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Background: Mutations in the c-KIT proto-oncogene have been implicated in the progression of several neoplastic diseases, including gastrointestinal stromal tumors and mastocytosis in humans, and cutaneous mast cell tumors (MCTs) in canines. Mutations in human mastocytosis patients primarily occur in c-KIT exon 17, which encodes a portion of its kinase domain. In contrast, deletions and internal tandem duplication (ITD) mutations are found in the juxtamembrane domain of c-KIT in approximately 15% of canine MCTs. In addition, ITD c-KIT mutations are significantly associated with aberrant KIT protein localization in canine MCTs. However, some canine MCTs have aberrant KIT localization but lack ITD c-KIT mutations, suggesting that other mutations or other factors may be responsible for aberrant KIT localization in these tumors., Methods: In order to characterize the prevalence of mutations in the phospho-transferase portion of c-KIT's kinase domain in canine MCTs exons 16-20 of 33 canine MCTs from 33 dogs were amplified and sequenced. Additionally, in order to determine if mutations in c-KIT exon 17 are responsible for aberrant KIT localization in MCTs that lack juxtamembrane domain c-KIT mutations, c-KIT exon 17 was amplified and sequenced from 18 canine MCTs that showed an aberrant KIT localization pattern but did not have ITD c-KIT mutations., Results: No mutations or polymorphisms were identified in exons 16-20 of any of the MCTs examined., Conclusion: In conclusion, mutations in the phospho-transferase portion of c-KIT's kinase domain do not play an important role in the progression of canine cutaneous MCTs, or in the aberrant localization of KIT in canine MCTs.

The Kit receptor tyrosine kinase is critical for the growth and development of hematopoietic cells, germ cells, and the interstitial cells of Cajal. Gain-of-function mutations in codon 816 of the catalytic domain of human Kit [codon 814 of murine Kit (mKit)] are found in patients with mastocytosis, leukemia, and germ cell tumors. There are no drugs that inhibit the activity of Kit catalytic domain mutants to a greater extent than wild-type Kit. The objective of this study was to understand the biochemical mechanisms mediating mast cell transformation by this Kit mutant to identify molecular targets for pharmacological intervention. To this end, we examined signaling pathways activated in the murine mast cell line IC2 infected with either wild-type (IC2-mKit) or mutant mKit (IC2-mKit(D814Y)). In this study, we show that mKit(D814Y) is constitutively phosphorylated on tyrosine 719, and this likely results in constitutive association with activated phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase (PI3K). In vitro growth of IC2-mKit(D814Y) cells is more sensitive to inhibition of PI3K than SCF-induced growth of IC2-mKit cells. s.c. injection of IC2-mKit(D814Y) in syngeneic mice results in mast cell tumors. To determine whether inhibition of PI3K could reduce mKit(D814Y)-mediated tumorigenicity, mice were treated with 1.5 mg/kg wortmannin three times a week. Five weeks after injection of tumor cells, a 75% reduction in tumor weight was observed when wortmannin treatments were initiated 2 days after inoculation with tumor cells. A 66% reduction occurred when treatment was initiated 2 weeks after inoculation. Treatment with wortmannin increased necrosis in the tumors, and this was associated with apoptosis. Interestingly, there was no effect on tumor vasculature. Thus, PI3K is required for survival and growth of the IC2-mKit(D814Y) mast cell line both in vitro and in vivo. These findings may provide insight into designing strategies for treatment of mastocytosis and other diseases associated with mutations in the Kit catalytic domain.

Objective: To evaluate splenic mast cell tumors (MCT) of cats for activating mutations in the proto-oncogene c-kit., Sample Population: 10 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded splenic MCT from cats in the pathology database of the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital at the University of California, Davis., Procedure: Genomic DNA was isolated from tumor specimens, and the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) procedure was performed for exons 11, 12, and 17. The PCR products were analyzed by use of agarose gel electrophoresis and then directly sequenced., Results: We did not identify mutations in the juxtamembrane domain (encoded by exons 11 and 12) or catalytic domain (encoded by exon 17) of c-kit in any of the splenic MCT specimens., Conclusions and Clinical Relevance: Although mutations in the proto-oncogene c-kit occur frequently in naturally developing MCT in dogs and aggressive mastocytosis in humans, the data reported here documented that dysregulation of Kit function through activating mutations is unlikely in splenic MCT of cats. Therapeutic strategies aimed at inhibiting Kit signaling (ie, kinase inhibitors such as imatinib [STl571]) may not be of benefit for the treatment of this disease in cats.

Mutations in the proto-oncogene c-kit, including point mutations, deletions, or duplications in the negative regulatory juxtamembrane (JM) domain or point mutations in the catalytic domain, have been observed in human and canine cancers and often result in constitutive activation of Kit in the absence of ligand binding. To identify a receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) inhibitor capable of blocking the function of mutant Kit, we evaluated 3 indolinones (SU11652, SU11654, and SU11655) that act as competitive inhibitors of adenosine triphosphate binding to several members of the split kinase family of RTKs, including VEGFR, FGFR, PDGFR, and Kit. Mast cell lines expressing either wild-type (WT) Kit, a point mutation in the JM domain, a tandem duplication in the JM domain, or a point mutation in the catalytic domain were used for these studies. All 3 indolinones inhibited phosphorylation of WT Kit in the presence of stem cell factor at concentrations as low as 0.01 microM. Autophosphorylation of both JM mutants was inhibited at 0.01 to 0.1 microM, resulting in cell cycle arrest within 24 hours, whereas autophosphorylation of the catalytic domain mutant was inhibited at 0.25 to 0.5 microM, resulting in cell death within 24 hours. poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) cleavage was noted in all Kit mutant lines after indolinone treatment. In summary, SU11652, SU11654, and SU11655 are effective RTK inhibitors capable of disrupting the function of all forms of mutant Kit. Because the concentrations of drug necessary for receptor inhibition are readily achievable and nontoxic in vivo, these compounds may be useful in the treatment of spontaneous cancers expressing Kit mutations.

Presence of matrix metalloproteinases has been associated with tumor invasion and metastasis in human neoplasia. The presence of matrix metalloproteinase 2 and matrix metalloproteinase 9 was determined in canine mast cell tumor tissue and normal stromal tissue from 24 dogs with spontaneously occurring cutaneous mast cell tumors. Seventeen of the mast cell tumors were of histologic grade 2, and 7 were of histologic grade 3. Gelatin zymography and computer assisted densitometry image analysis were used to quantify matrix metalloproteinase concentration. Bands from canine tissues migrated in the same location as human proenzyme and active enzyme matrix metalloproteinase 2 and matrix metalloproteinase 9 standards. A semiquantitative value for each patient sample was obtained by comparing the optical assessment density of each unknown band to the optical density of the human standard. The presence of matrix metalloproteinase 2 and matrix metalloproteinase 9 in histologic grade 2 mast cell tumors and histologic grade 3 mast cell tumors was compared, as was presence of matrix metalloproteinases in tumor and stromal tissue. There was dramatically more proenzyme matrix metalloproteinase 9 activity in histologic grade 3 mast cell tumors when compared to grade 2 tumors (P = .03). There was also dramatically more active enzyme matrix metalloproteinase 2 and active enzyme matrix metalloproteinase 9 activity in tumor tissue compared to stromal tissue (P = .02, P < .0001). This study demonstrates that the proenzyme and active enzyme forms of matrix metalloproteinase 2 and matrix metalloproteinase 9 are present in canine mast cell tumors. This appears to be related to the degree of histologic malignancy, although histologic grade 1 tumors were not evaluated.

