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Biomedical subjects

J McCluskey

Publications and source records attributed to J McCluskey.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

EEA1, an early endosome-associated protein. EEA1 is a conserved alpha-helical peripheral membrane protein flanked by cysteine "fingers" and contains a calmodulin-binding IQ motif.

Early endosomes are cellular compartments receiving endocytosed material and sorting them for vesicular transport to late endosomes and lysosomes or for recycling to the plasma membrane. We have cloned a human cDNA encoding an evolutionarily conserved 180-kDa protein on early endosomes named EEA1 (Early Endosome Antigen1). EEA1 is associated with early endosomes since it co-localizes by immunofluorescence with the transferrin receptor and with Rab5 but not with Rab7. Immunoelectron microscopy shows that it is associated with tubulovesicular early endosomes containing internalized bovine serum albumin-gold. EEA1 is a hydrophilic peripheral membrane protein present in cytosol and membrane fractions. It partitions in the aqueous phase after Triton X-114 solubilization and is extracted from membranes by 0.3 M NaCl. It is a predominantly alpha-helical protein sharing 17-20% sequence identity with the myosins and contains a calmodulin-binding IQ motif. It is flanked by metal-binding, cysteine "finger" motifs. The COOH-terminal fingers, Cys-X2-Cys-X12-Cys-X2-Cys and Cys-X2-Cys-X16-Cys-X2-Cys, are present within a region that is strikingly homologous with Saccharomyces cerevisiae FAB1 protein required for endocytosis and with Caenorhabditis elegans ZK632. These fingers also show limited conservation with S. cerevisiae VAC1, Vps11, and Vps18p proteins implicated in vacuolar transport. We propose that EEA1 is required for vesicular transport of proteins through early endosomes and that its finger motifs are required for this activity.

3T3 Cells

Intra- and intermolecular spreading of autoimmunity involving the nuclear self-antigens La (SS-B) and Ro (SS-A).

We have tested the extent of immune self-tolerance to the ubiquitously expressed nuclear/cytoplasmic autoantigens La (SS-B) and Ro (SS-A) in healthy, nonautoimmune mice. Immunization of mice with recombinant mouse La resulted in a specific, isotype-switched autoantibody response, which was initially directed toward the La C subfragment (aa 111-242) but rapidly spread to involve the La A (aa 1-107) and La F (aa 243-345) regions of the La antigen. Intramolecular spreading of the anti-La antibody response was further demonstrated by the appearance of autoantibodies to multiple, nonoverlapping antigenic regions of La, after immunization of mice with the 107-aa La A subfragment. Moreover, immunization of mice with recombinant mouse or human La also elicited specific anti-60-kDa Ro IgG antibodies in all strains tested. Mice immunized with 60-kDa Ro produced a high titer anti-Ro antibody response, which was also associated with intermolecular spreading, resulting in the specific appearance of anti-La autoantibodies. These findings show that the development of autoantibodies to multiple components of the La/Ro ribonucleoprotein complex may follow initiation of immunity to a single component. In addition, the data reveal the incomplete nature of immune tolerance to La and Ro despite their endogenous expression in all nucleated cells. These observations are likely to account for the coexistence of anti-La/Ro antibodies in autoimmune disease and suggest a general explanation for the appearance of mixed autoantibody patterns in systemic autoimmune disorders.

Animals

Analysis of the tissue movements of embryonic wound healing--DiI studies in the limb bud stage mouse embryo.

