Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:2.3.1.28 (chloramphenicol acetyltransferase)
 5,100 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Products encoded by the class I Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) genes serve as restriction molecules which enable T cells to generate an immune response to specific antigens. Recently, many investigators have demonstrated the importance of class I antigens in enabling the host to regulate tumor growth in vivo. In this report, we have studied the regulation of HLA genes by hormones in human breast cancer cell lines. Eight lines were studied. Using HLA locus-specific DNA probes, the level of HLA-A and HLA-B specific mRNAs were found to be underrepresented in six of these cell lines when compared to an epithelial cell line derived from a normal lactating breast. Moreover, the expression of class I MHC mRNA in these cells correlated well with the level of chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) activity detected after the introduction of exogenous HLA-CAT DNA-constructs. It was also found that HLA expression in some of the breast carcinoma cell lines could be modulated by the addition of hormones. Hence, HLA mRNA expression in the cell line MCF-7 was enhanced by the addition of estrogen; but was down-regulated in the presence of dexamethasone. Conversely, for T-47D cells, HLA expression was suppressed by progesterone. These results indicate that hormones could have an influence on the expression of HLA genes and may therefore indirectly be involved in the regulation of tumor growth by the host's immune system.
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PMID:Modulation of MHC gene expression in human breast carcinoma cells by hormones. 263 11

Herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSV-TK) gene was ligated with four repeats of the Myc-Max response elements (a core nucleotide sequence CACGTG), and its utility for gene therapy was examined by the treatment of either c-, L- or N-myc-overexpressing the small cell lung cancer (SCLC) cell line with ganciclovir (GCV). The chloramphenicol acetyltransferase assay demonstrated that the overexpression of any myc genes activated transcription from the CAT gene depending on the Myc-Max binding sites. The transduction of the HSV-TK gene ligated with the CACGTG core rendered all three SCLC lines to be more sensitive to GCV than parental ones in vitro. In addition, the growth of c- or L-myc-overexpressing SCLC cells containing the hybrid HSV-TK gene were significantly suppressed by GCV in vivo. When parental SCLC cells were mixed with HSV-TK-expressing tumor cells at a ratio of 1:3, GCV treatment inhibited tumor growth by 90% compared with parental cells only, indicating the existence of the "bystander effect." These data suggest that the CACGTG-driven HSV-TK gene may be useful for the treatment of SCLC overexpressing any type of myc family oncogenes.
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PMID:Eradication of Myc-overexpressing small cell lung cancer cells transfected with herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase gene containing Myc-Max response elements. 854 91

Tumor growth is dependent on new blood vessel formation. Inhibition of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), an endothelial cell mitogen and angiogenic factor secreted by a variety of tumors and tumor cell lines, is sufficient to inhibit primary tumor growth. In the present study, we examined the effect of inhibiting VEGF on tumor cell micrometastasis. A transfectant of A431 (a human epidermoid carcinoma cell line) expressing chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) was injected s.c. into severe combined immunodeficiency (scid) mice, which were then sacrificed after 6 weeks. The presence of A431 metastases at distant sites was demonstrated by detection of CAT activity in whole-organ lysates. Treatment of animals with VEGF-neutralizing antibodies not only inhibited primary tumor growth but also suppressed metastases, as determined by CAT activity in organ lysates. In experiments to determine the mechanism by which anti-VEGF antibody inhibited metastasis, control animals were sacrificed when their tumors had reached the same size as tumors in VEGF antibody-treated animals. Metastases were uniformly present in these control animals. These findings show that inhibition of VEGF alone is sufficient to prevent tumor growth and dissemination in vivo. The inhibitory effect on metastases appears to be distinct from that on primary tumor growth.
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PMID:Vascular endothelial growth factor promotes tumor dissemination by a mechanism distinct from its effect on primary tumor growth. 863 Oct 34

