Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “Genes, MHC Class II”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 847 records · Page 47Linked to original sources

The role of intracellular acidification in antigen processing.

The experiments described here were designed to investigate the role of intracellular acidic organelles in the processing of foreign antigens. Simultaneous addition of antigen and the inactive precursor of an acid protease, cathepsin L, greatly diminished the stimulation of a T-cell hybridoma specific for pigeon cytochrome c. The effect occurred during antigen processing as the presentation of a peptide fragment was unaffected by precursor-cathepsin L. The effect required uptake of the enzyme via mannose-6-PO4 receptors and was specific for antigenic determinants cleavable by the enzyme. The results confirm, without any pharmacologic manipulation, that foreign antigen moves into an acidic environment during some phase of its processing. We also explored the role in antigen processing of one acidic compartment, the early endosome, by examining CHO cells expressing a temperature-sensitive defect in endosomal acidification. These cells were transfected with MHC class II genes to convert them into APC for CD4+T cells. When these cells were incubated at the nonpermissive temperature, their ability to process antigen was impaired. There was no negative effect on presentation of antigenic peptides nor on the uptake and degradation of the antigen. Wildtype CHO cells similarly transfected and tested did not show any aberrancy in antigen processing. The inhibition of processing by the mutant cells was only partial, even under stringent conditions, and the residual processing was eliminated by chloroquine. Our findings provide the first evidence for a contribution by acidified early endosomes to the pathway of antigen processing and suggest that other acidified compartments are also involved.

Acids↗

Transgenic models of T-cell self tolerance and autoimmunity.

Self-tolerance is generally induced by intrathymic clonal deletion of T cells with reactivity directed to antigens synthesized within the thymus (Kappler et al. 1987, Kisielow et al. 1988). It may also be induced in peripheral T cells when these encounter antigens unique to extra-thymic tissues. Two transgenic models have been particularly useful in the study of peripheral self tolerance: in one model, a known antigen is expressed in a particular extra-thymic site; in the other, the T-cell repertoire is predominantly reactive to this antigen. We, and others, have shown that expression of class I or II MHC molecules in defined extra-thymic sites leads to a state of T-cell tolerance. To account for this, we have proposed two hypotheses which have different implications for autoimmune disease. According to one, tolerance is imposed by deletion or functional silencing of specific high-affinity cytolytic T cells; alternatively, the target cell for tolerance induction may be a regulatory IL-2-producing T-cell, rather than the effector cell itself. To distinguish between these hypotheses it is essential to examine the fate of T cells which have the potential to react to the transgene product. Since the frequency of such T cells is low and there is no dominant clonotype for H-2Kb, which is the class I molecule we used, it was necessary to create double transgenic mice by mating class I transgenic mice with transgenic mice whose T-cell pool was compared of cells reactive to H-2Kb and could be detected by an antibody directed to the TCR. Initial studies showed that such T cells did persist despite the presence of antigen to which they may be reactive. If these double transgenic mice can be shown to be tolerant, they will offer a rich source of tolerant T cells for detailed investigation of their phenotype and fate, and they will be most useful in enabling us to probe the mechanisms responsible for the induction of peripheral self tolerance. Transgenic mouse technology has also been used successfully to unravel the genetic influences which may lead to or prevent autoimmunity. In particular, we have prevented autoimmune diabetes in the nonobese diabetic mouse by introducing a non-NOD MHC class II gene and further work is implicating the failure of intrathymic positive selection of a protective cell as one step in the pathogenesis of diabetes in NOD mice.

Animals↗

Biological effects of genes in the Grc and EC region of the rat major histocompatibility complex.

PROBLEM: To study the mechanism of action of major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-linked genes affecting reproduction, growth, and susceptibility to chemical carcinogens. METHOD OF STUDY: Tumors derived from rat embryonic fibroblasts were transfected with cosmids from the Grc and its linked regions, the unrelated A region, and a nonMHC region, or with genes from the Grc, Grc-linked, and nonMHC regions, to determine whether they could suppress tumor growth as determined by in vitro (soft agar) and in vivo assays. RESULTS: Tumor fibroblasts transfected with cosmids from the Grc or from the EC region decreased tumor growth in both the in vitro and in vivo assays. Transfection with individual genes from the Grc had no effect on tumor growth in either assay. CONCLUSIONS: The effects of the Grc on reproduction, growth, and tumorigenesis are mediated by extended genetic effects, i.e., by the conformation of the DNA in this region. Similar effects were seen following transfection with cosmids from the Grc-linked EC region, and this finding strengthens the hypothesis that the conformation of the DNA in this general region is critical for its function. A similar effect has been described for the locus control region (LCR) in the beta-globin gene family in the human.

