Beta1 integrin promotes but is not essential for metastasis of ras-myc transformed fibroblasts.

To investigate the role of beta1 integrin during tumor metastasis, we established a ras-myc transformed fibroblastoid cell line with a disrupted beta1 integrin gene on both alleles (GERM 11). Stable transfection of this cell line with an expression vector encoding beta1A integrin resulted in beta1A integrin-expressing sublines. Tumors were induced by subcutaneous injection of GERM 11 cells and 3 independent beta1 integrin expressing sublines (GERM 116, 1A10, 2F2) into syngeneic mice. After 10 days tumors were surgically removed. While average weights of GERM 11 and GERM 116 tumors were similar, tumors induced by the high expressing clones 1A10 and 2F2 were markedly smaller, suggesting an inverse correlation of tumor growth and beta1 integrin expression. The metastasis potential of all three beta1 integrin-expressing GERM 11 sublines tested was significantly higher than that of the beta1-deficient GERM 11 cells. GERM 116 tumors led in all animals to severe metastasis in lung and liver, while GERM 11 tumors induced only a few metastatic foci in the lung. Stroma of both tumors contained nidogen and high amounts of tenascin C, but only a few very low levels of fibronectin, laminin-1, and collagen type I. Beta1 integrin, therefore, increases but is not essential for metastasis of ras-myc transformed fibroblasts.

Ku protein in human T and B lymphocytes: full length functional form and signs of degradation.

DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) has been shown to take part in cell cycle regulatory signal transduction and in the repair of X-ray-induced DNA double-strand breaks. Functional DNA-PK is furthermore needed for the generation of antigen specificity during lymphocyte maturation. The Ku86 subunit of DNA-PK has been reported to exist in human B lymphocytes in a truncated form capable of binding to broken DNA but lacking the ability to activate the kinase function of DNA-PK. In the present work the Ku70 and Ku86 dimer proteins in T and B lymphocytes from human blood donors were analysed by immunoblotting and were observed apparently to be of full length. Also, nuclear protein extracted from B and non-B lymphocytes displayed DNA-dependent kinase activity. However, a minor fraction of Ku86 in lymphocytes was observed to be truncated with a molecular mass of approx. 70 kDa.

Immunohistochemistry of the B-cell component in lower lip salivary glands of Sjögren's syndrome and healthy subjects.

Serial sections of lower lip salivary gland (LSG) biopsies were examined by immunohistochemistry, using a battery of B- and partly T-related antibodies (CD5, CD20, CD21, CD27, CD38, CD45RO, CD79a, Bcl-2 and Bcl-6) in different groups of subjects: healthy controls and clinically verified smoking or nonsmoking cases of primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS). The purpose was to characterize the B-cell pattern of the lymphocytic foci and of the tiny perivascular infiltrates preceding the development of foci. Hyperplastic tonsil was used as stain control. In normal LSG, widely dispersed CD38+ and CD79a+ as well as some CD5+ cells are a normal constituent, with lack of staining with the other antibodies. In SS/LSG, the lymphocytic foci showed staining with all the antibodies, with variable degrees of overlapping or nonoverlapping. In SS/LSG of nonsmokers, CD20+ B cells make up a prominent part of the fully developed periductal lymphocytic foci, not overlapping with CD45RO. Also, CD20+ B cells did not overlap in the infiltrates with colocalized CD27+/CD38+ cells. CD20+ B cells and CD45RO+ T cells also occur as minute infiltrates perivascularly in areas of no foci in SS/LSG as well as in SS smokers lacking the typical foci. Smokers lack foci, but tiny infiltrates express CD20 as well CD45R0. Our findings suggest that CD20+ B cells and CD45RO+ T cells are early immigrants in the LSG of SS of smokers as well as nonsmokers and that another subgroup of CD27+/CD38+ B cells gradually mix with the first two to form the characteristic foci in SS/LSG. The simultaneous demonstration of CD20+ and CD27+ B cells in SS/LSG may constitute a significant diagnostic tool. Further, the findings suggest that the early immigrating lymphocytes may have been primed at a site remote from the glands before arriving via the blood to the gland tissue.

