PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

S W Caughman

Publications and source records attributed to S W Caughman.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1991

Cloning and characterization of the 5'-transcriptional regulatory region of the human intercellular adhesion molecule 1 gene.

Cell-cell adhesion is critical in the generation of immunologic responses and is dependent upon expression of a variety of cell surface receptors. While intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1), a specific receptor for lymphocyte function-associated antigen 1, is constitutively expressed by some cell types, its de novo or increased expression by various cells has been associated with the initiation of inflammatory responses and appears to be transcriptionally regulated. The 5' region of the human ICAM-1 gene has been cloned and both structurally and functionally analyzed. A 17.3-kilobase genomic clone containing three exonal regions encoding the N-terminal third of the ICAM-1 protein was isolated. A 2.05-kilobase subclone, containing the 5' most exon, was utilized to determine an interferon-gamma-induced transcription initiation site via primer extension and S1 nuclease protection assays. Analysis of the 5'-flanking region revealed consensus sequences for appropriately located basal promoter elements, as well as numerous potential cis-acting enhancer elements. When subcloned into a reporter gene construct, the putative promoter subregion functioned as a potent promoter. However, in accord with biologically observed expression of ICAM-1 in specific cell types, when additional 5'-flanking sequences were included in reporter gene constructs, tissue appropriate repression of transcription was observed.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1990

Translational repression by a complex between the iron-responsive element of ferritin mRNA and its specific cytoplasmic binding protein is position-dependent in vivo.

The interaction of ferritin mRNA is regulated by iron via the interaction of a cytoplasmic binding protein (IRE-BP) with a specific stem-loop structure in the 5' untranslated region (UTR), referred to as the iron-responsive element (IRE). A high affinity RNA-protein complex between the IRE and the IRE-BP functions as a repressor of translation in vivo. Translational repression appears to depend upon the position of the IRE in the 5' UTR of the mRNA. IREs located in the 5' untranslated region 67 nucleotides or more downstream of the 5' terminus of the mRNA fail to mediate iron-dependent translational regulation and give rise to constitutively derepressed transcripts. A model is proposed in which translational regulation of protein biosynthesis involves a position-dependent interference of the IRE/IRE-BP complex with one of the initial steps in translation initiation.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Freshly isolated Thy-1+ dendritic epidermal cells express T cell receptor gamma delta-CD3.

Within murine epidermis exists a population of Thy-1+ DEC which express membrane Thy-1 antigen, but lack CD8 or CD4 antigen. We examined freshly obtained non-cultured Thy-1+ DEC both by immunofluorescence and by biochemical techniques to identify the protein products of the T cell receptor (TCR) and the associated CD3 complex on these cells. Virtually all of the Thy-1+ DEC are brightly positive in CD3 expression with immunofluorescence using the monoclonal antibody 145-2C11. By immunoprecipitation, using this same antibody and polyclonal anti-TCR-gamma antibody, the only TCR heterodimer detected on the freshly isolated Thy-1+ DEC is the gamma delta heterodimer. These findings suggest that in the phenotype and TCR expression, Thy-1+ DEC are analogous to CD8-, CD4- early fetal thymocytes.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1990

A-431 cells and human keratinocytes synthesize and secrete the third component of complement.

Biosynthetic radiolabeling studies demonstrate that A-431 cells, a human epidermoid carcinoma cell line, and human keratinocytes synthesize and secrete C3 as two disulfide-linked polypeptide chains of 120 and 75 kD. Moreover, epithelial cell-derived C3 co-migrates in SDS-PAGE with that produced by HepG2 cells, a human hepatoma cell line previously used to elucidate complement component biosynthesis. Pulse-chase studies in A-431 cells demonstrate that epithelial cell-derived C3 is produced as a 195-kD precursor molecule, pro-C3, which is processed intracellularly by limited proteolysis into 120- and 75-kD C3 alpha and beta chains. Comparative studies demonstrate that A-431 cell-derived C3 is synthesized, processed, and secreted in parallel but in lower quantity than that produced by HepG2 cells. Treatment of biosynthetically labeled A-431 cell culture supernatants with normal human serum and zymosan produces C3 alpha chain cleavage and specific C3 fragments that are not present in control culture supernatants treated with heat-inactivated human serum and zymosan. Northern blot analysis of total cellular RNA extracted from A-431 cells, human keratinocytes, and HepG2 cells reveals quantitative identity of a 5.1-kb C3 mRNA species in these three cell types. Epithelial cell-derived C3 may play an important role in local inflammatory and immunologic reactions including such reactions in human skin. Moreover, epithelial cell C3 synthesis may have direct relevance to the recent demonstration of C3d,g within selected normal primate epithelial basement membranes, including epidermal basement membrane.

