Cellular expression of the C5a anaphylatoxin receptor (C5aR): demonstration of C5aR on nonmyeloid cells of the liver and lung.

The small-complement C5 activation fragment, C5a, is a potent phlogistic molecule that, on binding to the C5a Receptor (C5aR), mediates contraction of smooth muscle, enhances vascular permeability, and promotes leukocyte functions such as directed chemotaxis, degranulation, mediator release, and production of superoxide anions. Although C5aR expression has traditionally been thought to be limited primarily to myeloid blood cells, including neutrophils, monocytes, macrophages, and eosinophils, we report here that C5aR is expressed by liver and lung cells as well as by cells in several other tissues. By Northern blot analysis, it was determined that mouse liver, baboon liver, human liver, and the human hepatoma-derived cell line HepG2 express a normal size (2.3 kb) C5aR mRNA; in HepG2 cells, the quantity of C5aR mRNA was comparable to that contained in dbcAMP-differentiated U937 cells. HepG2 cells were demonstrated to express the C5aR on their cell surface by flow cytometric and immunofluorescence analyses as well as by 125I-C5a binding assays. The binding data indicated that HepG2 cells express a single class of C5aR with a Kd of 1.18 nM and approximately 28,000 receptors per cell. In vivo expression of C5aR in human liver cells was demonstrated by in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry analyses. Northern blot analysis of murine and baboon organs shows that, in addition to the liver, other tissues express C5aR mRNA in significant quantities, including the spleen, lung, heart, kidney, and intestine. Moreover, mice treated with LPS show a large increase in C5aR mRNA in all these tissues except the intestine. Immunostaining of human lung tissue demonstrated that bronchial and alveolar epithelial cells, as well as vascular smooth muscle and endothelial cells, also express the C5aR. Collectively, these data indicate that the C5aR is expressed in several different types of cells in liver and lung, and in yet undetermined cell types in spleen, heart, intestine, and kidney. Furthermore, these data suggest that the C5a anaphylatoxin mediates previously unrecognized functions by binding to tissue cells that express the C5aR.

Comparison of fibrosarcomas that developed at vaccination sites and at nonvaccination sites in cats: 239 cases (1991-1992).

Questionnaires were sent to veterinarians who had submitted a fibrosarcoma from a cat to the surgical pathology services of the veterinary schools of the University of Pennsylvania and Tufts University between Jan 1, 1991 and June 30, 1992. Questionnaire items included signalment, FeLV and feline immunodeficiency virus status, site of sarcoma, vaccination site, vaccines used, treatment, biologic behavior of the tumor, and final outcome. Data were analyzed, using Student's t-test for continuous data, chi 2 test for categoric data, and log-rank test for survival estimates. Comparing results for cats with vaccination-site (VS) tumors and nonvaccination-site (NVS) tumors, we determined that VS tumors developed in younger cats and were larger than NVS tumors. Although VS sarcomas were biologically aggressive and redeveloped more often than NVS sarcomas, metastasis was not detected, and cats with VS tumors survived longer than cats with NVS tumors. Vaccination-site sarcomas developed in cats after injection of many types of vaccines, administered singularly or in combination. Of the cats in the VS group administered a single vaccine, 37% were given rabies, 33% were given feline viral rhinotracheitis/calicivirus/panleukopenia virus, and 30% were given FeLV vaccines. Cats with VS tumors were more likely to have received FeLV vaccine and less likely to have received rabies vaccine than those with NVS tumors. Although vaccines produced by certain manufacturers were used most often in cats with VS and NVS sarcomas, it was believed that this probably represented marketing practices and brand popularity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Structure, 5'-flanking sequence, and chromosome location of the human N-formyl peptide receptor gene. A single-copy gene comprised of two exons on chromosome 19q.13.3 that yields two distinct transcripts by alternative polyadenylation.

The N-formyl peptide chemoattractant receptor (fMLF-R) is a cell-surface, G-protein-coupled glycoprotein that mediates the directed locomotion of neutrophils upon binding N-formylated peptides. The fMLF-R is encoded primarily by a 1.6-kb mRNA in differentiated HL-60 and U937 cells, although larger less abundant transcripts are present. To study the origin of different fMLF-R transcripts, the genetic linkage of chemotactic receptor genes, and the regulation of fMLF-R gene expression, we determined the copy number, chromosomal location, structural organization, and 5'-flanking sequence of the human fMLF-R gene. BamHI restriction fragments derived from a human fMLF-R genomic cosmid clone were isolated, subcloned, and sequenced. These data indicate that the fMLF-R structural gene is approximately 7.5 kb in length and is comprised of two exons separated by an approximately 5.0-kb intron. The first exon encodes 66 bp of the 5'-untranslated sequence, while exon 2 encodes the coding and 3'-untranslated sequences. The genomic organization of the fMLF-R gene is similar to that of the adrenergic beta-1 and beta-2 G-protein-coupled receptor genes in that the coding sequence is contained in a single exon. The different 3'-untranslated sequences observed in fMLF-R cDNA clones are contiguous in the genomic structure, thereby indicating that these clones are derived in part by alternative polyadenylation. Southern blot analysis using human X hamster somatic cell hybrids and in situ hybridization indicated that the h-fMLF-R gene is located on chromosome 19q13.3. Primer extension experiments using dbcAMP-differentiated U937 RNA indicated a single transcriptional initiation site. Sequence analysis 5' of the transcriptional initiation site indicated possible cis-acting motifs that may regulate fMLF-R gene expression. These included AP-1 and CK-2 consensus sequences that bind nuclear factors of the Fos/Jun family and NF-GMb, respectively.

