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C R Mackay

Publications and source records attributed to C R Mackay.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Tissue-specific migration pathways by phenotypically distinct subpopulations of memory T cells.

A proportion of T cells recirculate in a tissue-selective manner. Recent studies which showed that the skin-tropic subset of T cells was of memory/activated type, led us to examine whether the preferential homing of T cells to the gut also involved memory T cells, and if so whether these memory T cells were phenotypically distinct from other memory T cells. Lymphocytes migrating through the gut and the skin of sheep was collected by cannulating the lymphatic ducts draining these tissues. Both naive and memory T cells were found to recirculate through the gut, although only memory T cells migrated through the skin. However, when T cells from the gut were labeled with fluorescein isothiocyanate and assessed for their migration back to the gut, it was the memory population which showed a tropism for the gut. Gut-tropic memory T cells migrated poorly through the skin, indicating that these cells were distinct from skin-tropic memory T cells. This was confirmed by phenotypic analysis. Gut memory T cells expressed very low levels of the alpha 6 and beta 1 integrins, in contrast to skin memory T cells which expressed high levels. There was no evidence for heterogeneity within the naive T cell population, which migrated preferentially to lymph nodes. This migration pattern could be explained in part by the high expression of the L-selectin (lymph node homing receptor, LAM-1) on naive T cells, in contrast to memory T cells from gut or skin which were mostly L-selectin negative. These results in sheep indicate that subsets of alpha/beta memory T cells show tissue-selective migration patterns, which probably develop in a particular environment following encounter with antigen.

Animals

Altered patterns of T cell migration through lymph nodes and skin following antigen challenge.

Antigen challenge has profound effects on a regional lymph node (LN); it leads to an increase in blood flow to the node, and a marked increase in lymphocyte output through the efferent lymphatics. We used the isolated LN model developed in the sheep to see if antigen challenge in a LN resembled inflammation in peripheral tissues. Following stimulation with an antigen (purified protein derivative of tuberculin), lymphocyte output from the LN showed the typical periods of "lymphocyte shutdown" and "recruitment". The shutdown phase, when cell numbers in efferent lymph dropped by approximately 80%, affected almost exclusively the naive-type (adhesionlo, L-selectin+) T cell population. The large increase in T cell traffic through the node during the recruitment phase was mostly due to CD4+ memory-type T cells and, moreover, the majority of these T cells were L-selectin-, indicating that these cells were crossing from the blood by a molecular mechanism other than L-selectin interaction with its ligand, the "lymph node vascular addressin" (MECA-79). Examination of LN high endothelial venules revealed the presence of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), an endothelial adhesion molecule which has been reported to bind preferentially memory-type T cells in inflammatory lesions. Within the skin, antigen challenge also induced the rapid expression of VCAM-1 on vascular endothelium. It was purely memory-type T cells (beta 1+, L-selectin+/-) that collected in lymph draining from this tissue. However within chronically inflamed skin, the MECA-79 determinant appeared on vascular endothelium, and a small proportion of T cells draining from chronically inflamed skin were of naive-type. The present results illustrate that there are similarities in the cellular and molecular events that characterize antigen stimulation of a LN and inflammation in a peripheral tissue.

Animals

Migration pathways and immunologic memory among T lymphocytes.

The lymphatic and circulatory systems are essential channels for the dissemination of memory cells throughout the body. However, the migration of naive and memory T cells through these channels is not random. Naive-type T cells preferentially migrate from blood to lymph nodes whereas memory T cells preferentially migrate to tissues, particularly those with a high exposure to antigen. The large-scaled migration of naive T cells through lymph nodes increases the likelihood of these T cells encountering a primary antigen, and brings them in contact with other players, particularly antigen presenting cells. On the other hand, the migration of memory T cells to tissues such as skin or gut mucosa serves to provide an immediate protection in an environment where antigen is likely to be re-encountered. The migration of memory T cells is further rationalized, in that phenotypically distinct subsets of memory T cells migrate to specific tissues. The migration of lymphocytes through the body is controlled by adhesion molecules on the surface of lymphocytes, which interact with receptors on the surface of endothelium, and it is the differential expression of these molecules which in part controls the different migration streams of T cells through the body.

