Protein alterations associated with gene amplification in cultured human and rodent cells

Genomic stability was investigated in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) and human hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cells selected for growth in the presence of cytotoxic concentrations of N-(phosphonacetyl-L-asparate) (PALA). In CHO cells selected with 9 x LD50 PALA the carbamyl p-synthetase, aspartate transcarbamylase and dihydroorotase (CAD) gene complex was amplified two-fold while in HepG2 cells selected at comparable PALA concentrations a 7- to 10-fold increase in the CAD gene was observed. Concomitant with amplification of the CAD gene were increases in CAD mRNA and protein expression in both CHO and HepG2 cells. In long-term cultures of HepG2 cells the CAD gene underwent spontaneous amplification (5-fold) in the absence of PALA treatment with increasing passage number. In an attempt to define proteins and/or family of proteins that may either directly or indirectly influence DNA amplification potential through a mechanism of enhanced genomic instability, immobilized pH gradient-two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (IPG 2-D PAGE) analysis of silver-stained nuclear cytoplasmic polypeptides concomitant with PALA resistance and CAD amplification was performed. Analysis of silver-stained polypeptides from 3 x LD50 PALA-selected CHO and HepG2 cells revealed no significant alterations in polypeptide expression. In CHO cells selected at 5 x and 7 x PALA LD50, and HepG2 cells selected at 5 x and 9 x PALA LD50, one subset of 4-8 polypeptides (pl: pI 7.2-7.6/36-38 kDa) were increased 2- to 3-fold in both 5 x and 7 x- and 5 x and 9 x LD50 PALA-selected CHO and HepG2, respectively, while five relatively neutral-to-basic, low M(r) polypeptides (p2: 18/7.30; p3: 16/7.00; p4: 14/7.00; p5: 14/7.40; and p6: 13.5/7.00) were markedly increased in CHO cells selected at 7 x LD50 PALA. In addition to these PALA-associated increases, four polypeptides (p7a: pI 6.50/40 kDa; p7b: 6.55/40; p7c: 6.60/40; and p7d: 6.65/40) were significantly increased in high-passage (p159) HepG2 cells undergoing spontaneous CAD gene amplification in the absence of PALA exposure. In CHO cells, polypeptides p7 a, b, d were increased while the expression of p7c (pI 6.60/40 kDa) was unaltered in 7 x LD50-treated CHO cells. Although neither the identity nor biological function of polypeptides 1-7 is known, a proposed mechanism involving interaction with certain growth regulatory proteins such as p53 for mediating genomic instability is given.