Antigen-stimulated dissociation of BCR mIg from Ig-alpha/Ig-beta: implications for receptor desensitization.
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B cell antigen receptor (BCR) ligation leads to receptor desensitization wherein BCR remain competent to bind antigen and yet fail to transduce signals. Desensitized BCR exhibit a defect at the most proximal level of signal transduction, consistent with failed transmission of signals through the receptor complex. We report that antigen stimulation leads to dissociation or destabilization of the BCR reflected by inability to coimmunoprecipitate Ig-alpha/Ig-beta with mIg. This destabilization is temporally correlated with desensitization and occurs in BCR containing mIgM and mIgD. Induction of BCR destabilization requires tyrosine kinase activation but is not induced by phosphatase inhibitors. BCR destabilization occurs at the cell surface and "dissociated" Ig-alpha/Ig-beta complexes remain responsive to anti-Ig-beta stimulation, suggesting that mIg-transducer uncoupling may mediate receptor desensitization. (+info)
Cutting edge: primary structure of the light chain of fusion regulatory protein-1/CD98/4F2 predicts a protein with multiple transmembrane domains that is almost identical to the amino acid transporter E16.
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The CD98 light chain (CD98LC) was copurified from HeLa S3 cells by an affinity chromatography using a mAb specific for the fusion regulatory protein-1 (FRP-1) which is identical to the CD98 heavy chain. On the basis of the N-terminal sequence (63 amino acids) of purified CD98LC polypeptide, we have cloned a PCR fragment (155 bp) from a HeLa S3 cDNA library and finally obtained a full cDNA clone encoding the CD98LC. Fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis using the cDNA assigned the CD98LC gene to the long arm of human chromosome 16 (16q24). The predicted amino acid sequence suggested that CD98LC is a protein with multiple transmembrane domains and is almost identical to the amino acid transporter E16. Resting monocytes and lymphocytes expressed CD98LC as analyzed by a newly isolated anti-CD98LC mAb, which showed cross-reactivity with insect Sf9 cells as well as with various mammalian cell lines. (+info)
B cell response after MMTV infection: extrafollicular plasmablasts represent the main infected population and can transmit viral infection.
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The immune response to mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) relies on the presentation of an MMTV-encoded superantigen by infected B cells to superantigen-specific T cells. The initial extrafollicular B cell differentiation involved the generation of B cells expressing low levels of B220. These B220low B cells corresponded to plasmablasts that expressed high levels of CD43 and syndecan-1 and were CD62 ligand- and IgD-. Viral DNA was detected nearly exclusively in these B220low B cells by PCR, and retroviral type-A particles were observed in their cytoplasm by electron microscopy. An MMTV transmission to the offspring was also achieved after transfer of B220low CD62 ligand- CD43+ plasmablasts into noninfected females. These data suggest that B220low plasmablasts, representing the bulk of infected B cells, are capable of sustaining viral replication and may be involved in the transmission of MMTV. (+info)
Cellular and molecular characterization of the scurfy mouse mutant.
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Mice hemizygous (Xsf/Y) for the X-linked mutation scurfy (sf) develop a severe and rapidly fatal lymphoproliferative disease mediated by CD4+CD8- T lymphocytes. We have undertaken phenotypic and functional studies to more accurately identify the immunologic pathway(s) affected by this important mutation. Flow cytometric analyses of lymphoid cell populations reveal that scurfy syndrome is characterized by changes in several phenotypic parameters, including an increase in Mac-1+ cells and a decrease in B220+ cells, changes that may result from the production of extremely high levels of the cytokine granulocyte-macrophage CSF by scurfy T cells. Scurfy T cells also exhibit strong up-regulation of cell surface Ags indicative of in vivo activation, including CD69, CD25, CD80, and CD86. Both scurfy and normal T cells are responsive to two distinct signals provided by the TCR and by ligation of CD28; scurfy cells, however, are hyperresponsive to TCR ligation and exhibit a decreased requirement for costimulation through CD28 relative to normal controls. This hypersensitivity may result, in part, from increased costimulation through B7-1 and B7-2, whose expression is up-regulated on scurfy T cells. Although the specific defect leading to this hyperactivation has not been identified, we also demonstrate that scurfy T cells are less sensitive than normal controls to inhibitors of tyrosine kinases such as genistein and herbimycin A, and the immunosuppressant cyclosporin A. One interpretation of our data would suggest that the scurfy mutation results in a defect, which interferes with the normal down-regulation of T cell activation. (+info)
CD38 signaling in B lymphocytes is controlled by its ectodomain but occurs independently of enzymatically generated ADP-ribose or cyclic ADP-ribose.
