Immunoglobulin Gene Superfamily Research Articles

Systematic pan-cancer analysis insights into ICAM1 as an immunological and prognostic biomarker.

Intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM1) is a cell surface adhesion glycoprotein in the immunoglobulin supergene family. It is associated with several epithelial tumorigenesis processes, as well as with inflammation. However, the function of ICAM1 in the prognosis of tumor immunity is still unclear. This study aimed to examine the immune function of ICAM1 in 33 tumor types and to investigate the prognostic value of tumors. Using datasets from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), Genotype Tissue Expression (GTEx), Cancer Cell Lines Encyclopedia (CCLE), Human Protein Atlas (HPA), and cBioPortal, we investigated the role of ICAM1 in tumors. We explored the potential correlation between ICAM1 expression and tumor prognosis, gene mutations, microsatellite instability, and tumor immune cell levels in various cancers. We observed that ICAM1 is highly expressed in multiple malignant tumors. Furthermore, ICAM1 is negatively or positively associated with different malignant tumor prognoses. The expression levels of ICAM1 were correlated with the tumor mutation burden (TMB) in 11 tumors and with MSI in eight tumors. ICAM1 is a gene associated with immune infiltrating cells, such as M1 macrophages and CD8+ T cells in gastric and colon cancer. Meanwhile, the expression of ICAM1 is associated with several immune-related functions and immune-regulation-related signaling pathways, such as the chemokine signaling pathway. Our study shows that ICAM1 can be used as a prognostic biomarker in many cancer types because of its function in tumorigenesis and malignant tumor immunity.

A single gene determines allorecognition in hydrozoan jellyfish Cladonema radiatum inbred lines.

Allorecognition-the ability of an organism to discriminate between self and nonself-is crucial to colonial marine animals to avoid invasion by other individuals in the same habitat. The cnidarian hydroid Hydractinia has long been a major research model in studying invertebrate allorecognition, establishing a rich knowledge foundation. In this study, we introduce a new cnidarian model Cladonema radiatum (C. radiatum). C. radiatum is a hydroid jellyfish which also forms polyp colonies interconnected with stolons. Allorecognition responses-fusion or regression of stolons-are observed when stolons encounter each other. By transmission electron microscopy, we observe rapid tissue remodeling contributing to gastrovascular system connection in fusion. Meanwhile, rejection responses are regulated by reconstruction of the chitinous exoskeleton perisarc, and induction of necrotic and autophagic cellular responses at cells in contact with the opponent. Genetic analysis identifies allorecognition genes: six Alr genes located on the putative allorecognition complex and four immunoglobulin superfamily genes on a separate genome region. C. radiatum allorecognition genes show notable conservation with the Hydractinia Alr family. Remarkedly, stolon encounter assays of inbred lines reveal that genotypes of Alr1 solely determine allorecognition outcomes in C. radiatum.

IGSF6 is a novel biomarker to evaluate immune infiltration in mismatch repair-proficient colorectal cancer

Immunotherapy has dramatically changed the landscape of treatment for colorectal cancer (CRC), but currently lack of effective predictive biomarker, especially for tumors with mismatch repair (MMR) proficiency. The response of immunotherapy is associated with the cell–cell interactions in tumor microenvironment, encompassing processes such as cell–cell recognition, binding, and adhesion. However, the function of immunoglobulin superfamily (IGSF) genes in tumor immune microenvironment remains uncharacterized. This study quantified the immune landscape by leveraging a gene expression matrix from publicly accessible databases. The associations between IGSF6 gene expression and immune cell infiltration were assessed. The expression levels of IGSF6, CD8+ T cells, CD4+ T cells and CD68+ macrophage cells in cancer tissues from CRC patients and CRC cell lines were evaluated. IGSF6 was more highly expressed in CRC tumor tissues than adjacent normal tissues. And IGSF6 was significantly correlated with immune cell infiltration in MMR-proficient patients. Remarkably, MMR-proficient patients with high IGSF6 expression showed more sensitive to immunotherapy and chemotherapy than those with low IGSF6 expression. In summary, IGSF6 could be a novel biomarker to evaluate immune infiltration and predict therapeutic effect for MMR-proficient CRC.

