New natural products from the sponge-derived fungus Aspergillus niger.

Fractionation of the EtOAc extract of a static culture of Aspergillus niger isolated from the Mediterranean sponge Axinella damicornis yielded eight secondary metabolites, out of which seven compounds (2-8) proved to be new natural products, whereas one was identified as the known fungal pigment cycloleucomelone (1). The new compounds included the 3,3'-bicoumarin bicoumanigrin (2), the structurally unusual 4-benzyl-1H-pyridin-6-one derivatives aspernigrins A and B (3 and 4), and pyranonigrins A-D (5-8), the latter featuring a novel pyrano[3,2-b]pyrrole skeleton hitherto unprecedented in nature. All structures were elucidated on the basis of extensive one- and two-dimensional NMR spectroscopic studies ((1)H, (13)C, COSY, HMQC, HMBC, NOE difference spectra) and mass spectral analysis. For the two chiral molecules 4 and 5, the absolute configurations were established by quantum chemical calculations of their circular dichroism (CD) spectra. In each case, two independent methods, i.e., a molecular dynamics approach taking into consideration the molecular flexibility, and a conformational analysis followed by Boltzmann weighting of the single CD spectra calculated for the conformers thus obtained, led to identical results without the need of any empirical comparison of chiroptical data reported for reference compounds. Bicoumanigrin (2) showed moderate cytotoxicity against human cancer cell lines in vitro. In addition, aspernigrin B (4) was found to display a strong neuroprotective effect against glutamic acid.

Bioactive natural products from marine invertebrates and associated fungi.

Marine natural products with their unique structural features and pronounced biological activities continue to provide lead structures in the search for new drugs from nature. Invertebrates such as sponges, tunicates, mollusks and others that are either sessile or slow moving and mostly lack morphological defense structures have so far provided the largest number of marine-derived secondary constituents including some of the most interesting drug candidates. This review highlights recent research findings of our group related to natural products from marine invertebrates. Areas that are covered include ecological functions of secondary constituents from sponges against predatory fish, the search for new pharmacologically active constituents from sponges and tunicates, and sponge-associated fungi as an evolving source for new bioactive natural products.

Anti-proliferative effects of new staurosporine derivatives isolated from a marine ascidian and its predatory flatworm.

Nine indolocarbazole alkaloids of the staurosporine type, including three new derivatives, were evaluated for their potential as inhibitors of cell proliferation and macromolecule synthesis. Four derivatives were tested as inhibitors of cell proliferation with twelve human leukemia cell lines and demonstrated powerful antiproliferative activities, with 3-hydroxystaurosporine being the most potent. IC(50) values were determined using the cell line MONO-MAC-6 and with an IC(50) of 13 ng/ml, 3-hydroxystaurosporine turned out to be one of the most active staurosporine-type inhibitors described so far. All derivatives, except 3-hydroxy-3'-demethoxy-3'-hydroxystaurosporine and 4'-N-methylstaurosporine very strongly reduced RNA and DNA synthesis with 3-hydroxystaurosporine again being the strongest inhibitor. Analysis of structure-activity relationships demonstrated that hydroxylation of staurosporine at position 3 of the indolocarbazole moiety caused an increase in anti-proliferative activity, while hydroxylation at carbon 11 resulted in a decrease in activity. Our results suggest that not only the presence or absence of hydrophilic substitutions, but also the position of the alteration within the molecule, is important in the antiproliferative properties of the various staurosporine analogues.

Aglacins A-D, first representatives of a new class of aryltetralin cyclic ether lignans from Aglaia cordata.

Four new metabolites, aglacins A-D (1-4), were identified from the methanol extract of the stem bark of Aglaia cordata. These compounds represent a new class of aryltetralin cyclic ether lignan. The structure of aglacin A (1) including the absolute configuration was elucidated by interpretation of spectral data, X-ray crystal structure determination, and employing the modified Mosher's method. In addition, three other derivatives, aglacins B-D (2-4), were isolated and identified by spectral means.

Multiple regulation of constitutive and induced interleukin 8 secretion in human myelomonocytic cell lines.