Mutations of the p53 tumor suppressor gene are the most frequently observed genetic lesion in human cancer. Previously, we found that multiple intravenous injections of a liposome:p53 complex inhibited the growth of a malignant human breast cancer cell line that was implanted into nude mice. In the present study, we evaluated the toxicity of the liposome:p53 complex and the mechanism of this in vivo treatment in reducing tumor growth. Intravenously delivered liposome:p53 complex at dosages sufficient to inhibit human breast cancer in nude mice showed no evidence of toxicity. Clinical chemistries, complete blood counts, and histopathologic examination of various organs from the p53-treated groups did not demonstrate any difference from the control groups. To elucidate the mechanism by which the liposome:p53 complex inhibits cancer, the transfection efficiency of a liposome:chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) complex into the tumor was determined. Interestingly, less than 5% of the tumor was transfected with a liposome:CAT complex. A mechanism that could account for p53 reduction of tumor size and a low transfection efficiency is inhibition of angiogenesis. After one treatment, we found that the liposome:p53 complex reduced the number of blood vessels in the p53-treated group by approximately 60% compared to the control group (p < 0.001). The close correlation between the antitumor effect of p53 and the reduction of blood vessel density in the tumor suggests that p53 effects are mediated, at least in part, by an antiangiogenesis mechanism.
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PMID:Parenteral gene therapy with p53 inhibits human breast tumors in vivo through a bystander mechanism without evidence of toxicity. 901 21

Expression of interleukin-8 (IL-8) by human melanoma cells correlates with their metastatic potential. Moreover, UV-B irradiation of primary cutaneous melanoma cells induces IL-8 mRNA and protein production and increases both tumor growth and metastasis in nude mice. Although IL-8 has been shown to be an angiogenic factor, the biological consequences of increased IL-8 production by melanoma cells and the role of IL-8 in the metastatic process remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to determine the role of IL-8 in tumor growth and metastasis of human melanoma cells. Nonmetastatic SB-2 melanoma cells with negligible levels of IL-8 were transfected with IL-8 cDNA and subsequently analyzed for changes in their tumorigenic and metastatic potential. Enforced expression of IL-8 rendered the melanoma cells highly tumorigenic and increased their metastatic potential as compared with parental and control transfected cells. The IL-8-transfected cells displayed up-regulation in M(r) 72,000 collagenase type IV (MMP-2) mRNA and collagenase activity and increased invasiveness through Matrigel-coated filters. Moreover, when the MMP-2 promoter was linked upstream of the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) reporter gene, CAT activity was up-regulated in IL-8 but not in control transfected cells, suggesting that IL-8 is involved in MMP-2 gene transcription. Activation of type IV collagenase by IL-8 can enhance the invasion of host stroma by the tumor cells and increase angiogenesis and, hence, metastasis.
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PMID:Expression of interleukin-8 by human melanoma cells up-regulates MMP-2 activity and increases tumor growth and metastasis. 932 44

MCAM/MUC18 is a cell-surface glycoprotein of 113 kDa, originally identified as a melanoma antigen, whose expression is associated with tumor progression and the development of metastatic potential. We have previously shown that enforced expression of MCAM/MUC18 in primary cutaneous melanoma led to increased tumor growth and metastatic potential in nude mice. The mechanism for up-regulation of MCAM/MUC18 during melanoma progression is unknown. Here we show that up-regulation of MCAM/MUC18 expression in highly metastatic cells correlates with loss of expression of the transcription factor AP-2. The MCAM/MUC18 promoter contains four binding sites for AP-2, and electrophoretic mobility shift assay gels demonstrated that the AP-2 protein bound directly to the MCAM/MUC18 promoter. Transfection of AP-2 into highly metastatic A375SM melanoma cells (AP-2-negative and MCAM/MUC18-positive) inhibited MCAM/MUC18 promoter-driven chloramphenicol acetyltransferase reporter gene in a dose-dependent manner. MCAM/MUC18 mRNA and protein expression were down-regulated in AP-2-transfected but not in control cells. In addition, re-expression of AP-2 in A375SM cells inhibited their tumorigenicity and metastatic potential in nude mice. These results indicate that the expression of MCAM/MUC18 is regulated by AP-2 and that enforced AP-2 expression suppresses tumorigenicity and metastatic potential of human melanoma cells, possibly by down-regulating MCAM/MUC18 gene expression. Since AP-2 also regulates other genes that are involved in the progression of human melanoma such as c-KIT, E-cadherin, MMP-2, and p21(WAF-1), we propose that loss of AP-2 is a crucial event in the development of malignant melanoma.
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PMID:Loss of AP-2 results in up-regulation of MCAM/MUC18 and an increase in tumor growth and metastasis of human melanoma cells. 963 18

