Importance of FSH-releasing protein and inhibin in erythrodifferentiation

Inhibin is a hypophysiotropic hormone which selectively suppresses the secretion of pituitary follicle-stimulating hormone. It has been isolated from gonadal fluids and characterized as a protein heterodimer consisting of an alpha subunit and one of two beta subunits (beta A or beta B). FSH-releasing protein (FRP), also named activin, is a dimer consisting of two inhibin beta-chains. A factor from conditioned medium of a leukaemia cell line has been isolated which can induce mouse Friend cells to become benzidine-positive, and which shares a similar N-terminal sequence with porcine FRP. In this report, we find that FRP and inhibin modulate both the induction of haemoglobin accumulation in a human erythroleukaemic cell line, K562, and the proliferation of erythroid progenitor cells in human bone marrow culture. These two proteins could constitute a novel humoral regulatory control of erythropoiesis which would involve two types of related protein dimers with functionally opposite effects.     

菠萝蛋白酶诱导K562细胞分化及其对P53基因表达的影响

为进一步证实菠萝蛋白酶对肿瘤细胞的诱导分化作用,采用形态观察计数、血红蛋白定量测定、发光法测定细胞吞噬能力和Ｎｏｒｔｈｅｒｎ原位杂交法观察和检测了菠萝蛋白酶诱导Ｋ５６２细胞分化及其ｐ５３基因表达变化．结果显示,菠萝蛋白酶可诱导Ｋ５６２细胞向红系和粒／巨噬系两个方向分化;在菠萝蛋白酶作用下,ｐ５３基因于给药后８ｈ转录表达增强,２４ｈ达高峰,此后又下降,其时相变化先于分化发生．这些结果提示ｐ５３基因在Ｂｒｏｍｅｌａｉｎ诱导Ｋ５６２细胞分化过程中可能起启动分化的重要作用,有关机制尚待深入研究．     

Homoharringtonine induces apoptosis of endothelium and down－regulates VEGF expression of K562 cells

Homoharringtonine (HHT) has currently been used successfully in the treatment of acute and chronic myeloid leukemias and has been shown to induce apoptosis of different types of leukemic cells in vitro. Emerging evidence suggests that angiogenesis may play an important role in hematological malignancies, such as leukemia. However, whether HHT can relieve leukemia by anti-angiogenesis is still unknown. We investigated the anti-angiogenesis potential of HHT with the human umbilical vein endothelial cell line (ECV304) and leukemic cell line (K562) in vitro. Cellular proliferation was determined by MTT assay and apoptosis was analyzed by flow cytometry, The mRNA expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was assessed by RT-PCR and VEGF protein production was detected by Western blot. Inhibition of cell proliferation and induction of apoptosis by HHT were discovered in ECV304 cells, and appeared in a dose- and time-dependent manner, Also, treatment with HHT caused down-regulation of VEGF mRNA expression in K562 cells in similar dose- and time-dependent manner and inhibition of VEGF protein production in K562 cells in response to the enhancing concentration of HHT. The results demonstrated that HHT could also induce apoptosis in endothelium and down-regulate VEGF expression in K562 cells. In conclusion, we believe HHT has anti-angiogenesis potential and speculate that HHT might exert its anti-leukemia effects via reduction of angiogenesis.     

微波和足叶乙苷体外诱导K562细胞凋亡的研究

探讨微波和足叶乙苷体外诱导Ｋ５６２细胞凋亡的可能性及其机制,将微波和足叶乙苷分别单独以及联合作用于下沉髓细胞和Ｋ５６２细胞株,通过细胞凋亡和ｂｃｌ－２蛋白阳性率的测试来评价细胞凋良的程度并研究其机制,微波和足叶乙苷各自都能诱导正常骨髓细胞和Ｋ５６２细胞的少量凋亡,两者联合作用所诱导的细胞凋亡率较之宇足叶乙苷有显著性增加,其中Ｋ５６２的细胞凋亡率的增加幅度远大于正常骨髓细胞,细胞凋亡率的增另和ｂｃｌ     

Effects of point mutation C→T at - 64 of human δ globin gene promoter on DNA binding proteins

By electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA), the effect of point mutation C→T at - 64 of human δ-globin gene on its binding proteins has been studied. Two segments of 36 bp from - 83- - 48 bp of the 6 globin gene promoter, named WOG and MOG, were synthesized. WOG includes wild type CAAT-like box (CCAAC), while MOG includes the mutant CAAT-like box (CCAAT, -64 C→T). Results indicate that: ( i ) in erythroid cell lines MEL, K562 and Hemin induced K562, the affinity of MOG with CCAAT binding protein (CBF) and GATA-1 was greatly increased; ( ii ) in Hemin induced K562 cell line, there were another two novel specific DNA binding proteins, named C and D temporarily, besides the above two factors. The former was combined with WOG and MOG, likely indicating its relation with the increased gene expression after induction. The latter was only combined with MOG, which had possible relationship with the point mutation of - 64 C→T; ( iii ) EMSA also indicates that the suppression mechanisms of the expression of 6 globin gene is different in various periods of human developments. The result evidently supports the hypothesis that the defect CAAT-like box in human 6 globin gene contributes the main reason of its low level expression. The defect c/s-acting element CAAT-like box affects gene expression by its combination with the frans-acting element CBF and GATA-1.     

3-MA 对阿霉素诱导 K562、K562 / ADM 细胞凋亡及其相关基因 mRNA 表达的影响

目的：通过自噬抑制剂3-甲基腺嘌呤（3-MA）对阿霉素（ADM）诱导白血病K562细胞及K562／ADM细胞的细胞效应和自噬基因Beclinl、凋亡抑制基因SurvivinmR．NA表达的变化观察,探讨自噬在细胞凋亡中的作用和机制．方法：体外培养K562和K562／ADM细胞,采用MTT法分别检测ADM及3-MA预处理对K562、K562／ADM细胞增殖的影响,流式细胞仪检测细胞凋亡率,实时RT—PCR法检测细胞自噬及凋亡相关基因（Beclinl、Survivin）mRNA表达的变化．结果：ADM可抑制K562与K562／ADM细胞增殖,且抑制作用呈现浓度与时间依赖性．ADM诱导组K562与K562／ADM细胞在24h、48h、72h细胞凋亡率均较空白对照组明显提高（P〈0．05）．在ADM诱导前,经3-MA预处理可使ADM诱导的K562与K562／ADM细胞抑制率和细胞凋亡率均较单用ADM显著提高（尸〈0．05）,Bedin1、SurvivinmRNA相对表达量均较单用ADM明显下降（P〈0．05）,呈正相关（r=0．827,P〈0．01）．结论：ADM可抑制K562、K562／ADM细胞的生长,并诱导细胞凋亡．3-MA通过抑制细胞的自噬可增强ADM诱导白血病细胞K562、K562／ADM的凋亡,其机制可能与下调BeclinlmRNA表达,而使Survivin表达受抑制有关．     

Expression of a transfected human c-myc oncogene inhibits differentiation of a mouse erythroleukaemia cell line

The Friend-virus-derived mouse erythroleukaemia (MEL) cell lines represent transformed early erythroid precursors that can be induced to differentiate into more mature erythroid cells by a variety of agents including dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO). There is a latent period of 12 hours after inducer is added, when 80-90% of the cells become irreversibly committed to the differentiation programme, undergoing several rounds of cell division before permanently ceasing to replicate. After DMSO induction, a biphasic decline in steady-state levels of c-myc and c-myb messenger RNAs occurs. Following the initial decrease in c-myc mRNA expression, the subsequent increase occurs in, and is restricted to, the G1 phase of the cell cycle. We sought to determine whether the down-regulation is a necessary step in chemically induced differentiation. Experiments reported here indicate that expression in MEL cells of a transfected human c-myc gene inhibits the terminal differentiation process.     

A protein on Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes functions as a transferrin receptor

Several observations suggest that iron is essential for the development of malaria parasites but there is evidence that the parasites in erythrocytes do not obtain iron from haemoglobin. The total haemin level in parasitized erythrocytes does not vary during parasite development, indicating that the iron-containing moiety of haemoglobin is not detectably metabolized. Although parasite proteases can degrade the protein part of haemoglobin in red cells, no parasite enzymes that degrade haemin have been identified. In mammalian cells, haemin is degraded to carbon monoxide and bilirubin by the enzyme haeme oxygenase. This enzyme has not been found in malaria parasites. In fact haemin has been found to be toxic to parasite carbohydrate metabolism. Thus, iron apparently cannot be liberated from haemin and instead is sequestered in infected red cells as haemozoin, the characteristic pigment associated with malarial infection. If iron bound to transferrin is the source of ferric ions for malaria parasites within mature erythrocytes, then the parasite must synthesize its own transferrin receptor and localize it on the surface of the infected cell, because the receptors for transferrin are lost during erythrocyte maturation. Our results here suggest that Plasmodium falciparum synthesizes its own transferrin receptors enabling it to take up iron from transferrin by receptor-mediated endocytosis.     

