Isolation and sequence of a cDNA coding for the immunoglobulin mu chain of the sheep.

A sheep cDNA library was screened with a human C mu probe, and the complete nucleotide sequence of a 1923 nt cDNA was determined. It contains sequences corresponding to all the exons (VH, DH, JH, CH1, CH2, CH3 and CH4) characteristic of the immunoglobulin mu heavy chain regions. The deduced amino acid sequence shows a percentage of identical residues in the range 65-45% when compared with the mu chains of various species. The VH region of this clone is clearly related to a group of genes that includes mouse VH36-60 and VHQ52, human VH2, VH4 and VH6 gene families and Xenopus VHII gene families. The constant region shows an unusual repartition of cystein and proline residues at the beginning of the CH2 domain, that may result in a molecule with enhanced stability and reduced flexibility.     

Evolution of vertebrate IgM: complete amino acid sequence of the constant region of Ambystoma mexicanum mu chain deduced from cDNA sequence.

cDNA clones coding for the constant region of the Mexican axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) mu heavy immunoglobulin chain were selected from total spleen RNA, using a cDNA polymerase chain reaction technique. The specific 5'-end primer was an oligonucleotide homologous to the JH segment of Xenopus laevis mu chain. One of the clones, JHA/3, corresponded to the complete constant region of the axolotl mu chain, consisting of a 1362-nucleotide sequence coding for a polypeptide of 454 amino acids followed in 3' direction by a 179-nucleotide untranslated region and a polyA+ tail. The axolotl C mu is divided into four typical domains (C mu 1-C mu 4) and can be aligned with the Xenopus C mu with an overall identity of 56% at the nucleotide level. Percent identities were particularly high between C mu 1 (59%) and C mu 4 (71%). The C-terminal 20-amino acid segment which constitutes the secretory part of the mu chain is strongly homologous to the equivalent sequences of chondrichthyans and of other tetrapods, including a conserved N-linked oligosaccharide, the penultimate cysteine and the C-terminal lysine. The four C mu domains of 13 vertebrate species ranging from chondrichthyans to mammals were aligned and compared at the amino acid level. The significant number of mu-specific residues which are conserved into each of the four C mu domains argues for a continuous line of evolution of the vertebrate mu chain. This notion was confirmed by the ability to reconstitute a consistent vertebrate evolution tree based on the phylogenic parsimony analysis of the C mu 4 sequences.     

A novel IgA-like immunoglobulin in the reptile Eublepharis macularius

The appearance of antibody genes over evolution coincided with the origin of the vertebrates. Reptiles are of great interest in evolution since they are the link between the amphibians, birds, and mammals. This work describes the presence of a gene in the reptile leopard gecko (Eublepharis macularius) where phylogenetic studies suggest that it is the gene orthologue of immunoglobulin A (IgA) and immunoglobulin X (IgX) in Xenopus. Messenger RNA samples taken from different tissues showed expression of this antibody in intestinal tissue. Data on the structure deduced from the sequence of nucleotides showed an antibody with four domains in the constant region. There is a sequence of 20 amino acids in the C terminus similar to the secretory tail of immunoglobulin M (IgM) and IgA. A detailed analysis of the sequence of amino acids displayed a paradox, i.e., domains CH1 and CH2 showed a clear homology with domains CH1 and CH2 of immunoglobulin Y (IgY) while domains CH3 and CH4 were homologous with domains CH3 and CH4 of IgM. This homology pattern is also seen in Xenopus IgX and bird IgA. The most logical explanation for this phenomenon is that a recombination between the IgM and IgY gave rise to the IgA.     

