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Overexpression of gp120, the major coat protein of the HIV-1 virus, in central glial cells, or treatment of neurons with gp120 in culture, produces apoptotic neuronal death. Here we demonstrate that CEP-1347 (KT7515), an inhibitor of mixed lineage kinase 3 (MLK3), an upstream activator of JNK, inhibits gp120IIIB-induced apoptosis of hippocampal neurons. Furthermore, expression of wild type MLK3 in hippocampal pyramidal neurons enhanced gp120IIIB-induced neurotoxicity, whereas expression of a dominant negative MLK3 protected neurons from the toxic effects of the glycoprotein. These results indicate a role for MLK3 signaling in gp120IIIB-induced neuronal death, and suggest potential clinical utility of CEP1347 in inhibiting the progression of AIDS dementia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aggregates of Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD) have been demonstrated in familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (FALS) and other neurodegenerative diseases; however, their role in disease pathogenesis is unclear. In this study, we investigated the presence of SOD aggregates in nerve growth factor (NGF)-differentiated PC12 cells and cell viability following: (i) transduction with replication-deficient recombinant adenoviruses (AdVs) expressing wild-type SOD (SODWT) or mutant SOD (SODMT, V148G or A4V); (ii) transfection of yellow fluorescent protein-tagged SODWT (SODWT-YFP) or SODMT (SODA4V-YFP, SODV148G-YFP). SOD aggregates were more prominent in cells following transduction of AdSODMT than AdSODWT and following treatment with H[sub 2]O[sub 2], suggesting that mutant SOD leads to oxidation of cellular components. In addition, cells expressing SODMT-YFP yielded SOD aggregates that were significantly larger and more frequent than SOD aggregates in cells expressing SODWT-YFP. Proteasome inhibitors, but not cathepsin B inhibitors, increased aggregate formation but did not increase cell death. In addition, treatments that increased cell viability did not significantly decrease SOD aggregates. Taken together, our data demonstrate that there is no association between SOD aggregates and cell death in FALS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

p68 is an inducible protein kinase which is believed to be an important factor in the regulation of both viral and cellular protein synthesis. We have produced a monoclonal antibody (TJ4C4) which specifically detects p68, and which can be used to detect this antigen in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues. Because p68 plays an important role in cellular protein synthesis, we hypothesized that it may correlate with normal and neoplastic cellular differentiation. One hundred and seventy-seven head and neck squamous cell carcinoma specimens, representing 82 patients, were studied. The relative amount, frequency, and distribution of p68 expression were determined by microscopic evaluation of ABC immunoperoxidase-stained specimens. A spectrum of immunoreactivity was detected in 156 of 177 tumors, as well as within the normal squamous epithelium. Normal, actively proliferating cells, such as the basal layer of squamous epithelium, expressed comparatively little p68. Increased p68 expression was noted to parallel the morphologic features of cellular differentiation. In neoplastic tissue, p68 expression also increased with the degree of cellular differentiation. These data demonstrate that the expression of p68 parallels the degree of cellular differentiation in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck region, as well as within normal squamous mucosa. Therefore, p68 may provide an objective biologic measure of cellular differentiation which does not depend on morphologic features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

P68 is a protein kinase expressed by eukaryotic cells, which is inducible by alpha interferon, and is believed to be an important factor in the regulation of viral and cellular protein synthesis. We have previously reported on a monoclonal antibody, TJ4C4, which is able to specifically detect p68 in formalin-fixed, paraffinembedded tissue. Because of its important role in regulating cellular protein synthesis, we hypothesized that p68 expression would vary among lung neoplasms with level of differentiation and degree of biosynthetic activity. A total of 246 untreated primary pulmonary and pleural neoplasms were studied. The frequency and relative intensity of p68 expression was determined by light microscopic evaluation of ABC immunoperoxidase stained specimens. All categories of tumors studied demonstrated a spectrum of p68 expression. Expression of p68 correlated well with degree of differentiation in squamous cell carcinomas (SQCC) and acinar adenocarcinomas (AAC). Papillary adenocarcinoma (PAC) and bronchioalveolar carcinoma (BAC) expressed low levels of p68, despite their well differentiated appearance. Expression of the antigen in large cell carcinoma (LCC) was higher than that seen in either poorly differentiated AAC or SQCC. Neuroendocrine tumors generally showed low levels of p68 expression with the intermediate variant of small cell carcinoma expressing higher levels of p68 than the classic 'oat cell' form (SCC). Carcinoid tumors expressed higher levels of p68 than did atypical carcinoid tumors. Mesotheliomas showed weak expression of p68, limited primarily to areas of glandular differentiation in the epithelioid form. Differential expression of p68 by lung and pleural neoplasms points to biologic differences among these tumors, serves as a good biological marker for cellular differentiation, and may provide clinically relevant information about individual tumor subtypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this report we describe the expression of p68, which is believed to be an important regulator of protein synthesis, in various tissues during normal human fetal development. Conventional, formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded sections of normal organs from human fetuses ranging from 9 to 42 weeks of gestation were immunostained with the monoclonal antibody TJ4C4 utilizing a conventional avidin-biotin complex procedure. The expression of p68 could be detected in many cell types arising in most of the tissues examined within the time period of fetal development studied. p68 expression was most frequently seen, and most intensely expressed in respiratory epithelium, urothelium and ependyma. Expression in other tissues was more variable. These data show that there is regulated expression of p68 in a wide variety of tissues during normal fetal development which parallels the known expression of this protein in normal and neoplastic adult tissues. Copyright © 1993 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]