Somatic hypermutation leads to diversification of the heavy chain immunoglobulin repertoire in cattle

The availability of unique variable (VH), diversity (D), and joining (JH) gene segments in the vertebrate germline determines the extent to which a primary immunoglobulin (Ig) repertoire can be generated through combinatorial rearrangement. Although bovine D segments possess unusual properties, the diversity of the primary Ig heavy chain (IgH) repertoire in cattle is restricted by the dominance of a single family of germline VH genes of limited number and diversity. Cattle therefore must employ other diversification strategies in order to generate a functional IgH repertoire, the main candidates being gene conversion and somatic hypermutation. In considering these possibilities, we predicted that if somatic hypermutation was active during B lymphocyte development, the process would introduce nucleotide substitutions to the VDJ exon and also non-coding region lying downstream of the rearranged JH segment. In contrast, our expectation was that gene conversion would show a greater tendency to confine modification to the IgH coding sequence, leaving intron regions substantially unmodified. An analysis of rearranged IgH sequences from cattle of different ages revealed that the diversification of germline sequences could be observed in very young calves and that substitution frequency increased with age. The age-dependent accumulation of mutations was particularly apparent in the second IgH complementarity-determining region (CDR2). Single base substitutions were found to predominate, with purines targeted more frequently than pyrimidines and transitions favoured over transversions. In non-coding regions, mutations were detected at a normalised frequency that was indistinguishable from that observed in CDR2. These data are consistent with a process of IgH diversification driven predominantly by somatic hypermutation.     

Novel insight into antibody diversification from cattle

The bovine preimmune repertoire develops in the absence of maternal antibodies due to the placental barrier formed by syndesmochorial type of placenta. The limited germline sequence diversity, both at the heavy and light chain loci, imposes constraints on generation of combinatorial diversity in cattle. The cattle, thus, must employ other strategies for antibody diversification. Analysis of VDJ rearrangements in adult cattle have led identification of generation of large IgM antibody molecules that may have an exceptionally long CDR3H region (up to 61 amino acids). The IgM antibodies with an exceptionally long CDR3H are indeed functional as some of these recognize structurally dissimilar antigens. The antibody diversification in cattle involves generation of an exceptionally long CDR3H in addition to point somatic mutations.     

Pathogenesis of duck plague in the bursa of Fabricius, thymus, and spleen.

White Pekin ducks were inoculated orally with duck plague virus and killed at 24-hour intervals after inoculation. Spleen, thymus, and bursa of Fabricius were collected and examined by light, fluorescent, and electron microscopy. Necrosis of lymphocytes occurred in the bursa of Fabricius, thymus, splenic periarteriolar lymphoid sheath (T lymphocytes), and splenic germinal centers (B lymphocytes). Viral nucleocapsids were present in the karyoplasm of lymphocytes, but these cells necrotized before virions were formed. Periarteriolar reticular sheath cells and sinusoidal lining cells in the spleen, epithelial cells in Hassall's corpuscle of the thymus, epithelial cells between the cortex and medulla of the follicles in the bursa of Fabricius, and macrophages in all 3 tissues contained nucleocapsids in the nuclei and virions in cytoplasmic vacuoles before necrosis occurred.     

Rearrangement patterns of the canine TCRγ locus in a distinct group of T cell lymphomas

The T cell antigen receptor chains are assembled through a rearrangement process that combines variable (V), diversity (D) and joining (J) region genes. Recently, the entire canine T cell receptor γ (TRG) locus was described. It is arranged in 8 cassettes with up to 3 V genes, 2 J genes and 1 C gene each. However, no data is available beyond the level of sequence analysis. The objective of this study was to identify rearranged genes of the canine TRG locus through experimental analysis and to assess gene usage and patterns of rearrangement in a series of canine T cell lymphomas. Rearranged genes were identified through computational analysis of recombination signal sequences (RSSs), a gene's potential to generate a polyclonal smear, and through sequencing of clonal rearrangements in a series of T cell lymphomas. Out of a total of 32 Vγ and Jγ genes, 21 genes were found to rearrange, 8 genes were considered not rearranged and 3 genes were suspected to rearrange but their status could not be determined definitely. Rearrangements of the canine TRG locus were assessed in a group of canine T cell lymphomas as well as 3 neoplastic T cell lines. An average of 4.6 rearrangements per lymphoma was found suggesting that canine T cells routinely rearrange multiple cassettes per allele. The most commonly rearranged Vγ genes belonged to subgroups Vγ2, Vγ3, and Vγ7. Genes in cassettes 2 and 3 preferentially rearranged within their respective cassettes, while Vγ genes in cassette 7 rearranged to a Jγ gene in cassette 8. There was a strong preference for Vγ2 genes to rearrange to a 3' Jγ gene and for Vγ3 and Vγ7 genes to rearrange to a 5' Jγ gene. This rearrangement pattern coincided with the conservation of the spacer sequence between V and J gene subgroups rather than the topologic location of genes. These data show that highly divergent spacer sequences allow for equally efficient recombination and suggest that spacer sequences can mediate compatibility between V and J genes.     

