Biomaterial Database

Homocysteine thiolactone metabolism in malignant cells. 1976

K S McCully

Since abnormal homocysteine metabolism is associated with several disorders of growth, including neoplasia, the metabolic fate of homocysteine thiolactone was studied in cell cultures from several malignant tumors, established cell lines, cell lines transformed by oncogenic viruses, and normal skin cells. In all of the cultures of malignant cells homocysteine thiolactone becaome incorporated in peptide linkage with cellular proteins (thiolation). Normal cells incorporated homocysteine thiolactone in peptide linkage, but homocysteine thiolactone was released by acid hydrolysis. The findings suggest the speculative possibility that malignant cells are deficient in a homocysteine thiolactone derivative that prevents thiolation of proteins by homocysteine thiolactone. This hypothetical substance may also catalyze the synthesis of methionine and release acrolein, a growth-regulatory substance, in normal cells. The growth characteristics and tumorigenicity of cultured cells may be related to depletion of the hypothetical substance, and its identification, synthesis, and administration to animals would be expected to affect growth of malignant neoplasms.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007783	Lactones	Cyclic esters of hydroxy carboxylic acids, containing a 1-oxacycloalkan-2-one structure. Large cyclic lactones of over a dozen atoms are MACROLIDES.	Lactone
D008207	Lymphatic Metastasis	Transfer of a neoplasm from its primary site to lymph nodes or to distant parts of the body by way of the lymphatic system.	Lymph Node Metastasis,Lymph Node Metastases,Lymphatic Metastases,Metastasis, Lymph Node
D009369	Neoplasms	New abnormal growth of tissue. Malignant neoplasms show a greater degree of anaplasia and have the properties of invasion and metastasis, compared to benign neoplasms.	Benign Neoplasm,Cancer,Malignant Neoplasm,Tumor,Tumors,Benign Neoplasms,Malignancy,Malignant Neoplasms,Neoplasia,Neoplasm,Neoplasms, Benign,Cancers,Malignancies,Neoplasias,Neoplasm, Benign,Neoplasm, Malignant,Neoplasms, Malignant
D009374	Neoplasms, Experimental	Experimentally induced new abnormal growth of TISSUES in animals to provide models for studying human neoplasms.	Experimental Neoplasms,Experimental Neoplasm,Neoplasm, Experimental
D002460	Cell Line	Established cell cultures that have the potential to propagate indefinitely.	Cell Lines,Line, Cell,Lines, Cell
D006224	Cricetinae	A subfamily in the family MURIDAE, comprising the hamsters. Four of the more common genera are Cricetus, CRICETULUS; MESOCRICETUS; and PHODOPUS.	Cricetus,Hamsters,Hamster
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000603	Amino Acids, Sulfur		Sulfur Amino Acid,Sulfur Amino Acids,Acid, Sulfur Amino,Acids, Sulfur Amino,Amino Acid, Sulfur
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D012867	Skin	The outer covering of the body that protects it from the environment. It is composed of the DERMIS and the EPIDERMIS.