A novel family of human major histocompatibility complex-related genes not mapping to chromosome 6

Thymocyte antigens CD1 [Thy,gp45,12] are thought to be the human counterparts of mouse thymus leukaemia (TL) antigens. Serological and biochemical analyses indicate that at least three subsets exist, the first of which (HTA 1/T6) was initially identified by the monoclonal antibody NA1/34. Like TL, CD1 are expressed on cortical thymocytes as well as on some lymphoid neoplasias, and resemble in structure major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I antigens. However HTA 1/T6 is loosely associated with beta 2-microglobulin and is also found linked by a disulphide bridge to CD8(T8). A molecular genetic approach is needed to investigate the CD1 system, to clarify its relationship to TL antigens and to understand its regulation. We report the isolation of complementary DNA (cDNA) clones encoding a CD1 antigen. These clones reveal a novel family of genes which are MHC-related but are neither equivalent to mouse TL antigens nor linked to the MHC.

Advantages of bispecific hybridomas in one-step immunocytochemistry and immunoassays

A chemical selection procedure has been used to prepare a hybrid hybridoma cell line (P4C1) following fusion of two previously established hybridomas secreting antiperoxidase and antisubstance P, respectively. P4C1 secretes bispecific monoclonal antibody alongside the two parental antibodies, with no visible inactive heterologous heavy-light chain pairs. The bispecific monoclonal antibody is thus easy to purify in excellent yields. The advantage of its monovalency for one antigen and simultaneous binding of a marker enzyme has been explored for its potential use in competitive immunoassays. Its use in immunocytochemistry led to major improvements in sensitivity, signal-to-noise ratio, simplification of staining procedures, and ultrastructural preservation of subcellular elements. Particularly remarkable was that, unlike conventional procedures, the immunoreaction with the bispecific monoclonal antibody was homogeneously distributed across the entire thickness of a 50-micron section.

Effect of purified human interferon-alpha on the expression of differentiation antigens and mitogen reactivity of cultured human thymic cells

Human thymic cells were cultured in vitro either alone or with the addition of a highly purified preparation of human interferon-alpha. Immunofluorescence techniques using a series of monoclonal antibodies showed that 2-day cultured thymocytes express a more mature phenotype (low HTA 1, high T3 and HLA-A,B,C) than normal, uncultured thymocytes. Interferon addition to the cultures results in a strong increment in the number of HLA+ cells and in the total amount of HLA expressed by the cultured cells. Experiments with purified cell populations showed that the cortical, immature, thymocyte was the target cell for interferon action. Phytohemagglutinin responses--but not interleukin 2 responses--were diminished after pretreatment of thymic cells with interferon. We suggest that interferon may favor a pathway of intrathymic differentiation phenotypically characterized by a high content of Class I HLA antigens.

Light chain germ-line genes and the immune response to 2-phenyloxazolone

Direct sequencing of mRNA has shown that the early primary response of the BALB/c mouse to the hapten 2-phenyloxazolone is dominated by antibodies with a particular light chain, V kappa-Ox1. Although the V kappa-Ox1 sequence is still commonly expressed later in the response it now includes a number of nucleotide changes. From two independent BALB/c germ-line DNA libraries 13 different genes hybridizing to a V kappa-Ox1 probe were isolated and characterized. Two are identical to mRNA sequences found in the early primary response, one of which is the V kappa-Ox1 sequence. None of the germ-line clones show the characteristic nucleotide changes contained in the late anti-phenyloxazolone light chain mRNAs. These results demonstrate that the V kappa-Ox1 sequence used in the early primary response is entirely encoded by the germ-line and further substantiate the importance of somatic mutations in the maturation of the anti-phenyloxazolone response. The statistical analysis of the data shows that the V kappa-Ox1 related germ-line gene family contains greater than 20 and probably less than 50 genes.

A direct antigen-binding assay to screen hybridoma supernatants

A simple and convenient method of directly assaying hybridoma supernatants for the desired monoclonal antibodies is described which obviates the need for labeled second or third antibody conjugates. Culture supernatants (1-5 microliters) were directly spotted onto a nitrocellulose sheet, and additional protein binding sites blocked with bovine serum albumin and incubated with enzyme-labeled, radioactive, or fluorescent antigen. Positive hybridoma supernatants were identified after washing and detection of bound antigen by appropriate means.