RHD基因转录子的选择性剪切

通过RT-PCR技术分析红系细胞和非红系细胞RHD的转录情况,同时进一步比较不同D表达个体的RHD的转录关系.采用逆转录PCR（RT-PCR）技术检测HL-60,K562,Jurkat,THP-1,胚肺成纤维细胞系（HECF）,10名不同Rh表型个体的网织红细胞（CcDEe 3名,CCDEe 2名,CCDee 2名,CcDee 2名和CCDuee 1名）以及10名不同Rh表型（2 CCDEe,2 CCDee,2 ccDee,2 CcDee,ccDEe和CcDEe）个体的白细胞的RhD mRNA,然后进行cDNA测序分析.结果表明,HL-60,Jurkat,THP-1,胚肺成纤维细胞系（HECF）以及不同Rh表型个体的外周血有核细胞中除网状红细胞外皆不存在RhD mRNA,K562具有一个正常的RHD基因转录本,而不同表型个体的网织红细胞具有复杂的RhD cDNA形式,有的缺少RHD基因的外显子7,有的缺少外显子7～9或外显子4～9,但这些个体都有一个正常形式的RhD mRNA.由此得出结论,选择性剪切使RHD基因的产生多种形式的转录子,但这些不同形式的转录子仅来自红系的血细胞如网织红细胞和K562细胞系,白细胞、单核细胞、T淋巴细胞以及胚肺成纤维细胞都不具有RHD的mRNA.     

Is renin substrate an erythropoietin precursor?

The biogenesis of erythropoietin is incompletely understood. One hypothesis maintains that erythropoietin is synthesized primarily in the kidney while according to another theory an erythropoietin precursor present in plasma is activated by a renal factor, erythrogenin. An attractive candidate for the erythropoietin precursor is renin substrate (angiotensinogen) which has chemical similarities with erythropoietin. We show here that purified renin substrate from human plasma is immunologically related to human erythropoietin. Moreover, purified renin substrate, like erythropoietin, causes the dose-dependent increase of haemoglobin F in cultured human erythroid leukaemia K562 cells. We conclude that renin substrate is a likely precursor of erythropoietin.     

Knockdown of <Emphasis Type="Italic">MRP4</Emphasis> by lentivirus-mediated siRNA improves sensitivity to adriamycin in adriamycin-resistant acute myeloid leukemia cells

Chemotherapy remains the standard treatment for acute myeloid leukemia;however,the emergence of drug resistance is a major hurdle in the successful treatment of leukemia.The expression of multidrug resistance-associated protein 4(MRP4)induces re- sistance in the adriamycin-resistant acute myeloid leukemia cell line,K562/ADR.The aim of this study was to investigate whether knockdown of MRP4 by lentivirus-mediated siRNA could improve the sensitivity of K562/ADR cells to adriamycin.Five lenti- virus-mediated short hairpin RNAs(lv-shRNAs-MRP4)were designed to trigger the gene silencing RNA interference(RNAi) pathway.The efficiency of lentivirus-mediated siRNA infection into K562/ADR cells was determined using fluorescence mi- croscopy to observe lentivirus-mediated GFP expression.MRP4 expression in infected K562/ADR cells was evaluated by real- time PCR and Western blot analysis.The MTS assay was used to measure cell viability and flow cytometry was used to measure apoptosis.The transfection efficiency of K562/ADR cells was over 80 percent.The gene silencing efficacy of lv-shRNA1-MRP4 was superior to the other constructs.Infection of K562/ADR cells with lv-shRNA1-MRP4 led to strong inhibition of MRP4 mRNA and protein expression.Combined treatment with lv-shRNA1-MRP4 and adriamycin decreased cell growth and increased apoptosis compared to treatment with lv-shRNA1-MRP4 or adriamycin alone.These data indicate that in K562/ADR cells MRP4 is involved in drug resistance mechanisms and that lentivirus-mediated knockdown of MRP4 may enhance sensitivity to adriamycin.     