Secretion of interleukin 8 (IL-8) and its regulation was investigated in myelomonocytic leukaemia cell lines. Quantification by ELISA revealed a constitutive production in the cell lines HL-60, ML-2, MONO-MAC-6 and MUTZ-3 ranging between 1500 and ca. 5000 pg/ml IL-8 per million cells. No measurable IL-8 was detected in the culture medium of MONO-MAC-1 and THP-1. Stimulation with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or tetradecanoyl phorbol acetate (TPA) significantly increased the IL-8 level secreted by all cell lines; the best producers were TPA-treated MONO-MAC-6 and MUTZ-3 cultures, generating more than 50 000 pg/ml IL-8. Also the calcium ionophore A-23187, IL-13, macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF), thapsigargin, an inhibitor of the Ca(2+)-ATPase, and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) strongly enhanced the IL-8 production in MONO-MAC-6 cells. The glucocorticoid dexamethasone and the protein kinase inhibitor staurosporine distinctively inhibited the IL-8 production of MONO-MAC-6 cells. Thus, our results demonstrate a strong constitutive IL-8 secretion in human myelomonocytic leukaemia cell lines; the variety of different modulators affecting IL-8 production leads to the suggestion of a multiple regulation of IL-8 expression and secretion.

Induction and secretion of the chemokines interleukin-8 and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 in human immature leukemia cell lines.

We investigated expression and secretion of the chemokines interleukin-8 (IL-8) and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) in human myeloid cell lines. Quantitative determination by ELISA revealed a significant constitutive production of both chemokines in the cell lines HL-60 and NB-4 (>1000 pg/ml IL-8 and >400 pg/ml MCP-1 per million cells), while in the cell lines EOL-1, KASUMI-1 and KG-1 only 10-100 pg/ml IL-8 and MCP-1 were detected. Tetradecanoyl phorbol acetate (TPA) strongly increased the IL-8 and MCP-1 amounts in the culture supernatants of all five cell lines. The TPA-induced NB-4 produced the largest amounts of both chemokines (>40,000 pg/ml). The strongest induction was seen in EOL-1 (>100-fold increase). Besides TPA, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF alpha) also distinctively enhanced IL-8 and MCP-1 production. The calcium ionophore A-23187 and thapsigargin, an inhibitor of the Ca(2+)-ATPase, differentially induced IL-8 and MCP-1 secretion in the cell lines investigated, suggesting that, at least in some cell lines, intracellular free Ca(2+) might be important for chemokine secretion. Dexamethasone significantly prevented the IL-8 and MCP-1 production of stimulated cells, emphasizing the potent anti-inflammatory property of glucocorticoids. Similarly, the protein kinase inhibitor staurosporine clearly decreased the TPA-induced chemokine secretion in NB-4 cells, indicating the involvement of protein kinases in the signal transduction pathway which leads to enhanced chemokine secretion.

Constitutive protein expression of monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) by myelomonocytic cell lines and regulation of the secretion by anti- and proinflammatory stimuli.

We have investigated the protein expression of the chemokine monocyte chemotactic/chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) in various human myelomonocytic leukemia cell lines. Applying specific ELISA, we demonstrated that this chemokine is produced constitutively by the cell lines HL-60, ML-2, MONO-MAC-6 and MUTZ-3 ranging between 440 and 1400 pg/ml MCP-1 per million cells. In the culture medium of two other unstimulated cell lines, MONO-MAC-1 and THP-1, almost no MCP-1 was detected. Stimulation of HL-60 and MONO-MAC-6 with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and stimulation of ML-2 and MUTZ-3 with 12-tetradecanoyl phorbol 13-acetate (TPA) dramatically increased the MCP-1 level in the culture medium. The highest amount of MCP-1 (> 80 ng/ml within 24 h) was achieved by TPA stimulation of MUTZ-3 cells. Out of 15 cytokines tested for induction or enhancement of MCP-1 secretion, interleukin-3 (IL-3), IL-6, interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) and tumor necrosis factor (TNFalpha) were able to augment (twofold to 12-fold) the MCP-1 level in the culture medium of MONO-MAC-6 cells. While the antinflammatory cytokines IL-4, IL-10 and IL-13 failed to suppress MCP-1 secretion, the glucocorticoid dexamethasone strongly inhibited the MCP-1 production of unstimulated and stimulated MONO-MAC-6 cells. Thus, several regulatory elements are involved in MCP-1 secretion. Despite the quantitative differences of MCP-1 production among the cell lines analyzed, our results demonstrated a constitutive secretion in differentiation-arrested myelomonocytic leukemia cell lines and emphasize the usefulness of these malignant cell lines as models to study MCP-1 secretion and regulation.

Structure activity relationships of antiproliferative rocaglamide derivatives from Aglaia species (Meliaceae).