Stimulation of HLA-A,B,C by IFN-alpha. The derivation of Molt 4 variants and the differential expression of HLA-A,B,C subsets

Spontaneous mutants with altered HLA-A,B,C response to interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) were isolated from the human thymus leukemia cell line Molt 4. Using fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-conjugated W6/32 (a monoclonal antibody to HLA-A,B,C) and the fluorescence-activated cell sorter, the cells with highest and lowest fluorescence after 24-48 h of IFN-alpha treatment were selected and expanded. After several cycles of selection, mutant clones with low (greater than 10% of wild-type) and high (three times better) response were obtained. A similar protocol was employed to derive high responder mutants with the monoclonal antibody YT76, which recognises a subset of HLA strongly induced by IFN-alpha. Stable clones were derived for which YT-HLA induction was 7-fold that of Molt 4 cells and for which HLA induction occurred at 100-fold lower concentrations of IFN-alpha. The high response phenotype of the mutants was not accompanied by a significant increase in the constitutive level of expression of HLA-A,B,C (in the absence of IFN). The increase in the level of HLA-A,B,C expression after IFN-alpha treatment is mostly accounted for by the increase in the expression of a subset of HLA molecules, detected by the monoclonal antibody YT76 including HLA-B molecules.

Preliminary crystallographic study of the Fab fragments of two monoclonal anti-2-phenyloxazolone antibodies

We report on the preparation, crystallization, and preliminary x-ray crystallographic study of the Fab fragments of two monoclonal anti-2-phenyloxazolone antibodies obtained from the secondary response to this hapten. The Fab fragment from one of these (NQ10/12.5) has been crystallized from polyethylene glycol 8000 solutions in a form suitable for high-resolution x-ray crystallographic studies. These crystals are monoclinic, space group C2, with a = 129.2 A, b = 79.4 A, c = 57.7 A, beta = 96.2 degrees, and one Fab/asymmetric unit. Determination of the three-dimensional structure of Fab NQ10/12.5 should help clarify the role of somatic mutation in the maturation of an immune response. This antibody and an anti-lysozyme antibody also under study apparently use the same germ-line encoded VK and a similar VH gene, respectively, as the idiotypic anti-oxazolone antibodies characteristic of the primary response. A comparative study of the two structures should shed light on the role of the pairing of heavy and light chains in the antigen-binding function of antibodies.

Molecular events during maturation of the immune response to oxazolone

Sequence analysis of the heavy- and light-chain messenger RNA of hybridomas immunized with a specific hapten yields important clues about the interplay between genetic and selective events during the onset and maturation of the immune response. The maturation of the primary response to the hapten 2-phenyl-5-oxazolone is characterized by a drift to higher-affinity somatic variants of a germline-encoded basic sequence, whereas hybridomas from the secondary response demonstrate a further maturation dominated by a shift to alternative germline combinations.

Sequence and evolution of the human T-cell antigen receptor beta-chain genes

We present the nucleotide sequences of the two genomic constant (C)-region gene segments, C beta 1 and C beta 2, encoding the beta chain of the human T-cell antigen receptor. The two C beta genes are organized identically to each other and to the corresponding mouse genes, both having four exons, whose boundaries were confirmed from the sequence of a C beta 2 cDNA clone from the T-cell line MOLT-4. The predicted amino acid sequences of human C beta 1 and C beta 2 differ at only five positions, which suggests that the proteins have very similar functions. This similarity is the result of strong nucleotide-sequence conservation in protein-coding regions, which extends to silent positions. A quantitative analysis of an alignment of the nucleotide sequences of the two human genes shows that whereas the 5' ends (including the first exon) are extremely homologous, the 3' ends are widely divergent, with other regions having intermediate levels of homology. Analysis of published data [Gascoigne, N.R.J., Chien, Y., Becker, D.M., Kavaler, J. & Davis, M.M. (1984) Nature (London) 310, 387-391] shows that the mouse C beta 1 and C beta 2 genes are also virtually identical in their first exons but more divergent in the remaining coding regions. Therefore, partial gene conversion events may have occurred during the evolution of both human and mouse C beta genes.

