Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:3.2.1.17 (lysozyme)
21,489 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Complement C3 has been described as playing an important role in the cell-mediated immune response. C3b has the capacity to covalently bind Ag and then to stimulate in vitro Ag presentation to T lymphocytes. To verify this observation in vivo, we prepared and purified covalent human C3b-Ag complexes using lysozyme (HEL) as Ag. The characterization of these HEL-C3b complexes indicates that they are representative of those susceptible to be generated in physiological conditions. Mice were immunized with 0.1 to 0.6 microgram of either free HEL, HEL + C3b, HEL-C3b, or HEL + CFA. Response was assessed after two i.p. injections by quantification of specific Ab production. Immunization with either HEL-C3b complexes or HEL + CFA leads to anti-HEL IgG production whereas free HEL or HEL + C3b was ineffective. Either HEL-C3b or HEL + CFA immunizations led to a similar Ig subclass patterns, including IgG1, IgG2a, IgA, and IgM. Our experiments provide the first evidence for modulation of specific Ab response by C3b when it is bound to Ag through a physiological-like link. Taken together with previous data concerning Ab response following recombinant HEL-C3d immunization, cellular events such as processing of C3b-Ag by APC and recognition by T lymphocytes, this present result underlines the importance of C3b and its fragments in stimulation of the immune system, through the multiplicity and complementarity of its interactions.
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PMID:Amplification of the antibody response by C3b complexed to antigen through an ester link. 1009 26

We performed molecular biological studies as well as immunohistochemical analysis of three cases of giant cell carcinoma of the pancreas. Histologically, one case was a pleomorphic giant cell carcinoma consisting of pleomorphic giant/ small cells and spindle cells, one an osteoclast-like giant cell tumor composed of osteoclastoid giant cells and pleomorphic small cells, and one a pleomorphic giant cell carcinoma with osteoclastoid giant cells. Immunohistochemically, pleomorphic giant cells and small pleomorphic cells were positive for epithelial and mesenchymal markers throughout the cases. Osteoclastoid cells were strongly positive for PG-M1 (CD68), but negative for lysozyme and epithelial markers. Pleomorphic spindle cells showed the same immunoreactivity as pleomorphic giant/small cells. Genetically, all cases contained a mutation in the K-ras (codons 12, 13) oncogene, but neither p53 (exons 5-8) nor p16INK4 (exons 1, 2) gene mutations were found in any case. Furthermore, Loss of heterozygosity (LOH) of the p53, p161NK4. APC, and DPC4 gene loci was not found in any of the cases. Immunohistochemical study demonstrated this tumor to be of epithelial origin with mesenchymal differentiation. Genetically, initiation of the tumor is similar to that of usual ductal adenocarcinoma, but progression might be rather different. The peculiar histologic and biologic features of this tumor would be the result of changes in other functional genes.
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PMID:Immunohistochemical and molecular analysis of giant cell carcinoma of the pancreas: a report of three cases. 1020 90

Mice expressing hen egg-white lysozyme (HEL) as a transgene are unresponsive to immunization with the HEL protein. Profound tolerance was found even in situations where the amounts of l-A(k)-peptide complexes was 100 or less per APC. Among the few T cells that escaped tolerance, we did not observe differential responses to the different HEL epitopes, perhaps because of the very high sensitivity of the negative selection process. The same HEL transgenic mice that did not respond to HEL responded to immunization with the 46-61 peptide of HEL. These peptide-specific T cells that escaped negative selection belonged to a set that reacted with a particular conformer of the HEL peptide-l-A(k) (type B). The presence of type B reactive T cells should be considered in autoimmunity.
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PMID:Quantitative analysis of the T cell repertoire that escapes negative selection. 1054 27

Transgenic (Tg) mice expressing a foreign Ag, hen egg lysozyme (HEL), under control of the alphaA-crystallin promoter ("HEL-Tg" mice) develop immunotolerance to HEL attributed to the expression of HEL in their thymus. In this paper we analyzed the immune response in double (Dbl)-Tg mice generated by mating the HEL-Tg mice with Tg mice that express HEL Abs on their B cells ("Ig-Tg" mice). The B cell compartment of the Dbl-Tg mice was unaffected by the HEL presence and was essentially identical to that of the Ig-Tg mice. A partial breakdown of tolerance was seen in the T cell response to HEL of the Dbl-Tg mice, i.e., their lymphocyte proliferative response against HEL was remarkably higher than that of the HEL-Tg mice. T-lymphocytes of both Dbl-Tg and Ig-Tg mice responded to HEL at concentrations drastically lower than those found stimulatory to lymphocytes of the wild-type controls. Cell mixing experiments demonstrated that 1) the lymphocyte response against low concentrations of HEL is due to the exceedingly efficient Ag presenting capacity of the Ab expressing B cells and 2) breakdown of tolerance in Dbl-Tg mice can also be attributed to the APC capacity of B cells, that sensitize in vivo and stimulate in vitro populations of T cells with low affinity toward HEL, assumed to be escapees of thymic deletion. These results thus indicate that T cell tolerance can be partially overcome by the highly potent Ag presenting capacity of Ab expressing B cells.
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PMID:Breakdown of tolerance to a neo-self antigen in double transgenic mice in which B cells present the antigen. 1077 62