Structure of bovine immunoglobulin constant region heavy chain gamma 1 and gamma 2 genes

Two bovine immunoglobulin constant region gamma heavy chain germline gene sequences are described. A gamma 1 gene was cloned from a lambda 2001 calf liver library screened with a human gamma 4 (pBRH4.1) probe and is contained in a 5.8 kb BamH1 hybridizing fragment. The gamma 2 gene was from an EMBL4 lambda library and is in a 6.6 kb BamH1 fragment. Each of these genes is arranged in four exons corresponding to the three CH domains and the hinge of gamma heavy chain genes; normal RNA splice and polyadenylation sites are present. The translated C-terminal peptide sequences of the genes match exactly the equivalent peptide sequences of bovine IgG1 and IgG2 heavy chains, identifying them as gamma 1 and gamma 2. The derived protein sequences reveal 96, 80 and 83% identity of amino acid residues between their CH1, CH2 and CH3 domains. Two adjacent cysteine residues encoded in the CH1 exons suggest that, as in rabbit gamma, an extra intra-chain disulphide bond occurs in the bovine gamma heavy chains. Significant DNA rearrangement in the hinge-CH2 region is evident in the bovine gamma 2 gene, with resultant deletion and substitution of amino acid residues in the lower hinge and N-terminal portion of the CH2 domain. The Fab-Fc interface of bovine IgG2 is predicted to be sterically blocked, relative to IgG1, which has implications for effector differences between the bovine gamma subclasses.     

A human myeloma IgA with a hybrid heavy chain resulting from putative somatic gene conversion

A human monoclonal IgA1-IgA2λ. hybrid molecule was detected in a myeloma patient homozygous for the A2m(1) allotype during a systematic study of monoclonal IgA with subclass-specific monoclonal antibodies (mAb) and the lectin jacalin. This monoclonal immunoglobulin (GAU) reacted with both, although not with all, anti-α1 and anti-α2 mAb. Its heavy (H) chain contained an al hinge region as shown by jacalin reactivity, the presence of disulfide-linked H and light chains in spite of its belonging to the IgA2m(1) allotype and amino acid composition of the isolated hinge region. The complete sequence of the H chain was deduced from that of complementary DNA clones from bone marrow cells. The CHI domain, hinge region and beginning of the CH2 domain and the membrane peptide were encoded by the al gene, with an insertion of an α2m(1) gene sequence accounting for the end of the CH2 and part or all of the CH3 domain (sequence identity between the two normal genes precludes a precise definition of breakpoints). The region of the 5′ recombination site included a repeat of a six base pair sequence which might play a role in the genetic exchange. The GAU hybrid a gene was undetectable in the patient's genomic DNA from polymorphonuclear cells. The genetic event which occurred at the level of the proliferating plasma cell clone is most likely to be a gene conversion.     

Secretory immune system of the duck ( Anas platyrhynchos ). Identification and expression of the genes encoding IgA and IgM heavy chains

IgA has not previously been identified in waterfowl. Studies instead revealed physical and antigenic similarities between duck bile immunoglobulin (Ig) and serum IgM. Here, a differential screening approach was used to clone, from a duck spleen library, the cDNA encoding the heavy (H) chains of IgM and the Ig, identified here as IgA, occurring in duck secretions. Phylogenetic comparisons of inferred amino acid sequences of entire H chain constant (C) regions and of individual domains revealed that the duck μ chain was closest to chicken μ (54 % overall identity), and duck α was closest to chicken α (50 % identity). Comparison of the μ and α C regions revealed areas of up to 65 % amino acid similarity within the C4 domains, accounting for the previously noted antigenic overlap of duck IgM and IgA. Messages for α and μ were detected in duck lymphoid organs but the α message was most abundant in the respiratory, alimentary and reproductive tracts. The α message first appeared around 14 days of age and reached adult levels of expression only at 35 – 50 days. The results indicate that the duck has a mucosal immune system which utilizes IgA; however, the delayed expression and secretion of duck IgA explains the susceptibility of ducklings to mucosal pathogens. Since the waterfowl are among the most primitive extant birds, the recognition of IgA in the duck supports the conclusion that IgA occurs throughout the class Aves and also existed in the common ancestors of birds and mammals.     