Animals↗

Anti-inulin [beta-(2 leads to 1)-linked polyfructose] and anti-grass levan [beta-(2 leads to 6)-linked polyfructose] antibody response in mice.

Anti-inulin [beta-(2 --> 1) polyfructosan Brucella abortus (InuBA)] and anti-grass levan [beta-(2 --> 6) polyfructosan] antibody responses in BALB/c and C57BL mice and in their F(1) and backcross progeny, as well as in immunoglobulin congenic and Bailey recombinant inbred strains derived from BALB/c and C57BL mice, were examined. The anti-inulin antibodies could accommodate both beta-(2 --> 1)- and beta-(2 --> 6)-linked polyfructosans, and 97% of the anti-inulin plaque-forming cells (PFC) from BALB/c mice expressed the cross-reactive idiotypes (InuIdX) shared by the BALB/c inulin- and levan-binding myeloma proteins. Of the C57BL mice, only 25% produced high anti-inulin response, and none exhibited the InuIdX of BALB/c anti-inulin antibodies. The percentages of InuIdX(+) anti-inulin PFC were also examined in other strains with high anti-inulin response. In C58 and AL mice, 80% of anti-inulin PFC were InuIdX(+), whereas in A/He and RIII mice, only 40% were InuIdX(+). All strains examined developed high anti-grass levan response, and the antibodies were specific for beta-(2 --> 6) structures and did not exhibit InuIdX. Comparison of the magnitude of the anti-inulin antibody titers in response to InuBA in BALB/c, C57BL, and their F(1) and backcross progeny, as well as in immunoglobulin congenic (i.e., B.C-8, BAB-14, and C.B-20) and recombinant inbred strains derived from BALB/c and C57BL mice, showed that all mice having the IgCH(a)(BALB/c) allotype gave high anti-inulin response. In addition to the InuIdX structural genes, the effects of allotype-linked or unlinked "regulatory" genes were also indicated by the lower anti-inulin response in B.C-8 and BAB-14 mice compared with BALB/c mice and the higher anti-inulin response in C.B-20 mice compared with C57BL mice. A multigene interaction in controlling the production of the anti-inulin antibodies was implicated.

Animals↗

Genetic control of serum neutralizing-antibody response to rabies vaccination and survival after a rabies challenge infection in mice.

Quantitative differences in serum neutralizing-antibody (SNAb) responses to rabies vaccination and survival after a rabies challenge infection between two inbred mice strains, C3H/J and C57BL/6J, were shown to be under genetic control. A 99% confidence limit calculated from the SNAb response titers of 14 C57BL/6J mice resulted in an upper limit for the SNAb response titer of C57BL/6J mice at 50.63. A SNAb titer less than or equal to 50.63 in response to rabies vaccination was assigned the phenotype of hyporesponder, and a SNAb titer greater than 50.63 in response to rabies vaccination was assigned the phenotype of hyperresponder in this study. The hyper-SNAb response to rabies vaccination and the higher frequency of survival after rabies challenge infection behave as Mendelian dominant alleles in F1 hybrids (C3H/J X C57BL/6J) and backcross (BC) (F1 [C3H/J X C57BL/6J] X C57BL/6J) progeny. Both a relatively hyper-SNAb response and a higher frequency of vaccine-inducible survival phenotypes occur in C3H/J mice. On the other hand, both the relatively hypo-SNAb response and a lower frequency of vaccine-inducible survival phenotypes behave as Mendelian recessive alleles and occur in C57BL/6J mice. C3H/J mice are H-2 Kk, and C57BL/6J mice are H-2 Kb. All three phenotypic traits (H-2 type, SNAb response, and survival after rabies challenge infection) segregate as independent (unlinked) monogenic traits in BC progeny (F1 [C3H/J X C57BL/6J] X C57BL/6J). The genetically controlled survival trait is inducible by rabies vaccination, but SNAb response is not a parameter that measures successful vaccine induction of preexposure protection from a rabies challenge infection in the BC progeny. The essential role of vaccination in developing preexposure protection in genetically responsive mice is confirmed, but indicates that in vitro measurements other than SNAb titers need to be developed to identify mice that have failed to achieve preexposure protection by rabies vaccination. This study confirms Lodmell's findings (D. L. Lodmell and B. Chesebro, J. Virol. 50:359-362, 1984; D. L. Lodmell, J. Exp. Med. 157:451-460, 1983) that susceptibility to rabies infection is genetically controlled in some mice strains. Additionally, this study indicates that conventional rabies vaccination even with more potent vaccines may not induce protection from infection in some genetically susceptible individuals.