Animals

Function and evolutionary conservation of distinct epitopes on the leukocyte adhesion molecule-1 (TQ-1, Leu-8) that regulate leukocyte migration.

The leukocyte adhesion molecule-1 (LAM-1, TQ=1, Leu-8) in humans, like its murine homologue, MEL-14, is the principal receptor that mediates the binding of leukocytes to high endothelial venules (HEV) of peripheral lymph nodes. In this study, several regions of the protein which mediate receptor function were identified by using a large panel of murine mAb reactive with LAM-1. Individual mAb reacted with LAM-1+ cells with characteristic intensities of immunofluorescence staining, and each bound both lymphocytes and neutrophils. Lymphocyte attachment to HEV was significantly inhibited by the binding of five mAb. In contrast, only two of these mAb were able to completely block the binding of phosphomannan monoester core complex from the yeast Hansenula holstii cell wall (PPME), a phosphomannan monoester core polysaccharide that serves as a soluble model of the natural ligand of LAM-1. Interestingly, the binding of two anti-LAM-1 mAb to cells induced a significant increase in PPME binding, reminiscent of the increase in receptor affinity observed after leukocyte activation. Antibody cross-blocking studies indicated that many of the functionally important epitopes were spatially distinct, and domain mapping indicated that they recognized distinct domains of LAM-1. The expression and function of these epitopes were further assessed by using a variety of animal species to further characterize the functionally relevant epitopes defined in these studies. At least some anti-LAM-1 mAb reacted with leukocytes from monkey, cow, rabbit, sheep, dog, cat, pig, and goat, but not from chicken, rat, or mouse. The reactivity of anti-LAM-1 mAb in several animal species correlated with the ability of leukocytes to bind PPME, and mAb that inhibited lymphocyte binding to HEV in man could also inhibit this function in rhesus monkey and dog. Thus, several LAM-1 epitopes are structurally and functionally well conserved throughout recent mammalian evolution, emphasizing an important role for LAM-1 in the regulation of leukocyte traffic.

Animals

Somatic generation of diversity in a mammalian primary lymphoid organ: the sheep ileal Peyer's patches.

Ileal Peyer's patches (IPPs) in the sheep are composed of tightly packed follicles in which surface IgM-positive B cells proliferate and can be exported to the periphery. We report that the light chain rearrangement pattern in a single IPP follicle is much more restricted than in the entire tissue, which indicates that, as in the chicken bursa, ongoing rearrangement does not take place in this organ. Moreover, we show that B cells extensively diversify their antigen receptor while proliferating in IPP follicles. Sequencing of part of the V lambda locus indicates that this diversification is not achieved by gene conversion, but rather by untemplated somatic mutation and intense selective pressure. These results strongly imply that sheep IPPs behave as a bursa-equivalent, primary lymphoid organ of diversification and that somatic point hypermutation, which is known to proceed during secondary immune responses, can also generate an antibody repertoire.

Amino Acid Sequence

Epitopes of the T19 lymphocyte surface antigen are extensively conserved in ruminants.

The reactivity of five monoclonal antibodies (mAbs SBU-T19, 197, IL-A29, CC-15 and CC-39) specific for the T19 molecule on sheep and cattle CD4-CD8- T cells was compared. MAbs SBU-T19 and 197 were shown to recognise separate epitopes on T19. All mAbs reacted with lymphocytes from several different ruminant species and the tissue distribution and frequency of positive cells was similar in each case. None of the mAbs reacted with horse, pig or camel lymphocytes. The extensive conservation of T19 epitopes in ruminants during the mammalian radiation could indicate an important role for this molecule in the ruminant immune system.

Animals

Expression of the "T19" and "null cell" markers on gamma delta T cells of the sheep.

A 215 kDa molecule termed T19 marks CD4-CD8- T cells in sheep and cattle. In this report, we analysed the T19 or "null cell" panel of mAbs against gamma delta T cells of sheep, using a mAb specific for the gamma delta TCR. By two-colour immunofluorescence, all of the mAbs in the T19 panel reacted with gamma delta T cells or subsets thereof, although staining intensities and percentages of cells stained by the different mAbs indicated considerable heterogeneity for the T19 molecule. This probably results from differential expression of certain epitopes on T19. The reactivity of most of the mAbs for the 215 kDa T19 molecule was also confirmed by immunoprecipitation and SDS-PAGE.

