Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0027651 (tumor)
 685,946 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The nucleotide sequence of the virG gene for a transcriptional activator on the agropine-type hairy-root-inducing plasmid pRiA4 was determined. The sequence contained one possible open reading frame. The gene product with a molecular size of 26.5 kDa was identified by an Escherichia coli coupled-transcription-translation system using cloned virG plasmids as templates. However, neither an ATG nor a GTG start codon which could give rise to such a protein was identified in the nucleotide sequence. Instead, TTG was found as a candidate for the start codon. This TTG was preceded, like most other TTG start codons, by both a Shine-Dalgarno (SD) sequence and a T signal which are respectively complementary to the 3'-end region of 16S rRNA and the T psi loop of initiator tRNA. Further evidence for the start at TTG was obtained by gene fusion experiments. When the E. coli lacZ gene, whose expression entirely depends on the transcription and translation from upstream regions, was connected in-phase with virG either directly upstream or downstream of the TTG sequence, only the latter fused gene expressed the beta-galactosidase activity in Agrobacterium cells in response to a plant phenolic compound, acetosyringone. The TTG codon preceded by an SD sequence and a T signal is also conserved in the virG sequences from other three tumor-inducing plasmids previously reported.
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PMID:Putative start codon TTG for the regulatory protein VirG of the hairy-root-inducing plasmid pRiA4. 267 Jun 79

It is now established that ras oncogenes can induce metastatic characteristics in primary diploid fibroblasts, nonsenescing fibroblasts and nonmetastasizing tumors. The issue of whether ras is directly involved in maintaining the metastatic phenotype through the expression and action of its gene product has been examined by analyzing the relationship to ras expression and to the production of the p21 ras-GTP complex, which is thought to mediate ras-transforming activity. While these expression and mutation studies support the idea that p21 ras directly regulates metastasis formation, it is also evident that there are many examples of human and murine cancers which show no differences in ras expression in primary and metastatic tumor cells. This may be partially explained by the ability of protein kinase-encoding oncogenes to also induce metastatic potential. In addition, the ability of ras to induce metastasis may be dependent on the regulation of its activity by other genes. Furthermore, transformation does not occur as an isolated genetic event, but is rather the result of interaction of two or more oncogenes. We suggest that the nature of these gene interactions will ultimately determine whether a cell is a benign transformant or a malignant and metastatic cancer.
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PMID:Oncogenes and metastatic progression. 268 84

Cytidine, a non-toxic endogenous nucleoside, was found unexpectedly to augment the cytotoxicity of a pyrimidine antimetabolite N-phosphonacetyl-L-aspartate (PALA) in human ovarian carcinoma cells. The PALA/cytidine synergy is confirmed here in other human tumor cells (T242 melanoma, HL60 promyelocytic leukemia and SKOV3 ovarian carcinoma) in the cytidine concentration range of 1-10 micromolar. The synergy was not observed in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. Exogenous uridine (5-50 microM) completely reversed the PALA/cytidine cytotoxicity in a concentration-dependent manner. Measurements of cellular ribonucleotide levels revealed that the PALA treated cells had reduced UTP and CTP pools (10% and 40% of control respectively); and the PALA/cytidine treated cells had elevated CTP and GTP levels while their UTP levels remained at 10% of control. Deoxyribonucleotide levels were unremarkable except for a slight elevation of dCTP in the PALA/cytidine treated cells. Uridine competitively inhibited radioactive cytidine transport into 2008 cells, which may explain its ability to antagonize the PALA/cytidine synergy. These results suggest that the ribonucleotide biosynthetic mechanism is the primary cellular target for PALA/cytidine activity, and that the ratio of ribonucleotides to each other is an important determinant of tumor cell viability. The use of non-cytotoxic nucleosides to augment the activity of antimetabolites may have clinical relevance in cancer therapy.
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PMID:Unexpected synergy between N-phosphonacetyl-L-aspartate and cytidine against human tumor cells. 271 48

A method that allows high-resolution cytogenetic analysis of retinoblastoma cells in primary culture and subpassages is described. This method is based on the addition of high concentrations of bromodeoxyuridine or thymidine to obtain chromosomes subsequently banded to show 600-1000 bands. The results are compared with the standard harvest after 24 hours or long-term culture, and with low-temperature synchronization after long-term culture. After blocking with bromodeoxyuridine or thymidine, the chromosomes are significantly longer than after cold synchronization or after the unsynchronized techniques. When they are GTG, RHG, or GBG banded, more than 40% of the mitoses are in the earlier phases with chromosomes showing more than 600 bands per haploid set. This method significantly improves the general quality of retinoblastoma tumor cell chromosomes and increases diagnostic and prognostic accuracy.
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PMID:Synchronization of cultured retinoblastoma cells for high-resolution chromosomes showing up to 1000 bands. 275 1