Blotting, Northern↗
PubMed1990

Characterization and functional analysis of interferon-gamma-induced intercellular adhesion molecule-1 expression in human keratinocytes and A-431 cells.

Human intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) is a cell-surface glycoprotein that serves as one of the major ligands for lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1 (LFA-1), a member of the integrin supergene family of adhesion molecules that is involved in cell-cell adhesion. Homotypic and heterotypic conjugate formation between leukocytes and between leukocytes and target cells via the LFA-1/ICAM-1 interaction has been demonstrated to be a critical event in numerous immunologic and inflammatory processes. While LFA-1 is expressed by all leukocytes, ICAM-1 is not normally expressed by all tissues with which leukocytes interact, but ICAM-1 may be induced de novo by various cytokines, including interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma). The constitutive and IFN-gamma-induced expression and function of ICAM-1 in human keratinocytes (HK) and A-431 cells in culture has been analyzed. While A-431 cells constitutively express ICAM-1 when assessed by northern blotting, by biosynthetic labeling and immunoprecipitation, and by flow cytometry, HK do not. When these two cell types are exposed to recombinant human (rh-) IFN-gamma at 1000 U/ml for 24 h, A-431 cells upregulate ICAM-1 and HK express ICAM-1 to an equal degree when assessed by these same parameters. Furthermore, in an in vitro adhesion assay, rh-IFN-gamma treatment of the HK or A-431 cells greatly increases the specific adherence of radiolabeled T cells to these cells. These data provide further evidence for the potential role of the regulated expression of ICAM-1 by keratinocytes in immunologic and inflammatory responses occurring in the skin.

Cell Adhesion↗
PubMed1990

T-cell antigen receptors.

We have reviewed the knowledge of the human TCR and its implications in dermatology. The TCR has been shown to be the molecule responsible for specific cellular immunity in the same way that immunoglobulins confer humoral immunity. Much has been learned about the complex genomic organization of the TCR chains and how the great diversity of TCR proteins is created by somatic rearrangement of the genes. Most peripheral T cells carry an alpha/beta TCR heterodimer; these cells account for the major T-cell-associated functions such as cytolysis and the modulation of immune responses. The gamma/delta TCR is found on a minor population of T cells, and its functional significance needs further characterization. With respect to dermatology, the knowledge of TCR genetics, along with the application of recombinant DNA methodology, has provided a major improvement in the diagnosis and management of mycosis fungoides. Sezary's syndrome, and other lymphoproliferative diseases of the skin.

DNA, Recombinant↗
PubMed1988

The iron-responsive element is the single element responsible for iron-dependent translational regulation of ferritin biosynthesis. Evidence for function as the binding site for a translational repressor.

Ferritin, a cytoplasmic protein critical in iron metabolism, displays iron-dependent regulation of its biosynthetic rate with no corresponding changes in mRNA levels. An iron-responsive element (IRE) has been identified in the 5'-untranslated region (UTR) of the human ferritin heavy chain mRNA which, when placed in the 5'-UTR of heterologous reporter genes, confers iron-dependent translational regulation to the hybrid mRNAs. However, whereas the biosynthetic rate of ferritin in response to changes in iron status exhibits a 30-80-fold range, the apparent ranges observed for reporter gene constructs utilizing chloramphenicol acetyltransferase assays or human growth hormone radioimmunoassays have been much less. A deletion and reconstitution study was undertaken to address the possibility that regions of the ferritin gene and mRNA other than the IRE may be necessary for the production of the full range of iron regulation. Data are presented that demonstrate that the IRE alone is capable of conferring iron-dependent translational regulation of biosynthesis to downstream encoded proteins that is both qualitatively and quantitatively similar to that observed with expression of ferritin itself. Thus, the complete range of iron-dependent translational regulation conferred by the IRE occurs independently of the presence of the ferritin promoter, other regions of the ferritin 5'-UTR, the ferritin coding region, and the ferritin 3'-UTR. Additionally, experiments addressing the translatability in vivo of various ferritin construct mRNAs support the theory that the IRE functions as the binding site for a translational repressor.

Binding Sites↗
PubMed1988

A model for the structure and functions of iron-responsive elements.

Most eukaryotic cells express two proteins, whose biosynthetic rates are determined by the intracellular iron status. The genes for both these proteins, ferritin and the transferrin receptor (TfR), are regulated at the post-transcriptional level, but by entirely different mechanisms. Ferritin mRNA levels are not affected by acute changes in iron availability. Ferritin biosynthesis is regulated translationally via a defined element contained within the 5' untranslated region (UTR) of the ferritin mRNA. This element has been highly conserved during evolution and has been termed an iron-responsive element (IRE). In contrast to ferritin, the regulation of TfR biosynthesis is mirrored by equivalent changes in TfR mRNA levels. The genetic information for this regulation is mostly located in the region of the gene encoding the 3' UTR of the TfR mRNA. Five elements that closely resemble the ferritin IRE are contained within the region which is critical for TfR regulation. The IRE is suggested to function by forming a specific stem-loop structure that interacts with a transacting factor in an iron-dependent fashion. We present a model that accommodates the mediation of distinct post-transcriptional regulatory phenomena via IREs.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Binding of a cytosolic protein to the iron-responsive element of human ferritin messenger RNA.

