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J Erikson

Publications and source records attributed to J Erikson.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

B cell selection and allelic exclusion of an anti-DNA Ig transgene in MRL-lpr/lpr mice.

We have used an Ig transgene (VH3H9) that increases the frequency of anti-DNA autoantibodies to address whether the production of antinuclear Abs in systemic lupus erythematosus is the consequence of a breakdown of B cell tolerance. We have shown that nonautoimmune mice regulate anti-DNA B cells, and that lupus-prone MRL-lpr/lpr mice are defective in this regulation. Here we show that a subset of anti-DNA B cells, namely those that stain nuclei in a homogeneous fashion, not only fail to be deleted in MRL-lpr/lpr mice, but undergo preferential clonal expansion. In addition, we describe a surprising finding: the VH3H9 transgene is less efficient at inhibiting endogenous heavy chain gene rearrangement on the autoimmune-prone MRL-lpr/lpr genetic background than on the nonautoimmune BALB/c background.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1995

Breakdown of B cell tolerance in a mouse model of systemic lupus erythematosus.

Anti-DNA antibodies, specifically those that stain nuclei in a homogenous nuclear (HN) fashion, are diagnostic of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and the MRL-lpr/lpr SLE murine model. We have used a heavy chain transgene that increases the frequency of anti-HN antibodies to address whether their production in SLE is the consequence of a defect in B cell tolerance. Anti-HN B cells were undetectable in nonautoimmune-prone transgenic mice, but in MRL-lpr/lpr transgenic mice their Ig was evident in the sera and they were readily retrievable as hybridomas. We conclude that nonautoimmune animals actively delete anti-HN-specific B cells, and that MRL-lpr/lpr mice are defective in this process possibly because of the lpr defect in the fas gene.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1995

Fas receptor expression on B-lineage cells.

Mice homozygous for the lpr mutation have B and T cell defects and develop autoantibodies, suggesting that lpr plays a role in their genesis. The lpr defect has been identified as a mutation in the apoptosis-associated Fas receptor (FasR) gene. To begin to define the role of FasR in B cells, we have surveyed FasR expression on B-lineage cells from early progenitors in the bone marrow through their maturation in the periphery. Contrary to some reports, we found that FasR is expressed on B cells at all stages of their development and is highest on germinal center B cells. FasR is not expressed on lpr!lpr-derived cells. These data are consistent with the idea that lpr/lpr mice have an intrinsic B cell defect that may be manifested in developing as well as peripheral B cells. An unexpected finding is that B-1 (CD5) B cells do not constitutively express FasR: FasR becomes detectable on B-1 B cells only after activation.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Anatomy of autoantibody production: dominant localization of antibody-producing cells to T cell zones in Fas-deficient mice.

The goal of this study was to examine the in vivo site of autoantibody production in normal and autoimmune-prone mice. B cells were identified in tissue sections with IgM- and IgG2a-specific riboprobes that readily distinguished resting cells from antibody-forming cells (AFC). In normal mice, the few identifiable IgG2a-secreting cells were found in the red pulp. By contrast, in Ipr mice exceedingly high numbers of IgG2a and autoantibody-producing cells were found deep within the T cell-rich periarteriolar lymphoid sheaths (PALS). This unusual anatomic location of autoantibody-secreting B cells is unique to Fas dysregulated strains, since IgG2-producing cells in MRL/+ and (SWR x NZB)F1 mice were found predominantly in the red pulp or outer PALS, similar to normal mice. Furthermore, analysis of spleens from Ipr and non-Ipr anti-DNA immunoglobulin transgenic mice revealed dramatic accumulation of Tg+ cells in the inner PALS only in Ipr mice. These data suggest that in the absence of Fas, autoreactive B cells accumulate in T cell-rich zones, and this anatomic feature may contribute to autoantibody production.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Deletion and editing of B cells that express antibodies to DNA.

We previously demonstrated that in mice transgenic for genes coding for an anti-ssDNA autoantibody B cells were functionally inactivated but not physically deleted. We have now extended this model by introducing an arginine into the CDR2 of the heavy chain transgene. This change alters the specificity of the Ab from anti-ssDNA to anti-dsDNA and increases the affinity for ssDNA. Mice carrying this transgene displayed a significant reduction of peripheral B cells and anti-dsDNA B cells were not recovered from the spleens. The remaining B cells escape deletion by revising their Ag receptors in several ways: 1) elimination of the transgenic heavy chain gene via intrachromosomal recombination, followed by rearrangement and expression of endogenous VH genes; 2) ongoing rearrangement of endogenous kappa light chain genes to generate a non-dsDNA-binding Ab; and 3) expression of a rare V lambda gene, V lambda x, to generate a non-DNA-binding Ab.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1993

Residues that mediate DNA binding of autoimmune antibodies.