Overall Role of Contactins Expression in Neurodevelopmental Events and Contribution to Neurological Disorders.

Neurodegenerative disorders may depend upon a misregulation of the pathways which sustain neurodevelopmental control. In this context, this review article focuses on Friedreich ataxia (FA), a neurodegenerative disorder resulting from mutations within the gene encoding the Frataxin protein, which is involved in the control of mitochondrial function and oxidative metabolism. The specific aim of the present study concerns the FA molecular and cellular substrates, for which available transgenic mice models are proposed, including mutants undergoing misexpression of adhesive/morphoregulatory proteins, in particular belonging to the Contactin subset of the immunoglobulin supergene family. In both mutant and control mice, neurogenesis was explored by morphological/morphometric analysis through the expression of cell type-specific markers, including -tubulin, the Contactin-1 axonal adhesive glycoprotein, as well as the Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein (GFAP). Specific consequences were found to arise from the chosen misexpression approach, consisting of a neuronal developmental delay associated with glial upregulation. Protective effects against the arising phenotype resulted from antioxidants (essentially epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG)) administration, which was demonstrated through the profiles of neuronal (-tubulin and Contactin 1) as well as glial (GFAP) markers, in turn indicating the concomitant activation of neurodegeneration and neuro repair processes. The latter also implied activation of the Notch-1 signaling. Overall, this study supports the significance of changes in morphoregulatory proteins expression in the FA pathogenesis and of antioxidant administration in counteracting it, which, in turn, allows to devise potential therapeutic approaches.

Abstract 2180: The PD-L1 protein expression in Chinese patients with advanced esophageal cancers: a multi-center retrospective study

Abstract Introduction: Programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1) is the ligand of programmed cell death-1 (PD-1), a member of the immunoglobulin gene superfamily that plays a role in programmed cell death. Accumulating evidence of anti-PD-1 therapy has showed improved survival benefit for esophageal cancer (EC) patients. PD-L1 has emerged as a crucial predictor for efficacy of immunotherapy. However, the understanding of PD-L1 as a biomarker is complicated by various immunohistochemistry platforms, PD-L1 antibodies, scoring systems, and cut-offs for immunotherapy. Although PD-L1 expression has been widely investigated, the real-world PD-L1 expression status in Chinese patients with advanced EC nationwide with unified testing platform, antibody, scoring system and cut-off is largely unrevealed. Methods: The present study was a nationwide multi-center retrospective analysis of data from six centers in China from August 9, 2021, to February 28, 2022. Patients with histologically or cytologically confirmed diagnoses of advanced EC were included. The primary outcome was the prevalence of high PD-L1 expression in patients with advanced EC. Immunohistochemical analysis of PD-L1 expression was performed by using the PD-L1 IHC 22C3 pharmDx assay in EC specimens. PD-L1 protein expression was assessed by using a combined positive score (CPS). The CPS≥ 10 was defined as a high PD-L1 high expression. The Chi-square test, Fisher’s exact test, or Wilcoxon rank sum test was used to compare the PD-L1 prevalence across demographic, clinicopathologic parameters, treatment status and other biomarkers. Results: Out of 488 enrolled patients with advanced EC, 482 patients were included in the final analysis. For all testing EC patients, 207 patients (42.9% [95% CI 38.48-47.50]) were PD-L1 high expression (CPS≥10). Between the PD-L1 high (CPS≥10) group and PD-L1 low (CPS<10) group, there were statistically significant differences in gender (P=0.046), alcohol consumption (P = 0.011), distant metastatic lesion number of patients with stage IV (P = 0.032), surgery (P = 0.012), systemic therapy (P = 0.004), and chemotherapy (P=0.004). Conclusion: In summary, the prevalence of high PD-L1 expression (CPS≥10) in Chinese patients with advanced EC in real-world setting using 22C3 assay is consistent with previous data in global clinical trials. Our findings of the related clinicopathological and treatment features to the PD-L1 expression can provide supplementary information for decision-making of immunotherapy and facilitate the better understanding of mechanism underlying PD-L1 and anti-tumor immunity. Citation Format: Liyan Xue, Jiaqi Wang, Dong Kuang, Jingping Yun, Yuan Li, Lili Jiang, Daoyuan Wu, Pei Duan, Shixun Lu, Yan Jin, Du He, Jing Qian, Wenmin Tang, Yan Wang, Jielin Li, Jianming Ying. The PD-L1 protein expression in Chinese patients with advanced esophageal cancers: a multi-center retrospective study [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 2180.

