Thymidylate Synthetase Activity Research Articles

The effects of folate deficiency on thymidylate synthetase activity, deoxyuridine suppression, cell size and doubling time in a cultured human myeloid cell line

To help understand the pathogenesis of megaloblastic anaemia, we have studied folate-deprived HL60 cells. Cells grown with no added folic acid developed macrocytosis, a prolonged doubling time, a grossly increased deoxyuridine-suppressed value, and markedly reduced thymidylate synthetase activity. Cells in medium containing 50 nmol/l added folic acid became macrocytic with similar biochemical changes, but their doubling time was only marginally prolonged. In 100 nmol/l added folic acid, there was slight macrocytosis and a normal doubling time, but marked biochemical alterations were still present. The findings demonstrate that folate deficiency causes diminished thymidylate synthetase activity and macrocytosis in human myeloid cells, but that such cells may nevertheless demonstrate no prolongation of their doubling time, indicating either that their supply of thymidine triphosphate (TTP) is sufficient, or that misincorporation of deoxyuridine triphosphate (dUTP) is occurring. This suggests that the ineffectiveness of haemopoiesis in folate deficiency may result from damage to bone marrow cells in some way other than arrest in S-phase by a reduced delivery of TTP to the DNA replication fork.

The sex difference in the regulation of liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy in the rat

The increases in the activity of hepatic thymidylate synthetase and thymidine kinase, which catalyzes the formation of thymidylate via the de novo and salvage pathways, respectively, were significantly suppressed 24 h after 70% partial heptectomy in female rats administered either α- or β-adrenoreceptor antagonists. The injection of β-antagonists to male or ovariectomized female rats had no effect on the activities of these enzymes. Only α-adrenoceptor antagonist depressed these enzymatic activities of 24-h-regenerating liver in male and ovariectomized female rats. The decrease of the activities of thymidylate synthetase and thymidine kinase was accompanied by a concomitant reduction of DNA content in 24-h-regenerating liver. It is concluded that catecholamine regulates the female rat liver regeneration through both α- and β-adrenergic pathways by the inductions of thymidylate synthetase and thymidine kinase, while in adult male and ovariectomized female rats, only the α-mediated pathway is involved.

Thymidylate synthetase gene as a quantitative mutation marker in Chinese hamster cells

A quantitative mutation marker for cultured mammalian cells is presented which uses a selective medium containing folinic acid, aminopterin and thymidine (the ‘FAT’ medium) to select for mutants deficient in thymidylate synthetase (TS) activity. Optimization of FAt medium was carried out using Chinese hamster V79 cell lines having 3 levels of TS activity. By manipulating the concentration of folinic acid in FAT medium, TS-deficient mutants can be readily selected. TS mutation is inducible in a dose-dependent manner by either ethyl methanesulfonate or ultraviolet light irradiation. Expression time for TS mutation was also determined using two concentrations of ethyl methanesulfonate and found to be very short, being 1 or 2 days. This newly characterized TS mutation marker should be useful in the study of both spontaneous and induced mutagenesis.

Incorporation of Iododeoxyuridine Into Neoplastic Dna: A Fraudulent Magic Bullet?

Fourteen patients received 5–iodo–2 –deoxyuridine (IdUrd) before surgery for placement of a hepatic arterial catheter. Biopsy specimens were obtained at the time of surgery and the incorporation of IdUrd into DNA in tumor and normal hepatic tissue was measured by high–performance liquid chromatography and used as an index of drug selectivity. Over a 3–day intravenous infusion of IdUrd at 1,000 mg/m2/day, substitution for thymidine in tumor DNA averaged 3.1%. Normal hepatic DNA contained <1% substitution by IdUrd. Arterial delivery of IdUrd increased levels in DNA, whereas modulation with fluorodeoxyuridine produced mixed results. In six patients, flow cytometric analysis showed that the tumor contained a median of 32% tumor cells that had incorporated IdUrd in 3 days, corresponding to a potential doubling time of only 10 days. Thymidylate synthetase activity in tumors was 20–fold greater than in normal liver tissue, whereas thymidine kinase activity was two–fold greater in tumors. These pharmacological studies encourage further clinical trials of IdUrd as a cytotoxic agent or radiosensitizer.

