Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0023418 (leukemia)
 93,477 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The c-kit receptor tyrosine kinase (KIT) is activated upon ligand binding, thereby leading to a variety of signaling events that play a fundamental role in hematopoiesis. In addition to ligand-dependent activation, we have previously shown that KIT is constitutively activated in a ligand-independent manner by two point mutations, Val-559-->Gly (G559) mutation in the juxtamembrane domain and Asp-814-->Val (V814) mutation in the phosphotransferase domain. To investigate the biochemical consequence and biologic significance of these mutations, retroviral vectors encoding KITG559 or KITV814 were introduced into murine pro-B-type Ba/F3 cells and myeloid FDC-P1 cells, both of which require interleukin-3 (IL-3) for their growth and survival. In the cells, KITG559 or KITV814 were found to be constitutively phophorylated on tyrosine in the absence of stem cell factor (SCF) that is a ligand for KIT. Chemical cross-linking analysis showed that a substantial fraction of the phosphorylated KITG559 underwent dimerization even in the absence of SCF, whereas the phosphorylated KITV814 did not, suggesting the distinct mechanisms underlying constitutive activation of KIT by G559 and V814 mutations. Furthermore, the cells expressing either KITG559 or KITV814 were found to show a factor-independent growth, whereas the cells expressing wild-type KIT (KITWT) proliferated in response to SCF as well as IL-3. Moreover, subcutaneous injection of Ba/F3 cells expressing KITG559 or KITV814 into nude mice resulted in production of large tumors at all sites of the injection within 2 weeks, and all nude mice quickly succumbed to leukemia and died. These results suggest that, although the mechanisms underlying constitutive activation of KITG559 or KITV814 may be different, both of the activating mutations have a function to induce a factor-independent and tumorigenic phenotype. Also, the data of this study raise the possibility that the constitutively activating mutations of c-kit may play a causal role in development of hematologic malignancies.
 ...
PMID:Constitutively activating mutations of c-kit receptor tyrosine kinase confer factor-independent growth and tumorigenicity of factor-dependent hematopoietic cell lines. 753 May 9

The retrovirus protease (PR), an aspartic PR, is composed of two identical subunits, each containing a conserved tripeptide sequence present at the active site of the enzyme. Asp-Ser-Gly is found in avian sarcoma leukaemia viruses (ASLV) and Asp-Thr-Gly in mammalian oncoretroviruses. We have mutated the conserved sequence at the active site of ASLV PR by converting the Ser and Gly residues to Thr and Ala, respectively. Replacement of Gly with Ala yielded an ASLV PR devoid of proteolytic activity. The Ser to Thr conversion did not alter the substrate specificity of the enzyme. Both wild-type and mutated PRs correctly cleaved viral precursors expressed in bacterial cells, as well as synthetic peptides homologous to ASLV and human immunodeficiency virus type 1 cleavage sites. Bacterially produced ASLV PR with Thr instead of Ser had increased enzymatic activity, as shown by hydrolysis of synthetic peptides. However, this mutation reduced the production of reverse transcriptase-containing particles and infectious virus following transfection of permissive cells with virus DNA.
 ...
PMID:Point mutation in avian sarcoma leukaemia virus protease which increases its activity but impairs infectious virus production. 754 58

TGF-beta 1 plays a critical role in inflammatory and repair processes due in part to its ability to provide a potent chemotactic stimulus for inflammatory cells such as neutrophils and monocytes and for fibroblasts which initiate the fibrogenic response. In the present study, we have used synthetic oligopeptides representing the amino acid sequence of the 12.1 kDa monomer of human TGF-beta 1 in an effort to identify a chemotactic epitope on the molecule. A seven residue peptide containing residues 368-374, Val Tyr Tyr Val Gly Arg Lys, was demonstrated to be capable of inducing chemotactic migration of human peripheral blood neutrophils, monocytes, monocyte leukemia cell line THP-1, and infant foreskin fibroblasts. Furthermore, larger peptides from the carboxy-terminal portion of TGF-beta 1 that contained residues 368-374 also induced migration of these cell types. None of the peptides representing the complete amino acid of TGF-beta 1 monomer were able to compete with [125I]hrTGF-beta 1 for binding to TGF-beta cell surface receptors or fibroblasts or THP-1 cells. Implications of these observations are discussed.
 ...
PMID:Identification of a chemotactic epitope in human transforming growth factor-beta 1 spanning amino acid residues 368-374. 765 66

