Transcriptomic evidence for a trade-off between germline proliferation and immunity in Drosophila

Life-history theory posits that investment into reproduction might occur at the expense of investment into somatic maintenance, including immune function. If so, reduced or curtailed reproductive effort might be expected to increase immunity. In support of this notion, work in Caenorhabditis elegans has shown that worms lacking a germline exhibit improved immunity, but whether the antagonistic relation between germline proliferation and immunity also holds for other organisms is less well understood. Here, we report that transgenic ablation of germ cells in late development or early adulthood in Drosophila melanogaster causes elevated baseline expression and increased induction of Toll and Imd immune genes upon bacterial infection, as compared to fertile flies with an intact germline. We also identify immune genes whose expression after infection differs between fertile and germline-less flies in a manner that is conditional on their mating status. We conclude that germline activity strongly impedes the expression and inducibility of immune genes and that this physiological trade-off might be evolutionarily conserved.

Translation of Zea mays endosperm sucrose-synthase mRNA in vitro

mRNA of 23-day-old maize endosperm was translated both in wheat germ extracts and rabbit reticulocyte lysates. A protein with an apparent molecular weight of 88,000 comigrates in dodecylsulfate/polyacrylamide electrophoresis with sucrose synthase. This protein is precipitated with an antiserum against sucrose synthase and shows the same protease digestion pattern as the enzyme. It is not synthesized with mRNA extracted from sh/sh mutant kernels lacking sucrose synthase. By these criteria, the protein is the translation product in vitro of sucrose synthase mRNA. The separation of mRNA in methylmercury-hydroxide--agarose gels and subsequent translation indicates a length of sucrose synthase mRNA of 2800 nucleotides which is compatible with the coding length necessary for a protein with a molecular weight of 88,000 plus untranslated sequences.

Immunisation with Salmonella typhimurium-delivered glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase protects mice against challenge infection with Echinococcus multilocularis eggs

Recombinant glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase of the cestode parasite Echinococcus multilocularis was expressed in Escherichia coli and in Salmonella typhimurium. The potential of different forms of the recombinant antigen to protect BALB/c mice against oral challenge infections with E. multilocularis eggs was evaluated. Oral or intraperitoneal immunisation with live attenuated S. typhimurium as a carrier for recombinant glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase of the E. multilocularis resulted in significant protection, reducing the number of developing metacestodes up to 79.8%. The sera of protected animals did not contain detectable amounts of antibody against glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase of E. multilocularis. By contrast, although anti-glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase of E. multilocularis antibodies were detectable in the sera, immunisation with E. coli-expressed recombinant glutathione-S-transferase-fusion protein or with glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase of E. multilocularis fused to a 6HIS-tag failed to protect the animals against oral challenge infections. These data emphasise that antigen delivery systems play a critical role in vaccination and the induction of protective immunity against helminth parasites.

Cloning and characterization of the gene encoding a repressible acid phosphatase (PHO1) from the methylotrophic yeast Hansenula polymorpha

A cloned cDNA, generated from mRNA isolates of phosphate-derepressed H. polymorpha cells, was identified to harbour an incomplete sequence of the coding region for a repressible acid phosphatase. The cDNA fragment served as a probe to screen a plasmid library of H. polymorpha genomic DNA. A particular clone, p606, of a 1.9-kb insert contained a complete copy of the PHO1 gene. Sequencing revealed the presence of a 1329-nucleotide open reading frame encoding a protein of 442 amino acids with a calculated M(r) of 49400. The encoded protein has an N-terminal 17-amino-acid secretory leader sequence and seven potential N-glycosylation sites. The leader cleavage site was confirmed by N-terminal sequencing of the purified enzyme. The nucleotide sequence is 48.9% homologous, the derived amino acid sequence 36% homologous to its Saccharomyces cerevisiae counterpart. The derived amino acid sequence harbours a consensus sequence RHGXRXP, previously identified as a sequence involved in active-site formation of acid phosphatases. The PHO1 promoter and the secretion leader sequence present promising new tools for heterologous gene expression.

cDNA sequences of Schistosoma japonicum coding for two cathepsin B-like proteins and Sj32

Sequences of three cDNAs of Schistosoma japonicum are presented. Two of them code for the antigens Sj32 (hemoglobinase) and cathepsin B. The third clone represents a mutant derivative of the cathepsin B gene. The DNA and amino acid sequences are compared to their homologues from S. mansoni. The mutant cathepsin B, in which the Cys29 in the active center is replaced by Ser, is discussed with respect to a possible function.

Cloning and sequencing of the ura3 locus of the methylotrophic yeast Hansenula polymorpha and its use for the generation of a deletion by gene replacement

The ura3 gene of Hansenula polymorpha was cloned, sequenced and used to generate a ura3 mutant from the wild-type strain of this yeast via integrative mutagenesis. The Tn5 neomycin-resistance marker (neo) under control of the ADH1 promoter from Saccharomyces cerevisiae served as a transformation marker. The results show that gene replacement can be achieved in H. polymorpha, a yeast with a high level of non-homologous integration.

Heterologous gene expression in Hansenula polymorpha: efficient secretion of glucoamylase

We have introduced the glucoamylase gene (GAM1) from Schwanniomyces occidentalis into the genome of the methylotrophic yeast Hansenula polymorpha to study the potential of this organism as a host for high-level expression of a heterologous gene encoding a secretory protein. Transformants of H. polymorpha containing GAM1 under control of the formate dehydrogenase (FMD) promoter are stable and efficiently secrete an active glucoamylase that is faithfully processed and modified. Yields of up to 1.4g/l of active enzyme were obtained at cell densities of 100-130 grams dry weight per liter.

Simultaneous expression of the S and L surface antigens of hepatitis B, and formation of mixed particles in the methylotrophic yeast, Hansenula polymorpha

An expression system has been developed for the methylotrophic yeast Hansenula polymorpha and used to co-express both the L (preS1-S2-S) and S hepatitis B surface antigens (HBsAg) under the control of strong methanol-inducible promoters derived from the methanol oxidase and from the formate dehydrogenase genes. A unique feature of this H. polymorpha expression system is the possibility of integrating up to 100 copies of an expression cassette via a multimeric integration mechanism. Several multimeric integrants containing various numbers of L and S expression cassettes were constructed to give a spectrum of strains characterized by different L to S ratios. The expression level of S antigen was 5-8% of the total soluble cell protein. Analysis by sucrose and CsCl density gradient centrifugation and by particle-specific immunoassays demonstrated that the synthesized HBsAg spontaneously assembled into composite subviral particles containing both S and L proteins. Only a minor portion of the L protein was found to be glycosylated. These H polymorpha-derived composite particles can be used for the production of a hepatitis B virus vaccine with the potential for improved immunogenicity due to the presence of a wider spectrum of epitopes and negligible glycosylation.