Genome-wide identification and skin expression of immunoglobulin superfamily in discus fish (Symphysodon aequifasciatus) reveal common genes associated with vertebrate lactation

Discus Symphysodon spp. employs an unusual parental care behavior where fry feed on parental skin mucus after hatching. Studies on discus immunoglobulin superfamily (IgSF) especially during parental care are scarce. Here, a total of 518 IgSF members were identified based on discus genome and clustered into 12 groups, unevenly distributing on 30 linkage groups. A total of 92 pairs of tandem duplication and 40 pairs of segmental duplication that underwent purifying selection were identified. IgSF genes expressed differentially in discus skin during different care stages and between male and female parents. Specifically, the transcription of btn1a1, similar with mammalian lactation, increased after spawning, reached a peak when fry started biting on parents' skin mucus, and then decreased. The expression of btn2a1 and other immune members, e.g., nect4, fcl5 and cd22, were up-regulated when fry stopped biting on mucus. These results suggest the expression differentiation of IgSF genes in skin of discus fish during parental care.

CNTN1 Aggravates Neuroinflammation and Triggers Cognitive Deficits in Male Mice by Boosting Crosstalk between Microglia and Astrocytes.

A wealth of knowledge regarding glial cell-mediated neuroinflammation, which contributes to cognitive deficits in Alzheimer's disease (AD) has emerged in recent years. Contactin 1(CNTN1), a member of the cell adhesion molecule and immunoglobulin supergene family, is centrally involved in axonal growth regulation and is also a key player in inflammation-associated disorders. However, whether CNTN1 plays a role in inflammation-related cognitive deficits and how this process is triggered and orchestrated remain to be fully elucidated. In this study, we examined postmortem brains with AD. CNTN1 immunoreactivity was markedly increased, particularly in the CA3 subregion, as compared with non-AD brains. Furthermore, by applying an adeno-associated virus-based approach to overexpress CNTN1 directly via stereotactic injection in mice, we demonstrated that hippocampal CNTN1 overexpression triggered cognitive deficits detected by novel object-recognition, novel place-recognition and social cognition tests. The mechanisms underlying these cognitive deficits could be attributed to hippocampal microglia and astrocyte activation, which led to aberrant expression of excitatory amino acid transporters (EAAT)1/EAAT2. This resulted in long-term potentiation (LTP) impairment that could be reversed by minocyline, an antibiotic and the best-known inhibitor of microglial activation. Taken together, our results identified Cntn1 as a susceptibility factor involved in regulating cognitive deficits via functional actions in the hippocampus. This factor correlated with microglial activation and triggered astrocyte activation with abnormal EAAT1/EAAT2 expression and LTP impairment. Overall, these findings may significantly advance our understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the risk of neuroinflammation related cognitive deficits.

