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Biomedical subjects

S Henchoz

Publications and source records attributed to S Henchoz.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

Phosphorylation- and ubiquitin-dependent degradation of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor Far1p in budding yeast.

Cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors (CKIs) play key roles in controlling the eukaryotic cell cycle by coordinating cell proliferation and differentiation. Understanding the roles of CKIs requires knowledge of how they are regulated both through the cell cycle and in response to extracellular signals. Here we show that the yeast CKI, Far1p, is controlled by ubiquitin-dependent proteolysis. Wild-type Far1p was stable only in the G1 phase of the cell cycle. Biochemical and genetic evidence indicate that its degradation required the components of the G1-S ubiquitination system, Cdc34p, Cdc4p, Cdc53p, and Skp1p. We isolated a mutant form of Far1p (Far1p-22) that was able to induce cell cycle arrest in the absence of alpha-factor. Cells that overexpress Far1-22p arrested in G1 as large unbudded cells with low Cdc28p-Clnp kinase activity. Wild-type Far1p, but not Far1-22p, was readily ubiquitinated in vitro in a CDC34- and CDC4-dependent manner. Far1-22p harbors a single amino acid change, from serine to proline at residue 87, which alters phosphorylation by Cdc28p-Cln2p in vitro. Our results show that Far1p is regulated by ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis and suggest that phosphorylation of Far1p by the Cdc28p-Clnp kinase is part of the recognition signal for ubiquitination.

Anaphase-Promoting Complex-Cyclosome↗

The histone deacetylase RPD3 counteracts genomic silencing in Drosophila and yeast.

Both position-effect variegation (PEV) in Drosophila and telomeric position-effect in yeast (TPE) result from the mosaic inactivation of genes relocated next to a block of centromeric heterochromatin or next to telomeres. In many aspects, these phenomena are analogous to other epigenetic silencing mechanisms, such as the control of homeotic gene clusters, X-chromosome inactivation and imprinting in mammals, and mating-type control in yeast. Dominant mutations that suppress or enhance PEV are thought to encode either chromatin proteins or factors that directly affect chromatin structure. We have identified an insertional mutation in Drosophila that enhances PEV and reduces transcription of the gene in the eye-antenna imaginal disc. The gene corresponds to that encoding the transcriptional regulator RPD3 in yeast, and to a human histone deacetylase. In yeast, RRD3-deletion strains show enhanced TPE, suggesting a conserved role of the histone deacetylase RPD3 in counteracting genomic silencing. This function of RPD3, which is in contrast to the general correlation between histone acetylation and increased transcription, might be due to a specialized chromatin structure at silenced loci.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

The dose of a putative ubiquitin-specific protease affects position-effect variegation in Drosophila melanogaster.

A dominant insertional P-element mutation enhances position-effect variegation in Drosophila melanogaster. The mutation is homozygous, viable, and fertile and maps at 64E on the third chromosome. The corresponding gene was cloned by transposon tagging. Insertion of the transposon upstream of the open reading frame correlates with a strong reduction of transcript level. A transgene was constructed with the cDNA and found to have the effect opposite from that of the mutation, namely, to suppress variegation. Sequencing of the cDNA reveals a large open reading frame encoding a putative ubiquitin-specific protease (Ubp). Ubiquitin marks various proteins, frequently for proteasome-dependent degradation. Ubps can cleave the ubiquitin part from these proteins. We discuss the link established here between a deubiquitinating enzyme and epigenetic silencing processes.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

CD40 ligand is functionally expressed on human eosinophils.

CD40 ligand (CD40L), a surface molecule which can be expressed by T cells, mast cells and basophils, has been shown to be involved in the control of B cell proliferation, immunoglobulin class switching as well as in the activation of monocytes and T cells. We demonstrate that CD40L can also be expressed constitutively by eosinophils from an hypereosinophilic patient or, upon activation, by the eosinophilic cell line EOL-3 and normal blood eosinophils. Eosinophils were able to induce, in conjunction with IL-4, CD40L-dependent B cell proliferation in vitro. These results suggest that CD40L could play a role in the inflammatory processes during which eosinophil infiltration and activation are observed.

B-Lymphocytes↗

Stimulation of human IgE production by a subset of anti-CD21 monoclonal antibodies: requirement of a co-signal to modulate epsilon transcripts.

