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Y Thomas

Publications and source records attributed to Y Thomas.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1989

Paf-acether production by Escherichia coli.

Paf is a potent mediator of inflammatory diseases and septic shock. In previous studies we showed that paf can be released by prokaryotic cells such as E. coli. In this report we define the production and release of paf by E. coli cultured under different experimental conditions. When cultures were supplemented with lyso paf, a dramatic increase in paf production was observed. Most of the paf synthesized by bacteria was released in the supernatant. Of interest C16 lyso paf was 4-fold more efficient than its C18 counterpart. Using normal and reverse phase HPLC bacterial paf exhibited physico-chemical characteristics identical to those of synthetic paf. These results may indicate that the putative E. coli acetyltransferase recognizes differently C16 and C18 lyso paf. They also could be of importance considering the pathogenetic role of enterobacteria.

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid↗
PubMed1989

Synthesis of paf-acether from exogenous precursors by the prokaryote Escherichia coli.

Paf-acether (paf) is a potent mediator of inflammatory diseases and septic shock. Using normal-phase HPLC, a paf-like activity was found in culture supernatants from E. coli. Prokaryotic paf exhibited the same biological and physico-chemical properties as eukaryotic cells and synthetic paf. Further, reverse-phase HPLC indicates that paf generated by bacteria is predominantly of the hexadecyl and octadecyl species. When cultures were supplemented with lyso-paf, a dramatic increase in paf production was observed. The purity and molecular structure of bacterial paf were further characterized by mass spectral analysis. These results could be of importance considering the pathogenetic role of enterobacteria. Further, it appears that the competence to form and release paf is an early phylogenetic development.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Biosynthesis of paf-acether factor-acether by human skin fibroblasts in vitro.

The synthesis and release of paf-acether by fibroblasts from normal human skin was investigated in vitro. When fibroblasts in suspension (1 X 10(6) cells) were stimulated with 2 microM Ca1+ ionophore A23187 (Io), they synthesized a material that aggregated aspirin-treated washed rabbit platelets and was identified as paf because 1) the platelet aggregation it induced was inhibited by BN 52021, an antagonist of paf putative receptors; 2) the factor was inactivated by phospholipase A2 but was insensitive to lipase from Rhizopus arrhizus; 3) it exhibited the same retention time as synthetic paf during standard and reverse phase HPLC elution. Paf production by fibroblasts occurred as soon as the first min of Io stimulation (287 +/- 92 pg/1 X 10(6) cells), reached a maximum at 5 min (369 +/- 85 pg/1 X 10(6) cells) and decreased thereafter. Half of the fibroblast-produced paf was recovered in supernatants. Addition of exogenous 1-O-alkyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (lyso-paf) at 0.1 microM and/or acetyl-coenzyme A at 0.1 mM to fibroblasts during Io stimulation enhanced paf production by two- and three-fold, respectively. The paf precursors, i.e., 1-O-alkyl-2-acyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (1-alkyl-2-acyl-GPC) and lyso-paf, were detected in fibroblasts either stimulated with Io or not. These precursors exhibited 80% hexadecyl and 20% octadecyl chains at the sn-1 position of the molecules, as determined by reverse phase HPLC and gas chromatography analysis. The present results are the first to demonstrate the synthesis and release of paf by fibroblasts from normal human skin. Such production within the dermis might account for the development of cutaneous inflammation and for the pathogenesis of many skin disorders.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Immunoregulatory functions of paf-acether. I. Effect of paf-acether on CD4+ cell proliferation.

Paf-acether or platelet-activating factor (1-0-alkyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine) is a phospholipid mediator of inflammation initially described as a potent platelet-aggregating compound. It is newly formed by a variety of cells including monocytes and is now recognized as a major mediator of cell-cell interactions. The present studies were undertaken to determine whether paf-acether could modulate T cell function. We found that addition of paf-acether to CD4+ cells cultured with phytohemagglutinin markedly inhibited the proliferative response in a dose-dependent manner. Maximal inhibition occurred when paf-acether was present during the first 24 hr of cell culture and the presence of paf-acether did not alter the kinetics of CD4+ cell proliferation. Importantly, the mechanism by which paf-acether inhibited the proliferative response was not related to inhibition of interleukin 2 (IL-2) secretion since the amount of IL-2 in cultures was not altered and addition of exogenous IL-2 failed to restore the CD4+ cell proliferative response. Further, as judged by indirect immunofluorescence, paf-acether did not inhibit IL-2 receptor expression. Taken together, these data indicate that paf-acether interferes with some processes leading to CD4+ cell proliferation. This new role for the chemically defined monokine paf-acether emphasizes the potential role of inflammatory lipid mediators in the regulation of T cell response.

Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte↗
PubMed1988

Immunoregulatory functions of paf-acether. II. Decrease of CD2 and CD3 antigen expression.

Paf-acether (platelet-activating factor) is a phospholipid initially described as a potent platelet-aggregating compound. It is produced by numerous cell types and is now considered as an important mediator of cell-cell interactions. The effect of paf-acether on the expression of CD2 and CD3, two human T cell surface glycoproteins, was investigated by indirect immunofluorescence and flow cytometry. Paf-acether partially down-regulated, in a time- and dose-dependent manner, CD2 and CD3 but not HLA class I antigen expression on peripheral human T cells and Jurkat cells. Lysophosphatidylcholine, a phospholipid closely related to paf-acether, had no detectable modulatory effect on CD2 and CD3 expression. In addition to CD2/CD3 modulation, paf-acether markedly inhibited T cell proliferative response not only to phytohemagglutinin or concanavalin A but also to anti-CD3 or a stimulatory combination of anti-CD2 monoclonal antibodies. These data demonstrate for the first time that lipid mediators such as paf-acether might be involved in the regulation of the expression of cell surface glycoproteins that are essential in the execution of T cell function.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMed1986

[Synthesis of paf-acether by E. coli K12].

Paf-acether (platelet-activating factor) is one of the most potent mediator of inflammation released from and acting on most cells that participate in inflammatory diseases. Its molecular structure is 1-O-alkyl-2-O-acetyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine. Two metabolic steps are involved in its biosynthesis: the action of a phospholipase A2 on choline-containing membrane alkyl-ether lipids results in the production of lyso paf-acether and acetylation of the lyso compound by an acetyltransferase yields the biologically active molecule. Membrane alkyl-ether lipids can therefore be considered as potential precursors of paf-acether and their composition has been studied in various cell types. In this work, we investigated the presence of paf-acether in E. coli. Our results showed that paf-acether can be obtained from E. coli K12 under a variety of bacterial growth conditions. Paf-acether from E. coli exhibited the same physicochemical and biological characteristics as synthetic paf-acether and that from eucaryotic cells. Therefore, it appears that E. coli itself has the ability of producing paf-acether, a result that could be of some importance with respect to the pathogenesis of Enterobacteria and the use of E. coli in the recombinant DNA technology.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Neuropathy and anti-myelin-associated glycoprotein IgM M proteins: T cell regulation of M protein secretion in vitro.

In patients with plasma cell dyscrasia, individual clones of antibody-producing cells proliferate abnormally and secrete monoclonal antibodies or M proteins in excess. The cause of the monoclonal proliferation of lymphocytes and M protein secretion is unknown and it is not known whether the M protein-secreting B cells are autonomous or capable of responding to regulatory T cells. We carried out experiments using lymphocytes from a patient with neuropathy and plasma cell dyscrasia whose IgM M protein bound to the myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG) to determine whether secretion of the M protein in vitro was responsive to T cell help or suppression. M protein secretion was measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay system for measuring anti-MAG IgM, and the number of M protein-secreting lymphocytes was enumerated by a reverse hemolytic plaque assay specific for the M protein idiotype. The patient's B cells were maximally stimulated by pokeweed mitogen-activated autologous OKT4+ T-helper cells and the helper effect was inhibited by OKT8+ suppressor/cytotoxic T cells. Low levels of M protein secretion in the absence of T cells were also observed and there was partial stimulation of M protein secretion by T cells in the absence of pokeweed mitogen.

Autoantibodies↗
PubMed1985

The isolation and sequence of the gene encoding T8: a molecule defining functional classes of T lymphocytes.

The T cell surface glycoproteins T4 and T8 are thought to mediate efficient cell-cell interactions in the immune system and in this way may be responsible for the appropriate targeting of subpopulations of T cells. We have used gene transfer combined with subtractive hybridization to isolate both cDNA and functional genomic clones encoding the T8 protein. The sequence of the cDNA reveals that T8 is a transmembrane protein with an N-terminal domain which shares significant homology to immunoglobulin variable region light chains. This immunoglobulin-like structure is likely to be important in the function of T8 during differentiation and in the course of the immune response.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1984

Construction of human T-cell hybrids with helper function.