The D-glucuronyl C5-epimerase involved in the biosynthesis of heparin and heparan sulfate was investigated with focus on its substrate specificity, its kinetic properties, and a comparison of epimerase preparations from the Furth mastocytoma and bovine liver, which synthesize heparin and heparan sulfate, respectively. New substrates for the epimerase were prepared from the capsular polysaccharide of Escherichia coli K5, which had been labeled at C5 of its D-glucuronic and N-acetyl-D-glucosamine moieties by growing the bacteria in the presence of D-[5-(3)H]glucose. Following complete or partial ( approximately 50%) N-deacetylation of the polysaccharide by hydrazinolysis, the free amino groups were sulfated by treatment with trimethylamine.SO(3)complex, which yielded products that were recognized as substrates by the epimerase and released tritium from C5 of the D-glucuronyl residues upon incubation with the enzyme. Comparison of the kinetic properties of the two substrates showed that the fully N-sulfated derivative was the best substrate in terms of its K(m)value, which was significantly lower than that of its partially N-acetylated counterpart. The V(max)values for the E.coli polysaccharide derivatives were essentially the same but were both lower than that of the O-desulfated [(3)H]heparin used in our previous studies. Surprisingly, the apparent K(m)values for all three substrates increased with increasing enzyme concentration. The reason for this phenomenon is not entirely clear at present. Partially purified C5-epimerase preparations from the Furth mastocytoma and bovine liver, respectively, behaved similarly in terms of their reactivity towards the various substrates, but the variation in apparent K(m)values with enzyme concentration precluded a detailed comparison of their kinetic properties.

Heparan sulfate proteoglycans, attached to cell surfaces or in the extracellular matrix, interact with a multitude of proteins via their heparan sulfate side chains. Degradation of these chains by limited (endoglycosidic) heparanase cleavage is believed to affect a variety of biological processes. Although the occurrence of heparanase activity in mammalian tissues has been recognized for many years, the molecular characteristics and substrate recognition properties of the enzyme(s) have remained elusive. In the present study, the substrate specificity and cleavage site of heparanase from human hepatoma and platelets were investigated. Both enzyme preparations were found to cleave the single beta-D-glucuronidic linkage of a heparin octasaccharide. A capsular polysaccharide from Escherichia coli K5, with the same (-GlcUAbeta1,4-GlcNAcalpha1,4-)n structure as the unmodified backbone of heparan sulfate, resisted heparanase degradation in its native state as well as after chemical N-deacetylation/N-sulfation or partial enzymatic C-5 epimerization of beta-D-GlcUA to alpha-L-IdceA. By contrast, a chemically O-sulfated (but still N-acetylated) K5 derivative was susceptible to heparanase cleavage. O-Sulfate groups, but not N-sulfate or IdceA residues, thus are essential for substrate recognition by the heparanase(s). In particular, selective O-desulfation of the heparin octasaccharide implicated a 2-O-sulfate group on a hexuronic acid residue located two monosaccharide units from the cleavage site, toward the reducing end.

In prior work we showed that a metallogelatinase is secreted from dog mastocytoma cells and directly activated by exocytosed mast cell alpha-chymase. The current work identifies the protease as a canine homologue of progelatinase B (92-kDa gelatinase, MMP-9), determines the sites cleaved by alpha-chymase, and explores the regulation of gelatinase expression in mastocytoma cells. To obtain a cDNA encoding the complete sequence of mastocytoma gelatinase B, a 2. 3-kilobase clone encoding progelatinase was isolated from a BR mastocytoma library. The sequenced cDNA predicts a 704-amino acid protein 80% identical to human progelatinase B. Regions thought to be critical for active site latency, such as the Cys-containing propeptide sequence, PRCGVPD, and the catalytic domain sequence, HEFGHALGLDHSS, are entirely conserved. Cleavage of progelatinase B by purified dog alpha-chymase yielded an approximately 84-kDa product that contained two NH2-terminal amino acid sequences, QTFEGDLKXH and EGDLKXHHND, which correspond to residues 89-98 and 92-101 of the cDNA predicted sequence, respectively. Thus, alpha-chymase cleaves the catalytic domain of gelatinase B at the Phe88-Gln89 and Phe91-Glu92 bonds. Like BR cells, the C2 line of dog mastocytoma cells constitutively secrete progelatinase B which is activated by alpha-chymase. By contrast, non-chymase-producing C1 cells secrete a gelatinase B (which remains in its proform) only in response to 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate. Whereas 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate stimulation of BR cells produced a approximately 15-fold increase in gelatinase B mRNA expression, dexamethasone down-regulated its expression by approximately 5-fold. Thus, extracellular stimuli may regulate the amount of mast cell progelatinase B expressed by mast cells. These data further support a role for mast cell alpha-chymase in tissue remodeling involving gelatinase B-mediated degradation of matrix proteins.

In this study, we demonstrated that NH2-terminal Ser and Ile residues of pRL1b (SI-pRL1a) (SIIPGLPLSL) are not involved in the recognition by RLmale 1-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte. The sensitization activity observed with pRL1b (SI-pRL1a) was not greater than that of peptides substituted with irrelevant amino acids at these positions. In serum-free medium, pRLla retained sensitization activity, but pRL1b (SI-pRL1a) did not. Furthermore, addition of bestatin to serum-containing medium blocked sensitization by pRL1b (SI-pRL1a). On the other hand, the addition of captopril enhanced it, probably by inhibiting the degradation of pRL1a by ACE. pRL1a-D peptide with D-Ile in place of the L-Ile residue of pRL1a (IPGLPLSL) showed sensitization, but SI-pRLla-2,3D peptide, which has D-Iles in place of the L-Ile residues of pRLlb (SI-pRL1a), and which was not cleaved between the two D-Iles, did not. The findings suggest that pRL1a is the antigenic peptide bound to L(d) molecules and pRL1b (SI-pRL1a) peptide is its natural precursor, which generates pRL1a via proteolysis.

