Effects of postpartum acetylsalicylic acid on metabolic status, health, and production in lactating dairy cattle.

The transition period is one of the most challenging times for dairy cattle. Previous research suggests that treatment of postpartum cows with anti-inflammatory drugs may decrease pain and inflammation, enhancing cow welfare and performance during this challenging period. However, these strategies involve numerous time-consuming interventions, which require extra labor and do not fit modern farm logistics. The objective of this experiment was to assess the effects of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) every 24 h for 2 d after calving on (1) daily milk yield, daily milk conductivity, and daily rumination during the first 60 days in milk (DIM), and 305-d mature-equivalent milk, milk fat, and milk protein yields, (2) body condition score, ß-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), and haptoglobin, and (3) incidence of clinical diseases during the first 60 DIM. Dairy cows (n = 246) from a dairy farm located in Pennsylvania were enrolled in this experiment. Cows were blocked by parity and assigned randomly to 1 of 2 treatments: (1) ASA (n = 121), in which cows received 2 treatments with ASA (200 mg/kg; 4 boluses), the first within 12 h after parturition and the second 24 h later; or (2) untreated (UNT; n = 125), in which cows remained untreated. Blood samples were collected at 30 ± 6 h, 7 ± 3 d, and 14 ± 3 d after calving to measure BHB and haptoglobin concentrations. Body condition score was assessed at enrollment, 7 ± 3 DIM, 14 ± 3 DIM, and 50 ± 10 DIM. Furthermore, incidences of diseases, daily rumination, daily milk yield, and daily milk conductivity during the first 60 DIM and 305-d mature-equivalent milk, milk fat, and milk protein yields were collected from on-farm computer records. The data were analyzed using mixed multiple linear and logistic regression models as a randomized complete block design. Multiparous cows treated with ASA produced 1.64 kg/d more milk compared with multiparous cows that remained untreated (ASA = 41.66 ± 0.88 kg/d; UNT = 40.02 ± 0.81 kg/d) during the first 60 DIM. There was no difference in daily milk conductivity and rumination between treatments. Cows treated with ASA had lower concentration of BHB (ASA = 1.16 ± 0.64 mmol/L; UNT = 1.23 ± 0.80 mmol/L) during the first 14 ± 3 DIM and had higher body condition score within the first 50 ± 10 DIM compared with cows that remained UNT. There were no differences in circulating concentrations of haptoglobin between treatments. These results support previous findings showing that the use of anti-inflammatory drugs after calving may increase milk production and affect the metabolic status of dairy cows.

Involvement of T cells in early evolving segmental vitiligo.

Recent studies have suggested an overlapping autoimmune mechanism between segmental vitiligo (SV) and nonsegmental vitiligo (NSV). Although T-cell infiltration is observed in the margins of active lesions in NSV, the histopathological characteristics of the active margin of SV are not well known. To determine if T-cell inflammatory responses are present in the active margin of SV lesions, biopsies were taken from the active margin of a lesion in 12 patients with early or actively spreading SV and compared with a normal control sample (on the symmetrical, opposite site of the same dermatome). The samples were stained for CD4, CD8, CD25 and interferon-γ. Lymphocytic infiltration was seen in 70% of patients. CD4+ T cells infiltrated the dermis, while CD8+ T cells were present in the epidermis or attached to the basal layer. The increase in the number of CD8+ T cells was significant (P < 0.04), while CD4+ or CD25+ T cells also appeared to be increased in number, but this was not significant. These results suggest that SV also has an autoimmune mechanism in the early evolving stage.

Three cases of pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy (PUPPP) treated with intramuscular injection of autologous whole blood.

BACKGROUND: Pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy (PUPPP), also known as polymorphic eruption of pregnancy, is a common and benign but exceedingly uncomfortable dermatosis of pregnancy. Investigation of new treatment options has been limited by patient concerns about the negative fetal effects of medication. OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy of intramuscular injection of autologous whole blood (AWB) for treatment of PUPPP. METHODS: This is a retrospective descriptive case series of three patients with PUPPP, all of whom were treated with intramuscular injection of AWB. RESULTS: All patients showed good responses to intramuscular injection of AWB, tolerated the treatment, and there were no adverse effects to the patients or their babies. CONCLUSION: AWB may be an alternative treatment option for patients with PUPPP who are worried about the risk of medication use during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Whole blood collected from the patient's own body may be preferable to foreign medications. Future investigation into the exact mechanism with controlled clinical studies using a large number of patients will be necessary to provide supporting evidence for this potential treatment.