Opioid peptides have been implicated in the regulation of tumor growth and biology; however, little attention has been given to the mechanisms that are involved. In this study we show that physiological concentrations of the endogenous opioid neuropeptide methionine-enkephalin (MET-ENK) and the synthetic enkephalins D-Ala2, Me-Phe4, Gly(ol)5 and D-Ala2, D-Leu5 are stimulants for the in vitro migration of pre-B acute lymphoblastoid leukemia (ALL) cells. Activation of the human pre-B ALL cell lines NALM 6 and LAZ 221 with MET-ENK resulted in both an increase in their migration and an augmentation in the surface expression of the leukemia cell marker CD9. The opiate receptor antagonist naloxone reversed these enkephalin-induced effects on the leukemia cells. When the pre-B ALL cells were preincubated with an anti-CD9 mAb before challenge with MET-ENK their migration to the enkephalin was markedly reduced. These studies show that endogenous and synthetic opioid peptides are stimulants for pre-B ALL cell migration and suggest that CD9 is important in the regulation of leukemia cell motility.
 ...
PMID:Enkephalins stimulate leukemia cell migration and surface expression of CD9. 765 11

Because mutations in receptor tyrosine kinases may contribute to cellular transformation, studies were undertaken to examine c-kit in human leukemia. Isoforms of c-kit have been characterized in the human megakaryoblastic leukemia cell line M-07. Deletion of the four amino acids Gly-Asn-Asn-Lys in the extracellular domain represents an alternatively spliced isoform that has been shown by others, in mice, to be associated with constitutive receptor autophosphorylation (Reith et al, EMBO J 10:2451, 1991). Additional isoforms differ in the inclusion or exclusion of a serine residue in the interkinase domain, a region that contains the binding site for phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase. By RNase protection analysis, we have shown coexpression of the Gly-Asn-Asn-Lys+ and Gly-Asn-Asn-Lys- isoforms, with dominance of the Gly-Asn-Asn-Lys- transcript, in normal human bone marrow, normal melanocytes, a range of tumor cell lines, and the blasts of 23 patients with acute myeloid leukemia. Analysis of transcripts for the Ser+ and Ser- isoforms also showed coexpression in all normal and leukemic cells examined. The ratios of isoform expression for both the Gly-Asn-Asn-Lys and Ser variants were relatively constant, providing no evidence in the tumors examined that upregulation of one isoform contributes to the neoplastic process.
 ...
PMID:Expression of isoforms of the human receptor tyrosine kinase c-kit in leukemic cell lines and acute myeloid leukemia. 768 88

Occupational exposure to petrochemicals, in particular benzene, has been identified as a risk factor in the development of acute leukaemia. A cohort of exposed (n = 44) and non-exposed individuals (n = 19) from the same petrochemical installation were screened by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by oligonucleotide hybridization (ONH) for the presence of mutations in the H, K, and NRAS cellular proto-oncogenes. A KRAS mutation was detected in one individual from the exposed group who was haematologically normal at the time of sampling. The presence of this mutation was confirmed by nude mouse tumorigenicity assay and positively identified as a K13 Gly-Asp substitution by cloning and sequencing.
 ...
PMID:A screen for RAS mutations in individuals at risk of secondary leukaemia due to occupational exposure to petrochemicals. 776 29

In addition to the known 94-kd gelatinase (matrix metalloproteinase 9, MMP-9), HL-60 leukemia cells release a hither-to undescribed 45-kd metalloproteinase into the culture medium. This enzyme cleaves the synthetic substrate Pro-Gln-Gly-Ile-Ala-Gly-Gln-Arg, which represents the cleavage site for collagenases in collagen type I not between isoleucine and alanine--the typical cleavage site for collagenases--but between alanine and glycine. The enzymatic activity was purified through a combination of zinc-chelate-Sepharose column chromatography, precipitation with Fractogel TSK-AF Red and gelatin-Sepharose, and subsequent sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Microsequence analysis of the NH2-terminus of the purified 45-kd proteinase revealed the sequence Asp-Ile-Ser-Lys-Tyr-Thr-Thr-Thr-, which could not be found in other proteins when searched in several protein data bases. Incubation of the enzyme immobilized on nitrocellulose membranes with polyclonal antibodies to collagenase and stromelysin or gelatinases revealed no cross-reactivity. The proteolytic activity was not increased by treatment with trypsin, 8M urea, acid, or organomercurials. The proteinase, which was inhibited by chemical inhibitors of metalloproteinases, such as phenanthrolene or EDTA, is able to degrade several matrix constituents, such as collagen type IV, fibronectin, gelatin, and proteoglycans. In contrast to all known MMPs, the proteolytic activity of the 45-kd enzyme was not abolished upon incubation with recombinant tissue inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinases (TIMP) 1 or 2. Thus, the novel enzyme may influence extracellular matrix (ECM) turnover in vivo because its activity is not influenced by specific inhibitors of MMPs.
 ...
PMID:Leukemic cells (HL-60) produce a novel extracellular matrix-degrading proteinase that is not inhibited by tissue inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinases (TIMPs). 782 72

