Klaus Seuwen

Effects of 5-HT1c-receptor expression on cell proliferation control in hamster fibroblasts: Serotonin fails to induce a transformed phenotype☆

5-HT1c receptors have been shown to act as protooncogenes in NIH 3T3 cells, inducing ligand-dependent focus formation. In order to assess their mitogenic and oncogenic potential in a different cell system, we transfected these receptors into CCL39 hamster fibroblasts, a well-characterized growth factor-dependent cell line. Cell clones expressing functional receptors were isolated and tested for (a) growth factor dependence of proliferation measuring thymidine incorporation in response to varying doses of serum, (b) the response to serotonin alone or in combination with other growth factors, and (c) the capacity for anchorage-independent proliferation. In the absence or presence of serotonin, the large majority of the clones isolated showed normal morphology and normal growth factor dependence and was unable to grow in soft agar. None of the clones showed a significant response to serotonin alone in DNA synthesis reinitiation experiments, but synergy was observed between serotonin and the tyrosine kinase activating growth factors EGF and FGF. However, the major part of this effect could be abolished by an antagonist of 5-HT1b receptors, which are endogenous in CCL39 cells. The same receptor was found to mediate a significant mitogenic response to the neurotransmitter in Ha-ras-transfected cells. The fact that 5-HT1c receptors do not readily induce a transformed phenotype in CCL39 cells clearly distinguishes them from strong dominantly acting oncogene products like RAS, SRC, or FMS.

Cellular content of ribosomal RNA in relation to the Progression and Competence signals governing proliferation of 3T3 and SV40-3T3 cells☆

The method for differential fluorescence staining of cellular RNA and DNA by acridine orange (AO) was optimized for 3T3 and SV40-3T3 cells. Cellular contents of DNA and of ribosomal RNA (rRNA) were determined by dual-channel flow cytometry during cell-density-dependent proliferation and after stimulation of quiescent cells. With increasing density of 3T3 cells, cellular content of rRNA decreases by about 60%, whereas SV40-3T3 cells do not exhibit a significant dependence of rRNA content on cell density. 3T3 cells stimulated early after becoming quiescent resume reaccumulation of rRNA after a delay of only 4 h, whereas cells maintained at quiescence for several days exhibit a delay of about 12 h before a significant rise of rRNA is observed. The extent of rise of cellular rRNA content after different regimens of stimulation of quiescent 3T3 cells does not correlate well with the fraction of cells entering the cell cycle. These and other reported instances of discordance between rRNA content and stimulation into the cell cycle are resolved by showing that of the two signals governing entry into the cell cycle only the progression signal, but not the competence signal is associated with reaccumulation of cellular rRNA. The present results are consistent with the progression function being in essence the achievement of a threshold number of ribosomes per cell, which in conjunction with the competence signal is sufficient for initiation of the cell cycle.

Calcium compartments and fluxes are affected by the src gene product of Rat-1 cells transformed by temperature-sensitive Rous sarcoma virus.

Total cellular calcium content (determined by atomic absorption spectrometry) of Rat-1 cells transformed by temperature-sensitive Rous sarcoma virus decreases with cell density, but is found not significantly different at permissive and at non-permissive temperature. Kinetic analysis of 45Ca efflux from preloaded cells exhibits three separable pools of exchangeable calcium. The ratio of pool size of the fast-exchanging Ca-compartment (bound to cell surface) to pool size of the intermediate Ca-compartment (cytoplasmic) was found to decrease from 2.5 to 1.3 upon shift from non-permissive to permissive temperature. The slowly exchanging Ca-pool (presumably mitochondrial) did not change significantly upon temperature shift. These and further data demonstrate a close correlation between distribution of cellular Ca among different cellular compartments and characteristics of cellular proliferation, both attributable to the function(s) of a single oncogene.

Cellular compartmentation of calcium in mouse fibroblasts in vitro depends on cell density and transformation

Cellular compartmentation of Ca has been investigated by kinetic analysis of 45Ca efflux from preloaded cells at various states of cell density-dependent proliferation of normal (3T3) and transformed (3T6 and SV40-3T3) mouse cells. Three pools of exchangeable calcium were separated on the basis of their differing exchange kinetics. For each of the cell lines tested, all three compartments decrease with cell density. Significant differences between normal and transformed cells are observed upon quiescence of the normal cells, where the slowly exchanging compartment of normal cells gradually increases, whereas that of the transformed cells continues to decrease (with increasing cell density). Free cytoplasmic Ca2+ concentration as determined by the Quin 2 method, was found to be significantly higher in transformed cells than in normal cells. These results indicate significant differences in Ca homeostasis between normal and transformed cells.

Cellular Synergetics: Cell-Density Dependent Regulation of Population Dynamics of Mammalian Cells in Vitro

Mammalian cell proliferation depends essentially on intercellular interactions, provision of humoral growth regulators, and attachment to the extracellular growth substrate. In order to be able to control and manipulate separately these essential interactions of the cell with its environment, profitable use has been made of culturing mammalian cells in vitro. If the cells are cultured in vitro on a defined and reproducible growth substrate, and fresh medium containing humoral growth factors is supplied sufficiently often, the external environment of the cell population may be approximated as constant. Under these conditions, the population dynamics of the cells in a good approximation may be considered as determined by intercellular interactions [1]. Taking a more general view, the systems considered presently are composed of (largely) identical subunits (the cells), which can exist in different states, the balance of subsystems in these different states being determined by a constant influx of energy (here: of nutrients and growth factors), as well as by effects of specific interactions between the sub-units. Systems of this general nature are encountered in very different fields of physics, chemistry, biology, and sociology [2]. Due to the interactions between subunits, such systems often exhibit quite interesting population dynamics, which in many cases can be described quantitatively by theoretical approaches resembling each other, and are the subject of a new field termed “synergetics” [2]. In this sense, the nonlinear population dynamics studied here and in earlier work [1,3] may be designated as “cellular synergetics”.