CDK-inhibitor independent cell cycle progression in an experimental haematopoietic stem cell leukaemia despite unaltered Rb-phosphorylation

A CD34-negative haematopoietic progenitor cell line, D064, derived from canine bone marrow stromal cells is able to differentiate into haematopoietic progenitors under the influence of growth factor-mediated signalling. While differentiating, these cells eventually start to express MHC class II molecules (DR homologues) on their surface. The stable transfection of the fibroblast-like wild-type cells with retroviral constructs containing the cDNA for the canine MHC class II DR-genes (DRA and DRB) induces a change in morphology, accelerates cell cycle progression and leads to a loss of anchorage-dependent growth. Transfected cells show features of an immature stem cell leukaemia, such as giant cell formation. In wild-type D064 cells the accumulation of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor (cdki) p27kip-1 induces differentiation, which is dependent upon signalling via the ligand for the tyrosine kinase receptor c-kit (stem cell factor). DR-transfected cells instead apparently grow independently of any growth factor-mediated signals and express high levels of the cdkis p27kip-1 and especially p21waf-1/cip-1, concurrently with accelated cell cycle progression. In contrast to the overexpression of cdkis and despite accelerated cell cycle progression, the expression of the G2/M phase transition kinase p34cdc2 is significantly reduced in DR-transfected and transformed cells as compared to the haematopoietic wild-type cell line D064. This might suggest a possible alternative cell cycle progression pathway in this experimental stem cell leukaemia by by-passing the G0/G1 phase arrest, although retinoblastoma (Rb)-phosphorylation remains unaltered. These results provide evidence that mechanisms normally controlling the cell cycle and early haematopoietic differentiation are disrupted by the constitutive transcription and expression of MHC class II genes (DR) leading to a progression and growth of this experimental stem cell leukaemia independent from cell cycle controlling regulators such as p27 and p21. © 1999 Cancer Research Campaig

Mutations in protocadherin 15 and cadherin 23 affect tip links and mechanotransduction in mammalian sensory hair cells

Immunocytochemical studies have shown that protocadherin-15 (PCDH15) and cadherin-23 (CDH23) are associated with tip links, structures thought to gate the mechanotransducer channels of hair cells in the sensory epithelia of the inner ear. The present report describes functional and structural analyses of hair cells from Pcdh15av3J (av3J), Pcdh15av6J (av6J) and Cdh23v2J (v2J) mice. The av3J and v2J mice carry point mutations that are predicted to introduce premature stop codons in the transcripts for Pcdh15 and Cdh23, respectively, and av6J mice have an in-frame deletion predicted to remove most of the 9th cadherin ectodomain from PCDH15. Severe disruption of hair-bundle morphology is observed throughout the early-postnatal cochlea in av3J/av3J and v2J/v2J mice. In contrast, only mild-to-moderate bundle disruption is evident in the av6J/av6J mice. Hair cells from av3J/av3J mice are unaffected by aminoglycosides and fail to load with [3H]-gentamicin or FM1-43, compounds that permeate the hair cell's mechanotransducer channels. In contrast, hair cells from av6J/av6J mice load with both FM1-43 and [3H]-gentamicin, and are aminoglycoside sensitive. Transducer currents can be recorded from hair cells of all three mutants but are reduced in amplitude in all mutants and have abnormal directional sensitivity in the av3J/av3J and v2J/v2J mutants. Scanning electron microscopy of early postnatal cochlear hair cells reveals tip-link like links in av6J/av6J mice, substantially reduced numbers of links in the av3J/av3J mice and virtually none in the v2J/v2J mice. Analysis of mature vestibular hair bundles reveals an absence of tip links in the av3J/av3J and v2J/v2J mice and a reduction in av6J/av6J mice. These results therefore provide genetic evidence consistent with PCDH15 and CDH23 being part of the tip-link complex and necessary for normal mechanotransduction