Stable expression of the extracellular domains of rabbit recombinant CD5: development and characterization of polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies

Previous studies in our laboratory suggested that there was positive selection of B cells during early development in the appendix of normal and V(H) mutant (ali/ali) rabbits. Preferential expansion and survival of B lymphocytes was affected by the Ig V(H) frameworks 1 and 3 sequences expressed on the cell surface. We demonstrated a specific interaction between rabbit CD5 and the V region of rabbit heavy chains and suggested that CD5 is a potential selecting ligand for B-cell surface immunoglobulin framework region sequences. To further investigate the role of CD5 in rabbit B-cell selection and survival we prepared recombinant constructs and obtained stable expression of the three scavenger receptor cysteine-rich (SRCR) extracellular domains of rabbit CD5. Here we describe the production and purification of this expressed recombinant CD5 protein, polyclonal antibody obtained by immunization of a goat and initial production and characterization of specific mAbs against peptides selected from each sequenced SRCR domain.     

脑炎原虫病兔免疫器官的病理形态学观察

研究脑炎原虫病兔外周免疫器官的形态学变化,采集20只病兔和12只对照兔的淋巴结、脾脏和圆小囊,通过临床检查,病理剖检,病理切片的HE染色、吉姆萨染色和免疫组织化学染色进行了比较观察。结果表明病兔淋巴结内的淋巴小结数量增多,生发中心明显,髓索增粗,副皮质区增宽。脾脏的脾小结增多,变大,具有明显的生发中心,边缘区明显增宽,动脉周围淋巴鞘明显变大,聚集大量淋巴细胞。圆小囊的淋巴小结增大,数量增多,生发中心明显,淋巴小结周围弥散大量淋巴细胞。通过α-ANAE和sABC染色,在淋巴结、脾脏和圆小囊中均可检出大量T细胞、巨噬细胞和IgG阳性细胞。据此认为患脑炎原虫病时,病兔的体液免疫和细胞免疫均增强,但以细胞免疫反应更强。     

Immunomorphologic and morphometric changes in pulmonary lymph nodes of sheep with progressive pneumonia

Morphologic, immunohistochemical, and morphometric studies were conducted on the posterior mediastinal lymph nodes of eleven sheep with naturally occurring ovine progressive pneumonia and four apparently healthy sheep with no pulmonary lesions (three seropositive, one seronegative for antibody to ovine progressive pneumonia virus). Compared with lesion-free sheep, sheep with ovine progressive pneumonia had a seven-fold increase in B lymphocyte areas and a 21/2-fold increase in T lymphocyte areas of these lymph nodes. Immunochemistry revealed cytoplasmic immunoglobulin G in scattered cells of germinal centers, medullary cords and interfollicular areas and membrane-associated immunoglobulin G in dendritic cells of germinal centers. Immunoglobulin M staining cells were widely scattered in germinal centers and medullary cords. Although B cell hyperplasia seemed to be the predominant process in lymph nodes of sheep with ovine progressive pneumonia, this was not accompanied by the expected degree of plasmacytosis, morphologically and immunohistochemically. These findings may represent an aberrancy of immunoregulation in ovine progressive pneumonia.     