Pertussis toxin (PT) has been shown to act as an adjuvant that enhances the production of both Th1 and Th2 cytokines to coinjected protein antigens. It has remained unresolved, however, how PT affects the clonal sizes, long-term effector functions, and Th1/Th2/Th0 differentiation of the T cell responses induced. We have studied the effects of PT on the development of the CD4(+) T cell response to a prototypic antigen, hen eggwhite lysozyme (HEL). HEL injection with incomplete Freund's adjuvant (IFA) resulted in an IFN-gamma(-)/IL-5(+) Th2 recall response. In comparison, co-administration of PT with HEL:IFA enhanced the frequencies of IL-5-producing T cells up to eightfold, and induced the differentiation of high frequencies of IFN-gamma-producing CD4(+) T cells. The results showed that the IFN-gamma and IL-5 produced, originated from clonally expanded Th1 and Th2, but not Th0 cells, and that the effector functions of long-term memory cells were unaffected. Adoptive transfer experiments suggested that PT mediated these effects via activation of APC, not by acting on the T cells directly. The effects of PT on the developing T cell response required the presence of the holotoxin (A- and B-subunit); the individual subunits did not show adjuvant effects. The data suggest that PT enhanced cytokine production by promoting differentiation and vigorous clonal expansion of Th1 and Th2 cells via activation of APC.
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PMID:The enhanced antigen-specific production of cytokines induced by pertussis toxin is due to clonal expansion of T cells and not to altered effector functions of long-term memory cells. 1094 Sep 34

B cells and dendritic cells (DC) internalize and degrade exogenous Ags and present them as peptides bound to MHC class II molecules for scrutiny by CD4(+) T cells. Here we use an Ab specific for a processed form of the model Ag, hen egg lysozyme (HEL), to demonstrate that this protein is not efficiently presented by lymph node DC following s.c. immunization. HEL presentation by the DC can be dramatically enhanced upon coinjection of a microbial adjuvant, which appears to act by enhancing peptide loading onto MHC class II. CD40 cross-linking or the presence of a high frequency of T cells specific for HEL can similarly improve presentation by DC in vivo. For any of these activating stimuli, CD8alpha(+) DC consistently display the highest proportion of HEL-loaded MHC class II molecules. These data indicate that exogenous Ags can be displayed to T cells in lymphoid tissues by a large cohort of resident DC whose presentation is regulated by innate and adaptive stimuli. Our data further reveal the existence of a feedback mechanism that augments Ag presentation during cognate APC-T cell interactions.
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PMID:Microbial and T cell-derived stimuli regulate antigen presentation by dendritic cells in vivo. 1104 31

MHC class II-restricted tumor Ags presented by class II(+) tumor cells identified to date are derived from proteins expressed in the cytoplasm or plasma membrane of tumor cells. It is unclear whether MHC class II(+) tumor cells present class II-restricted epitopes derived from other intracellular compartments, such as nuclei and/or mitochondria, and whether class II(+) tumor cells directly present Ag in vivo. To address these questions, a model Ag, hen egg lysozyme, was targeted to various subcellular compartments of mouse sarcoma cells, and the resulting cells were tested for presentation of three lysozyme epitopes in vitro and for presentation of nuclear Ag in vivo. In in vitro studies, Ags localized to all tested compartments (nuclei, cytoplasm, mitochondria, and endoplasmic reticulum) are presented in the absence invariant chain and H-2M. Coexpression of invariant chain and H-2M inhibit presentation of some, but not all, of the epitopes. In vivo studies demonstrate that class II(+) tumor cells, and not host-derived cells, are the predominant APC for class II-restricted nuclear Ags. Because class II(+) tumor cells are effective APC in vivo and probably present novel tumor Ag epitopes not presented by host-derived APC, their inclusion in cancer vaccines may enhance activation of tumor-reactive CD4(+) T cells.
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PMID:Tumor cells present MHC class II-restricted nuclear and mitochondrial antigens and are the predominant antigen presenting cells in vivo. 1106 97