The human ferritin H chain messenger RNA contains a specific iron-responsive element (IRE) in its 5' untranslated region, which mediates regulation by iron of ferritin translation. An RNA gel retardation assay was used to demonstrate the affinity of a specific cytosolic binding protein for the IRE. A single-base deletion in the IRE eliminated both the interaction of the cytoplasmic protein with the IRE and translational regulation. Thus, the regulatory potential of the IRE correlates with its capacity to specifically interact with proteins. Titration curves of binding activity after treatment of cells with an iron chelator suggest that the factor acts as a repressor of ferritin translation.

Base Composition↗
PubMed1988

Iron-responsive elements: regulatory RNA sequences that control mRNA levels and translation.

The biosynthetic rates for both the transferrin receptor (TfR) and ferritin are regulated by iron. An iron-responsive element (IRE) in the 5' untranslated portion of the ferritin messenger RNA (mRNA) mediates iron-dependent control of its translation. In this report the 3' untranslated region of the mRNA for the human TfR was shown to be necessary and sufficient for iron-dependent control of mRNA levels. Deletion studies identified a 678-nucleotide fragment of the TfR complementary DNA that is critical for this iron regulation. Five potential stem-loops that resemble the ferritin IRE are contained within the region critical for TfR regulation. Each of two of the five TfR elements was independently inserted into the 5' untranslated region of an indicator gene transcript. In this location they conferred iron regulation of translation. Thus, an mRNA element has been implicated in the mediation of distinct regulatory phenomena dependent on the context of the element within the transcript.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Identification of the iron-responsive element for the translational regulation of human ferritin mRNA.

Regulated translation of messenger RNA offers an important mechanism for the control of gene expression. The biosynthesis of the intracellular iron storage protein ferritin is translationally regulated by iron. A cis-acting element that is both necessary and sufficient for this translational regulation is present within the 5' nontranslated leader region of the human ferritin H-chain messenger RNA. In this report the iron-responsive element (IRE) was identified by deletional analysis. Moreover, a synthetic oligodeoxynucleotide was shown to be able to transfer iron regulation to a construct that would otherwise not be able to respond to iron. The IRE has been highly conserved and predates the evolutionary segregation between amphibians, birds, and man. The IRE may prove to be useful for the design of translationally regulated expression systems.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1987

Enhanced antigen-presenting capacity of cultured Langerhans' cells is associated with markedly increased expression of Ia antigen.

Recent studies indicate that when epidermal Langerhans' cells (LC) are cultured for 2 to 3 days they, in comparison to freshly prepared LC, exhibit markedly enhanced ability to stimulate T cell proliferative responses in oxidative mitogenesis and in the mixed epidermal-leukocyte reaction. In this study, we determined whether cultured LC enhance antigen-specific T cell responses, and whether such enhanced stimulatory capacity correlates with the level of Ia antigen expressed on LC. We used C3H/He (Iak) epidermal cells as stimulators and, as responder cells, both the trinitrophenyl-specific clones D8 and SE4, which were assayed for [3H]dThd incorporation, and the pigeon cytochrome c specific hybridoma 2C2, which was assayed for interleukin 2 production. Cultured LC induced 10 to 100 times greater proliferation or interleukin 2 production by responder cells than did freshly prepared LC. The intensity of I-Ak and I-Ek, expressed on cultured LC as assessed by immunofluorescence and flow cytometry, was found to be 10 to 36 times greater on a per cell basis than that on freshly prepared LC. Depletion of LC from fresh epidermal cell suspensions by anti-Iak and complement or treatment with 50 mJ/cm2 medium range ultraviolet light or cycloheximide before culture abrogated both the increase in Ia expression and antigen-specific clonal proliferation. The results suggest that when LC are removed from their usual epidermal milieu, they express increased amounts of Ia and become more potent stimulators of T cell responses.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

A cis-acting element is necessary and sufficient for translational regulation of human ferritin expression in response to iron.

Ferritin plays a key role in determining the intracellular fate of iron and is highly regulated by the iron status of the cell. We have identified a cis-acting element in the transcribed but nontranslated 5' leader sequence of human ferritin heavy-chain mRNA. In transiently transfected murine fibroblasts, the presence of a 157-nucleotide region of the 5' leader sequence was found to be necessary for iron-dependent regulation of ferritin biosynthesis. Further, this 5' leader region is sufficient to transfer iron-mediated translational control to the expression of a heterologous gene product, chloramphenicol acetyltransferase.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1987

Nidogen and heparan sulfate proteoglycan: detection of newly isolated basement membrane components in normal and epidermolysis bullosa skin.