Geochemical processes constraining iron uptake in Strategy II Fe acquisition.

Phytosiderophores (PS) are natural chelating agents, exuded by graminaceous plants (grasses) for the purpose of Fe acquisition (Strategy II). They can form soluble Fe complexes with soil-Fe that can be readily taken up. PS are exuded in a diurnal pulse release, and with the start of PS release a "window of iron uptake" opens. In the present study we examined how this window is constrained in time and concentration by biogeochemical processes. For this purpose, a series of interaction experiments was done with a calcareous clay soil and the phytosiderophore 2'-deoxymugineic acid (DMA), in which metal and DMA speciation were examined as a function of time and DMA concentration. Various kinetically and thermodynamically controlled processes affected the size of the window of Fe uptake. Adsorption lowered, but did not prevent Fe mobilization by DMA. Microbial activity depleted DMA from solution, but not on time scales jeopardizing Strategy II Fe acquisition. Complexation of competing metals played an important role in constraining the window of Fe uptake, particularly at environmentally relevant PS concentrations. Our study provides a conceptual model that takes into account the chemical kinetics involved with PS-mediated Fe acquisition. The model can help to explain how success or failure of PS-mediated Fe acquisition depends on environmental conditions.

Metabolic profiling of amino acids in cellular samples via zwitterionic sub-2 µm particle size HILIC-MS/MS and a uniformly 13C labeled internal standard.

A novel analytical method using hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography combined with electrospray tandem mass spectrometry for metabolic profiling of free, underivatized amino acids is presented. The separation uses a zwitterionic modified silica-based stationary phase with 1.8-µm particle size functionalized with ammonium sulfonic acid groups. Quantification is based on external standard calibration using a Pichia pastoris cell extract grown on uniformly (13)C labeled glucose as an internal standard. The absolute limits of detection in the cellular matrix were in the subpicomolar range. Measurement accuracy was assessed by analyzing NIST Standard Reference Material 2389a, which provides certified values for 17 amino acids. The recovery of the amino acids ranged between 65 % (proline) and 120 % (lysine), with excellent repeatability precision below 2.5 % (n = 5). Only, cystine showed poor recovery (29 %) and repeatability precision (13 %). Generally, the long-term precision obtained by hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was excellent, being on average less than 9 % over 20 h of measurement time. Moreover, the novel separation method had average repeatability and reproducibility of the chromatographic peak width over time periods of 20 h and 6 months of 8 and 15 %, respectively, demonstrating its high robustness in routine analysis of cellular samples. Large concentration differences depending on the amino acid were found in the cell extracts, typically ranging from 0.002 nmol per milligram of cell dry weight (cystine) to 56 nmol per milligram of cell dry weight (arginine and glutamic acid).

Characterization of metal-tagged antibodies used in ICP-MS-based immunoassays.

A detailed characterization of metal-tagged antibodies is the prerequisite for the implementation of quantitative concepts in inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS)-based bioanalysis or future medical diagnosis. In this paper, the common modification with bifunctional ligands containing maleimide residues as a reactive group was investigated in detail via size exclusion chromatography (SEC)-ICP-MS and liquid chromatography-time-of-flight (LC-TOF)-MS to determine the preservation of the antibody structure after tagging. Mouse monoclonal IgG modified with metal-coded tags (MeCATs) was used as a model system. Several antibody fragments were identified carrying different numbers of metal tags. In a second step, a functionality test was performed with isolated fragments where the antigen specificity was tested in a dot blot immunoassay.

Measurement uncertainty of isotopologue fractions in fluxomics determined via mass spectrometry.

