Expression Of Activation-induced Deaminase Research Articles

The cytidine deaminase AID exhibits similar functional properties in yeast and mammals

A recent work published in Molecular Immunology examined the editing activity of activation-induced deaminase (AID) in yeast (Krause, K., Marcu, K.B., Greeve, J., 2006. The cytidine deaminases AID and APOBEC-1 exhibit distinct functional properties in a novel yeast selectable system. Mol. Immunol.). It was proposed that expression of AID in yeast is not sufficient for the generation of point mutations in a highly transcribed gene due to the lack of cofactors for AID-induced somatic hypermutation, which are unique to B cells. It was suggested that, on its own, AID does not have an intrinsic specificity for its target sequences. However, it has been shown previously that expression of the human AID gene in yeast was moderately mutagenic in a wild-type strain and highly mutagenic in an ung1 uracil-DNA glycosylase-deficient strain (Mayorov, V.I., Rogozin, I.B., Adkison, L.R., Frahm, C.R., Kunkel T.A., Pavlov Y. I., 2005. Expression of human AID in yeast induces mutations in context similar to the context of somatic hypermutation at G-C pairs in immunoglobulin genes. BMC Immunol. 6, 10; Poltoratsky, V.P., Wilson, S.H., Kunkel, T.A., Pavlov, Y.I., 2004. Recombinogenic phenotype of human activation-induced cytosine deaminase. J. Immunol. 172, 4308–4313). The vast majority of mutations were at G-C pairs. Mutations showed a clear DNA sequence context specificity which resembled the specificity of somatic hypermutation at G-C pairs in immunoglobulin genes and AID mutation specificity in vitro. The inability to detect mutator effects of AID by Krause et al. is likely to be caused by the use of the wild-type yeast strain and a small sample of clones examined for the presence of mutations. In addition, we show that non-uniformity of the mutation hotspot distribution is a factor potentially decreasing the chances of detecting mutations.

Expression of human AID in yeast induces mutations in context similar to the context of somatic hypermutation at G-C pairs in immunoglobulin genes

BackgroundAntibody genes are diversified by somatic hypermutation (SHM), gene conversion and class-switch recombination. All three processes are initiated by the activation-induced deaminase (AID). According to a DNA deamination model of SHM, AID converts cytosine to uracil in DNA sequences. The initial deamination of cytosine leads to mutation and recombination in pathways involving replication, DNA mismatch repair and possibly base excision repair. The DNA sequence context of mutation hotspots at G-C pairs during SHM is DGYW/WRCH (G-C is a hotspot position, R = A/G, Y = T/C, W = A/T, D = A/G/T).ResultsTo investigate the mechanisms of AID-induced mutagenesis in a model system, we studied the genetic consequences of AID expression in yeast. We constructed a yeast vector with an artificially synthesized human AID gene insert using codons common to highly expressed yeast genes. We found that expression of the artificial hAIDSc gene was moderately mutagenic in a wild-type strain and highly mutagenic in an ung1 uracil-DNA glycosylase-deficient strain. A majority of mutations were at G-C pairs. In the ung1 strain, C-G to T-A transitions were found almost exclusively, while a mixture of transitions with 12% transversions was characteristic in the wild-type strain. In the ung1 strain mutations that could have originated from deamination of the transcribed stand were found more frequently. In the wild-type strain, the strand bias was reversed. DGYW/WRCH motifs were preferential sites of mutations.ConclusionThe results are consistent with the hypothesis that AID-mediated deamination of DNA is a major cause of mutations at G-C base pairs in immunoglobulin genes during SHM. The sequence contexts of mutations in yeast induced by AID and those of somatic mutations at G-C pairs in immunoglobulin genes are significantly similar. This indicates that the intrinsic substrate specificity of AID itself is a primary determinant of mutational hotspots at G-C base pairs during SHM.