Eleven rocaglamide derivatives (cyclopentatetrahydrobenzofurans) and one structurally related aglain congener all isolated from different Aglaia species (Meliaceae) were tested for growth inhibiting properties using the human cancer cell lines MONO-MAC-6 and MEL-JUSO. Proliferation of both cell lines was efficiently inhibited in a dose and compound dependent manner. Applying MTT-Assay, the IC50 of the most active compound didesmethyl-rocaglamide (1) was observed at 0.002 and 0.006 micrograms/ml (0.004 and 0.013 microM) depending on the cell line investigated. Bulky aminoacyl substituents at C-2, acetylation of the OH substituent at C-1 or insertion of a OH or OMe substituent at C-3 of the rocaglamide skeleton all diminished the activity of the compounds investigated. The aglain derivative 12 was inactive up to a concentration of 3 micrograms/ml (4.6 microM). This loss of activity is assumed to be mainly due to the presence of a pyran ring in the aglains vs. a furan ring as found in rocaglamide derivatives. Rocaglamide derivatives may act primarily by inhibition of cell proliferation as evidenced by the absence of a significant cytotoxic effect in long-term cultures of MONO-MAC-6 cells treated with high doses of didesmethylrocaglamide. Our data suggest that rocaglamide derivatives could exert a potential role in the treatment of malignant diseases and are worth to be investigated in further studies of experimental medicine and pharmacology.

Expression of receptor tyrosine kinase HTK (hepatoma transmembrane kinase) and HTK ligand by human leukemia-lymphoma cell lines.

HTK (hepatoma transmembrane kinase) is a receptor tyrosine kinase belonging to the EPH subfamily of tyrosine kinases. Binding of its ligand (HTKL) results in tyrosine phosphorylation of HTK. In the present study, we analyzed the possible involvement of this ligand-receptor signalling system in hematopoiesis by examining the expression of both HTK and HTKL in a large and comprehensive panel of 70 continuous human leukemia-lymphoma cell lines. HTK and HTKL mRNA expression were analyzed by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). HTK mRNA was detected in 68/70 cell lines; 58/70 cell lines were positive for HTKL mRNA expression; consequently, co-expression of both receptor and ligand was demonstrated in the majority of cell lines. Collectively, the wide-spread expression suggests a role for this ligand-receptor pair in hematopoietic development and/or function. Investigation of the details of signal transduction pathway that is activated by the HTK tyrosine kinase will help to define the exact biological function of the HTK-HTKL system.

Constitutive secretion of hematopoietic cytokines by human carcinoma cell lines and its up-regulation by interleukin-1 and phorbol ester.

We investigated secretion of hematopoietic growth factors in ten human tumor cell lines, derived from 5 different tissue types. The cell lines were stimulated transiently with interleukin-1 (IL-1 ), IL-6, interferon-ç (IFN-ç), lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and tetradecanoyl phorbol 13-acetate (TPA), respectively. Conditioned media (CM) were screened in a bioassay using an indicator cell line which is growth factor-dependent and needs the supply of at least one hematopoietic cytokine. The CM of almost all tumor cell lines analyzed induced proliferation of this indicator cell line as documented by incorporation of [3H]-thymidine. The majority of constitutively cytokine-producing tumor cell lines could be induced to further increase their amounts of secreted proliferation-inducing activity. The strongest inducers were TPA and IL-1 ; weakly or not effective at all were IFN-ç, LPS and IL-6. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) identified several cytokines and macrophage-colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) and IL-6 were secreted at the highest concentrations. Especially in kidney cell lines, the levels of granulocyte-macrophage-CSF (GM-CSF), M-CSF and IL-6 were further strongly increased by the TPA and IL-1 pretreatment. The by far highest amounts of granulocyte-CSF (G-CSF) were elaborated by the bladder cell line T-24 and could be further more than doubled by TPA. Other cell lines, derived from esophagus, lung and pancreas, responded less strongly to the pretreatment with the biomodulators. Our results demonstrating secretion of functionally active cytokines by human solid tumor cell lines suggest that these, to date so-called, hematopoietic cytokines are not entirely hematopoietic specific and might play a fundamentally important role in tumor cell biology.

New alkaloids from the indopacific sponge Stylissa carteri.

