Skip to main content
NCBI home page
The Journal of Cell Biology logoLink to The Journal of Cell Biology
. 1970 Oct 1;47(1):222–234. doi: 10.1083/jcb.47.1.222

GLUCOCORTICOID-INDUCED ALTERATION OF THE SURFACE MEMBRANE OF CULTURED HEPATOMA CELLS

Philip L Ballard 1, Gordon M Tomkins 1
PMCID: PMC2108404  PMID: 4327515

Abstract

Glucocorticoids induce an alteration of the surface of hepatoma tissue culture (HTC) cells as expressed by changes in cell electrophoretic, antigenic, and adhesive properties. The alteration is assayed by the increased adhesiveness of induced cells for a glass surface. The induction process has a lag period of about 3 hr and attains a plateau level after 24–30 hr when 50–80% of the steroid-treated cells are firmly adhered. Less than 10% of untreated cells adhere under the same conditions. Induction is inhibited by actinomycin D and cycloheximide, demonstrates both pH and temperature dependence, and responds to changes in steroid concentration and structure. By contrast, the attachment per se of preinduced cells is not affected by inhibitors of RNA and protein synthesis, fluctuations of temperature and pH, and the presence or absence of the hormone. When the induction process is reversed by removal of steroid or addition of actinomycin D, preinduced adhesiveness is lost with a half-life of 13–24 hr, but in the presence of cycloheximide the loss is accelerated (t1/2 3–5.5 hr). These results suggest that glucocorticoids induce the biosynthesis of a protein which either modifies the cell surface (an enzyme) or is incorporated into surface structures (structural protein).

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (869.6 KB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. ARPELS C., BABCOCK V. I., SOUTHAM C. M. EFFECT OF STEROIDS ON HUMAN CELL CULTURES; SUSTAINING EFFECT OF HYDROCORTISONE. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1964 Jan;115:102–106. doi: 10.3181/00379727-115-28842. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Aaronson S. A., Todaro G. J. Basis for the acquisition of malignant potential by mouse cells cultivated in vitro. Science. 1968 Nov 29;162(3857):1024–1026. doi: 10.1126/science.162.3857.1024. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Ballard P. L., Tomkins G. M. Hormone induced modification of the cell surface. Nature. 1969 Oct 25;224(5217):344–345. doi: 10.1038/224344a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Baxter J. D., Tomkins G. M. The relationship between glucocorticoid binding and tyrosine aminotransferase induction in hepatoma tissue culture cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1970 Mar;65(3):709–715. doi: 10.1073/pnas.65.3.709. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. COX R. P., MACLEOD C. M. REGULATION OF ALKALINE PHOSPHATASE IN HUMAN CELL CULTURES. Cold Spring Harb Symp Quant Biol. 1964;29:233–251. doi: 10.1101/sqb.1964.029.01.027. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Granner D. K., Hayashi S., Thompson E. B., Tomkins G. M. Stimulation of tyrosine aminotransferase synthesis by dexamethasone phosphate in cell culture. J Mol Biol. 1968 Jul 28;35(2):291–301. doi: 10.1016/s0022-2836(68)80025-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Houck J. C., Sharma V. K. Induction of collagenolytic and proteolytic activities in rat and human fibroblasts by anti-inflammatory drugs. Science. 1968 Sep 27;161(3848):1361–1362. doi: 10.1126/science.161.3848.1361. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Kahan B. D., Reisfeld R. A. Transplantaton antigens. Science. 1969 May 2;164(3879):514–521. doi: 10.1126/science.164.3879.514. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Makman M. H., Nakagawa S., White A. Studies of the mode of action of adrenal steroids on lymphocytes. Recent Prog Horm Res. 1967;23:195–227. doi: 10.1016/b978-1-4831-9826-2.50008-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Martin D. W., Jr, Tomkins G. M., Bresler M. A. Control of specific gene expression examined in synchronized mammalian cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1969 Jul;63(3):842–849. doi: 10.1073/pnas.63.3.842. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Melnykovych G., Swayze M. A., Bishop C. F. Effects of cultural conditions on alkaline phosphatase and cell culture survival in the presence of prednisolone. Exp Cell Res. 1967 Aug;47(1):167–176. doi: 10.1016/0014-4827(67)90220-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Mendelsohn J., Moore D. E., Salzman N. P. Separation of isolated Chinese hamster metaphase chromosomes into three size-groups. J Mol Biol. 1968 Feb 28;32(1):101–112. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(68)90148-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Moscona A. A., Piddington R. Enzyme induction by corticosteroids in embryonic cells: steroid structure and inductive effect. Science. 1967 Oct 27;158(3800):496–497. doi: 10.1126/science.158.3800.496. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Neihof R. Microelectrophoresis apparatus employing palladium electrodes. J Colloid Interface Sci. 1969 May;30(1):128–133. doi: 10.1016/0021-9797(69)90386-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Omura E. F., Schwartz M. S., Jahiel R. I., Kilbourne E. D. Effect of hydrocortisone on growth and detachment of human heteroploid cells in maintenance media. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1967 Jun;125(2):447–452. doi: 10.3181/00379727-125-32116. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Pardee A. B. Membrane transport proteins. Proteins that appear to be parts of membrane transport systems are being isolated and characterized. Science. 1968 Nov 8;162(3854):632–637. doi: 10.1126/science.162.3854.632. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Peterkofsky B., Tomkins G. M. Effect of inhibitors of nucleic acid synthesis on steroid-mediated induction of tyrosine aminotransferase in hepatoma cell cultures. J Mol Biol. 1967 Nov 28;30(1):49–61. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(67)90242-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Pihl A., Eker P. Effect of glucocorticoid steroids on cells in tissue culture. Biochem Pharmacol. 1965 Jul;14(7):1065–1072. doi: 10.1016/0006-2952(65)90035-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Polet H. The effect of hydrocortisone on the membranes of primary human amnion cells in vitro. Exp Cell Res. 1966 Feb;41(2):316–323. doi: 10.1016/s0014-4827(66)80139-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Thompson E. B., Tomkins G. M., Curran J. F. Induction of tyrosine alpha-ketoglutarate transaminase by steroid hormones in a newly established tissue culture cell line. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1966 Jul;56(1):296–303. doi: 10.1073/pnas.56.1.296. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Tomkins G. M., Gelehrter T. D., Granner D., Martin D., Jr, Samuels H. H., Thompson E. B. Control of specific gene expression in higher organisms. Expression of mammalian genes may be controlled by repressors acting on the translation of messenger RNA. Science. 1969 Dec 19;166(3912):1474–1480. doi: 10.1126/science.166.3912.1474. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Tomkins G. M., Thompson E. B., Hayashi S., Gelehrter T., Granner D., Peterkofsky B. Tyrosine transaminase induction in mammalian cells in tissue culture. Cold Spring Harb Symp Quant Biol. 1966;31:349–360. doi: 10.1101/sqb.1966.031.01.045. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. WEISS L. STUDIES ON CELLULAR ADHESION IN TISSUE-CULTURE. 8. SOME EFFECTS OF ANTISERA ON CELL DETACHMENT. Exp Cell Res. 1965 Mar;37:540–551. doi: 10.1016/0014-4827(65)90205-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Wallach D. F. Cellular membranes and tumor behavior: a new hypothesis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1968 Nov;61(3):868–874. doi: 10.1073/pnas.61.3.868. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Weissmann G. Lysosomes. N Engl J Med. 1965 Nov 18;273(21):1143–concl. doi: 10.1056/NEJM196511182732107. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The Journal of Cell Biology are provided here courtesy of The Rockefeller University Press

RESOURCES