Quantitative analyses of lymphoid tissue in the spleen, lymph nodes and Peyer's patches in cynomolgus monkeys

To clarify the morphological characteristics of the cynomolgus monkey immune system, we analyzed quantitative data on their lymphoid organs. Spleens, major lymph nodes and Peyer's patches were sampled from cynomolgus monkeys, and the lymphoid follicle and germinal center areas and percentages of CD3- and CD20-positive areas were calculated. All the organs analyzed showed large interindividual variations in the sizes of lymphoid follicles and germinal centers. Lymphoid follicle in the spleen, submandibular lymph nodes and Peyer's patches showed no marked difference in size. Germinal center size in the mesenteric lymph nodes and Peyer's patches were significantly smaller than those in the spleen. Areas containing T cells were largest in the lymph nodes, while those containing B cells were largest in the spleen and Peyer's patches. The mean size of the splenic lymphoid follicle in cynomolgus monkeys is larger than that in rats and similar to that in humans. Based on the large individual variation and the characteristics of lymphoid organs, it is important to use cynomolgus monkeys in standard toxicity studies. Taking advantage of the characteristics of each species enables reliable evaluation of the immunologic system in standard toxicity studies.     

Early acute depletion of lymphocytes in calicivirus-infected adult rabbits

Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease (RHD) is a lethal infection caused by calicivirus that kills 90% of the infected adult rabbits within 3 days. The calicivirus replicates in the liver and causes a fulminant hepatitis. Most studies on the pathology of RHD have been focused on the fulminant liver disease. This may not be the only mechanism in the pathogenesis of RHD: calicivirus infection may also induce leukopenia in the infected adult rabbits. We show now by flow cytometry analysis that the calicivirus induces an early decrease in B and T cells, in both spleen and liver. The depletion of B and T cells was associated with apoptosis labelled by annexin V. These changes occurred in rabbits before they showed enzymatic evidence of liver damage and persisted after liver transaminase values were very high. We conclude that depletion of lymphocytes caused by the calicivirus infection precedes or attends liver damage. The relative contribution of this lymphocyte depletion for the pathogenesis of the fatal calicivirus infection of rabbits remains to be investigated.     

流行性白血病病牛的免疫病理学观察

用８种单克隆抗体（ＴＨ１４Ｂ、ＢＡＱ４４Ａ、ＢＩｇ４５Ａ、ＢＩｇ７１５Ａ、ＢＩｇ５０１Ｅ、ＣＡＣＴ１０５Ａ、ＭＭ１Ａ、ＡＨ－ＣＣ１２５）结合常规病理学方法,对１０头流行性白血病病牛的免疫病理学进行了观察。结果：患病较轻时,淋巴结内的淋巴小结肿大,生发中心明显,副皮质区显著增宽。脾脏中的脾小体亦增大,动脉周围淋巴鞘增厚。用ＭｃＡｂ证明,在淋巴结和脾脏有较多的Ｂ淋巴细胞和大量Ｔ淋巴细胞。患病较重时,淋     

Phage display selection and characterization of single-chain recombinant antibodies against Eimeria tenella sporozoites

A single-chain antibody library against Eimeria tenella sporozoites was constructed by phage display. Antibody-displaying phage was selected in five panning rounds against cryopreserved E. tenella sporozoites. A 1000-fold increase in phage output and a 3000-fold enrichment were obtained after three rounds of panning, as the binding clones became the dominant population in the library. Ten clones were randomly selected from the last selection round, and their nucleotide sequences were aligned and compared to chicken germ-line sequences. Analysis of the light chain variable regions revealed possible donor pseudogenes which act as donors in gene conversion events, and contribute to the diversification of the V(L) immune repertoire. Possible somatic hypermutation events, a consequence of affinity maturation, were also identified. Soluble antibody was produced in a non-suppressor E. coli strain, purified by nickel affinity chromatography, and characterized by immunoblotting. In an immunofluorescence assay, this recombinant antibody showed specific binding to E. tenella sporozoites.     

