The gene encoding the Ia antigen-associated invariant chain (Ii) is not linked to the H-2 complex

The invariant (Ii) chain of murine Ia antigens is associated with the intracellular but not the cell-surface forms of the A alpha:A beta and E alpha:E beta Ia complexes. Due to its unique subcellular localization, Ii has been postulated to play a part in the assembly or intracellular transport of the Ia alpha:beta complexes, which function in immune recognition. A more general role for Ii in the transport of other cell proteins has also been suggested. Because of the unusual subunit composition of Ia antigens and because the synthesis of alpha, beta and Ii chains is coordinately regulated, it was of interest to determine whether, like the alpha and beta chains, Ii is encoded by a gene in the I region of the H-2 histocompatibility complex. We report here the use of an Ii chain polymorphism present in Mus spretus to demonstrate that the gene for Ii is not linked to the H-2 complex. Thus, intracellular Ia antigens consist of the products of two linked genes and one unlinked gene.     

Induction of tolerance by monoclonal antibody therapy

A major goal in immunology has been to find a means of selectively abolishing an individual's potential to mount an immune response to certain antigens, while preserving responsiveness to others. The facility to induce such specific immunological unresponsiveness in an adult would have major implications for tissue-grafting, the control of allergy and for treatment of autoimmune disease. Classical work has shown that immunosuppressive regimes, such as irradiation, anti-lymphocyte globulin or thoracic duct drainage, may facilitate tolerance induction. We describe here a technique by which the immune system of mice can be manipulated to be tolerant to certain protein antigens by administering these during a brief pulse of treatment with a monoclonal antibody directed to the L3T4 molecule on helper T lymphocytes. This technique has the potential to form the basis of a novel generalized means of tolerance induction.     

Intracellular transport of class II MHC molecules directed by invariant chain

Three structural motifs in the invariant chain (li) control the intracellular transport of class II major histocompatibility complex molecules. An endoplasmic reticulum retention signal in the full-length li suggests a role for li in the alpha-beta heterodimer assembly. Another signal motif directs a truncated li, alone or associated with individual class II chains, to a degradation compartment by a pathway circumventing the Golgi. When this truncated li binds alpha-beta dimers, a third signal dominates, directing the complex by way of the Golgi to vesicles in the cell periphery, which may represent a subcompartment of recycling endosomes.     

Studies inin situ PCR detected by the BrdU antibody technique

Using the BrdU antibody technique followed by an immuno-chemical staining (BAT), the amplification of DNA fragments specific to human Y chromosome on cell specimen slides was efficiently detected. Whether direct BrdU incorporation into PCR products orin situ hybridization with PCR products on slides, the amplified target DNA fragments of specimen were visualized by BAT under the microscope. The availability of BAT and differences in the sensitivity and efficiency between BAT and dig-11-dUTP labeling in cellin situ PCR were discussed. Zhang Xiyuan: born in Oct. 1935, Professor, Current research interest in Cellular and Molecular Biology Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China     

Characterization of murine interleukin B by a monoclonal antibody

Interleukin B (IL-B), formerly termed BEF (B-cell-derived enhancing factor) or IL-B4, was originally described as a non-immunoglobulin regulatory factor spontaneously produced by B lymphocytes and B-cell lines that enhances the in vitro antigen-driven antibody response of unfractionated spleen cells stimulated by thymus-dependent antigens. Since then we have examined the function of interleukin B in a number of immune reactions, both in vitro and in vivo, and found that it inhibits the activation of suppressor T lymphocytes. We report here the production of two monoclonal antibodies (mAb) that specifically inhibit interleukin B activity. The use of these mAb in the purification and characterization of IL-B is described. IL-B from both normal and transformed B cells consists of two subunits of similar size and amino-acid composition. The structure of interleukin B and its specific behaviour in biological assay distinguish it from many other known lymphokines.     

Recognition of myelin-associated glycoprotein by the monoclonal antibody HNK-1

Myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG) is a quantitatively minor component in both peripheral and central myelin sheaths that is thought to have a role in cell-cell interactions within the nervous system. We show here that a mouse monoclonal antibody, HNK-1, which is directed against human natural killer cells also recognizes an antigenic determinant of human central and peripheral nervous system white matter by immunoperoxidase staining of tissue sections. Immunoblot analysis of myelin proteins and purified extracted MAG indicates that the antigen recognized is MAG.     

Hippocampus-dependent learning facilitated by a monoclonal antibody or D-cycloserine.

Persistent neuronal plasticity, including that observed at some hippocampal synapses, requires N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-mediated transmission. NMDA receptor activation may be necessary for hippocampus-dependent learning as antagonists block acquisition in many such tasks. The behavioural effects of NMDA agonists are less well defined. We have shown that a monoclonal antibody (B6B21) displaced [3H]-glycine that was bound specifically to the NMDA receptor, and enhanced the opening of its integral cation channel in a glycine-like fashion, effects that were competitively antagonized by 7-chlorokynurenic acid. B6B21 also enhanced long-term potentiation in hippocampal slices. We report here that intraventricular infusions of B6B21 significantly enhances acquisition rates in hippocampus-dependent trace eye blink conditioning in rabbits, halving the number of trials required to reach a criterion of 80% conditioned responses. Peripheral injections of D-cycloserine, a partial agonist of the glycine site on the NMDA receptor which crosses the blood-brain barrier, also doubles rabbits' learning rates. Pseudoconditioning control experiments indicated a lack of nonspecific behavioural sensitization effects. Our data suggest that enhanced activation of the glycine coagonist site on the NMDA receptor/channel complex facilitates one form of associative learning and may be used in other learning tasks.     