Two samples of the marine sponge Stylissa carteri collected in Indonesia yielded two new bromopyrrole alkaloids: debromostevensine (1) and debromohymenin (2), as well as nine other known congeners (3-11). The structures of the new compounds were unambiguously established on the basis of their NMR and mass spectra.

1H-cyclopenta[b]benzofuran lignans from Aglaia species inhibit cell proliferation and alter cell cycle distribution in human monocytic leukemia cell lines.

Thirteen naturally occurring 1H-cyclopenta[b]benzofuran lignans of the rocaglamide type as well as one naturally occurring aglain congener all of them isolated from three Aglaia species (Aglaia duperreana, A. oligophylla and A. spectabilis) collected in Vietnam were studied for their antiproliferative effects using the human monocytic leukemia cell lines MONO-MAC-1 and MONO-MAC-6. Only rocaglamide type compounds showed significant inhibition of [3H-]thymidine incorporation and the most active compound didesmethylrocaglamide inhibited cell growth in a similar concentration range as the well-known anticancer drug vinblastine sulfate. Detailed structure-activity analysis indicated that the OH-group at C-8b which is a common structural feature of most naturally occurring rocaglamide compounds is essential for the described antiproliferative activity since replacement of this group by methylation led to a complete loss of the inhibitory activity for the resulting derivative. Rocaglamide derivatives rapidly inhibited DNA as well as protein biosynthesis of MONO-MAC-6 cells at concentrations well below those of actinomycin D or cycloheximide which were used as positive controls in the respective experiments. Didesmethylrocaglamide was furthermore able to induce growth arrest of MONO-MAC-1 cells in the G2/M and probably G0/G1-phase of the cell cycle with no morphological indication of cellular damage. Our data suggests that 1H-cyclopenta[b]benzofuran lignans of the rocaglamide type act primarily by a cytostatic mechanism.

Secretion of functional hematopoietic growth factors by human carcinoma cell lines.

We studied the constitutive production of hematopoietic cytokines in a large panel of human cell lines originating from a wide variety of solid tumors. Conditioned media (CM) from the carcinoma cell lines were collected and screened for proliferative activity using a bioassay with indicator cell lines. These indicator cell lines are dependent on hematopoietic growth factors and require the exogenous supply of at least one hematopoietic cytokine for proliferation. We found that CM of 27/70 cell lines were able to significantly and reproducibly stimulate [3H]-thymidine incorporation of the factor-dependent cell lines, indicating that the tumor cell lines secreted one or more functional cytokine(s). The CM-induced proliferation of the indicator cell lines was significantly inhibited by anti-serum against granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and granulocyte-CSF (G-CSF). ELISA confirmed the presence of one or several of the following cytokines in the CM of carcinoma cell lines: GM-CSF, G-CSF, macrophage-CSF (M-CSF), stem cell factor (SCF) and IL-6. A strikingly high percentage of GM-, G- or M-CSF-secreting cell lines was found among those lines derived from carcinomas of the kidney (100%), urinary bladder (85%) and pancreas (100%). The large majority of tumor cell lines derived from breast, colon, esophagus, lung, nervous system and melanomas did not produce significant amounts of the cytokines we investigated here. The cytokines secreted have been proven to be functionally active and can support growth and viability of cytokine-dependent hematopoietic cell lines.

A new calyculin derivative from the sponge Theonella swinhoei is a novel and potent inhibitor of tumor cell proliferation.

A novel calyculin derivative was isolated from the marine sponge Theonella swinhoei. Using human and animal tumor cell lines and freshly explanted peripheral blood cells, we investigated several biological effects of this natural product (i.e. cell growth, cytotoxicity, induction of differentiation and apoptosis). The new calyculin exhibited a dose-dependent cytotoxicity against various cell lines from different species and tissues. The ID50 values ranged between 20 and 90 ng/ml. Viability of a multidrug resistant HELA subclone was not affected. Apoptosis of the Hodgkin's lymphoma cell line HDLM-2 induced by antiserum was not prevented by the substance. A reduced drug sensitivity of the monocytic cell line MONOMAC-6 could be observed after induction of differentiation of these cells by phorbol ester and lipopolysaccharide. Even so, non-dividing peripheral blood cells were also resistant to the action of the calyculin derivative, suggesting that the cytotoxin may act preferentially on proliferating cells rather than on quiescent cells. Our data introduce a new calyculin as a marine natural product with interesting features stimulating further studies as a chemotherapeutic or investigational drug.

Bioactive pyridoacridine alkaloids from the micronesian sponge Oceanapia sp.

