PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

D Caillol

Publications and source records attributed to D Caillol.

15 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1998

A role for the vegetally expressed Xenopus gene Mix.1 in endoderm formation and in the restriction of mesoderm to the marginal zone.

We have studied the role of the activin immediate-early response gene Mix.1 in mesoderm and endoderm formation. In early gastrulae, Mix.1 is expressed throughout the vegetal hemisphere, including marginal-zone cells expressing the trunk mesodermal marker Xbra. During gastrulation, the expression domains of Xbra and Mix.1 become progressively exclusive as a result of the establishment of a negative regulatory loop between these two genes. This mutual repression is important for the specification of the embryonic body plan as ectopic expression of Mix.1 in the Xbra domain suppresses mesoderm differentiation. The same effect was obtained by overexpressing VP16Mix.1, a fusion protein comprising the strong activator domain of viral VP16 and the homeodomain of Mix.1, suggesting that Mix.1 acts as a transcriptional activator. Mix.1 also has a role in endoderm formation. It cooperates with the dorsal vegetal homeobox gene Siamois to activate the endodermal markers edd, Xlhbox8 and cerberus in animal caps. Conversely, vegetal overexpression of enRMix.1, an antimorphic Mix.1 mutant, leads to a loss of endoderm differentiation. Finally, by targeting enRMix.1 expression to the anterior endoderm, we could test the role of this tissue during embryogenesis and show that it is required for head formation.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

A novel Xenopus mix-like gene milk involved in the control of the endomesodermal fates.

Here we describe a novel Xenopus homeobox gene, milk, related by sequence homology and expression pattern to the vegetally expressed Mix.1. As is the case with Mix.1, milk is an immediate early response gene to the mesoderm inducer activin. milk is expressed at the early gastrula stage in the vegetal cells, fated to form endoderm, and in the marginal zone fated to form mesoderm. During gastrulation, expression of milk becomes progressively reduced in the involuting mesodermal cells but is retained in the endoderm, suggesting that it may play a key role in the definition of the endo-mesodermal boundary in the embryo. Overexpression of milk in the marginal zone blocks mesodermal cell involution, represses the expression of several mesodermal genes such as Xbra, goosecoid, Xvent-1 or Xpo and increases the expression of the endodermal gene, endodermin. In the dorsal marginal zone, overexpression of milk leads to a severe late phenotype including the absence of axial structures. Ectopic expression of milk in the animal hemisphere or in ectodermal explants induces a strong expression of endodermin. Taken together, we propose that milk plays a role in the correct patterning of the embryo by repressing mesoderm formation and promoting endoderm identity.

Activins↗
PubMed1996

Defect in rearrangement of the most 5' TCR-J alpha following targeted deletion of T early alpha (TEA): implications for TCR alpha locus accessibility.

To address the role of the TEA germline transcription, which initiates upstream of the TCR-J alpha S, in the regulation of TCR-J alpha locus accessibility, we created a mouse in which this region has been removed by homologous recombination. Normal development of T alpha beta cells and the expression of other TCR alpha germline transcripts in TEA-/- mice ruled out an exclusive role for TEA in the overall accessibility of the J alpha cluster. However, the rearrangement of the most 5' J alpha (J alpha 61 to J alpha 53) was severely impaired, indicating that TEA may control the DNA accessibility of a particular J alpha window. Moreover, the relative usage of every J alpha segment was affected. These results are consistent with TEA acting as a "rearrangement-focusing" element, targeting the primary waves of V alpha-J alpha recombination to the most 5' J alpha S in an ongoing TCR-J alpha rearrangement model.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Sequences affecting the V(D)J recombinational activity of the IgH intronic enhancer in a transgenic substrate.

The immunoglobulin heavy chain intronic transcriptional enhancer (E mu) is part of a complex cis-regulatory DNA region which has notably been shown to modulate V(D)J rearrangements of associated variable gene segments. We have used recombination substrates comprised of the E mu enhancer together with various lengths of additional downstream mu sequences to assess the individual contribution of those sequences to the V(D)J recombinational regulatory activity. Surprisingly, in the absence of large amounts of mu sequences, substrate rearrangements were not detected in Southern blot analyses of the lymphoid tissues from independent transgenic mice, but were readily detectable following transfection into cultured pre-B cells. A short mu segment which includes matrix association regions (MARs) was not sufficient to restore high levels of rearrangements within the reporter transgenes. However, additional experiments demonstrated that the mu sequences are dispensable for V(D)J recombination in transgenic thymuses, implying a suppressive effect exerted by the vector sequences left in the transgenic insert, when they are attached near the E mu regulatory region. This suppression of V(D)J recombination, which correlates with an hypermethylation of the transgenes, is discussed in view of previously reported transgenic and gene targeting experiments.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Thy-1 supports adhesion of mouse thymocytes to thymic epithelial cells through a Ca2(+)-independent mechanism.