Animals↗

Sequence tags of provirus integration sites in DNAs of tumors induced by the murine retrovirus SL3-3.

The murine retrovirus SL3-3 is a potent inducer of T-cell lymphomas when inoculated into susceptible newborn mice. The proviral integration site sequences were surveyed in tumor DNAs by a simple two-step PCR method. From 20 SL3-3-induced tumors a total of 39 provirus-host junctions were amplified and sequenced. Seven showed homology to known sequences. These included the known common integration site c-myc as well as genes not previously identified as targets of provirus integration, namely N-ras and the genes coding for major histocompatibility complex class 11 E-beta, protein kinase C-eta, and T-cell receptor beta-chain. Among these genes, the integrations in c-myc as well as the one in N-ras were found to be clonal. One of the remaining 32 proviral integration site sequences that show no similarities to known sequences may represent a common integration site, as 2 of the 20 tumors demonstrated clonal provirus insertion into this region.

Animals↗

Latent herpes simplex virus infection of sensory neurons alters neuronal gene expression.

The persistence of herpes simplex virus (HSV) and the diseases that it causes in the human population can be attributed to the maintenance of a latent infection within neurons in sensory ganglia. Little is known about the effects of latent infection on the host neuron. We have addressed the question of whether latent HSV infection affects neuronal gene expression by using microarray transcript profiling of host gene expression in ganglia from latently infected versus mock-infected mouse trigeminal ganglia. (33)P-labeled cDNA probes from pooled ganglia harvested at 30 days postinfection or post-mock infection were hybridized to nylon arrays printed with 2,556 mouse genes. Signal intensities were acquired by phosphorimager. Mean intensities (n = 4 replicates in each of three independent experiments) of signals from mock-infected versus latently infected ganglia were compared by using a variant of Student's t test. We identified significant changes in the expression of mouse neuronal genes, including several with roles in gene expression, such as the Clk2 gene, and neurotransmission, such as genes encoding potassium voltage-gated channels and a muscarinic acetylcholine receptor. We confirmed the neuronal localization of some of these transcripts by using in situ hybridization. To validate the microarray results, we performed real-time reverse transcriptase PCR analyses for a selection of the genes. These studies demonstrate that latent HSV infection can alter neuronal gene expression and might provide a new mechanism for how persistent viral infection can cause chronic disease.

Animals↗

Analysis of ankyrin repeats reveals how a single point mutation in RFXANK results in bare lymphocyte syndrome.

Ankyrin repeats are well-known structural modules that mediate interactions between a wide spectrum of proteins. The regulatory factor X with ankyrin repeats (RFXANK) is a subunit of a tripartite RFX complex that assembles on promoters of major histocompatibility complex class II (MHC II) genes. Although it is known that RFXANK plays a central role in the nucleation of RFX, it was not clear how its ankyrin repeats mediate the interactions within the complex and with other proteins. To answer this question, we modeled the RFXANK protein and determined the variable residues of the ankyrin repeats that should contact other proteins. Site-directed alanine mutagenesis of these residues together with in vitro and in vivo binding studies elucidated how RFXAP and CIITA, which simultaneously interact with RFXANK in vivo, bind to two opposite faces of its ankyrin repeats. Moreover, the binding of RFXAP requires two separate surfaces on RFXANK. One of them, which is located in the ankyrin groove, is severely affected in the FZA patient with the bare lymphocyte syndrome. This genetic disease blocks the expression of MHC II molecules on the surface of B cells. By pinpointing the interacting residues of the ankyrin repeats of RFXANK, the mechanism of this subtype of severe combined immunodeficiency was revealed.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

High frequency of HLA-DQB1*0301 allele in patients with pure ocular cicatricial pemphigoid.