Ku protein and DNA strand breaks in lip glands of normal and primary Sjögren's syndrome subjects: lack of correlation with apoptosis.

UNLABELLED: The aim was to examine tissue expression of Ku protein in lower lip salivary gland (LSG) biopsies from cases of primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS) and from normal subjects. METHODS: immunohistochemistry was used with antibodies to Ku70/86 and also Ki67, PCNA and p53. In addition, the Klenow method was applied in order to detect evidence of apoptosis. Sections of hyperplastic tonsil served as additional controls. RESULTS: in normal controls, LSG acinar cells stained negatively whereas LSG excretory duct cell nuclei stained positively with Ku and Klenow and occasionally with PCNA but negatively with Ki67 and p53. In LSG focal sialadenitis of SS cases, some lymphocytic cells showed staining with Ku, Ki67, PCNA, Klenow and p53. In addition to duct cell Ku and Klenow as well as PCNA staining which was not much different from normals, a few ductal epithelial and also mononuclear cells stained with p53. In focal sialadenitis, some acinar cells showed staining with PCNA as well as with Klenow. CONCLUSIONS: our findings in LSG biopsies of SS cases added little to an increased understanding about the pathogenetic mechanisms in the development of focal sialadenitis in SS. However, in normal LSG, ductal epithelial but not acinar cells seem to express a constitutively specific Ku protein and Klenow profile, suggestive of DNA strand breaks but not clearly associated with ongoing apoptotic events. It may reflect an enhanced stress response, which may be pathogenetically important in the early events of focal sialadenitis development in primary Sjögren's syndrome.

Enhanced DNA-dependent protein kinase activity in Sjögren's syndrome B cells.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the stress response, including the role of DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK), in B cells from Sjögren's syndrome (SS) patients. METHODS: B-cell lines were exposed to gamma radiation and then postincubated to allow inducible stress functions to develop. The magnitude of the DNA damage response was monitored with respect to DNA-PK phosphorylation of a p53 peptide, defence protein levels (Ku, DNA-PK catalytic subunit, ATM, p21 and p53) and flow cytometric determination of cell cycle phases and apoptosis. RESULTS: B cells from SS patients, compared with healthy controls, displayed enhancement of two stress functions in undamaged cells: DNA-PK kinase activity and apoptosis. In addition, SS showed enhanced cell cycle arrest in gamma-irradiated cells. CONCLUSIONS: Strong kinase activity of DNA-PK, functioning not only in a DNA damage response but also in immunoglobulin gene rearrangement, may be an important component of the heightened stress response displayed by SS cells. In combination with recent reports, our data indicate that constitutional hyper-reactivity to danger signals is a basic pathogenetic factor in SS.

Enhanced DNA damage-induced p53 peptide phosphorylation and cell-cycle arrest in Sjögren's syndrome cells.

BACKGROUND: Cells from primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS) patients have been reported to show alterations in DNA repair and p53 expression. The DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) autoantigen may be involved in both of these alterations in relation to cellular DNA damage responses. We conducted this study of cell-cycle kinetics and p53 to find additional evidence for an abnormal stress response role in the pathogenesis of SS. DESIGN: DNA-dependent protein kinase activity, p53 peptide phosphorylation and p53 protein levels were determined in gamma-irradiated long-term T lymphocyte cultures. Cell-cycle progression of peripheral blood mononuclear cells was analysed with flow cytometry. RESULTS: No significant differences in the DNA-PK activities or p53 protein levels appeared between the SS patients and the healthy individuals. However, patients with the SS hallmark Ro/SS-A and La/SS-B autoantibodies showed enhancement of both p53 peptide phosphorylation (P = 0.036) and G1 cell-cycle arrest (P = 0.015) in response to gamma radiation. CONCLUSIONS: Sjögren's syndrome cells express an enhanced G1 checkpoint function which may be mediated partly by p53 phosphorylation, suggesting that an abnormal stress response in SS is of relevance for the development of this autoimmune disease.