We have biochemically purified a 27-kDa serine protease (designated RNK-Tryp-2) from the granules of the rat large granular lymphocyte leukemia cell line (RNK-16) which has tryptase activity. Utilizing molecular sieve chromatography and reverse-phase HPLC, we purified RNK-Tryp-2 to homogeneity and sequenced 33 NH2-terminal amino acids. Oligonucleotide primers were used in the PCR to generate a 528-bp cDNA clone encoding a novel serine protease from RNK-16 mRNA. This cDNA clone was used to isolate an 884-bp RNK-Tryp-2 cDNA from an RNK-16 lambda-gt11 library. The open reading frame predicts a mature protein of 233 amino acids which does not have potential sites for N-linked glycosylation. The cDNA encodes a leader peptide of at least 25 amino acids. The characteristic Ile-Ile-Gly-Gly amino acids of the N-terminus, and the His, Asp, and Ser amino acids that form the catalytic triad of serine proteases, are conserved. The amino acid sequence has less than 45% identity with any other member of the serine protease family, indicating that RNK-Tryp-2 is distinct protease. Southern blot analysis suggests the existence of one or more related genes. A single 1.3-kb mRNA transcript was detected by Northern blot analysis of total cellular RNA from the in vivo passaged RNK-16, rat splenocytes, lung and liver nonparenchymal cells, as well as in highly purified rat LGL and T cells. RNK-Tryp-2 is a novel serine protease that is expressed in the granules of large granular lymphocytes.
 ...
PMID:Purification and cloning of a novel serine protease, RNK-Tryp-2, from the granules of a rat NK cell leukemia. 813 42

A series of methotrexate (MTX)-resistant L1210 leukemia murine ascites tumors were developed in vivo and analyzed for drug resistance. Three of 20 tumors studied expressed an altered dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) and each was identical, having a C to T base transition at nucleotide 46 in the DHFR gene as demonstrated by PCR and direct sequencing. This transition results in a Gly to Trp substitution at amino acid 15 of the enzyme. Purified altered enzyme displays significantly lower binding affinity for the antifolates MTX, trimetrexate, edatrexate, and trimethoprim with respective Ki values 165-, 76-, 30-, and 28-fold higher than values obtained for enzyme isolated from parental tumor (wild-type enzyme). Substrate (dihydrofolate) and cofactor (NADPH) binding is also diminished for the mutant enzyme, although to a lesser extent (17.3- and 3.6-fold higher Km, respectively). Gly-15 is highly conserved for all vertebrate species of DHFR but has no known interaction(s), either directly or indirectly, with bound cofactor, substrate, or inhibitor. Protein molecular modeling reveals that the affected residue is 9-12 A away from the enzyme active site and located in a region analogous to the mobile Met-20 loop domain characterized for Escherichia coli DHFR.
 ...
PMID:Methotrexate resistance in an in vivo mouse tumor due to a non-active-site dihydrofolate reductase mutation. 826 28

A new molecule 4 [(GGH-DAE)2DHQ] associating the 1,4,5,8-tetrahydroxyanthraquinone ring (DHQ) of the antitumor drug mitoxantrone (2), two diaminoethylene chains (DAE), and the metal-chelating peptide Gly-Gly-His (GGH) has been synthesized. Such a molecule presents characteristics able to induce antitumor activity: compound 4 intercalates into DNA as measured by delta Tm, fluorescence quenching, and viscometry; ESR studies demonstrate that several types of Cu complexes are formed depending on pH; and the production of free radicals, as evidenced by spin-trapping, is enhanced by 4. In vitro, in leukemia cells L1210 and mammary cells MCF7, 4 is slightly less cytostatic than mitoxantrone, but substantially less toxic. In vivo, in leukemia P388 on mice, a T/C value of 230 is obtained at 25 mg/kg, higher than the one of mitoxantrone, which is toxic at the same dose.
 ...
PMID:Synthesis and antitumor properties of an anthraquinone bisubstituted by the copper chelating peptide Gly-Gly-L-His. 834 Sep 11


<< Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next >>