Metabolic flux analysis implies mass isotopomer distribution analysis and determination of mass isotopologue fractions (IFs) of proteinogenic amino acids of cell cultures. In this work, for the first time, this type of analysis is comprehensively investigated in terms of measurement uncertainty by calculating and comparing budgets for different mass spectrometric techniques. The calculations addressed amino acids of Pichia pastoris grown on 10% uniformly (13)C labeled glucose. Typically, such experiments revealed an enrichment of (13)C by at least one order of magnitude in all proteinogenic amino acids. Liquid chromatography-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-TOFMS), liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analyses were performed. The samples were diluted to fit the linear dynamic range of the mass spectrometers used (10 µM amino acid concentration). The total combined uncertainties of IFs as well as the major uncertainty contributions affecting the IFs were determined for phenylalanine, which was selected as exemplary model compound. A bottom-up uncertainty propagation was performed according to Quantifying Uncertainty in Analytical Measurement and using the Monte Carlo method by considering all factors leading to an IF, i.e., the process of measurement and the addition of (13)C-glucose. Excellent relative expanded uncertainties (k = 1) of 0.32, 0.75, and 0.96% were obtained for an IF value of 0.7 by LC-MS/MS, GC-MS, and LC-TOFMS, respectively. The major source of uncertainty, with a relative contribution of 20-80% of the total uncertainty, was attributed to the signal intensity (absolute counts) uncertainty calculated according to Poisson counting statistics, regardless which of the mass spectrometry platforms was used. Uncertainty due to measurement repeatability was of importance in LC-MS/MS, showing a relative contribution up to 47% of the total uncertainty, whereas for GC-MS and LC-TOFMS the average contribution was lower (30 and 15%, respectively). Moreover, the IF actually present also depends on the isotopic purity of the carbon sources. Therefore, in the uncertainty calculation a carbon source purity factor was introduced and a minor contribution to the total uncertainty was observed. The results obtained by uncertainty calculation performed according to the Monte Carlo method were in agreement with the uncertainty value of the Kragten approach and showed a Gaussian distribution.

Hypopigmented keratosis: is it a hyperkeratotic variant of idiopathic guttate hypomelanosis?

We have occasionally seen patients with acquired well-demarcated, scattered hypopigmented papules. In this study, we investigated the clinical and histopathological characteristics of such lesions. Biopsies were taken from the lesional and perilesional normal skin from 10 of 13 patients, which were compared with 10 idiopathic guttate hypomelanosis (IGH) samples. The lesions were scattered, well-circumscribed, flat-topped, hypopigmented papules. There was no age or gender predilection. Marked hyperkeratosis was present, with clear-cut margins distinguishable from the adjacent normal epidermis. The melanin content was decreased in the lesional epidermis, which was associated with a decrease in expression of melanogenesis-associated markers such as tyrosinase and NKI/beteb (marker of gp100) and reduction in the number of melanocytes. These histological findings were similar to those of IGH except for the additional finding of a thicker stratum corneum in this case seem to represent a 'hyperkeratotic' variant of IGH.

Combination treatment by 10 600 nm ablative fractional carbon dioxide laser and narrowband ultraviolet B in refractory nonsegmental vitiligo: a prospective, randomized half-body comparative study.

BACKGROUND: Vitiligo is a common acquired depigmentation disorder caused by the loss of melanocytes. Despite the numerous treatment modalities available for vitiligo, responses to treatment are still unsatisfactory. For this reason, new treatment modalities and approaches are needed. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effects of fractional carbon dioxide (CO(2) ) laser therapy followed by systemic narrowband ultraviolet B (NB-UVB) phototherapy on nonsegmental vitiligo (NSV) as a prospective and randomized left-right comparative study. METHODS: Ten patients with NSV who presented symmetrical vitiligo lesions with no further improvement despite more than 1 year of conventional treatment were enrolled. Two sessions of half-body fractional CO(2) laser therapy were performed at a 2-month interval. NB-UVB phototherapy was then administered to the entire body 5 days after each fractional laser treatment twice a week, increasing the dose incrementally by 15% at each session. Objective clinical assessments were made by two blinded dermatologists using a quartile grading scale, and the patients' overall satisfaction was evaluated using a 10-point visual analogue scale. RESULTS: Two months after the last treatment, mean improvement scores, assessed by physicians, were significantly higher for those treated with half-body fractional CO(2) laser therapy followed by NB-UVB phototherapy, compared with those treated with NB-UVB alone (P=0·034). In addition, according to subjective assessment, the half-body laser treatment followed by NB-UVB showed significantly higher improvements compared with NB-UVB treatment alone (P=0·023). Noticeable adverse events, such as infection, scarring and Koebner phenomenon, were not found in any patient. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that fractional CO(2) laser therapy followed by NB-UVB phototherapy could be used effectively and safely as an alternative modality for the treatment of refractory vitiligo.

Classification of segmental vitiligo on the face: clues for prognosis.