Somatic mutations to arginine (R) are a common feature of a subset of J558 H chain genes that code for the majority of high-affinity, anti-dsDNA antibodies in autoimmune MRL/lpr mice. To examine the consequences of such amino acid substitutions on DNA binding, we reverted three somatic mutations of a prototypic anti-dsDNA H chain gene, VH3H9, and assayed the effect of those reversions by expression in a V lambda 1 L chain-only plasmacytoma line. Reversion of R53 eliminated virtually all dsDNA binding and sharply reduced ssDNA affinity. While the complete germ-line revertant of VH3H9 retained a low level of DNA binding, the substitution of R96, a product of N base addition in the third complementarity determining region (CDR3), with glycine (G) was sufficient to abolish measureable DNA specificity. Antibodies with higher affinity for DNA were generated by introducing arginines into VH3H9 at any one of four positions where somatic mutations to arginine had been identified by sequencing other anti-dsDNA J558 H chain genes. All four arginine mutants showed affinity increments consistent with their direct involvement in DNA binding, although one such mutant, K64R, required the simultaneous reversion of an adjacent aspartic acid (D) to the germ-line glycine. Two variants with three nongerm-line arginines showed further improvements in DNA affinity suggesting that their contributions to DNA binding may be additive. Molecular modeling of antibody and mutant F(ab) structures and calculations of their electrostatic potentials were used as an aid in interpreting the results and in predicting the location and size of possible combining sites.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1993

B lymphocytes may escape tolerance by revising their antigen receptors.

To explore mechanisms that prevent autoreactivity in nonautoimmune mice, endogenous immunoglobulin (Ig) light (L) chains that associate with a transgenic anti-DNA heavy chain were analyzed. The antibodies from splenic B cell hybridomas of such mice did not bind double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) and their L chain sequences showed a biased use of V kappa and J kappa gene segments. The 44 L chains in this survey were coded for by just 18 germline genes. Six of the genes, each belonging to a different V kappa group, were used more than once and accounted for three fourths of all sequences. Based on the distribution of V kappa genes, the L chain repertoire in this line of transgenic mice was estimated at 37 V kappa genes. The most frequently observed gene, a member of the V kappa 12/13 group, was identified in 16 hybrids. In addition, the majority of V kappa genes used J kappa 5. We interpret the skewed representation of V kappa and J kappa gene segments to result from negative selection. Based on the data, we suggest that V kappa rearrangements giving rise to anti-dsDNA reactivity are removed from the repertoire by a corrective mechanism capable of editing self-reactive Ig.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Variable region gene analysis of an isotype-switched (IgA) variant of chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia of B-cell origin (B-CLL) is generally thought to arise by neoplastic transformation of B lymphocytes, which express CD5 and have features of an early stage of B-cell differentiation. To study isotype-switched B-CLL as a potentially more differentiated variant, we performed genetic and functional immunoglobulin (Ig) gene analysis in two cases of CD5+ B-CLL in which the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) secreted predominantly IgA (CLL-249) or IgG (CLL-412) when stimulated with pokeweed mitogen in vitro. By cDNA sequencing and by studies of CLL-heterohybridomas, CLL-249 expresses the heavy chain constant region C alpha as anticipated, while CLL-412 expresses C mu, not C gamma. In CLL-249, the expressed VH gene is 98% homologous to VH26, a germline VH3 gene that occurs frequently in the fetal repertoire, and which has been associated with anti-DNA specificity. The VL gene of CLL-249 is a lambda VL gene for which the germline sequence is not known. In CLL-412, the VH gene is 100% homologous to the VH1 gene of a published anti-DNA antibody (21/28), and is probably a germline gene sequence; the VL gene is 100% homologous to 15AVKI, also a germline gene. The supernatant antibody of the CLL-412 heterohybridoma is an IgM-kappa, which reacts with ssDNA and cardiolipin. The CLL-249 heterohybridoma secreted IgA-lambda, which bound none of the antigens tested, a finding that may be related to amino acid differences from the probable germline V genes. The demonstration of an in vivo isotype-switched variant, such as CLL-249, suggests that B-CLL may be a heterogeneous group of clonal disorders, of which less common variants may have features of more differentiated B-cell stages, such as isotype switching.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1991

Expression of anti-DNA immunoglobulin transgenes in non-autoimmune mice.

Self-reactive B cells can be regulated by either deletion or inactivation. These manifestations of self-tolerance have been dramatically shown in transgenic mice in which the number of self-reactive cells has been artificially expanded. We have now extended these models to ask if B-cell tolerance as described for non-disease-associated antigens also operates for the targets of autoimmunity. The target we have chosen is DNA. Anti-DNA antibodies are diagnostic of certain autoimmune syndromes in humans and are a characteristic of the murine model of systemic autoimmunity, the MRl/lpr mouse. Antibodies to both single-stranded and double-stranded DNA have been implicated in disease. By generating anti-DNA transgenic mice, we have addressed the question of whether DNA-specific B cells are regulated in normal (non-autoimmune) mice. We indeed found that most transgenic B cells bind DNA, yet we failed to detect secreted anti-DNA. We suggest that as a consequence of their self-reactivity these B cells are developmentally arrested.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Ig H and L chain contributions to autoimmune specificities.

