Biomedical subjects
T E Ross
Publications and source records attributed to T E Ross.
Gangliosides and glycophorin inhibit T-lymphocyte activation.
Increased levels of gangliosides in the serum have been linked to tumour-induced immunosuppression in vivo. Both bovine brain gangliosides and human erythrocyte glycophorin were potent inhibitors of concanavalin A, periodate, and phorbol ester--ionomycin induced activation of murine T-lymphocytes. Structurally complex gangliosides were more inhibitory, while simpler glycolipids caused less inhibition. Lymphocytes exposed to these molecules for up to 24 h could still proliferate after washing. Substantial inhibition was observed only when gangliosides and glycophorin were present during the first 18 h of activation. Studies using Quin-2 showed that gangliosides did not block the initial rapid rise in cytoplasmic Ca2+ following mitogen stimulation. Interleukin-2 (IL-2) production by ganglioside- and glycophorin-treated lymphocytes was unchanged. After treatment with gangliosides for 24 h, lymphocytes proliferated normally in response to added IL-2. These results suggest that the first round of signal transduction in response to mitogen was unaffected by gangliosides. Addition of gangliosides to activated lymphocytes in the presence of IL-2 resulted in complete inhibition of proliferation. Immunosuppression by gangliosides and glycophorin thus appears to occur at the IL-2-dependent stage of proliferation and may be partially due to IL-2 binding to these molecules. However, high levels of IL-2 failed to reverse inhibition and IL-2-dependent cell lines were much less sensitive to ganglioside inhibition than T-lymphocytes, suggesting that more than one mechanism of inhibition likely exists.
Association of gangliosides with the lymphocyte plasma membrane studied using radiolabels and spin labels.
Gangliosides are known to act as potent suppressors of lectin-stimulated lymphocyte activation when added to the culture medium. Since this effect may be mediated via ganglioside association with (or insertion into) the plasma membrane, we have used 3H- and spin-labelled derivatives of mixed gangliosides to probe the nature of this interaction. Gangliosides bind rapidly to the lymphocyte membrane and show no preference for association with either inside-out or right-side-out membrane vesicles. Around 20% of the bound gangliosides can be removed by repetitive washing, and a further 22-28% by treatment with pronase for 1 h, suggesting that this fraction is tightly bound to membrane proteins at the cell surface. The ESR spectrum of membrane-bound gangliosides did not resemble the spin-exchanged spectrum of micellar spin-labelled gangliosides in aqueous solution, but was similar to that seen for 5 mol% ganglioside spin label in liposomes of egg phosphatidylcholine. This suggests that the bulk of the membrane-bound gangliosides are inserted and molecular dispersed in the lymphocyte membrane. Binding of wheat-germ agglutinin to lymphocyte-associated gangliosides results in specific immobilization of the carbohydrate headgroup, while concanavalin A and other lectins have little or no effect on oligosaccharide mobility. Membrane-inserted gangliosides show a response to lectin binding which is qualitatively different from that seen for gangliosides in bilayers of phosphatidylcholine.
Spin labelling of sialic acid and galactose residues on lymphocyte plasma membrane: effects of lectins on oligosaccharide dynamics.