The tissue movements of epithelial spreading and mesenchymal contraction play key roles in many aspects of embryonic morphogenesis. One way of studying these movements in a controlled manner is to make an excisional skin wound to an embryo and watch the wound heal. In this paper we report our studies of healing of a simple excisional lesion made to the limb bud stage mouse embryo. The wounded, living embryo is cultured in a roller bottle; under such conditions the wound heals with a highly reproducible time course and is completely closed by 24 hr. During the healing period the environment bathing the wound can be simply manipulated by adding drugs or factors to the culture medium. We have used DiI to label mesenchymal cells exposed at the margin of the initial wound and, by following their fate and measuring the area of mesenchyme remaining exposed at various time points during the healing process, we have quantified both the extent of mesenchymal contraction and the extent of reepithelialisation by movement of epidermis over mesenchyme. We show that the two types of tissue movement contribute almost equally (50:50) to the total wound closure rate. We have gone on to investigate the cell machinery underlying these processes. In adult wounds the epidermis migrates by means of lamellipodial crawling, but we show that reepithelialisation in the embryo is achieved instead by purse-string contraction of a cable of filamentous actin which assembles in the basal layer of cells at the free edge of the epidermis. Addition of cytochalasin D to the culture medium blocks formation of this actin cable and leads to failure of reepithelialisation. Contraction of adult wound connective tissue appears to be driven by conversion of dermal fibroblasts into a specialist smooth muscle-like fibroblast, the myofibroblast. However, using an antibody recognising the alpha-isoform of smooth muscle actin and specific for smooth muscle cells and myofibroblasts, we show that a similar conversion into myofibroblasts does not occur at any stage during the embryonic wound healing process. These observations indicate that both of the tissue movements of embryonic wound healing utilise cell machinery fundamentally different from that driving the analogous tissue movements of adult healing.

Actins

Class II cytoplasmic and transmembrane domains are not required for class II-mediated B cell spreading.

B cells cultured on immobilized anti-class II monoclonal antibody (mAb) change from round to flattened cells, with lamellipodia and filopodia. This change in cell morphology, termed 'spiders', occurs within 30 min upon culture and is mediated through either I-A or I-E molecules. Class II molecules that are defective in mediating protein kinase C (PKC) due to the deletions of both alpha and beta chain's cytoplasmic (Cy) domain sequences can induce spider formation. B-cell transfectants that express chimeric MHC class II/class I molecules, where the ectodomains are class II sequences and the transmembrane and Cy domains are class I sequences also form spiders when cultured on anti-class II mAb. The spider morphology is not induced by either anti-immunoglobulin (Ig) or anti-MHC class I mAb. Treatment of B cells to increase intracellular cAMP, a component of the class II signaling pathway also results in spider formation with the same kinetics and percent change in the responding population as that induced by anti-class II mAb. Cytochalasin A treatment which disrupts cytoskeletal actin filaments and the tyrosine kinase inhibitor, genistein, both inhibit spider formation. Actin redistributes from a concentric ring in round cells to the ends of the filopodia in the spiders. The mechanism of spider induction whether resultant from second messengers following class II signaling or from non-signaling-induced physical interactions of class II with intracellular cytoskeletal components only requires the extracellular domains of class II. The biologic relevance of B-cell spiders is currently not known but has been reported to be associated with class II signal transduction and efficient Ag presentation.

Actins

Evolution in HLA-DRB1 and major histocompatibility complex class II haplotypes of Australian aborigines. Definition of a new DRB1 allele and distribution of DRB1 gene frequencies.

The distribution of HLA-DRB1 alleles was studied in Australian aborigines from different parts of Australia. There were significant differences in the frequencies of DRB1*0412, 1409, and 1410 between the Central Desert and Yuendumu populations and the previously reported Cape York and Kimberley aboriginal populations. A new DRB1 allele, DRB1*1414, present at low frequency in the Central Desert population, was identified. DRB1*1414 appears to be closely related to DRB1*1407 and is proposed to have arisen by intragenic recombination. A novel DR-DQ haplotype, DRB1*1402-DRB3*0101-DQA1*0501-DQB1*0402, was also identified. This haplotype may be ancestral to the DRB1*1409-DQB1*0402 haplotype present in these populations. The presence of alleles and haplotypes apparently confined to Australian aboriginal populations and differences in the distribution of these alleles in different populations suggests that evolution has occurred in the class II region in the period since colonization of Australia, an estimated 50,000 years ago.

Amino Acid Sequence

T cell response to grass pollen allergens: correlation with skin test reactivity and serum IgE levels.

T cell proliferative responses to rye and Bermuda grass pollen allergens have been studied in a series of 51 atopic and 18 non-atopic subjects. Mean T cell responses were higher in the atopic group than in the non-atopic group (P < 0.001), and there was a strong correlation between the magnitude of reaction in the T cell assay and in the skin test (rye P < 0.01, Bermuda P < 0.05). A similar association was shown between T cell reactivity and serum levels of allergen-specific IgE (rye P < 0.05, Bermuda P < 0.05), but no relationship was found between serum allergen-specific IgG levels and any other parameter studied. T cell reactivity was not found in three cord blood samples tested. Discordance between positivity for T cell responses and skin test reactions in some cases might reflect reactivity by T cell subsets that promote IgG antibody or cell-mediated responses without IgE antibody production. A precise knowledge of T cell recognition of grass pollen allergens will provide exciting new prospects for more effective and safer immunotherapy strategies for allergic diseases including asthma.

