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A multielectrode implant device for the cerebral cortex.

A new class of brain implant technology was developed that allows the simultaneous recording of voltage signals from many individual neurons in the cerebral cortex during cognitive tasks. The device allows recording from 49 independent positions spanning a 2 x 2-mm region of neural tissue. The recording electrodes are positioned in a square grid with 350 microm spacing, and each microelectrode can be precisely independently vertically positioned using a hydraulic microdrive. The device utilizes ultrafine, sharp iridium microelectrodes that minimize mechanical disturbance of the region near the electrode tip and produce low noise neuronal recordings. The total weight of this device is less than 20 g, and the device is reusable. The implant device has been used for transdural recordings in primary somatosensory and auditory cortices of marmosets, owl monkeys, and rats. On a typical day, one-third of the microelectrodes yield well-discriminated single neuron action potential waveforms. Additional array electrodes yield lower amplitude driven multiunit activity. The average signal-to-noise ratio of discriminated action potential waveforms 6 months after implantation was greater than 9. Simple design alternatives are discussed that can increase the number of electrodes in the array and the depths at which dense array recordings can be achieved.

Animals↗

Rabbit and monkey visual cortex: more than a year of recording with up to 64 microelectrodes.

In the visual cortex of rabbits and a marmoset monkey, 32 and 64 microwires, respectively, were chronically implanted by an indirect insertion method so that the cortex was penetrated from the white matter. For more than 1 year recordings of action potentials of good quality were obtained at most electrodes. Recording stability was judged by spike shape, spike train autocorrelograms, and spike rates: within recording sessions, stability was essentially perfect. Periods in which the signals of several electrodes were stable could last for several days. A method of in vivo reconstruction of the electrode locations by micro-X-rays and subsequent stereophotogrammetry is presented. The aspect of animal welfare is considered.

Action Potentials↗

Novel monoclonal antibodies against proteolipid protein peptide 139-151 demonstrate demyelination and myelin uptake by macrophages in MS and marmoset EAE lesions.

Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) induced by immunization of mice with epitopes of the proteolipid protein (PLP), a major myelin constituent, forms a useful model for the study of multiple sclerosis (MS). In addition, MS patients display PLP-specific T- and B-cell responses, suggesting that PLP reactivity is relevant to pathogenesis.Here, the generation and characterization of a panel of mouse monoclonal antibodies (Mab) against PLP139-151, the prominent encephalitogenic sequence in SJL/J mice is described. Five Mab were generated by conventional immunization of an SJL/J mouse and hybridoma generation. These Mab reacted well with the PLP139-151 peptide in ELISA and belonged to the IgG2a and IgG2b subclasses, consistent with CD4+ T helper 1-cell-supported antibody formation. The Mab also efficiently detected PLP peptide-BSA conjugates in Western blot, confirming their multi-assay applicability. The Mab were subsequently used to determine the occurrence of demyelination in brains of MS patients and marmoset monkeys with EAE. Immunohistochemistry on both paraffin and frozen sections demonstrated a homogeneous expression of PLP139-151 in normal myelin, and a complete absence in lesions containing demyelinated areas, confirming that the Mab can be used as a general myelin marker. In active demyelinating MS lesions, the Mab visualized the peptide in the cytoplasm of macrophages containing phagocytosed myelin. In conclusion, this panel of Mab against the encephalitogenic PLP139-151 epitope forms a useful tool for further study of autoantigen expression, demyelination/remyelination and the staging of lesional activity in MS patients, as well as in EAE models in distinct animal species.

Animals↗

Immune regulation and CNS autoimmune disease.

The central nervous system is a demonstrated target of both clinical and experimental immune mediated disorders. Immune regulatory mechanisms operative at the levels of the systemic immune system, the blood brain barrier, and within the CNS parenchyma are important determinants of the intensity and duration of the tissue directed injury. Convergence of research, involving direct manipulation of specific cells and molecular mediators in animal models and in vitro analysis of human immune and neural cells and tissues, is providing increasing insight into the role of these immune regulatory functions and their potential to serve as therapeutic targets.

