In this study we report on the establishment of novel conditions which permit efficient retrovirus-mediated gene transfer of human adenosine deaminase (ADA) into murine hematopoietic progenitors. Using Southern blot analysis and an ADA probe, we demonstrated that prestimulation of bone marrow cells over an in vitro culture of adherent stromal cell layers (ACLs) for two days provides favorable conditions for gene transfer in the absence of exogenous growth factors. In bone marrow transplant recipients reconstituted with retrovirally-marked cells, ADA was detected in spleen, thymus and bone marrow cells of the recipients eight months after transplantation. These observations were also seen in transplants of embryonal hematopoietic stem cells. By using different incubation protocols, it was found that the developmental fate of hematopoietic stem cells varied with the presence of exogenous growth factors or an ACL in the prestimulation phase. Polyclonal hematopoiesis with multiple clones appearing simultaneously was revealed in mice reconstituted with growth factor-stimulated cells four months after transplantation. This was detected by multiple integration patterns of ADA integration into the genomes of individual colony forming units-spleen (CFU-S) in transplantation recipient mice. In contrast, two to five months after transplantation, polyclonal hematopoiesis was not observed in mice reconstituted with cells infected in the absence of growth factors. It appears that utilization of the bone marrow microenvironment through the use of an ACL results in a narrower spectrum of integration patterns, suggesting that a type of oligoclonal or monoclonal hematopoiesis is occurring. These studies demonstrate that an ACL provides novel conditions for successful gene transfer and stable integration of the vector into the genome. Use of an ACL may be advantageous for successful hematopoietic stem cell gene therapy.

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The strong and long-lasting hematotoxic effect after benzene exposure in vivo (300 ppm, 6 hr/day, 5 days/week for 2 weeks) was assessed in mice with bone marrow cells grown in long-term bone marrow culture (LTBMC). Bone marrow cultures initiated 1 day after the last benzene exposure did not produce adequate numbers of hematopoietic cells over 3 weeks, and, in most cases, no erythroid or myeloid clonogenic cells could be recovered. The adherent cell layer of these cultures had a lowered capacity for supporting in vitro hematopoiesis after the second seeding with normal bone marrow cells compared with control cultures. Two weeks after the last benzene exposure, body weight, hematocrit, bone marrow cellularity, and committed hematopoietic progenitor content (BFU-E and CFU-GM) were regenerated to normal or subnormal values, whereas hematopoiesis in LTBMC was very poor. Over 8 weeks, little or no significant committed progenitor production was observed. Treatment of mice exposed to benzene with hemin (three doses of 3 micrograms/g bw i.v. over 2 weeks for a total dose of 9 micrograms/g) partially overcame the toxic effect of benzene on the hematopoietic system as measured by the LTBMC method. Cultures from mice treated with hemin had a modest recovery of BFU-E and CFU-GM clonogenic potential after 5 to 6 weeks in LTBMC. In contrast, little or no recovery was obtained for the adherent cell layer clonogenic capacity, even after hemin treatment. These results clearly indicate a strong, long-lasting toxic effect on the bone marrow stroma and a limited recovery of hematopoietic potential by clonogenic cells of the nonadherent population after in vivo hemin treatment.

The strong and long-lasting hematotoxic effect after benzene exposure in vivo (300 ppm, 6 hr/day, 5 days/week for 2 weeks) was assessed in mice with bone marrow cells grown in longterm bone marrow culture (LTBMC). Bone marrow cultures initiated 1 day after the last benzene exposure did not produce adequate numbers of hematopoietic cells over 3 weeks and, in most cases, no erythroid or myeloid clonogenic cells could be recovered. The adherent cell layer of these cultures had a lower capacity for supporting in vitro hematopoiesis after the second seeding with normal bone marrow cells compared with control cultures. Two weeks after the last benzene exposure, body weight, hematocrit, bone marrow cellularity, and committed hematopoietic progenitor content (BFU-E and CFU-GM) were regenerated to normal or subnormal values, whereas hematopoiesis in LTBMC was very poor. Over 8 weeks, little or no significant committed progenitor production was observed. Treatment of mice exposed to benzene with hemin (three doses of 3 pg/g bw iv over 2 weeks for a total dose of 9 pg/g) partially overcame the toxic effect of benzene on the hematopoietic system as measured by the LTBMC method. Cultures from mice treated with hemin had a modest recovery of BFU-E and CFU-GM clonogenic potential after 5 to 6 weeks in LTBMC. In contrast, little or no recovery was obtained for the adherent cell layer clonogenic capacity, even after hemin treatment. These results clearly indicate a strong, longlasting toxic effect on the bone marrow stroma and a limited recovery of hematopoietic potential by clonogenic cells of the nonadherent population after in vivo hemin treatment. Environ Health Perspect 104(Suppl 6): 1277-1282 (1996)

The promoter region of the c-fos oncogene 5' flanking sequence contains enhancer elements crucial for binding nuclear factors that regulate transcription following cell proliferation and differentiation. Single-stranded deoxyoligonucleotides were chosen for modulation of c-fos protooncogene expression because of their high-affinity binding to specific nucleotide sequences. We designed two oligonucleotides that form a triple-helix complex on the retinoblastoma gene product-responsible element of the c-fos oncogene. Modification of the DNA triplex with dimethyl sulfate and affinity cleaving assays demonstrate that the predicted oligonucleotides form a DNA triplex structure with the c-fos promoter in a sequence-specific manner. Tumorigenic and non-tumorigenic fibroblasts were transiently transfected with fos-CAT plasmid modified with alkylating triplex-forming oligonucleotide reagents. A dramatic depression of CAT activity was found when the cross-linked triple helix complex at the retinoblastoma gene product-related site of the c-fos promoter was used. These experiments suggest that transcription of individual genes can be selectively modulated in cell culture by sequence specific triplex formation in regulatory enhancer sequences.