Identification of a novel reductase in folate metabolism.

A protein with a molecular weight of 27,500 was co-purified with the enzyme dihydrofolate reductase (molecular weight 22,000) from the liver of mice less than 8 weeks of age using a methotrexate-Sepharose affinity matrix. This 27.5 kDa protein crossreacts with dihydrofolate reductase against an antiserum raised to the purified 22 kDa enzyme.

Age-dependent expression of a novel protein in mouse liver immunologically and functionally homologous with dihydrofolate reductase.

Dihydrofolate reductase with a molecular weight of 22,000 has been purified by salt precipitation and methotrexate-Sepharose affinity chromatography from mouse livers having a mean weight of 2.4 g each. When the same purification procedure was followed using livers with a mean weight of 1.

Effect of tumor promoters on induction of aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase in human lymphocytes.

The induction of aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylases in lymphocytes is dependent on their activation. The tumor-promoting phorbol esters which induce blast formation and DNA synthesis in lymphocytes enable polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons to induce aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylases. Melittin, the major constituent of bee venom, acts synergistically with these phorbol esters in enhancing both lymphocyte activation and hydroxylase synthesis.

The effect of 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol 13-acetate on the ribonuclease activity of circulating human lymphocytes.

12-O-Tetradecanoyl-phorbol 13-acetate is a very effective tumor promotor and inflammatory agent and can act as a mitogen for a subset of T lymphocytes. We report here that even short exposure of lymphocytes to 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol 13-acetate changes the balance between the levels of neutral ribonuclease and ribonuclease inhibitor. The most dramatic change occurs in a B-lymphocyte-enriched population.

Catabolism of 2-deoxyglucose by phagocytic leukocytes in the presence of 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate.

We have found that phagocytic leukocytes exposed to the tumor-promoting agent, 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate, efficiently release carbon-1 of 2-deoxyglucose in the form of CO2 with concurrent intracellular accumulation of a phosphorylated 5-carbon intermediate. In the absence of 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate, these cells release barely detectable amounts of CO2 from 2-deoxyglucose. 12-O-Tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate, at a concentration of 1 ng/ml, has an immediate effect on CO2 release, which is temperature-dependent and linear with time and cell number.

Effect of L-ethionine on macromolecular synthesis in mitogen-stimulated lymphocytes.

2--4 mM L-ethionine completely inhibits DNA synthesis in phytohaemagglutinin- or concanavalin A-stimulated lymphocytes even though it does not prevent the morphological changes characteristic of blast formation. Evidence is presented which indicates that complete commitment to DNA synthesis as well as a substantial increase in the rates of RNA and protein synthesis can occur in the presence of ethionine. Ethionine, however, does inhibit methylation of tRNA and prevents mitogen-induced increase in the activity of histone-modifying enzymes.

Co-cultivation of tumorigenic mouse melanoma cells with cells of a non-tumorigenic subclone inhibits plasminogen activator expression by the melanoma cells.

Clone B559 mouse melanoma cells are highly tumorigenic and produce plasminogen activator. Cells of clone C3471, a line obtained by continued growth of B559 cells in medium containing 5-bromodeoxyuridine (1 microgram/ml), have no plasminogen activator and are non-tumorigenic. When B559 cells are co-cultivated with C3471 cells, the ability of B559 cells to activate plasminogen is suppressed.

Effect of sodium butyrate on lymphocyte activation.

Butyrate, in relatively low concentrations, has been shown to induce synthesis of enzymes, cause changes in cell morphology, and inhibit growth of a variety of mammalian cells in tissue culture (reviewed in [1]). In this communication, we report our observations on the effect of butyrate on lymphocyte activation. Butyrate completely and reversibly inhibits mitogen-induced blast formation.

Protein initiation in eukaryotes: formation and function of a ternary complex composed of a partially purified ribosomal factor, methionyl transfer RNA, and guanosine triphosphate.

A protein factor contained in a 1 M KCl extract of L-cell ribosomes and partially purified by chromatography on DEAE-cellulose forms a specific ternary complex with rat-liver Met-tRNA(f) and GTP. The complex is measured by its quantitative retention on nitrocellulose membranes. Complex assembly is optimal at 100 mM KCl and 0.

Formation of a mammalian initiation complex with reovirus messenger RNA, methionyl-tRNA F , and ribosomal subunits.

Previous data demonstrated that reovirus mRNA, synthesized in vitro with the particulate RNA transcriptase of reovirus cores, efficiently directs the synthesis of polypeptides in vitro. The present studies indicate that all of the three size classes of reovirus mRNA produced in vitro can form protein initiation complexes with rat liver [(36)S]Met-tRNA(F) and incubated 40S and 60S ribosomal subunits, which had been washed in 0.5 M KCl of mouse fibroblast L-929 cells.