Gelatinolytic metalloproteinases implicated in connective tissue remodeling and tumor invasion are secreted from several types of cells in the form of inactive zymogens. In this report, characterization of gelatinase activity secreted by the BR line of dog mastocytoma cells reveals a phorbol-inducible, approximately 92-kD, Ca2+ - and Zn2+ -dependent proenzyme cleaved over time to smaller, active forms. Incubation of cells with the general serine protease inhibitor, PMSF, prevented proenzyme cleavage and permitted its purification free of activation products. The NH2-terminal 13 amino acids of the purified mastocytoma progelatinase are 50-67% identical to those of human, mouse, and rabbit 92-kD progelatinase (gelatinase B; matrix metalloproteinase-9). Degranulation of mastocytoma cells using ionophore A23187 greatly accelerated proenzyme cleavage, suggesting that a serine protease present in secretory granules hydrolyzed the progelatinase to active fragments. To identify the activating protease, cells were coincubated with ionophore and a panel of selective serine protease inhibitors. Soybean trypsin inhibitor and succinyl-L-Ala-Ala-Pro-Phe-chloromethylketone, which inhibit mast cell chymase, prevented progelatinase activation. Inhibitors of tryptase and dog mast cell protease (dMCP)-3, i.e., aprotinin or bis(5-amidino-2-benzimidazolyl) methane (BABIM), did not. In further experiments using highly purified enzymes, mastocytoma cell chymase activated 92-kD progelatinase in the absence of other enzymes or cofactors; tryptase and dMCP-3, however, had no effect. These data demonstrate that dog mastocytoma cells secrete a metalloproteinase related to progelatinase B that is directly activated outside of the cell by exocytosed chymase, and provide the first demonstration of a cell that activates a matrix metalloproteinase it secretes by cosecreting an activating enzyme. In mastocytomas, this pathway may facilitate tumor invasion of surrounding tissues, and in normal mast cells, it could play a role in tissue remodeling and repair.

A peculiar point mutation results in constitutive activation of c-kit receptor tyrosine kinase (KIT) in three different tumor mast cell lines; ie, the HMC-1, P-815, and RBL-2H3. Because constitutive activation of KIT was also observed in the FMA3 mouse mastocytoma cell line, we investigated the molecular mechanism. Sequencing of the whole coding region of the c-kit showed that the point mutation found in HMC-1, P-815, and RBL-2H3 cells was absent in FMA3 cells and that the c-kit cDNA of FMA3 cells carried an in-frame deletion of 21 base pairs (bp) encoding Thr-Gln-Leu-Pro-Tyr-Asp-His at codons 573 to 579 at the juxtamembrane domain. The FMA3-type c-kit cDNA with 21 bp deletion was introduced into the IC-2 cell line, which was derived from murine cultured mast cells. IC-2 cells were dependent on interleukin (IL)-3 and did not express KIT on the surface. In IC-2 cells introduced with the FMA3-type c-kit cDNA, KIT was constitutively phosphorylated on tyrosines and activated. Moreover, the FMA3-type KIT was dimerized without the stimulation by stem cell factor (SCF), a ligand for KIT. The spontaneously dimerized FMA3-type KIT without SCF binding was not internalized even after the activation. IC-2 cells expressing the FMA3-type KIT grew in suspension culture without IL-3 and SCF and became leukemic in nude athymic mice. The deletion of seven amino acids at the juxtamembrane domain appeared to be a new activating mutation of KIT that might be involved in neoplastic growth of mast cells.

We examined three tissue samples from each of four cows with non-lesional skin, tissue samples from a cow with multiple cutaneous mast cell tumors, and samples from another cow in which mast cells were infiltrating multiple lymphosarcomas of the skin, for the presence of tryptase and chymase by enzyme cytochemical and immunohistological methods. The enzyme activities of tryptase and chymase were tested using N-carbobenzoxy-glycilglycil-L-arginine-2-naphthylamide (Z-Gly-Gly-Arg-NA) and naphthol-AS-D-chloroacetate (N-AS-D-CA) as substrates, respectively. Tryptase reactivity could be demonstrated in frozen and Carnoy-fixed paraffin sections. Chymase reactivity was seen in neither frozen nor paraffin sections of formalin- or Carnoy-fixed skin tissues. Antibody linkage with a polyclonal rabbit anti-human skin tryptase antibody was highly specific in bovine normal cutaneous, infiltrating, and tumor mast cells. More than 90% of the tumor mast cells were distinctly tryptase-positive. With alcian blue, only slightly more than 10% of the mast cells stained clearly positive and with methylene blue hardly any staining of mast cell granules could be demonstrated. No antibody labeling of mast cell granules in any of the tissue sections was detected by the use of rabbit anti-dog chymase antiserum. These results indicate that there is a striking antigenic similarity of bovine tryptase to its canine and human equivalents. The demonstration of tryptase is an important tool in confirming the diagnosis of undifferentiated mast cell tumors. In contrast to other species, chymase appears to be completely absent in bovine skin mast cells.

O-Sulfation at C-3 of N-sulfated GlcN units concludes polymer modification and the formation of antithrombin binding regions in the biosynthesis of heparin/heparan sulfate. The resulting GlcNSO3(3-OSO3) units are largely restricted to heparin chains with high affinity for antithrombin (HA heparin). Low affinity (LA) heparin fails to serve as a substrate in the 3-O-sulfotransferase reaction yet contains potential 3-O-sulfate acceptor sites (Kusche, M., Torri, G., Casu, B., and Lindahl, U. (1990) J. Biol. Chem. 265, 7292-7300), as verified in the present study using a novel sequencing procedure. O-Desulfated, re-N-sulfated LA heparin, as well as an octasaccharide fraction isolated after heparinase I digestion of LA heparin, both yielded labeled HA components following incubation with solubilized mouse mastocytoma microsomal enzymes and [35S]adenosine 3'-phosphate 5'phosphosulfate (PAPS), suggesting that the 3-O-sulfo-transferase may be inhibited by sulfated saccharide sequences outside the 3-O-sulfate acceptor region. Indeed, the addition of LA heparin precluded enzymatic 3-O-sulfation of a synthetic pentasaccharide substrate. The Km for the pentasaccharide was determined to approximately be 6 microM. Incubations of mixed pentasaccharide substrate and saccharide inhibitors revealed Ki values for intact LA heparin and for a heparin octasaccharide fraction of approximately 1.3 and approximately 0.7 microM, respectively. Inhibition experiments with selectively desulfated heparin indicated that both IdoA 2-O-sulfate and GlcN 6-O-sulfate groups contributed to the inhibition of the 3-O-sulfotransferase. By contrast, chondroitin sulfate or dermatan sulfate showed no significant inhibitory activity. It is proposed that the regulation of GlcN 3-O-sulfation during biosynthesis of heparin/heparan sulfate depends on the topological organization of the membrane-bound enzyme machinery in the intact cell.

O-Sulfotransferases involved in heparin biosynthesis were purified > or = 10,000-fold from detergent extracts of mouse mastocytoma tissue by sequential chromatographies on DEAE-Sephacel, heparin-agarose, blue Sepharose, and 3',5'-ADP-Sepharose. The resultant preparation catalyzed the transfer of 35S from 3'-phosphoadenosyl-5'-phospho-[35S]sulfate into N,O-desulfated, re-N-sulfated heparin. Anion-exchange high performance liquid chromatography of disaccharides obtained by deaminative cleavage of the 35S-labeled polysaccharide product revealed O-35S-sulfation at C-2 of L-iduronic acid and at C-6 of D-glucosamine units. SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of semipurified enzyme followed by extraction of gel segments and renaturation of proteins consistently showed two distinct fractions of O-sulfotransferase activity, corresponding to proteins of approximately 20 and approximately 60 kDa. The approximately 60-kDa enzyme(s) catalyzed both the 2-O- and 6-O-sulfotransferase reactions, whereas the approximately 20-kDa fraction promoted iduronosyl 2-O-sulfation only. These results are discussed in relation to previous findings, indicating that some of the enzymes involved in heparin biosynthesis catalyze more than one reaction.