Two factors, is classification and its immunogenetics, may have contributed to an incomplete understanding of the pathogenic mechanism in the disease group commonly termed 'cicatricial pemphigoid'. We have previously demonstrated that pure ocular cicatricial pemphigoid (OCP) is a unique clinical and immunopathological entity. In an effort to better define the immunogenetic characteristics for patients with pure OCP, we performed HLA typing for the class II MHC gene HLA-DQB1*0301 allele, by amplifying genomic DNA extracted from patients with polymerase chain reaction, followed by hybridization with a sequence-specific oligonucleotide probe on dot-blotted and Southern-blotted amplified DNA samples. Ninety percent (9/10) of patients with pure OCP had the DQB1*0301 allele, in contrast to 52% (17/33) of normal individuals who had the DQB1*0301 allele. The high frequency of the HLA-DQB1*0301 allele in patients with pure OCP may point to a distinct immunogenetic pattern and possibly a distinct pathomechanism for the disease.

Alleles↗

Expression of proto-oncogenes and gene mutation of sarcomeric proteins in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Several mutations of cardiac beta-myosin heavy chain (beta-MHC) gene were reported in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Involvement of proto-oncogenes has been shown in the mechanism of experimental cardiac hypertrophy. This study sought to examine the effects of c-H-ras and c-myc expression in the steady-state myocardium on hypertrophic changes and to evaluate the possible interaction between beta-MHC mutation and proto-oncogene expression in HCM. Endomyocardial biopsy was performed in 17 HCM patients (5 beta-MHC mutations and 1 troponin T mutation) and 7 control subjects (no mutation). Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed c-H-ras expression in all members of both groups. Cardiomyocyte size was correlated with the expression level of c-H-ras (P<0.001), and c-H-ras expression was upregulated in HCM patients (P<0.01). HCM patients with a beta-MHC mutation had the higher c-H-ras expression than did control subjects or patients without a mutation (P<0.01). c-myc mRNA was expressed in 7 of 17 HCM patients but not in control subjects. Myocyte size was greater in c-myc-positive HCM patients than in control subjects and c-myc-negative HCM patients (P<0.001 and P<0.05, respectively). The proto-oncogene expression did not affect clinical findings, myocardial fibrosis, or disarray. In conclusion, c-H-ras and c-myc expression in the steady-state myocardium may play a role in the hypertrophic mechanism in HCM. It is possible that ss-MHC gene mutation has some effect on the regulation of proto-oncogene expression in HCM.

Adolescent↗

Human leukocyte antigen associations in occupational asthma induced by isocyanates.

Exposure to diisocyanates is recognized as a leading cause of occupational asthma. Occupational asthma induced by isocyanates shares many characteristics with immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated asthma: in both, the responsible agent is known, and the clinical presentation, response to inhalation challenge in the laboratory, and response to antiasthma drugs are similar. Although asthma mediated by an IgE mechanism occurs in atopic subjects, occupational asthma induced by isocyanates occurs mostly in nonatopic asthmatics, and an IgE-mediated mechanism has not been consistently demonstrated. However, activated T lymphocytes, methacromatic cells, and eosinophils are increased in the bronchial mucosa of allergic and nonallergic asthmatics and subjects with occupational asthma induced by isocyanates, suggesting similar, probably immunologically mediated mechanisms for both nonoccupational and occupational asthma. Occupational asthma occurs in up to 5-10% of the exposed subjects. Evaluation of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II genes in exposed subjects who develop toluene diisocyanate (TDI) asthma has shown a negative association with HLA-DQB1*0501 and a positive association with HLA-DQB1*0503 alleles. In addition, a high proportion of TDI asthmatics express the HLA-DQB1*0503-associated aspartic acid at residue 57, suggesting that HLA-DQ may have a key role in conferring susceptibility. Thus, asthma induced by the low-molecular-weight agent TDI may result from an immunologic reaction due to the interaction of genetic susceptibility with exposure in the workplace.

Antibodies↗

The anti-inflammatory effects of enteral nutrition.

Enteral nutrition has a positive effect on growth in children with active Crohn's disease. The question arises: is this is due only to improved nutrition? Enteral formulas may also directly reduce inflammation, lowering the expression of cytokines like interleukin (IL)-6 that inhibit growth. Four lines of evidence support the hypothesis that enteral formulas directly lessen inflammation: enteral nutrition directly affects the inflamed intestine; changes in inflammatory markers precede repletion of nutrition status; molecular pathways exist linking changes in luminal contents to the expression of class II MHC genes in intestinal epithelium in animal studies; and enteral formulas have a direct effect on cytokine expression by intestinal epithelial cells.

Child↗

Targeted gene therapy to antigen-presenting cells in the central nervous system using hematopoietic stem cells.