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CD38 is a type II transmembrane glycoprotein that is expressed by many cell types including lymphocytes. Signaling through CD38 on B lymphocytes can mediate B cell activation, proliferation, and cytokine secretion. Additionally, coligation of CD38 and the B cell Ag receptor can greatly augment B cell Ag receptor responses. Interestingly, the extracellular domain of CD38 catalyzes the conversion of NAD+ into nicotinamide, ADP-ribose (ADPR), and cyclic ADPR (cADPR). cADPR can induce intracellular calcium release in an inositol trisphosphate-independent manner and has been hypothesized to regulate CD38-mediated signaling. We demonstrate that replacement of the cytoplasmic tail and the transmembrane domains of CD38 did not impair CD38 signaling, coreceptor activity, or enzyme activity. In contrast, independent point mutations in the extracellular domain of CD38 dramatically impaired signal transduction. However, no correlation could be found between CD38-mediated signaling and the capacity of CD38 to catalyze an enzyme reaction and produce cADPR, ADPR, and/or nicotinamide. Instead, we propose that CD38 signaling and coreceptor activity in vitro are regulated by conformational changes induced in the extracellular domain upon ligand/substrate binding, rather than on actual turnover or generation of products. (+info)
Lymphocyte activation gene-3, a MHC class II ligand expressed on activated T cells, stimulates TNF-alpha and IL-12 production by monocytes and dendritic cells.
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Lymphocyte activation gene-3 (LAG-3) is an MHC class II ligand structurally and genetically related to CD4. Although its expression is restricted to activated T cells and NK cells, the functions of LAG-3 remain to be elucidated. Here, we report on the expression and function of LAG-3 on proinflammatory bystander T cells that are activated in the absence of TCR engagement. LAG-3 is expressed at high levels on human T cells cocultured with autologous monocytes and IL-2 and synergizes with the low levels of CD40 ligand (CD40L) expressed on these cells to trigger TNF-alpha and IL-12 production by monocytes. Indeed, anti-LAG-3 mAb inhibits both IL-12 and IFN-gamma production in IL-2-stimulated cocultures of T cells and autologous monocytes. Soluble LAG-3Ig fusion protein markedly enhances IL-12 production by monocytes stimulated with infra-optimal concentrations of sCD40L, whereas it directly stimulates monocyte-derived dendritic cells (DC) for the production of TNF-alpha and IL-12, unravelling an enhanced responsiveness to MHC class II engagemenent in DC as compared with activated monocytes. Thus similar to CD40L, LAG-3 may be involved in the proinflammatory activity of cytokine-activated bystander T cells and most importantly it may directly activate DC. (+info)
IL-5 induces IgG1 isotype switch recombination in mouse CD38-activated sIgD-positive B lymphocytes.
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Mouse B cells express CD38, whose ligation by anti-CD38 Ab induces their proliferation and protection from apoptosis. We previously showed that stimulation of mouse splenic B cells with IL-5 together with CS/2, an anti-mouse CD38 mAb, induces production of IgG1 and IgM. Here we examined the role of IL-5 and CS/2 in the expression of germline gamma1 transcripts and the generation of reciprocal products forming DNA circles as byproducts of mu-gamma1 switch recombination. By itself, CS/2 induced significant expression of germline gamma1 transcripts in splenic naive B cells, whereas IL-5 neither induced nor enhanced germline gamma1 expression. Increased cellular content of reciprocal product, which is characteristic of mu-gamma1 recombination, was not observed after culturing B cells with CS/2, but increased reciprocal product, along with high levels of lgG1 secretion, was found when B cells were cultured with CS/2 plus IL-5. Although IL-4 did not, by itself, induce mu-gamma1 recombination in B cells stimulated with CS/2, in conjunction with CS/2 plus IL-5, IL-4 dramatically enhanced sterile gamma1 transcription and IgG1 production. These results demonstrate that CD38 ligation induces only germline gamma1 transcription and that IL-5 promotes both mu-gamma1 switch recombination and lgG1 secretion in an IL-4-independent manner. (+info)
Role of innate and adaptive immunity in the outcome of primary infection with Chlamydia pneumoniae, as analyzed in genetically modified mice.
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Infection with Chlamydia pneumoniae is a common cause of acute respiratory disease in man and is also associated with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disorder. Herein, we have compared bacterial load and immune parameters of C. pneumoniae-infected mice genomically lacking T cell coreceptors, cytokine receptors, or cytotoxic effector molecules. A protective role for CD8+ cells is shown by the enhanced severity of infection of CD8-/- or TAP-1-/-/beta2-microglobulin -/- mice. CD8+ cells hindered a parasite growth-promoting role of CD4+ T cells, as indicated by the higher sensitivity to early infection of CD8-/- than CD4-/-/CD8-/- mice, which was further confirmed in experiments in which SCID mice were reconstituted with either CD4+ or CD4+ plus CD8+ T cells. Interestingly, CD4+ T cells played a dual role, detrimental early (14 and 24 days) after infection but protective at later time points (60 days after infection). The CD8+ T cell protection was perforin independent. The early deleterious role of CD4+ in the absence of CD8+ T cells was associated with enhanced IL-4 and IL-10 mRNA levels and delayed IFN-gamma mRNA accumulation in lungs. In line with this, IFN-gammaR-/- (but not TNFRp55 -/-) mice showed dramatically increased susceptibility to C. pneumoniae, linked to reduced inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) mRNA accumulation, but not to diminished levels of specific Abs. The increased susceptibility of iNOS-/- mice indicates a protective role for iNOS activity during infection with C. pneumoniae. The higher sensitivity of IFN-gammaR-/- mice to C. pneumoniae compared with that of SCID or recombination-activating gene-1-/- mice suggested a relevant protective role of IFN-gamma-dependent innate mechanisms of protection. (+info)