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G K Lewis

Publications and source records attributed to G K Lewis.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Arsonate-specific murine T cell clones. III. Correlation between clonotype expression and fine specificity for analogs of L-tyrosine-p-azobenzenearsonate.

Despite recent advances in our understanding of T cell antigen receptor structure, relatively little is known about the role of this receptor in MHC-restricted antigen recognition. To study this problem, we have developed a panel of ABA-Tyr-reactive, I-Ak-restricted T cell clones that differ in their ability to recognize structural analogs of ABA-Tyr. Three fine specificity groups have been defined. In each group, ABA-Tyr elicited the strongest response of any of the antigens tested. Group I clones responded to ABA-conjugated hydroxyphenyl-ethanol (ABA-HPE). Group II clones responded to ABA-conjugated hydroxyphenyl-methanol (ABA-HPM) but not to ABA-HPE, and group III clones responded only to ABA-Tyr. These studies show that differences as small as a single methylene group can dramatically affect fine specificity. Because these clones are all I-Ak-restricted, it was possible to correlate receptor serology with fine specificity. To this end, monoclonal anti-clonotypes were made against clone 16-F2 from group I and used to study the relationship between fine specificity and clonotype expression. A panel of 15 T cell clones studied with four anti-clonotype antibodies showed a strict correlation between clonotype expression and fine specificity. Taken together, these data suggest that the structure recognized by the anti-clonotype antibodies is a determinant of receptor fine specificity.

Animals↗

Idiotypic properties of the murine anti-arsonate antibody response: B- and T-cell influences.

In a previous report characterizing the arsonate (ABA)-specific plaque-forming cell (PFC) responses of A/J mice induced by ABA-KLH, two interesting characteristics of the idiotypic (Id) profile were noted: (1) an apparent Id selectivity in the isotype switch since the earliest appearing IgG PFC in the primary response were significantly more "cross-reactive Id" (CRI)-dominant than the IgM PFC population, and, (2) a temporal waning of CRI dominance with time among IgG PFC, from 75-100% CRI+ PFC to about 25-45% CRI+ PFC in secondary responses. Experiments were performed to determine whether these effects are largely attributable to T or to B cells. Mice were immunized with a T-independent (TI) form of ABA (ABA-Brucella abortus) and apparent Id selectivity was observed; the earliest IgG PFC averaged 75% CRI+ while IgM PFC were only 39% CRI+. Due to the TI nature of the Ag, this provides suggestive, but not conclusive, evidence that the Id asymmetry in the isotype switch may be attributable to the direct interaction of Ag with B cells. Other studies addressed the temporal shift in CRI dominance. First, it was found that preexposure of mice to either KLH or to ABA (on an irrelevant carrier) resulted in diminished CRI dominance in subsequent "primary" responses to ABA-KLH. Secondly, adoptive transfer experiments with B and T cells from virgin mice (Bv, Tv) or ABA-KLH-primed mice (Bp, Tp) showed that recipients of Bv + Tp or Bp + Tv generated anti-ABA PFC responses with intermediate CRI levels. The Tv cells had some preferential tendency to activate CRI+ clones in the Bp population. The results demonstrate that CRI levels are jointly determined by the immune status of both B and T cells. A simple model is offered which accounts for early Id dominance and its gradual decline and has as its central postulate the assumption that CRI+ B cells in the virgin ABA-specific repertoire have an affinity advantage over CRI- clones.

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Idiotype connectance in the immune system. II. A heavy chain variable region idiotope that dominates the antibody response to the p-azobenzenearsonate group is a minor idiotope in the response to trinitrophenyl group.

