cyclic-gmp and Burkitt-Lymphoma

In earlier studies, we showed that when interferon alpha (IFN alpha) binds to cell receptors, it alters membrane potentials. In IFN-sensitive Daudi cells derived from Burkitt's lymphoma patients, IFNs produce dose-dependent hyperpolarization, decreased plasma membrane viscosity, modulation of the microfilament system, and altered synthesis of cAMP, cGMP and prostaglandins. No such changes were seen in IFN alpha-resistant Daudi cells. In this study, we found that indomethacin, pentoxifylline, or the cGMP inducer sodium azide (NaN3) had no significant effect on the IFN alpha induced membrane potential changes, or on membrane viscosity changes as measured by flow cytometry and electron spin resonance spectrometry. In tissue culture, indomethacin did not alter the anti-proliferative effect of IFN alpha on Daudi cells. Indomethacin may influence IFN synthesis, but not it's antiproliferative actions. Relatively high doses of pentoxifylline slightly inhibited proliferation of Daudi cells and synergized with IFN alpha. Measurement of early biophysical changes induced by IFNs may represent a new screening method to rapidly explore certain types of IFN alpha potentiating agents.

Topics: Azides; Burkitt Lymphoma; Cyclic GMP; Drug Interactions; Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy; Humans; In Vitro Techniques; Indomethacin; Interferon-alpha; Membrane Potentials; Pentoxifylline; Sodium Azide; Tumor Cells, Cultured

The c-fos proto-oncogene is found to be overexpressed at least 30-fold in SMS-SB, a pre-B leukemic cell line compared to other cell types. No gross alteration of the c-fos gene structure in SMS-SB cells can be detected by karyotypic or Southern analyses. C-fos in SMS-SB cells can still be induced by serum, TPA and the calcium ionophore, A23187, and superinduced by the combination of serum and cycloheximide. The elevated levels of c-fos transcripts are not due merely to an increased life span of mRNA, as the half-life of steady state c-fos mRNA in SMS-SB cells is about 40 min. Nuclear run-on transcription assays demonstrate that the transcription rate of c-fos in SMS-SB cells is up-regulated about 30-fold as compared to another pre-B leukemic cell line, NALM-6. In order to determine whether this is a cis- or transacting effect, we sequenced the 550 base pairs upstream of the SMS-SB c-fos coding region and found no mutations upstream of the mRNA CAP site. However, two point mutations at positions +23 and +98, respectively, were found in the 5' noncoding region of the first exon. Consistent with the overexpression of c-fos mRNA, the 55 kD c-fos protein is present in SMS-SB cells through detection by immunoprecipitation, but could not be detected in NALM-6 cells. SMS-SB cells however, do not appear to contain more abundant AP-1 DNA binding activity than NALM-6 cells.

Topics: Base Sequence; Blotting, Southern; Burkitt Lymphoma; Calcimycin; Cell Line; Cyclic GMP; DNA; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Humans; Molecular Sequence Data; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Proto-Oncogene Mas; Proto-Oncogene Proteins; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; RNA; Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate; Transcription, Genetic

Sialyl transferase activity was demonstrated on the surfaces of intact, cultured lymphoblastoid cells (RAJI) derived from a Burkitt's lymphoma. Pretreatment of the cells with neuraminidase increased the labeled sialoprotein by severalfold. A nunber of nucleotides were effective in decreasing the amount of sialoprotein assembly. CMP was the most effective inhibitor. UMP, AMP, and GMP were also inhibitory, but to a lesser degree. The diphosphate derivatives were similarly inhibitory, but generally less active than their monophosphate counterparts. The cyclic nucleotides were the least effective of all nucleotides tested; cCMP and cAMP showed a small degree of activity, whereas cUMP and cGMP were without effect. These studies indicated that a number of noncyclic and cyclic nucleotides can influence the activity of the sialyl transferase system.

Topics: Adenosine Monophosphate; Burkitt Lymphoma; Cell Membrane; Cells, Cultured; Cyclic AMP; Cyclic GMP; Cytidine Monophosphate; Guanine Nucleotides; Neoplasm Proteins; Nucleotides; Nucleotides, Cyclic; Sialoglycoproteins; Sialyltransferases; Transferases; Uracil Nucleotides