Animals↗

Production monitoring and purification of EBV encoded latent membrane protein 1 expressed and secreted by recombinant baculovirus infected insect cells.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) encoded latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1) is expressed in malignancies with latency type II and III and is an important transforming protein. To further study this protein LMP1 was expressed by and purified from recombinant baculovirus infected Sf9 cells. Expression levels of LMP1 in EBV transformed B cell lines and Sf9 cells were analyzed using a newly developed quantitative LMP1-capture ELISA. Highest expression was found in the cell line X50/7 (6.2 ng/10(7) cells), whereas expression levels of recombinant LMP1 (bLMP1) in Sf9 cells reached 506 ng/10(7) cells. Surprisingly bLMP1 could also be detected in the culture medium as a stable full-length protein. Highest expression in Sf9 cells (506 ng/10(7) cells) was observed at 48 h post infection and in the culture medium (1590 ng/ml) at 96 h post infection. Before purification bLMP1 was solubilised using 0.22 m octyl-beta-glucoside at pH 6.0. Purification of bLMP1 using Q-Sepharose FF yielded 10-80 times enriched bLMP1 fractions, indicating that Q-Sepharose can be used for pre-purification. A one-step monoclonal antibody based immunoaffinity chromatography yielded highly purified bLMP1. Although the overall yields (20 microg purified LMP1 from 100 ml culture supernatant) and protein concentrations were low, higher concentrations of >95% purified BLMP1 could be reached after freeze drying.

Animals↗

Efficient isolation of mumps virus from a community outbreak using the marmoset lymphoblastoid cell line B95a.

The incidence of mumps infection in the UK was reduced greatly by vaccination as a component of MMR vaccine, but cases and outbreaks continue to occur. Although in specialised laboratories RT-PCR is available for detection of mumps virus RNA in clinical samples, in routine laboratories virus isolation remains a standard method for diagnosing mumps virus infection. Furthermore, isolation of mumps virus strains circulating currently is important for monitoring the ability of vaccine-induced antibody to neutralise any genotypes recognised recently and to detect any changes in phenotype. In this study we compared rhesus monkey kidney (RMK) cells with the cell line B95a for mumps virus isolation from twenty throat swabs collected during a mumps outbreak in a religious community with low MMR coverage. Mumps virus was isolated from eight cases (40%), six were positive in both cell cultures and two in only one, all positive samples being collected within 2 days of onset. Virus growth in B95a cells was detected by the production of a syncytial cytopathic effect, and confirmed by an indirect fluorescent antibody test using a mumps monoclonal antibody. The B95a cell line was found to be equally as sensitive for mumps isolation as RMK cells, which are regarded as the 'gold standard', thus providing an alternative to the use of primary animal cell culture.

Animals↗

Contralesional neglect in monkeys with small unilateral parietal cortical ablations.

Transient contralesional spatial neglect, in addition to motor impairment in the contralesional arm, is sometimes seen in patients following cerebral infarction in the right hemisphere and is seen following experimental occlusion of the right middle cerebral artery in primates. To test whether contralesional visuospatial neglect arises from a disruption of the forward flow of information from the striate cortex through the dorsal territory of the middle cerebral artery, we made a small strip suction ablation in the right parietal cortex from the medial edge of the dorsal cortical surface to the posterior ventral edge of the superior temporal gyrus in marmoset monkeys. These monkeys did not exhibit a motor impairment, or misreaching, with the contralesional arm. When they were unrestrained and free to use either arm, they were impaired at finding rewards in their contralesional space and in choosing the nearer of two rewards hidden in ipsilesional space (i.e. they had an ultra-ipsilesional bias in ipsilesional space). Comparison of performance under four conditions in a task in which the monkeys were constrained to reach into each hemispace with each arm separately indicated that they were impaired at reaching into contralesional, but not ipsilesional, space with either arm but they did not exhibit any impairment confined to the contralesional arm. These impairments in contralesional space were transient suggesting that the monkeys were able to re-align their egocentric spatial coordinates to obviate these deficits.

Animals↗

Unilateral hippocampal and inferotemporal cortex lesions in opposite hemispheres impair learning of single-pair visual discriminations as well as visuovisual conditional tasks in monkeys.

Monkeys with unilateral ablations of the inferotemporal (IT) cortex were not impaired on learning or retention of single-pair object discriminations or visuovisual conditional tasks. Addition of an excitotoxic hippocampal lesion to the hemisphere opposite to the IT ablation impaired retention and acquisition of single-pair object discriminations and visuovisual conditional tasks. Histology revealed no areas of bilaterally symmetrical damage. Previous experiments have shown that bilateral excitotoxic hippocampal lesions do not impair single-pair object discriminations although they do produce a substantial impairment on visuovisual conditional tasks. Bilateral IT ablations produce impairment on single-pair object discrimination tasks. It is argued that the hippocampus in the hemisphere with the IT ablation is deprived of feed-forward visual input and that this, in addition to the contralateral hippocampal lesion, accounts for the impairment on the visuovisual conditional tasks. It is also argued that feed-back projections from the hippocampus to the IT cortex influence the learning of single-pair object discriminations. This influence may be difficult to demonstrate by the addition of hippocampal lesions to IT lesions because of the substantial effect of the IT lesion alone. It may be difficult to demonstrate by bilateral hippocampal lesions alone since the effect may be below that which generates an observable impairment. Nonetheless, an effect may be seen when a hippocampal lesion is made in monkeys with some IT damage, as in this experiment, as well as by the general observation that large lesions of the temporal lobes produce larger perceptuo-mnemonic impairments than lesions confined to the hippocampus or temporal neocortex in monkeys and man.