Adult

MHC proteins and heparan sulphate proteoglycans regulate murine cytomegalovirus infection.

Factors influencing MCMV infection mediated by MHC class 1 molecules were analysed further as previous studies showed that the effects of the MHC genotype on sensitivity to this virus are important in vivo. Here we show that H-2d, H-2b, H-2r and H-2v macrophages are highly sensitive to MCMV. Moreover, transfection of H-2k L-cells with Kb or Dd conferred sensitivity to MCMV. This was not affected by amino acid substitutions in Kb alpha 1 or alpha 2, although previous studies demonstrated that exchange of the alpha 1 domain of Dd with Ld alpha 1 compromised sensitivity. Here replacement of Kb alpha 3 with Ld alpha 3 reduced susceptibility to low doses of MCMV. In addition, extracellular beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2m) promoted infection of beta 2m-negative RIE/TL8X.1 cells transfected with Db with or without a beta 2m gene. Hence MCMV infection can involve beta 2m and the alpha 1 and alpha 3 domains of MHC heavy chains. MCMV infection of L-cells expressing Dd or Kb was also inhibited by heparin, but infection of the parental L-cell line was not reproducibly affected. A role for heparan sulphate proteoglycan in MHC-mediated MCMV infection was confirmed using cells pre-treated with heparinase I or III, or propagated in chlorate to inhibit the sulphation of the glycosaminoglycan chains.

Animals

Human autoantibodies directed against the RNA recognition motif of La (SS-B) bind to a conformational epitope present on the intact La (SS-B)/Ro (SS-A) ribonucleoprotein particle.

In systemic autoimmunity, the human B cell response to the La (SS-B) autoantigen is polyclonal and directed to both conserved and human-specific epitopes. This study has further characterized the B cell epitope(s) present within the conserved central region of the La protein, LaC (amino acids 111-242) containing the RNA recognition motif (RRM, aa 111-187). Ten overlapping and non-overlapping protein fragments spanning LaC were expressed in bacteria as NH2-terminal fusions with glutathione-S-transferase. The fusion proteins were tested by ELISA for reactivity with a panel of human anti-La sera in order to define the nature of the epitopes. Ninety-two percent of patient sera containing anti-La antibodies reacted with the region of La containing the RRM. Fine mapping of this reactivity using deletion mutants indicated that the deletion of 19 amino acids from either the NH2-terminal or COOH-terminal region of the RRM was associated with loss of antibody reactivity, suggesting that the immunodominant epitope expressed in this region is discontinuous. Autoantibodies affinity-purified from the La RRM fragment to remove other specificities immunoprecipitated newly synthesized native La (SS-B)/Ro (SS-A) complexes, providing additional evidence that autoantibodies were recognizing a conformational epitope. The findings indicate that the human autoantibody response to La involves recognition of a conformational determinant involving the conserved RRM region without necessarily interfering with the RNA-dependent association of the La/Ro ribonucleoprotein.

Autoantibodies

HLA class I variation in Australian aborigines: characterization of allele B*1521.

Traditional methods of serological typing have largely used antisera of Caucasoid origin, which can overlook HLA heterogeneity in non-Caucasoid populations. Therefore, we have used molecular techniques to evaluate potential polymorphism in HLA class I molecules of Aborigines from the central desert and northern coast of Australia. The DNA sequence of common Aboriginal HLA-A and B antigens were compared with serological reaction patterns which suggested new polymorphisms. Although serological data indicated that long and short variants of A34 may exist, regardless of the serological pattern, all individuals carried the A*3401 allele. Therefore, the variation in A34 reaction pattern observed serologically was not attributable to primary sequence variation in the HLA A*3401 allele. Similarly, there was no detectable polymorphism in the sequences of selected HLA-B alleles, even though some of these alleles showed unusual serological reaction patterns. However, a new allele of B15 (B*1521) was detected in two individuals carrying this serotype. The cells from both of these individuals showed ambiguous reaction patterns with monospecific B62 and B75 sera. cDNA sequencing of the HLA B15 gene from these cells revealed a B15 allele that differed from B*1502 by a single nucleotide change. This change occurred at position 272, resulting in a C to G substitution at residue 67 in the consensus B15 cDNA sequence. Hence, the Australian Aborigines as an ethnic group show very little primary sequence polymorphism within the class I loci, consistent with the results obtained from previous serological studies.

