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J S Blum

Publications and source records attributed to J S Blum.

14 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1991

Proteolytic cleavage of ricin A chain in endosomal vesicles. Evidence for the action of endosomal proteases at both neutral and acidic pH.

Macrophages actively internalize macromolecules into endosomal vesicles containing proteases. The plant toxin, ricin A chain delivered into this pathway by receptor-mediated endocytosis, was found to be exquisitely sensitive to cleavage by these proteases. Proteolytic fragments of ricin A chain were generated within cells as early as 2-3 min after internalization. Toxin proteolysis was initiated in early endosomal vesicles, and transport to lysosomes was not required. As endosomes transit the cell, their lumenal pH drops from neutral to acidic. Previous studies in macrophages had suggested that endosomal proteolysis is dependent on vesicle acidification. Isolated endosomal vesicles containing ricin A chain catalyzed the cleavage of this protein in vitro; however, proteolysis was observed at both neutral and acidic pH. Experiments using isolated endosomes demonstrated that both cysteine and aspartyl proteases were responsible for the cleavage of ricin A chain. The cysteine protease, cathepsin B, catalyzed toxin proteolysis in endosomes between pH 4.5 and 7.0 while aspartyl protease activity was maximal below pH 5.5. Radiolabeling the lumenal contents of macrophage endosomes confirmed that both the cysteine protease, cathepsin B, and the aspartyl protease, cathepsin D, were present in these vesicles. These proteases were not present on the plasma membrane but were found in early endosomes indicating they are derived from an intracellular source. The presence of proteases with different pH optima in early endosomes suggests that processing in these vesicles may be regulated by changes in endosomal pH. This result represents an important difference in protein processing in endosomes versus lysosomes and provides new insights into the function of endosomal proteases.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Purification and characterization of the D-mannose receptor from J774 mouse macrophage cells.

Macrophages display on their cell surface a D-mannose-specific receptor which facilitates the scavenging of certain pathogens and deleterious macromolecules from the extracellular fluid as part of the host defense mechanism. The mouse D-mannose receptor was purified from J774 E macrophages and an antiserum was generated against the receptor protein. In mouse macrophages, the newly synthesized receptor has an Mr of 157,000 Da and rapidly matures to a protein with an Mr of 172,000 Da. Both forms of the receptor protein are tightly associated with cell membranes. The receptor is found in a number of mouse macrophage cell types but is not present in mouse fibroblasts. An assay was developed to characterize D-mannose receptor-ligand binding based on immunoprecipitation of the detergent-solubilized receptor protein. The dissociation constant, determined for receptor and the neoglycoprotein D-mannose-BSA, was 1.67nM. Receptor-ligand binding was calcium and pH dependent. Monosaccharides, such as D-mannose and L-fucose, partially inhibited receptor binding to the ligand D-mannose-BSA.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Monomeric IgG2a promotes maturation of bone-marrow macrophages and expression of the mannose receptor.

The macrophage mannose receptor, a 172-kDa lineage-specific glycoprotein, partakes in nonopsonin-mediated phagocytosis by recognition of terminal mannose residues on targeted particles. Because appearance of the receptor progresses with monocyte/macrophage differentiation, its expression is indicative of the maturational state of the cell. Monomeric IgG2a and IgG2b up-regulate mannose-receptor surface expression and biosynthesis by murine bone-marrow macrophage precursors as much as 7- to 12-fold in a dose-dependent manner. IgG2a accelerates macrophage mannose-receptor expression by several days during in vitro bone-marrow differentiation; however, treated and control cells ultimately express equivalent levels of receptor. Moreover, the effect is independent of cell cycle or ambient levels of colony-stimulating factor 1. The coinduction of another maturation-dependent lineage-specific antigen, F4/80, and the fact that macrophage precursors respond to IgG2a only within the first day of culture, indicate that the targeted cell is an early myelomonocytic precursor, responsive only during a short, early developmental window. The effect is specific for immunoglobulin molecules of the IgG2a and IgG2b subclasses and probably involves an Fc gamma-receptor signal-transduction pathway but not macrophage priming or activation. Most importantly, a paracrine mechanism of immunoglobulin-mediated bone-marrow macrophage differentiation is suggested by experiments in which basal levels of mannose-receptor expression are reduced by continual removal of B-cell-generated IgG from marrow cultures. Thus, IgG2a and IgG2b prompt mannose-receptor synthesis and bone-marrow macrophage differentiation and may, therefore, play a role in the regulation of macrophage differentiation in host defense.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Constitutive competition by self proteins for antigen presentation can be overcome by receptor-enhanced uptake.