A family of unusual immunoglobulin superfamily genes in an invertebrate histocompatibility complex

Most colonial marine invertebrates are capable of allorecognition, the ability to distinguish between themselves and conspecifics. One long-standing question is whether invertebrate allorecognition genes are homologous to vertebrate histocompatibility genes. In the cnidarian Hydractinia symbiolongicarpus, allorecognition is controlled by at least two genes, Allorecognition 1 (Alr1) and Allorecognition 2 (Alr2), which encode highly polymorphic cell-surface proteins that serve as markers of self. Here, we show that Alr1 and Alr2 are part of a family of 41 Alr genes, all of which reside in a single genomic interval called the Allorecognition Complex (ARC). Using sensitive homology searches and highly accurate structural predictions, we demonstrate that the Alr proteins are members of the immunoglobulin superfamily (IgSF) with V-set and I-set Ig domains unlike any previously identified in animals. Specifically, their primary amino acid sequences lack many of the motifs considered diagnostic for V-set and I-set domains, yet they adopt secondary and tertiary structures nearly identical to canonical Ig domains. Thus, the V-set domain, which played a central role in the evolution of vertebrate adaptive immunity, was present in the last common ancestor of cnidarians and bilaterians. Unexpectedly, several Alr proteins also have immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motifs and immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibitory motifs in their cytoplasmic tails, suggesting they could participate in pathways homologous to those that regulate immunity in humans and flies. This work expands our definition of the IgSF with the addition of a family of unusual members, several of which play a role in invertebrate histocompatibility.

Multiple Alr genes exhibit allorecognition-associated variation in the colonial cnidarian Hydractinia

The genetics of allorecognition has been studied extensively in inbred lines of Hydractinia symbiolongicarpus, in which genetic control is attributed mainly to the highly polymorphic loci allorecognition 1 (Alr1) and allorecognition 2 (Alr2), located within the Allorecognition Complex (ARC). While allelic variation at Alr1 and Alr2 can predict the phenotypes in inbred lines, these two loci do not entirely predict the allorecognition phenotypes in wild-type colonies and their progeny, suggesting the presence of additional uncharacterized genes that are involved in the regulation of allorecognition in this species. Comparative genomics analyses were used to identify coding sequence differences from assembled chromosomal intervals of the ARC and from genomic scaffold sequences between two incompatible H. symbiolongicarpus siblings from a backcross population. New immunoglobulin superfamily (Igsf) genes are reported for the ARC, where five of these genes are closely related to the Alr1 and Alr2 genes, suggesting the presence of multiple Alr-like genes within this complex. Complementary DNA sequence evidence revealed that the allelic polymorphism of eight Igsf genes is associated with allorecognition phenotypes in a backcross population of H. symbiolongicarpus, yet that association was not found between parental colonies and their offspring. Alternative splicing was found as a mechanism that contributes to the variability of these genes by changing putative activating receptors to inhibitory receptors or generating secreted isoforms of allorecognition proteins. Our findings demonstrate that allorecognition in H. symbiolongicarpus is a multigenic phenomenon controlled by genetic variation in at least eight genes in the ARC complex.

Atomic Level Dissection of the Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule 1 (PECAM-1) Homophilic Binding Interface: Implications for Endothelial Cell Barrier Function.

PECAM-1 (platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule 1) is a 130 kDa member of the immunoglobulin (Ig) gene superfamily that is expressed on the surfaces of platelets and leukocytes and concentrated at the intercellular junctions of confluent endothelial cell monolayers. PECAM-1 Ig domains 1 and 2 (IgD1 and IgD2) engage in homophilic interactions that support a host of vascular functions, including support of leukocyte transendothelial migration and the maintenance of endothelial junctional integrity. The recently solved crystal structure of PECAM-1 IgD1 and IgD2 revealed a number of intermolecular interfaces predicted to play important roles in stabilizing PECAM-1/PECAM-1 homophilic interactions and in formation and maintenance of endothelial cell-cell contacts. We sought to determine whether the protein interfaces implicated in the crystal structure reflect physiologically important interactions. Approach and Results: We assessed the impact of single amino acid substitutions at the interfaces between opposing PECAM-1 molecules on homophilic binding and endothelial cell function. Substitution of key residues within the IgD1-IgD1 and IgD1-IgD2 interfaces but not those within the smaller IgD2-IgD2 interface, markedly disrupted PECAM-1 homophilic binding and its downstream effector functions, including the ability of PECAM-1 to localize at endothelial cell-cell borders, mediate the formation of endothelial tubes, and restore endothelial barrier integrity. Taken together, these results validate the recently described PECAM-1 IgD1/IgD2 crystal structure by demonstrating that specific residues visualized within the IgD1-IgD1 and IgD1-IgD2 interfaces of opposing molecules in the crystal are required for functionally important homophilic interactions. This information can now be exploited to modulate functions of PECAM-1 in vivo.