We have developed cell-based cancer vaccines that activate anti-tumor immunity by directly presenting endogenously synthesized tumor antigens to CD4+ T helper lymphocytes via MHC class II molecules. The vaccines are non-conventional antigen-presenting cells because they express MHC class II, do not express invariant chain or H-2M, and preferentially present endogenous antigen. To further improve therapeutic efficacy we have studied the intracellular trafficking pathway of MHC class II molecules in the vaccines using endoplasmic reticulumlocalized lysozyme as a model antigen. Experiments using endocytic and cytosolic pathway inhibitors (chloroquine, primaquine, and brefeldin A) and protease inhibitors (lactacystin, LLnL, E64, and leupeptin) indicate antigen presentation depends on the endocytic pathway, although antigen degradation is not mediated by endosomal or proteasomal proteases. Because H2-M facilitates presentation of exogenous antigen via the endocytic pathway, we investigated whether transfection of vaccine cells with H-2M could potentiate endogenous antigen presentation. In contrast to its role in conventional antigen presentation, H-2M had no effect on endogenous antigen presentation by vaccine cells or on vaccine efficacy. These results suggest that antigen/MHC class II complexes in the vaccines may follow a novel route for processing and presentation and may produce a repertoire of class II-restricted peptides different from those presented by professional APC. The therapeutic efficacy of the vaccines, therefore, may reside in their ability to present novel tumor peptides, consequently activating tumor-specific CD4+ T cells that would not otherwise be activated.
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PMID:MHC class II presentation of endogenous tumor antigen by cellular vaccines depends on the endocytic pathway but not H2-M. 1120 95

We report a mouse model for the spontaneous development of autoimmune diabetes: the 3A9 T cell receptor (TCR) transgenic mouse, which contains T cells that recognize the 52 - 61 family of hen egg-white lysozyme (HEL) peptides in the context of MHC class II I-A(k) molecules, was bred to the ILK3 mouse, that expresses HEL protein via the rat insulin promoter (RIP). Despite partial tolerance of 3A9 T cells in ILK3 mice, spontaneous diabetes developed in 64 % of 3A9xILK3 mice by 20 weeks of age. We provide evidence that APC from peri-pancreatic nodes have a large content of peptide-MHC complex and stimulate 3A9 T cells. We also report that cross presentation of HEL from beta cells to APC is 26-fold more efficient than presentation of soluble HEL. We previously reported on a biochemical margin of safety, based on the observation that activation of naive 3A9 T cells required 100-fold more peptide-MHC complexes than required for deletion of 3A9 thymocytes. We speculate that the high local density of autologous peptide-MHC complexes can be a determining factor that leads to the activation of autoreactive CD4 T cells and, consequently, to the development of autoimmunity.
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PMID:The level of peptide-MHC complex determines the susceptibility to autoimmune diabetes: studies in HEL transgenic mice. 1174 64

A major objective in vaccine development is the design of reagents that give strong, specific T cell responses. We have constructed a series of rAb with specificity for MHC class II (I-E). Each has one of four different class II-restricted T cell epitopes genetically introduced into the first C domain of the H chain. These four epitopes are: 91-101 lambda2(315), which is presented by I-E(d); 110-120 hemagglutinin (I-E(d)); 323-339 OVA (I-A(d)); and 46-61 hen egg lysozyme (I-A(k)). We denote such APC-specific, epitope-containing Ab "Troybodies." When mixed with APC, all four class II-specific Troybodies were approximately 1,000 times more efficient at inducing specific T cell activation in vitro compared with nontargeting peptide Ab. Furthermore, they were 1,000-10,000 times more efficient than synthetic peptide or native protein. Conventional intracellular processing of the Troybodies was required to load the epitopes onto MHC class II. Different types of professional APC, such as purified B cells, dendritic cells, and macrophages, were equally efficient at processing and presenting the Troybodies. In vivo, class II-specific Troybodies were at least 100 times more efficient at targeting APC and activating TCR-transgenic T cells than were the nontargeting peptide Ab. Furthermore, they were 100-100,000 times more efficient than synthetic peptide or native protein. The study shows that class II-specific Troybodies can deliver a variety of T cell epitopes to professional APC for efficient presentation, in vitro as well as in vivo. Thus, Troybodies may be useful as tools in vaccine development.
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PMID:Efficient delivery of T cell epitopes to APC by use of MHC class II-specific Troybodies. 1185 1


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