Overexpression of human heme oxygenase-1 has been shown to have the potential to promote EC proliferation and angiogenesis. Since Ets-family proteins have been shown to play an important role in angiogenesis, we investigated the presence of ETS binding sites (EBS), GGAA/T, and ETS protein contributing to human HO-1 gene expression. Several chloramphenicol acetyltransferase constructs were examined in order to analyze the effect of ETS family proteins on the transduction of HO-1 in Xenopus oocytes and in microvessel endothelial cells. Heme oxygenase promoter activity was up-regulated by FLI-1ERGETS-1 protein(s). Chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) assays demonstrated that the promoter region (-1500 to +19) contains positive and negative control elements and that all three members of the ETS protein family were responsible for the up-regulation of HHO-1. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA), performed with nuclear extracts from endothelial cells overexpressing HHO-1 gene, and specific HHO-1 oligonucleotides probes containing putative EBS resulted in a specific and marked bandshift. Synergistic binding was observed in EMSA between AP-1 on the one hand, FLI-1, ERG, and ETS-1 protein on the other. Moreover, 5'-deletion analysis demonstrated the existence of a negative control element of HHO-1 expression located between positions -1500 and -120 on the HHO-1 promoter. The presence of regulatory sequences for transcription factors such as ETS-1, FLI-1, or ERG, whose activity is associated with cell proliferation, endothelial cell differentiation, and matrix metalloproteinase transduction, may be an indication of the important role that HO-1 may play in coronary collateral circulation, tumor growth, angiogenesis, and hemoglobin-induced endothelial cell injuries.
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PMID:Upregulation of human heme oxygenase gene expression by Ets-family proteins. 1002 13

E2F-1, a transcription factor by discovery, is thought to play a crucial role in regulating G1/S cell cycle progression. Its activity is modulated by complex formation with the retinoblastoma protein and related proteins. Overexpression of E2F-1 has been shown to induce apoptosis in quiescent fibroblasts. We constructed a recombinant E2F-1 adenovirus to test whether an overexpression of E2F-1 in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cell lines would also induce apoptosis. Two cell lines, Tu-138 and Tu-167, were chosen for use in this study. Both cell lines harbor p53 mutations but express different levels of the retinoblastoma protein. Upon E2F-1 adenovirus infection, both cell lines expressed elevated levels of E2F-1 protein and then activated a pRb-chloramphenicol acetyltransferase reporter construct containing an E2F-1 binding motif. In vitro growth assay demonstrated that growth suppression by the E2F-1 protein was effective on both cell lines. Results from DNA fragmentation and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate-biotin nick end-labeling analyses indicated apoptosis induction in cells infected with AdCMV-E2F-1. Moreover, ex vivo experiments in nude mice showed total suppression of tumor growth at sites that received cells infected AdCMV-E2F-1. An in vivo analysis of apoptosis using in situ end-labeling further demonstrated the induction of apoptosis by AdCMV-E2F-1 in tumor-bearing animals. These data indicate that overexpression of E2F-1 via an adenoviral vector suppresses in vitro and in vivo growth of head and neck squamous carcinoma cell lines through induction of apoptosis.
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PMID:Apoptosis induction by E2F-1 via adenoviral-mediated gene transfer results in growth suppression of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cell lines. 1019 83