Animals↗

Dissociation of hemi-spatial and hemi-motor impairments in a unilateral primate model of Parkinson's disease.

Monkeys with unilateral lesions of nigrostriatal dopamine projections were tested on a series of spatial tasks. One task, in which monkeys were required to use one or the other arm to retrieve food rewards from different positions, allowed separate assessment of the use of each arm in each hemi-space in order to distinguish hemi-spatial and hemi-motor impairments. The lesioned monkeys exhibited a persistent neglect of contralesional space when using either arm which could be dissociated from a motor impairment in the contralesional arm alone. Another task allowed free use of either arm across peri-personal space and demonstrated an ipsilesional bias in the monkeys' self-determined attention (orientation) to a task which they were trying to perform. It is argued that the tendency for monkeys with this lesion to rotate ipsilesionally is due to an ipsilesional deviation of the 'centre of interest' (determined by telencephalic circuitry) relative to 'straight ahead' (determined by brainstem circuitry). The dopamine projections may contribute to cortico-subcortical circuits which determine the spatial layout of mental representation, attention and intention. The results in this primate model of unilateral Parkinson's disease (PD) support the view that patients with left-sided Parkinsonian symptoms exhibit a unilateral deficit in spatial mental representation as well as their well-recognised motor symptoms. Patients with bilateral Parkinson's symptoms may exhibit bilateral deficits in mental representation.

Animals↗

Bioactivity of recombinant prorelaxin from the marmoset monkey.

The hormone relaxin (RLX) is generally present in the serum of humans and primates as a heterodimer, though some unprocessed prohormone may also be present. In order to test whether this proRLX is biologically relevant for human or primate physiology, recombinant marmoset monkey proRLX was synthesized in a baculovirus-infected cell system and tested in different bioassays. Marmoset proRLX is >70% identical to human H2 proRLX, especially in the so-called receptor-binding region of the B-peptide. The bioassay systems used were (a) cAMP production by human endometrial stromal cells and (b) cAMP production by the human monocyte cell line THP-1. In both bioassay systems recombinant proRLX showed comparable EC(50) values to pure porcine heterodimeric relaxin (porcine relaxin, 1.5-2.0 nM; marmoset prorelaxin 4.0-5.0 nM). Additionally, recombinant marmoset prorelaxin was shown to stimulate steroidogenesis in primary cultures of marmoset ovarian theca cells, though with a lower apparent activity than porcine relaxin. It thus appears that precursor processing of human or primate relaxin is not an essential prerequisite for the acquisition of bioactivity, as it is for the closely related hormone insulin, and that circulating prorelaxin is physiologically relevant.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Assessment of P450 induction in the marmoset monkey using targeted anti-peptide antibodies.

The identity and expression of hepatic P450 enzymes in marmosets was investigated using a panel of anti-peptide antibodies originally targeted against human P450 enzymes. In immunoblotting, of 12 antibodies examined, 10 bound specifically to bands in marmoset liver microsomal fraction corresponding to P450 enzymes. It is proposed that these represent marmoset CYP1A1, CYP1A2, CYP2A, CYP2B, CYP2C forms (CYP2C-1 and CYP2C-2), CYP2D19, CYP3A21 and another CYP3A form (CYP3A-m). The antibodies, together with an anti-marmoset CYP2E1 antibody, were used to investigate the expression of 10 P450 enzymes in marmosets treated with P450-inducing chemicals. Treatment with phenobarbitone caused CYP2B, CYP2C-2 and CYP3A21 levels to increase, rifampicin caused increases in CYP2B and CYP2C-1 and a decrease in CYP3A21 levels, whereas dioxin caused CYP1A1 and CYP1A2 levels to increase and CYP2E1 levels to decrease. Clofibric acid did not induce any P450. P450 enzyme activities were assessed using 8 different substrates and increases were found after treatment with phenobarbitone, rifampicin, and dioxin. However, due to species differences in substrate selectivity, it proved difficult to ascribe these changes to individual P450 enzymes. Thus, the use of anti-peptide antibodies provides a more informative way of assessing the levels of specific P450 enzymes than enzyme activity measurements.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Antigenic variation of the Epstein-Barr virus nuclear antigen EBNA1 as revealed by monoclonal antibodies.