Human T-cell hybrids with helper activity were obtained after fusion of phytohemagglutinin-activated normal human T cells with a 6-thioguanine-resistant, aminopterin-sensitive human T-cell line. This mutant line, designated CEM-T15, was derived from the human T-cell line CEM after mutagenesis with ethyl methanesulfonate. The polyethylene glycol induced fusion and the selection in hypoxanthine- aminopeterin -thymidine medium were performed by modification of standard somatic cell hybridization techniques. After fusion, the strategy for selecting hybrids consisted in screening growing cultures for the presence of cells expressing the OKT3 cell surface differentiation antigen. OKT3 was chosen because it is present in 85-95% of normal human T cells but absent from CEM-T15 cells. Thus, OKT3+ cells growing 5-7 weeks after fusion most likely represented hybrids between normal T cells (OKT3+) and continuously growing CEM-T15 cells (OKT3-). Several of the hybrids were tested for their capacity to promote pokeweed mitogen-induced antibody production by B cells. These experiments demonstrated that many of the hybrids had helper activity. Periodical testing of these uncloned hybrids for helper activity revealed functional instability, with most of the hybrids losing helper activity after 20 weeks of continuous culture. However, early and repeated cloning of the same hybrids resulted in a series of hybrid clones with helper activity still present more than 8 months after fusion. In more recent fusions, we have demonstrated that human helper hybrids producing helper factor(s) can also be obtained. These and similar hybrids with different functions will be of considerable importance in further studies of the immunobiology of human T lymphocytes.

Antigens, Surface↗
PubMed1984

Functional analysis of human T cell subsets defined by monoclonal antibodies. VI. Distinct and opposing immunoregulatory functions within the OKT8+ population.

In the present study, we investigated the immunoregulatory potential of OKT8+ cells after in vitro activation. Initial studies had demonstrated that the T cell marker OKT4 identifies T cell sets containing helper cells, whereas OKT8 reacts with the suppressor and cytotoxic T cell effectors. More detailed analysis of the OKT4+ subset, however, demonstrated that there is functional heterogeneity in the OKT4+ population. The evidence for this heterogeneity arose from studies on (1) the relative radiosensitivities of the distinct immunoregulatory functions of cells contained within this set, and, (2) the effects of the state of activation of this population on immune function. For example, OKT4+ cells included radiosensitive helper cells, radioresistant helper cells, and radiosensitive inducers of suppressor cells. Furthermore, after activation, the OKT4+ population also contained cells capable of suppressing B cell differentiation. Since activation of the OKT4+ population results in the emergence of cells with counterbalancing immunoregulatory properties, it was of interest to determine whether the state of activation of the OKT8+ population influences the immunoregulatory potential of this subset. In the experiments reported here E+ cells were cultured with pokeweed mitogen (PWM) for 60-70 h and then thoroughly depleted of OKT4+ cells, leaving OKT8+ cells. The ability of the PWM-activated OKT8+ cells (first culture) to exert suppressive activity was determined by adding graded numbers of these cells to fresh autologous OKT4+ cells and B cells. The cell mixtures were cultured in the presence of PWM for 5 days and then assayed for plaque-forming-cell (PFC) activity by the reverse hemolytic plaque assay. Our studies demonstrate that activation of OKT8+ cells results in the emergence of cells with apparently counterbalancing immunoregulatory properties. Activated nonirradiated OKT8+ cells consistently suppressed B cell immunoglobulin production. However, the immunoregulatory function mediated by irradiated activated OKT8+ cells is highly dependent on the magnitude of the helper activity obtained with fresh OKT4+ cells. Thus, irradiated activated OKT8+ cells suppressed the generation of PFC only when the level of helper activity was optimal. However, when the level of help was not optimal, no suppressor activity was observed; rather, under these conditions, irradiated activated OKT8+ cells amplify the PFC response. We would emphasize that the amplification function of irradiated OKT8+ cells depends strictly on the presence of fresh OKT4+ cells. Irradiated activated OKT8+ cells alone are not helper cells, since addition of these cells to B cells thoroughly dep

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMed1984

The T4 surface antigen is involved in the induction of helper function.