Effect of colchicine and vincristine on DNA synthesis in regenerating rat liver

The increases in the activities of hepatic thymidylate synthetase and thymidine kinase were significantly suppressed at 24 h after 70% partial hepatectomy in rats which had been administered a microtubule disrupter, colchicine or vincristine. The decrease of these enzymic activities was accompanied by a reduction of DNA content in 24 h regenerating liver. The immunoblotting assay showed that the depression of the thymidylate synthetase activity by the injection of colchicine or vincristine was due to the decrease of the enzyme protein. These results indicate that colchicine and vincristine inhibit the DNA synthesis during liver regeneration by inhibiting the induction of the key enzyme in DNA synthesis.

Thymidylate synthesis and utilization via the de novo pathway in normal and megaloblastic human bone marrow cells.

We have measured the thymidylate synthetase activity of intact bone marrow cells using a 3H2O release assay. The mean thymidylate synthetase activity of vitamin B12- or folate-deficient megaloblastic marrow cells was reduced only in severely anaemic patients. There was a correlation between thymidylate synthetase activity and RBC in patients with megaloblastic haemopoiesis. The mean rate of incorporation into DNA of 6-3H deoxyuridine was similar in megaloblastic and normoblastic marrows. The rate of thymidylate synthesis exceeded its incorporation into DNA in all marrows, and the mean ratio between synthesis and incorporation was similar in normoblastic and megaloblastic patients, being independent of both thymidylate synthetase activity and RBC. Thus de novo thymine nucleotides were not utilized more efficiently in megaloblastic marrow cells. These data suggest that impaired thymidylate synthesis may not be the central defect in megaloblastic haemopoiesis, and that there is only a single pool of thymidine triphosphate in human bone marrow cells.

Different mutations responsible for the elevated sister-chromatid exchange frequencies in Bloom syndrome and X-irradiated B-lymphoblastoid cell lines originating from acute leukemia.

Cell hybridization and co-cultivation protocols have been used to determine whether the increased rates of sister-chromatid exchanges (SCEs) exhibited by Bloom syndrome (BS) and a human mutant cell line (CCRF-SB-T1), originating from an X-irradiated acute leukemia-derived B-lymphoblastoid cell line, have the same or different bases. Cell fusion of CCRF-SB-T1 with each of 4 different BS B-lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs), retaining a high-SCE character, exhibited low (normal level) numbers of SCEs, signifying complementation. Co-cultivation of CCRF-SB-T1 and BS B-LCLs also resulted in a significant reduction in SCE level, from 70 to 35, in BS cells, lowered the BrdU concentrations necessary for sister-chromatid differential staining (SCD) from 15 micrograms/ml (0.05 mM) to 2.0 micrograms/ml (0.01 mM) and resulted in a completely normal level of SCE in CCRF-SB-T1 cells. This strongly suggests that the defects in the 2 cell types are different. In the assay of cell extracts, the 4 BS cell lines appear to have lost thymidylate (TMP) synthetase activity (about 50% reduction from that of normal cells), whereas CCRF-SB-T1 cells show a 20% increase of TMP synthetase activity compared to normal cells.

Isolation and characterization of thymidylate synthetase mutants of Xanthomonas maltophilia

Thymidylate synthetase mutants of Xanthomonas maltophilia ATCC 13270 were isolated on a solid minimal medium containing 50 mg/l thymidine and a high concentration of trimethoprim (500 mg/l). It was found that a high concentration of trimethoprim was required to prevent background growth of the wild-type strain. The isolated mutants could grow on thymidine or dTMP at a concentration of 50 mg/l while they were unable to grow on 1000 mg/l thymine or 50 mg/l deoxyuridine. Thymidylate synthetase activity was assayed in the wild-type cells and in the mutant cells but only the wild-type cells contained measurable enzyme activity.

