions nor proteinuria were improved by MAP administration. Finally chronic administration of MAP for 45 weeks prolonged the median survival time from 29.75 to 35.5 weeks.

Accumulation of decarboxylated S-adenosyl-L-methionine in mammalian cells as a consequence of the inhibition of putrescine biosynthesis.

Biological transmethylation reactions and polyamine biosynthesis share the substrate S-adenosyl-L-methionine. Under normal conditions, decarboxylated S-adenosyl-L-methionine, the aminopropyl donor for polyamine biosynthesis, does not accumulate because of its rapid utilization in spermidine and spermine synthesis. Alteration of polyamine synthesis by DL-alpha-difluoromethylornithine, an enzyme-activated irreversible inhibitor of L-ornithine decarboxylase, leads to a striking accumulation of decarboxylated S-adenosyl-L-methionine in rat hepatoma cells cultured in vitro and in rat ventral prostate. This increase is due both to lack of putrescine and spermidine for the aminopropyltransferase reactions and to the elevation of S-adenosyl-L-methionine decarboxylase activity. The biological implications of accumulation of decarboxylated S-adenosyl-L-methionine are discussed with regard to the regulation of S-adenosyl-L-methionine decarboxylase activity and to the antiproliferative effects of DL-alpha-difluoromethylornithine.