Transfectomas provide novel chimeric antibodies

Methods have been developed to transfect immunoglobulin genes into lymphoid cells. The transfected genes are faithfully expressed, and assembly can occur both between the transfected and endogenous chains and between two transfected chains. Gene transfection can be used to reconstitute immunoglobulin molecules and to produce novel immunoglobulin molecules. These novel molecules can represent unique combinations of heavy and light chains; alternatively, by means of recombinant DNA technology, genes can be assembled in vitro, transfected, and expressed. The end products of such manipulations include chimeric molecules with variable regions joined to different isotypic constant regions; this is possible both within and between species. It is also possible to synthesize altered immunoglobulin molecules, as well as molecules having immunoglobulin sequences fused with nonimmunoglobulin sequences (for example, enzyme sequences).     

Immunoglobulin structure: amino terminal sequences of mouse myeloma proteins that bind phosphorylcholine

The amino terminal sequences of five light and heavy immunoglobulin chains from myeloma proteins of the BALB/c mouse with binding activity to phosphorylcholine are presented. Except for a single substitution in position 4, all five heavy chains have identical amino terminal sequences through the first hypervariable region. Proteins which share unique (idiotypic) antigenic determinants are identical through the first hypervariable region of their light and heavy chains. Proteins with differing idiotypic determinants have light chains of differing amino acid sequence. These observations suggest that the heavy chain plays a more important role than the light chain in determining the phosphorylcholine binding site.     

Complete amino acid sequence of the Mu heavy chain of a human IgM immunoglobulin

The amino acid sequence of the micro, chain of a human IgM immunoglobulin, including the location of all disulfide bridges and oligosaccharides, has been determined. The homology of the constant regions of immunoglobulin micro, gamma, alpha, and epsilon heavy chains reveals evolutionary relationships and suggests that two genes code for each heavy chain.     

Inhibition of self-binding antibodies (autobodies) by a VH-derived peptide

The self-binding properties of a dominant idiotypic antibody (T15) and a minor idiotypic antibody (M603), both specific for phosphorylcholine, were examined as models of self-binding antibodies (autobodies). Observed differences in the self-binding affinity of T15 and M603 relate to variable sequence differences in their respective heavy and light chains. A molecular recognition theory based on the translation of coding and noncoding DNA strands was used to identify complementary amino acid sequences responsible for self-binding. The second hypervariable region of the heavy chain domain, extending into the third framework region, was predicted as the primary self-binding locus. Among peptides synthesized with different variable heavy and light chain regions, a 24-residue peptide spanning the second hypervariable and third framework regions of the heavy chain of T15 was nearly as effective as phosphorycholine in inhibiting the self-binding complexes.     

Inv(1) allotype: effect of immunoglobulin G heavy chain subtype on its expression

More protein is required to detect the Inv(1) antigen carried in the light chain of immunoglobulin G molecules when the light chain is combined with a gamma2 heavy chain than when it is combined with a gamma1 or gamma3 heavy chain. One of the four gamma2 heavy chains used in the experiment, however, was as efficient as the gamma1 and gamma3 chains, indicating that there may be two subtypes of gamma2. Inv(1) was more easily detected in one of the two light chains used in the experiment. This difference may be associated with the subtypes of the kappa chain derived from studies of the variable portion of the chain.     

Variation and homology in the mu and gamma heavy chains of human immunoglobulins

Sequence analysis of an 1gM immunoglobulin shows that the variable regions of hunman micro and gamma1 heavy chainis may have twice as much homology as their constant regions and that evolutionary divergence of micro and gamma1 heavy chain genes occurred not long after the separation of heavy and light chain genes.     