Amino Acid Sequence

Matching for MHC haplotypes results in improved survival following unrelated bone marrow transplantation.

Unrelated bone marrow donor-recipient pairs were assessed retrospectively for matching of the HLA-B, -C region (beta-block) and HLA-DR, DQ region (delta block) of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) using a new DNA-based method referred to as MHC-block typing. The method utilises non-HLA DNA polymorphisms in the MHC as markers of blocks of ancestral haplotypes. Kaplan-Meier analysis of recipients who were matched at both the beta- and delta-blocks revealed a 6 months survival of 54%. Survival was better than for patients who were matched only by conventional criteria, including SSO-typing for class II.

Adult

Antigen presentation and assembly by mouse I-Ak class II molecules in human APC containing deleted or mutated HLA DM genes.

The behavior of mouse I-Ak molecules was studied in the human Ag presentation mutants T2 and 9.5.3, which contain deleted or mutated HLA DM genes. HLA class II molecules expressed by these APC are defective in presentation of native Ag and are mostly complexed with class II-associated invariant chain peptides (CLIP). In contrast to human class II molecules, a significant proportion of mouse I-Ak molecules expressed in T2 and 9.5.3 were associated with antigenic peptides, indicating that I-Ak/peptide assembly is possible in the absence of the Dm proteins. Thus, the presentation of determinants derived from hen egg lysozyme (HEL), keyhole limpet hemocyanin, and conalbumin was normal in 9.5.3Ak and a conalbumin determinant was presented normally by T2.Ak. However, the keyhole limpet hemocyanin determinant was not presented by T2.Ak, and HEL46-61 was only presented at a low level by these APC. SDS-stable, dimeric I-Ak molecules were expressed by both T2.Ak and 9.5.3Ak and formed late in their intracellular transport. Presentation of HEL46-61 was partially inhibited by disrupting vacuolar acidification in 9.5.3Ak, consistent with I-Ak/peptide assembly in a post-Golgi endosomal compartment. Accordingly, Dm is not an obligatory requirement for MHC class II/peptide assembly. We propose that Dm influences the displacement of CLIP from recently synthesized class II molecules, a process that is likely to be less critical for I-Ak because of its low affinity for CLIP.

Animals

MHC class II molecules that lack cytoplasmic domains are associated with the cytoskeleton.

MHC class II molecules, composed of alpha- and beta-chain heterodimers, are required for Ag presentation. The carboxyl-terminal domains of class II molecules are believed to mediate the location of class II in the plasma membrane and are important for signal transduction and Ag presentation. These domains contain typical transmembrane sequences, and cytoplasmic sequences of 12 or 18 amino acids for the alpha- and beta-chains, respectively. We examined these domains to determine whether they linked class II molecules to the actin-based cytoskeleton. Our analyses of class II-cytoskeleton interactions, such as a colocalization with actin filaments during capping, association with the detergent-insoluble cytoskeleton, and direct binding of filamentous actin, revealed that both the cytoplasmic and transmembrane domains contributed to class II interactions with the cytoskeleton. Detergent-extracted and immunoprecipitated full-length class II molecules had quantitatively stronger interactions with the cytoskeleton than did molecules with deleted cytoplasmic domains. A secondary Ab, which was used to cross-link primary Ab bound to class II, up-regulated the class II-cytoskeletal associations. This association was efficiently inhibited by dihydrocytochalasin B, but only partially disrupted by chlorpromazine. The mechanism of interaction with actin filaments after ligation of class II occurred without a measurable increase in filamentous actin levels. This suggested that enhanced class II-cytoskeleton associations involved a rearrangement of existing actin filaments, possibly through the multiple kinases that are activated after class II transmembrane signaling.

