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Biomedical subjects

C J Paige

Publications and source records attributed to C J Paige.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Profound block in thymocyte development in mice lacking p56lck.

The protein Lck (p56lck) has a relative molecular mass of 56,000 and belongs to the Src family of tyrosine kinases. It is expressed exclusively in lymphoid cells, predominantly in thymocytes and peripheral T cells. Lck associates specifically with the cytoplasmic domains of both CD4 and CD8 T-cell surface glycoproteins and interacts with the beta-chain of the interleukin-2 receptor, which implicates Lck activity in signal transduction during thymocyte ontogeny and activation of mature T cells. Here we generate an lck null mutation by homologous recombination in embryonic stem cells to evaluate the role of p56lck in T-cell development and activation. Lck-deficient mice show a pronounced thymic atrophy, with a dramatic reduction in the double-positive (CD4+CD8+) thymocyte population. Mature, single-positive thymocytes are not detectable in these mice and there are only very few peripheral T cells. These results illustrate the crucial role of this T-cell-specific tyrosine kinase in the thymocyte development.

Animals

Bipotential precursors of B cells and macrophages in murine fetal liver.

LYMPHOCYTES (B and T cells) derive continuously from the same multipotential stem cells that produce myeloid cells, including erythrocytes, granulocytes and macrophages. Tri- and bipotential myeloid intermediates between the multipotential stem cells and later unipotential cells have been identified using clonal methods in culture. Although similar methods have detected committed pre-B cells in mouse fetal liver, earlier progenitors with additional non-B lineage options have not been demonstrated in normal tissues. We report the characterization and purification of fetal liver cells that generate clones containing both macrophages and B cells, identified biochemically and morphologically. The common origin of the two cell types was shown by culture of single precursor cells. Their dual potential and unrearranged immunoglobulin loci place the precursors before exclusive B-lineage commitment in the haematopoietic hierarchy. The availability of such cells in purified form will allow direct study of lineage choice in cells having both lymphoid and non-lymphoid options.

Animals

The stromal cell line S17 supports the growth of lipopolysaccharide-stimulated CBA/N spleen cell colonies in vitro.

The expression of an X-linked defect in the CBA/N strain of mice has been found to result in a number of immune abnormalities. These include low responsiveness to antigens and a greatly reduced ability to respond to many of the common B cell mitogens. An in vitro manifestation of this condition is the virtual inability of CBA/N B cells to form colonies in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-containing semisolid agar cultures. In this report we show evidence that the colony-forming ability of CBA/N spleen cells can be effectively restored by the bone marrow stromal-derived cell line S17. Spleen cells from 4-5-week-old homozygous CBA/N female mice were grown in double-layer agar cultures containing S17 feeder layers. Control cultures contained the fibroblast-like cell line 95.17 or were treated with medium alone. It was found that at an input cell concentration of 10(4) cells per plate, CBA/N colony formation was increased from a frequency of approximately 1 in 5,000 to 1 in 50 total splenic cells. Studies with purified surface immunoglobulin-positive cells indicate the direct involvement of S17 in this process. The CBA/N colonies formed were dependent on the presence of a mitogen (LPS) and secreted detectable amounts of IgM. Major implications of these findings and the application of this assay system to study the CBA/N defect have been discussed.

Animals

Enrichment and characterization of uncommitted B-cell precursors from fetal liver at day 12 of gestation.

We describe an assay system that allows precursor cells, uncommitted for heavy and light chain immunoglobulin expression, to develop into B lymphocytes that can differentiate to antibody-producing cells. Some precursors have the immunoglobulin loci in germ-line configuration. Approximately 200-1500 precursor cells are present in one fetal liver by day 12 of gestation; they express the surface marker AA4.1. Most precursors do not express the B220 marker. Commitment to heavy chain immunoglobulin expression occurs after an average of two cell division; commitment to light chain expression takes place after two additional rounds of division. DNA analysis from the progeny of single precursor cells shows that: (i) most B220- precursor cells have not completed D-J rearrangement (9/11) and some were in germ line configuration (4/11); and (ii) most B220+ precursor cells exhibit two D-J rearrangements (4/5 samples). These experiments define two types of B-lymphocyte precursor cells in fetal liver: the first, B220+ AA4.1+, acquires the capacity to respond to mitogens only after 5 days in culture, and does not have productive V-D-J rearrangements but might exhibit two stable D-J rearrangements; the second, B220- AA4.1+, acquires the capacity to respond to mitogens only after 9 days in culture and can be in germ-line configuration in the Ig loci, and undergoes rearrangement of heavy and light chain genes in vitro. Both precursor types require interaction with stromal cells before becoming responsive to interleukin 7.

