Silencing ATM gene gave rise to enhanced apoptotic response to irradiation and irradiation-like chemotherapy agents, this paper explored the crucial identities of the molecular elements responsible for the enhanced apoptotic response in U937 cells mediated by silencing ATM gene. Two U937 cell mutants named U937-ASPI3K (ATM, negative) and U937-pZeosv2(+) (ATM, wild-type) were used as a cell model system to identify the critical molecule(s) responsible for the varied apoptotic response in the absence or presence of ATM gene. Apoptosis was examined by measuring concentrations of free nucleosome in U937 cells. Western blot was employed to measure nuclear protein abundance of CDC25A, CDC25B, CDC25C, total p34cdc2, p34cdc2, (Thr 161) or p34cdc2 (Thr 14, Tyr 15). RT-PCR was used to estimate CDC25 transcript levels. U937-ASPI3K exhibited an enhanced apoptotic response to lower dosage of irradiation, which could not be blocked by protein synthesis inhibitor. Protein serine-threonine phosphatase inhibitor or cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitors, on the other hand, abolished the enhancement indicated that protein phosphorylation/dephosphorylation modification and CDK activity are required for the enhanced apoptotic response in the absence of ATM gene. Upon irradiation, p34cdc2 in U937-pZeosv2(+) was maintained in an inactive state by phosphorylation on threonine 14 (Thr 14) and tyrosine 15 (Tyr 15), which was associated with a dramatic decrease of nuclear CDC25A, CDC25B and CDC25C proteins. In contrast, p34cdc2 in U937-ASPI3K maintained in an active state by dephosphorylation on threonine 14 (Thr 14) and tyrosine 15 (Tyr 15), which was associated with constant nuclear CDC25A, CDC25B and CDC25C protein abundance before and after irradiation. The responsive decrease of nuclear CDC25 proteins occurred at the post-transcription level. Silencing ATM gene blocks the responsive decrease of nuclear CDC25 proteins, which is responsible for failure to inactivate p34cdc2 after irradiation. Active p34cdc2 and CDK2, in turn, acts as the death executors to trigger apoptosis. In summary, aberrantly activated CDK activity is the critical molecular mechanism central to enhanced apoptotic responses in the absence of ATM gene.

Multiplex reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (M-RT-PCR) has been proved to possess great clinical potential for simultaneous screening of 29 chromosomal translocations in acute leukemia. To evaluate the clinical value of M-RT-PCR in hematologic malignancies, bone marrow samples from 90 patients with various hematologic malignancies, including 25 acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), 22 acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), 27 chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), 4 myeloproliferative diseases (MPD), 3 chronic lymphoblastic leukemia (CLL), 3 non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), 3 myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), 2 multiple myeloma (MM) and 1 malignant histocytosis (MH) were subjected to both M-RT-PCR and chromosome karyotypic analysis. Some of cases were subjected to follow-up examination of M-RT-PCR during the period of clinical complete remission (CR) for detection of minimal residual leukemia. In our hand, 12 of 29 chromosomal translocation transcripts including TEL/PDGFR, DEK/CAN, MLL/AF6, AML1/ETO, MLL/AF9, BCR/ABL, MLL/MLL, PML/RARu, TLS/ERG, E2A/HLF, EVI1 and HOXI1 were detected in 57 cases (63.3 %) of the 90 samples, which were in consistence with the results of karyotypic analysis. Furthermore, M-RT-PCR had also shown good clinical relevance when used as an approach to detect minimal residual leukemia. We concluded that M-RT-PCR could be used as an efficient and fast diagnostic tool not only in the initial diagnosis of hematologic malignancies but also in subsequent monitor of minimal residual leukemia.

To explore the molecular mechanisms of sodium butyrate working on SKM-1 cell proliferation/differentiation and to study its synergistic effect with all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA), SKM-1 cells were grown in the absence or presence of sodium butyrate and/or ATRA. The percentage of viable cells was determined by trypan blue exclusion. Differentiation was determined by nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) reduction and cell surface adhesion molecules was analyzed by FACS. Cell cycle distribution was examined after DNA staining by propidium iodide. D-type cyclins, cdks and P21 mRNA were studied by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Our results showed that sodiun butyrate and/or ATRA blocked cells mainly in the G0/G1 phase of the cell cycle. ATRA inhibited the mRNA expression of CDK6, CDK4, cyclinD3 and cyclinD1. Sodium butyrate inhibited the mRNA expression of CDK2, cyclinD2 and cyclinD1. ATRA and sodium butyrate inhibited the mRNA expression of CDK6, CDK4, CDK2, cyclinD1, cyclinD2 and cyclinD3. Both ATRA and/or sodium butyrate stimulated p21 expression at the mRNA levels. Our results suggest that the effect of sodium butyrate on cell proliferation/differentiation might be linked to its ability to induce expression of p21 mRNA and inhibit the cyclin-cdk complexes. Our observations support the notion that the sodium butyrate works synergistically with ATRA.
Antineoplastic Agents ; pharmacology ; Butyrates ; pharmacology ; Cell Cycle Proteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Cell Differentiation ; drug effects ; Cell Division ; drug effects ; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21 ; Drug Interactions ; Humans ; Leukemia, Monocytic, Acute ; pathology ; RNA, Messenger ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Tretinoin ; pharmacology ; Tumor Cells, Cultured