Shark complement: an assessment

Summary: The classical (CCP) and alternative (ACP) pathways of complement activation have been established for the nurse shark (Ginglymostoma cirratum). The isolation of a cDNA done encoding a mannan-binding protein-associated serine protease (MASP)-1-like protein from the Japanese dogfish ( Triakis scyllia ) suggests the presence of a lectin pathway. The CCP consists of six functionally distinct components: C1n, C2n, C3n, C4n, C5n and C9n, and is activated by immune complexes in the presence of Ca⁺⁺ and Mg⁺⁺ ions. The ACP is antibody independent, requiring Mg⁺⁺ ions and a heat-labile 90 kDa factor B-like protein for activity. Proteins considered homologues of C1q, C1 and C4 (C2n) of the mammalian complement system have been isolated from nurse shark serum. Shark C1q is composed of at least two chain types each showing 50% identity to human C1q chains A and B. Partial sequence of the globular domain of one of the chains shows it to be C1q like rather than the mannan-binding protein. N-terminal amino acid sequences of the α and β chain of shark C3 and C4 molecules show significant identity with corresponding human C3 and C4 chains. A sequence representing shark C4γ chain, shows little similarity to human C4γ chain. The terminal shark components C8n and C9n are functional analogues of mammalian C8 and C9. Anaphylatoxin activity has been demonstrated in activated shark serum, and porcine C5a desArg Induces shark leucocyte chemotaxis. The deduced amino acid sequence of a partial C3 cDNA clone from the nurse shark shows 50%, 30% and 24% homology with the corresponding region of mammalian C3, C4 and al-macroglobulin. Deduced amino acid sequence data from partial Bf/C2 cDNA clones, two from the nurse shark and one from the Japanese dogfish, suggest that at least one species of elasmobranch has two distinct Bf/C2 genes.     

cDNA sequence and organization of the immunoglobulin light chain gene of the duck, Anas platyrhynchos

A cDNA was cloned which encoded an immunoglobulin (Ig) light (L) chain of the White Pekin duck. The organization of the variable (V) and constant (C) domains was analyzed by genomic Southern blotting. The duck L chain gene has a similar chromosomal organization to that of the chicken, with a single λ-like C region and multiple V_L hybridizing elements. The amino acid sequence of the V_L region of the White Pekin duck L chain showed 88% identity with the Muscovy duck and 87% identity with the chicken, the J_L region showed 92% identity with these species, and the C_L region showed 88% identity with Muscovy duck and 66% with chicken. The constraints imposed by the gene-conversion mechanism of generating antibody diversity might account for the similarities of the avian V region sequences.     

Characterization of the gene for the membrane and secretory form of the IgM heavy-chain constant region gene (C mu) of the cow (Bos taurus).

Our present understanding of the evolution of immunoglobulins is derived from a few vertebrate species. In order to obtain additional information on the development of the humoral immune system, we cloned and determined the nucleotide sequence of the bovine cDNA and genomic IgM heavy-chain constant region gene (C mu). The gene contains four constant region domain-encoding exons (CH1 to CH4) and two exons encoding the transmembrane domain (TM1, TM2), expressed in the membrane-bound receptor form of the IgM. The sequence of a cDNA clone encoding the 3' portion of the membrane form of the mu-chain revealed that the TM1 exon is spliced to the CH4 exon, as occurs in other mammals. Comparison of deduced amino acid sequence data from different vertebrates revealed a high similarity to sheep C mu (88%) and a lower degree of similarity to pig (62%), rat (62%), rabbit (58%) human (56%), hamster (55%), mouse (54%), chicken (28%) and horned shark (22%) C mu.     

Targeting the junction of CɛmX and ɛ-migis for the specific depletion of mIgE-expressing B cells