We describe the recurrence of a cross-reactive idiotope (CRIAD8) in antibody responses to different epitopes, and explore factors leading to its dominance in some responses, but not others. Serological and genomic DNA analyses showed that CRIAD8 is a marker of the CRIa heavy chain variable region (VH) that encodes the majority of anti-p-azobenzenearsonate (anti-ABA) antibodies. The independence of CRIAD8 from any particular light chain or antigen specificity was underscored by the fact that we could isolate hybridomas that secrete antitrinitrophenyl (TNP) antibodies expressing CRIAD8, with lambda 1 light chains. CRIAD8 is dominant in anti-ABA responses, recurrent but nondominant in anti-TNP and anti-chicken gammaglobulin responses, and is virtually absent in other antihapten responses, including that to p-azobenzenephosphonate (ABP), which contains an ABA-cross-reactive component (approximately 5-40%). Dominance in the anti-TNP response could not be achieved by immunization with doubly haptenated TNP-ABA-KLH (keyhole limpet hemocyanin), where the anti-ABA response was dominated by CRIAD8. These observations suggest that, while the CRIAD8 VH region is necessary for idiotypic dominance, it is not sufficient. Apparently, an additional specificity is required. Since immunization with ABA calls up anti-ABP antibodies that express CRIAD8, but not vice versa, it is possible that the additional specificity is ABA itself. This possibility imposes a new constraint on the specificity of the putative idiotype-specific regulation that may establish dominance in the CRIa system.

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Multistep transformation by defined fragments of herpes simplex virus type 2 DNA: oncogenic region and its gene product.

Diploid Syrian hamster embryo cells transfected with Bgl II C fragment of herpes simplex virus type 2 DNA acquired a neoplastic phenotype. Cultures transfected with its left-hand 64% subclone EcoRI/HindIII fragment AE (0.419-0.525 map unit) grew into established but nontumorigenic lines. Transfection of EcoRI/HindIII AE-immortalized cells with a 4.4-kilobase Sac I/BamHI subfragment within BamHI E (0.554-0.584 map unit; overlaps the right-hand 16% of Bgl II C) converted them to tumorigenicity. The 4.4-kilobase subfragment encodes a 144-kDa protein immunologically and structurally similar to an infected cell protein designated ICP 10. DNA extracted from cells transformed with the 4.4-kilobase subfragment exhibited discrete hybridizing bands homologous to BamHI E fragment. Monoclonal antibody to ICP 10 precipitated a 144-kDa protein from the transformed cells and stained them in immunofluorescence. A tumor derivative established with the transformed cells did not stain with this antibody, but approximately equal to 25% of the cells stained with a monoclonal antibody to c-myc protooncogene products.

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Isolation of monoclonal antibodies specific for human c-myc proto-oncogene product.

Six monoclonal antibodies have been isolated from mice immunized with synthetic peptide immunogens whose sequences are derived from that of the human c-myc gene product. Five of these antibodies precipitate p62c-myc from human cells, and three of these five also recognize the mouse c-myc gene product. None of the antibodies sees the chicken p110gag-myc protein. All six antibodies recognize immunoblotted p62c-myc. These reagents also provide the basis for an immunoblotting assay by which to quantitate p62c-myc in cells.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

Arsonate-specific murine T cell clones. II. Delayed-type hypersensitivity induced by P-azobenzenearsonate-L-tyrosine (ABA-Tyr).

To study T cell idiotype expression at the functional level, we developed a hapten-specific delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) system by which we avoid the complication of anti-hapten antibody and which is specific only for the immunizing hapten, and not for conjugate specific determinants. Immunization with ABA-Tyr and challenge with ABA diazonium induced footpad swelling with the characteristics of DTH. Anti-ABA antibodies did not contribute to this reaction, as they were undetectable in mice immunized with ABA-Tyr. Furthermore, this ABA-Tyr-specific DTH was under Ir gene control identical to that reported for ABA-Tyr-specific lymphocyte proliferation. All mouse strains tested responded to ABA-Tyr except those of the b haplotype across the entire Ia region. In contrast, contact sensitivity induced by ABA diazonium was not under apparent Ir gene control, probably reflecting 1) different specificities of the induced T cells and 2) the production of anti-ABA antibodies that contribute to the footpad swelling via an Arthus reaction. Having shown that ABA-Tyr can induce T cells mediating DTH, we then examined ABA-Tyr-reactive T cell clones, propagated in vitro, for their ability to mediate DTH. Such clones elicited a response identical to that seen with in vivo immunization with respect to dose dependency, I-Ak restriction, and antigen specificity.

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Antibodies to the scrapie protein decorate prion rods.