Role of Hydrogen Sulfide, Substance P and Adhesion Molecules in Acute Pancreatitis.

Inflammation is a natural response to tissue injury. Uncontrolled inflammatory response leads to inflammatory disease. Acute pancreatitis is one of the main reasons for hospitalization amongst gastrointestinal disorders worldwide. It has been demonstrated that endogenous hydrogen sulfide (H2S), a gasotransmitter and substance P, a neuropeptide, are involved in the inflammatory process in acute pancreatitis. Cell adhesion molecules (CAM) are key players in inflammatory disease. Immunoglobulin (Ig) gene superfamily, selectins, and integrins are involved at different steps of leukocyte migration from blood to the site of injury. When the endothelial cells get activated, the CAMs are upregulated which leads to them interacting with leukocytes. This review summarizes our current understanding of the roles H2S, substance P and adhesion molecules play in acute pancreatitis.

Abstract 2735: Clinical significance of CD4+CD7−helper T-cells and tumoral CD7 expression in colorectal cancer

Abstract CD7 is a transmembrane costimulatory glycoprotein and a member of the immunoglobulin supergene family, which is present on all thymocytes, most mature peripheral blood T-cells, and on natural killer (NK) cells. Studies indicate that the number of CD7 negative (CD7−) T-cells increases with age and in diseases such as chronic inflammation and in T-cell malignancies. To better understand the clinical relevance of CD7 expression in colon cancers and their immune microenvironment, tissue microarrays containing 1719 colorectal cancers were analyzed for CD3, CD4, CD8 and CD7 by multiplex fluorescence immunohistochemistry. Image analysis was performed using a U-net deep learning algorithm for cell detection and the “R” software package for statistical analysis. The density of CD3+CD4+ T-cells ranged from 0 to 8483 cells/mm2 (mean 504±686 cells/mm2) and the density of CD3+CD8+ T-cells ranged from 0 to 1386 cells/mm2 (mean 86±129 cells/mm2) in colorectal cancer. A high density of both, CD3+CD4+ helper T-cells and of CD3+CD8+ cytotoxic T-cells were associated with favorable tumor parameters, such as low tumor stage (p≤0.0004 each), negative nodal stage (p<0.0001 each) or absence of lymphatic vessel invasion (p≤0.0002 each) and high PD-L1 expression in immune cells (p<0.0001 each). In addition, a high density of CD3+CD8+ cytotoxic T-cells was linked to microsatellite instability (p<0.0001) and PD-L1 expression on tumor cells.The average fraction of T-cells lacking CD7 was 22% for CD3+CD4+ T-cells and 1% for CD3+CD8+ T-cells. A low fraction of CD3+CD4+CD7− T-cells was linked to low pT stage (p<0.0001) and microsatellite instability (p=0,0118) and tumor cell PD-L1 expression (p=0.0319) while the fraction of CD3+CD8+CD7− T-cells was unrelated to clinico-pathological parameters. Unequivocal membranous CD7 expression in cancer cells was found in 14 (0.8%) of cases and was significantly linked to lymphatic vessel invasion (p=0.0057) and perineural invasion (p=0.0045).In conclusion, the significant association of the fraction of CD3+CD4+CD7− T helper -cells with favorable clinicopathological features may suggest a clinically relevant role of this cell type. The rare CD7 positive colorectal cancers may potentially benefit from anti-CD7 therapies that are currently considered for T-cell neoplasias. Citation Format: Niclas Christian Blessin, Cheng Yang, Maximilian Lennartz, Katharina Möller, Tim Mandelkow, Ronald Simon, Guido Sauter, Christoph Fraune, Doris Höflmayer, Sarah Minner, Eike Burandt, Sören A Weidemann, Andreas M Luebke. Clinical significance of CD4+CD7−helper T-cells and tumoral CD7 expression in colorectal cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021; 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr 2735.

