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Biomedical subjects

L Pezzi

Publications and source records attributed to L Pezzi.

14 recordsLinked to original sources

Cross-linking of surface IgM or IgD causes differential biological effects in spite of overlap in tyrosine (de)phosphorylation profile.

Although displaying similar amounts of surface IgM and IgD, ECH 408-1 cells only succumb to apoptosis after cross-linking of IgM (not IgD), suggesting that different signaling pathways couple to both receptors. Immunoprecipitation studies revealed the presence of several proteins selectively associated with IgM and IgD, thus ruling out that the lack of inhibitory signaling mediated by IgD might be due to membrane expression in the absence of associated proteins belonging to the B cell receptor complex. 32P metabolic labeling and immunoprecipitation studies demonstrated that IgM and IgD are associated with phosphoproteins of 32-33 kDa in an isotype-specific fashion. Kinetic analyses of tyrosine kinase activity showed that cross-linking of surface IgM or IgD resulted in the rapid (1-3 min) phosphorylation of several protein substrates on tyrosine residues, followed by a dephosphorylation step. Isotype-specific changes of the phosphorylation status specifically affected molecules in the 32-33 kDa range, i.e. IgM (not IgD) cross-linking affected a approximately 32-kDa protein, whereas IgD (not IgM) cross-linking induced phosphorylation of a protein exhibiting a slightly lower mobility (33 kDa). These results suggest that isotype-specific immunoglobulin-associated molecules could be involved in the second messenger cascade leading to different biological effects upon IgM and IgD cross-linking.

Animals

Translocation of alkaline phosphatase during the activation of B cells.

The association of alkaline phosphatase (ALPase) with the cytoskeleton in lymphoid cells was investigated. Extracting cells with non-ionic detergents such as Triton, we determined that ALPase is present in the cytoskeletal fraction in fully differentiated B lymphocytes, X63 myeloma cells and Sp2/O hybridoma cells. During the course of B-lymphocyte activation, the ALPase shifted from a soluble to a Triton-insoluble form. Changes in the phosphorylation of Triton-insoluble proteins with molecular weights of 120, 100, 90, 75, 34 and 31 kDa were detected, coinciding with the appearance of the ALPase in this fraction. The possible role of ALPase in the differentiation of B cells is discussed.

Alkaline Phosphatase

A role for interleukin 4 in the differentiation of mature T cell receptor gamma/delta + cells from human intrathymic T cell precursors.

We have analyzed the effect of human recombinant interleukin 4 (rIL-4) on the growth and differentiation of human intrathymic pre-T cells (CD7+2+1-3-4-8-). We describe that this population of T cell precursors proliferates in response to rIL-4 (in the absence of mitogens or other stimulatory signals) in a dose-dependent way. The IL-4-induced proliferation is independent of the IL-2 pathway, as it cannot be inhibited with an anti-IL-2 receptor alpha chain antibody. In our culture conditions, rIL-4 also promotes the differentiation of pre-T cells into phenotypically mature T cells. Although both CD3/T cell receptor (TCR)-alpha/beta + and CD3-gamma/delta + T cells were obtained, the preferential differentiation into TCR-gamma/delta + cells was a consistent finding. These results suggest that, in addition to IL-2, IL-4 plays a critical role in promoting growth and differentiation of intrathymic T cell precursors at early stages of T cell development.

Antibodies, Monoclonal

Identity of PB76 differentiation antigen and lymphocyte alkaline phosphatase.

