Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: EC:3.2.1.23 (beta-galactosidase)
14,648 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Induction of apoptosis with chemotherapeutic agents or radiation in tumours is frequently related to the status of those p53 gene of the tumours. To examine whether forced expression of the wild-type p53 gene in tumour cells can modulate their susceptibility to radiation and anti-cancer agents, we retrovirally transduced two types of human breast cancer cell lines, which respectively harboured a mutated p53 gene (OCUB-M) or wild-type p53 gene (YMB-1), with the wild-type p53 gene. Transduced cells which consistently expressed the wild-type p53 gene (OCUB-M/p53, YMB-1/p53) proliferated at the same rate as control cells which were transduced with the beta-galactosidase gene (OCUB-M/lacz, YMB-1/lacz). However, sensitivity to radiation was increased in OCUB-M/p53 cells but not in YMB-1/p53 cells. In vitro chemosensitivity to DNA-damaging anticancer agents such as cyclophosphamide and 5-fluorouracil was not influenced by the transduction of the wild-type p53 gene in either cells. Expression of the wild-type p53 gene in p53-mutated human breast cancer cells can therefore increase their sensitivity to radiation but not their chemosensitivity. Therapeutic effects following by the transduction of the wild-type p53 gene were not observed in breast cancer cells already bearing the wild-type p53 gene.
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PMID:Radiosensitivity of human breast cancer cells transduced with wild-type p53 gene is influenced by the p53 status of parental cells. 1081 Mar 68

Genetic labeling of tumor cells with the Escherichia coli lacZ reporter gene, encoding the enzyme beta-galactosidase, is widely used for histochemical detection of micrometastases in mice. Recently, we have developed a novel, highly sensitive and specific immunocapture chemiluminescence assay for the quantitation of E. coli beta-galactosidase. This assay achieved a detection limit of 0.01 mU of E. coli beta-galactosidase per milliliter, and 97% signal recovery of purified enzyme added to mouse plasma. LacZ transduced MDA-MB-231 BAG human breast cancer cells grown in vitro released soluble beta-galactosidase into the culture medium, and the concentration found correlated with cell density. Growth of the same cells in nude mice produced readily measurable levels of E. coli beta-galactosidase enzyme activity in host plasma and a highly significant correlation could be demonstrated between the size of primary tumor xenografts and the host plasma level of E. coli beta-galactosidase activity. When mice bearing MDA-MB-231 BAG tumor xenografts were treated intravenously with a single injection of doxorubicin (5 mg/kg), the mean tumor volume after 16 days was reduced 4-fold in the group of doxorubicin-treated mice compared with saline-treated control mice, and the mean level of plasma E. coli beta-galactosidase was correspondingly reduced 3.8-fold in the doxorubicin-treated mice compared with control mice. Sensitive and specific measurement of soluble E. coli beta-galactosidase in blood, using an immunocapture chemiluminescence assay, thus provides objective assessment of tumor burden in mice xenografted with lacZ transduced human tumors. This assay may have important applications as a tool for determining the efficacy of new experimental anti-tumor agents.
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PMID:Plasma Escherichia coli beta-galactosidase as a marker of tumor burden and response to experimental anti-neoplastic therapy in nude mice xenografted with lacZ transduced human tumor cells. 1083 Jul 82