Antibody active sites and immunoglobulin molecules

In order to obtain detailed information about the relationship between structure and function in antibody molecules, a method called affinity labeling has been devised to attach chemical labels specifically to amino acid residues in the active sites of antibody molecules. With antibodies to three different haptens, highly specific labeling of the active sites has been achieved. Tyrosine residues on both heavy and light polypeptide chains have been labeled in a molar ratio close to 2:1, and labels on the two chains are equally specific to the active sites. Peptide fragmentation studies of the labeled chains of one antibody system have shown that: (i) within 25 amino acid residues of the labeled tyrosine on either chain, substantial chemical heterogeneity exists among different antibody molecules of the same specificity; and (ii) the labeled peptide fragments from both chains are very similar in physicochemical characteristics, including average size, heterogeneity, and unusual hydrophobicity. These experimental results have led us to the view that a particular region of the heavy chain and a particular region of the light chain are utilized to construct the active sites of the three different antibodies, differences in specificity arising from chemical perturbations in these two regions. Correlated structural studies of affinity-labeled antibodies and of the homogeneous light chains (Bence Jones proteins) and heavy chains produced in multiple myeloma may permit the identification of these special active-site regions. The view that active sites of different specificity are chemical perturbations of a particular region of the antibody molecule has a possible close analogue in enzyme systems, particularly among the esterases. The marked chemical similarities we have observed between the active site regions of heavy and light chains indicate to us that chemical homologies, but not identities, exist between the chains. This is reinforced by recently obtained amino acid sequence data which reveal homologies between the two chains near their carboxyl-terminals. These results indicate that the structural genes which code for the synthesis of heavy and light chains are related, presumably having arisen from some common ancestral gene during evolution. This conclusion strongly suggests that both heavy and light chains determine antibody specificity, and has important implications for the still-unknow mechanisms of antibody biosynthesis.     

Somatic mutation in genes for the variable portion of the immunoglobulin heavy chain

The size of the gene pool potentially encoding antibodies to p-azophenyl arsonate has been examined. A heavy chain-specific full-length complementary DNA clone has been constructed with the use of messenger RNA from a hybridoma that produces antibodies to the arsonate hapten and bears nearly a full complement of the determinants comprising the cross-reactive idiotype (CRI). The sequences of both the complementary DNA clone and the corresponding immunoglobulin heavy chain have been independently determined. A probe for the variable region gene was prepared from the original heavy chain complementary DNA clone and used to analyze, by Southern filter hybridization, genomic DNA from both A/J (CRI positive) and BALB/c (CRI negative) mice. Approximately 20 to 25 restriction fragments containing "germline" variable region gene segments were detected in both strains, and many are shared by both, Since 35 CRI-positive heavy chains have been partially sequenced thus far and 31 are different, the results of the hybridization analysis suggest that somatic mutation events involving the variable region gene segments of the heavy chain play a role in the origin of the amino acid sequence diversity seen in this system.     

J genes for heavy chain immunoglobulins of mouse

A 15,8-kilobase pair fragment of BALB/c mouse liver DNA, cloned in the Charon 4A lambda phage vector system, was shown to contain the mu heavy chain constant region (CHmu) gene for the mouse immunoglobulin M. In addition, this fragment of DNA contains at least two J genes, used to code for the carboxyl terminal portion of heavy chain variable regions. These genes are located in genomic DNA about eight kilobase pairs to the 5' side of the CHmu gene. The complete nucleotide sequence of a 1120-base pair stretch of DNA that includes the two J genes has been determined.     

Genetic factors and polypeptide chain subclasses of human immunoglobulin G detected in chimpanzee serums

The Gm and Inv genetic factors, characteristic antigens of human immunoglobulin G, were detected in chimpanzee serums. All animals tested were Gm(a+, x-, b(l)-, b(2)-, b(3)+, b(4)+). Polymorphism was demonstrated for factors Gm(c), Inv(l), and Inv(b). Three of the subclasses of heavy polypeptide chains and both types of light polypeptide chains that are present in human immunoglobulin G were identified in chimpanzee serums.     

Structure of the hinge region of the mu heavy chain of human IgM immunoglobulins

The amino acid sequence around the central disulfide bridge linking the mu heavy chains of the human immunoglobulin M monomer is unlike that in immunoglobulin G. This hinge area contains one of the five oligosaccharides of the mu chain, is low in proline, and is the site of tryptic cleavage to yield Fabmicro and Fcmicro fragments.     

