Isolation of Two Unknown Genes Potentially Involved in Differentiation of the Hematopoietic Pathway, and Studies of Spermidine/Spermine Acetyltransferase Regulation

Differential display identified a number of candidate genes involved with growth and differentiation in the human leukemia cell lines HL-60 and HL-525. Two of these genes were previously unknown, and one is the gene for the enzyme spermidine/spermine acetyltransferase (SSAT). One of our objectives is to isolate and sequence the unknown genes, 631A1 and 510C1, in order to characterize them and determine their functions. The other is to determine how SSAT is regulated, and look at how the polyamines that SSAT regulates effect macrophage differentiation. By screening the CEM T-cell DNA library and the fetal brain library, we were able to identify clones that had inserts with homology to the 631A1 cDNA probe sequence. The insert was amplified using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and is currently being sent to the University of Chicago for automated sequencing. The library screens for 510C1 are currently underway, but hybridization of the 510C1 cDNA probe with nylon membranes containing CEM library phage DNA produced strong signal, indicating the gene is there. SSAT experiments identified that the rate-limiting enzyme that marks the polyamines spermidine and spermine for degradation is regulated by PKC and a transcription factor called Nrf2. The knowledge of regulation and function of these genes involved in macrophage differentiation will provide new insight into this cellular process, potentially making it possible to discover the roots of the problems that cause cancerous diseases.