Polyamine metabolism and cell-cycle-dependent gene expression in IMR-90 human diploid fibroblasts during senescence in culture

Aging of IMR-90 human diploid fibroblasts in culture is accompanied by specific changes of polyamine metabolism including: (a) a fivefold decrease of serum-induced activity of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC 1 EC 4.1.1.17); (b) a six to tenfold increase of polyamine catabolism; and (c) a reduction of putrescine uptake. These changes apparently led to a significant reduction of putrescine accumulation in senescent cells following serum stimulation. Since the induction of ODC is a mid-G 1 event, the change of polyamine metabolism may be related to changes of expression of other cell-cycle-dependent genes during cellular aging. In addition to ODC gene, we have examined the expression of two early G 1 genes, c-erbB and c-myc, and one late G 1/S gene thymidine kinase, at mRNA levels, in both young and old IMR-90 cells. We have also compared the enzyme activities of two late G 1/S genes, thymidine kinase and thymidylate synthetase, in young and old cells following serum stimulation. We did not observe significant changes of c-erbB, c-myc, and ODC mRNA levels during cellular senescence. However, we found that serum-induced mRNA level of thymidine kinase gene in old IMR-90 cells was significantly reduced compared to that in the young cells. Results also demonstrate that aging of IMR-90 cells was accompanied by significant decrease of both thymidine kinase and thymidylate synthetase activities. In view of the recognized importance of polyamines in growth regulation, it is possible that alteration of polyamine metabolism may contribute to the impairment of expression of some key G 1/S genes and such impairment may contribute to the ultimate loss of dividing potential in senescent cells.

Purification and characterization of thymidylate synthetase in the liver of the mouse bearing ehrlich ascites tumor

The activity of thymidylate synthetase in the liver of the ddY strain male mouse increased transitorily according to the increase in tumor cell number at maximum 7–9 days after ip transplantation of Ehrlich ascites tumor. The enzyme was able to be purified from the tumor host mouse liver or from the normal mouse liver in the same manner as from tumor cells using Affi-Gel blue and methotrexate-Sepharose 4B affinity column chromatography. The three enzyme preparations obtained were purified at 27,000-, 38,000-, and 8,000-fold, and yielded total activities of 11, 3, and 16% of these homogenates, respectively. These preparations were similar in molecular weight to the whole enzyme (67,000) and its subunit (34,000), optimum pH, and K m values either for deoxyuridine 5′-monophosphate or tetrahydrofolate in the presence of formaldehyde. Furthermore, the amount of 5-fluoro-2′-deoxyuridine 5′-monophosphate forming the ternary complex with the enzyme and tetrahydrofolate paralleled the enzyme activities in the cytosol fractions of the three tissues. The characteristics of the tumor host liver enzyme were similar to those of the proliferating tissues, the Ehrlich ascites tumor.

Selective incorporation of iododeoxyuridine into DNA of hepatic metastases versus normal human liver.

Fourteen patients received 5-iodo-2(1)-deoxyuridine (IdUrd) before surgery for placement of a hepatic arterial catheter. Biopsy specimens were obtained at the time of surgery and incorporation of IdUrd into deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) in tumor and normal hepatic tissue was measured by HPLC and used as an index of drug selectivity. Over a 3-day intravenous infusion of IdUrd at 1000 mg/m2/day, substitution for thymidine in tumor DNA averaged 3.1%. Normal hepatic DNA contained less than 1% substitution by IdUrd. Arterial delivery of IdUrd increased levels in DNA, whereas modulation with fluorodeoxyuridine produced mixed results. In six patients, flow cytometric analysis showed that the tumor contained a median of 32% of tumor cells that had incorporated IdUrd in 3 days, corresponding to a potential doubling time of only 10 days. Thymidylate synthetase activity in tumors was 20-fold greater than in normal liver tissue, whereas thymidine kinase activity was twofold greater in tumors. These pharmacologic studies encourage further clinical trials of IdUrd as a cytotoxic agent or radiosensitizer.

The role of fluorinated pyrimidine analogues in the induction of the in vitro expression of the fragile X chromosome.

The modes of action of 5-fluoro-2'-deoxyuridine (FdUrd) and 5-fluoro-2'-deoxycytidine (FdCyd) were studied in PHA-stimulated lymphocytes from normal volunteer donors and a fragile X patient. In both cell types, FdUrd and FdCyd inhibited cell proliferation at concentrations of 3 x 10(-8) M. Thymidylate synthetase was identified as the decisive target for the action of both FdUrd and FdCyd, as judged from the following observations: First, addition of thymidine to the culture medium was able to counteract both FdUrd and FdCyd toxicities, whereas addition of dCyd had no observable effect. Second, inhibition of the in situ thymidylate synthetase activity measured as an increase in the level of [3H]-dThd incorporation coincided with the inhibition of cell proliferation. Third, the inhibition of the thymidylate synthetase-dependent incorporation of [3H]-dUrd into newly synthesized DNA coincided with the inhibition of cell proliferation. The effects of FdUrd and FdCyd on the in vitro expression of fragile site Xq27 of fragile X chromosomes was shown to be based on the depletion of the intracellular pool of thymidine-5'-monophosphate (dTMP), as judged from the following observations: First, both the FdUrd- and FdCyd-dependent induction of site Xq27 coincided with the antiproliferative effects of the respective fluoropyrimidines. Second, addition of thymidine (dThd) to the culture medium both prevented the expression of site Xq27 and neutralized the cytotoxicity of FdUrd and of FdCyd. On the basis of these findings, we provide further evidence for the concept that the fragile X site is located in an AT-rich region.