The Epstein Barr virus (EBV) nuclear antigen EBNA1 plays an essential role in the replication of EBV episomes in latently infected cells and is the only viral protein that is consistently expressed in all programs of latent EBV gene expression. In this study, four monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) directed to a region (amino acid residues 442-530) of EBNA1 were generated. Competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) experiments using biotinylated MoAbs showed that they recognized distinct epitopes. Reactivity of these MoAbs with various laboratory EBV strains and field EBV isolates was shown to be heterogeneous in that EBNA1 from certain strains (isolates) was recognized and that from others was not. All four MoAbs showed such heterogeneous reactivity, and moreover, each MoAb showed a distinct spectrum of reactivity with these EBV strains (isolates). These results demonstrate an extensive structural variation in this region of EBNA1 as predicted by previous sequencing studies. These MoAbs will be useful as probes to dissect this structural heterogeneity of EBNA1.

Animals↗

Functional analysis of different LMP1 proteins isolated from Epstein-Barr virus-positive carriers.

The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is the causative agent of infectious mononucleosis and is implicated in the development of several human malignancies. Latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1), an EBV protein with known oncogenic properties, may be important in the pathogenesis of EBV-associated tumors, particularly nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and Hodgkin's disease (HD). Several reports suggested that sequence variations in the LMP1 gene may define a more aggressive, geographically restricted EBV-genotype. Most mutations in the LMP1 gene described are located within the C-terminus of the protein. However, the effect of these mutations on the biological function of the protein remains widely unknown. Therefore, this study aimed in investigating whether mutations detected in LMP1 genes isolated from different EBV-positive carriers have an effect on the biological function of the protein. For this purpose the LMP1 genes were amplified by nested PCR from DNA out of bone marrow and peripheral blood lymphocytes and sequenced. Three functional assays were performed in order to evaluate the biological activity of the different isolates: activation of the transcription factors NF-kappaB and AP-1 as well as the anchorage independent growth of LMP1 transfected ratl cells in soft agar. The results suggested that whereas differences in the activation of NF-kappaB through the various LMP1 isolates correlated tightly with their different expression levels, the outgrowth of transfected cells in soft agar did not and the transcription factor NF-kappaB therefore appeared not to be the major effector for the transformation of the rodent cell line ratl by LMP1. The various LMP1-isolates also differed in their capacity in activating the transcription factor AP-1. We found no correlation between the transforming ability of the LMPI isolates and activation of AP-1 suggesting that other so far uncharacterized domains also influence the transforming ability of the protein.

Animals↗

IL-6 functions in cynomolgus monkeys blocked by a humanized antibody to human IL-6 receptor.

A humanized antibody to the human interleukin-6 receptor (IL-6R), hPM-1, blocked the interleukin-6 (IL-6) functions in normal cynomolgus monkey lymphocytes in vitro. The binding activity of hPM-1 to non-human primate IL-6R was examined in peripheral blood lymphocytes by flow cytometry. PM-1 recognized the IL-6R on T lymphocytes of cynomolgus and rhesus monkeys, but did not on those of marmosets. The homology between human IL-6R and its cynomolgus monkey counterpart was 97.3% in the extracellular domain of the amino acid sequence, as determined by DNA sequencing of the PCR product from peripheral blood mononuclear cells. PM-1 inhibited two functional parameters in vitro in cynomolgus monkeys: (1), T-cell proliferation stimulated by phytohemaglutinin and human IL-6; (2), Immunoglobulin G-production evoked by Staphylococcus aureus Cowan-1- and human IL-6-stimulated B lymphocytes. These data show that hPM-1 binds to and functionally blocks the cynomolgus monkey IL-6 receptors.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Quantitation of HLA-A*0201 bound tumor associated antigens on a peptide pulsed B cell line.

CTLs recognize 8- to 10-mer peptides on MHC class I molecules. Recent studies have shown that human CTLs kill autologous tumor cells in an HLA-restricted and peptide-specific manner, and that artificial pep- tides can stimulate tumor-specific CTLs both in vitro and in vivo. Accordingly, several human clinical trials using such peptides are ongoing worldwide. In such methods, the amount of peptide-MHC complexes that remain on the cell surface of APCs after peptide administration is crucial, because CTL activation depends on the number of ligated TCRs and co-stimulation. However, it remains uncertain how many peptide-MHC complexes are reconstituted and remain on live cells after peptide administration. We herein examined the binding affinities of five HLA-A*0201 restricted peptides-four TAAs and one HIV antigen-to HLA-A*0201 molecules and their decay rates on a live B cell line using tandem mass spectrometry. Our experiments showed that nearly 10(5) peptide-MHC complexes per cell could be reconstituted on a cell surface by pulsing a high dose of peptide even if the binding affinities were intermediate or low. However, the decay rates observed for these pep- tide-MHC complexes on a B cell line were faster than previously estimated.

Animals↗