Actins

Determinant selection of major histocompatibility complex class I-restricted antigenic peptides is explained by class I-peptide affinity and is strongly influenced by nondominant anchor residues.

The contribution of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I-peptide affinity to immunodominance of particular peptide antigens (Ags) in the class I-restricted cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) response is not clearly established. Therefore, we have compared the H-2Kb-restricted binding and presentation of the immunodominant ovalbumin (OVA)257-264 (SIINFEKL) determinant to that of a subdominant OVA determinant OVA55-62 (KVVRFDKL). Immunodominance of OVA257-264 was not attributable to the specific T cell repertoire but correlated instead with more efficient Ag presentation. This enhanced Ag presentation could be accounted for by the higher affinity of Kb/OVA257-264 compared with Kb/OVA55-62 despite the presence of a conserved Kb-binding motif in both peptides. Kinetic binding studies using purified soluble H-2Kb molecules (Kbs) and biosensor techniques indicated that the Kon for association of OVA257-264-C6 and Kbs at 25 degrees C was integral of 10-fold faster (5.9 x 10(3) M-1 s-1 versus 6.5 x 10(2) M-1 s-1), and the Koff approximately twofold slower (9.1 x 10(-6) s-1 versus 1.6 x 10(-5) s-1), than the rate constants for interaction of OVA55-62-C6 and Kbs. The association of these peptides with Kb was significantly influenced by multiple residues at presumed nonanchor sites within the peptide sequence. The contribution of each peptide residue to Kb-binding was dependent upon the sequence context and the summed contributions were not additive. Thus the affinity of MHC class I-peptide binding is a critical factor controlling presentation of peptide Ag and immunodominance in the class I-restricted CTL response.

Amino Acid Sequence

Anergic B cells constitutively present self antigen: enhanced immunoglobulin receptor-mediated presentation of antigenic determinants by B cells is hierarchical.

Presentation of hen egg lysozyme (HEL) by HEL-specific B cells was studied in transgenic mice expressing anti-HEL immunoglobulin (Ig-transgenic). In T hybridoma assays, presentation of the HEL46-61 determinant by B cells from Ig-transgenic mice required 10(3)-10(4)-fold lower concentrations of HEL than were required for presentation by B cells from non-transgenic mice. In contrast, presentation of the HEL determinants 112-129 and 25-43 by HEL-specific B cells was either not significantly enhanced, or enhanced only 10-fold compared with B cells from non-transgenic mice. Enhanced presentation of HEL determinants by B cells from Ig-transgenic donors was specific for HEL, since keyhole limpet hemocyanin or synthetic HEL46-61 peptide were presented comparably by B cells from Ig-transgenic mice and non-transgenic littermates. A minimum of 1-4% Ig-transgenic B cells was required to detect enhanced presentation of HEL46-61 in vitro. Constitutive presentation of the HEL46-61 determinant, but not the HEL25-43 or HEL112-129 determinants, was detectable on anergic HEL-specific B cells from double (HEL/Ig)-transgenic mice. In the presence of exogenously added HEL, anergic B cells presented all three HEL determinants. Constitutively presented HEL46-61 was not due to endogenous synthesis of HEL antigen by anergic B cells from double-transgenic mice, as comparable levels of the HEL46-61 determinant were constitutively presented by B cells from Ig-Tg-->HEL-Tg irradiation bone marrow chimeric mice. Firstly, these results indicate that the enhanced antigen presentation mediated by Ig receptors on B cells is not equivalent for all antigenic determinants. Secondly, the data demonstrate that anergic, autoreactive B cells efficiently process and present nominal antigens in addition to constitutively presenting specific self antigen in vivo.

Animals

Transfection and overexpression of the human 60-kDa Ro/SS-A autoantigen in HEp-2 cells.