The Micronesian sponge Oceanapia sp. afforded three pyridoacridine alkaloids: the known compounds kuanoniamine C (1) and kuanoniamine D (2), as well as the new N-deacyl derivative (3) of the kuanoniamines. Compounds 1 and 2 exhibited insecticidal activity toward neonate larvae of the polyphagous pest insect Spodoptera littoralis (LC50 of 156 and 59 ppm, respectively), when incorporated into artificial diet. Both compounds also showed toxicity in the brine shrimp lethality test with a LC50 of 37 micrograms/mL (compound 1) and 19 micrograms/mL (compound 2), respectively. The N-deacyl derivative did not show any remarkable effect in both bioassays. Cytotoxcity of the alkaloids was studied in vitro, using two human cell lines. The new derivative (3) appeared to be active in the same range of concentrations as kuanoniamine C (1) and D (2). The IC50 of 3 was 1.2 micrograms/mL toward HeLa cells and 2.0 micrograms/mL toward MONO-MAC 6 cells. In receptor binding assays compound 2 showed affinity to A1- and A2A-adenosine receptors with Ki values of 2.94 and 13.7 microM, respectively. Compound 1 was less active than compound 2, whereas compound 3 showed no affinity toward adenosine receptors. In addition, compounds 1-3 exhibited moderate affinity to benzodiazepine binding sites of GABAA receptors.

Bladder carcinoma cell line KU-19-19-derived cytokines support proliferation of growth factor-dependent hematopoietic cell lines: modulation by phorbol ester, interferon-gamma and interleukin-1 beta.

The human bladder carcinoma cell line KU-19-19 synthesizes and secretes hematopoietic growth factors. Conditioned medium (CM) from KU-19-19 stimulated the [3H]thymidine incorporation of growth factor-dependent hematopoietic cell lines. ELISA documented high amounts of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF; > 5 ng/ml); also granulocyte-macrophage CSF (GM-CSF), macrophage-CSF (M-CSF), stem cell factor (SCF), IL-6, and IL-8 were detected in KU-19-19 CM. Pretreatment with phorbol ester, IL-1 beta, or IFN-gamma increased the level of G-CSF, GM-CSF, and M-CSF in KU-19-19 CM. Thus, KU-19-19 represents a reliable source for purification of G-CSF and can easily be used to support proliferation of growth factor-dependent cell lines. The ability to respond to different stimuli suggests that several regulatory pathways may be involved in cytokine production of this bladder carcinoma cell line.

A model system in haematology and immunology: the human monocytic cell line MONO-MAC-1.

MONO-MAC-1 is a human cell line with properties of blood monocytes, which can be used as a model system to study monocytic functions in vitro. In the present study, we prepared a karyotype of MONO-MAC-1, analysed the growth behaviour, determined the presence of differentiation-associated antigens and studied the expression and secretion of several cytokines upon stimulation with 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol 13-acetate (TPA) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The MONO-MAC-1 cells have a near diploid karyotype and contain several recurrent chromosomal rearrangements, in particular the translocation (9;11) commonly found in AML-M5. Stimulation with TPA or LPS induced changes in morphology and gene expression, especially an increase in the level of the differentiation marker CD14 and the production of monocyte-related cytokines. Both biomodulators alone were sufficient to promote TNF alpha release; however, the combination of TPA and LPS resulted in a synergistic increase of TNF alpha secretion. Northern blot analysis indicated that upregulated production of TNF alpha was due to induced synthesis of mRNA. The mRNA accumulation peaked approximately 2 h after stimulation and maximum levels of TNF alpha were found in the supernatants after 4-8 h of culture. The MONO-MAC-1 cells could not be restimulated with the same inducer to release TNF alpha when a 48 h pre-treatment was carried out with LPS or TPA. LPS induced the release of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), while TPA failed to do so. Vice versa, secretion of macrophage CSF (M-CSF) could be induced by TPA, but not by LPS. However, LPS enhanced the TPA-induced M-CSF production. Similarly, incubation of MONO-MAC-1, simultaneously with TPA and LPS, led to granulocyte macrophage CSF (GM-CSF) and interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta)secretion, while both stimulators alone had almost no (TPA) or only a weak (LPS) effect on the secretion of GM-CSF and IL-1beta. Our results demonstrate that MONO-MAC-1 is a unique cell line with distinct monocytic features; certain monocytic properties can be upregulated by activation of intracellular signalling pathway(s). We suggest that, besides the LPS receptor CD14, activation of PKC participates in these process, especially in the production and secretion of cytokines by MONO-MAC-1 cells.