BACKGROUND: The origin of the distribution of segmental vitiligo (SV) has not yet been clearly elucidated. Segmental configurations of cutaneous disorders have been explained using two main interpretations, i.e. following either dermatomal or blaschkolinear distributions. However, facial SV does not always correspond to either of these distributions. OBJECTIVES: We classified facial SV into several distinctive subtypes according to specific distributions based on long-term observations. METHODS: In total, 257 patients with facial SV were included, all of whom were closely observed for more than 1 year. The distribution patterns of facial SV were classified according to morphological similarities based on clinical observations. RESULTS: The lesions of facial SV were categorized into six subtypes: types I-a and I-b, and types II-V. Type I-a and type IV broadly involved the mid-level face from the forehead to the lower cheek, but type IV lesions selectively appeared on the right side of the face and did not cross the midline. Type I-b lesions chiefly involved the forehead and scalp hair. Types II and III involved the lower face and, frequently, the neck area, and type V lesions were distributed mostly around the right orbital area. The most frequent type of lesion in this study was type I-a (28·8%), followed by types II (16·0%), III (14·4%), IV (10·9%), I-b (10·5%) and V (8·6%). CONCLUSIONS: Newly established patterns of facial SV may be valuable for certain aspects of prognosis, such as the likely degree and path of lesion spreading.

Quality of life and psychological adaptation of Korean adolescents with vitiligo.

AIM: The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of vitiligo on the quality of life and psychological adaptation in a Korean adolescent population. METHODS: Fifty-seven adolescents aged 12 to 18 years with vitiligo were evaluated using self-report scales, namely the Skindex-29, Piers-Harris self-concept, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), and Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale (RCMAS). RESULTS: Mean Skindex-29 subscales were as follow; 21.8 (global), 16.3 (symptom), 18.6 (function) and 29.5 (emotion). Several clinical variables, such as duration of vitiligo, facial involvement, history of previous treatment, and patient-assessed severity, affected the Skindex-29 subscales in various ways. However, differences in Skindex-29 scores according to the type of vitiligo, extent of involvement, and family history were not observed. The Piers-Harris self-concept scores showed a negative correlation with Skindex-29 scores, while other psychological measures (CES-D and RCMAS) were positively correlated. CONCLUSION: The quality of life of adolescents with vitiligo is closely related to the patients' apprehensions about their disease, psychosocial adjustment, and psychiatric morbidity, rather than the clinical severity of the condition itself. Clinicians should recognize and deal with psychological adaptation along with medical intervention when treating adolescent patients with vitiligo.

Quantitative profiling of in vivo generated cisplatin-DNA adducts using different isotope dilution strategies.

Platinum compounds are the major group of metal-based chemotherapeutic drug used in current practice and still a topic of intense investigation. The relative contribution of structurally defined cisplatin adducts with DNA to induce apoptosis and the cellular processing of these lesions is still poorly understood mostly due to the lack of sensitive and accurate analytical tools for in vivo studies. In this regard, two novel sensitive and selective strategies are proposed here to quantify cisplatin-DNA adducts generated in Drosophila melanogaster larvae and in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cultures. The methods involve the isolation and enzymatic digestion of the DNA in the samples exposed to cisplatin and further quantification by high-performance liquid chromatography with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometric detection (HPLC-ICPMS). Two different strategies, based on isotope dilution analysis (IDA), have been attempted and evaluated for quantification: species-unspecific (the postcolumn addition of a 194Pt-enriched solution) and the species-specific (by means of a synthesized isotopically enriched cisplatin (194Pt) adduct). For the second approach, the synthesis and characterization of the cisplatin adduct in a custom oligonucleotide containing the sequence (5'-TCCGGTCC-3') was necessary. The adducted oligo was then added to the DNA samples either before or after enzymatic hydrolysis. The results obtained using these two strategies (mixing before and after enzymatic treatment) permit to address, quantitatively, the column recoveries as well as the efficiency of the enzymatic hydrolysis. Species-specific spiking before enzymatic digestion provided accurate and precise analytical results to clearly differentiate between Drosophila samples and carcinoma cell cultures exposed to different cisplatin concentrations.

Radioautographic and electron-microscopic evidence of rapid uptake of antigen by lymphocytes.

Iodine-125-labeled ferritin molecules were detected by radioautography in the sinuses of the rat popliteal lymph node shortly after injection into the foot pad; they appeared to be taken up by macrophages and phagocytic reticular cells. Electron microscopic examination of the same tissue also revealed ferritin molecules within small lymphocytes as early as 5 minutes after injection. The antigen appeared to be taken up by the process of pinocytosis and was distributed throughout the cytoplasm and nucleus. While the number of ferritin molecules observed in the lymphocyte was much less than that taken into the inacrophage, the observation is significant in understanding the role lymphocytes play during the early phase of antibody response.

Hierarchical phosphorylation at N-terminal transformation-sensitive sites in c-Myc protein is regulated by mitogens and in mitosis.