To investigate the behaviour of glycoprotein and glycolipid receptors at the lymphocyte cell surface, a spin label probe has been introduced into either sialic acid or galactose residues on lymphocyte plasma membrane, using specific activation of sugars with periodate or galactose oxidase, followed by reductive amination. The extent of membrane labelling could be controlled by varying the mole ratios of reactants used. Chloroform-methanol extraction of the labelled membranes showed that approximately 17% of the label is bound to glycolipids. A large fraction of the spin label could be released from both sialic acid and galactose-labelled membrane by treatment with pronase, indicating attachment to membrane proteins. Rotational correlation times (tau c) for both labelled sialic acid and galactose residues were in the range 10-13 X 10(-10) sec, indicating a reduction in sugar headgroup mobility at the membrane surface. Isolated lymphocyte membrane glycoproteins spin labelled on galactose residues and reassembled into phospholipid bilayer vesicles showed similar motional characteristics. Prolonged incubation of conc. suspensions of labelled membrane resulted in cleavage of the sialic acid-bound (but not the galactose-bound) label. Binding of several lectins to labelled plasma membrane produced significant immobilization of cell surface oligosaccharides while others had no effect. This differential restriction in oligosaccharide motion following lectin binding appears to be at least partly related to the sugar specificity of the lectin. Binding of wheat germ agglutinin and Ricinus communis agglutinin to sialic acid and galactose-labelled membrane respectively produced a dramatic decrease in oligosaccharide mobility which was reversible on addition of the appropriate sugar inhibitor. The concn dependence of lectin-induced spin label immobilization suggested a cooperative interaction between the lectins and their oligosaccharide receptors. Binding of lectins to the lymphocyte cell surface thus seems to have distinct effects on the dynamic state of glycoproteins and glycolipids within the glycocalyx.
Functional reassembly of lymphocyte lentil lectin receptor glycoproteins into lipid bilayer vesicles.
Plasma membrane vesicles purified from pig mesenteric lymph nodes were solubilized using the mild, readily-dialyzable detergent dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide, and lentil lectin receptor glycoproteins were isolated by affinity chromatography. The receptor fraction showed 12 major bands on SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis representing 8-9% of the membrane protein. 5'-Nucleotidase (EC 3.1.3.5) was very effectively solubilized by the detergent and was recovered in high yield in the receptor fraction. Receptor glycoproteins were reassembled into large unilamellar vesicles of phosphatidylcholine/phosphatidylserine (mean diameter 0.235 microm) using a detergent dialysis technique. Sixty to seventy percent of the glycoprotein and most of the 5'-nucleotidase activity is associated with the phospholipid vesicles. 5'-Nucleotidase is reassembled in a symmetrical fashion and is inhibited by binding of concanavalin A, lentil lectin and pea lectin but not by succinyl-concanavalin A. Measured values for Ki and maximal inhibition are similar to those observed with intact plasma membrane vesicles. Hemagglutination inhibition studies showed that the reassembled receptors effectively bind lentil lectin. Thus lymphocyte membrane glycoproteins reassembled into phospholipid vesicles seem to retain at least part of their function in that enzyme activities such as 5'-nucleotidase remain intact and the receptors effectively bind lentil lectin.
Compartments of labeled and endogenous gamma-aminobutyric acid giving rise to release evoked by potassium or veratridine in rat cortical slices.
To establish compartments involved in depolarization-induced release of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in rat brain slices, the amount of exogenous labeled and endogenous GABA released and retained was followed during 48 min exposure to 50 mM-K+ or to 50 microM-veratridine. Endogenous GABA was measured with high performance liquid chromatography. The presence of 10 microM-aminooxyacetic acid throughout prevented both the metabolism of GABA and the formation of endogenous GABA due to depolarization. During superfusion with 50 mM-K+ and 2.6 nM-Ca2+ the efflux of labeled and endogenous GABA after an initial large increase declined to 10% of the highest value with constant and identical rates. Kinetic analysis of efflux showed that 10% of endogenous and 25% of labeled GABA present is available for release by high K+ and Ca2+. In the absence of Ca2+, release by high K+ of both labeled and endogenous GABA was nearly suppressed. Veratridine, unlike high K+, caused an efflux which declined with an initial fast and late very slow phase. The slow efflux by veratridine was doubled in the absence of Ca2+. Exposure to veratridine in the absence of Ca2+ during 120 min released nearly 70% of labeled and endogenous GABA present. Results suggest that only about 0.25 mumol . g-1 endogenous GABA is the source of physiological Ca2+-dependent release, while much of the remaining GABA present is released only under unphysiological conditions.