Identification of an Activating Chicken Ig-like Receptor Recognizing Avian Influenza Viruses.

Chicken Ig-like receptors (CHIRs) represent a multigene family encoded by the leukocyte receptor complex that encodes a variety of receptors that are subdivided into activating CHIR-A, inhibitory CHIR-B, and bifunctional CHIR-AB. Apart from CHIR-AB, which functions as an Fc receptor, CHIR ligands are unknown. In the current study, we used a panel of different BWZ.

Generation of the First TCR Transgenic Mouse with CD4(+) T Cells Recognizing an Anti-inflammatory Regulatory T Cell-Inducing Hsp70 Peptide.

Antigen-specific regulatory T cells (Tregs) directed at self-antigens are difficult to study since suitable specific tools to isolate and characterize these cells are lacking. A T cell receptor (TCR)-transgenic mouse would generate possibilities to study such -antigen-specific T cells. As was shown previously, immunization with the mycobacterial heat shock protein (Hsp) 70-derived peptide B29 and its mouse homologs mB29a and mB29b induced anti-inflammatory responses.

Pathogenicity of Bovine Neonatal Pancytopenia-associated vaccine-induced alloantibodies correlates with Major Histocompatibility Complex class I expression.

Bovine Neonatal Pancytopenia (BNP), a fatal bleeding syndrome of neonatal calves, is caused by maternal alloantibodies absorbed from colostrum and is characterized by lymphocytopenia, thrombocytopenia and bone marrow hypoplasia. An inactivated viral vaccine is the likely source of alloantigens inducing BNP-associated alloantibodies in the dam. In this study the specificity of BNP alloantibodies was assessed and was linked to the pathology of BNP.

Hypothalamic vasotocin and tyrosine hydroxylase levels following maternal care and selection for low mortality in laying hens.

Background: Feather pecking and cannibalism are major concerns in poultry farming, both in terms of animal welfare and farm economics. Genetic selection and introduction of (aspects of) maternal care have been suggested as potential interventions to reduce feather pecking in laying hens. Altered brain development has been proposed to reflect welfare states in animals, and can provide more insight into the underlying processes involved in feather pecking.

Identification of a novel kisspeptin with high gonadotrophin stimulatory activity in the dog.

Kisspeptin (KISS1) and its receptor (KISS1r) are essential for normal reproductive function in many species, but the role of kiss1/kiss1r signalling in the dog has not yet been elucidated. The aims of this study were to identify the canine kiss1 and kiss1r genes and to determine gonadotrophin and oestradiol stimulatory activity of KP-10, the shortest biologically active form of KISS1. Canine kiss1 and kiss1r genes were localized by comparing the reference dog genome with relevant human cDNA sequences, using BLASTn software.

Prevention of immunoglobulin G immobilization eliminates artifactual stimulation of dendritic cell maturation by intravenous immunoglobulin in vitro.

Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg), a therapeutic preparation containing pooled human immunoglobulin (Ig) G, has been suggested to inhibit differentiation and maturation of dendritic cells (DCs); however, controversies exist on this issue. We aimed to reinvestigate the effects of IVIg on human DC maturation and cytokine production, and to determine whether an artifactual determinant is involved in the observed effects. Human monocyte-derived DCs or freshly isolated blood myeloid DCs were cultured in the presence of IVIg in vitro, and the expression of maturation markers CD80, CD86, CD83, and Human Leukocyte Antigen-DR were determined by flow cytometry, whereas production of interleukin (IL)-12 and IL-10 was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and T-cell stimulatory capacity was determined in cocultures with allogeneic CD4(+) T cells.

Membrane-bound metallothionein 1 of murine dendritic cells promotes the expansion of regulatory T cells in vitro.

Exposure to environmental toxicants can alter a range of cellular functions involved in the immune response. Increased expression of the stress protein metallothionein 1 (MT1) is one example hereof. Previously, it has been reported that MT1 has several immunosuppressive properties.

Peritoneal cavity B-1a cells promote peripheral CD4+ T-cell activation.

Innate-like murine B-1a cells are well known for their ability to secrete natural IgM. Their non-Ab mediated functions, including Ag presentation to CD4(+) T cells, are less well explored. Using combined adoptive transfer experiments with peptide-pulsed peritoneal cavity (PerC)-derived B-1a cells and CFSE-labeled T cells, we show that B-1a cells present Ag to CD4(+) T cells from the periphery in vivo.

Pre-existing virus-specific CD8(+) T-cells provide protection against pneumovirus-induced disease in mice.