Developmental progression of immunoglobulin heavy chain diversity in sheep

In order to assess the respective impacts of combinatorial rearrangement, junctional diversification, somatic hypermutation and gene conversion in the generation of immunoglobulin heavy chain variable regions diversity, the sequences of 42 variable regions from late fetal, newborn and young sheep were determined and compared to those of adult animals. At earlier stages of development, the use of germline diversity segments appears restricted, junctional variability is already established, and somatic hypermutations are scarce. The sequence diversity in adults is much higher, which we suggest results from a higher hymermutation activity and possibly from the use of a variety of diversity segments. Altogether, this pattern is very reminiscent of the situation observed in cattle, except for the length of the third complementarity determining regions (CDR3) which are shorter in sheep than in bovine. Unlike the chicken and rabbit systems, it seems that new rearrangements continue to occur in sheep for at least several months after birth.     

Immunohistology of the splenic compartments of the one humped camel (Camelus dromedarius)

The cellular composition of the different splenic compartments is well characterized in several species, but the spleen of the camel has not been studied due to the lack of specific antibodies detecting its leukocyte subsets. Therefore, 5microm frozen sections from 15 camel spleens (0.5-15 years) were studied for acid and alkaline phosphatases and for cross-reaction with antibodies specific for bovine (n=181), swine (n=14) and human (n=6) leukocyte determinants. Fifteen antibodies cross-reacted with camel spleen cells. These included 13 anti-bovine, two anti-human, but no anti-swine antibodies. The lymph follicles mainly consisted of B cells. The germinal centers showed a strong alkaline phosphatase activity. The periarterial lymphatic sheath harbored T lymphocytes. The marginal zone contained gammadelta T cells, CD45R0+, MHC class II DR+, CD44+, IL-A 24+ cells and few macrophages. The red pulp contained B, T, MHC class II DR+, IL-A24+ and gammadelta T cells and few macrophages. The periarterial macrophage sheaths contained many more macrophages than the marginal zone, so they may play a central role in the phagocytosis of the blood born particles. The alkaline phosphatase probably labeled activated B cells, but in contrast to other species no positive cells were found in the marginal zone. In general, lymphocyte compartmentalization in the camel spleen is similar to that in other species except for lower numbers of macrophages and the absence of alkaline phosphatase positive cells in the marginal zone. No age related differences were observed in the splenic compartments.     

Regulatory T cells are decreased in acute RHDV lethal infection of adult rabbits

Rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) is the etiologic agent of rabbit hemorrhagic disease (RHD), an acute lethal infection that kills 90% of adult rabbits due to severe acute liver inflammation. Interestingly, young rabbits are naturally resistant to RHDV infection. Here, we have compared naturally occurring CD4(+)Foxp3(+) regulatory T cells (Tregs) between young and adult rabbits after infection by RHDV. The number and frequency of Tregs was decreased in the spleen of adult rabbits 24h after the RHDV infection; this was in contrast with the unchanged number and frequency of splenic Tregs found in young rabbits after the same infection. Also, serum levels of IL-10 and TGF-β were enhanced in the infected adult rabbits whereas no alteration was observed in infected young rabbits. However, this increase is accompanied by a burst of pro-inflammatory cytokines, but seems not able to prevent the death of the animals with severe acute liver inflammation in few days after infection. Since Tregs downregulate inflammation, we conclude that their decrease may contribute to the natural susceptibility of adult rabbits to RHDV infection.     

滴鼻途径感染猪血凝性脑脊髓炎病毒小鼠的免疫动态变化

应用石蜡切片、ELISA等方法,通过对小鼠脾脏病理组织学观察以及脾脏指数、IL-2、IFN-γ和TNF-α等重要细胞因子的检测,研究猪血凝性脑脊髓炎病毒（Hemagglutinatingencephalomyelitisvirus,HEV）感染不同周龄（4、6周龄）BALB／c小鼠后的免疫动态变化特点。结果显示,无论是4周龄还是6周龄小鼠,在被HEV感染后的1～3d,脾小体生发中心增大并在红髓有多量浆细胞出现,第4天脾小体开始缩小,其周边和中央动脉周围有多量淋巴细胞聚集,到第5天脾小体生发中心消失并在其周边和中央动脉周围淋巴细胞增多。另外,脾脏指数和血清中的TNF-α、IFN-γ、IL-4浓度均呈现先升高后降低的趋势,IL-2含量变化不明显,而IL-10含量较少几乎检测不到。结果表明,HEV感染初期,小鼠对侵入的病毒做出一定的免疫应答,但是随着病毒复制,病毒量的增大,小鼠的免疫反应受到抑制。同时不同周龄小鼠的被检指标降低或升高程度及持续时间不同,表明HEV的免疫、发病与小鼠感染年龄之间存在一定相关性。     

