The distribution of IL-13 receptor alpha1 expression on B cells, T cells and monocytes and its regulation by IL-13 and IL-4.

To study the expression of IL-13 receptor alpha1 (IL-13Ralpha1), specific monoclonal antibodies (mAb) were generated. Surface expression of the IL-13Ralpha1 on B cells, monocytes and T cells was assessed by flow cytometry using these specific mAb. Among tonsillar B cells, the expression was the highest on the IgD+ CD38- B cell subpopulation which is believed to represent naive B cells. Expression was also detectable on a large fraction of the IgD-CD38- B cells but not on CD38+ B cells. Activation under conditions which promote B cell Ig class switching up-regulated the expression of the receptor. However, the same stimuli had an opposite effect for IL-13Ralpha1 expression levels on monocytes. While IL-13Ralpha1 mRNA was clearly detectable in T cell preparations, no surface expression was detected. However, permeabilization of the T cells showed a clear intracellular expression of the receptor. A soluble form of the receptor was immunoprecipitated from the supernatant of activated peripheral T cells, suggesting that T cell IL-13Ralpha1 might have functions unrelated to the capacity to form a type II IL-4/IL-13R with IL-4Ralpha.

Cytokine-like factor-1, a novel soluble protein, shares homology with members of the cytokine type I receptor family.

In this report we describe the identification, cloning, and expression pattern of human cytokine-like factor 1 (hCLF-1) and the identification and cloning of its murine homologue. They were identified from expressed sequence tags using amino acid sequences from conserved regions of the cytokine type I receptor family. Human CLF-1 and murine CLF-1 shared 96% amino acid identity and significant homology with many cytokine type I receptors. CLF-1 is a secreted protein, suggesting that it is either a soluble subunit within a cytokine receptor complex, like the soluble form of the IL-6R alpha-chain, or a subunit of a multimeric cytokine, e.g., IL-12 p40. The highest levels of hCLF-1 mRNA were observed in lymph node, spleen, thymus, appendix, placenta, stomach, bone marrow, and fetal lung, with constitutive expression of CLF-1 mRNA detected in a human kidney fibroblastic cell line. In fibroblast primary cell cultures, CLF-1 mRNA was up-regulated by TNF-alpha, IL-6, and IFN-gamma. Western blot analysis of recombinant forms of hCLF-1 showed that the protein has the tendency to form covalently linked di- and tetramers. These results suggest that CLF-1 is a novel soluble cytokine receptor subunit or part of a novel cytokine complex, possibly playing a regulatory role in the immune system and during fetal development.

The Candida albicans PKC1 gene encodes a protein kinase C homolog necessary for cellular integrity but not dimorphism.

Using a DNA fragment derived from the Saccharomyces cerevisiae protein kinase C gene (PKC1) as a probe to screen an ordered array library of genomic DNA from the dimorphic pathogenic fungus Candida albicans, the C. albicans PKC1 gene (CaPKC1) was isolated. The CaPKC1 gene is predicted to encode a protein of 1079 amino acids with 51% sequence identity over the entire length with the S. cerevisiae Pkc1 protein and is capable of functionally complementing the growth defects of a S. cerevisiae pkc1 delta mutant strain on hypo-osmotic medium. Deletion of both endogenous copies of the CaPKC1 gene in diploid C. albicans cells resulted in an osmotically remedial cell lysis defect of both the budding and the hyphal growth form and morphologically aberrant cells of the budding form. Despite these abnormalities, the transition between the two growth forms of C. albicans occurred normally in pkc1/pkc1 double disruptants. Capkc1p was modified at its C-terminus with two repeats of the Staphylococcus aureus protein A IgG-binding fragment (ZZ-sequence tag) and partially purified by chromatography on DEAE-Sepharose and IgG-Sepharose. In vitro, Capkc1p preferably phosphorylated the S. cerevisiae Pkc1p pseudosubstrate peptide and myelin basic protein, but not histones, protamine or dephosphorylated casein, and failed to respond to cofactors known to activate several mammalian PKC isozymes.

Recombinant soluble trimeric CD40 ligand is biologically active.