Pneumoviruses such as pneumonia virus of mice (PVM), bovine respiratory syncytial virus (bRSV) or human (h)RSV are closely related pneumoviruses that cause severe respiratory disease in their respective hosts. It is well-known that T-cell responses are essential in pneumovirus clearance, but pneumovirus-specific T-cell responses also are important mediators of severe immunopathology. In this study we determined whether memory- or pre-existing, transferred virus-specific CD8(+) T-cells provide protection against PVM-induced disease.

Regulatory T cells that recognize a ubiquitous stress-inducible self-antigen are long-lived suppressors of autoimmune arthritis.

Reestablishing self-tolerance in autoimmunity is thought to depend on self-reactive regulatory T cells (Tregs). Exploiting these antigen-specific regulators is hampered by the obscure nature of disease-relevant autoantigens. We have uncovered potent disease-suppressive Tregs recognizing Heat Shock Protein (Hsp) 70 self-antigens, enabling selective activity in inflamed tissues.

Characterisation and expression analysis of the chicken interleukin-7 receptor alpha chain.

Interleukin-7 (IL-7) is a central regulator of T cell survival and homeostasis and its expression is indicative for naïve and memory T cells. We cloned chicken IL-7Ralpha (CHIL-7Ralpha) and determined its expression profile in chicken lymphocyte subpopulations. The predicted protein sequence contained 460 amino acids.

IL-10 is critically involved in mycobacterial HSP70 induced suppression of proteoglycan-induced arthritis.

Background: The anti-inflammatory capacity of heat shock proteins (HSP) has been demonstrated in various animal models of inflammatory diseases and in patients. However, the mechanisms underlying this anti-inflammatory capacity are poorly understood. Therefore, the possible protective potential of HSP70 and its mechanisms were studied in proteoglycan (PG) induced arthritis (PGIA), a chronic and relapsing, T cell mediated murine model of arthritis.

Cartilage proteoglycan-specific T cells as vectors of immunomodulatory biologicals in chronic proteoglycan-induced arthritis.

Systemic administration of agents that neutralize or antagonize Th1-mediated pro-inflammatory responses has been demonstrated to ameliorate inflammation in chronic autoimmune disease. However, systemic administration of such immunosuppressive biologicals causes serious side effects and has only limited success. To minimize these side effects, autoantigen-specific lymphocytes have been proposed as a carrier to deliver immunosuppressive agents to sites of inflammation.

Autoantigen-specific IL-10-transduced T cells suppress chronic arthritis by promoting the endogenous regulatory IL-10 response.

Deficient T cell regulation can be mechanistically associated with development of chronic autoimmune diseases. Therefore, combining the regulatory properties of IL-10 and the specificity of autoreactive CD4(+) T cells through adoptive cellular gene transfer of IL-10 via autoantigen-specific CD4(+) T cells seems an attractive approach to correct such deficient T cell regulation that avoids the risks of nonspecific immunosuppressive drugs. In this study, we studied how cartilage proteoglycan-specific CD4(+) T cells transduced with an active IL-10 gene (T(IL-10)) may contribute to the amelioration of chronic and progressive proteoglycan-induced arthritis in BALB/c mice.

Increased arthritis susceptibility in cartilage proteoglycan-specific T cell receptor-transgenic mice.

Objective: To better understand the role of antigen (arthritogenic epitope)-specific T cells in the development of autoimmune arthritis.

Methods: A transgenic (Tg) mouse expressing the T cell receptor (TCR) Valpha1.1 and V(beta)4 chains specific for a dominant arthritogenic epitope (designated 5/4E8) of human cartilage proteoglycan (HuPG) aggrecan was generated.

Naive transgenic T cells expressing cartilage proteoglycan-specific TCR induce arthritis upon in vivo activation.

Proteoglycan (PG)-induced arthritis (PGIA), a murine model for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), is driven by antigen (PG)-specific T and B cell activation. In order to analyze the pathogenic role of antigen-specific T cells in the development of autoimmune arthritis, we have generated a transgenic (Tg) mouse. The CD4(+) T cells of this TCR-5/4E8-Tg line express a functional T cell receptor (TCR) composed of the Valpha1.

Inhibition of adjuvant-induced arthritis by interleukin-10-driven regulatory cells induced via nasal administration of a peptide analog of an arthritis-related heat-shock protein 60 T cell epitope.

Objective: To prevent and treat experimental arthritis via nasal administration of an altered peptide ligand (APL) from the major arthritogenic epitope in adjuvant-induced arthritis (AIA) and to explore the mechanisms involved.

Methods: Peptides were administered nasally before and after induction of arthritis. Splenocytes and lymph node cells draining both the site of inflammation and the site of tolerance induction were used for cell transfer and were studied for antigen-specific T cell characteristics.