Kynureninase is the conserved self-antigen mimicked by the 2F5 Neutralizing Epitope of HIV-1 gp41 (105.35)

Accumulating evidence suggests that the generation of neutralizing HIV-1 antibody may be proscribed by immunological tolerance. A significant majority of monoclonal human antibodies, including 2F5, that neutralize multiple clades of HIV-1 are polyreactive and bind avidly to unknown components of mammalian cells. Knock-in mice expressing the VH and VL regions of 2F5 are characterized by a central defect in B-cell development that indicates the presence of a tolerizing autoantigen(s) that is mimicked by the membrane-proximal, 2F5 epitope of HIV-1 gp41. If immunological tolerance does indeed prevent regular expression of 2F5-like neutralizing HIV-1 antibody, then discrete autoantigens that structurally mimic the HIV-1 2F5 epitope must be present in those mammalian species unable to make 2F5-like antibody. We now demonstrate that the 2F5 antibody and its unmutated ancestor avidly bind human kynureninase (KYNU), a conserved enzyme of tryptophan metabolism. The H4 domain of most mammalian KYNU contains the complete 2F5 epitope (ELDKWA) of gp41; a H4 mutation of human KYNU to that (ELEKWA) of laboratory opossums resulted in a fully active enzyme completely unreactive with the 2F5 antibody. Immunization of opossums with HIV-1 gp140 induced extraordinary titers of ELDKWA antibody but little or no response to adjacent gp41 epitopes. Identification of an epitope shared by most mammals and HIV-1 provides direct evidence that immunological tolerance can impair humoral responses to HIV-1.

Effect of the HIV nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor zidovudine on the growth and differentiation of primary gingival epithelium

OBJECTIVES

Oral complications associated with HIV infection and with the antiretroviral drugs used to treat it are of increasing concern in HIV-infected patients. Protease inhibitors have been shown to change the proliferation and differentiation state of oral tissues but the effect of nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors is currently unknown. This study examined the effect of zidovudine on the growth and differentiation of the gingival epithelium.

METHODS

Gingival keratinocyte organotypic (raft) cultures were established. The raft cultures were treated with a range of zidovudine concentrations. Haematoxylin and eosin staining was performed to examine the effect of zidovudine on gingival epithelium growth and stratification. Raft cultures were immunohistochemically analysed to determine the effect of this drug on the expression of key differentiation and proliferation markers, including cytokeratins and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA).

RESULTS

Zidovudine dramatically changed the proliferation and differentiation state of gingival tissues both when it was present throughout the growth period of the tissue and when it was added to established tissue at day 8. Zidovudine treatment increased the expression of cytokeratin 10, PCNA and cyclin A. Conversely, cytokeratin 5, involucrin and cytokeratin 6 expression was decreased. The tissue exhibited characteristics of increased proliferation in the suprabasal layers as well as an increased fragility and an inability to heal itself.

CONCLUSIONS

Zidovudine treatment, even when applied at low concentrations for short periods of time, deregulated the cell cycle/proliferation and differentiation pathways, resulting in abnormal epithelial repair and proliferation. Our system could potentially be developed as a model for studying the effects of HIV and highly active antiretroviral therapy in vitro.

Investigating the Activity of Zirconia as a Catalyst and a Support for Noble Metals, in Green Oxidation of Cyclohexane

Green oxidation of cyclohexane by molecular oxygen was carried out over ZrO2 and noble metals (Pd and Pt) supported on zirconia in solvent free conditions. Studies have been carried out in a typical three-necked batch reactor. Reaction products were identified by GC and UV spectrophotometer. Reaction rates were determined as a function of temperature, partial pressure of oxygen, amount of catalyst, volume of reactants, agitation and reaction duration. The agitation effect and activation energy revealed the absence of mass transfer resistance. Experimental results unveiled the effect of morphology of ZrO2 on catalysis. 1.0 wt.% noble metal/ZrO2(m) was found more selective for cyclohexanol production at low temperature, agitation 900rpm and partial pressure of 101.325 KPa while at high temperature cyclohexanol was further oxidized to cyclohexanone. Comparison of Pt/ZrO2 and Pd/ZrO2 catalysts was made on the basis of reactivity and selectivity. Catalysts were characterized by using BET surface area and pore size analyzer, XRD and SEM. To conclude shortly, for the oxidation of cyclohexane, platinum or palladium supported on zirconia are selective, recyclable and could behave as truly heterogeneous catalysts.

First demonstration and detailed characterization of a multimode amplifier for Space Division Multiplexed transmission systems

We present the first demonstration of a multimode (two mode-group) erbium-doped fiber amplifier for Space Division Multiplexed (SDM) applications and demonstrate various design and performance features of such devices. In particular we experimentally demonstrate that differential modal gains can be controlled and reduced both by fiber design and control of the pump field distribution. Using a suitably designed fiber we demonstrate simultaneous modal gains of ~20 dB for different pair-wise combinations of spatial and polarization modes in an EDFA supporting amplification of 6 distinct modes.