CD21, the receptor for Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and the complement receptor-2 (CR2), was recently found to interact specifically with CD23, a low-affinity receptor for IgE, and to regulate IgE production. Therefore, the effect of different anti-CD21 monoclonal antibodies (mAb) on IgE synthesis by blood mononuclear cells was investigated. One anti-CD21 mAb, BU-33, was able to increase significantly (more than threefold) interleukin-4 (IL-4)-induced IgE synthesis, whereas HB-5, OKB-7 and B2 anti-CD21 mAb had no effect. BU-33 had no effect on IgG and IgA production and produced only a moderate increase in IgM production. Recombinant, 29,000 MW, soluble CD23 (sCD23) expressed in COS cells exhibited the same IgE-enhancing activity. BU-33 was the best inhibitor of CD23-liposome binding to the CD21-positive cell line RPMI-8226 when compared to the other anti-CD21 mAb tested. BU-33 identified a different epitope on CD21. The effect of BU-33 on IgE production by purified tonsillar B cells and highly purified germinal centre B cells, was dependent on the presence of T cells or anti-CD40 mAb stimulation. Molecular analysis revealed that BU-33 alone failed to induce germline epsilon mRNA but increased the IL-4-induced germline epsilon transcription levels. Moreover, BU-33 had a synergistic effect on anti-CD40 mAb or T-cell-induced productive epsilon transcript expression. These results therefore indicate that the CD23-CD21 interaction needs a co-signal for B-cell differentiation towards IgE production.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

Induction of human IgE synthesis in B cells by mast cells and basophils.

Immunoglobulin E (IgE) is central to the induction of allergic diseases through its binding to the high-affinity receptor (Fc epsilon R1) on mast cells and basophils. Crosslinking by allergens of the bound IgE leads to the release of various inflammatory mediators. IgE production by B cells requires a physical interaction with T cells, involving a number of surface adhesion molecules, as well as the soluble factors interleukin-4 (IL-4) and IL-13 (ref. 5) produced by T cells, basophils and mast cells. Here we report that, in the presence of IL-4, mast and basophilic cell lines can provide the cell contact signals that are required for IgE synthesis. The human cell lines HMC-1 (mast) and KU812 (basophilic) both express the ligand for CD40 (CD40L) which is shown to be responsible for the IgE production. Moreover, freshly isolated purified human lung mast cells and blood basophils are also shown to express CD40L and to induce IgE production. This evidence suggests that mast cells and basophils may therefore play a key role in allergy not only by producing inflammatory mediators, but also by directly regulating IgE production independently of T cells.

Animals↗

A subset of anti-CD21 antibodies promote the rescue of germinal center B cells from apoptosis.

Germinal center cells (GCC) are programmed to die by apoptosis unless they receive a positive signal for rescue. The primary signal in vivo is believed to be dependent on interaction with antigen held as immune complexes on follicular dendritic cells (FDC), a subset of which express large amounts of CD23, a low-affinity receptor for IgE. Recombinant soluble CD23 (sCD23) and interleukin-1 have been found to potentiate the survival of GCC in vitro. Recently, CD23 was shown to interact specifically with a ligand other than IgE, namely CD21 (CR2/Epstein-Barr virus receptor). In the present study, we show that a subset of anti-CD21 monoclonal antibodies behave similarly to soluble CD23 in their effect on GCC inasmuch as they: (i) diminish the occurrence of apoptosis; (ii) promote a plasmacytoid appearance in rescued cells; (iii) up-regulate expression of the Bcl-2 proto-oncogene. These findings indicate that FDC-derived CD23 exerts its effects on GCC via CD21.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

CD21 expressed on basophilic cells is involved in histamine release triggered by CD23 and anti-CD21 antibodies.

Recombinant full-length human CD23 incorporated into fluorescent liposomes was used to detect a ligand for CD23 on the basophilic leukemia cell line, KU 812. Based on our recent finding that CD23 interacts with CD21 on subsets of B and T cells, we investigated if the same ligand was involved on KU 812 cells. An anti-CD21 monoclonal antibody (mAb) BU-33, was able to totally block CD23-liposome binding to KU 812 cells. Moreover, KU 812 cells express CD21 mRNA and have a cell surface molecule that reacts with anti-CD21 mAb. The CD23/CD21 interaction was not merely physical but was also associated with an increase in histamine release by KU 812 cells. Both recombinant soluble CD23 and an anti-CD21 mAb-mediated effect on histamine release was not restricted to and anti-CD21 mAb-mediated effect on histamine release was not restricted to the leukemic cell line, but was also observed with normal human blood basophils. These data demonstrate that CD21 is expressed on basophilic cells and that CD21 controls histamine production upon ligand-induced stimulation (CD23 or anti-CD21 mAb).

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