Our objective was to determine the efficacy of adenoviral-mediated gene therapy with wild-type p53 or p21 in human breast cancer cells and investigate interactions with radiation and chemotherapy. Two human breast cancer cell lines, MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-435, both with p53 mutations, were transduced with adenoviral vectors containing wild-type p53 (Ad5CMV-p53) or p21/WAF1/Cip1 (Ad5CMV-p21), and the effects on growth were determined. Infection was combined with low-dose (1.4 - 3.7 Gy) irradiation to see if this would improve transduction efficiency and enhance numbers of cells killed. Transduction with either vector resulted in expression of p21WAF1/cip1 and growth inhibition, although Ad5CMV-p53 transduction produced greater growth inhibition than did Ad5CMV-p21. The cell lines differed in sensitivity to the vectors. The Ad5CMV-p53 vector in a multiplicity of infection (MOI) of 125 resulted in 50% to 80% inhibition of MDA-MB-231, while MOI 250 of the same vector resulted in 27% inhibition of MDA-MB-435. Infection with Ad5CMV-p21 produced modest growth inhibition in both cell lines (< or = 40% at MOI 200), although protein expression was detected at lower viral doses. Low dose gamma-irradiation (1.4 to 3.7 Gy) was used to try and improve the rate of gene transfer. Modest increases in transduction efficiency and duration of expression of a vector containing beta-galactosidase occurred in irradiated breast cancer cells. Radiation 24 hr before transduction with Ad5CMV-p53 increased the proportions of apoptotic MDA-MB-231 cells. The cells transduced with Ad5CMV-p21 were arrested in G1, yet when they were irradiated before adenoviral transduction, the overexpression of p21 protected the cells from the cytotoxic effects of the radiation. Clonogenic assays showed that Ad5CMV-p21 reduced the sensitivity of MDA-MB-231 to VP-16 and paclitaxel. Combining these drugs with Ad5CMV-p53 did not consistently or significantly decrease clonogenic survival.
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PMID:Adenoviral-mediated gene therapy with Ad5CMVp53 and Ad5CMVp21 in combination with standard therapies in human breast cancer cell lines. 1104 64

Cartilage-derived retinoic acid-sensitive protein (CD-RAP) is a secreted protein primarily expressed in chondrocytes. Pathologically, CD-RAP is detected in melanoma, chondrosarcoma and breast cancer. As an approach to define the transcriptional regulatory domains responsible for induction of chondrocyte activity in vivo, we generated transgenic mice harboring various fragments of the mouse CD-RAP promoter linked to the Escherichia coli beta-galactosidase gene. Analysis of the transgene expression pattern by X-gal staining indicates that 2251 bp of the CD-RAP 5'-flanking sequence generates beta-galactosidase activity in all cartilage in embryos and adult animals. In addition, we also detected transient X-gal staining in mammary gland primordium from day 11.5 to 15.5 of gestation. Histological examination revealed that the transgene is located in the chondrocytes of cartilage and the epithelial cells of mammary buds. The cartilage transgene expression pattern is consistent with that of endogenous CD-RAP gene expression. The presence of beta-galactosidase in the mammary buds led us to the demonstration of a unique pattern of transient endogenous expression of CD-RAP in the mammary bud. The finding of transient CD-RAP expression in mammary buds suggests that it may play a role in the organogenesis of mammary glands.
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PMID:The 2.2-kb promoter of cartilage-derived retinoic acid-sensitive protein controls gene expression in cartilage and embryonic mammary buds of transgenic mice. 1106 4

Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is a distinct and aggressive form of locally advanced breast cancer. IBC is highly angiogenic, invasive, and metastatic at its inception. Previously, we identified specific genetic alterations of IBC that contribute to this highly invasive phenotype. RhoC GTPase was overexpressed in 90% of archival IBC tumor samples, but not in stage-matched, non-IBC tumors. To study the role of RhoC GTPase in contributing to an IBC-like phenotype, we generated stable transfectants of human mammary epithelial cells overexpressing the RhoC gene, and studied the effect of RhoC GTPase overexpression on the modulation of angiogenesis in IBC. Levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and interleukin-8 (IL-8) were significantly higher in the conditioned media of the HME-RhoC transfectants than in the untransfected HME and HME-beta-galactosidase control media, similar to the SUM149 IBC cell line. Inhibition of RhoC function by introduction of C3 exotransferase decreased production of angiogenic factors by the HME-RhoC transfectants and the SUM149 IBC cell line, but did not affect the control cells. These data support the conclusion that overexpression of RhoC GTPase is specifically and directly implicated in the control of the production of angiogenic factors by IBC cells.
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PMID:RhoC GTPase overexpression modulates induction of angiogenic factors in breast cells. 1119 Nov 8