Animals

T-cell memory: the connection between function, phenotype and migration pathways.

Immunological memory is a fundamental feature of vertebrate immune systems, providing enhanced protection against previously encountered antigens. The established view has been that immunological memory results from clonal expansion and long-term survival of specialized memory cells. Recently, the nature of memory T cells has come under closer scrutiny because of the ability to distinguish naive and memory T cells phenotypically, particularly in humans. In this article, Charles Mackay discusses three features of memory T cells that help to explain the nature and function of these cells: the increased expression of adhesion and activation molecules on memory T cells, their potent functional status and their specific pathways of recirculation.

Animals

Prominence of gamma delta T cells in the ruminant immune system.

The lymphoid systems of sheep and cattle contain a large number of gamma delta T cells, in striking contrast to the lymphoid systems of humans and mice. In neonatal animals particularly, these cells comprise the predominant fraction of T cells in the blood. Here Wayne Hein and Charles Mackay discuss what is currently known about the ontogeny, phenotype, tissue distribution and function of gamma delta T cells in ruminants. There are a number of interesting molecular features that characterize ruminant gamma delta T cells, but these do not entirely explain the high frequency of use of the gamma delta T-cell receptor in these animals. Studies on sheep, cattle or other animals that preferentially use gamma delta T cells should provide insights into the biological significance of the existence of two distinct forms of the T-cell receptor.

Animals

Naive and memory T cells show distinct pathways of lymphocyte recirculation.

In this report, we have addressed two questions concerning immunological memory: the way in which naive and memory T cells recirculate through the body, and the intrinsic rate of division within the naive and memory populations. We identified naive and memory T cells in sheep by their cell surface phenotype and their ability to respond to recall antigen. Memory T cells were CD2hi, CD58hi, CD44hi, CD11ahi, and CD45R-, as pertains in man. T cells that crossed from blood to the tissues of the hind leg and accumulated in the popliteal afferent lymph were all of memory phenotype. Conversely, T cells in efferent lymph, 90% of which entered the lymph node (LN) via high endothelial venules (HEV), were mostly of the naive phenotype (CD2lo, CD58lo, CD44lo, CD11alo, and CD45R+). The marked enrichment of these two phenotypes in different recirculatory compartments indicated that memory T cells selectively traffic from blood to peripheral tissues to LN (via afferent lymph), whereas naive T cells selectively traffic from blood to LN (via HEV). We argue that the differential use of these two recirculation pathways probably optimizes lymphocyte interactions with antigen. The nonrandom distribution of T cell subsets in various recirculatory compartments may be related to the relative proportion of memory cells in each subset. In particular, gamma/delta T cells in blood were almost exclusively of memory phenotype, and accumulated preferentially in afferent, but not in efferent, lymph. Finally, using the bromo-deoxyuridine labeling technique, we found that at least a sizeable proportion of memory T cells, whether in blood or afferent lymph, were a dividing population of cells, whereas naive T cells were a nondividing population. This result supports an alternative model of lymphocyte memory that assumes that maintenance of memory requires persistent antigenic stimulation.

Animals

Gamma/delta T cells express a unique surface molecule appearing late during thymic development.