Somatic mutation and the maturation of immune response to 2-phenyl oxazolone

Studies on the development of the immune response suggest that the repertoire of expressed antibody specificities is strongly influenced by antigen (reviewed in ref. 1). One way in which this influence is manifested is by a progressive increase in the affinity of antibody for antigen with time after immunization. This phenomenon, termed the 'maturation' of the immune response, must be due to a change in the structure of the antibody being synthesized. However, the precise nature of the changes involved and the genetic mechanisms used to produce them have not been clearly defined. We have now investigated the maturation of the immune response to the hapten 2-phenyloxazolone by mRNA sequencing of specific hybridomas. We conclude that somatic mutation of germ-line encoded genes plays a major role in the generation of antibodies with increased affinity for oxazolone with time after immunization.

Junctional diversity is essential to antibody activity

Many mechanisms of antibody diversification have been shown to exist, including combinatorial pairings of heavy and light chains, the use of multiple gene segments (combinatorial diversity), and the imprecise joining of these gene segments (junctional diversity). The contributions of each of these mechanisms to functional antibody activity has not been fully explored, especially in the case of junctional diversity. A chain recombination experiment between an anti-arsonate monoclonal antibody and an anti-oxazolone molecule in which light chains differ essentially only at the V/J junctional position show that junctional diversity may play an important role in antigen binding.

Junctional diversity is essential to antibody activity

Many mechanisms of antibody diversification have been shown to exist, including combinatorial pairings of heavy and light chains, the use of multiple gene segments (combinatorial diversity), and the imprecise joining of these gene segments (junctional diversity). The contributions of each of these mechanisms to functional antibody activity has not been fully explored, especially in the case of junctional diversity. A chain recombination experiment between an anti-arsonate monoclonal antibody and an anti-oxazolone molecule in which light chains differ essentially only at the V/J junctional position show that junctional diversity may play an important role in antigen binding.

Intracellular processing of membrane and secreted immunoglobulin delta-chains

Membrane-bound and secreted immunoglobulin delta-chains are synthesized by the mouse hybridoma B1-8 delta.1 as two primary translation products (45,000 and 42,000, respectively) and are converted into three N-glycosylated forms. In addition to N-glycosylation, another modification, reflected in a size increase of 2000 to 3000, occurs within 8 min of synthesis and may be O-glycosylation. After these initial modifications, the N-linked carbohydrates of all three forms are partially trimmed, apparently in the endoplasmic reticulum. The secreted delta-chains acquire galactose and sialic acids less than 10 min before they are secreted. Monensin and CCCP, which are potent inhibitors of IgD secretion, inhibit the terminal glycosylation but not the other modifications of delta-chains. CCCP blocks the intracellular transport of IgD at an earlier stage of trimming than monensin. Within 10 min of the removal of CCCP, some of the accumulated IgD is terminally glycosylated and secreted. Membrane IgD is processed similarly to secreted IgD up to the stage blocked by CCCP. These observations suggest that final trimming and terminal glycosylation of IgD occurs in the Golgi complex, and that the other modifications occur in pre-Golgi compartments, where secreted IgD spends most of its transit time. We suggest that the rate-limiting step in the intracellular transport of both types of IgD is the passage from the ER to the Golgi complex.

