Chromosomal localization of the adrenoleukodystrophy-related gene in man and mice.

We report here on the chromosomal mapping of the adrenoleukodystrophy-related (ALDR) gene on both the human and the mouse genomes. This gene encodes a peroxisomal ATP binding cassette transporter, closely related to the transporter identified as responsible for the adrenoleukodystrophy phenotype. ALDR maps on the syntenic region on murine and human autosomes.

Selective modulation of the major histocompatibility complex class II antigen presentation pathway following B cell receptor ligation and protein kinase C activation.

We noticed that B cell receptor ligation or phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate treatment induced intracellular vesicles containing major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II and invariant chain (Ii), and increased the amount of transmembrane p12 Ii fragments coimmunoprecipitated with class II molecules. To determine the influence of protein kinase C activation on the MHC class II presentation pathway, we analyzed the subcellular distribution of Ii, the induction of SDS-stable forms of class II molecules, and their ability to present different antigens. Ii chains visualized with luminal and cytoplasmic directed antibodies appeared in early endosomal compartments accessible to transferrin in response to phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate treatment, whereas transmembrane Ii degradation products equivalent to the p12 Ii fragments were colocalized with the B cell receptors internalized after cross-linking.

Transduction of cytotoxic signals in natural killer cells: a general model of fine tuning between activatory and inhibitory pathways in lymphocytes.

NK-cells are large granular lymphocytes, which are capable of exerting two major types of effector function, cell cytotoxicity and lymphokine secretion. NK-cells can exert cell cytotoxicity in one of two ways. First, NK-cells are able to recognize and to induce the lysis of antibody-coated target cells during antibody-dependent cell cytotoxicity (ADCC).

Altered cellular proliferation and mesoderm patterning in Polycomb-M33-deficient mice.

In Drosophila, the trithorax-group and the Polycomb-group genes are necessary to maintain the expression of the homeobox genes in the appropriate segments. Loss-of-function mutations in those groups of genes lead to misexpression of the homeotic genes resulting in segmental homeotic transformations. Recently, mouse homologues of the Polycomb-group genes were identified including M33, the murine counterpart of Polycomb.

Differential mRNA expression in untreated and TNF-alpha elicited murine dendritic cells precursors.

We have compared the pattern of gene expression in long term cultured precursor dendritic cells (DC), either untreated (immature) or cultured for two days in the presence of recombinant murine (rm)-TNF alpha (mature). The hybridization signature of complex cDNA probes prepared from total RNA extracted from immature and mature DC were analyzed using a mouse thymic cDNA library, gridded on high density filters. For each clone spotted on the filters, we have measured using an imaging plate device the hybridization signals of the complex probe obtained from immature or mature DC.

Dendritic cells from mice lacking the invariant chain express high levels of membrane MHC class II molecules in vivo.

We investigated in H-2k mice bearing a genetically disrupted invariant chain (Ii) gene, the MHC class II expression and antigen presentation ability of dendritic cells (DC) freshly purified from the spleen (SpDC) or derived from bone marrow precursors (BMDC) upon treatment with GM-CSF. In the absence of Ii, class II alpha/beta heterodimers are expressed on the DC membranes to a similar extent than in control mice, in contrast to splenic B cells. Class II molecules immunoprecipitated from the plasma membrane of Ii deficient DC are compact indicating that the dimers are stabilized by antigenic peptides.

Modulation of mRNA levels in the presence of thymocytes and genome mapping for a set of genes expressed in mouse thymic epithelial cells.

Modulation of gene expression in mouse thymic epithelium upon culture in the presence of thymocytes (coculture) was studied by comparison of hybridization signatures on a set of nearly 5000 mouse thymus cDNA clones. Forty-nine differentially expressed clones (usually down-regulated in coculture) were characterized by tag sequencing. Many of them corresponded to entities that had not been described previously in the mouse, and were further characterized by genome mapping.

Function of killer cell inhibitory receptors for MHC class I molecules.

NK- and T-cells express at their surface, members of a multigenic family of killer-cell inhibitory receptors (KIR) for MHC Class I molecules. KIR engagement leads to the inhibition of NK- and T-cell activation programs. These receptors recruit the protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPase), SHP-1 and SHP-2, upon tyrosine phosphorylation of immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibition motif (ITIM) expressed in both human and mouse KIR.

The CD8 beta polypeptide is required for the recognition of an altered peptide ligand as an agonist.

T cell activation is triggered by the specific recognition of cognate peptides presented by MHC molecules. Altered peptide ligands are analogs of cognate peptides which have a high affinity for MHC molecules. Some of them induce complete T cell responses, i.

Characterization of T cell receptor single-chain Fv fragments secreted by myeloma cells.

Myeloma cells have been used to produce milligram quantities of soluble alpha beta T cell receptor (TCR) molecules as single-chain polypeptides in which the TCR variable (V) domains are connected by a peptide linker (TCR scFv). Unlike most TCR scFv produced in bacteria, the purified TCR scFv were stable and showed no tendency to aggregate when kept at concentrations up to 10 mg/ml. Circular dichroism analyses of the TCR scFv indicated that they contained a high proportion of beta-pleated sheet structures.