The epidermal basement membrane zone comprises various biochemical constituents, some of which may be affected or involved in certain forms of mechanobullous diseases. Recently, nidogen and a low density form of heparan sulfate proteoglycan--two ubiquitous, noncollagenous components of basement membranes--were isolated and characterized, and affinity-purified antibodies to each component were prepared. These antibodies were used to study the distribution of both antigens in normal and diseased human skin. By immunofluorescence, both nidogen and heparan sulfate proteoglycan were linearly distributed along the basement membrane of the dermal-epidermal junction, adnexal structures, and blood vessels of normal human skin. On suction-induced blisters of normal skin, both antigens were found at the base of the blister, indicating that each was within or below the lamina lucida. By indirect immunoelectron microscopy, both antigens were ultrastructurally located within the lamina densa. The staining patterns for nidogen and heparan sulfate proteoglycan were examined in 11 patients with either junctional, dominant dystrophic, or recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa, and were found to be not different from the patterns observed in normal skin.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMed1986

Ia+ murine epidermal Langerhans cells are deficient in surface expression of the class I major histocompatibility complex.

Murine epidermal Langerhans cells were analyzed with fluorescence microscopy and multicolor flow cytometry for the surface expression of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I and class II antigens. Langerhans cells of H-2k haplotype were identified in situ or in epidermal-cell suspensions by their surface expression of the MHC class II determinants I-Ak and I-Ek. More than 90% of class II-positive Langerhans cells in epidermal-cell suspensions expressed no or barely detectable amounts of MHC class I antigens. Quantitation by flow cytometry revealed that H-2k Langerhans cells expressed only 1.6-3.3% as much H-2Kk as did class II-negative keratinocytes in the same epidermal-cell suspensions. By fluorescence microscopy, class I MHC antigens were not detectable on Langerhans cells in situ when analyzed on sheets of intact epidermis. The deficient expression of class I MHC permitted highly purified Langerhans cell populations to be isolated from epidermal cell suspensions by treatment with anti-class I MHC monoclonal antibody and complement. It is likely that the uniquely low cell-surface expression of class I MHC antigen by Langerhans cells has relevance to both immune responses in the skin as well as to mechanisms of skin allograft rejection. In addition, it is conceivable that regulation of class I MHC expression on antigen-presenting cells in general is an important but hitherto unrecognized mechanism of immune regulation.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Culture and characterization of murine dendritic Thy-1+ epidermal cells.

Although numerous advances have been made in characterizing the phenotype, ontogeny, ultrastructure, and cytochemistry of the murine Thy-1+ dendritic epidermal cell (Thy-1+ EC), elucidation of its functional qualities has been hampered by the difficulty in preparing pure populations of these cells. We therefore sought to obtain expanded, purified populations of Thy-1+ EC using culture techniques. Since Thy-1+ EC are bone marrow-derived, density gradient enriched populations of freshly harvested epidermal cells (FH-EC) were placed in culture under conditions known or suspected to promote mitogenesis among leukocyte subsets. FH-EC prepared from truncal skin of C3H/HeN mice (Thy-1.2+) were cultured at 37 degrees C in 5% CO2 in complete medium (CM) of Eagle's Hanks' amino acid with 10% fetal calf serum, nutrients, and antibiotics at 10(6) FH-EC/well in 24-well culture plates. CM was supplemented with one or more of the following: concanavalin A (Con-A), interleukin-1/epidermal cell-derived thymocyte-activating factor (IL-1/ETAF), IL-2, IL-3, gamma interferon, indomethacin (IM), and anti-Thy-1.2 antibody. Media with appropriate supplements were changed every 2-3 days. Freshly isolated, enriched FH-EC contained 7-20% Thy-1+ EC (defined as brightly fluorescing cells readily distinguishable from weakly fluorescing keratinocytes), which also stained with antibodies directed against asialo GM1, Ly 5.1, and vimentin but did not stain with antibodies to other T cell-, B cell- or macrophage phenotypic markers. Analysis of 10 separate cultures revealed a 3- to 10-fold expansion of nonkeratinocyte Thy-1+ cells after 21 +/- 4 days in culture in CM supplemented with Con-A and IM, and 70-100% of viable cells after expansion were Thy-1+. Phenotypic analysis of expanded cells revealed the emergence in 10 separate cultures of one of two mutually exclusive distinct populations: one Thy-1+, asialo GM1+, L3T4- (natural killer phenotype) and the other Thy-1+, asialo GM1-, L3T4+ (T helper phenotype). Experiments designed to explain the emergence of an L3T4+ population suggest that phenotypic modulation occurred in vitro.

Animals↗