Alkaline phosphatases (APases, EC 3.1.3.1) are ecto-enzymes bound to cell membranes by a phosphatidyl-inositol anchor. We have previously shown that APase is present on activated murine B cells and its expression correlates with the process of B cell differentiation into immunoglobulin secretion. Recently, a monoclonal antibody (mAb), G-5-2, that recognizes a 76-kDa molecule preferentially expressed on the surface of pre-B and plasma cells (PB76) was described. Some features shared by APase and PB76 differentiation antigen suggest that the G-5-2 mAb might be specific for lymphocyte APase. Here, we have analyzed this possibility and found an absolute correlation between PB76 expression in cells and their APase activity. Although PB76 has been described as a B cell-restricted marker, PB76 is also expressed on some T cells, such as the YAC-1 T cell lymphoma, that are known to bear APase. Treatment of YAC-1 cells with phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C resulted in a quantitatively correlated removal of both APase and PB76 antigens. Moreover, we demonstrate that PB76 antigen has APase activity using an enzyme-antigen immunoassay with the G-5-2 mAb. We conclude that PB76 and lymphocyte APase are one and the same antigen.

Alkaline Phosphatase

Analysis and characterization of the interleukin 2 receptor alpha and beta chain expression in CD4-CD8- cells.

The differential effects that the binding of interleukin 2 (IL-2) to its beta or alpha beta receptors might induce in two different CD4-CD8- T-cell lines were analysed. While LD1.T3b, a double-negative T cell derived from MRL/lpr mice, constitutively expressed high levels of the IL-2R beta chain, YAC-1, a Moloney sarcoma virus-transformed CD4-CD8- T cell, expressed (as an activated T cell) the beta and alpha chains. The presence of IL-2 in the culture medium was lethal for LD1.T3b cells, while it had no effect on the growth of YAC-1 cells. IL-2 increased the expression of the beta chain and, to a lesser extent, of the alpha chain in YAC-1 cells. In addition, other markers such as CD4 and CD5 were induced by IL-2 in this cell line.

CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes

Interleukin-2-dependent autocrine proliferation in T-cell development.

Activated T lymphocytes proliferate in response to interleukin-2 (IL-2), which binds to a specific high-affinity receptor (IL-2R). This consists of at least two noncovalently linked polypeptides, p55/IL-2R alpha (Tac) and p75/IL-2R beta. Both molecules bind IL-2 independently, with low and intermediate affinity respectively, but only IL-2R beta is thought to mediate IL-2 signal transduction. Although IL-2R beta seems to be constitutively expressed on resting T lymphocytes, the growth of these T cells is specifically induced by antigenic triggering by the T-cell receptor (TCR), which then results in the transcription of both IL-2 and IL-2R alpha genes. By contrast, activation of the IL-2/IL-2R pathway in the thymus seems to precede the appearance of the TCR, as IL-2R alpha is expressed on T-cell precursors lacking TCR. The basis for IL-2R expression by immature thymocytes, however, remains largely unknown. We show here that IL-2R alpha-negative T-cell precursors constitutively express IL-2R beta and produce their own IL-2. The IL-2/IL-2R beta interaction on these cells induces the expression of IL-2R alpha, leading to high-affinity IL-2R display and cellular proliferation. We suggest that this IL-2-dependent autocrine pathway of growth stimulation plays a key role in the intrathymic development of mature T cells.

Antigens, CD

Isolation and characterization of (gamma, delta) CD4+ T cell clones derived from human fetal liver cells.

Lymphocytes isolated from human fetal liver and expanded in vitro in IL-2-containing media reveal the existence of CD4+ gamma, delta T cells. These cells display differential features of double-negative and CD8+ gamma, delta T cells as well as of CD4+ alpha, beta T cells. Thus, they failed to lyse targets in lectin-mediated killing assays and to perform classical helper functions. These results add new information necessary for a better understanding of the physiological role of the gamma, delta T cells.

Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte

Expression of alkaline phosphatase in murine B lymphocytes. Correlation with B cell differentiation into Ig secretion.