Effects of ribonucleotide reductase inhibition on pyrimidine deoxynucleotide metabolism in acyclovir-treated cells infected with herpes simplex virus type 1.

The pyrimidine metabolism of fibroblasts infected with herpes simplex virus type 1 was studied. Herpes simplex virus type 1 infection increased the dTTP pool and thymidylate synthetase activity but reduced thymidine excretion. Addition of acyclovir to infected cells increased thymidine excretion, the dTTP pool, and thymidylate synthetase activity. Addition of a virus-specific ribonucleotide reductase inhibitor (A723U) decreased all three. The synergy between the two compounds is discussed.

Construction of a dihydrofolate reductase-deficient mutant of Escherichia coli by gene replacement

The dihydrofolate reductase (fol) gene in Escherichia coli has been deleted and replaced by a selectable marker. Verification of the delta fol::kan strain has been accomplished using genetic and biochemical criteria, including Southern analysis of the chromosomal DNA. The delta fol::kan mutation is stable in E. coli K549 [thyA polA12 (Ts)] and can be successfully transduced to other E. coli strains providing they have mutations in their thymidylate synthetase (thyA) genes. A preliminary investigation of the relationship between fol and thyA gene expression suggests that a Fol- cell (i.e., a dihydrofolate reductase deficiency phenotype) is not viable unless thymidylate synthetase activity is concurrently eliminated. This observation indicates that either the nonproductive accumulation of dihydrofolate or the depletion of tetrahydrofolate cofactor pools is lethal in a Fol- ThyA+ strain. Strains containing the thyA delta fol::kan lesions require the presence of Fol end products for growth, and these lesions typically increase the doubling time of the strain by a factor of 2.5 in rich medium.

Efficacies of antiherpesvirus nucleosides against two strains of herpes simplex virus type 1 in Vero and human embryo lung fibroblast cells.

Antiviral activities of five nucleoside analogs against the VR-3 and WT-34 strains of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) were investigated in Vero and human embryo lung fibroblast (HEL) cells. In HEL cells, the compounds showed antiviral activities against both strains of HSV-1, but in Vero cells, the antiviral activities of the compounds were reduced in proportion to their antiviral indexes (the 50% inhibitory dose [ID50] for cell growth divided by the 50% plaque reduction dose for virus). The ratio of the ID50 in Vero cells to the ID50 in HEL cells was larger in VR-3-infected cells than in WT-34-infected cells. The following results were obtained. (i) Thymidine kinase (TK; EC 2.7.1.21) activity in the VR-3- or WT-34-infected Vero cells was about half that in VR-3- or WT-34-infected HEL cells. Induction of viral TK was especially low in the VR-3-infected Vero cells. (ii) The ID50 of the plaque reduction assay in hypoxanthine, aminopterin, and thymidine medium revealed that the activity of cellular thymidylate synthetase (EC 2.1.1.45) was important in viral replication in VR-3-infected Vero cells. (iii) The VR-3-infected cells required larger thymidine and thymidine phosphate pools for viral replication than the WT-34-infected cells did, although uptake of 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosyl-E-5-(2-bromovinyl) uracil into infected cells was equal for both strains. (iv) In the VR-3-infected Vero cells, the quantity of 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosyl-E-5-(2-bromovinyl)uracil triphosphate was smaller than that in VR-3-infected HEL cells and WT-34-infected Vero and HEL cells.