Scrapie is a degenerative, transmissible neurologic disease of sheep and goats which occurs in the absence of any detectable host immune response. Antibodies to the scrapie agent have been produced after immunization of rabbits with either scrapie prions or the prion protein, PrP 27-30, purified from infected hamster brain. Immunoreactivity of the antisera was assessed by dot and Western immunoblots with purified prions and PrP 27-30. Antibodies raised against infectious prions were more immunoreactive with native than denatured preparations, whereas those raised against PrP 27-30 were more reactive with denatured prion preparations. As determined by second antibody-colloidal gold, both antisera were found to decorate scrapie prion rods in purified preparations. Antibodies to cellular filamentous proteins failed to react with PrP 27-30 or the scrapie prion rods; conversely, antibodies to PrP 27-30 did not exhibit immunoreactivity with cellular filamentous proteins. The monospecificity of the rabbit antiserum raised against PrP 27-30 was established by its reactivity after affinity purification. The purified antibodies reacted with PrP 27-30 on Western blots and with the prion rods. Considerable evidence indicates that the scrapie rods are aggregates of infectious prions; the findings presented here provide an immunologic demonstration that PrP 27-30 is a structural component of the prion rods.

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Differential induction of help and suppression in mice by bifunctional antigens administered via different routes.

Bifunctional antigens composed of one L-tyrosine-p-azobenzenearsonate (Tyr-ABA) carrier epitope and one dinitrophenyl (DNP) haptenic epitope separated by 6-aminocaproyl or polyprolyl spacers induced weak IgM anti-DNP plaque-forming cell (PFC) responses in the spleens of mice immunized intraperitoneally, without detectable IgG PFC. However, the same antigens introduced into the footpads induced IgG PFC responses in the draining lymph nodes which rose to levels greater than 100/10(6) viable lymphocytes. Moreover, the response in the lymph nodes to booster injections of antigen was characteristic of secondary T-dependent antibody responses, whereas the splenic secondary response simply mirrored the primary. The magnitude of the IgG PFC response was influenced by the size of the spacer and by the strain of mice, although genetic control did not map to the major histocompatibility complex. Prior i.p. immunization suppressed the IgG response to subsequent immunization in the footpads. This suppression could be transferred to normal syngeneic recipient mice with spleen cells from suppressed donors. Suppressor activity was eliminated by treating the spleen cells with anti-Thy-1 antibody prior to transfer, establishing the T-cell dependency of suppression. Suppression was also induced by Tyr-ABA itself, but not by DNP-lysine, indicating the epitope specificity of the suppressor cells. Thus, bifunctional antigens induce dominant suppression in the spleen but significant help in lymph nodes.

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The anatomy of an antigen molecule: functional subregions of L-tyrosine-p-azobenzenearsonate.

The structural components of antigen molecules that interact with class II major histocompability complex (MHC) molecules on antigen-presenting cells (APCs) (agretopes) and with antigen receptors of T-lymphocytes (epitopes) in class II restricted T-cell responses have not been precisely defined. This issue was addressed here using murine T-cell clones specific for the simple immunogen L-tyrosine-p-azobenzenearsonate (ABA-tyr) and a series of analogs of the homologous antigen. Two experimental approaches were used. First, APCs were pulsed with analogs and used to stimulate T-cell proliferation. The patterns of stimulation segregated the clones into two specificity groups and indicated that the epitope recognized by the T-cell included the arsonate group and elements in the side chain of tyrosine. Furthermore, the clones manifest different sensitivities to antigen. Second, non-stimulatory analogs were used to block the presentation of ABA-tyr in an effort to define the agretope. Compounds containing the azophenyl group blocked presentation of ABA-tyr in a dose-dependent fashion, whereas p-arsanilic acid and L-tyrosine were ineffective. The blocking was specific inasmuch as the compounds had no effect on the antigen-induced proliferative responses of giant keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) or hen egg white lysozyme (HEL)-reactive T-cell clones. The blocking pattern indicated that the feature required for productive association with the APC centered on the planar structure of the azo-linked aromatic rings, with little or no contribution from either the arsonate moiety or the tyrosyl side chain. We propose that this structure forms an agretope for this family of compounds.

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Isolation of monoclonal antibodies specific for products of avian oncogene myb.