A 110-kDa protein involved in heparin biosynthesis in mouse mastocytoma cells was previously shown to express both glucosaminyl N-deacetylase and N-sulfotransferase activity. In this study, the complete nucleotide sequence corresponding to this protein is reported. The mRNA, estimated to contain 3.9 kilobases encodes a protein with an M(r) of 101,092. The predicted domain structure of the protein resembles those of previously characterized Golgi proteins with an N-terminal cytoplasmic tail, a single membrane-spanning domain, and a large catalytic domain linked to the transmembrane domain through a "stem region." Comparison of the deduced amino acid sequence of the mouse mastocytoma protein and a previously cloned similar enzyme from rat liver demonstrated that while large portions of the proteins, corresponding essentially to the putative catalytic domains, were closely related, other portions, in particular in the N-terminal parts, were markedly different. The divergence was not due to species differences since two separate mouse transcripts could be identified that hybridized with probes specific for the two proteins. Also, functional differences were noted since the mastocytoma enzyme, contrary to the liver enzyme, requires a polycation cofactor for expression of N-deacetylase activity. The results are discussed in relation to the structural properties of heparin and heparan sulfate.

We previously reported that cultured mast cells expressed three discrete phospholipases A2 (PLA2S), one of which showed a remarkable preference for phospholipids bearing an arachidonoyl residue at the sn-2 position [M. Murakami, et al., J. Biochem., 111, 175 (1992)]. In the present study, we have purified and characterized this enzyme using rat mastocytoma RBL-2H3 as an enzyme source. The elution profiles of the arachidonoyl-preferential PLA2 activity of rat mastocytoma RBL-2H3 cells on several column chromatographies were indistinguishable from those of 85-kDa cytosolic PLA2 (cPLA2) characterized so far. The molecular mass of the partially purified PLA2 was estimated to be about 90 kDa by gel filtration and it hydrolyzed arachidonate-containing phospholipids preferentially in the presence of submicromolar Ca2+ concentrations. Furthermore, it was immunoprecipitated with an anti-rabbit cPLA2 antibody almost completely. From these observations, we have concluded that the arachidonoyl-preferential PLA2 in mast cells belongs to the "cPLA2" family.

Heparin-derived pentasaccharides with the general structures GlcN-GlcA/IdoA-GlcN-GlcA/IdoA-GlcN (where GlcA represents D-glucuronic acid and IdoA represents L-iduronic acid) and GlcNSO3-GlcA/IdoA-GlcNSO3-GlcA/IdoA- GlcNSO3 (where -NSO3 represents an N-sulfate group) were tested as exogenous sulfate acceptors in incubations with adenosine 3'-phosphate 5'-[35S]phosphosulfate and microsomal enzymes from a heparin-producing mouse mastocytoma. No transfer occurred to the N-unsubstituted pentasaccharide containing only L-iduronic acid, but the other three isomers incorporated various amounts of 35S, which was totally present in N-sulfate groups. After complete chemical N-sulfation, all four pentasaccharides served as acceptors in O-sulfotransferase reactions and incorporated from 20 to greater than 200 times as much radioactivity as did the nonsulfated parent compounds. The C-6 position of the internal glucosamine unit was labeled preferentially, irrespective of the structures of the adjacent hexuronic acid units. Significant 2-O-35S-sulfation of IdoA units occurred in both -IdoA-Glc-NSO3-GlcA- and -GlcA-GlcNSO3-IdoA- sequences, whereas no significant sulfation of GlcA residues was detected. The pentasaccharide GlcNSO3-GlcA-Glc-NSO3-GlcA-GlcNSO3 thus can be used as a selective substrate in assays for glucosaminyl-6-O-sulfotransferase activity. The antithrombin-binding region, essential for the blood anticoagulant activity of heparin, has been identified as a pentasaccharide sequence with the predominant structure GlcNR(6-OSO3)-GlcA-GlcNSO3(3,6-di-OSO3)-++ +IdoA(2-OSO3)-GlcNSO3(6-OSO3) (where R represents either a sulfate or an acetyl group and -OSO3 represents an O-sulfate/ester sulfate group, with locations of O-sulfate groups indicated in parentheses) (Lindahl U., Thunberg, L., Bäckström, G., Riesenfeld, J., Nordling, K., and Björk, I. (1984) J. Biol. Chem. 259, 12368-12376). The products of [35S]sulfate transfer to the pentasaccharide GlcNSO3-GlcA-GlcNSO3-IdoA-GlcNSO3 contained molecules with high affinity for antithrombin, corresponding to 0.3-0.5% of the total label. Structural analysis suggested the occurrence of O-[35S]sulfate groups at both C-6 of the nonreducing terminal glucosamine unit and C-3 of the internal glucosamine unit. No products with high affinity for antithrombin were formed from the pentasaccharides that had a different monosaccharide sequence than the binding region; and moreover, these oligosaccharides appeared unable to incorporate glucosaminyl 3-O-sulfate groups. These findings point to the importance of the uronic acid sequence in the generation of the antithrombin-binding region of heparin.

A capsular polysaccharide from Escherichia coli K5 was previously found to have the same structure, [-(4)beta GlcA(1)----(4)alpha GlcNAc(1)-]n, as that of the non-sulphated precursor polysaccharide in heparin biosynthesis [Vann, Schmidt, Jann & Jann (1981) Eur. J. Biochem. 116, 359-364]. The K5 polysaccharide was N-deacetylated (by hydrazinolysis) and N-sulphated, and was then incubated with detergent-solubilized enzymes from a heparin-producing mouse mastocytoma, in the presence of adenosine 3'-phosphate 5'-phospho[35S] sulphate ([35S]PAPS). Structural analysis of the resulting 35S-labelled polysaccharide revealed the formation of all the major disaccharide units found in heparin. The identification of 2-O-[35S]sulphated IdoA (L-iduronic acid) as well as 6-O-[35S]sulphated GlcNSO3 units demonstrated that the modified K5 polysaccharide served as a substrate in the hexuronosyl C-5-epimerase and the major O-sulphotransferase reactions involved in the biosynthesis of heparin. The GlcA units of the native (N-acetylated) E. coli polysaccharide were attacked by the epimerase only when PAPS was present in the incubations, whereas those of the chemically N-sulphated polysaccharide were epimerized also in the absence of PAPS, in accord with the notion that N-sulphate groups are required for epimerization. With increasing concentrations of PAPS, the mono-O-sulphated disaccharide unit-IdoA(2-OSO3)-GlcNSO3- was progressively converted into the di-O-sulphated species -IdoA(2-OSO3)-GlcNSO3(6-OSO3)-. A small proportion of the 35S-labelled polysaccharide was found to bind with high affinity to the proteinase inhibitor antithrombin. This proportion increased with increasing concentration of PAPS up to a level corresponding to approximately 1-2% of the total incorporated 35S. The solubilized enzymes thus catalysed all the reactions required for the generation of functional antithrombin-binding sites.