Structure of the murine fifth complement component (C5) gene. A large, highly interrupted gene with a variant donor splice site and organizational homology with the third and fourth complement component genes.

To understand fifth complement component (C5) gene regulation, splicing, and C5 protein deficiency at the molecular level, the organization of the murine C5 gene was determined. The C5 structural gene is present as a single copy in the mouse genome as demonstrated by Southern blot analysis. Accordingly, three cosmid clones were isolated from a genomic library that was prepared from mouse strain B10.D2/nSnJ. These clones overlapped and contained the structural gene encoding the complete C5 alpha-chain and 90% of the beta-chain. The 5'-flanking region of the C5 gene was obtained from a clone isolated from a genomic lambda-MOPC-41 library. Unique restriction fragments were prepared from the genomic clones and subcloned, and the exons were sequenced. All introns were sized by sequencing or Southern analysis. The C5 structural gene was found to be a highly interrupted gene of approximately 78 kilobases containing 42 exons and 41 introns. The exons ranged in length from 58 to 247 base pairs, with an average length of 131 base pairs. The introns ranged in size from 100 base pairs to 4 kilobases with an average length of 1.5 kilobases. The C5 alpha-chain was encoded by 49 kilobases containing 26 exons; the beta-chain was encoded by 29 kilobases containing 16 exons. The C5a coding sequence was split between two exons. All intron/exon junctions followed the normal consensus rule except at intron 35 in which the 5'-donor GT was substituted by GC. The 2-base-pair gene deletion and HindIII and PvuII restriction fragment length polymorphisms associated with murine C5 deficiency were localized to exon 7, exon 16, and intron 20, respectively. Comparison of the intron-exon junctions of the murine C5, human C3, and mouse C4 genes indicated that these genes are nearly identical in structural organization. However, the rat alpha 2-macroglobulin gene showed only moderate genomic organizational similarity to the murine C5 gene. A major and a minor transcriptional initiation site in the C5 gene were identified by primer extensions and confirmed by RNase protection assays. Sequence analysis of the 5'-flanking region (760 base pairs) revealed a TATA-like and CAAT box upstream of the major transcriptional initiation site at positions -274 and -303, respectively, suggesting an atypical promoter. The 5'-flanking region also contained sequences identical with several cis-acting motifs known to bind the liver-specific nuclear protein LF-A1 and the nuclear protein NF-kappa B.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Complete cDNA sequence of human complement pro-C5. Evidence of truncated transcripts derived from a single copy gene.

Two truncated human C5 clones, pHC5A and pHC5B, were isolated from an adult human liver cDNA library, and contained inserts of 2930 and 2181 bp, respectively. Both clones were polyadenylated and encoded the 5'-end of the C5 pro-molecule, thereby completing the human pro-C5 cDNA sequence. However, near the 3'-ends, at exon/intron boundaries, the nucleotide sequences of pHC5A and pHC5B diverged from each other and from the full-length 6.0-kb C5 cDNA sequence. Clone pHC5A, which overlapped the first human C5 clone described (J-16), encoded most of the C5 signal peptide, the complete beta-chain, the linker peptide, 177 amino acids of the alpha-chain, and contained 144 bp of Alu family consensus sequence encoding 48 amino acids of divergent protein sequence in an open reading frame. Clone pHC5B encoded the entire C5 signal peptide, the beta-chain, the linker peptide, nine amino acids of the alpha-chain, and six amino acids of divergent protein sequence in an open reading frame. Northern blot experiments demonstrated the presence of a 3.0-kb truncated C5 mRNA in adult human liver and a 4.8-kb truncated C5 mRNA in HepG2 cells in addition to the 6.0-kb full-length transcript. Truncated C5 mRNA were not detected in Raji, MOLT-4, human fibroblast or U937 cells, although the full-length 6.0-kb transcript was seen in MOLT-4 cells. Southern blot analyses indicated that the human C5 structural gene is large, complex, and is present in the human genome in a single copy, thereby demonstrating that the truncated C5 clones and mRNA are derived from a single C5 gene by alternative processing events.