The N-terminal domain of the c-Myc protein has been reported to be critical for both the transactivation and biological functions of the c-Myc proteins. Through detailed phosphopeptide mapping analyses, we demonstrate that there is a cluster of four regulated and complex phosphorylation events on the N-terminal domain of Myc proteins, including Thr-58, Ser-62, and Ser-71. An apparent enhancement of Ser-62 phosphorylation occurs on v-Myc proteins having a mutation at Thr-58 which has previously been correlated with increased transforming ability. In contrast, phosphorylation of Thr-58 in cells is dependent on a prior phosphorylation of Ser-62. Hierarchical phosphorylation of c-Myc is also observed in vitro with a specific glycogen synthase kinase 3 alpha, unlike the promiscuous phosphorylation observed with other glycogen synthase kinase 3 alpha and 3 beta preparations. Although both p42 mitogen-activated protein kinase and cdc2 kinase specifically phosphorylate Ser-62 in vitro and cellular phosphorylation of Thr-58/Ser-62 is stimulated by mitogens, other in vivo experiments do not support a role for these kinases in the phosphorylation of Myc proteins. Unexpectedly, both the Thr-58 and Ser-62 phosphorylation events, but not other N-terminal phosphorylation events, can occur in the cytoplasm, suggesting that translocation of the c-Myc proteins to the nucleus is not required for phosphorylation at these sites. In addition, there appears to be an unusual block to the phosphorylation of Ser-62 during mitosis. Finally, although the enhanced transforming properties of Myc proteins correlates with the loss of phosphorylation at Thr-58 and an enhancement of Ser-62 phosphorylation, these phosphorylation events do not alter the ability of c-Myc to transactivate through the CACGTG Myc/Max binding site.

c-Myc proteolysis by the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway: stabilization of c-Myc in Burkitt's lymphoma cells.

The c-Myc oncoprotein is a transcription factor which is a critical regulator of cellular proliferation. Deregulated expression of c-Myc is associated with many human cancers, including Burkitt's lymphoma. The c-Myc protein is normally degraded very rapidly with a half-life of 20 to 30 min. Here we demonstrate that proteolysis of c-Myc in vivo is mediated by the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. Inhibition of proteasome activity blocks c-Myc degradation, and c-Myc is a substrate for ubiquitination in vivo. Furthermore, an increase in c-Myc stability occurs in mitotic cells and is associated with inhibited c-Myc ubiquitination. Deletion analysis was used to identify regions of the c-Myc protein which are required for rapid proteolysis. We found that a centrally located PEST sequence, amino acids 226 to 270, is necessary for rapid c-Myc degradation, but not for ubiquitination. Also, N-terminal sequences, located within the first 158 amino acids of c-Myc, are necessary for both efficient c-Myc ubiquitination and subsequent degradation. We found that c-Myc is significantly stabilized (two- to sixfold) in many Burkitt's lymphoma-derived cell lines, suggesting that aberrant c-Myc proteolysis may play a role in the pathogenesis of Burkitt's lymphoma. Finally, mutation of Thr-58, a major phosphorylation site in c-Myc and a mutational hot spot in Burkitt's lymphoma, increases c-Myc stability; however, mutation of c-Myc is not essential for stabilization in Burkitt's lymphoma cells.

Enhanced translation and increased turnover of c-myc proteins occur during differentiation of murine erythroleukemia cells.

To determine whether regulation of c-myc proteins occurs during the differentiation of murine erythroleukemia cells, we examined c-myc protein synthesis and accumulation throughout dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO)- or hypoxanthine-induced differentiation. c-myc protein expression exhibited an overall biphasic reduction, with an initial concomitant decrease in c-myc RNA, protein synthesis, and protein accumulation early during the commitment phase. However, as the mRNA and protein levels recovered, c-myc protein synthesis levels dissociated from the levels of c-myc mRNA and protein accumulation. This dissociation appears to result from unusual translational and posttranslational regulation during differentiation. Translational enhancement was suggested by the observation that relatively high levels of c-myc proteins were synthesized from relatively moderate levels of c-myc RNA. This translational enhancement was not observed with c-myb. Under certain culture conditions, we also observed a change in the relative synthesis ratio of the two independently initiated c-myc proteins. Posttranslational regulation was evidenced by a dramatic postcommitment decrease in the accumulated c-myc protein levels despite relatively high levels of c-myc protein synthesis. This decrease corresponded with a twofold increase in the turnover of c-myc proteins. The consequence of this regulation was that the most substantial decrease in c-myc protein accumulation occurred during the postcommitment phase of differentiation. This result supports the hypothesis that the reduction in c-myc at relatively late times is most important for completion of murine erythroleukemia cell terminal differentiation.