Developmental control of antigen-induced thymic transcription factors.

Antigen engagement of the TCR may lead to activation of mature T cells while inducing deletion or positive selection of immature thymocytes. Using thymocytes from TCR transgenic mice recognizing the allo-antigen H-2Kb we investigated whether double-positive CD4+CD8+ (DP) thymocytes constitute a particular developmental stage where signals originating from surface receptor engagement will lead to distinct nuclear signaling. We show that the developmental control of transcription factors is apparent, at least at two levels.

Molecular cloning of a mammalian ABC transporter homologous to Drosophila white gene.

Pigmentation of Drosophila eyes requires the concerted action of several genes, most of which have been cloned and characterized. Three of them, white, brown, and scarlet, have been directly implicated in the import of pigment precursors into the cells. These three genes encode similar proteins, belonging to the evolutionary conserved family of ATP Binding Cassette transporters.

MHC class I molecules are implicated in costimulatory signals during TCR/CD3-induced activation.

Mouse MHC class I-specific mAbs recognizing the alpha 1/alpha 2, but not those directed against the alpha 3 domain of the molecule, inhibited RNA, protein, and DNA synthesis of splenic T cells in response to stimulation through the TCR/CD3 complex. Similar inhibition was seen with LFA-1-specific mAbs under the same stimulation conditions. The effect of class I- and LFA-1-specific mAbs reflected a decrease of both IL-2 and IFN-gamma synthesis and IL-2 receptor alpha chain induction.

Cytokinesis arrest and redistribution of actin-cytoskeleton regulatory components in cells expressing the Rho GTPase CDC42Hs.

In mammalian cells, Rho GTPases control the reorganisation of the actin cytoskeleton in response to growth factors. In the cytoplasm, the polymerisation of actin filaments and their organisation into complex architectures is orchestrated by numerous proteins which act either directly, by interacting with actin, or by producing secondary messengers which serve as mediators between signal transduction pathways and the microfilament organisation. We sought to determine whether the intracellular distribution of some of these regulatory components may be controlled by the Rho GTPase CDC42Hs.

The ATP binding cassette transporter ABC1, is required for the engulfment of corpses generated by apoptotic cell death.

ATP binding cassette (ABC) transporters define a family of proteins with strong structural similarities conserved across evolution and devoted to the translocation of a variety of substrates across cell membranes. A few members of the family are known in mammals, but although all of them are medically relevant proteins, knowledge of their molecular function remains scanty. We report here a morphological and functional study of the recently identified mammalian ABC transporter, ABC1.

The VDJ repertoire expressed in human preB cells reflects the selection of bona fide heavy chains.

In early steps of B cell differentiation, mu chains are transiently expressed in association with a surrogate light chain (psi L) composed of the lambda-like and VpreB monomorphic polypeptides, thus forming a putative preB receptor. Using a monoclonal anti-VpreB antibody, preB cells were isolated from two adult human bone marrow samples and their VDJ repertoire analyzed at the transcription level. All VH families were identified and further analysis focused on VH3 sequence analysis of 37 distinct VDJ cDNA clones.

Two signaling pathways can lead to Fas ligand expression in CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocyte clones.

As shown previously, a given cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) clone (KB5.C20) could be induced to express the Fas ligand (FasL) by either T cell receptor (TCR) engagement or phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA)/ionomycin stimulation. In contrast, another CTL clone (BM3.

The rab7 GTPase resides on a vesicular compartment connected to lysosomes.

Rab GTPases belong to the Ras GTPase superfamily and are key regulators of membrane traffic. Among them, rab7 has been localized on late endosomes of NRK cells but its function remains unknown. In order to investigate its role, we generated stable HeLa cell lines that express either wild type or a GTPase-defective mutant of rab7 in an inducible manner.

Altered T cell development in mice with a targeted mutation of the CD3-epsilon gene.

To determine which CD3 components are required for early T cell development, we generated mice with a targeted mutation of the CD3-epsilon gene and characterized their T cell populations relative to those found in CD3-zeta/eta-and recombinase activating gene (RAG)-deficient mice. In the absence of intact CD3-epsilon subunit, thymocytes do not progress beyond the CD44-/lowCD25+ triple-negative stage and appear to be arrested at the very same developmental control point as RAG-deficient thymocytes. In contrast, the disruption of the CD3-epsilon/eta gene does not totally abrogate the progression through this control point.

Differential gene expression in the murine thymus assayed by quantitative hybridization of arrayed cDNA clones.

High-throughput measurement of hybridization signatures obtained using complex probes prepared from poly(A)+ RNA and high-density cDNA colony filters is described. The performance of the system, elimination of artifacts, and verification of the validity of the data are discussed. cDNAs corresponding to sequences present at levels of approximately 0.

Influence of MHC class I molecules on T-cell proliferation induced by CD3 or Thy-1 stimulation.

We have reported that class I- [and lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1 (LFA-1-)] specific monoclonal antibodies (mAb) inhibit anti-CD3-mediated activation of naive T cells. The present study investigated the mechanism of this inhibition. CD28-specific mAb augmented stimulation induced by soluble CD3 mAb, but this costimulation was also inhibited by anti-class I or anti-LFA-1 mAb.