Development of the neonatal B and T cell repertoire in swine: implications for comparative and veterinary immunology

Birth in all higher vertebrates is at the center of the critical window of development in which newborns transition from dependence on innate immunity to dependence on their own adaptive immunity, with passive maternal immunity bridging this transition. Therefore we have studied immunological development through fetal and early neonatal life. In swine, B cells appear earlier in fetal development than T cells. B cell development begins in the yolk sac at the 20th day of gestation (DG20), progresses to fetal liver at DG30 and after DG45 continues in bone marrow. The first wave of developing T cells is gammadelta cells expressing a monomorphic Vdelta rearrangement. Thereafter, alphabeta T cells predominate and at birth, at least 19 TRBV subgroups are expressed, 17 of which appear highly homologous with those in humans. In contrast to the T cell repertoire and unlike humans and mice, the porcine pre-immune VH (IGHV-D-J) repertoire is highly restricted, depending primarily on CDR3 for diversity. The V-KAPPA (IGKV-J) repertoire and apparently also the V-LAMBDA (IGLV-J) repertoire, are also restricted. Diversification of the pre-immune B cell repertoire of swine and the ability to respond to both T-dependent and T-independent antigen depends on colonization of the gut after birth in which colonizing bacteria stimulate with Toll-like receptor ligands, especially bacterial DNA. This may explain the link between repertoire diversification and the anatomical location of primary lymphoid tissue like the ileal Peyers patches. Improper development of adaptive immunity can be caused by infectious agents like the porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus that causes immune dysregulation resulting in immunological injury and autoimmunity.     

Ontogeny of gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) in the dogfish Scyliorhinus canicula L

Cartilaginous fish occupy a fundamental position in vertebrate phylogeny and it is likely that this group has retained some of the ancestral immune mechanisms. The ontogeny of GALT has received little attention in elasmobranchs and this study correlates this development with morphological differentiation, development of other lymphoid organs, exposure to seawater and transition from yolk dependence to exogenous food as a source of nutrient. GALT was first represented by individual lymphocyte-like and macrophage-like cells in the lamina propria. In later stages accumulations and intraepithelial leucocytes were recorded prior to hatching. The size of accumulations and the number of lymphocyte and macrophage-like cells infiltrating the lamina propria and epithelium increased in fish as they became dependent upon an exogenous diet. Although GALT developed after the thymus and lymphoid-like tissue in the kidney and at approximately the same time as the epigonal, Leydig and spleen, the source of cells populating the gut is unknown. Plasma cells and granulocytes were not observed in the developing fish until 6 months post-hatch after which the fish had a similar GALT distribution and content to the adult fish.     

Expression of rabbit IgA heavy chain genes in E. coli and in murine myeloma cells

Rabbit IgA-heavy chain cDNA and germline genes were cloned into prokaryotic and eukaryotic expression vectors, respectively. The Fc alpha encoding portion of six C alpha cDNA clones were cloned into pUC8 and E. coli were transformed. Radioimmunoassay of the molecules synthesized by these clones showed that molecules with Fc alpha antigenic determinants were produced at the level of approximately 0.1 to 1.0 microgram per ml culture. Radiobinding analysis showed that each of the clones encoded heavy chains of the IgA-g subclass. Southern blot analysis of rabbit germline DNA revealed 10 germline C alpha genes. Five of these, isolated from recombinant cosmid libraries, were cloned into a eukaryotic expression vector containing a rearranged murine VDJ gene, the CH enhancer region and the Eco-gpt gene. Murine myeloma cells, J558L, were transfected with each of the heavy chain constructs and stable transfectants was selected with mycophenolic acid. The immunoglobulins produced by each transfectant were analyzed by radiobinding and by SDS-PAGE. Each transfectant were shown to synthesize IgA molecules and thus all five C alpha genes are expressible. The heavy chains from the transfectants ranged in size from 55,000 to 60,000 daltons. Radiobinding analyses indicated that four of the five genes encode molecules of the IgA-f subclass; the serological identity of the fifth gene is not yet established.