We isolated a series of monoclonal antibodies which were raised against a bacterially expressed protein, bp37v-myb, and coded for by part of the avian v-myb gene. These monoclonal antibodies recognized a range of antigenic specificities on bp37v-myb, and this was reflected in their differing specificities for the gene products of the v-myb, c-myb, and E26 viral oncogenes. One monoclonal antibody recognized, in addition to the v-myb and c-myb gene products, a conserved nuclear protein found in all tested cells. We describe the characterization of these monoclonal antibodies.

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Idiotype profile of an immune response. II. Reversal of the relative dominance of major and minor cross-reactive idiotypes in arsonate-specific T-independent responses.

Two different cross-reactive idiotype (CRI) groups are distinguishable in the Ab response of A/J mice to the p-azobenzenearsonate (ABA) hapten: CRIA and CRIm. These two groups showed distinct patterns of relative dominance in the ensuing response depending on whether the inducing Ag was a T cell-dependent (TD) form of ABA, such as ABA-KLH or ABA-CGG, or a T-independent type 1 (TI-1) form, such as ABA-Brucella abortus or ABA-lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and on whether the response was elicited in vivo or in vitro. The CRI+ component of primary in vivo plaque-forming cell (PFC) responses to TD ABA Ags was largely (greater than 90%) CRIA+ as was, to a slightly lesser extent (greater than 75%) the CRI+ portion of secondary or hyperimmune serum Ab or PFC responses to the same Ags. In contrast, in vivo primary and hyperimmune PFC responses to ABA-Bru or ABA-LPS showed a significantly lower CRIA/CRI ratio, averaging 0.5-0.6, with some individual mice giving figures as low as 0.2, indicating predominance of CRIm over CRIA. Serological analysis of hyperimmune anti-ABA Abs from a group of 5 A/J mice immunized with ABA-Bru gave a figure of less than 0.5 for the CRIA/CRI ratio. The most striking disparity from the TD pattern was seen in primary in vitro PFC responses to the TI ABA Ags; here ratios of less than 0.2 were generally seen. Since T cell removal did not alter the Id pattern in the TI responses, CRIA-specific Ts cells do not account for the weak expression of CRIA in such responses. We propose a model that explains these results on the basis of differential expression of IdX dominance by two distinct B cell subpopulations--equatable to the Lyb-5+ and Lyb-5- B cell subsets--along with differential relative activation of these subsets in different types of responses. Examination of anti-ABA PFC responses of F1 progeny of CBA/N and A/J mice to ABA-Bru lends support to this hypothesis since CRIA expression was significantly lower in mice with the xid defect.

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Idiotype connectance in the immune system. I. Expression of a cross-reactive idiotype on induced anti-p-azophenylarsonate antibodies and on endogenous antibodies not specific for arsonate.

A new cross-reactive idiotope family (CRIAD8) is described that contains subpopulations of antibodies binding to different epitopes. One subpopulation occurs naturally in normal sera from strain A mice, is found mainly on IgG2 and IgG3 subclasses, does not bind p-azobenzenearsonate (ABA)+, does not express CRI5Ci, and can be selectively stimulated by low doses of antiidiotype antibody (AD8). The second subpopulation is not found in normal serum, binds ABA, is found on all IgG subclasses, expresses CRI5Ci, and is selectively stimulated by ABA-conjugated proteins. Since CRIAD8 was found on both subpopulations of antibody, and since each subpopulation could be selectively expanded, it was possible to study the effect that expansion of the ABA- CRIAD8+ set had on subsequent responses elicited by ABA-keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) in the ABA+ CRIAD8+ set. In these experiments, prior immunization with AD8 restricted the subsequent response of the ABA+ CRIAD8+ set to ABA-KLH. Furthermore, only those doses of AD8 that stimulated the ABA-CRIAD8+ set reduced the responsiveness of the ABA+ CRIAD8+ set to ABA-KLH, suggesting that the two phenomena are causally related. These findings argue that CRIAD8 correlates well with a regulatory idiotope and that immune responses by lymphocyte clones that have different antigen-binding specificities can affect one another as a result of their sharing such an idiotope. These results strongly favor a network organization of the immune system.