The primary structure of L-histidine decarboxylase (HDC: L-histidine carboxy-lyase, EC 4.1.1.22) from mouse mastocytoma P-815 cells has been determined by parallel analysis of the amino acid sequence of the protein and the nucleotide sequence of the corresponding cDNA. HDC contains 662 amino acid residues with a molecular mass of 74017, which is larger by about 21,000 Da than that of the previously purified HDC subunit (53 kDa), suggesting that HDC might be posttranslationally processed. The HDC cDNA hybridized to a 2.7 kilobase mRNA of mastocytoma cells. Homology was found between the sequences of mouse mastocytoma HDC and fetal rat liver HDC.

The phospholipids from murine mastocytoma FMA3 and P-815 clone cells were quantitatively analyzed, and the major glycerophospholipids were examined for their fatty acyl chain distribution. In these cells, the content of histamine was less than 1/100 of normal mouse mast cells, and FMA3 cells had 1.5-fold as much histamine content as P-815 cells. The predominant phospholipid species of both mastocytoma FMA3 and P-815 were choline-containing glycerophospholipids (48%) and ethanolamine-containing glycerophospholipids (29%). The remaining minor constituents were sphingomyelin (6%, 7%), phosphatidylinositol (7%, 5%), phosphatidylserine (2%, 5%), cardiolipin (4%, 3%), and phosphatidic acid (2%, 1% for FMA3 and P-815, respectively). The choline-containing glycerophospholipids consisted of high amounts of 1-O-alkyl-2-acyl type (31%, 25%) and 1,2-diacyl type (63%, 66%) and a smaller amount of 1-O-alk-1'-enyl-2-acyl type (7%, 8%). In contrast, ethanolamine-containing glycerophospholipids were characterized by high contents of 1-O-alk-1'-enyl-2-acyl type (36%, 31%) and 1,2-diacyl type (55%, 58%), and a lower level of 1-O-alkyl-2-acyl type (12% and 11% for FMA3 and P-815, respectively). Unlike choline-containing glycerophospholipids and sphingomyelin that were rich in palmitic acid, ethanolamine-containing glycerophospholipids, phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylinositol showed a high proportion of stearic acid in the overall fatty acid composition. The content of arachidonic acid was highest in phosphatidylinositol. Sphingomyelin had a large amount of long chain and polyunsaturated fatty acids. In both choline- and ethanolamine-containing glycerophospholipids, the predominant fatty acids in the sn-1-position were palmitic, stearic, and oleic acid.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Previously, we have derived murine hybridomas producing monoclonal antibodies against DNA methyltransferase from human placenta (Kaul, S., Pfeifer, G. P., and Drahovsky, D. (1984) Eur. J. Cell Biol. 34, 330-335). One of these monoclonal antibodies, M2B10, which undergoes immune complex formation also with DNA methyltransferase from P815 mouse mastocytoma cells, was used for the immunoaffinity purification of mouse and human DNA methyltransferases. In sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels and in immunoblotting studies, the immunoaffinity-purified mouse DNA methyltransferase revealed 5-6 polypeptides of molecular masses 150-190 kDa. The immunoaffinity-purified human placental DNA methyltransferase was characterized by a polypeptide of 158 kDa, presumably representing the native enzyme molecule and by polypeptides of 105-108 kDa and 50-68 kDa, probably generated by a limited proteolysis of the native enzyme molecule. The immunoaffinity-purified DNA methyltransferases preferred hemimethylated DNA substrates over unmethylated ones, and among all unmethylated substrates tested, poly[(dG-dC).(dG-dC)] had the highest methyl-accepting activity. DNA polymers of at least 90 base pairs in length were required for the binding reaction of the immunoaffinity-purified human DNA methyltransferase, and this initial binding was apparently independent of the nucleotide composition of the DNA polymer and of the presence of S-adenosyl-L-methionine.

Mast cell populations can be distinguished by differences in the content and substrate specificity of their two major cytoplasmic granule proteases, the chymases and the tryptases. To explore the origins of differences in the types of proteases present in mast cells, we used a double cytochemical staining technique to reveal both chymase and tryptase in cells from four lines of dog mast cell tumors containing both enzymes. We expected that if chymase and tryptase were expressed together during cell development the relative staining intensity of chymase compared to tryptase would be constant among different cells of each tumor. Instead, we found substantial variation in the relative intensity of chymase and tryptase staining among cells of a given mastocytoma line, each of which contained cells presumed to be monoclonal in origin but heterogeneous with respect to cell development. The overall staining intensity for chymase or tryptase correlated with the amount of protease activity in extracts of tumor homogenates. Staining specificity was established by use of selective inhibitors and competitive substrates and was tested on various types of dog cells obtained by bronchoalveolar lavage. The results suggest that active chymase and tryptase may be expressed differently during mast cell differentiation and support the possibility of a close developmental relationship between mast cells differing in protease phenotype. Moreover, the success of the staining procedures applied to mastocytoma cells suggests that they may be of general utility in phenotyping of mast cells according to the protease activities present in their granules.

Both adult (I) and embryonic (II) forms of uridine kinase have been identified in the transplantable EL-4 leukemia of C57BL/6 mice and in the P815Y mastocytoma of DBA/2 mice. Only Species I is found in primary tumor cells of lymphoid orgin (virus-induced feline lymphosarcoma, human acute and chronic lymphocytic leukemia) and in normal calf thymocytes and porcine peripheral blood lymphocytes; Species I was induced 4-fold upon stimulation of the normal blood lymphocytes with phytohemagglutinin. The level of uridine kinase activity in the feline lymphosarcoma of thymus-dependent lymphocyte orgin and childhood lymphocytic leukemia of possible thymus-dependent lymphocyte or null-cell origin was similar to the induced level in phytohemagglutinin-stimulated normal lymphocytes, i.e., thymus-dependent lymphocytes. In contrast lymphocytes of a patient with chronic lymphocytic leukemia of thymus-independent lymphocyte origin had a level of uridine kinase activity comparable to that of the unstimulated normal lymphocytes or thymocytes. The uridine kinase activity in the EL-4 tumor cells was repressed by acute treatment of the mice with 5-azacytidine.

The activity of a Ca2+-adenosinetriphosphatase (ATP phosphohydrolase, EC 3.6.1.3) increases during the mitotic phase of synchronized mouse mastocytoma P-815X2 cells. The enzyme is synchronized mouse mastocytoma P-815X2 cells. The enzyme is synthesized mainly during a distinct period of the interphase and is activated at mitosis. It is thought to regulate the formation of the mitotic apparatus by controlling the concentration of Ca2+ ions at the site of formation of the mitotic spindle.