Normal cells in culture divide a certain amount of times and undergo a process termed replicative senescence. Telomere loss is thought to control entry into senescence. Activation of telomerase in tumors bypasses cellular senescence and is thus a requirement for tumor progression. We reported previously the preferential incorporation of 3'-azido-2', 3'-dideoxythymidine (AZT) in telomeric sequences of immortalized cells in culture. In this work, we have investigated the effects of chronic in vitro AZT exposure on F3II mouse mammary carcinoma cells. We demonstrate, for the first time, that AZT-treated tumor cells have a reduced tumorigenicity in syngeneic BALB/c mice. Tumor incidence was reduced and survival was prolonged in animals inoculated with AZT-treated cells when comparing with control counterparts. The number and size of spontaneous metastases were also decreased in animals inoculated with AZT-treated cells. In addition, we present evidence of morphological and biochemical signs of senescence, as shown by the staining for senescence associated beta-galactosidase activity, and induction of programmed cell death, as demonstrated by an increase of caspase-3 activity, in tumor cells exposed to AZT. These data indicate that chronic exposure of mammary carcinoma cells to AZT may be sufficient to induce a senescent phenotype and to reduce tumorigenicity.
Breast Cancer Res Treat 2001 Jan
PMID:Chronic in vitro exposure to 3'-azido-2', 3'-dideoxythymidine induces senescence and apoptosis and reduces tumorigenicity of metastatic mouse mammary tumor cells. 1126 35

Levonorgestrel (13beta-ethyl-17alpha-ethynyl-17beta-hydroxy-4-gonen-3-one), a potent contraceptive progestin stimulates growth and proliferation of cultured breast cancer cells through a receptor-mediated mechanism, even though levonorgestrel does not bind to the oestrogen receptor (ER). To assess whether the oestrogen-like effects induced by this synthetic progestin are exerted via its metabolic conversion products, we studied the binding affinity of three A-ring levonorgestrel derivatives to the ER and their capability to transactivate an oestrogen-dependent yeast system co-transfected with the human ER gene and oestrogen responsive elements fused to a beta-galactosidase reporter vector. The results demonstrated that the 3beta,5alpha reduced levonorgestrel derivative and to a lesser extent its 3alpha isomer interact with the oestrogen receptor, with a significantly lower relative binding affinity (2.4% and 0.4%, respectively) than that of oestradiol (100%), while levonorgestrel does not. Both levonorgestrel metabolites were able to activate, in a dose-dependent manner, the beta-galactosidase reporter gene in the yeast expression system, an effect that was precluded by a steroidal antioestrogen. The oestrogenic potency of levonorgestrel metabolites was significantly lower (750-fold) than that of oestradiol. Furthermore, high doses of 3beta,5alpha levonorgestrel (2.5 mg/day/6 days) induced an increase of oestrogen-dependent progestin receptor in the anterior pituitary of castrated rats. The overall data offer a plausible explanation for the weak oestrogenic effects induced by high, non-pharmacological doses of levonorgestrel.
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PMID:Assessment of the oestrogenic activity of the contraceptive progestin levonorgestrel and its non-phenolic metabolites. 1155 70

