REGULAR ARTICLES

Cell research (2004); 14(2):161-168

Influence of expressed TRAIL on biophysical properties of the human leukemic cell line Jurkat

Kai CHEN1,*, Dan LI1,*, Yu Hui JIANG1, Wei Juan YAO1, Xin Juan WANG2, Xiao Chao WEI2, Jing GAO3, Li De XIE1, Zong Yi YAN4, Zong Yao WEN1**, Shu CHIEN5

¹Hemorheology Center, Department of Biophysics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100083, China.
²Department of Biochemical and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100083, China.
³Department of Urology, Medical Center, New York University, USA.
⁴Department of Mechanics and Engineering Science, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
⁵Department of Bioengineering and Whitaker Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0412, USA.

*These authors contributed equally to this work.

Received, Feb 28, 2003    Revised, Mar 28, 2004    Accepted, Mar 29, 2004

Correspondence: Zong Yao WEN 0086-10-62092419 (phone) rheol@mail.bjmu.edu.cn

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The cDNA fragment of human TRAIL (TNF-related apoptosis inducing ligand) was cloned into RevTet-On, a Tet-regulated and high-level gene expression system. The gene expression system was constructed in a human leukemic cell line: Jurkat. By using RevTet-On TRAIL gene expression system in Jurkat as a cell model, we studied the influence of TRAIL gene on the changes of cellular apoptosis before and after the TRAIL gene expression, which was induced by adding tetracycline derivative doxycycline (Dox). The results indicated that the cellular apoptosis ratio was largely dependent on the trail gene expression level. Moreover, it was found that the apoptosis-inducing TRAIL could cause significant changes in the biophysical properties of Jurkat cells. The cell surface charge density decreased, the membrane fluidity declined, the elastic coefficients K1 increased, and the proportion of ¦Á-helix in membrane protein secondary structure decreased. Thus, the apoptosis-inducing TRAIL gene caused significant changes on the biomechanic properties of Jurkat cells.

Keywords: TRAIL, Tet gene expression system, Jurkat, apoptosis.