An Ig H chain expression vector has been constructed by using the V region of 3H9, an antibody that binds ssDNA, dsDNA, and cardiolipin. The H chain construct was transfected into six hybridoma cell lines expressing Ig L chains. All resulting H and L chain combinations had at least some affinity for ssDNA, whereas five also bound dsDNA to a similar degree as 3H9. The loss of dsDNA binding was correlated with a single amino acid difference between two V kappa 8 L chains. A further characteristic of 3H9, its immunofluorescent staining pattern, was shared by four of the recombinant antibodies, whereas its specificity for cardiolipin was shared with five. The transfections reported here show that a V kappa 3 L chain confers specificity for an RNA-associated epitope and that a V kappa 21E L chain prevents cardiolipin binding. These experiments suggest that the 3H9 H chain contributes essential determinants required for binding to DNA as well as cardiolipin but that L chains can modulate or prevent this binding. L chains may also expand the specificity of a recombinant antibody.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1988

The human Vpre B gene is located on chromosome 22 near a cluster of V lambda gene segments.

The chromosomal location of the human VpreB gene was determined by Southern blotting analysis of restriction enzyme-digested DNAs from a panel of 17 mouse-human somatic cell hybrids. The pattern of hybridization of a Vpre B-specific probe in conjunction with earlier analysis of several marker genes allowed the following conclusions: 1) Vpre B is on human chromosome 22 within band 22q11.2 distal to the bcr-like gene, bcr-2 and proximal to the bcr-like gene, bcr-4. 2) Vpre B has been localized relative to several constitutional and tumor-specific breakpoints within 22q11.2, segregates in hybrids retaining 22q- chromosomes with some but not with all members of the V lambda 1 subgroup of the V lambda genes, and is amplified with these genes in K562 cells. 3) The order of the loci on chromosome 22 is centromere----bcr-2, Vpre B, V lambda 1----bcr-4----C lambda----bcr-1----bcr-3----sis.

B-Lymphocytes↗
PubMed1987

MYC oncogene involved in a t(8;22) chromosome translocation is not altered in its putative regulatory regions.

We have cloned the translocation-associated MYC gene from the Burkitt lymphoma cell line (BL2) with a t(8;22) chromosomal translocation and have determined the nucleotide sequence of the first exon and of the 3' and 5' flanking regions, where sequences with putative regulatory functions have been identified. The nucleotide sequence of the 5' flanking region, which contains regions of DNase hypersensitivity and binding sites for putative regulatory proteins, is the same as that of the normal MYC. Accordingly, mutations in these regulatory regions are not required for the transcriptional deregulation of MYC in the BL2 cell line. The nucleotide sequence of the first exon is similar to that of the normal MYC [Gazin, C., Dupont de Direchin, S., Hampe, A., Masson, J. M., Martin, P., Stehelin, D. & Galibert, F. (1984) EMBO J. 3, 383-387] and has the coding capacity for a 188-residue polypeptide. However, six nucleotide changes that occur in the middle of this reading frame could result in amino acid substitutions. We also have cloned and sequenced the t(8;22) chromosomal breakpoint that is located 10 kilobases 3' of the MYC exon 3 and near the C lambda 3 gene on chromosome 22. Sequences with homology to immunoglobulin joining signals occur close to the breakpoint both on chromosome 8 and 22, providing further evidence that the immunoglobulin joining enzymes may be involved in the recombinations associated with a variety of chromosomal translocations in B and T cells.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1986

Deregulation of c-myc by translocation of the alpha-locus of the T-cell receptor in T-cell leukemias.

Two human T-cell leukemias carrying a t(8;14)(q24;q11) chromosome translocation were studied for rearrangements and expression of the c-myc oncogene. For one leukemia, rearrangement was detected in a region immediately distal (3') to the c-myc locus; no rearrangements of c-myc were observed in the second case (DeF). However, studies with hybrids between human and mouse leukemic T cells indicated that in the leukemic cells of DeF, the breakpoint in chromosome 14 occurred between genes for the variable (V alpha) and the constant (C alpha) regions for the alpha chain of the T-cell receptor. The C alpha locus had translocated to a region more than 38 kilobases 3' to the involved c-myc oncogene. Since human c-myc transcripts were expressed only in hybrids carrying the 8q+ chromosome but not in hybrids containing the normal chromosome 8, it is concluded that the translocation of the C alpha locus 3' to the c-myc oncogene can result in its transcriptional deregulation.

Animals↗