Ha-ras oncogene expression abrogates a pH dependent endonuclease activity of apoptosis in normal rat kidney cells

To investigate the role of oncogene expression in the resistance to tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF), we transfected the mutated T24-Ha-ras oncogene into the murine kidney cell line NRK and an alternative murine cell line C127 cells. The resulting transfectants, NRK-Ha and HC127, were assayed for TNF mediated cytotoxicity. Cellular cytotoxicity of 45% over 48h occurred with the NRK cells. However, ras transfectant NRK-Ha cells demonstrated 0% cytotoxicity over the same period. Both C127 cells and the ras transfectant HC127 demonstrated 40% and 25% cytotoxicity, respectively, over 48 h when incubated with TNF. Furthermore, DNA isolated from NRK, C127, HC127, but not NRK-Ha cells revealed the presence of DNA fragmentation ‘ladders’ indicative of successful apoptosis when the cells were incubated with TNF. To determine the possible mechanism in which the ras oncogene may have protected the NRK-Ha cells from TNF mediated cytotoxicity and apoptosis, total nuclear endonucleases from the NRK cells and the ras transfectant NRK-Ha cells were isolated. We determined that the endonuclease activity in the NRK and the ras transfectant NRK-Ha cells was a pH dependent endonuclease. Significant degradation of the target DNA was observed only in pH 4–6 buffers containing the endonuclease. Furthermore, preliminary intracellular pH analysis suggested that while the NRK cells have an intracellular pH of 6.0, the ras transfectant NRK-Ha cells have an intracellular pH of 7.2 and may have abrogated its pH dependent endonuclease. Both the C127 cells and the ras transfectant HC127 cells did not express a pH dependent endonuclease but rather a Ca2+/Mg2+ dependent endonuclease. Furthermore, preliminary intracellular pH analysis suggested that both the C127 and HC127 cells have the same intracellular pH. Our results indicate that in normal rat kidney cells, ras oncogene transfection may cause a disruption in the endonuclease activation involved in apoptosis.