Intracellular processing of membrane and secreted immunoglobulin delta-chains

Membrane-bound and secreted immunoglobulin delta-chains are synthesized by the mouse hybridoma B1-8 delta.1 as two primary translation products (45,000 and 42,000, respectively) and are converted into three N-glycosylated forms. In addition to N-glycosylation, another modification, reflected in a size increase of 2000 to 3000, occurs within 8 min of synthesis and may be O-glycosylation. After these initial modifications, the N-linked carbohydrates of all three forms are partially trimmed, apparently in the endoplasmic reticulum. The secreted delta-chains acquire galactose and sialic acids less than 10 min before they are secreted. Monensin and CCCP, which are potent inhibitors of IgD secretion, inhibit the terminal glycosylation but not the other modifications of delta-chains. CCCP blocks the intracellular transport of IgD at an earlier stage of trimming than monensin. Within 10 min of the removal of CCCP, some of the accumulated IgD is terminally glycosylated and secreted. Membrane IgD is processed similarly to secreted IgD up to the stage blocked by CCCP. These observations suggest that final trimming and terminal glycosylation of IgD occurs in the Golgi complex, and that the other modifications occur in pre-Golgi compartments, where secreted IgD spends most of its transit time. We suggest that the rate-limiting step in the intracellular transport of both types of IgD is the passage from the ER to the Golgi complex.

Characterization and immunocytochemical application of monoclonal antibodies against enkephalins

Monoclonal antibodies were produced following immunization of mice with either [Leu5]enkephalin-bovine serum albumin or [Met5]enkephalin-keyhold limpet hemocyanin conjugates. Two monoclonal antibodies coded NOC1 and NOC2, respectively, were derived. These monoclonal antibodies did not discriminate between Leu- and Met-enkephalin in either radioimmunoassay or immunocytochemistry. NOC1 was characterized in detail. In radioimmunoassay NOC1 displayed about 40% crossreactivity with C-terminal extended Met-enkephalin hexapeptides and 7% with the extended heptapeptide (-Arg-Phe-OH), but did not recognize other endogenous peptides. In immunocytochemistry the NOC1 and NOC2 recognized all well-established "enkephalin immunoreactive sites," but they did not bind to areas known to contain beta-endorphin or high levels of pro-enkephalin. NOC1 was shown to be a suitable tool to demonstrate enkephalin immunoreactive sites by radioimmunocytochemistry utilizing both internally and externally labeled monoclonal antibodies.

Development and application of a monoclonal rat peroxidase antiperoxidase (PAP) immunocytochemical reagent

Monoclonal antibodies are being increasingly used in immunocytochemistry but their localisation by the peroxidase antiperoxidase (PAP) procedure requires the use of rat or mouse PAP. In this paper we describe the development and application of a monoclonal rat PAP. This reagent has been used successfully for immunocytochemistry at light and electron microscopy level in combination with rat monoclonal antibodies against serotonin (5-HT), substance P and somatostatin. The monoclonal rat PAP has several advantages over conventional polyclonal rat PAP and is likely to be a valuable developing reagent in immunocytochemistry using rat monoclonal antibodies.

Serum beta 2-microglobulin binds to a T-cell differentiation antigen and increases its expression

The human T-cell leukaemia and differentiation antigen HTA 1 is defined by the monoclonal antibody NA1/34 (ref. 1) and also recognized by the monoclonal antibody OKT6. Like class I products of the human major histocompatibility complex, it has a glycosylated heavy (alpha) chain of approximately 45-50,000 molecular weight (MW) in non-covalent association with beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2m) (MW 11,900). A particular feature of HTA 1 is the presence in significant amounts of an additional beta 2m-like subunit, called beta t (refs 3, 4). Top facilitate biochemical studies we have prepared a high HTA 1 expressor variant (NH17) of the human thymoma line MOLT-4. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of the beta t purified from this cell line was shown to be indistinguishable from that of bovine beta 2m. Further, beta t was present when the cells were grown in medium containing fetal calf serum (FCS), but absent from cells grown with human serum (HuS). We show here that addition of human and bovine beta 2m to MOLT-4 and NH17 cells grown in serum-free medium produces a significant elevation of HTA 1 antigen expression, providing evidence for a regulatory or stabilizing function for the exchange of extracellular beta 2m with a cell-surface antigen.

mRNA sequences define an unusually restricted IgG response to oxazolone

The idiotypic analysis of hybridomas derived 7 and 14 days after primary immunization with oxazolone suggested that V-gene expression at these two stages was very different mRNA H and L sequences disclosed that day-7 antibody structures were highly conserved, which can be attributed to the existence of one VH and one VL gene. Conversely, two Ox-id- sequences differed considerably from Ox-id+ antibodies and were apparently unrelated to the previously defined genes.