Perinatal Inflammation: Could Partial Blocking of Cell Adhesion Molecule Function Be a Solution?

In spite of the great advances made in recent years in prenatal and perinatal medicine, inflammation can still frequently result in injury to vital organs and often constitutes a major cause of morbidity. It is today well established that in neonates—though vulnerability to infection among neonates is triggered by functional impairments in leukocyte adhesion—the decreased expression of cell adhesion molecules also decreases the inflammatory response. It is also clear that the cell adhesion molecules, namely, the integrins, selectins, and the immunoglobulin (Ig) gene super family, all play a crucial role in the inflammatory cascade. Thus, by consolidating our knowledge concerning the actions of these vital cell adhesion molecules during the prenatal period as well as regarding the genetic deficiencies of these molecules, notably leukocyte adhesion deficiency (LAD) I, II, and III, which can provoke severe clinical symptoms throughout the first year of life, it is anticipated that intervention involving blocking the function of cell adhesion molecules in neonatal leukocytes has the potential to constitute an effective therapeutic approach for inflammation. A promising perspective is the potential use of antibody therapy in preterm and term infants with perinatal inflammation and infection focusing on cases in which LAD is involved, while a further important scientific advance related to this issue could be the combination of small peptides aimed at the inhibition of cellular adhesion.

Expression of Cntn1 is regulated by stress and associated with anxiety and depression phenotypes

In recent years, our understanding of neural circuits associated with depression has increased. Although inherited factors are known to influence individual differences in the risk for this disorder, it has been difficult to identify specific genes that moderate circuit functions affecting depression. Genome-wide association studies have identified genetic variants of Cntn1 that are linked to major depressive disorders. Cntn1, a subset of the neural cell adhesion protein and immunoglobulin supergene family, participates in cell contact formation and axonal growth control and plays a role in degenerative and inflammatory disorders. However, neuronal substrates that mediate Cntn1 action on depression-like phenotypes and involved mechanisms are unclear. Here, we exploited chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) exposure and found that CUS treatment significantly increased hippocampal Cntn1 messenger RNA and protein expression in both mice and rats, but not in the medial prefrontal cortex, which presented a region-specific regulation. Using an adeno-associated virus-based approach to directly overexpress Cntn1 via stereotactic injection, we demonstrated that Cntn1 overexpression in the hippocampus triggered anxiety- and depression-like phenotypes in addition to microglia activation or phagocytosis in the hippocampus, resulting in upregulation of pro-inflammatory cytokine (IL1α, IL6, and Ccl2) mRNA expression and downregulation of anti-inflammatory cytokine (IL4 and CD206) mRNA expression, determined using real-time quantitative PCR, thus impairing hippocampal immature neurons in the dentate gyrus, determined using immunohistochemical staining for doublecortin, a specific marker for immature neurons. Collectively, our results identified Cntn1 as a novel risk gene involved in regulating anxiety and depression via functional actions in the hippocampus that is correlated with microglial activation or phagocytosis and reduced hippocampal immature neurons. These results may provide a better understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the risk of depression-related disorders.