Silencing ATM gene gave rise to enhanced apoptotic response to irradiation and irradiation-like chemotherapy agents, this paper explored the crucial identities of the molecular elements responsible for the enhanced apoptotic response in U937 cells mediated by silencing ATM gene. Two U937 cell mutants named U937-ASPI3K (ATM, negative) and U937-pZeosv2(+) (ATM, wild-type) were used as a cell model system to identify the critical molecule(s) responsible for the varied apoptotic response in the absence or presence of ATM gene. Apoptosis was examined by measuring concentrations of free nucleosome in U937 cells. Western blot was employed to measure nuclear protein abundance of CDC25A, CDC25B, CDC25C, total p34cdc2, p34cdc2, (Thr 161) or p34cdc2 (Thr 14, Tyr 15). RT-PCR was used to estimate CDC25 transcript levels. U937-ASPI3K exhibited an enhanced apoptotic response to lower dosage of irradiation, which could not be blocked by protein synthesis inhibitor. Protein serine-threonine phosphatase inhibitor or cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitors, on the other hand, abolished the enhancement indicated that protein phosphorylation/dephosphorylation modification and CDK activity are required for the enhanced apoptotic response in the absence of ATM gene. Upon irradiation, p34cdc2 in U937-pZeosv2(+) was maintained in an inactive state by phosphorylation on threonine 14 (Thr 14) and tyrosine 15 (Tyr 15), which was associated with a dramatic decrease of nuclear CDC25A, CDC25B and CDC25C proteins. In contrast, p34cdc2 in U937-ASPI3K maintained in an active state by dephosphorylation on threonine 14 (Thr 14) and tyrosine 15 (Tyr 15), which was associated with constant nuclear CDC25A, CDC25B and CDC25C protein abundance before and after irradiation. The responsive decrease of nuclear CDC25 proteins occurred at the post-transcription level. Silencing ATM gene blocks the responsive decrease of nuclear CDC25 proteins, which is responsible for failure to inactivate p34cdc2 after irradiation. Active p34cdc2 and CDK2, in turn, acts as the death executors to trigger apoptosis. In summary, aberrantly activated CDK activity is the critical molecular mechanism central to enhanced apoptotic responses in the absence of ATM gene.
Apoptosis ; drug effects ; genetics ; radiation effects ; Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated Proteins ; CDC2 Protein Kinase ; metabolism ; Cell Cycle Proteins ; Cyclin-Dependent Kinases ; metabolism ; DNA-Binding Proteins ; Gene Silencing ; drug effects ; radiation effects ; Humans ; Protein-Serine-Threonine Kinases ; genetics ; Tumor Suppressor Proteins ; U937 Cells ; cdc25 Phosphatases ; metabolism

Multiplex reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (M-RT-PCR) has been proved to possess great clinical potential for simultaneous screening of 29 chromosomal translocations in acute leukemia. To evaluate the clinical value of M-RT-PCR in hematologic malignancies, bone marrow samples from 90 patients with various hematologic malignancies, including 25 acute myeloge nous leukemia (AML), 22 acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), 27 chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), 4 myeloproliferative diseases (MPD), 3 chronic lymphoblastic leukemia (CLL), 3 and 1 malignant histocytosis (MH) were subjected to both M-RT-PCR and chromosome karyotypic analysis. Some of cases were subjected to follow-up examination of M-RT-PCR during the period of ukemia. In our hand, 12 of 29chromosomal translocation transcripts including TEL/PDGFR, DEK/CAN, MLL/AF6, AML1/ETO,F9, BCR/ABL, MLL/MLL, PML/RARα, TLS/ERG, E2A/HLF, EVIl and HOXI1 were detected in 57 cases (63.3 %) of the 90 samples, which were in consistence with the results of karyore, M-RT-PCR had also shown good clinical relevance when used as an approach to detect minimal residual leukemia. We concluded that M-RT-PCR could be used as an effiy in the initial diagnosis of hematologic malignancies but also in subsequent monitor of minimal residual leukemia.