The antithrombin-binding region in heparin is a pentasaccharide sequence with the predominant structure GlcNAc(6-OSO3)-GlcA-GlcNSO3(3,6-di-OSO3)-IdoA -(2-OSO3)-GlcNSO3(6-OSO3) (where GlcA and IdoA represent D-glucuronic and L-iduronic acid, respectively), in which the 3-O-sulfate residue on the internal glucosaminyl unit is a marker group for this particular region of the polysaccharide molecule. A heparin octasaccharide which contained the above pentasaccharide sequence was N/O-desulfated and re-N-sulfated and was then incubated with adenosine 3'-phosphate 5'-phospho[35S]sulfate in the presence of a microsomal fraction from mouse mastocytoma tissue. Fractionation of the resulting 35S-labeled octasaccharide on antithrombin-Sepharose yielded a high affinity fraction that accounted for approximately 2% of the total incorporated label. Structural analysis of this fraction indicated that the internal glucosamine unit of the pentasaccharide sequence was 3-O-35S-sulfated, whereas both adjacent glucosamine units carried 6-O-[35S]sulfate groups. In contrast, the fractions with low affinity for antithrombin (approximately 98% of incorporated 35S) showed no consistent O-35S sulfation pattern and essentially lacked glucosaminyl 3-O-[35S]sulfate groups. It is suggested that the 3-O-sulfation reaction concludes the formation of the antithrombin-binding region. This proposal was corroborated in a similar experiment using a synthetic pentasaccharide with the structure GlcNSO3(6-OSO3)-GlcA-GlcNSO3(6-OSO3)-Id oA (2-OSO3)-GlcNSO3(6-OSO3) as sulfate acceptor. This molecule corresponds to a functional antithrombin-binding region but for the lack of a 3-O-sulfate group at the internal glucosamine unit. The 35S-labeled pentasaccharide recovered after incubation bound with high affinity to antithrombin-Sepharose and contained a 3-O-[35S]sulfate group at the internal glucosamine residue as the only detectable labeled component. The use of this pentasaccharide substrate along with the affinity matrix provides a highly specific assay for the 3-O-sulfotransferase.

Heparinase was isolated from a transplantable mouse mastocytoma, by salt extraction of a particulate fraction sedimenting at 20,000 times g, followed by precipitation from saturated ammonium sulfate. By use of gel chromatography through Sepharose 4B, the enzyme was shown to degrade macromolecular. 35S-labeled, mastocytomal heparin (K-av about 0.25) to products similar in size to commercial heparin (K-av about 0.85), apparently by nonrandom cleavage of a limited number of glycosidic linkages per molecule. Prolonged incubation times (up to 5 days, with repeated addition of enzyme) did not result in further degradation of the product. No significant depolymerizing activity was observed with any other glycosaminoglycan tested, including chondroitin sulfate, dermatan sulfate, hyaluronic acid, heparan sulfate, and commercial heparin. The pH optimum for degradation of macromolecular heparin was around pH 5. The nature of the linkage cleaved by the heparinase was investigated by reduction of unlabeled polysaccharide degradation products with sodium [3H]borohydride. The degraded chains (but not the macromolecular substrate) incorporated significant amounts of tritium. An essentially monodisperse fraction of the labeled, degraded heparin was subjected to meniscus depletion sedimentation equilibrium ultracentrifugation, indicating a molecular weight of 14,500. By relating the molecular weight to the specific activity of the preparation, the amount of reducible groups was calculated to be approximately one per molecule. The 3H-labeled heparin was degraded to monosaccharides by a combination of acid hydrolysis and cleavage due to deamination with nitrous acid. Analysis of the degradation products, by paper electrophoresis and paper chromatography, showed a major radioactive component which behaved like L-gulonic acid. Since [3H]gulonic acid would be the expected reduction product of a polysaccharide molecule, containing a glucuronic acid residue in terminal position, these results tentatively suggest that the heparinase is an endoglucuronidase. By direct deaminative cleavage (no hydrolysis) of the 3H-labeled heparin, the glucosamine unit in penultimate position (i.e. adjacent to the [3H]gulonic acid residue) was shown to be 52% N-sulfated and 48% N-acetylated. As only 14% of the glucosamine was N-acetylated in the macromolecular heparin substrate, it is suggested that cleavage of this polysaccharide, by the heparinase, occurs in regions more abundant in N-acetylated glucosamine residues than other portions of the molecule. The possibility that formation and degradation of macromolecular heparin occurs also in mammalian species other than rodents in discussed.

DNA (cytosine-5-)-methyltransferase was purified as a single polypeptide (190 kDa by SDS-PAGE) from mouse P815 mastocytoma cells. This enzyme transfers methyl groups to unmethylated as well as to hemimethylated DNA sites with a strong preference for the hemimethylated substrate. A structural analysis of the isolated enzyme by electron microscopical techniques was undertaken. On the basis of the results obtained, we propose a model for the enzyme structure. This model describes the enzyme as a hemi-elliptical globular structure with dimensions of 5.4-6.7 nm for the height h and 10.3-10.8 nm for the diameter d, respectively; this globular structure bears a small appendix at the flat side. A molecular mass of 235-250 kDa is calculated from the measured dimensions. Limited trypsin digestion of the enzyme led to a 160-kDa fragment which preserved the gross morphology of the original material. The possible structure function relationships are discussed.

Treatment of a cloned mastocytoma P-815 cell line (2-E-6) with 1 mM-sodium n-butyrate for 40h induced prostaglandin synthase activity and arrested cell growth. The induction of enzyme activity by n-butyrate was not associated with suppression of DNA synthesis, since hydroxyurea had no effect on prostaglandin synthase induction. The effect of sodium n-butyrate was reversible. Experiments with cycloheximide and actinomycin D showed that the induction of prostaglandin synthase activity involved synthesis de novo of protein and RNA. The time of half-maximal induction of the newly synthesized RNA for prostaglandin synthase activity was estimated as about 15h, which is similar to the generation time of the cells. Selective induction of fatty acid cyclo-oxygenase activity by sodium n-butyrate was suggested by the following two pieces of experimental evidence. (1) There was no significant difference between treated and untreated cells in the activities of radioactive prostaglandin H2 conversion into individual prostaglandins. (2) The incorporation of [3H]acetylsalicylic acid into the fraction equivalent to protein of mol.wt. approx. 75000 of sodium n-butyrate-treated cells was higher than that of untreated cells, on analysis of cell particulate fraction by sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis. A high concentration (5 mM) of sodium propionate also induced prostaglandin synthesis, but other short-chain fatty acids, such as isobutyrate and sodium acetate, had no effect.

Mast cell secretory granules contain unique tryptic and chymotryptic serine proteases that differ between species and tissues. Direct comparison of these proteases in single-cell types has been hindered by the difficulty of obtaining adequate numbers of pure mast cells. In this study, we were able to compare tryptic and chymotryptic enzyme activity in cells of presumed monoclonal origin, using two stable lines ('BR' and 'G') of dog mastocytomas. The gel-filtration profiles, inhibitor susceptibilities and substrate preferences of tryptic and chymotryptic mastocytoma protease activities established their close resemblance to the tryptases and chymases of human and rodent mast cells. Striking heterogeneity was observed in the amounts and solubilities of the tryptic and chymotryptic activity in the two different mastocytoma cell lines. Incubation of cells from both lines with calcium ionophore A23187 caused non-cytotoxic release of protease activity. In contrast to chymase from rat connective tissue mast cells, protease activity that was insoluble after extraction at low ionic strength became soluble following ionophore-stimulated release. Neither tryptic nor chymotryptic activity was activated during degranulation, suggesting the absence of inactive precursors. Cells of the 'BR' line released both tryptic and chymotryptic activity in parallel with the granule marker histamine; cells of the 'G' line released a much smaller proportion of tryptic activity than of either chymotryptic activity or histamine. These differences in release of granule constituents from cells of common origin could be explained by developmental variations in the production of performed mediators or by differential regulation of preformed mediator release. We conclude that the differences in protease content, solubility and release in these mastocytoma lines are useful in evaluating the potential pathophysiological significance of the contribution of proteases to mast cell heterogeneity.