The cells recognize a bimolecular ligand composed of a self Ia molecule and a fragment of foreign Ag that has been processed by an APC. The effect of self proteins on the processing and presentation of foreign Ag was examined in order to ascertain the mechanisms for competition between foreign and self Ag. How this competition can be overcome to allow an efficient immune response was also examined. Normal mouse serum proteins (NMS) compete for the processing and presentation of the foreign Ag bovine RNase by APC. This competition could have occurred at any of three levels in the APC: 1) Ag uptake, 2) Ag processing, or 3) the binding of Ag to an Ia molecule. No competition for either the uptake or the processing of RNase by self proteins could be demonstrated. However, self peptides do compete with foreign Ag by binding directly to Ia molecules, as has been shown previously. Thus, the observed inhibition by NMS of Ag presentation occurred because of competition for binding to the Ia molecule. We hypothesized that during the generation of an immune response this competition is overcome by enhanced uptake of foreign Ag. To test this, we compared the ability of NMS to compete for the presentation of RNase when it entered the APC via fluid-phase pinocytosis or through receptor-mediated uptake via the mannose receptor. When the RNase entered the APC through the mannose receptor, the ability of NMS to compete was dramatically reduced. Thus, self proteins constitutively compete for the presentation of foreign Ag at the level of binding to an Ia molecule, and this competition can be overcome by receptor-mediated uptake of the Ag.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Co-localization of molecules involved in antigen processing and presentation in an early endocytic compartment.

The pathways of intracellular traffic involved in antigen processing and presentation have been defined by immunoelectron microscopy. The export pathway for class II histocompatibility molecules and the antigen import pathway meet in a peripheral endocytic compartment having all the molecular machinery believed to be required for antigen processing and presentation, including internalized surface immunoglobulins, proteolytic enzymes and invariant chains. This compartment defines a site where peptides from endocytosed antigen can bind class II molecules en route to the cell surface for presentation to T cells.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Invariant chain trimers are sequestered in the rough endoplasmic reticulum in the absence of association with HLA class II antigens.

HLA class II antigens are heterodimeric cell surface glycoproteins that interact with antigenic peptides to form complexes recognizable by CD4-positive T cells. During their biosynthesis, class II antigens are retained in a post-Golgi compartment in association with the invariant chain, which dissociates before class II cell surface expression. To address whether the invariant chain mediates this post-Golgi retention, its transport and assembly were examined in cells that do not express HLA class II antigens. Pulse-chase analysis and endoglycosidase digestions showed that very little invariant chain proceeded as far as the trans-Golgi in class II-negative cell lines. Immunofluorescence studies suggested that in these cells the invariant chain is sequestered in the RER. Gel filtration and cross-linking data showed that RER-localized invariant chain is present as trimers or aggregated trimers. Multimerization is mediated by lumenal interactions; a proteolytic fragment of the invariant chain corresponding to the lumenal domain remained trimeric as determined by cross-linking analysis. Similar transport and structural characteristics were observed for a pool of excess invariant chain in class II-positive cells, suggesting that an excess of invariant chain in the ER may be important for class II antigen function. These results have important implications for the transport of cellular proteins in general and for the role of the invariant chain in class II antigen biosynthesis.

B-Lymphocytes↗
PubMed1990

Prostaglandin E specifically upregulates the expression of the mannose-receptor on mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages.