A new murine model of humoral immuno‐deficiency specifically affects class switching to T‐independent antigens

Immunoglobulin (Ig) isotype deficiencies are among the most common and least characterized humoral immunodeficiencies. A thorough understanding of their immunological and genetic features has been hampered by their extreme heterogeneity and the paucity of suitable animal models. Here, we report the initial characterization of a new mouse model with selective Ig deficiency. SENCARA mice display low serum IgG3 levels as well as severely deficient IgG3 responses to T cell-independent (TI) type 1 and 2 antigens. However, despite the significant block in class switching, expression of activation-induced deaminase and gamma3 germ-line transcription after TI antigen immunization are normal. IgG3 production in response to in vitro LPS stimulation was also normal, ruling out a specific defect in the Cgamma3 switch machinery. A decrease in the number of peritoneal B1a cells and enlarged splenic marginal zones were observed. The immunodeficiency is inherited as an autosomal, semi-dominant, essentially monogenic trait in SENCARA x C57BL/6 crosses. The SENCARA humoral immunodeficiency constitutes a novel immune phenotype, resembling human conditions such as IgG2 deficiency. This new mouse model will be of interest for the understanding of mechanisms involved in TI immune responses and may provide new insights into the molecular basis of human Ig deficiencies.

E-proteins directly regulate expression of activation-induced deaminase in mature B cells.

Activated mature B cells in which the DNA-binding activity of E-proteins has been disrupted fail to undergo class switch recombination. Here we show that activated B cells overexpressing the antagonist helix-loop-helix protein Id3 do not induce expression of the murine Aicda gene encoding activation-induced deaminase (AID). A highly conserved intronic regulatory element in Aicda binds E-proteins both in vitro and in vivo. The transcriptional activity of this element is regulated by E-proteins. We show that the enforced expression of AID in cells overexpressing Id3 partially restores class switch recombination. Taken together, our observations link helix-loop-helix activity and Aicda gene expression in a common pathway, in which E-protein activity is required for the efficient induction of Aicda transcription.

Internal IgH class switch region deletions are position-independent and enhanced by AID expression.

Ig heavy chain class switch recombination (CSR) involves a recombination/deletion mechanism that exchanges the expressed C(H) gene with a downstream C(H) gene. CSR is mediated by highly repetitive switch (S) region sequences and requires the activation-induced deaminase (AID). The S region 5' of the C mu gene (S mu) can undergo high-frequency internal deletions in normal B cells and B cell lines activated for CSR, although the relationship of these deletions and CSR has not been elucidated. In this study, we introduced constitutively transcribed S mu or S gamma 2b regions into a pro-B cell line that can be activated for AID expression, CSR, and endogenous S mu deletions. We find that randomly integrated S region transcription units in these cells also undergo increased levels of internal rearrangements after cellular activation, indicating that the deletion process is independent of location within the Ig heavy chain locus and potentially AID-promoted. To test the latter issue, we generated hybridomas from wild-type and AID-deficient activated B cells and assayed them for internal S mu deletions and S region mutations. These studies demonstrated that efficient intra-S region recombination depends on AID expression and that internal S region deletions are accompanied by frequent mutations, indicating that most S region deletions occur by the same mechanism as CSR.

Neodymium-YAG laser iridotomy in angle closure glaucoma: preliminary study.

A prospective short-term preliminary clinical study to evaluate the efficacy and immediate complications of Q-switched Nd-YAG laser iridotomy in the treatment of acute and chronic angle closure glaucoma is described. The follow-up period ranged from four to 10 months. Of 40 eyes treated 36 (90%) required a single lasing session for patency (19, one application; 17, two applications), and four eyes (10%) required two sessions. Closure of the iridotomy site following Nd-YAG lasing due to pigment epithelium proliferation occurred in 10% of eyes, an incidence remarkably lower than that of argon laser iridotomy. Transitory closure or diminution of a prior patent iridotomy during the first hour after lasing was observed in 6.7% of eyes. Patency was again noted up to three weeks later and remained unchanged. Immediate postoperative complications included a marked increase in ocular pressure (42% of eyes), minimal transitory bleeding, and transitory localised corneal oedema at the lasing site. Persistent iridocorneal adhesion at the lasing site was noted in three eyes, and localised lenticular opacities, of non-progressive type, were observed in one eye.