The vast majority of T cells in man and mouse use the alpha/beta form of T cell receptor (TcR), and express either CD4 or CD8, whereas the small subset of gamma/delta T cells are usually CD4-CD8-. In contrast to man and mouse, the gamma/delta subset in sheep, defined here using an anti-gamma/delta monoclonal antibody (mAb), comprises 30%-60% of T cells. We show that gamma/delta T cells in sheep express a unique surface molecule termed T19 which is 215 kDa in size and unrelated to either CD45 or the TcR. The T19 molecule was expressed at a distinct stage during gamma/delta T cell ontogeny within the thymus, since gamma/delta thymocytes which appeared early in fetal ontogeny were T19- and also major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I- and localized almost exclusively to the outer cortex and cortex of the thymus. "Mature-type" gamma/delta thymocytes which emerged late in thymic development were T19+ and MHC class I+ and localized predominantly to the thymic medulla. The sequence of events indicated that these cells were most likely derived from the early gamma/delta thymocytes. These medullary gamma/delta thymocytes showed a very distinctive association with Hassall's corpuscles, suggesting a role for these structures in gamma/delta thymocyte maturation. In the periphery, T19 was expressed exclusively within the gamma/delta T cell subset, however some gamma/delta T cells were T19-. In particular, a large proportion of gamma/delta T cells within intestinal epithelium lacked T19, indicating a correlation between T19 expression and either function or homing patterns of gamma/delta T cells. Both T19+ and T19- gamma/delta T cells were CD2-, and expressed low levels of LFA-1 and CD5. In addition, gamma/delta T cells recirculated differently from other T cells, and appeared not to enter mesenteric lymph nodes at all from the blood. We propose that T19 is a maturation marker for gamma/delta T cells. In addition, the exclusive expression of T19 by gamma/delta T cells indicates that this molecule most likely serves a fundamental role in the interactions and function of gamma/delta T cells.

Animals

A large proportion of bovine T cells express the gamma delta T cell receptor and show a distinct tissue distribution and surface phenotype.

The numbers, phenotype, and tissue distribution of gamma delta T cells in cattle were studied using two monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) which react with the bovine gamma delta T cell receptor (TCR). Both mAbs stained 20-40% of T cells in peripheral blood, and immunoprecipitated molecules of 44 and 36 kd (reduced) and 70-80 kd (non-reduced). In cattle the majority of circulating gamma delta T cells showed a distinct surface phenotype; they expressed T19, a 215 kd molecule described in sheep and cattle which marks only gamma delta T cells. Bovine gamma delta T cells were also CD2-, CD4-, and mostly CD8-, and failed to express CD6, a molecule possibly involved in T cell activation. The distribution of gamma delta T cells in cattle lymphoid tissues differed markedly from that in humans, in that bovine gamma delta T cells were concentrated around lymph node trabeculae and were usually sparse or absent from the B cell and T cell domains of lymph nodes. Like most other species studied, gamma delta T cells in cattle were localized to epithelial surfaces, particularly within the skin and intestine, indicating that it was at these sites where gamma delta T cells functioned. Our results provide further evidence for the unusual localization, recirculation pattern, and phenotype of gamma delta T cells, and also show that some features of gamma delta T cells can differ quite markedly from species to species.

Animals

Surface expression of differentiation antigens on lymphocytes in the ileal and jejunal Peyer's patches of lambs.

The surface phenotype of lymphocytes in the ileal (IPP) and jejunal (JPP) Peyer's patches (PP) of lambs was compared using flow cytometry and immunohistology with a panel of monoclonal antibodies (mAb). The B-cell markers p220, BAS9A and surface Ig molecules were detected on 70-95% of cells from the IPP. T-cell markers were detected on less than 1% of IPP lymphocytes, confirming that the IPP in lambs contains virtually only B lymphocytes. The JPP contained a lower proportion of B cells and 16% T cells, nearly all of which expressed the CD4 molecule. Interestingly, the reactivity of a fourth B-cell markers, BAQ44a, differed from this pattern; only 12% of IPP lymphocytes were positive whereas 70% of JPP lymphocytes expressed this marker. A majority of both IPP and JPP lymphocytes (80-95%) expressed the cell adhesion molecules CD11a (LFA-1) and LFA-3. Other adhesion molecules, such as CD2 and CD44, were expressed by fewer cells from the IPP than from the JPP. MHC class I antigens were detected on more than 95% of lymphocytes from both the IPP and JPP. In the case of MHC class II antigens, more positive cells occurred in the IPP (greater than 95%) than in the JPP (80%). The in situ localization of cell-surface antigens was assessed by immunohistology. CD4+ T cells occurred in the interfollicular T-cell regions and in JPP follicles, whereas CD8+ T cells localized only in the interfollicular regions and were absent from follicles. The pattern of expression of B-cell markers, adhesion molecules and MHC antigens indicated that a gradient of increasing maturity of B cells existed within follicles from the base towards the dome region. The data presented here lend support to the notion that the IPP in lambs represents a novel B-cell lymphoid tissue with a function different from that of the conventional Peyer's patches found in the jejunum.

Animals