Animals

Enumeration and characterization of DJH structures in mouse fetal liver.

The primary immunoglobulin (Ig) repertoire in the mouse develops during fetal life in the liver. The first Ig gene rearrangement--the joining of a DH to a JH gene segment--contributes largely to the diversity found in CDR3, as well as potentially encoding the D mu protein which is believed to function in the development of a B cell. In this report, the number of DJH joins in two mouse strains, C57BL/6 and BALB/c, were enumerated from days 12 to 16 of fetal development. It was found that the number of DJH structures increased from less than 300 per liver on day 12 to greater than 700,000 (C57BL/6) and 300,000 (BALB/c) on day 16. Each JH gene segment was used approximately equally on each day examined. When the DJH structures were examined by cloning and sequencing it was found that the DJH reading frame (RF) usage (with respect to JH) was not random--RF1 was used 70% of the time. Moreover, a single D gene segment, DFL16.1, was used in greater than 50% of all joins reinforcing the notion that the fetal repertoire is restricted in its antigen binding potential.

Animals

Characterization of murine CD10, an endopeptidase expressed on bone marrow adherent cells.

The CD10/neutral endopeptidase (NEP) gene was identified in murine genomic DNA using a human CD10 cDNA probe. It is transcribed most abundantly in kidneys resulting in RNA transcripts of 3.4, 6.0, and 6.2 kb. The activity of the murine CD10/NEP shows identical kinetic parameters, Km and Ki, to those observed for this enzyme in other species. Two mAbs raised against rabbit NEP detect a 100 kDa protein by Western blot analysis; the antigen immunoprecipitated from extracts of lung shows specific NEP activity. CD10/NEP, as analyzed by Western blot and enzymatic activity, is expressed at high levels in kidney and lung, and at lower levels in liver, brain, thymus, spleen, and bone marrow. Analysis of bone marrow subpopulations indicate that the majority of CD10/NEP is associated with cells adherent to plastic and with subpopulations that do not express the surface markers AA4.1, B220, Mac-1, and Gr-1. These results suggest that CD10 is primarily associated with the stromal elements in murine bone marrow. A bone marrow stromal line, BMS 2.2, also expresses high levels of CD10/NEP. This peptidase activity on the surface of stromal cells may influence lymphopoiesis or other hematopoietic processes through the hydrolysis of regulatory peptides in the microenvironment.

Animals

Normal development and function of CD8+ cells but markedly decreased helper cell activity in mice lacking CD4.

T cells express T-cell antigen receptors (TCR) for the recognition of antigen in conjunction with the products of the major histocompatibility complex. They also express two key surface coreceptors, CD4 and CD8, which are involved in the interaction with their ligands. As CD4 is expressed on the early haemopoietic progenitor as well as the early thymic precursor cells, a role for CD4 in haemopoiesis and T-cell development is implicated. Thymocytes undergo a series of differentiation and selection steps to become mature CD4+8- or CD4-8+ (single positive) T cells. Studies of the role of CD4+ T cells in vivo have been based on adoptive transfer of selected or depleted lymphocytes, or in vivo treatment of thymectomized mice with monoclonal antibodies causing depletion of CD4+ T cells. In order to study the role of the CD4 molecule in the development and function of lymphocytes, we have disrupted the CD4 gene in embryonic stem cells by homologous recombination. Germ-line transmission of the mutation produces mutant mouse strains that do not express CD4 on the cell surface. In these mice, the development of CD8+ T cells and myeloid components is unaltered, indicating that expression of CD4 on progenitor cells and CD4+ CD8+ (double positive) thymocytes is not obligatory. Here we report that these mice have markedly decreased helper cell activity for antibody responses, although cytotoxic T-cell activity against viruses is in the normal range. This differential requirement for CD4+ helper T cells is important to our understanding of immune disorders including AIDS, in which CD4+ cells are reduced or absent.