The DNA helicase activity associated with purified simian virus 40 (SV40) large tumor (T) antigen has been examined. A variety of DNA substrates were used to characterize this ATP-dependent activity. Linear single-stranded M13 DNA containing short duplex regions at both ends was used to show that SV40 T antigen helicase displaced the short, annealed fragment by unwinding in a 3' to 5' direction. Three different partial duplex structures consisting of 71-, 343-, and 851-nucleotide long fragments annealed to M13 single-stranded circular DNA were used to show that SV40 T antigen can readily unwind short and long duplex regions with almost equal facility. ATP and MgCl2 were required for this reaction. With the exception of GTP, dGTP, and CTP, the other common nucleoside triphosphates substituted for ATP with varied efficiency, while adenosine 5'-O-(thiotriphosphate) was inactive. The T antigen helicase activity was also examined using completely duplex DNA fragments (approximately 300 base pairs) with or without the SV40 origin sequence as substrates. In reactions containing small amounts (0.6 ng) of DNA, the ATP-dependent unwinding of duplex DNA fragments occurred with no dependence on the origin sequence. This reaction was stimulated 5- to 6-fold by the addition of the Escherichia coli single-stranded DNA-binding protein. When competitor DNA was added so that the ratio of SV40 T antigen to DNA was reduced 1000-fold, only DNA fragments containing a functional SV40 origin of replication were unwound. This reaction was dependent on ATP, MgCl2, and a DNA-binding protein, and was stimulated by inorganic phosphate or creatine phosphate. The origin sequence requirements for the unwinding reaction were the same as those for replication (the 64-base pair sequence present at T antigen binding site 2). Thus, under specified conditions, only duplex DNA fragments containing an intact SV40 core origin were unwound. In contrast, unwinding of partially duplex segments of DNA flanked by single-stranded regions can occur with no sequence specificity.
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PMID:The unwinding of duplex regions in DNA by the simian virus 40 large tumor antigen-associated DNA helicase activity. 282 43

Treatment of rat reticulocytes with tetradecanoyl phorbol acetate (TPA), a tumor-promoting phorbol ester which activates protein kinase C, resulted in an about 50% decrease in the stimulation of adenylate cyclase activity by a subsequent challenge with a beta-adrenoceptor agonist. This phenomenon mimics agonist-induced desensitization. This decline is due to a reduction in the Vmax of the adenylate cyclase system rather than to a change in affinity to the agonist. The beta-adrenoceptor number was not changed while the KD for an agonist but not for an antagonist was increased by TPA treatment. Prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) plus GTP, NaF plus AlCl3, and guanylyl-5'-imidodiphosphate (GppNHp) regulated adenylate cyclase activity in a biphasic manner, i.e. stimulation at lower concentrations and inhibition at higher concentrations. The same treatment also caused a dose- and time-dependent reduction of the inhibitory phase of the PGE1/GTP action but did not affect the inhibitory phase of GppNHp and NaF/AlCl3 actions. Pertussis toxin (IAP) treatment caused a reduction of the inhibitory phase of PGE1/GTP action similar to that caused by TPA treatment. No synergistic effect was observed when the cells were treated with TPA and IAP simultaneously. These results suggest that TPA treatment impairs the coupling between PGE1 receptor and Gi rather than enhances that between PGE1 receptor and Gs. Protein kinase C was involved in the regulation of hormone-sensitive adenylate cyclase, the beta-agonist-induced stimulatory pathway and the PGE1-induced inhibitory pathway in rat reticulocytes, since other phorbol esters and diacylglycerol, which activate this kinase, caused the same response.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:Phorbol ester regulates stimulatory and inhibitory pathways of the hormone-sensitive adenylate cyclase system in rat reticulocytes. 284 50

Prostaglandin E (PGE) receptors and PGE-adenylate cyclase responsiveness were measured in tumor samples from a hormone-dependent subline of the transplantable MTW9 rat mammary tumor and from an autonomous subline derived from the hormone-dependent tumor. Scatchard analysis of the equilibrium binding data suggested that the hormone-dependent, slow-growing (MTW9A) tumors contain two major types of binding sites for PGE2: a high-affinity component (Kd less than 10(-9) M) and a low-affinity component [Kd greater than 10(-8) M]. The hormone-autonomous, fast-growing tumors (MTW9D), however, have lost more than 80% of the PG binding sites and exhibited mainly a predominant PGE lower affinity component (Kd greater than 10(-8) M). Loss of PGE receptors in autonomous tumors was not due to in vivo down-regulation of these receptors by excessive production of PGE, since both the hormone-dependent and autonomous tumors endogenously produce and release approximately the same amounts of PGE. Incubation of tumor tissues in vitro with PGE caused a significant stimulation of adenylate cyclase activity in the MTW9A tumors, whereas adenylate cyclase activity was not stimulated in the MTW9D tumors even in the presence of the nonhydrolyzable analogue of GTP, Gpp[NH]p. The results suggest that loss of PGE receptors and PGE-adenylate cyclase responsiveness occurs during progression of mammary tumors from hormonal dependence to autonomy and that the subsequent loss of cyclic AMP is associated with the uncontrolled growth characteristics of the autonomous tumors.
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PMID:Loss of prostaglandin E receptors during progression of rat mammary tumors from hormonal dependence to autonomy. 286 40