Genetic polymorphism of the glutathione-S-transferase P1 gene (GSTP1) and susceptibility to prostate cancer in the Kashmiri population

Glutathione-S-transferase P1 (GSTP1) is a critical enzyme of the phase II detoxification pathway. One of the common functional polymorphisms of GSTP1 is A→G at nucleotide 313, which results in an amino acid substitution (Ile105Val) at the substrate binding site of GSTP1 and reduces catalytic activity of GSTP1. To investigate the GSTP1 Ile105Val genotype frequency in prostate cancer cases in the Kashmiri population, we designed a case-control study, in which 50 prostate cancer cases and 45 benign prostate hyperplasia cases were studied for GSTP1 Ile105Val polymorphism, compared to 80 controls taken from the general population, employing the PCR-RFLP technique. We found the frequency of the three different genotypes of GSTP1 Ile105Val in our ethnic Kashmir population, i.e., Ile/Ile, Ile/Val and Val/Val, to be 52.4, 33.3 and 14.3% among prostate cancer cases, 48.5, 37.5 and 14% among benign prostate hyperplasia cases and 73.8, 21.3 and 5% in the control population, respectively. There was a significant association between the GSTP1 Ile/Val genotype and the advanced age group among the cases. We conclude that GSTP1 Ile/Val polymorphism is involved in the risk of prostate cancer development in our population.

Improvement of a method to reproducibly immortalize human T cells by oncogene transfection

The method to immortalize human T cells efficiently and reproduciblyby oncogene transfection was improved. T cells were first grown selectively from peripheralblood lymphocytes population of healthy donors andatopic asthma patients, and from lymph nodelymphocytes population of lung cancer patients byactivating with mitogens (phytohemagglutinin andconcanavalin A) and recombinant human interleukin-2(rhIL-2) for five days. Plasmids expressingoncogenes, such as c-Ha-ras, c-myc,c-fos, v-myb and v-jun under the controlof human cytomegalovirus promoter, were then introducedinto these stimulated lymphocytes either separately orin various combinations by electropolation. Afterculturing these transfected lymphocytes for recoveryfor 1 day, they were fed every 3-4 days. Although all the control cells died within one month,oncogene-transfected lymphocytes continued toproliferate actively even for more than severalmonths, indicating that oncogene-transfectedlymphocytes were successfully immortalized. Flowcytometric analyses revealed that most of theimmortalized lymphocytes were T cells expressingCD3(+) surface antigen. The ratios of CD4(+)and CD8(+) subpopulations in immortalized T cellsderived from healthy donors varied, depending onthe kinds of oncogenes used. However, CD8(+)subpopulation in immortalized T cells derived fromcancer patients and atopic asthma patients weredominant, independent of the kinds of oncogenes. These immortalized T cells showed differentproliferative responses in the presence or absence ofexogenous human rhIL-2, depending on their origin ofdonors. Furthermore, immortalized T cells derivedfrom healthy donors showed stronger cytotoxicityagainst K562 cells, suggesting that MHC-nonrestrictedkiller T cells in T cell population were alsoimmortalized. Immortalized T cell lines, whichproliferate continuously without stimulation of amitogen or antigen in medium containing a lowconcentration of rhIL-2, have been maintained for morethan 2 years without any growth rate decrease.

Identification of a conserved self-antigen bearing the 2F5 neutralizing epitope of the HIV-1 gp41 Membrane Proximal External Region (105.2)

Accumulating evidence suggests that the efficient generation of neutralizing HIV-1 antibody may be proscribed by immunological tolerance. The majority of monoclonal human antibodies, including 2F5, that neutralize multiple clades of HIV-1 are polyreactive and bind avidly to mammalian cells. Introduction and expression of the 2F5 VDJ rearrangement in knock-in mice results in a B-cell developmental blockade that is characteristic of immunological tolerance. If immunological tolerance does prevent regular expression of neutralizing 2F5-like antibody, then discrete autoantigens that structurally mimic the HIV-1 2F5 epitope are present in mammals. Here, we demonstrate that the 2F5 antibody precipitates a small number of proteins from mouse and human cells, including a major component with a molecular mass of about 50 kDa. We have identified this 50 kDa protein as kynureninase (KYNU), a conserved component of tryptophan metabolism. Remarkably, the conserved H3 domain of mammalian KYNU contains the core 2F5 epitope (ELDKWA), and mutation within this region greatly diminishes 2F5 binding. The 2F5 antibody and its inferred, unmutated precursor bind KYNU with high affinity and specificity. Indeed, recombinant human KYNU is an effective inhibitor of 2F5 binding to HIV-1 envelope. The nature of KYNU as autoantigen was previously unknown and our study suggests that mimicry of self-antigens may represent a general evolutionary strategy of viral pathogens.

Qualitative and quantitative parameters predict functional humoral response to alum-adjuvanted immunization. (52.4)

Adjuvants are crucial vaccine components for enhancing immune response to immunogens. Many potential adjuvant materials have been studied for their ability to augment the response to antigens while maintaining low toxicity. A US FDA approved adjuvant routinely used in humans is alum. The aim of this study was to comprehensively measure the ways in which innate immune signals induced by alum manifest in terms of the effect on the adaptive immune response to recombinant protective antigen (PA) from Bacillus anthracis. C57Bl/6 mice were given a single subcutaneous immunization with PA +/- alum at the base of each limb. Serum and draining lymph nodes were collected after immunization (days 1-70). On day 71, saline or PA only boost was administered, followed by additional serum and tissue collection (days 78-85). Using multi-color immunohistochemistry it was shown beginning day 10 that alum induces a rapid and strong germinal center response in the draining lymph node. This observation correlates with quantitative and qualitative changes in PA-specific antibody assessed by ELISA and Biacore (SPR). In addition, augmented antibody response to PA+alum resulted in increased antibody functionality, as determined by anthrax toxin neutralization assays. This study demonstrates a novel multi-parameter approach to evaluation of antigen-specific responses to immunization and the impact of adjuvants. This approach will be useful in the development and testing of novel adjuvants.