In vitro culture studies of childhood myelodysplastic syndrome: establishment of the cell line MUTZ-1.

Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) in childhood is considered to be very rare and detailed pathobiological data are scarce. More biological information regarding MDS in children is clearly needed and in vitro culture studies provide one possibility for gaining further pathophysiological insights into this malignancy. Here, we incubated bone marrow samples from 30 children with MDS in liquid suspension culture in order to grow the transformed cells in vitro. In most cultures, the hematopoietic cells died quickly and only fibroblastic (stromal) background layers proliferated temporarily; several normal Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-transformed B-lymphoblastoid cell lines (B-LCL) were established. Only in one instance, albeit from the peripheral blood and not from the bone marrow, could we establish a cell line, termed MUTZ-1, from the malignant cells of a 5-year-old girl with MDS (FAB subtype refractory anemia with excess of blasts). The MDS arose from a pre-existing Fanconi anemia and progressed quickly to an acute myeloid leukemia (FAB M2). Despite positivity for EBV, MUTZ-1 is not an EBV + B-LCL and further characterization of MUTZ-1 confirmed the derivation from the transformed clonal cells. Immunophenotyping showed a pre B-cell surface marker profile (CD10+ CD19+ cytoplasmic IgM+); receptor gene rearrangement analyses underlined the clonal B-cell nature of MUTZ-1 cells. MUTZ-1 cells exhibit a highly rearranged, unstable karyotype with a high frequency of spontaneous chromatid breaks and exchanges; del(5q) and additional rearrangements involving chromosome 5 [der(15)t(5;15)] were detected. The present data and results from a few other MDS-derived cell lines suggest that the transforming event in MDS seems to occur in an immature pluripotent progenitor cell. The new MDS-derived continuous cell line MUTZ-1 provides a useful in vitro model system for studies on the pathogenetic events leading to MDS.

Expression of bcl-2 mRNA and protein in leukemia-lymphoma cell lines.

The expression of the proto-oncogene bcl-2 was examined in a panel of 75 continuous human leukemia-lymphoma cell lines originated from different hematopoietic cell types. The presence of the bcl-2 protein, as evidenced by Western blotting, and its mRNA, as determined by Northern blotting, were not restricted to cells with the chromosomal translocation t(14;18)(q32;q21), but were also detected in a large number of cell lines without t(14;18). The amount of the bcl-2 protein and mRNA in the cell lines with t(14;18) was in the same order of magnitude as in other bcl-2 expressing cell lines of the same lineage, but without the translocation. Bcl-2 was found in all types of hematopoietic cell lines which were assigned to the following lineages based on their phenotypical characteristics: pre-B, B, plasma, T, myeloid, monocytic, erythroid-megakaryocytic and Hodgkin's lymphoma derived cell lines. The levels of accumulated mRNA and protein corresponded fairly well in most of the cell lines examined. Our results suggest the notion that bcl-2 expression is widely present in hematopoietic cell lines without restriction to single lineages and, in fact, clearly independent of the chromosomal aberration t(14;18). It is conceivable that bcl-2 expression is a common feature in established hematopoietic cell lines and may contribute to their unlimited growth in vitro.

Expression of the chemokine receptor BLR2/EBI1 is specifically transactivated by Epstein-Barr virus nuclear antigen 2.

In our attempt to identify chemokine receptors that are related to Burkitt's lymphoma receptor 1 (BLR1) and are expressed in activated lymphocytes we used RT-PCR resulting in the isolation of a cDNA encoding a seven transmembrane receptor termed BLR2. The protein shows significant sequence similarities to the family of G-protein coupled chemokine receptors and turned out to be identical to the recently described receptor EBI1. Northern blot analysis revealed that BLR2 mRNA could be highly stimulated in mitogen- and anti-CD3-treated peripheral blood lymphocytes. BLR2-specific mRNA could be detected in all Epstein-Barr virus positive B cell lines. We show that transcription of the BLR2 gene could be specifically induced in Epstein-Barr virus negative BL 41 cells via estrogen-mediated activation of Epstein-Barr virus nuclear antigen 2, a key regulator of viral and cellular genes in immortalized B cells. Our data suggest an involvement of BLR2 in the regulation of migration in activated lymphocytes and in viral pathogenesis.