The OKT4 monoclonal antibody reacts with a 62K m.w. glycoprotein present on a subset of human T cells with the capacity to help or induce B cell differentiation. The present studies were undertaken to determine whether the T4 molecule itself plays any role in the helper function mediated by T4+ cells. Using a series of monoclonal antibodies (OKT4, OKT4A-E), which react with distinct noncompeting epitopes of the T4 molecule, we found that OKT4A and OKT4E, but not OKT4, antibodies inhibited the induction of B cell differentiation by T4+ cells. This inhibition was apparent when using nonirradiated or irradiated T4+ cells, and was noted over a wide range of concentrations. Importantly, inhibition occurred only if the antibody was present during the first 24 hr of cell culture, and the presence of antibody did not alter the kinetics of induction of B cell differentiation. Thus, these data suggest that the T4 molecule plays an early, critical role in cellular interactions required for helper cell function.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMed1984

Biologic functions of the OKT1 T cell surface antigen. I. The T1 molecule is involved in helper function.

The OKT1 (Leu-1) monoclonal antibody reacts with a 69 KD glycoprotein that is present on only a fraction of functionally mature thymocytes but is maintained on most peripheral T cells. In the study presented, we examined the role of this surface molecule in T cell function. We found that addition of the OKT1 antibody to B cells and autologous T4+ cells markedly enhances B cell differentiation. This enhancement was apparent when nonirradiated or irradiated T4+ cells but not T8+ cells were used. Moreover, the OKT1 antibody as well as the OKT1 F(ab')2 fragment enhanced B cell differentiation in a dose-dependent fashion. It is important to note that perturbation of the T1 molecule with OKT1 in the presence of autologous E- cells causes the rapid release of molecules that trigger B cells to proliferate and differentiate into Ig-secreting cells. These data when considered together suggest that OKT1 reacts with a T cell membrane determinant or a complex that is intimately involved in the execution of helper function on OKT4+ cells.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMed1983

Relationship between human T cell functional heterogeneity and human T cell surface molecules.

Our knowledge of human T cell differentiation and function has expotentially increased during recent years. With this growth in knowledge there has been an increase in our appreciation of the complexity of the T-T interactions which initiate and control immune responses. A great deal remains to be learned concerning the mechanisms of these complex cellular interactions. In particular, it will be important to precisely understand the clear heterogeneity of functions within isolated subsets of OKT4+ and OKT8+ T cells. Perhaps, as importantly, it will be necessary to define more clearly the functions of the T4 and T8 molecules as well as the precise function of the other defined glycoproteins on the T cell surface. The evidence is clearly emerging that many of those molecules are not solely markers of unique functional subsets and are intimately involved in the functions of T cells.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Biological functions of T-cell surface glycoproteins.

The OKT4 monoclonal antibody reacts with a 62 KD cell surface glycoprotein present on a subset of human T cells with the capacity to help or induce B-cell differentiation. The OKT8 monoclonal antibody reacts with a 76 KD cell surface glycoprotein present on a subset of human T cells with the capacity to suppress B-cell differentiation. The current studies were undertaken to determine whether the T4 and/or T8 antigens themselves play any role in the helper or suppressor function mediated by OKT4+ or OKT8+ cells. Specifically, we asked if monoclonal antibodies that react with noncompeting epitopes on the T4 or T8 molecules could block helper or suppressor function. Isolated human B cells were triggered in vitro to differentiate into antibody-forming cells (AFC) by autologous OKT4+ cells and macrophages in the presence or absence of OKT4 antibodies. By means of a reverse hemolytic plaque assay, AFC were detected as plaque-forming cells (PFC). We found that OKT4A, but not OKT4, antibody inhibited the PFC response over a wide range of concentrations. The antibodies OKT4B, OKT4C, OKT4D, OKT4E inhibited the PFC response to varying degrees. Importantly, inhibition by OKT4A occurred only if the antibody was present during the first 24 hours of cell culture. In the second set of experiments, OKT8+ cells were added to cultures containing B cells, and OKT4+ cells in the presence or absence of OKT8 antibodies, PFC activity was measured 7 days later. We found that the addition of OKT8E or OKT8G, but not OKT8B, OKT8C, OKT8D, OKT8F, or OKT8H, antibodies significantly inhibits the suppressor function mediated by OKT8+ cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