SK Hep1 Research Articles

Incorporation of adenovirus into a ligand-based DNA carrier system results in retention of original receptor specificity and enhances targeted gene expression

Adenovirus type 5 was modified by coupling an asialoglycoprotein-polylysine conjugate to the virus by reactions that activate carbohydrate residues. Wild-type virus modified in this manner had greatly decreased infectivity toward normally susceptible HeLa S3 (asialoglycoprotein receptor (-)) and SK Hep1 (asialoglycoprotein receptor (-)) cells leaving 91 and 86% viable, respectively, after 48 h. However, with Huh 7 (asialoglycoprotein receptor (+)) cells, modified virus retained its infectivity leaving only 19% of cells viable under identical conditions. Modified virus was complexed to DNA in the form of a plasmid, pSVHBV surf, containing the gene for hepatitis B surface antigen as a marker of gene expression. Huh 7, receptor (+), cells treated with modified wild type, and modified replication-defective d1312 virus complexed to DNA raised antigen levels by approximately 13- and 30-fold, respectively, compared with asialoglycoprotein-polylysine DNA complex alone. Competition with a large excess of an asialoglycoprotein blocked the enhancement by more than 95%. Using a beta-galactosidase marker gene, the number of cells transfected by modified virus was found to be 200-fold higher than complex alone. Yet, specificity was retained exclusively for asialoglycoprotein receptor-bearing cells. These data indicate that adenovirus can be chemically modified by coupling ligands resulting in targeted gene expression dictated specifically by receptor recognition of the attached ligand.

Functional Analysis of the Connexin43 Gene Promoter in Vivo and in Vitro

Connexin43 is the principal gap junction protein found in the mammalian heart. The regulation of connexin43 gene expression may be an important determinant of normal and altered cardiac development and electrophysiology. We constructed a series of chimeric luciferase reporter genes containing nested deletions from the human connexin43 gene (-2400 to -50 base-pairs, relative to transcription initiation). The transcriptional activity of the chimeric genes was assayed in several cell types and systems, including rat cardiocytes in vitro and adult rat heart in vivo. In both systems, high levels of luciferase activity required at least 175 base-pairs of 5′-flanking sequence. Constructs including 2400 base-pairs of upstream sequence increased activity two-fold in vivo, but not in vitro. Chimeric genes were also assayed in cultured cardiac non-myocytes. This population of cells accumulates significant levels of connexin43 mRNA when propagated in vitro and promoter constructs were correspondingly active. Elements within the proximal promoter may also confer tissue-specificity. Transfectional analysis of the SK Hep1 cell line, which does not express connexin43, demonstrated reduced reporter gene activity, especially for the longest constructs. These studies begin to define the cis-acting elements of the connexin43 gene which regulate its strength and specificity of transcription.

The effect of staurosporine, a protein kinase inhibitor, on asialoglycoprotein receptor endocytosis

Receptor-mediated endocytosis via coated pits is modulated by the activity of protein kinases and protein phosphorylation. We examined the effects of the potent protein kinase inhibitor staurosporine (SSP) on endocytosis of the asialoglycoprotein (ASGP) receptor in HepG2 cells. Staurosporine caused a rapid (<2 min) inhibition of ligand internalization from the cell surface. In contrast the rate of receptor exocytosis from intracellular compartments to the cell surface was not altered ( t 1 2 = 8 min ). This resulted in increased ASGP receptors at the plasma membrane (140% of control) while the total number of receptors per cell was unchanged. Receptor up-regulation was half-maximal at 30 n M SSP. At this concentration staurosporine also inhibited the internalization of iodinated transferrin by HepG2 cells and SK Hep-1 cells, another human hepatoma-derived cell line. Staurosporine was without effect on the non-receptor-mediated uptake of Lucifer yellow by pinocytosis. We investigated the possible involvement of protein kinase C in the inhibitory effects of staurosporine on receptor endocytosis. The active protein kinase C inhibitor H7 did not inhibit ASGP receptor internalization. Furthermore depletion of cellular protein kinase C by overnight incubation with 1 μ M phorbol myristate acetate did not abrogate the SSP effect. Together these data suggest that the mechanism of SSP action is independent of the inhibition of protein kinase C. In conclusion staurosporine is a potent and rapid inhibitor of receptor trafficking which is specific for receptor internalization from the plasma membrane.

SK HEP-1: a human cell line of endothelial origin.

SK-HEP-1 is an immortal, human cell line derived from the ascitic fluid of a patient with adenocarcinoma of the liver. We have determined that these cells are of endothelial origin. Despite the location of the tumor from which SK HEP-1 was derived, the cell line does not have properties of hepatocytes. Northern blot analysis of total cellular RNA shows no messenger RNA for the hepatic-specific proteins albumin, alpha-fibrinogen, or gamma-fibrinogen. Endothelial characteristics are seen by transmission electron microscopy. These features include numerous pinocytotic vesicles, electron dense granules consistent with Weibel-Palade bodies, and abundant intermediate filaments, identified immunocytochemically as vimentin. Cultures grown on plastic dishes grow in bundles of polygonal to spindle-shaped cells. Proteins characteristic for endothelial cells are identified by immunocytochemistry. Addition of basement membrane material (Matrigel) or type I collagen to the cultures induces these cells to organize into a tubular network.