The immune-modulating pregnancy-specific glycoproteins evolve rapidly and their presence correlates with hemochorial placentation in primates

BackgroundPregnancy-specific glycoprotein (PSG) genes belong to the carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) gene family, within the immunoglobulin gene superfamily. In humans, 10 PSG genes encode closely related secreted glycoproteins. They are exclusively expressed in fetal syncytiotrophoblast cells and represent the most abundant fetal proteins in the maternal blood. In recent years, a role in modulation of the maternal immune system possibly to avoid rejection of the semiallogeneic fetus and to facilitate access of trophoblast cells to maternal resources via the blood system has been suggested. Alternatively, they could serve as soluble pathogen decoy receptors like other members of the CEA family. Despite their clearly different domain organization, similar functional properties have also been observed for murine and bat PSG. As these species share a hemochorial type of placentation and a seemingly convergent formation of PSG genes during evolution, we hypothesized that hemochorial placentae support the evolution of PSG gene families.ResultsTo strengthen this hypothesis, we have analyzed PSG genes in 57 primate species which exhibit hemochorial or epitheliochorial placentation. In nearly all analyzed apes some 10 PSG genes each could be retrieved from genomic databases, while 6 to 24 PSG genes were found in Old World monkey genomes. Surprisingly, only 1 to 7 PSG genes could be identified in New World monkeys. Interestingly, no PSG genes were found in more distantly related primates with epitheliochorial placentae like lemurs and lorises. The exons encoding the putative receptor-binding domains exhibit strong selection for diversification in most primate PSG as revealed by rapid loss of orthologous relationship during evolution and high ratios of nonsynonymous and synonymous mutations.ConclusionThe distribution of trophoblast-specific PSGs in primates and their pattern of selection supports the hypothesis that PSG are still evolving to optimize fetal-maternal or putative pathogen interactions in mammals with intimate contact of fetal cells with the immune system of the mother like in hemochorial placentation.

Otoimmün tiroid hastalıklarında CTLA-4 geninin in silico analizinin değerlendirilmesi

Giriş: CTLA-4 (sitotoksik T-lenfosit ilişkili antijen 4) geni, immünoglobulin gen süper ailesinin bir üyesidir ve T hücrelerine inhibe edici bir sinyal ileten proteini kodlamaktadır. Son günlerde immün kontrol noktası olan CTLA-4 geni araştırılan genler arasındadır. Bu çalışmada amaç; CTLA-4 geninde oluşan çeşitli polimorfizmlerin, CTLA-4 geni ile benzer genlerin Otoimmün Tiroid Hastalığı (OTH) patogenezine katkıda bulunabileceğini in silico olarak değerlendirmektir. Gereç ve Yöntem: Çalışmamızda CTLA-4 geni ile benzer genleri bulmak için GeneMania ve STRING veri tabanları, tek nükleotid polimorfizmlerini (SNP’leri) bulmak için Polyphen2, Exome Variant Server ve SIFT veritabanları, mikro RNA’ları tespit etmek için; miRDB ve miRWalk veritabanları kullanıldı. Bulgular: Çalışmamızdan elde ettiğimiz verilere göre; FYN geninin OTH’nın patogenezine katkıda bulunabileceğini, CTLA-4 geniyle ilişkili (rs201778935, rs138279736, rs369567630 ve rs376038796) şüpheli SNP’lerin olduğunu tespit ettik. Sonuç: Çalışmamızda 31 miRNA’nın mesajcı RNA’ların protein üretmesini düzenleyici rol üstlendiğinden, terapötik açıdan önemli olduğunu düşünmekteyiz. Biyoinformatik yöntemlerle değerlendirdiğimiz bu çalışma, ilerde laboratuvar ortamında uygulanarak, birçok hastalığın patogenezinin aydınlatılmasına katkıda bulunabileceğini düşünmekteyiz.

PD-1 Regulates GABAergic Neurotransmission and GABA-Mediated Analgesia and Anesthesia.