Animals

Ig gene rearrangements on individual alleles of Abelson murine leukemia cell lines from (C57BL/6 x BALB/c) F1 fetal livers.

We have previously shown that selection of Ig H chain V region genes used by colonies obtained from splenic B cells and fetal liver pre-B cells was dependent on strain-specific factors. Moreover, by examining the V gene usage in strains congenic at the Igh locus, we also determined that the strain-specific factor was encoded by sequences lying outside of the Igh locus. We decided to examine whether there are differences in Vh gene rearrangement between alleles in an F1 strain. To do this analysis we chose to examine the relative Ig H chain V region gene usage of pre-B cell lines derived from (C57BL/6 x BALB/c)F1 fetal liver cells by Southern blot analysis. We found a high frequency of Vh-gene rearrangements (77% of the alleles had VDJ rearrangements) and these rearrangements occurred to Vh-genes throughout the Vh locus and were not confined to the D-proximal Vh-genes as has been previously observed with lines from other mouse strains. The Vh-gene usage pattern is similar on both alleles indicating that at least one of the determinants of which Vh-gene is used is trans-acting and acts similarly on each allele. Furthermore, one allele, Ighb (donated by the C57BL/6 parent), rearranged Vh-genes more frequently than the other allele, Igha (donated by the BALB/c parent) suggesting that one of the determinants of Vh-gene rearrangement may be acting in an allele-specific manner.

Abelson murine leukemia virus

B-lineage colonies from normal, human bone marrow are initiated by B cells and their progenitors.

We have recently described a reproducible method whereby colonies containing cells that secrete immunoglobulin (Ig) can be grown from normal, human, adult bone marrow samples. The present report characterizes the cells that initiate these colonies. It is shown that all clonogenic cells express the CD19 surface antigen, as removal of these cells before plating in the B-cell colony assay abolished the subsequent growth of plaque-forming, B-lineage colonies. Cells from both the CD10+ and CD20+ B-lineage subpopulations initiated the growth of B-cell colonies, as removal of either subset resulted in a 50% reduction in the number of resulting B-cell colonies. The removal of activated B cells (CD23+), plasma cells (PCA-1+), or myeloid cells (CD13+) did not lead to a significant depletion in B-cell colony formation. Pre-B cells that were not yet committed to Ig light chain expression were also able to differentiate and proliferate into Ig-secreting colonies under the culture conditions used. Colonies initiated by these light chain uncommitted cells were distinguished using a replicate protein immunoblotting technique, which detects the simultaneous secretion of Ig kappa and Ig lambda from single colonies. These experiments provide evidence that the CD10 antigen is expressed on B-lineage cells before Ig light chain commitment, whereas CD20 is not. In conclusion, this B-cell colony assay provides a system for studying the differentiation of bone marrow-derived B cells and their precursors into Ig-secreting cells.

Antibodies, Monoclonal

Interleukins 1, 4 and 6 induce the colony formation of human bone marrow B lineage cells.

An agar-based, B cell colony assay (McGinnes, K. et al., Blood 1990. 76:896) has been used to study the influence of known cytokines on the growth of B lineage colonies initiated by cells from normal, human bone marrow samples. We demonstrate that a combination of interleukin (IL) 1, IL4 and IL6 act directly to promote the generation of plaque-forming colonies. IL6 was shown to act at a late stage of colony formation, which is consistent with its role in the induction of immunoglobulin secretion from mature B cells. In contrast, IL 1 and IL 4 were required at earlier stages in the formation of colonies containing cells which secrete immunoglobulin.

B-Lymphocytes

Expansion of myelopoietic precursors and inhibition of B-cell precursors in mice that express a T-cell receptor gamma (V gamma 1.1J gamma 4C gamma 4) transgene.