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Arsonate-specific murine T cell clones. I. Genetic control and antigen specificity.

The antigen-induced proliferative response of lymph node cells (LNC) from mice sensitized to the monofunctional antigen L-tyrosine-p-azobenzenearsonate (ABA-Tyr) was used to monitor genetic control. All strains tested mounted significant responses, but those that were H-2(b) at both the I-A and I-E loci [B10., B6., B10.A(18R), A.BY, and C3H.SW] gave consistently weaker responses than other haplotypes. The F(1) progeny of matings between high and low responder phenotype parents (DBA/2 and B6, respectively) were high responders, establishing the dominance of the responder trait. Proliferative responses of LNC to ABA-Tyr were blocked by the appropriate anti-Ia monoclonal reagents. For example, B10.A(4R) LNCI (I-A(k), I-E(b)) were blocked by anti-I-A(k), whereas B10.A(3R) LNC (I-A(b), I-E(k)) were blocked by anti-I-E(k). Long-term cultures of T cell lines specifically reactive to ABA-Tyr were established from LNC of A/J mice immunized with ABA-Tyr and were cloned by limiting dilution. The proliferative responses to ABA-Tyr of 14 out of 15 clones tested were I-A restricted on the basis of activation by antigen-presenting cells from appropriate recombinant strains and the blocking activity of the monoclonal anti-Ia antibodies. The response of the other clone was I-E restricted. The fine antigen specificity of the clones was studied using structural analogs of the homologous antigen to induce proliferation. The clones could be divided into three types with respect to responsiveness to ABA-histidine (ABA-His). One group responded about equally well to ABA-His and ABA-Tyr. A second set responded less strongly to ABA-His than to ABA-Tyr, while the third showed no response above background to ABA- His. In all instances, the ABA-His-responding clones discriminated exquisitely between the 2-azo and 4-azo histidine isomers, responding only to the 4-azo compound. These T cell clones provide extremely useful tools for studies of T cell specificity, antigen recognition and lymphoid cell interaction systems.

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Idiotype profile of an immune response. I. Contrasts in idiotypic dominance between primary and secondary responses and between IgM and IgG plaque-forming cells.

The primary response of A/J mice to p-azobenzenearsonate-keyhole limpet hemocyanin (ABA-KLH) was investigated. A day-by-day analysis at the plaque- forming cell (PFC) level was performed, with inhibition by anti-cross- reactive idiotype (CRI) serum to determine percentage of CRI(+) PFC. A regular pattern in the dynamics of Id (idiotype) dominance was observed. Just as in the NP-b and NP-a systems (9, 12), the major Id (CRI) is more dominant in primary than in secondary or hyperimmune responses. This trend is more apparent in IgG PFC which are generally 80-95 percent CRI(+) at day 10 in the primary response but only 30-40 percent CRI(+) at day 10 in secondary or hyperimmune responses. A somewhat different pattern is seen with IgM PFC. These may reach a peak of 85 percent CRI(+) in the primary response, but secondary or hyperimmune IgM PFC, which are lower in numbers than IgG PFC, remain high in CRI content at approximately 70 percent. The PFC data on extent of id dominance in secondary or hyperimmune responses is fully compatible with previously reported serological data by others. Analysis of IgG PFC by hapten inhibition indicated that heterogeneity was in the order secondary PFC {greater than} primary PFC {greater than} hybridoma AK-2.2 PFC with H(75)/H(25) values of 22.9, 6.2, and 2.7, respectively; where H(75) and H(25) are the hapten concentrations required to give 75 percent and 25 percent of inhibition of PFC, respectively. Hapten inhibition data also suggested that secondary IgG PFC were 10 times higher in median binding avidity for ABA-L-tyrosine than primary IgG PFC. The kinetic analysis strongly indicated that CRI(+) IgM PFC were preferentially switched to IgG PFC in the primary response. In both studies, the CRI content of the earliest-appearing IgG PFC was significantly higher than that of IgM PFC on that day. For example, in one case IgM PFC were 60 percent CRI + on day 6 whereas IgG PFC were 100 percent CRI(+). The high Id dominance and selective isotype switching may have either a B or a T cell basis.

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