The transplantation of primary mammary epithelial cells after adenovirus-Cre-mediated recombination provides a new approach for the study of specific gene function during mammary gland development and in breast cancer. Most mammary-gland-specific promoters identified to date are regulated by lactogenic hormones. They are expressed predominantly in lobuloalveolar cells during pregnancy and lactation, but not during early stages of ductal morphogenesis in the mammary epithelial cell progenitors, which are primarily implicated in tumorigenesis. In transgenic mice these promoters will continually or repeatedly express Cre depending on the hormonal environment precluding the definition of cell lineages. To circumvent these limitations, we have taken advantage of the unique regenerative capacity of mammary epithelium to reconstitute a mammary gland in an epithelium-cleared fat pad in conjunction with transient Cre expression using recombinant adenovirus in primary cultures. This approach was validated using mice carrying reporter constructs that exclusively express the LacZ gene after Cre-mediated deletion of a floxed DNA fragment. These studies demonstrated that, following recombination, cells that are marked as genetically manipulated contribute to the reconstitution of the mammary gland. The presence of beta-galactosidase-expressing cells in serial transplants of the primary outgrowths indicated that early progenitor or stem cells were successfully targeted. With the increased availability of floxed alleles, this approach should greatly facilitate the study of gene function during early stages of mammary gland development and in breast cancer.
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PMID:Adenovirus-Cre-mediated recombination in mammary epithelial early progenitor cells. 1159 Feb 41

High-dose chemotherapy (HDCT) and autologous bone marrow transplantation (BMT) is frequently used to treat patients with metastatic cancer including breast cancer and neuroblastoma. However, the bone marrow of such patients is often contaminated with tumor cells. Recently, we have found that a recombinant adenovirus vector that contains a bcl-x, minigene (a dominant negative inhibitor of the bcl-2 family), called the bcl-x(s) adenovirus, is lethal to cancer cells derived from epithelial tissues, but not to normal human hematopoietic cells. To determine the mechanism, by which this virus spares normal hematopoietic cells, we isolated normal mouse hematopoietic stem cells and infected them with an adenovirus that contains a beta-galactosidase minigene. Such cells do not express beta-galactosidase, indicating that hematopoietic stem cells do not express transgene encoded by adenovirus vectors based upon the RSV-AD5 vector system. When breast cancer cells mixed with hematopoietic cells were infected with the bcl-x(s) adenovirus, cancer cells were selectively killed by the suicide adenoviruses. Hematopoietic cells exposed to the suicide vectors were able to reconstitute the bone marrow of mice exposed to lethal doses of y-irradiation. These studies suggest that adenovirus suicide vectors may provide a simple and effective method to selectively eliminate cancer cells derived from epithelial tissue that contaminate bone marrow to be used for autologous BMT. We therefore propose to initiate a phase I clinical trial to test the safety of this virus in women with breast cancer undergoing high does chemotherapy and autologous BMT.
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PMID:Clinical protocol. Purging of autologous stem cell sources with bcl-x(s) adenovirus for women undergoing high-dose chemotherapy for stage IV breast carcinoma. 1172 34

Elevation of cAMP inhibits proliferation and expression of the transformed phenotype in several cell types. We studied the effects of elevation of cAMP and expression of mutant (Q227L) activated G alpha(s) on the proliferation and tumorigenic capability of the later stage, metastatic estrogen-independent human breast cancer cell lines MDA-231 and MDA-435. Our studies show that 8Br-cAMP inhibits proliferation of these cells in culture and their ability to form colonies in soft agar. This inhibition may occur by different mechanisms in the two cell types. In MDA-231 cells, cAMP elevation results in sustained expression of the cell cycle inhibitor p27kip1 and inhibition of CDK2 activity, whereas in MDA-435 cells inhibition of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase 1,2 activity is observed. We tested whether these effects in culture could be translated into inhibition of tumor growth in vivo. Tumors were developed in athymic (Nu/Nu) mice by injections of MDA-231 or MDA-435 cells. Injection of Q227L-G alpha(s) expressing adenoviral vector into these established tumors inhibited further tumor growth under conditions where tumors injected with either saline or adenoviral vector containing beta-galactosidase grew up to four to five times their original size. These results raise the possibility that sustained elevation of cAMP may have therapeutic value in the treatment of estrogen-resistant later stage breast cancers.
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PMID:Adenovirus-directed expression of Q227L-G alpha(s) inhibits growth of established tumors of later-stage human breast cancer cells in athymic mice. 1180 1


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