CD40 ligand (CD40L) is expressed on the surface of activated CD4+ T cells, basophils, and mast cells. Binding of C40L to its receptor, CD40, on the surface of B cells stimulates B cell proliferation, adhesion and differentiation. A preparation of soluble, recombinant CD40L (Tyr-45 to Leu-261), containing the full-length 29-kDa protein and two smaller fragments of 18 and 14 kDa, has been shown to induce differentiation of B cells derived either from normal donors or from patients with X-linked hyper-IgM syndrome (Durandy, A., Schiff, C., Bonnefoy, J.-Y., Forveille, M., Rousset, F., Mazzei, G., Milili, M., and Fischer, A. (1993) Eur. J. Immunol. 23, 2294-2299). We have now purified each of these fragments to homogeneity and show that only the 18-kDa fragment (identified as Glu-108 to Leu-261) is biologically active. When expressed in recombinant form, the 18-kDa protein exhibited full activity in B cell proliferation and differentiation assays, was able to rescue of B cells from apoptosis, and bound soluble CD40. Sucrose gradient sedimentation shows that the 18-kDa protein sediments as an apparent homotrimer, a result consistent with the proposed trimeric structure of CD40L. This demonstrates that a soluble CD40L can stimulate CD40 in a manner indistinguishable from the membrane-bound form of the protein.

Comparison of INO1 gene sequences and products in Candida albicans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The sequence of the Candida albicans inositol biosynthetic gene, CaINO1, and its flanking regions is determined in this study. The largest open reading frame has a coding sequence of 1560 base pairs, corresponding to a predicted protein of 521 amino acids. Three primary transcriptional start sites are found 64, 57 and 52 base pairs upstream of the ATG translational start site at position 1374. Five stop codons exist in a cluster at the end of the coding region. Within the upstream region TATA and CAAT eukaryotic regulatory sequences are identified along with regions corresponding to a 10 base pair inositol/choline responsive element consensus sequence. Computer analysis of the DNA sequence shows strong homology to the Saccharomyces cerevisiae INO1 gene. A comparison of the deduced amino acid sequence of the C. albicans INO1 gene product, inositol-1-phosphate synthase, with its homolog in S. cerevisiae shows 64% identity and 77% similarity. The differences between the two proteins are most prominent in the N-terminal regions.

Characterization of a novel exon within the D3 receptor gene giving rise to an mRNA isoform expressed in rat brain.

A novel D3 receptor cDNA containing an insertion of 84 bp has been isolated from a series of alternatively spliced D3 receptor cDNAs by polymerase chain reaction on RNA isolated from rat basal forebrain. Sequence analysis of both subcloned cDNAs and genomic DNA clones, has identified a 84 bp insertion resulting in a 28 amino acid insertion in the first extracellular loop. A comparison of the cDNA sequence of the novel D3 cDNA and the isolated genomic sequence indicates that the novel insertion corresponds to a new exon and arises via an alternative splicing event. The mRNA for the novel insertion could be detected by PCR in several areas of the brain co-localized with the wild type form of the D3 receptor. Moreover, genomic Southern blot analyses suggest that the D3-receptor exon giving rise to this novel D3 mRNA variant might exist in other species.

The Candida albicans PMM1 gene encoding phosphomannomutase complements a Saccharomyces cerevisiae sec 53-6 mutation.

We have constructed an ordered-array genomic DNA library of the pathogenic dimorphic fungus Candida albicans which facilitates the rapid cloning of C. albicans genes by hybridisation. Using the Saccharomyces cerevisiae SEC53 gene encoding phosphomannomutase as a hybridisation probe we have cloned the C. albicans homologue, PMM1, and determined its sequence. This gene shows high similarity, both at the nucleotide (76.2%) and amino-acid (77.7%) level, to the S. cerevisiae SEC53 gene. We have used the C. albicans PMM1 gene, in single copy, to transform temperature-sensitive S. cerevisiae sec53-6 mutant cells, which are defective in PMM activity at 37 degrees C, to growth at 37 degrees C. The C. albicans PMM1 gene is thus the structural and functional equivalent of the SEC53 gene.

Murine endothelial leukocyte-adhesion molecule 1 is a close structural and functional homologue of the human protein.