Unidirectional transport of poly(A)-containing mRNA [poly(A)+ mRNA] through the nuclear envelope pore complex is thought to be an energy (ATP or GTP)-dependent process which involves a nuclear envelope nucleoside triphosphatase (NTPase). In the intact envelope, this enzyme is regulatable by poly(A) binding and by poly(A)-dependent phosphorylation/dephosphorylation of other components of the mRNA translocation system, which are as yet unidentified. Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) were elicited against the poly(A) binding nuclear envelope fraction isolated from rat liver. The mAbs were screened for their modulatory effects on mRNA transport in vitro. One stable clone decreased the efflux of rapidly labeled RNA and of one specific mRNA (ovalbumin) from isolated nuclei. It increased the binding of poly(A) to the envelope and increased the maximal catalytic rate of the NTPase, but it did not alter the apparent Km of the enzyme or the extent of its stimulation by poly(A). The nuclear envelope-associated protein kinase that down-regulates the NTPase was inhibited by the antibody, while other protein kinases were not affected. Because both the NTPase and mRNA efflux were inhibited by the tumor promoter, 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate, the sensitive kinase is probably protein kinase C. Protein kinase C was found to be associated with the isolated nuclear envelope. The antibody reacted with both a Mr 83,000 and a Mr 65,000 nuclear envelope polypeptide from rat liver and other tissues. By immunofluorescence microscopy in CV-1 cells, the antibody localized to the nuclear envelope and, in addition, to cytoplasmic filaments which show some superposition with the microfilament network.
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PMID:Functional dissection of nuclear envelope mRNA translocation system: effects of phorbol ester and a monoclonal antibody recognizing cytoskeletal structures. 289 7

A solid phase enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for human immunoreactive gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase(gamma-GTP) was developed. The working range by this assay was from 1 ng to 100 ng. Serum immunoreactive gamma-GTP was significantly elevated in patient with hepatocellular carcinoma and moderate elevation was found in liver cirrhosis. On the other hand, in sera of patients with non neoplastic disease, including acute hepatitis, chronic hepatitis, fatty liver, hemangioma, the immunoreactive gamma-GTP was not significantly elevated. No correlation was found between the serum levels of gamma-GTP determined by enzymatic assay and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. In the tissues of hepatocellular carcinoma and metastatic liver tumor, the immunoreactive gamma-GTP contents were also elevated, which were well correlated with the enzyme contents in sera. When immunohistochemical study was carried out, the immunoreactive gamma-GTP was detected diffusely not only in the cell membrane and bile canaliculi but also in the cytoplasm of cancer cell. These results suggest that the hepatoma tissues contain an immunologically active, but enzymatically inactive form of gamma-GTP enzyme.
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PMID:[Measurement of human serum and liver tissue immunoreactive gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase in patients with various liver diseases]. 289 51

The extracellular pH (pHe) in many solid tumors is often lower than the pH of normal tissues. The K+/H+ ionophore nigericin is toxic to CHO cells when pHe is below but not above 6.5, and thus it has potential for selective killing of tumor cells in an acidic environment. This study examines the pH-dependent effects of nigericin on the response of CHO cells to radiation and heat treatment. Cells held for 4 h in Hank's balanced salt solution, after 9 Gy irradiation, exhibit potentially lethal damage recovery (PLDR) which is maximal at pHe 6.7-6.8. Addition of nigericin, postirradiation, not only inhibits PLDR when pHe is below 6.8, but interacts synergistically with radiation to reduce survival below that of cells plated immediately after irradiation when pHe is 6.4 or lower. Nigericin enhances heat killing of CHO cells perferentially under acidic conditions, and where neither heat nor drug treatment alone is significantly toxic. Survival of cells held for 30 min at 42.1 degrees C in the presence of 1.0 microgram/ml nigericin is 0.6, 0.08, 0.003, and 0.00003 at pHe 7.4, 6.8, 6.6, and 6.4, respectively, relative to survival of 1.0 in untreated cultures. The biochemical effects of nigericin at pHe 7.4 vs pHe 6.4 have been investigated. Nigericin inhibits respiration, stimulates glucose consumption, and causes dramatic changes in intracellular concentrations of Na+ and K+ at pHe 7.4 as well as 6.4. The drug reduces intracellular levels of ATP, GTP, and ADP but has more pronounced effects under acidic incubation conditions. Others have shown that nigericin equilibrates pHe and intracellular pH (pHi) only when pHe is 6.5 or lower. Our observations and those of others have led us to conclude that lowering of pHi by nigericin is either the direct or indirect cause of enhancement of radiation and heat killing of cells in an acidic environment.
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PMID:pH-dependent effects of the ionophore nigericin on response of mammalian cells to radiation and heat treatment. 292 73


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