Microsomal preparations from chondroitin 6-sulfate-producing chick embryo epiphyseal cartilage and from chondroitin 4-sulfate-producing mouse mastocytoma cells were incubated with varying concentrations of 3'-phosphoadenylylphospho[35S]sulfate and chondroitin hexasaccharide in the presence or absence of Triton X-100. [35S]Sulfate incorporation into hexasaccharide and into endogenous microsomal chondroitin 6-sulfate or endogenous microsomal chondroitin 4-sulfate was measured. With both microsomal systems, Triton X-100 increased the incorporation of [35S]sulfate into hexasaccharide but had much less effect on the incorporation into endogenous chondroitin sulfate. Higher concentrations of hexasaccharide inhibited the incorporation of [35S]sulfate into endogenous chondroitin sulfate. The apparent Km for 3'-phosphoadenylylphosphosulfate for both the 6-sulfotransferase and 4-sulfotransferase with hexasaccharide and with endogenous chondroitin sulfate in the presence or absence of Triton X-100 were all similar. However, the apparent Km for hexasaccharide was lower in the presence of Triton X-100 for both the microsomal sulfotransferases. This is consistent with solubilization of sulfotransferases, and indicates that hexasaccharide access to these enzymes had been limited in the particulate system. Examination of 35S-oligosaccharide products formed with each system demonstrated good 6-sulfation or 4-sulfation of penultimate GalNAc at the non-reducing end of the chondroitin hexasaccharide. However, no 6-sulfation of terminal GalNAc at the non-reducing end of a chondroitin pentasaccharide derived from hexasaccharide was observed, and there was only minimal 4-sulfation of this terminal GalNAc. Concurrent addition of GalNAc to hexasaccharide resulting in heptasaccharide did not appear to promote significant 6-sulfation or 4-sulfation of newly added non-reducing terminal GalNAc.

Leukotriene C4 synthesis was studied in preparations from mouse mastocytoma cells. Enzymic conjugation of leukotriene A4 with glutathione was catalysed by both the cytosol and the microsomal fraction. The specific activity of the microsomal fraction (7.8 nmol/min per mg of protein) was 17 times that of the cytosol fraction. The cytosol fraction of the mastocytoma cells contained two glutathione transferases, which were purified to homogeneity and characterized. A microsomal glutathione transferase was purified from mouse liver; this enzyme was shown by immunoblot analysis to be present in the mastocytoma microsomal fraction at a concentration one-tenth or less of that in the liver microsomal fraction. Both the cytosolic and the microsomal glutathione transferases in the mastocytoma cells were identified with enzymes previously characterized, by determining specific activities with various substrates, sensitivities to inhibitors, reactions with antibodies, and physical properties. The purified microsomal glutathione transferase from liver was inactive with leukotriene A4 or its methyl ester as substrate. The cytosolic enzymes displayed activity with leukotriene A4, but their specific activities and intracellular concentrations were too low to account for the leukotriene C4 formation in the mastocytoma cells. The microsomal fraction of the cells contained an enzyme distinguishable by various criteria from the previously studied glutathione transferases. This membrane-bound enzyme, leukotriene C synthase (leukotriene A4:glutathione S-leukotrienyltransferase), appears to carry the main responsibility for the biosynthesis of leukotriene C4.

Cloned mastocytoma P-815, 2-E-6 cells were used to investigate regulation of 5-lipoxygenase activity. 2-E-6 cells had high 5-lipoxygenase activity with slight 12-lipoxygenase activity. The 5-lipoxygenase activity was increased over 5-fold by treatment of the cells with 1 mM n-butyrate for 18 h. the most effective dose range being 0.1-5.0 mM. Treatment with n-butyrate for 18 h was more effective than treatment for 40 h. Addition of n-butyrate to an untreated cell homogenate had no stimulatory effect. The enhancement of 5-lipoxygenase activity by n-butyrate was accompanied by new synthesis of protein(s). 12-Lipoxygenase activity was not increased so much as 5-lipoxygenase activity by the treatment. This is the first report of stimulation of 5-lipoxygenase activity in cultured cells. The different responses of the two lipoxygenases to n-butyrate treatment strongly suggest that 5-lipoxygenase is a different enzyme from 12-lipoxygenase.

The substrate specificity of heparosan N-sulfate D-glucuronosyl 5-epimerase from a mouse mastocytoma was examined to determine the effects of N-acetyl and O-sulfate groups on substrate recognition by the enzyme. [5-3H]Glucuronosyl-labeled heparosan N-sulfate was prepared enzymatically and was modified chemically by partial N-desulfation and N-acetylation. After enzymatic release of tritium, the location of remaining label was determined by deaminative cleavage and analysis of resulting di-, tetra-, and higher oligosaccharides. This analysis indicated that a D-glucuronosyl residue is recognized as a substrate if it is linked at C-1 to an N-acetylated glucosamine residue and at C-4 to an N-sulfated unit. However, the reverse structure, in which the D-glucuronosyl moiety is bound at C-1 to an N-sulfated residue and at C-4 to N-acetylated glucosamine, is not a substrate. Similar studies with O-sulfated heparin intermediates showed that O-sulfate groups either at C-2 of the L-iduronosyl moieties or at C-6 of vicinal D-glucosaminyl moieties prevent 5-epimerization. These findings were confirmed by studies of the reverse reaction, in which tritium was incorporated from 3H2O into partially O-desulfated heparin and the location of incorporated radioactivity was determined. These and more direct experiments corroborated the previous conclusion that the L-iduronosyl moieties are formed after N-sulfation but before O-sulfation. Assessment of the influence of substrate size on the reaction further showed that a large substrate is preferred; an octasaccharide released tritium at a rate approximately 10% of that observed for the parent polysaccharide, and some release occurred also with smaller oligosaccharides.

Cloned mouse mastocytoma P-815.2-E-6 cells are barely able to synthesize prostaglandins because of a lack of prostaglandin endoperoxide synthase activity. However, the addition of sodium n-butyrate at 1 mM induces synthesis de novo of prostaglandins in this cell line. Employing this system, we could isolate an mRNA for prostaglandin endoperoxide synthase by a combination of cell-free translation and immunoprecipitation. The antibody, prepared in rabbit by injecting purified prostaglandin endoperoxide synthase from bovine vesicular gland, was shown to cross-react with the corresponding enzyme from 2-E-6 cells. The poly(A)-containing mRNA has a sedimentation coefficient of 17S and codes for a single polypeptide chain of Mr 62 000 as estimated by sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis. The Mr of the mouse polypeptide chain appears very similar to that of the purified carbohydrate-free prostaglandin endoperoxide synthase from sheep vesicular gland. These findings are a contribution to the isolation of the gene for prostaglandin endoperoxide synthase.