鱼类免疫球蛋白分子生物学研究进展

综述了近年来鱼类免疫球蛋白分子生物学的最新研究进展,主要涉及鱼类Ig基因序列分析、组成形式、重排机制以及转录调控4个方面.鱼类Ig重链和轻链基因克隆分析证实有多种不同的重链、轻链类型存在;重链和轻链基因由不同染色体上的多基因座编码,在不同的鱼类中具有不同的基因组织形式;重组信号序列在重链、轻链基因组中均有发现,其重排过程主要由重组活化酶进行调控;增强子和启动子在鱼类Ig转录调控中发挥重要作用,其中增强子序列在系统发育中具有保守性.Ig作为鱼体特异性体液免疫应答的主要因子,其分子生物学的深入研究对于阐明脊椎动物免疫系统进化具有重要意义.     

Genetic implications of common region sequence comparisons of lambda immunoglobulin chains differing at position 190

The common regions of two lambda chains (amino acid residues 109 to 213) have been partially sequenced. These two human immunoglobulin chains have lysine at position 190, but are otherwise identical in their common-region sequence to four reported lambda chains that have arginine at position 190. The single amino acid interchange at position 190 may be explained either by an ambiguous codon at this position or by a gene duplication so recent that only a single mutational event has occured.     

猪血免疫球蛋白G提取及分子量测定

[目的]纯化猪血免疫球蛋白IgG,并测定其轻链与重链的分子量。[方法]采用分步硫酸铵盐析法粗提猪血浆中的免疫球蛋白G,透析袋脱盐后用DEAE-SephadexAS0对IgG进行纯化,对纯化后的免疫球蛋白进行SDS-PAGE电泳,采用AlphaEaseFC凝胶分析软件对凝胶图像进行分析。[结果]3份样品中免疫球蛋白的浓度分别为2．712、2．679、2．489mg／ml;电泳后每泳道均出现2条蛋白带,说明所提免疫球蛋白的纯度较高;2条蛋白带分别为IgG的重链（H链）与轻链（L链）,与标准蛋白Marker进行比较可知,H链的分子量约为57KDa,L链的分子量约为26KDa。[结论]得到了高纯度的猪IgG,并进一步确定了IgG轻链与重链的分子量。     

Censoring of autoreactive B cell development by the pre-B cell receptor

Antibody diversity occurs randomly as B cells recombine their immunoglobulin (Ig) heavy- and light-chain genes during development. This process inevitably generates reactivity against self structures, and several mechanisms prevent the development of autoreactive B cells. We report here a role for the pre-B cell receptor, composed of Ig heavy and surrogate light chains, in the negative selection of cells expressing Ig heavy chains with the potential to generate autoantibodies. Surrogate light-chain-deficient (SLC-/-) mice harbored elevated levels of antinuclear antibodies (ANAs) in their serum and showed evidence of escape of pre-B cells expressing prototypic autoantibody heavy chains from negative selection, leading to mature autoantibody secreting CD21-CD23- B cells in the periphery. Thus, the pre-B cell receptor appears to censor the development of certain autoantibody-secreting cells and may represent an important factor in multifactorial autoimmune diseases.     

Macroglobulin structure: homology of mu and gamma heavy chains of human immunoglobulins

The amino acid sequence of fragments obtained by cyanogen bromide cleavage of the mu-chain of a human gammaM-globulin is homologous to the NH(2)-terminal sequences of the gamma-chain of human and rabbit gammaG-globulins and is related to that of human light chains. This supports the hypothesis that light and heavy chains evolved from a common ancestral gene.     

Immunoglobulin structure: variation in the sequence of Bence Jones proteins

Analysis of the amino acid sequence of one Bence Jones protein is almost comtplete. Many points of interchange occur in the amino terminal. portion of the molecule relative to partial-sequence data for other proteins. Most, but not all, are, compartible with one-step mutations. Such structural variation in immunoglobulin light chains may result from many related genes.     

Colostral immunoglobulin-A: synthesis in vitro of T-chain by rabbit mammary gland

When minced mammary tissue from lactating rabbits was incubated in vitro with C(14)-labeled lysine and isoleucine, it incorporated radio-activity into colostral immunoglobulin A. The only portion of this colostral molecule with significant labeling was T-chain, with little or no labeling of light or heavy chains. It was thus demonstrated that T-chains are synthesized by mammary gland. Because the remainder of the molecule was derived from unlabeled material, in vivo it was probably derived from serum.