The aim of this study was to explore whether Thy-1, like other members of the Ig-like superfamily (e.g., CD2 and neural cell adhesion molecule), participates in cell-cell adhesion. This was investigated by measuring the binding of Thy-1+ probe cells (thymocytes or AKR1 T lymphoma cells) to Thy-1- cloned mouse thymic epithelial (MTE) cells using a quantitative cell adhesion assay. The results were as follows: (a) the thymo-epithelial cell interaction was found to be inhibitable (by 25-40%) by soluble Thy-1 molecules purified from phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C-treated mouse thymocytes as well as by Fab' fragments of a Thy-1-specific mAb; (b) the binding of the Thy-1- AKR1 (Thy-1-d) mutant to MTE cells was found to be reduced (by 50%) as compared with that of the wild type T lymphoma; (c) the Thy-1-mediated adhesion pathway did not require Ca2+ and promoted the initial thymo-epithelial binding measured at 4 degrees C. These data provide the first direct evidence of an adhesive function of Thy-1 and suggest that this molecule, in addition to its T cell triggering properties, might play a role during the early T cell maturation by promoting thymocyte adhesion to thymic stroma.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

The major parasite surface antigen associated with human resistance to schistosomiasis is a 37-kD glyceraldehyde-3P-dehydrogenase.

Schistosomiasis, due to Schistosoma mansoni, is a major health problem in many subtropical countries, and major efforts are being made to define a vaccine. In this regard, we have reported that sera from subjects with low susceptibility to infection by S. mansoni react with a major larval surface antigen (P-37), having an apparent molecular mass of 37 kD, against which sera of susceptible individuals show little reactivity. We have now cloned the cDNA for this antigen by screening a schistosome cDNA expression library with antibodies against the purified protein. The selected cDNAs encode a protein that is specifically identified by immune human sera containing antibodies against P-37, while sera exhibiting low or no reactivity toward P-37 fail to recognize the recombinant protein. The cloned cDNAs hybridize with a 1.2-kb RNA that is the transcript of a single copy gene. This RNA directs the synthesis of a 36.5-kD polypeptide that is precipitated by sera from the most resistant subjects. The amino acid sequence of the encoded polypeptide shows homology with the glycolytic enzyme Glyceraldehyde-3P-dehydrogenase (72.5% of positional identity with human Glyceraldehyde-3P-dehydrogenase). Antibodies against the recombinant protein identified P-37 on the larva. These findings, together with other reports, indicate that a number of conserved proteins may be major targets of host-protective immunity against S. mansoni. The hypothesis is discussed that genetic restriction of the immune response to these antigens may occur in heterogeneous human populations because of the limited number of T cell epitopes carried by these host-like proteins. Such genetic effects might allow parasite transmission through nonresponder (susceptible) individuals. This hypothesis and the protective properties of P-37 can now be tested using the recombinant protein and synthetic peptides derived from selected regions of the polypeptide chain.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1988

Human resistance to Schistosoma mansoni is associated with IgG reactivity to a 37-kDa larval surface antigen.

The aim of this work was to determine whether human resistance to Schistosoma mansoni was associated with increased antibody reactivity to certain larval surface Ag. To this end, young residents of a hyperendemic area were selected for their low or high susceptibility to reinfection after parasitologic cure, and the reactivity of their sera to individual larval surface Ag was determined at different times before and after treatment. The data showed that six Ag: 202, 165, 90 to 92, 85, 72, and 37 kDa are the principal targets on the larva of IgG in the sera of resistant subjects. The comparative study, by immunoblotting and ELISA on purified Ag, of the sera from high and low susceptibility subjects indicates that IgG reactivity toward the 37-kDa Ag may be associated with resistance. This work and ongoing vaccination trials carried out in mice suggest that the 37-kDa Ag may have vaccinating potentials.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

Analysis of the expression of cloned HLA class I genes in mouse transfected L cells by quantitative flow cytometry.

By using a calibrated cell sorter and monoclonal antibodies conjugated to fluorochromes, a quantitative analysis of the levels of expression of HLA class I molecules at the surface of cloned murine L cells transfected with purified A3, B7, or CW3 genes was performed and compared with radioimmunoassay data. We selected clones of heterogeneous levels of HLA class I expression, which were shown to remain constant over a period of 4 mo in absence of HAT selection and not to be correlated to the DNA copy number of the corresponding integrated gene.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

HLA class I genes: from structure to expression, serology and function.

