PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

Matthew D Scharff

Publications and source records attributed to Matthew D Scharff.

26 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2003

Induction of somatic hypermutation is associated with modifications in immunoglobulin variable region chromatin.

Somatic hypermutation (SHM) requires selective targeting of the mutational machinery to the variable region of the immunoglobulin heavy chain gene. The induction of SHM in the BL2 cell line upon costimulation is associated with hyperacetylation of the chromatin at the variable region but not at the constant region. The V region-restricted histone hyperacetylation resulting from costimulation occurs independent of AID expression and mutation. Interestingly, costimulation in the presence of Trichostatin A causes hyperacetylation of histones associated with the constant region and extends mutations to the constant region. Under this condition, promoter proximal mutations are observed in the variable region as well. The overexpression of AID results in a similar deregulation of mutational targeting. Our results indicate that the stimulation of SHM in BL2 cells activates two independent pathways resulting in histone modifications that permit induced levels of AID to selectively target the variable region for mutation.

Acetylation↗
PubMed2002

High affinity mimotope of the polysaccharide capsule of Cryptococcus neoformans identified from an evolutionary phage peptide library.

Cryptococcus neoformans causes a life-threatening meningoencephalitis in a significant percentage of AIDS patients. Mice immunized with a glycoconjugate vaccine composed of the glucuronoxylomannan (GXM) component of the cryptococcal capsular polysaccharide conjugated to tetanus toxoid (TT) produce Abs that, based on the epitope recognized, can be either protective or nonprotective. Since nonprotective Abs block the efficacy of protective Abs, we are interested in developing a vaccine that would focus the immune response specifically to protective epitopes. Previously, we screened a phage display library with 2H1, a protective anti-GXM mAb, and isolated PA1, a representative peptide that had a K(d) of 295 nM for 2H1. Mice immunized with PA1 conjugated to keyhole limpet hemocyanin developed high anti-peptide (1/13,000), but low anti-GXM (maximum, 1/200) titers. We now report our efforts to improve this vaccine by screening a sublibrary with six random amino acids added to either end of the PA1 motif to identify higher affinity peptides. P206.1, a peptide isolated from this sublibrary, had 80-fold higher affinity for 2H1 (K(d) = 3.7 nM) than PA1. P206.1 bound protective, but not nonprotective, anti-GXM Abs. Mice immunized with P206.1 conjugated to various carriers did not mount an Ab response to GXM despite developing high anti-peptide titers. However, mice primed with GXM-TT and boosted with P206.1-TT developed significant anti-GXM titers (maximum, 1/180,000). This latter immunization scheme focused the immune response on protective epitopes, since only 2-5% of these titers were directed against nonprotective de-O-acetylated GXM epitopes compared with 20-60% in animals primed and boosted with GXM-TT.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2002

Somatic hypermutation of the AID transgene in B and non-B cells.

Somatic hypermutation (SHM) of the Ig genes is required for affinity maturation of the humoral response to foreign antigens. Activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID), which is specifically expressed in germinal center centroblasts, is indispensable for this process. Expression of AID is sufficient to activate SHM in hybridomas, non-B cells, and Escherichia coli, suggesting that it initiates the mutational process by deaminating DNA. However, the cis-acting sequences that are responsible for targeting AID activity to the variable (V) region of Ig genes are unknown. Here we show that expression of AID in B cell lines (i.e., Burkitt's lymphoma Ramos and hybridoma P1-5) not only causes hypermutation of Ig sequences, but also of the AID transgene itself. Because it is possible that B cell-specific transacting factors bind to and recruit the "mutator" to the AID transgene, we tested whether the AID transgene can mutate in non-B cells. Indeed, we show that expression of AID in Chinese hamster ovary cells causes SHM of both the Ig and AID transgenes. These data suggest that high transcription rates alone may predispose any gene to mutation by AID but do not preclude that there are specific B cell factors that account for the extremely high rate of V mutation in vivo and its targeting to the V region.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Mutation detection of immunoglobulin V-regions by DHPLC.

One of the key features in the affinity maturation of antibodies is somatic hypermutation of the variable regions of immunoglobulin genes. The mutations that occur in immunoglobulin genes are detected by direct sequencing of cloned polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products. The frequencies of mutations in vivo are generally high enough to provide sufficient numbers of point mutations in order to generate large databases that can be analyzed in various ways. Recently, the mechanisms of variable (V)-region hypermutation have been studied in tissue culture systems and transgenic mice where mutation occurs at frequencies that are approximately 10-fold lower than the estimated in vivo rate. Identifying mutations by brute force sequencing of PCR products in comparative studies is limiting when trying to determine if there are statistically significant differences. Here we describe a high throughput technique that can facilitate the identification of immunoglobulin V-regions that contain one or more mutations before sequencing. This technique, known as denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC), utilizes a standard HPLC apparatus with a column that binds double-stranded DNA (dsDNA). In this study, we have successfully detected approximately 90% of previously sequenced mutated V-regions by DHPLC. Our results show that we were able to detect mutations throughout a 321-base pair (bp) region of the Ricin 45 immunoglobulin (Ig) V-region. Also, with the use of this assay, we have been able to detect mutations in multiple clones of different immunoglobulin genes.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Activation-induced cytidine deaminase turns on somatic hypermutation in hybridomas.

The production of high-affinity protective antibodies requires somatic hypermutation (SHM) of the antibody variable (V)-region genes. SHM is characterized by a high frequency of point mutations that occur only during the centroblast stage of B-cell differentiation. Activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID), which is expressed specifically in germinal-centre centroblasts, is required for this process, but its exact role is unknown. Here we show that AID is required for SHM in the centroblast-like Ramos cells, and that expression of AID is sufficient to induce SHM in hybridoma cells, which represent a later stage of B-cell differentiation that does not normally undergo SHM. In one hybridoma, mutations were exclusively in G*C base pairs that were mostly within RGYW or WRCY motifs, suggesting that AID has primary responsibility for mutations at these nucleotides. The activation of SHM in hybridomas indicates that AID does not require other centroblast-specific cofactors to induce SHM, suggesting either that it functions alone or that the factors it requires are expressed at other stages of B-cell differentiation.

B-Lymphocytes↗
PubMed2002

Immunoglobulin G monoclonal antibodies to Cryptococcus neoformans protect mice deficient in complement component C3.

Passive administration of monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) to the capsular polysaccharide of Cryptococcus neoformans can alter the course of infection in mice. In a murine model of cryptococcal infection, immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1), IgG2a, and IgG2b switch variants of the anti-capsular 3E5 MAb prolong the survival of lethally infected mice, whereas the 3E5 IgG3 MAb does not protect and in some cases enhances infection, shortening the life spans of infected mice. We examined the role of complement component C3 in Ab-mediated protection by determining the efficacy of the four mouse IgG subclasses against C. neoformans in mice genetically deficient in factor C3 as well as mice acutely depleted of C3. Similar to other complement-deficient animal models, C3(-/-) mice and mice depleted of C3 by cobra venom factor were more susceptible to C. neoformans infection than control mice, providing further evidence that complement is important in the host defense against the fungus. In the absence of C3, all IgG isotypes prolonged the lives of mice infected with C. neoformans, indicating that protection by IgG does not require the complement pathways. Furthermore, we observed protection with IgG3 in the complement-deficient mice, suggesting that complement is involved in the lack of protection observed with IgG3 in other mouse models.

Animals↗