Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: EC:3.5.1.4 (deaminase)
 5,113 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Periodically the World Health Organization and currently the International Union of Immunology Societies publish a classification of primary immunodeficiency diseases (PID) that includes diagnostic and therapeutic guidelines. The latest of these publications dates from 1999 and includes a new group of PID, the proliferative autoimmune syndromes. Furthermore, new forms of severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) and of recessive autosomal agammaglobulinemia are described. From the publication of this classification until the end of the year 2000 a minimum of three new PIDs have been described and a further two should probably be added. Progress in the molecular biology of these diseases has given rise not only to more accurate diagnosis but also to greater insight into the clinical spectrum of these diseases. A mutation or deletion in a gene can provoke the complete absence of its product; sometimes expression is partial or normal but functional activity is absent or defective. In certain cases, partial or defective activity causes variant forms of the disease presenting symptomatology or atypical cellular phenotype. In other cases, this is not cause of the variant form, which can appear in interfamilial cases sharing the same mutation. In these cases, these differences can be attributed to environmental factors or to other genes able to modify the affected gene. In this article we provide examples of variant forms in several PIDs. Some are late onset forms, such as X-linked agammaglobulinemias diagnosed in adults, since until diagnosis, clinical symptomatology was minimal. In adenosine-deaminase deficiency, a serious and highly lymphoproliferative form of SCID, patients have been described whose symptomatology began after the age of 20 years. Another SCID, RAG1 and RAG2 recombinase deficiency, may produce a typical form with a characteristic T-B-NK + phenotype, Omenn's syndrome, or forms with an unexpected T-B + NK + phenotype. Deficiency in common gamma chain receptor for IL-2 may produce phenotypical variants that can lead to diagnostic error. X-linked lymphoproliferative syndrome may present as fulminant infectious mononucleosis, as leukemia or lymphoma or as hipo- or agammaglobulinemia. Possibly, some patients diagnosed with common variable immunodeficiency or with x-linked agammaglobulinemia do in fact have this syndrome. Chronic granulomatous disease is usually of early-onset, but late-onset forms have been described. In one case the first clinical manifestation was produced when the patient was 60 years old. The above examples serve to highlight that, even though PIDs are usually suspected by pediatricians, in some cases the diagnosis may be missed by internists or non-pediatricians. Moreover, the clinical and laboratory findings of these variant forms must be determined to carry out an early diagnosis, which is essential for a favorable therapeutic outcome.
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PMID:[Primary immunodeficiencies. Clinical features and variant forms]. 1143 82

Immunoglobulins (Igs) or antibodies (Abs) are the principal operators of the adaptive humoral immune response. For optimum functional activity they acquire an optimized structure for antigen (Ag) recognition, precipitation, agglutination, phagocytosis (IgG1/3 and IgA), cytotoxicity (IgG1/3), transport through mucosa (IgA and IgM) and placenta (IgG1/3), complement activation (IgG1/3 and IgM) and release of inflammatory mediators (IgE). A diversity with potentially up to 10(15) different Ab specificities is generated during Ag-independent B cell development in the bone marrow by combinatorial V-D-J joining, creation of junctional diversity, and combinatorial association of L and H chains. Furthermore,Ab variety is created during Ag-dependent B cell maturation in peripheral lymphatic tissues by isotype class switching and somatic hypermutation. Two types of enzymes play a key role in Ab diverseness, i. e., the products of recombination-activating genes RAG1 and RAG2 and the affinity induced deaminase (AID). The prevailing adult-type B2 cells provide the basis for the acquired humoral immune response characterized by Ab production,Ag processing and presentation, immunological memory and tolerance along with the generation of the anti-idiotype network,whereas the fetal-type B1 cells may play a role in innate immunity and autoimmunity. Impairment of B cell immunity includes immunodeficiency (agammaglobulinemia), malignant transformation (leukemia, lymphoma, plasmocytoma) and immune dysregulation (allergy, autoimmunity). The diagnostic relevance of Abs comprises classical serology (immunoprecipitation, agglutination, complement binding, RIA, ELISA), immunocytochemistry and immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence (microscopic and flow cytometric), cytotoxicity tests, immunoblots, immunospot assays and immunoabsorption (affinity chromatography). Therapeutic application of Abs (passive immunization) is directed against infections, intoxications, solid tumors, leukemias and lymphomas, graft rejection and graft-versus-host reaction, hemolytic anemia, and autoimmune diseases. The generation of genetically engineered monoclonal Abs (mAbs) has revolutionized the diagnostic and therapeutic potential of Abs in almost all disciplines of modern medicine.
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PMID:Immunoglobulins--basic considerations. 1699 62

The clonal selection theory proposed by Burnet required a genetic process, for which there was then no precedent, which randomizes the region of the gene(s) responsible for the specification of gamma-globulin molecules. Work over the subsequent half-century substantiated Burnet's speculation, revealing two distinct novel genetic processes. During early development (when Burnet first thought the randomization took place) programmed gene segment rearrangement catalysed by the RAG1/RAG2 recombinase generates a substantial diversity of immunoglobulin molecules (the primary repertoire). Somatic hypermutation (triggered by the activation-induced deaminase (AID) DNA deaminase) then occurs following antigen encounter in man and mouse, yielding a secondary repertoire. This hypermutation allows both limitless diversification as well as maturation of the antibody response by a process of somatic evolution akin to that envisioned by Burnet in later formulations of the clonal selection theory. AID-triggered antigen receptor diversification probably arose earlier in evolution than RAG-mediated repertoire generation. Here I trace our insights into the molecular mechanism antibody somatic mutation from when it was first proposed through to our current understanding of how it is triggered by targeted deamination of deoxycytidine residues in immunoglobulin gene DNA.
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PMID:Antibody diversification by somatic mutation: from Burnet onwards. 1818 Jul 93

The origin of antibody diversity has intrigued scientists for nearly a century. We now know that the diversity is achieved through a 2-stage process. Gene rearrangement (catalyzed by the RAG1/2 recombinase) allows the production of a primary repertoire of antibodies; targeted deamination of cytosines within these rearranged antibody genes (catalyzed by the DNA deaminase AID) then allows them to be further diversified and matured by somatic hypermutation, gene conversion, and class-switch recombination. Here we review the history of the uncovering of some of these processes, contrasting the relative importance of hypothesis and methodological developments in driving the research at different periods of the work.
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PMID:The relationship between hypothesis and experiment in unveiling the mechanisms of antibody gene diversification. 2145 70