The macrophage mannose receptor (MMR) facilitates the binding and internalization of microorganisms and glycoproteins with terminal mannose residues. The receptor is progressively upregulated as bone marrow precursor cells mature into macrophages and thus may serve as a marker of differentiation. Prostaglandins of the E series (PGE) are known inhibitors of monocyte and macrophage precursor proliferation, an effect often associated with cellular maturation. MMR expression was therefore assessed after exposure of bone marrow macrophage precursor (BMMP) cells to these prostanoids. Receptor expression was determined by ligand binding and via immunoprecipitation of newly synthesized receptor molecules. PGE1 and PGE2 at 10(-9)-10(-6) M upregulated MMR surface expression and biosynthesis four- to sixfold in a dose-dependent manner. BMMPs responsive to prostaglandins were characterized by plastic adherence, F4/80 antigen expression, and nonspecific esterase activity. Prostaglandins accelerated the expression of the MMR in cells by 48-72h, with maximal levels of receptor expression being identical in control or treated cells. Thus, prostaglandins enhanced mannose receptor expression in adherent but not fully differentiated macrophage precursors. This effect is specific for PGE and is mimicked by dibutyrl cyclic AMP. These results indicate that prostaglandins accelerate MMR expression and hence the differentiation of macrophage precursor cells. Cells resident in the bone marrow secrete abundant prostaglandins, suggesting that a paracrine mechanism may exist to regulate MMR expression and function.

Adenylyl Cyclases↗
PubMed1988

Role for intracellular proteases in the processing and transport of class II HLA antigens.

Human B-lymphoblastoid cell lines (B-LCL) incubated with the protease inhibitor leupeptin accumulate complexes of class II HLA antigens with a series of Mr 21,000-23,000 basic proteins termed leupeptin-induced proteins (LIP). The appearance of class II antigen-associated LIP coincides with the disappearance of class II antigen-associated invariant (I) chain. Glycopeptides generated by in vitro proteolysis of LIP and I chain using Staphylococcus aureus V8 protease are identical as determined by electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulfate. These results suggest that LIP is a proteolytic product derived from the I chain and are consistent with the view that further in vivo proteolysis of LIP by a leupeptin-sensitive enzyme normally facilitates its release from class II antigens. Incubation of B-LCL with monensin, which traps class II antigens and associated I chain in the Golgi apparatus, or chloroquine, which neutralizes intracellular acidic compartments and inhibits I-chain dissociation, blocks the leupeptin-induced appearance of LIP. Treatment of LIP with endoglycosidases F and H shows that both of its N-linked oligosaccharides are in the complex form, indicating that proteolysis of class II antigen-associated I chain to generate LIP occurs in a late-Golgi or post-Golgi compartment. The compartment in which these proteolytic events occur may be identical to the site in macrophages and B lymphocytes where foreign antigens are processed and interact with class II HLA molecules.

Biological Transport↗
PubMed1987

Biosynthesis and processing of class II histocompatibility antigens.

The class II major histocompatibility antigens at the cell surface exist as heterodimers of alpha and beta subunits. During biosynthesis, these subunits are associated with a third chain, the invariant (I) or I chain. Association with the I chain occurs early in biosynthesis in the rough endoplasmic reticulum and persists during transport through the Golgi apparatus. One of the two alpha subunit N-linked oligosaccharides and the single beta subunit N-linked oligosaccharide are converted to the complex form during Golgi transit. In the human system, both I chain N-linked oligosaccharides can also be processed to the complex form, and at least two O-linked oligosaccharides can be added to the I chain. At some point during transit to the cell surface, class II antigens associate with a proteoglycan bearing chondroitin sulfate side chains. Complexes containing alpha, beta and I chain subunits and the associated proteoglycan accumulate in human B-cell lines treated with the ionophore monensin, an inhibitor of Golgi transport, suggesting that this may be a biosynthetic intermediate in class II antigen transport and assembly. Prior to cell surface expression of class II antigens, the exocytic pathway which they follow intersects the endocytic route, followed by certain ligands internalized by receptor-mediated endocytosis. The I chain appears to dissociate from mature class II alpha, beta dimers prior to their cell surface expression but following the intersection of the exocytic and endocytic pathways.

Animals↗