Alkaline phosphatases (ALPase) (orthophosphoric-monoester phosphohydrolase, EC 3.1.3.1) are implicated in many biologic phenomena including ossification and differentiation of human neutrophils and choriocarcinoma cells. Another trait, demonstrated by microinjection into Xenopus oocytes, is their ability to block the first mitotic division. Previous work in our laboratory has established that ALPase is also present on murine B lymphocytes activated by either polyclonal mitogens or Th cells. We have now characterized the ALPase present on murine B cells as belonging to the liver-bone-kidney isoenzyme and found it to be implicated in B cell differentiation into antibody secretion. Thus, B cell proliferative responses, elicited either by high concentrations of rabbit anti-IgM antibodies or by LPS in the presence of PMA, are characterized by the lack of both antibody secretion and expression of ALPase activity. In contrast, B cells stimulated to differentiate into Ig-secreting cells by B cell differentiation factors, nearly in the absence of a proliferative response, express high levels of ALPase activity, as did those that were LPS-stimulated. These data showing the association of the ALPase expression with the process of B cell differentiation into antibody-secreting cells are discussed in the context of the possible role that phosphorylation-dephosphorylation mechanism may play in controlling the growth/differentiation rate in the B cell lineage.

Alkaline Phosphatase

Expression of the p75 interleukin 2-binding protein on CD3+4-8-Tac- cells from autoimmune MRL/MP-lpr/lpr mice.

The recently described (Sharon, M. et al., Science 1986. 234:859) interleukin 2 (IL 2)-binding molecule p75 was detected in the CD3+4-8-Tac- "double-negative" cell population selectively expanded in lupus-like autoimmune mice MRL/MP-lpr/lpr using cross-linking studies. Scatchard analysis of the IL 2 binding revealed the existence of approximately 4700 sites per cell with an apparent Kd of 1500 pM. The cell line LD1.T3B, derived from this population, shared surface markers and the p75 presence/p55 absence of IL 2-binding proteins with its in vivo counterpart, displaying around 3100 sites per cell with a Kd of about 1300 pM. Functional studies showed that high doses of IL 2 had an inhibitory effect on the autonomous growth of this cell line in the absence of the development of killer activity. This study provides evidence of the functional abilities of p75, and shows that the use of Tac/p55 surface expression only to evaluate IL 2 receptors and T cell activation can be an oversimplification as well as misleading.

Animals

Calmodulin-dependent phosphatase preferentially dephosphorylates a 28 kDa protein in human platelets.

1. Human platelets contain a calmodulin-dependent phosphatase (calcineurin) that has many properties similar to those of bovine brain calmodulin-dependent phosphatase. 2. The activity of calcineurin phosphatase accounts for a small fraction of the total phosphatase activity in human platelets. 3. Labeling of human platelets with 32P yielded many phosphoproteins. 4. Incubation of a lysate of the 32P-labeled platelets with bovine brain calmodulin-dependent phosphatase led to preferential dephosphorylation of a 28 kDa protein (P28), a minor component of platelet proteins. 5. P28 is one of several proteins that were rapidly labeled upon stimulation of platelets with thrombin. 6. Even though the enzyme is known to catalyze the dephosphorylation of many substrates in vitro, its apparent preference for P28 suggests that its activity is highly selective.

Animals

Effects of cadmium on human platelet reactions.

Human platelets incubated with Cd2+ took up the cation slowly, and the uptake was speeded up by ionophore A23187. The capacity of human platelets to accumulate Cd2+ was large, equivalent to 10 nmol Cd2+ per mg protein. The effects of Cd2+ on protein phosphorylation and serotonin release of human platelets were studied. Washed platelets incubated with Cd2+ showed a general increase in protein phosphorylation concurrent with a slow release of serotonin. In the presence of ionophore A23187, however, Cd2+ had a biphasic effect on protein phosphorylation: stimulatory at low and inhibitory at high Cd2+ concentrations. The phosphorylation of two proteins with molecular masses close to 43 and 20 kDa was more sensitive to the inhibitory effect of Cd2+, and under similar conditions, the primary effect of Cd2+ on serotonin release was inhibitory, although at lower Cd2+ concentrations a slight stimulation was noted. Thrombin increased the phosphorylation of several proteins, and a prior incubation with Cd2+ further augmented that of a 20 kDa protein, but this treatment did not affect thrombin-induced serotonin release.

Blood Platelets