We have previously reported that the cabbage butterf ly, Pieris rapae, contains a 98-kDa protein, named pierisin, that induces apoptosis in a variety of human cancer cell lines. In the present study, sequencing and cloning of a cDNA encoding pierisin was accomplished. PCR-direct sequencing showed that the gene encodes an 850-amino acid protein with a calculated molecular weight of 98,081. An intact clone at the amino acid level encompassing the entire coding region was obtained by recombination of two independent clones, and the molecular mass of its in vitro expressed protein was about 100 kDa on SDS͞PAGE, the same as that of purified native pierisin. The expressed protein induced apoptosis in human gastric carcinoma TMK-1 and cervical carcinoma HeLa cells, like the native protein, indicating functional activity. The deduced amino acid sequence of pierisin showed 32% homology with a 100-kDa mosquitocidal toxin from Bacillus sphaericus SSII-1. In addition, pierisin showed regional sequence similarities with ADP-ribosylating toxins, such as the A subunit of cholera toxin. A glutamic acid residue at the putative NAD-binding site, conserved in all ADPribosylating toxins, was also found in pierisin. Substitution of another amino acid for glutamic acid 165 resulted in a great decrease in cytotoxicity and induction of apoptosis. Moreover, inhibitors of ADP-ribosylating enzymes reduced pierisininduced apoptosis. These results suggest that the apoptosisinducing protein pierisin might possess ADP-ribosylation activity that leads to apoptosis of the cells.

No abstract

CONCLUSIONS.type cyclins, through their interactions with the cyclin dependent kinases, are primarily responsible for driving the cell cycle through Received August 1, 1996; revision received October 10, 1996; accepted October 28, 1996.the restriction point. 3 Cyclin D1 is a member of the G 1 cyclins involved ᭧ 1997 American Cancer Society

The authors evaluted the efficacy of vaccination with murine renal cell carcinoma (Renca) secreting the granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) gene and interleukin-6 (IL-6) gene for the treatment of Renca tumor. Murine GM-CSF and murine IL-6 genes were introduced and expressed in Renca cells (Renca-GM-CSF and Renca-IL-6). For a prevaccination study, wild-type Renca cells were injected subcutaneously into Balb/c mice that had been vaccinated three times with inactivated wild-type Renca, Renca-GM-CSF, Renca-IL-6, or a mixture of Renca-GM-CSF and Renca-IL-6 cells 7, 14, and 21 days before this tumor inoculation. For vaccination experiments, Renca tumor-bearing (8 to 10 mm) mice were injected subcutaneously weekly for 3 weeks with inactivated wild-type Renca cells, or either one or a combination of Renca-GM-CSF and Renca-IL-6. A nonvaccinated control was included in all experiments. The animals were monitored for survival and tumor development for 8 weeks. Mice inoculated with wild-type Renca alone died from the tumor within 35 days. Renca-IL-6 grew slower than wild-type Renca (p < 0.05). No tumor was produced by Renca-GM-CSF. Prevaccination with the combination of Renca-GM-CSF and Renca-IL-6 prevented subsequently inoculated wild-type Renca from forming tumors, and prevaccination with either one of them, compared with prevaccination with wild-type Renca, retarded tumor growth and prolonged survival time. Tumor-bearing mice vaccinated with wild-type Renca died within 42 days. Vaccination with Renca-GM-CSF or Renca-IL-6 alone prolonged the survival time, but only Renca-GM-CSF drastically reduced the tumor size. Vaccination with the combination of them achieved complete remission. Neither of the cytokine-secreting cells enhanced the expression of MHC class I or II molecules. Autologous tumor cell vaccine secreting GM-CSF is effective in preventing and treating established tumors. Its efficacy is enhanced by the cosecretion of IL-6.