Tryptophan 5-monooxygenase was purified 880-fold with a 48% yield from mouse mastocytoma cells (P815) by only a one-step purification procedure of pteridine affinity chromatography. The specific activity of the final preparation was 5280 nmol min-1 mg-1. It gave a single protein band on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the absence and presence of sodium dodecylsulfate. The molecular weight of the enzyme was determined to be 270,000 by gel filtration and 280,000 by gradient polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Sodium dodecylsulfate/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed the enzyme to be composed of identical subunits with a molecular weight of 53,000. Tetrameric structure of the enzyme was suggested by cross-linking studies using dimethyl suberimidate as a bifunctional reagent. The isoelectric point of the enzyme was estimated to be 6.0. Amino acid analysis showed a residue composition similar to that reported for rat liver phenylalanine 4-monooxygenase. The enzyme activity was stimulated approximately fivefold by preincubation with dithiothreitol and Fe2+. The purified enzyme had an activity of phenylalanine hydroxylation and also a weak activity of tyrosine hydroxylation. The kinetic properties of the enzyme are also presented.

Monoclonal antibodies prepared against DNA methyltransferase from human placenta undergo immune complex formation also with DNA methyltransferase from P815 mouse mastocytoma cells. One of these monoclonal antibodies, M2B10, was used for the immunoaffinity purification of this enzyme. Complexes of the immunoaffinity-purified mouse DNA methyltransferase with DNA were visualized by electron microscopy. DNA methyltransferase was found to be distributed along linearized plasmid DNA with a higher incidence of enzyme molecules at the terminal segments. This binding to strand ends was significantly increased after dG- or dGdC-tailing of the DNA, which is compatible with a preferred binding of the enzyme to single-stranded DNA. Sequence specificity analysis using methyl-sensitive restriction enzymes showed that the mouse DNA methyltransferase transferred methyl groups to the internal cytosines in 5'CCGG and 5'GCGC sequences, however, the external cytosine in 5'CCGG sequences was also methylated.

The influence of aphidicolin on cell multiplication and DNA synthesis was examined using synchronous mouse mastocytoma P-815 cells. Aphidicolin was cytotoxic specifically to the cells of the S phase of the cell cycle. This cytotoxicity was reversed by appropriately washing the drug-treated cells, but not by the addition of deoxyribonucleosides. Aphidicolin, a potent inhibitor of DNA synthesis, selectively inhibited the activity of partially purified DNA polymerase alpha from the nucleus and the cytosol of mastocytoma cells, but did not affect the activity of DNA polymerase beta. Furthermore, aphidicolin had no effect on the synthesis of RNA and protein, and produced no changes in cell size at least for one generation.

Three of four natural compounds, which are caffeic acid, eupatilin and 4'-demethyleupatilin, isolated from Chinese plant, Artemisia rubripes Nakai selectively inhibited 5-lipoxygenase of cultured mastocytoma cells. Half-inhibition doses (ID50) for caffeic acid, eupatilin and 4'-demethyleupatilin were 3.7, 14 and 18 X 10(-6) M, respectively. The inhibition by caffeic acid was non-competitive types. Prostaglandin synthase activities were little inhibited by eupatilin and 4'-demethyleupatilin, but rather stimulated by caffeic acid. The formation of leukotriene C4 and D4 by mast tumor cells was almost completely suppressed by these compounds at 10(-4) M.

Heparosan N-sulfate D-glucuronosyl 5-epimerase, which catalyzes the conversion of beta-D-glucuronosyl to alpha-L-iduronosyl residues in the course of heparin biosynthesis, has been purified approximately 9000-fold from the high speed supernatant fraction of a homogenate of a mouse mastocytoma. Following ammonium sulfate fractionation, the material precipitating between 35 and 60% saturation was subjected to a series of affinity chromatography steps on matrices containing immobilized concanavalin A, heparan sulfate, O-desulfated heparin, and Cibacron blue, respectively. Epimerase purified by this procedure yielded two major components on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The purified enzyme had approximately the same Kav as bovine serum albumin when chromatographed on Sepharose 6B. The activity of the purified enzyme was increased 50-fold by addition of the fraction which was not adsorbed to concanavalin A-Sepharose. The stimulating factor is likely to be a protein since it was nondialyzable, heat labile, and lost activity on digestion with trypsin.

The substrate specificity of O-sulfotransferases involved in the biosynthesis of heparin was studied by incubating exogenous polysaccharide acceptors with mouse mastocytoma microsomal fraction in the presence of phosphoadenylyl[35S]sulfate. Characterization of the labeled products showed that O-sulfation occurs preferentially in the vicinity of N-sulfate groups; that 2-O-sulfation of L-iduronic acid residues occurs preferentially or exclusively in the absence of a 6-O-sulfate group on adjacent D-glucosamine units; and that 6-O-sulfation of D-glucosamine residues occurs readily in the presence of 2-O-sulfate groups on adjacent L-iduronic acid units. Furthermore, structural analysis of microsomal heparin-precursor polysaccharides showed a distinct intermediate species that contained 2-O-sulfated L-iduronic acid units but essentially no 6-O-sulfate groups on the (N-sulfated) D-glucosamine residues. The results suggest that 2-O-sulfation of L-iduronic acid units is tightly coupled to the formation of these units (by 5-epimerization of D-glucuronic acid residues) and, furthermore, that both processes are completed before 6-O-sulfation of the polysaccharide molecule is initiated. D-Glucuronosyl 5-epimerization not accompanied by 2-O-sulfation occurs at a still earlier stage of polymer modification; the resulting L-iduronic acid units appear to remain nonsulfated throughout the subsequent modification reactions.

1. Heparin was prepared from mouse mastocytoma tissue by mild procedures, including extraction of mast-cell granules with 2m-potassium chloride, precipitation of the extracted polysaccharide with cetylpyridinium chloride from 0.8m-potassium chloride and finally digestion of the isolated material with testicular hyaluronidase. The resulting product (fraction GE(H)) represented approx. 40% of the total heparin content of the tissue. 2. Fraction GE(H) was fractionated by gel chromatography on Sepharose 4B into three subfractions, with average molecular weights ( M(w)) of approx. 60000-70000 (highly polydisperse material), 26000 and 9000 respectively. Treatment of each of the subfractions with alkali or with papain did not affect their behaviour on gel chromatography. Amino acid and neutral sugar analyses indicated that the two low-molecular-weight fractions consisted largely of single polysaccharide chains lacking the carbohydrate-protein linkage region. It was suggested that these heparin molecules had been degraded by an endopolysaccharidase. 3. Pulse labelling in vivo of mastocytoma heparin with [(35)S]sulphate showed initial labelling of large molecules followed by a progressive shift of radioactivity toward fractions of lower molecular weight. Further, heparin-depolymerizing activity was demonstrated by incubating (35)S-labelled heparin in vitro with a mastocytoma 10000g-supernatant fraction. Appreciable degradation of the polysaccharide occurred, as demonstrated by gel chromatography. In contrast, no depolymerization was observed on subjecting (14)C-labelled chondroitin sulphate to the same procedure.