A new immunoblotting assay for thymidylate synthetase and its application to the regulation of enzyme activity in regenerating rat liver

A highly sensitive and specific immunoblot assay has been developed to quantitate the content of rat liver thymidylate synthetase (EC 2.1.1.45). Applying the method, it is demonstrated that the increase of the activity of thymidylate synthetase in liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy is due to the de novo synthesis of the enzyme protein. Administration of cycloheximide, phenoxybenzamine, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate, nifedipine, dexamethasone or indomethacin to partially hepatectomized rats prevented the synthesis of thymidylate synthetase in regenerating liver. Thyroparathyroidectomy also inhibited the increase of the enzyme in liver regeneration. These observations are discussed in relation to the signal transduction concerning the α 1-receptor, which was shown to regulate liver regeneration in our previous papers.

Progress report on a phase II trial of 5-fluorouracil plus citrovorum factor in women with metastatic breast cancer.

5-fluorouracil (FUra) has definite, albeit limited, antitumor activity against breast carcinoma (1). Inhibition of the enzyme, thymidylate synthetase (TS) by FdUMP, an active FUra metabolite, has been postulated as one biochemical mechanism for this antitumor activity (2). TS inhibition is markedly augmented by the presence of increased concentrations of the reduced folate, citrovorum factor (CF) (3). In 1985, preliminary information suggested that FUra plus CF resulted in more substantial activity against heavily pretreated metastatic breast cancer than would have been expected with FUra alone (4). This current study was designed 1) to study the antitumor activity and toxicity of FUra plus CF in metastatic breast cancer patients who had not been “heavily pretreated” with chemotherapy, 2) to examine the impact of this regimen on tumor TS activity, and 3) to correlate the degree of TS inhibition with clinical outcome. The protocol continues to accrue patients and this communication provides a progress report relating to antitumor activity and toxicity.KeywordsMetastatic Breast CancerFolinic AcidMetastatic Breast Cancer PatientThymidylate SynthetaseSkin HyperpigmentationThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.

Effect of calcium channel blockers and trifluoperazine on rat liver regeneration

The activity of hepatic thymidylate synthetase and thymidine kinase at 24 h after 70% partial hepatectomy of rats was suppressed significantly compared with that in the control group by the administration of calcium channels blockers (verapamil, diltiazem and nifedipine) 8 h after partial hepatectomy. The decrease of thymidylate synthetase and thymidine kinase activities was accompanied by a reduction of DNA content in 24 h regenerating liver. Trifluoperazine showed an effect similar to that of the calcium channel blockers on DNA synthesis during liver regeneration. These results suggest that calcium entry into the hepatic cell is an essential event in liver regeneration.

Islet cell growth and function: A reappraisal of the role of progesterone and prednisolone

The mechanism of the inhibitory effect of steroid hormones, progesterone and prednisolone on the incorporation of [ 3H]-thymidine into pancreatic islet cell DNA was investigated. Treatment with either hormone had no effect on the incorporation of 32P-orthophosphate into islet cell DNA. Both prednisolone (10 μM) and progesterone (3 μM) markedly stimulated the activity of the enzyme thymidylate synthetase of islet cells possibly leading to increased synthesis of endogenous thymidine which resulted in dilution of the [ 3H]-thymidine added to the islets in tissue culture. Prednisolone (10 μM) significantly increased both insulin biosynthesis and release, while at 5 μM it was effective in increasing only insulin release. In contrast, progesterone at the two concentrations employed did not affect insulin biosynthesis or release. The smaller doses of both hormones markedly stimulated the total protein biosynthesis.

Effect of thyroparathyroidectomy on the activities of thymidylate synthetase and thymidine kinase during liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy.

Thyroparathyroidectomy (TPTX) carried out at 72 h before partial hepatectomy (PH) reduced the induction of hepatic thymidylate synthetase (TS) and thymidine kinase (TK), which are rate-determining enzymes in DNA synthesis, at 24 h after PH. When TPTX was carried out at 24 h before PH, TK activity at 24 h after PH was not reduced at all, yet TS activity was reduced significantly. Thus the effect of TPTX differed in time dependence between TS and TK. The depression of TK activity in rats which were subjected to TPTX at 72 h before PH, was recovered by Ca2+ supplementation. This result demonstrated that the rise of TK activity in regenerating liver is regulated by plasma Ca2+. Since a high dose of tri-iodothyronine (T3) was required to cause elevation of the activities of these enzymes and DNA content in 24 h-regenerating liver of TPTX rats, the relative contribution of T3 to liver regeneration may be small.