Knowledge of the genetic determinants that can affect renewal of multipotential stem cells and their commitment to specific cell lineages is essential to our understanding of multicellular development. However, despite the vast amount of accumulated knowledge in this area, genetic determinants that affect renewal and commitment of precursor cells are unknown. In this study, we demonstrate that three independently derived founder mouse strains, transgenic for the TcR V gamma 1.1J gamma 4C gamma 4 (TcR gamma 4) chain gene, differed significantly from normal mice in their development of T and B cells as well as myelopoietic precursor cells. Ontogenic programs consistent with an acceleration of T-cell development and a delayed appearance and suppressed levels of pre-B- and B-cell precursors were evident in these transgenic mice. In addition, TcR gamma 4 transgenic mice possessed a significantly elevated level of myelopoietic pluripotential precursors. 3H-thymidine cell suicide studies suggest that higher percentages of pluripotent precursors from the bone marrow of the TcR gamma 4 transgenic mice were in the S phase of the cell cycle. These modulations of the lymphoid and myelopoietic compartments, however, were not found in other T-cell receptor transgenic mice (e.g., TcR V gamma 1.2J gamma 2C gamma 2, TcR gamma 2; or V beta 8.1D beta J beta 2.4C beta 2, TcR beta) constructed with the same or similar cDNA expression vector. The results suggest that the expression of a specific T-cell receptor gamma chain gene, and/or an elevated level of particular subset of TcR gamma delta cells, may affect the proliferation and relative proportions of haemopoietic and lymphoid precursors.

Aging

Measurement of recombinase activity in a set of related Abelson murine leukemic virus pre-B cell lines: DJ/DJ lines have more recombinase activity than do VDJ/VDJ lines.

The VDJ recombination potential of a number of Abelson murine leukemic virus transformed fetal liver cell lines derived from (C57BL/6 x BALB/c) F1 mice was measured. The specific developmental stage of each line was determined using Southern blot analysis to ascertain their rearrangement status at the immunoglobulin heavy chain locus (DJ/DJ, VDJ/DJ or VDJ/VDJ). It was observed that DNA from DJ/DJ lines gave many more 'subhaploid' bands hybridizing with JH than did DNA from VDJ/VDJ lines. While the lack of appropriate substrate (VDJ/VDJ lines have exhausted the normal IgH substrate) contributes to the decrease in 'subhaploid bands', this result indicates that the rate of ongoing immunoglobulin heavy chain gene rearrangement was higher in the DJ/DJ lines. However, when the lines were examined using the assay developed by Hesse et al. (4) to measure VDJ recombinase activity, it was found that although all lines had recombinase activity, the DJ/DJ lines had four times more VDJ recombinase activity than did the VDJ/VDJ lines.

Abelson murine leukemia virus

B cell commitment.

Multipotential stem cells have the capacity to differentiate into a variety of cell types including B lymphocytes. The development of B cells from multipotential progenitors has been the subject of numerous studies and many aspects of this transition are well characterized. However, the initial genetic events which commit a stem cell to follow the B lineage developmental pathway have not yet been discovered. In this review we examine diverse experiments which may lead to increased understanding of the important first steps in the commitment process.

Animals

Growth and detection of human bone marrow B-lineage colonies.

A reproducible method for growing normal human bone marrow B-lineage colonies in agar is described. The clonogenic cells require a rich medium, Opti-MEM (GIBCO/BRL, Burlington, Ontario, Canada), and a source of T-cell-derived factors for growth. The conditions described appear to be limiting for the colony progenitor, suggesting assay clonality. Three novel methods that permit routine and rapid detection of these human B-cell colonies are also described. Colonies containing cells that secrete immunoglobulin are detected by plaquing and protein immunoblotting, while RNA transcripts can be detected by RNA colony blotting. The detection of more than one secreted immunoglobulin isotype or RNA species in a single colony can also be achieved. This B-cell colony assay and the associated detection methods will allow the further delineation of human B lymphopoiesis in both normal and disease states.

B-Lymphocytes

Ontogenic characterization of thymic B lymphocytes. Analysis in different mouse strains.

We have characterized a population of murine B lymphocytes present in the thymus (TBL). They are a minor subset (0.2%-1% of total thymocytes), present from perinatal periods onwards and constituted by activated cells with a high proportion of Ig-secreting cells. They represent the first B lymphocytes detected that secrete IgG after birth. Functional analysis reveals that the frequency of lipopolysaccharide-responding cells in TBL is 5- to 10-fold lower than in the spleen. TBL from adult mice did not show any significant difference in their VH repertoire expression when compared to peripheral B lymphocytes. Furthermore, we have been able to isolate a subpopulation of B220+IgM-CD3- thymocytes whose putative B cell precursor potential needs to be directly analyzed. These and other findings support the intrathymic resident characteristics of TBL and suggest new ways of elucidating its physiological role in the complex selective processes occurring inside the thymus.

Aging