Abstract
Ever since the early microscopists and experimental biologists distinguished the fundamental differences between the animal and plant cells, investigations on the structure and function of the cell membrane have become a fascinating field of biomedical research. The membranes of all types of cells provide the biological border, and maintain the integrity of the cell by protecting it from toxic insult rendered by chemicals, biochemicals, toxins etc. The toxic damage of the cell membrane results in an alteration of the transport mechanism or transmits a message for altered DNA, RNA and protein synthesis, vis-a-vis altered cell division which ultimately leads to death of the cell. In fact, the ligand receptor binding, with particular reference to toxicants of different kinds, may alter the normal physiological function of the cell. If the damaged cell is involved in immune function, the host becomes more susceptible to infection. Prolonged immunosuppression may predispose the host to develop cancer, although cancer cells themselves originate as a result of genetic damage caused by environmental toxicants, endocytosed after binding with membrane receptors, finally reaching the genomic material to cause carcinogenic alteration. The phenomena of membrane binding, transmission of message., processing of message and eventual alteration of biomolecular structure consequently resulting in a disorder or disease process are described in the present communication.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ray PK: Immune System — A unique device to protect the In: PK Ray (ed) Immunobiology of Transplantation, Cancer and Pregnancy. Pergamon Press, 1983 p 3–24
Lehninger AL: Biochemistry. Kalyani Publications, Indian edition, 1978 p 279–305
Connel ND and Romano AH: D-glucose transport by membrane vesicle from quiescent and SV 40 transformed mouse 3T3 cell. Biochem biophys Acta 729: 229–233, 1983
Moscatelli D and Rifkin DB: Membrane and matrix localization of proteinases: a common theme in tumor cell invasion and angiogenesis. Biochem biophys Acta 948: 67–85, 1988
Weinstein IB: The origins of human cancer: Molecular mechanism of carcinogenesis and their implications for cancer prevention and treatment — Twenty seventh GHA Clowes Memorial award lecture. Cancer Res 48: 4135–4143,1988
Ray PK and Prasad AK: Tumor immunology. In: GP Talwar (ed) Text Book and Biotechnology (in press), 1989
Knox P: The plasma membrane. Biologist 30:159–162,1983
Finean JB, Coleman R and Michell RH: Membranes and their cellular function. Blackwell Scientific Publications, 1978, p 132
Singer J and Nicolson GL: The fluid mosaic model of the structure of membranes. Science 175: 720–731, 1972
Hokin LE: Receptors and phosphoinositide generated second messengers. Ann Rev Biochem 54: 205–235, 1985
Berridge MJ and Irvine RF: Inositol triphosphate. A novel second messenger in cellular transduction. Nature 312: 315–321,1984
Nizhizuka Y: The role of protein Kinase C in cell surface signal transduction and tumor promotion. Nature 308: 693–698,1984
Berridge MJ: Inositol 1,4,5-tri-phosphate and diacyl glycerol as second messengers. Biochem J 220: 345–360, 1984
Gomperts BD: Calcium and cellular activation. In: D Chapman (ed) Biological Membranes. Academic Press, London, 1984, p 289–348
Gupta RK and Morton DL: Tumor antigens. In: Immunobiology of Transplantation Cancer and Pregnancy. Pergamon Press, 1983, p 113–147
Griffin GE and Pasternak CA: The cell surface and disease. Clinical Science 63: 1–9, 1982
Simmons RL, Lipschultz ML, Rios A and Ray PK: Failure of neuraminidase to unmask histo-compatibility antigens on trophoblast. Nature 231: 111–112, 1971
Ray PK: Bacterial neuraminidase and altered immunological behaviour of treated mammalian cells. In: Perlman D (ed) Advances in Applied Microbiology. Academic Press, New York, 1977, p 227–267
Chatterjee S and Ray PK: Pinocytic ability of neuraminidase treated amoeba. Indian J Exp Biol 13: 294–295, 1975
Chatterjee S, Seshadri M and Ray PK: Cell cycle dependent binding of radiolabelled Concanavalin A by amoeba. Indian J Exp Biol 17(8): 847–848, 1979
Ray PK and Seshadri M: Influence of parity status of female mice on growth of a transplantable chemically induced fibrosarcoma. Indian J Exp Biol 19: 405–407, 1981
Ray PK and Seshadri M: Effect of immunization of mice with syngeneic embryos on their ability to inhibit the growth of a challenging fibrosarcoma. Indian J Exp Biol 18: 1027–1029,1980
Simmons RL, Rios A and Ray PK: Immunogenicity and antigenicity of lymphoid cells treated with neuraminidase. Nature New Biol 231: 179–180, 1971
Ray PK, Gewurz H and Simmons RL: The mechanism of increased sensitivity of neuraminidase treated cells to antibody induced cytolysis. Fed Proc 29: 573–576, 1970
Ray PK and Simmons RL: Comparative effect of viral and bacterial neuraminidase on the complement sensitivity of lymphoid cells. Clin and Exp Immuno 10: 139–145, 1972