Human endothelial leukocyte-adhesion molecule 1 (ELAM-1), a cell-surface glycoprotein expressed solely on cytokine-activated endothelial cells, mediates the adhesion of blood neutrophils, memory T-cells and some monocytes. ELAM-1, also known as E-selectin or leukocyte endothelial-cell-adhesion molecule 2, is a member of the lectin/epidermal-growth-factor/complement-regulatory-protein-like cell-adhesion molecule family, which includes structurally related molecules referred to as selectins. They are all involved in cell/cell adhesion, playing roles in leukocyte trafficking which are currently only partially defined. We report here the isolation and characterization of the murine equivalent of human ELAM-1. Murine ELAM-1 is encoded by a single-copy gene, spanning about 13 kb, which is structurally organized into 14 exons and 13 introns; very similar to that of its human counterpart. The exon/intron architecture exactly parallels the domain structure of the encoded protein. A murine ELAM-1-specific cDNA was cloned from heart tissue of an interleukin-1-(IL-1)-treated mouse. Its nucleotide sequence shows an overall similarity of 70% to human ELAM-1 cDNA. Transiently expressed in Cos cells, the encoded protein promotes the adhesion between recombinant cells and both human polymorphic nuclear cells, as well as HL60 cells expressing S-Lewis-x sugar moiety. Northern blot studies revealed by far the highest expression of the murine ELAM-1 gene in heart tissue and only low expression in lung tissue of IL-1-treated mice. Within the promoter, most of the recently identified regulatory elements are conserved. An exception is the nuclear factor (NF) kappa B box sequence, which, in the murine ELAM-1 promoter, does not correspond to the consensus NF kappa B sequence (Lenardo and Baltimore, 1989). Band-shift analyses show no binding to NF kappa B-like proteins. However, fusion of the murine ELAM-1 promoter to a chloramphenicol acetyltransferase reporter confers cytokine-inducible transcription, although at a lower level, when compared to the human ELAM-1 promoter. Our results demonstrate the existence of a murine homologue of the human gene and demonstrate for adhesion functional equivalence between the homologous proteins from the two species. In addition, we provide the first evidence of the utility of the murine model in addressing biological questions about the role which ELAM-1 plays in inflammation.

Sequence and transcript analysis of the C. albicans URA3 gene encoding orotidine-5'-phosphate decarboxylase.

The human pathogen Candida albicans grows either as a yeast or in filamentous form. We have determined the sequence of a 1.365 kb genomic C. albicans fragment that complements Saccharomyces cerevisiae ura3 and Escherichia coli pyrF mutations. An open reading frame within this fragment corresponds to a protein of 270 amino acids that shows homology to orotidine-5'-phosphate decarboxylases (ODCases) of other fungal species. The C. albicans ODCase is most closely related to the ODCases of the budding yeasts Kluyveromyces lactis and S. cerevisiae (74% and 71% homology, respectively). Most 5' ends of URA3 transcripts in the authentic host and in the heterologous host S. cerevisiae were found to be identical. These results demonstrate a close taxonomic relationship between non-pathogenic budding yeasts and C. albicans.

Rabbit IL-1. Cloning, expression, biologic properties, and transcription during endotoxemia.

The cloning, sequencing, expression, and biologic activities of rabbit IL-1 alpha and beta are described. A cDNA library was constructed in lambda gt10 by using polyadenylated RNA extracted from rabbit adherent splenic macrophages 4 h after stimulation with endotoxin. By using the cDNA for human IL-1 beta and IL-1 alpha as hybridization probes, cDNA for both forms of rabbit IL-1 were isolated. The cDNA for rabbit IL-1 beta encodes a precursor polypeptide of 268 amino acids with an overall homology to human IL-1 beta of 74% (81% in the mature region coding for a 17.5 kDa carboxyl-terminal protein). The similarity between the two rabbit IL-1 forms is 31% for the entire molecule and 34% for the mature protein. The mature polypeptides of both forms were expressed in Escherichia coli. The recombinant proteins were purified to homogeneity and tested in a variety of biologic assays. Both forms produced typical endogenous pyrogen fevers in rabbits and augmented murine thymocyte and Th cell proliferation. Rabbit IL-1 alpha and beta were more pyrogenic in rabbits than human rIL-1 beta, whereas human rIL-1 alpha and beta were slightly more potent lymphocyte-activating factors. The recombinant rabbit proteins induced PGE and IL-1 production from human PBMC in vitro. A RIA for human IL-1 alpha did not recognize rabbit IL-1 alpha or beta, but rabbit IL-1 beta cross-reacted (as much as 30%) in a RIA for human IL-1 beta. Rabbits were injected with endotoxin and mRNA for both forms of IL-1 were observed primarily in the spleen and liver. The mRNA reached maximal levels after 60 min, then declined rapidly over the next 3 h, but were still present after 24 h. Liver tissue removed 4 h after endotoxin infusion produced lymphocyte-activating factors which were neutralized by more than 90% with a combination of goat anti-rabbit IL-1 alpha and anti-IL-1 beta.