Immunization to a syngeneic sarcoma by a monoclonal auto-anti-idiotypic antibody

Idiotypic networks regulate the immune response to a variety of antigens. Antibodies generated against other antibodies, called anti-idiotypic antibodies, can themselves mimic antigen and elicit a specific immune response. They have been shown to induce delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) to model antigens in the mouse. As anti-idiotypic antibodies are thought to be involved in the response to tumour-associated antigens we tested whether injection of monoclonal antibodies derived from mice hyperimmunized to a syngeneic, chemically induced sarcoma could mimic antigen and induce DTH to the sarcoma in naive mice. One of the monoclonal antibodies, 4.72, primed BALB/c mice for DTH to the sarcoma but not for DTH to another sarcoma or to sheep erythrocytes. Antibody 4.72 did not induce DTH in mice of immunoglobulin allotype congeneic strains nor did it bind to the sarcoma cells. As antibodies specific for this sarcoma have not been detected, we do not know whether idiotype on immunoglobulin molecules is recognized by antibody 4.72. However, as the response induced by antibody 4.72 was both antigen-specific and allotype-restricted, analogous to those induced by anti-idiotypic antibodies in other systems, we propose that antibody 4.72 is an anti-idiotypic antibody.     

Antigen presentation enhanced by the alternatively spliced invariant chain gene product p41.

During biosynthesis, class II molecules of the major histocompatibility complex are associated with a nonpolymorphic protein called invariant chain, Ii, which facilitates folding of class II molecules and their exit from the endoplasmic reticulum, interferes with their association with peptide and directs their post-Golgi transport (refs 7-9). If Ii blocks class II loading with endogenous antigens in the endoplasmic reticulum and/or directs class II molecules to the exogenous antigen-loading compartment, then the co-expression of Ii should enhance the ability of class II molecules to present exogenous antigens to T cells. But data supporting a role for Ii in class II-restricted antigen presentation are controversial. Here we show that Ii can facilitate exogenous antigen presentation for a subset of antigens. Although all known functions of Ii have been ascribed to the principal form of Ii, p31, we find that in most cases antigen presentation is facilitated only by the alternatively spliced, minor form of Ii, p41.     

Formation of a nine-subunit complex by HLA class II glycoproteins and the invariant chain

HLA class II molecules are heterodimeric transmembrane glycoproteins that bind and present processed antigenic peptides to CD4-positive T lymphocytes. Intracellularly, class II molecules associate with a third subunit termed the invariant (I) chain. Here we describe the physical characteristics of the intracellular class II alpha beta I complex. Chemical crosslinking, size exclusion chromatography and sedimentation velocity studies demonstrate that the alpha beta I complex is a nine-subunit transmembrane protein that contains three alpha beta dimers associated with an I chain trimer. The organization of class II alpha- and beta-subunits in such a multimer may have a role in the documented ability of the I chain to inhibit peptide binding to class II molecules. In addition, the formation of the nine-chain complex may induce the structural changes necessary to overcome the cytoplasmic retention signal responsible for the localization of free I chain in the endoplasmic reticulum, releasing class II-I chain complexes for transport to endosomes.     

Different forms of p53 detected by monoclonal antibodies in non-dividing and dividing lymphocytes

The commitment of non-dividing cells (in G0) to enter division can be studied using primary cultures of lymphocytes. The cells are stable in G0 unless stimulated by mitogen such as concanavalin A (Con A). Commitment to enter the division cycle depends on the expression of gene(s) induced by Con A and the synthesis of p53 protein correlates with this commitment step. I show here that in unstimulated cells, a second form of p53 is synthesized and is restricted to G0.     

Cytoadherence of knobless Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes and its inhibition by a human monoclonal antibody

Red blood cells infected with mature stages of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum bind to the endothelial lining of capillaries and venules. This sequestration is important for the survival of the parasite but may have severe consequences for the host. For example, it is involved in the causation of cerebral malaria which carries 25% mortality. Knob-like protrusions present on the surface of infected erythrocytes have been considered necessary but not sufficient for this cytoadherence. Here we describe the adhesion to endothelial cells of infected erythrocytes which do not have knobs. A human monoclonal antibody (33G2) which was specific for an epitope containing regularly spaced dimers of glutamic acid present in the repeated amino-acid sequences of some defined P. falciparum antigens was found to inhibit cyto-adherence and may therefore be an important reagent for elucidating the molecular basis of parasite sequestration.     

Prevention of HIV-1 infection in chimpanzees by gp120 V3 domain-specific monoclonal antibody.

The acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is the late-stage clinical manifestation of long-term persistent infection with the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). Immune responses directed against the virus and against virus-infected cells during the persistent infection fail to mediate resolution of the infection. As a result, a successful AIDS vaccine must elicit an immune state that will prevent the establishment of the persistent infection following introduction of the virus into the host. The third hypervariable (V3) domain of the HIV-1 gp120 envelope glycoprotein is a disulphide-linked closed loop of about 30 amino acids which binds and elicits anti-HIV-1 type-specific virus-neutralizing antibodies. The in vitro characteristics of anti-V3 domain antibody suggest that this antibody could by itself prevent HIV-1 infection in vivo, an idea supported by chimpanzee challenge studies in which protection against the HIV-1 persistent infection seemed to correlate with the presence of anti-V3 domain antibody. Here we directly demonstrate the protective efficacy of anti-V3 domain antibody in vivo and propose that this antibody is potentially useful as both a pre- and post-exposure prophylactic agent.