Monoclonal antibodies targeting the extracellular region of the human IgE heavy chain membrane-tethering domain have been proposed for treating allergies caused by hyperproliferative monoclonal expansion of IgE-producing B cells. Antibodies against this target are expected to deplete membrane IgE (mIgE) displaying B cells and leave B cells of other immunoglobulin isotypes intact. Because of alternative splicing, the mIgE heavy chain has two isoforms that differ in their membrane-proximal segment. In the long isoform, the CH4 domain is followed by a 67-amino acid-long extracellular portion. Out of these 67 amino acids, the first 52 amino acids following the CH4 domain constitute the C?mX segment while the rest of the 15 amino acids immediately adjacent to the membrane constitute the ?-migis. In the short isoform the C?mX segment is absent and the CH4 domain is followed only by the 15-amino acid-long ?-migis segment. Using antibodies derived from a phage display library, we investigated: (1) ?-migis and (2) the junction of C?mX and ?-migis (C?mX.migis), as potential therapeutic antibody targets. Our results indicate that antibodies obtained from our phage library that target ?-migis bind to a variety of human cells irrespective of mIgE expression, possibly due to homology between ?-migis and a region of phosphoinositide-binding protein (ARAP3). In contrast, antibodies specific for the C?mX.migis junctional region, bound specifically to transfected and primary B cells expressing human mIgE and elicited antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity and reduction in IgE production. These antibodies did not bind secreted IgE or the mIgE isoform in which C?mX is absent. These results suggest that C?mX.migis junctional region is a promising antibody target and the human antibodies we describe warrant further evaluation.     

Novel vectors for the expression of antibody molecules using variable regions generated by polymerase chain reaction.

A new family of vectors has been produced which facilitates the cloning and expression of immunoglobulin variable regions cloned by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The vectors are designed to express the cloned variable regions joined to human constant regions and take advantage of priming in the leader sequence so that no amino acid changes will be introduced into the mature antibody molecule. Both the heavy chain and light chain vectors utilize a murine VH promoter provided with an EcoRV restriction site so that the amplified variable regions can be directly cloned into a functional promoter. For the heavy chain an NheI restriction site has been generated at the first two amino acids of CH1 and the cloned leader and variable region are fused directly to the CH1 domain of the constant region. When the leader and variable regions of the light chain were fused directly to C kappa, no expression was observed. Therefore the light chain expression vector was designed with a SalI restriction site for cloning into a splice junction 3' of the variable region; VL then is joined to C kappa by splicing. Both vectors direct the expression of functional, fully assembled immunoglobulin molecules with the expected molecular weight. Use of redundant oligomers to prime the PCR permits the cloning and expression of recombinant antibodies without any prior information as to their sequence and makes it possible to rapidly generate recombinant antibodies from any monoclonal antibody producing cell line.     

小鼠canstatin cDNA的克隆及其在大肠杆菌中的表达

目的:从小鼠肝脏组织克隆canstatin cDNA并在大肠杆菌(E.coli)中表达, 为进一步研究其抗肿瘤血管生成活性奠定基础。方法: 用Trizol试剂提取小鼠肝脏组织总RNA,通过RT-PCR扩增小鼠canstatin(m canstatin)的cDNA,克隆到pMD18-T载体中并进行序列分析。将小鼠canstatin cDNA 定向克隆于原核表达载体pET30a(+)中, 在大肠杆菌E.coli BL21中经IPTG诱导表达。结果:小鼠canstatin的cDNA长度为684bp,编码227个氨基酸,与已知的人canstatin的cDNA同源性为89%,氨基酸的同源性为96%。IPTG诱导原核表达载体pET30a(+)/m canstatin在大肠杆菌E.coli BL21中表达。结论: 首次成功克隆了小鼠canstatin的cDNA, 其原核表达载体pET30a(+)/m canstatin在大肠杆菌E.coli BL21中高效表达,小鼠canstatin抗肿瘤血管生成活性有待进一步研究。     

Molecular cloning of the cDNA encoding the constant region of the immunoglobulin A heavy chain (Cα) from a marsupial: Trichosurus vulpecula (common brushtail possum)

A cDNA encoding the brushtail possum immunoglobulin A heavy chain constant region (Cα) was isolated by screening a mesenteric lymph node cDNA library with a porcine Cα exon 3 probe. The larger of the two positive clones isolated (Tv4a) consisted of 1325 bp of possum cDNA that included an open reading frame of 1191 bp. Its deduced amino acid sequence had a high degree of sequence identity with known eutherian Cα sequences. This clone appears to encode the entire possum IgA heavy chain constant region. The possum Cα sequence had a nucleotide sequence identity of 57.7% with porcine Cα, 51% with mouse Cα, 46.7% with dog Cα and 45.9% with human Cα2. The corresponding amino acid identities were 46.7, 45.6, 49.4 and 49%, respectively.