Constitutive expression of non-bone/liver/kidney alkaline phosphatase in human osteosarcoma cell lines. 1996

N N Ali, and J Rowe, and N M Teich
Laboratory of Viral-mediated Cell Differentiation, Imperial Cancer Research Fund, London, England, United Kingdom.

Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) plays an important role in bone mineralization; high levels in differentiated osteoblasts allows their identification easily in vitro. It is generally assumed that the activity of ALP in osteosarcoma-derived cell lines commonly used in studies of bone cell biology is exclusively due to the bone/liver/kidney (BLK) isoenzyme. However, we noted that two human osteosarcoma cell lines, U-2 OS and U-393 OS, predominantly expressed a truncated 1.8 kb mRNA for BLK-ALP. This observation stimulated further investigation upon the ability of ALP to form functional protein. We found that, unlike the BLK-ALP of the Saos-2 osteosarcoma cell line, the activity of U-2 OS ALP was thermostable, unaffected by L-homoarginine and levamisole, but inhibited by L-phenylalanine; these properties are characteristic of the placental and/or placental-like (PL-/PL-like ALP) isoenzymes which are 98% homologous at the amino acid level. In the U-393 OS cell line, which expresses the normal-sized 2.5 kb mRNA in substantially higher levels than that produced by U-2 OS cells, the ALP activity had kinetic properties very similar to that produced by the Saos-2 line for all criteria tested. The HOS osteosarcoma cell line (also known as TE-85), which express the normal-sized 2.5 kb BLK-ALP mRNA only, exhibited ALP activity with kinetic properties of both the BLK and PL-/PL-like isoenzymes. The three test lines, U-2 OS, U-393 OS and HOS, produced PL-/PL-like ALP mRNA and protein constitutively, and levels of these increased in cells treated with 1 microM dexamethasone. However, dexamethasone treatment of cells did not alter the types of ALP isoenzyme expressed. Thus our results show that, like Saos-2 cells, U-393 OS cells produce active BLK-ALP exclusively, whereas U-2 OS cells produce PL-/PL-like ALP only, and the HOS cell line produces both. Our findings have important implications for phenotypic characterization of various human osteosarcoma cell lines, and suggest that the production of PL-/PL-like ALP may be a more common occurrence in osteosarcomas than was originally thought.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007527 Isoenzymes Structurally related forms of an enzyme. Each isoenzyme has the same mechanism and classification, but differs in its chemical, physical, or immunological characteristics. Alloenzyme,Allozyme,Isoenzyme,Isozyme,Isozymes,Alloenzymes,Allozymes
D007668 Kidney Body organ that filters blood for the secretion of URINE and that regulates ion concentrations. Kidneys
D008099 Liver A large lobed glandular organ in the abdomen of vertebrates that is responsible for detoxification, metabolism, synthesis and storage of various substances. Livers
D008970 Molecular Weight The sum of the weight of all the atoms in a molecule. Molecular Weights,Weight, Molecular,Weights, Molecular
D009363 Neoplasm Proteins Proteins whose abnormal expression (gain or loss) are associated with the development, growth, or progression of NEOPLASMS. Some neoplasm proteins are tumor antigens (ANTIGENS, NEOPLASM), i.e. they induce an immune reaction to their tumor. Many neoplasm proteins have been characterized and are used as tumor markers (BIOMARKERS, TUMOR) when they are detectable in cells and body fluids as monitors for the presence or growth of tumors. Abnormal expression of ONCOGENE PROTEINS is involved in neoplastic transformation, whereas the loss of expression of TUMOR SUPPRESSOR PROTEINS is involved with the loss of growth control and progression of the neoplasm. Proteins, Neoplasm
D009693 Nucleic Acid Hybridization Widely used technique which exploits the ability of complementary sequences in single-stranded DNAs or RNAs to pair with each other to form a double helix. Hybridization can take place between two complimentary DNA sequences, between a single-stranded DNA and a complementary RNA, or between two RNA sequences. The technique is used to detect and isolate specific sequences, measure homology, or define other characteristics of one or both strands. (Kendrew, Encyclopedia of Molecular Biology, 1994, p503) Genomic Hybridization,Acid Hybridization, Nucleic,Acid Hybridizations, Nucleic,Genomic Hybridizations,Hybridization, Genomic,Hybridization, Nucleic Acid,Hybridizations, Genomic,Hybridizations, Nucleic Acid,Nucleic Acid Hybridizations
D011233 Precipitin Tests Serologic tests in which a positive reaction manifested by visible CHEMICAL PRECIPITATION occurs when a soluble ANTIGEN reacts with its precipitins, i.e., ANTIBODIES that can form a precipitate. Precipitin Test,Test, Precipitin,Tests, Precipitin
D001842 Bone and Bones A specialized CONNECTIVE TISSUE that is the main constituent of the SKELETON. The principal cellular component of bone is comprised of OSTEOBLASTS; OSTEOCYTES; and OSTEOCLASTS, while FIBRILLAR COLLAGENS and hydroxyapatite crystals form the BONE MATRIX. Bone Tissue,Bone and Bone,Bone,Bones,Bones and Bone,Bones and Bone Tissue,Bony Apophyses,Bony Apophysis,Condyle,Apophyses, Bony,Apophysis, Bony,Bone Tissues,Condyles,Tissue, Bone,Tissues, Bone
D001859 Bone Neoplasms Tumors or cancer located in bone tissue or specific BONES. Bone Cancer,Cancer of Bone,Cancer of the Bone,Neoplasms, Bone,Bone Neoplasm,Neoplasm, Bone
D003907 Dexamethasone An anti-inflammatory 9-fluoro-glucocorticoid. Hexadecadrol,Decaject,Decaject-L.A.,Decameth,Decaspray,Dexasone,Dexpak,Hexadrol,Maxidex,Methylfluorprednisolone,Millicorten,Oradexon,Decaject L.A.

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