HLA class I genes have been isolated from phage and cosmid libraries and assayed by transfection into murine L cells. The transfection step proved to be very important because of the large number of genes (and pseudogenes) in this family. All functional genes characterized so far in this way are "classical" class I genes, i.e. members of the HLA-A, -B or -C families. Three of these have been sequenced (HLA-A3, -Aw24; HLA-Cw3) in addition to the pHLA 12.4 pseudogene. Sequence comparisons indicate, in particular, extreme conservation of the 3' non-coding region between allelic HLA-A locus genes; the general organization of all these genes (8 exons) is very similar. Restriction mapping around the functional genes has been performed to investigate the degree of conservation (e.g. between HLA-A3 regions from 2 different individuals) and examine allelism at the DNA level (e.g. between HLA-A3 and HLA-Aw24 regions). Exon shuffling experiments followed by serological analysis of the expressed product indicate that, as expected, specificities are determined by the first two domains of the molecule. However, further constructs show that as soon as a single exon is exchanged most specific reactivities disappear. CTL analysis of murine cells expressing HLA molecules has run into many difficulties but still holds promise for the study of structure-function relationships in this system.

Alleles↗
PubMed1984

Absence of cell surface fixation of a monoclonal antibody detectable by conventional immunoassays does not exclude expression of and interaction with the corresponding antigenic determinant.

No specific binding of anti-HLA class I B.10.6 monoclonal antibody (mAb) could be demonstrated by cell surface radioimmunoassay and cytofluorographic studies at the surface of murine transformed L cells expressing HLA-A3 or Cw3 molecules. However, specific interaction of this antibody with these molecules at the surface of these transformed cells was indirectly established, since it inhibited specifically the binding to the same HLA class I molecules of other anti-HLA class I mAb. Therefore, the absence of detectable binding of mAb, in conventional immunoassays, does not exclude expression by these cells of the corresponding antigenic determinant.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

Inhibition by Fab and Fab'2 monoclonal anti-Ia antibody fragments of T-lymphocyte proliferative responses.

We investigated the capacity of anti-Ia monoclonal antibody Fab and Fab'2 fragments to inhibit keyhole limpet haemocyanin (KLH) or concanavalin A (Con A)-induced T-cell proliferations. Both types of fragments of anti-I-Ak and anti-I-E/Ck monoclonal antibodies inhibited these responses. On a protein concentration basis, the inhibitory effects of fragmented antibodies were less pronounced than those of undigested molecules. However, once the differences in antigen-binding capacity were compensated, antibody fragments were as efficient inhibitors as undigested molecules. These results suggest (i) that masking of Ia antigenic determinants is the essential mechanism of anti-Ia antibody-mediated inhibitory effect; (ii) that some KLH-specific proliferating T lymphocytes are I-E/Ck restricted; (iii) that the Ia antigen role is not limited to restriction of cell interactions since the Con A-induced proliferation, a non-H-2 restricted response, is inhibited by anti-Ia Fab fragments.

Animals↗
PubMed1980

Distinct epitopes of Ik gene products identified by monoclonal antibodies.

Analysis of reactivity of monoclonal anti-Iak alloantibodies, obtained by fusion between NS 1 myeloma and spleen cells from alloimmune A. TH mice, permitted the identification of 9 distinct determinants of the Ik gene products. Competitive binding experiments indicated that 2 private epitopes (defined by H8-109.13 and H8-138.4 antibodies) of the I-Ak product could be separated, thereby apparently splitting the Ia.2 specificity. A public determinant of the I-Ak molecule (identified by H8-15.9 antibody) was found expressed not only on the I-A products of the H-2b, H-2d, H-2ja, H-2p and H-2q murine haplotypes, but also on human HLA-DR antigens. Four determinants of the I-E/Ck antigen (defined by H7-8.26, H10-81.10, H10-93.2 and H8-86.2 antibodies) had a strain distribution analogues to the Ia.7 specificity. However, competitive binding experiments, and the cross-reactivity pattern with Ia-like antigens from other species (e.g. human HLA-DR antigens) indicated that these antibodies detected distinct determinants on the I-E/Ck molecule, thereby subdividing the broad Ia. 7 specificity. Two other determinants (defined by H9-14.8 and H9-15.4 antibodies) had a strain distribution that did not permit a precise assignment to a given Ia antigen, even though preliminary data suggested that they could detect separate determinants on the I-E/Ck product. All these monoclonal antibodies identified membrane antigens with the expected Ia tissue distribution pattern, and most of them could precipitate a molecule containing two chains of 28kD and 35kD, from mouse spleen cell lysates.

Animals↗