Ray P, Thakur VS and Sundaram K: Antitumor immunity. Differential response to neuraminidase treated and Xirradiated tumor vaccine. Eur J Cancer 11: 1–11, 1975
Ray PK and Seshadri M: Inhibition of growth of rat Yoshida Sarcoma using neuraminidase treated tumor vaccine. Indian J Exp Biol 17: 36–39, 1979
Simmons RL, Rios A, Ray PK and Lundgren G: Effect of neuraminidase on the growth of 3-methylcholantherene induced fibrosarcoma in normal and immunosuppressed syngeneic mice. JNCI 47(5): 1087–1096, 1971
Ray PK and Raychaudhuri S: Immunotherapy of Cancer-Present status and future trends. In: PK Ray (cd) Immunobiology of Transplantation Cancer and Pregnancy. Pergamon Press, 1983, p 210–239
Ray PK: Immunosuppressor control as modality of cancer treatment: Effect of plasma adsorption withStaphylococcus aureus Protein A. In: FA Salinas (cd) Contemporary Topics in Immunology vol 15, Plenum Press, 1984, p 147–211
Poduval TB, Seshadri M, Ray PK, Thakur VS and Sundaram K: Effect of host sensitization to tumor on splenic depletion and recovery following severe immunosuppressive treatment. Indian J Exp Biol 17: 1064–1967, 1979
Ray PK: Suppressor control as modality of cancer treatment: Perspectives and prospects in the immunotherapy of malignant disease. Plasma Ther 39(3): 101–121, 1982
Raychaudhuri S, Ray PK, Bassett JG and Cooper DR: High dose antigen induced suppressor generation in normal and tumor-bearing hosts. Fed Am Soc Exp Biol 39(3): 696–700,1980
Sjogren JO, Hellstrom I and Bansal SC: Suggestive evidence that the blocking antibodies of tumor bearing individuals may be antigen-antibody complexes. Proc Natl Acad Sci 63:1372–1375, 1978
Gershon RK, Mokyr MB and Mitchell MS: Activation of suppressor T cells by tumor cells and specific antibody. Nature 250: 594–596, 1974
Ray PK, Cooper DR, Bassett JG and Mark R: Antitumor effect of Staphylococcus aureus organism. Fed Proc 38: 4553–4558,1979
Ray PK and Bandyophadhyay SK: Inhibition of rat mammary tumor growth by purified Protein A. - A potential antitumor agent. Immunol Commun 12: 453–464, 1983
Prasad AK, Singh KP, Saxena AK, Mathur N and Ray PK: Increased macrophage activity in Protein A treated tumor regressed animals. Immunopharmacol and Immunotoxicol 9: 451–561, 1987
Ray PK, Clark L and Mc Laughlin D: Immunotherapy of cancer: extracorporeal adsorption of plasma-blocking factors using non-viableStaphylococcus aureus Cowan 1. In: Beyer JH, Borberg H, Fuchs CH, Nagel GA (eds) Plasmapheresis in immunology and oncology. Basel: S Karger, 1982, p 102–113
Ray PK, Mohammed J, Allen P, Raychaudhuri S, Dohadwala M, Bandyopadhyay S and Mark R: Effect of frequency of plasma adsorption over Protein A — containingStaphylococcus aureus on regression of rat mammary adenocarcinomas: Modification of antitumor immune response and tumor histopathology. J Biol Resp Modif 3(1): 39–58, 1984
Ray PK, Thakur VS and Sundaram K: Antitumor immunity II viability, tumorigenicity and immunogenicity of neuraminidase treated tumor cells: Effective immunization of animals with a tumor vaccine. J Natl Cancer Inst 56(1): 83–94, 1976
Weiss L: J Cell Biol 26: 735–741, 1965
Schmidtke JR, Hoffman R, Grage TB, Ray PK and Simmons RL: Effect of neuraminidase on the phagocytosis of heterologous red cells. J Reticuloendothelial Soc. 13: 360–376,1973
Ray PK, Gewurz H and Simmons RL: The serologic behaviour of neuraminidase — treated lymphoid cell: Alloantigenicity and complement sensitivity. Clin Exp Immunol 11: 441–455,1972
Lundgren G and Simmons RL: Effect of neuraminidase on stimulatory capacity of cells in human mixed lymphocyte cultures. Clin Exp Immunol 9: 915–920, 1971
Ray PK, Gewurz H and Simmons RL: Complement sensitivity of neuraminidase treated lymphoid cells. Transplantation 12: 327–330, 1971
Rosenberg SA, Plocinik BA and Rogentine GN: Unmasking of human lymphoid cell heteroantigens by neuraminidase treatment. JNCI 48: 1271–1275, 1972
Pensky J and Schwick HG: Human serum inhibitor of Cl'esterase: Identity with α2-neura-minoglycoprotein. Science 163:698–699,1969
Cowan FM, Klein DL, Armstrong GR and Pearson JW: Augmentation and inhibition of delayed hypersensitivity byStaphylococcus aureus Protein A. Biomedicine 30: 241–246,1979
Kronwall G and Williams RA Jr: Differences in anti-protein A activity among IgG subgroups. J Immunol 103: 828–832,1969
Kerbel RA and Davies AJS: The possible biological significance of Fc receptor on mammalian lymphocytes and tumor cells. Cell 3: 105–112, 1974
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ray, P.K., Prasad, A.K. Membrane alterations in health and disease with particular reference to immune function and cancer. Mol Cell Biochem 91, 13–21 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00228074
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00228074