Interactions between the nuclear matrix proteins and the 5'-flanking cis-acting elements of the human ε-globin gene

An erythroid-specific nuclear matrix protein (termed ε-NMPk) in K562 cells, which can specifically bind to the positive stage-specific regulatory element (ε-PRE Ⅱ , - 446- - 419 bp) upstream of the human ε-globin gene, has been identified by using gel mobility shift assay. Meanwhile, Southwestern blotting assay showed that the nuclear matrix protein ε-NMPk in K562, cells may be composed of two polypeptides ( ～ 40 ku). In addition, it is observed in the gel mobility shift assay that the nuclear matrix proteins from K562, HEL and Raji cells can bind to the silencer DNA ( - 392- - 177 bp) in the 5'-flanking sequence of human ε-globin gene respectively. However, the shift band K detected in K562 cells is different from shift band H/R in HEL and Raji cells, suggesting that a common nuclear matrix protein may exist in HEL and Raji cells. Results show that the nuclear matrix protein may play an important role in the regulation of the human ε-globin gene expression.     

Essential role for Nix in autophagic maturation of erythroid cells

Erythroid cells undergo enucleation and the removal of organelles during terminal differentiation. Although autophagy has been suggested to mediate the elimination of organelles for erythroid maturation, the molecular mechanisms underlying this process remain undefined. Here we report a role for a Bcl-2 family member, Nix (also called Bnip3L), in the regulation of erythroid maturation through mitochondrial autophagy. Nix(-/-) mice developed anaemia with reduced mature erythrocytes and compensatory expansion of erythroid precursors. Erythrocytes in the peripheral blood of Nix(-/-) mice exhibited mitochondrial retention and reduced lifespan in vivo. Although the clearance of ribosomes proceeded normally in the absence of Nix, the entry of mitochondria into autophagosomes for clearance was defective. Deficiency in Nix inhibited the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (DeltaPsi(m)), and treatment with uncoupling chemicals or a BH3 mimetic induced the loss of DeltaPsi(m) and restored the sequestration of mitochondria into autophagosomes in Nix(-/-) erythroid cells. These results suggest that Nix-dependent loss of DeltaPsi(m) is important for targeting the mitochondria into autophagosomes for clearance during erythroid maturation, and interference with this function impairs erythroid maturation and results in anaemia. Our study may also provide insights into molecular mechanisms underlying mitochondrial quality control involving mitochondrial autophagy.     

Interactions between the nuclear matrix proteins and the 5′-flankingcis-acting elements of the human ε-globin gene

An erythroid-specific nuclear matrix protein (termed ε-NMP_k) in K562 cells, which can specifically bind to the positive stage-specific regulatory element (ε-PRE II, - 446 - 419 bp) upstream of the human ε-globin gene, has been identified by using gel mobility shift assay. Meanwhile, Southwestern blotting assay showed that the nuclear matrix protein ε-NMP_k in K562, cells may be composed of two polypeptides (∼ 40 ku). In addition, it is observed in the gel mobility shift assay that the nuclear matrix proteins from K562, HEL and Raji cells can bind to the silencer DNA (- 392 - 177 bp) in the 5′-flanking sequence of human ε-globin gene respectively. However, the shift band K detected in K562 cells is different from shift band H/R in HEL and Raji cells, suggesting that a common nuclear matrix protein may exist in HEL and Raji cells. Results show that the nuclear matrix protein may play an important role in the regulation of the human ε-globin gene expression.     

血管内皮生长因子反义核酸增强HL60和K562细胞对As_2O_3的敏感性

目的:探讨血管内皮生长因子(VEGF)反义核酸能否提高HL60和K562细胞对三氧化二砷(As2O3)的敏感性。方法:采用经筛选所得的最优反义核酸(A7),20个碱基经过全硫代修饰;以脂质体介导转染细胞,反义核酸和As2O3联合作用72h以后,用MTT法检测细胞生长情况,求IC50值;用ELISA法检测培养液中VEGF蛋白的浓度,用流式细胞仪检测细胞凋亡百分数。结果:VEGF反义核酸可显著降低HL60、K562细胞对As2O3的IC50值,下调VEGF蛋白的表达,增加As2O3诱导的HL60、K562细胞凋亡作用。结论:VEGF反义核酸具有增强HL60和K562细胞对As2O3的敏感性,增强As2O3诱导的HL60和K562细胞凋亡作用;提示内源性VEGF蛋白具有使细胞产生耐药性的作用。