BACKGROUND: Hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) have been previously used as vectors for gene therapy of systemic disease. The effectiveness of HSC-mediated gene therapy largely depends on efficient gene delivery into long-term repopulating progenitors and targeted transgene expression in an appropriate progeny of the transduced pluripotent HSCs. In the present study, we examined the feasibility of using HSC transduced with self-inactivating (SIN) lentiviral vectors for the delivery of gene therapy to the central nervous system (CNS). MATERIAL AND METHODS: We constructed two SIN lentiviral vectors, EF.GFP and DR.GFP, to express the green fluorescent protein (GFP) gene controlled solely by the promoter of either a housekeeping gene EF-1alpha or the human HLA-DRalpha gene, which is selectively expressed in antigen-presenting cells. RESULTS: We demonstrated that both vectors efficiently transduced human pluripotent CD34+ cells capable of engrafting NOD/SCID mice. Only the DR.GFP vector mediated transgene expression in the murine CNS containing human HLA-DR+ cells. These cells express surface markers characteristic of resident CNS microglia. Furthermore, human dendritic cells derived from transduced and engrafted human cells potently stimulated allogeneic T cell proliferation. CONCLUSIONS: The present study demonstrated successful targeting of transgene expression to CNS microglia after stable gene transduction of pluripotent HSC.

Animals↗

Gene expression profiling of multiple myeloma reveals molecular portraits in relation to the pathogenesis of the disease.

Although multiple myeloma (MM) is a unique entity, a marked heterogeneity is actually observed among the patients, which has been first related to immunoglobulin (Ig) types and light chain subtypes and more recently to chromosomal abnormalities. To further investigate this genetic heterogeneity, we analyzed gene expression profiles of 92 primary tumors according to their Ig types and light chain subtypes with DNA microarrays. Several clusters of genes involved in various biologic functions such as immune response, cell cycle control, signaling, apoptosis, cell adhesion, and structure significantly discriminated IgA- from IgG-MM. Genes associated with inhibition of differentiation and apoptosis induction were up-regulated while genes associated with immune response, cell cycle control, and apoptosis were down-regulated in IgA-MM. According to the expression of the 61 most discriminating genes, BJ-MM represented a separate subgroup that did not express either the genes characteristic of IgG-MM or those of IgA-MM at a high level. This suggests that transcriptional programs associated to the switch could be maintained up to plasma cell differentiation. Several genes whose products are known to stimulate bone remodeling discriminate between kappa- and lambda-MM. One of these genes, Mip-1alpha, was overexpressed in the kappa subgroup. In addition, we established a strong association (P =.0001) between kappa subgroup expressing high levels of Mip-1alpha and active myeloma bone disease. This study shows that DNA microarrays enable us to perform a molecular dissection of the bioclinical diversity of MM and provide new molecular tools to investigate the pathogenesis of malignant plasma cells.

Adult↗

HLA genotypic study of insulin-dependent diabetes the excess of DR3/DR4 heterozygotes allows rejection of the recessive hypothesis.

The genetics of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) is currently an area of controversy, with some investigators proposing heterogeneity within the HLA region and even the existence of non-HLA-linked susceptibility genes, and others maintaining that a simple autosomal recessive gene linked to HLA with reduced penetrance is an adequate explanation. To resolve this latter question, we report here a simple method of testing whether a single HLA-linked susceptibility gene is inherited in a recessive fashion when it is associated with two different HLA alleles, as is the case for IDDM. It is shown that if the number of DR3/DR4 heterozygotes in a diabetic population exceeds the combined sum of DR3/3 and DR4/4 homozygotes in that same diabetic population, then a recessive mode of inheritance can be rejected. The advantages of the method are that it does not depend on ratios, as do relative risk calculations, nor does it depend on control data, but is based only on studies of the diabetics themselves. With data on 193 genotyped IDDM patients, we can clearly reject the recessive mode of inheritance, since the number of heterozygotes is 68 compared with a maximum of 22 homozygotes (P less than 10(-4)). Eight other published studies are in concordance with these results. Therefore, a nonparametric test, independent of the significance of any individual study, rejects equality of heterozygotes and homozygotes (P less than 0.002) and rejects the simple recessive mode of inheritance as a direct consequence. We conclude that more complex modes of inheritance of HLA-linked IDDM susceptibility, such as two different diabetogenic alleles or multiple loci, must be entertained. DIABETES 32:169-174, February 1983.

Alleles↗