Chemical modification of an ecotropic murine leukemia virus results in redirection of its target cell specificity

An ecotropic virus was chemically modified in order to determine whether its target cell specificity could be altered. We hypothesized that chemical coupling of galactose residues to a virus might permit specific infection of hepatocytes mediated by asialoglycoprotein receptors unique to these cells. To test this hypothesis, we took advantage of the fact that: 1) artificial asialoglycoproteins can be created by chemical coupling of lactose to proteins; and 2) viruses that are ecotropic have a narrow species specificity. An ecotropic, rodent-specific, replication-defective murine leukemia virus containing the gene for beta-galactosidase was chemically modified with lactose to contain 5.9 mumol of lactose per mg of viral RNA. Modified and unmodified viruses were incubated for 5 days with HepG2, a human hepatoma line that possesses asialoglycoprotein receptors, and SK Hep1, a human cell line that does not. As expected from the ecotropism, unmodified virus did not produce beta-galactosidase activity in either cell type. Modified virus did not produce beta-galactosidase activity in SK Hep1 cells. However, modified virus did produce beta-galactosidase activity, 71.2 units/mg of cell protein, in the human receptor (+) HepG2 cells. Interestingly, modification of the virus also resulted in decreased enzyme activity in previously susceptible host rodent cells. Competition with modified virus by an excess of an asialoglycoprotein completely prevented development of enzymatic activity in HepG2 cells. Histochemical treatment of cells with 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indoyl beta-D-galactoside to detect in situ beta-galactosidase activity demonstrated that only HepG2 cells treated with modified virus were positive and that 36% of these cells were stained after 5 days. These data indicate that chemical modification of a virus can result in a redirection of the infectivity of the virus toward hepatocyte-derived cells mediated by the presence of asialoglycoprotein receptors.

Subcellular Distribution of Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor in Human Hepatoma Cells

The subcellular distribution of endogenous basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) was studied in the human hepatoma cell line, SK Hep-1. Basic FGF was demonstrated in cytosol, nuclei, and membranes by purification from each subcellular fraction using ion-exchange chromatography and heparin-affinity chromatography, and by the detection of bFGF-immunoreactive proteins on Western blots of heparin-affinity purified samples. About 65% of bFGF bioactivity was present in cytosol, 17% in nuclei, and 18% in membranes. Antisera raised against either recombinant 18 kDa bFGF or a bFGF N-terminal extension peptide showed that cytosol contained bFGF of mainly Mr 18,000 whereas nuclei and membranes contained three forms of bFGF of Mr 18,000, 22,500, and 24,000. Mitogenic activity in nuclei was chromatin-associated and required 0.6 M NaCl or 100 micrograms/ml heparin for maximal release. Membrane-bound activity was released by 0.6 M NaCl but not by heparin. The finding that endogenous bFGF proteins are present in various subcellular compartments suggests that bFGF may have additional biological roles at these sites.

Study of fibronectin expression in tumour cells by dot-blot and [formula omitted] hybridization: Quantitative evaluation by image analysis

An Image Analysis program was used for the quantitative evaluation and comparison of the fibronectin (FN) mRNA detected by dot-blot and in situ hybridization in different cell lines. These techniques were applied for the evaluation of FN mRNA synthesized by human normal fibroblasts (Flow 7000) and by four tumour-derived cell lines (HeLa, epithelioid carcinoma; 8387, fibrosarcoma; RD, rhabdomyosarcoma; SK Hep-1, hepatocarcinoma). Dot-blot analysis showed that the cell types analysed synthesize different levels of FN mRNA. Flow 7000 are the highest producers while HeLa the lowest. In situ hybridization confirmed these results and furthermore showed that while Flow 7000, 8387 and HeLa cells synthesized homogeneous levels of FN mRNA, RD and SK Hep-1 could be subdivided into two populations expressing high or low levels of FN mRNA. The combined analysis of dot-blot, in situ hybridization and Image Analysis allowed the quantitation of the number of FN mRNA molecules expressed by single cells. This approach is therefore an invaluable tool when evaluating mRNA expression in heterogeneous cell populations like tumour-derived cell lines, during cell cycle or in histological tissue sections.

Stimulation of motility in cultured bovine capillary endothelial cells by angiogenic preparations.

Several angiogenic preparations that have been shown to stimulate plasminogen activator (PA) and collagenase production by cultured bovine capillary endothelial (BCE) cells were tested for their ability to stimulate BCE cell motility in the phagokinetic track assay. Bovine retinal extract, medium conditioned by 3T3-F442A differentiated mouse adipocytes, SK HEP-1 human hepatoma cell lysate, mouse sarcoma 180 cell lysate, and medium conditioned by mouse sarcoma 180 cells stimulated motility 68.7%, 48.5%, 140.9%, 56.5%, and 102.1%, respectively, relative to untreated cells. The motility-stimulating activity of these preparations was dose dependent and linear over the 16-h assay period. Several hormones and growth factors were tested for BCE cell motility-stimulating activity, including insulin, vasopressin, fibroblast growth factor, and a partially purified preparation of sarcoma growth factor, and were found to be ineffective. 12-0-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-acetate (TPA), a potent stimulator of both PA and collagenase activities in BCE cells, also did not stimulate motility, indicating that protease production is not sufficient to stimulate BCE cell motility in this assay. Neither SK HEP-1 hepatoma cell lysate nor TPA was effective in stimulating motility in bovine aortic endothelial (BAE) cells. The inability of SK HEP-1 hepatoma cell lysate to stimulate movement in BAE cells is consistent with the observation that angiogenesis occurs by sprouting of capillaries, not large vessels.