A full-length cDNA encoding human 60-kDa Ro/SS-A protein was transfected into and overexpressed in the human cell line HEp-2, with the aim of developing an improved reagent for indirect immunofluorescence (IF) detection of anti-Ro autoantibodies. Stable transfectants were analyzed by IF using a panel of 20 precipitin-positive anti-Ro human sera. Transfectants showed bright finely speckled nuclear and nucleolar staining. No surface membrane expression was detected despite marked overexpression of 60-kDa Ro. All human anti-Ro sera reacted with the transfectants with titers ranging from 1:320 to 1:40,960. The same sera tested on untransfected cells showed titers from negative (3 sera) to 1:160. These transfectants dramatically increase the sensitivity of IF testing (mean increase in titer of 41-fold) and allow detection of specific anti-Ro antibodies in samples negative or equivocal on untransfected cells. The staining patterns of antisera of other important specificities remained unaltered. In a study of sera from 22 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, anti-60-kDa Ro autoantibodies were detected in all sera when tested on 60-kDa Ro-transfected HEp-2 cells; however, in 12 of 22 sera autoantibodies were undetectable by recombinant 60-kDa Ro ELISA. The 60-kDa Ro transfectants are a simple and sensitive method for detection of anti-Ro antibodies in patients with systemic rheumatic diseases.

Autoantibodies

Development of an intraperitoneal implant chamber for the study of in vivo-grown Pasteurella haemolytica in cattle.

An intraperitoneal implant chamber was developed for the study of the in vivo growth of Pasteurella haemolytica in calves. The chamber had a volume of approximately 100 ml and featured an external sampling port which allowed multiple and sequential sampling of the chamber contents. A single polycarbonate diffusion membrane with a pore size of 0.22 micron allowed host peritoneal fluid to diffuse into the chamber and maintained the bacterial population free of white blood cells. Chambers were implanted into the peritoneal cavities of four five-month-old dairy-cross calves, demonstrated to be sero-negative by indirect haemagglutination assay. Three days later, four different P. haemolytica isolates, of serotypes A1 or A2, were inoculated into the chambers. In all cases, there was a slow decline in the viable bacterial numbers within the chambers. Western blot analysis of the antibody content of the chamber fluids revealed IgG antibodies to P. haemolytica OMPs in the fluid prior to inoculation and both 9 and 15 days after inoculation. Furthermore, there was no significant change in the IgG antibody content of the chamber fluid, either quantitatively or qualitatively, during the course of the experiment. Analysis of the bactericidal activity of pre-inoculation chamber fluid against the corresponding bacterial isolate suggested that an antibody-dependent complement-mediated process was not responsible for the decline in bacterial numbers. Overall, the chamber design was demonstrated to be extremely effective for in vivo studies of P. haemolytica in calves, allowing easy and regular sampling of the chamber contents and maintaining bacteria free of white blood cells. Although there was a slow decline in bacterial numbers over time, sufficient numbers of cells could be obtained for analysis of cell-surface antigens.

Animals

The structural influence of individual residues located within peptide antigen depends upon their sequence context.

Individual residues derived from antigenic peptides are believed to control certain mAb epitopes on MHC class I molecules. To further evaluate this influence we studied the antibody recognition of H-2Kb complexed with the antigenic peptides OVA257-264, OVA55-62 and their reciprocally substituted analogs. The mAb 20.8.4, Y-3, EH144 and AF6 reacted strongly with Kb complexed to both OVA peptides and their analogs. However, mAb 28.8.6 bound to Kb/OVA257-264 but not Kb/OVA55-62 complexes. Recognition of Kb/OVA55-62 by mAb 28.8.6 was restored by a single OVA55-62-->OVA257-264 substitution at position 1 (OVA55-62P1K-->S). Recognition by mAb 5F1 was also peptide-dependent in that Kb complexed to either the P4 substituted OVA257-264-->OVA55-62 peptide (OVA257-264P4N-->R) or the P1 substituted OVA55-62-->OVA257-264 peptide (OVA55-62P1K-->S) was not permissive for 5F1 recognition even though Kb complexed to the parental peptides OVA55-62 (P4R) and OVA257-264 (P1S) reacted with this mAb. These data demonstrate that the same peptide residues located within defined positions can exert a negative influence on mAb recognition in one sequence context but be permissive for antibody binding in another context. These findings might be explained by conformational effects on class I heavy chain structure, the extended structure of the peptide or altered orientation of specific peptide side chains located at the same position but within different sequence contexts. Therefore the sequence context of defined amino acids within peptide antigen can strongly influence the fine structural contributions of these residues to MHC-peptide conformation.

Amino Acid Sequence