Proteins encoded by the human c-myc oncogene: differential expression in neoplastic cells.

To examine myc protein products in the wide variety of human tumor cells having alterations of the c-myc locus, we have prepared an antiserum against a synthetic peptide corresponding to the predicted C-terminal sequence of the human c-myc protein. This antiserum (anti-hu-myc 12C) specifically precipitated two proteins of 64 and 67 kilodaltons in quantities ranging from low levels in normal fibroblasts to 10-fold-higher levels in Epstein-Barr virus-immortalized and Burkitt's lymphoma cell lines, to 20- to 60-fold-higher levels in cell lines having amplified c-myc. The p64 and p67 proteins were found to be highly related by partial V8 proteolytic mapping, and both were demonstrated to be encoded by the c-myc oncogene, using hybrid-selected translation of myc-specific RNA. In addition, the p64 protein was specifically precipitated from cells transfected with a translocated c-myc gene. Both p64 and p67 were found to be nuclear phosphoproteins with extremely short half-lives. In tumor cell lines having alterations at the c-myc locus due to amplification or translocation, we observed a significant change in the expression of p64 relative to p67 when compared with normal or Epstein-Bar virus-immortalized cells.

Variant Max protein, derived by alternative splicing, associates with c-Myc in vivo and inhibits transactivation.

Max (Myc-associated factor X) is a basic helix-loop-helix/leucine zipper protein that has been shown to play a central role in the functional activity of c-Myc as a transcriptional activator. Max potentiates the binding of Myc-Max heterodimers through its basic region to its specific E-box Myc site (EMS), enabling c-Myc to transactivate effectively. In addition to the alternatively spliced exon a, several naturally occurring forms of alternatively spliced max mRNAs have been reported, but variant protein products from these transcripts have not been detected. Using Western blot (immunoblot) and immunoprecipitation analysis, we have identified a variant form of Max protein (16 to 17 kDa), termed dMax, in detergent nuclear extracts of murine B-lymphoma cells, normal B lymphocytes, and NIH 3T3 fibroblasts. Cloning and sequencing revealed that dMax contains a deletion spanning the basic region and helix 1 and the loop of the helix-loop-helix region, presumably as a result of alternative splicing of max RNA. S1 nuclease analysis confirmed the presence of the mRNA for dMax in cells. The dMax protein, prepared via in vitro transcription and translation, associated with bacterially synthesized Myc-glutathione S-transferase. Coimmunoprecipitation of dMax and c-Myc indicated their intracellular association. In vitro-synthesized dMax failed to bind EMS DNA, presumably because of the absence of the basic region. Coexpression of dMax inhibited EMS-mediated transactivation by c-Myc. Thus dMax, which can interact with c-Myc, appears to function as a dominant negative regulator, providing an additional level of regulation to the transactivation potential of c-Myc.

Identification of downstream-initiated c-Myc proteins which are dominant-negative inhibitors of transactivation by full-length c-Myc proteins.

The c-myc gene has been implicated in multiple cellular processes including proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. In addition to the full-length c-Myc 1 and 2 proteins, we have found that human, murine, and avian cells express smaller c-Myc proteins arising from translational initiation at conserved downstream AUG codons. These c-Myc short (c-Myc S) proteins lack most of the N-terminal transactivation domain but retain the C-terminal protein dimerization and DNA binding domains. As with full-length c-Myc proteins, the c-Myc S proteins appear to be localized to the nucleus, are relatively unstable, and are phosphorylated. Significant levels of c-Myc S, often approaching the levels of full-length c-Myc, are transiently observed during the rapid growth phase of several different types of cells. Optimization of the upstream initiation codons resulted in greatly reduced synthesis of the c-Myc S proteins, suggesting that a "leaky scanning" mechanism leads to the translation of these proteins. In some hematopoietic tumor cell lines having altered c-myc genes, the c-Myc S proteins are constitutively expressed at levels equivalent to that of full-length c-Myc. As predicted, the c-Myc S proteins are unable to activate transcription and inhibited transactivation by full-length c-Myc proteins, suggesting a dominant-negative inhibitory function. While these transcriptional inhibitors would not be expected to function as full-length c-Myc, the occurrence of tumors which express constitutive high levels of c-Myc S and their transient synthesis during rapid cell growth suggest that these proteins do not interfere with the growth-promoting functions of full-length c-Myc.