SummaryThe immune checkpoint inhibitor programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) plays a critical role in immune regulation. Recent studies have demonstrated functional PD-1 expression in peripheral sensory neurons, which contributes to neuronal excitability, pain, and opioid analgesia. Here we report neuronal expression and function of PD-1 in the central nervous system (CNS), including the spinal cord, thalamus, and cerebral cortex. Notably, GABA-induced currents in spinal dorsal horn neurons, thalamic neurons, and cortical neurons are suppressed by the PD-1-neutralizing immunotherapeutic Nivolumab in spinal cord slices, brain slices, and dissociated cortical neurons. Reductions in GABA-mediated currents in CNS neurons were also observed in Pd1−/− mice without changes in GABA receptor expression. Mechanistically, Nivolumab binds spinal cord neurons and elicits ERK phosphorylation to suppress GABA currents. Finally, both GABA-mediated analgesia and anesthesia are impaired by Pd1 deficiency. Our findings reveal PD-1 as a CNS-neuronal inhibitor that regulates GABAergic signaling and GABA-mediated behaviors.

Ibrutinib Therapy Downregulates Toso, the Fcr for IgM, Expression in CLL Patients

Background: Toso, the FcR receptor (FcmR) for IgM, is a type I transmembrane protein belonging to the immunoglobulin gene superfamily. Toso is expressed in lymphocytes, and plays an important role in B cell development and survival. In normal B cells, Toso expression increases after B cell receptor (BCR) stimulation, and Toso enhances BCR signaling induced cell survival, NK-kB pathway activation, and BCL-xL expression. CLL B cells express high levels of Toso, especially in IgHV unmutated patients. Upon binding of IgM to Toso on CLL cells, the Toso-IgM complex is internalized and undergoes lysosomal degradation. Given the importance of BCR signaling in CLL pathogenesis and treatment, we performed a series of preclinical and correlative studies to examine the cross talk between Toso and BCR signaling, effects of Toso on CLL cell survival and how Toso is affected by BCR signaling inhibition with ibrutinib. Methods and Results: Toso gene expression (FAIM3) was analyzed in serial samples from eight CLL patients treated with ibrutinib plus rituximab using Affymetrics HG U133 plus 2.0 oligonucleotide arrays at baseline, and after 1 and 4 weeks of continuous ibrutinib-based therapy. We noted that the relative mean Toso gene expression declined during ibrutinib therapy (-0.26 ± 0.12 after 2 weeks and -0.3 ± 0.18 after 4 weeks). Accordingly, Toso surface expression on CLL cells, assessed by flow cytometry, also significantly decreased after 1 and 4 weeks of ibrutinib therapy (Figure 1). We next measured plasma levels of soluble Toso (sToso), which is encoded by an alternative spliced Toso transcript, in serial samples from 35 CLL ibrutinib treated patients using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). We noted that baseline sToso levels in CLL patients were significantly higher than in 6 normal controls, i.e. 70 ± 12.1 arbitrary units (AU, n=35) versus 18 ± 8 AU (n=6, p<0.01). sToso levels significantly declined during ibrutinib therapy to 51.9 ± 7.5 AU (n=35, p<0.01) after 1 week of treatment and further decrease in the subsequent time points to 11.9 ± 2.8 AU (p<0.01) after 12 months of ibrutinib therapy. In addition, we found that patients with unmutated IgHV had higher sToso levels at baseline compared to patients with mutated IgHV (76.9 ± 10.8 AU (n=19) versus 45.4 ± 6.7 AU (mean ± SEM, n=11, p<0.05)(Figure 1). Furthermore, time to normalization of sToso levels was longer in unmutated IgHV patients. We then interrogated effects of in vitro stimulation of Toso on CLL viability and BCR signaling-related chemokines CCL3 and CCL4, using mouse monoclonal antibodies (clone 2A5) or artificial human Fc Toso (hToso-Fc) for Toso triggering. After stimulation of CLL cells with 1 or 10 mg/mL of 2A5 antibody or hToso-FC for 24 hours, we noted significantly improved CLL cell survival and increased levels of CCL3 and CCL4 chemokine secretion, particularly in samples from IgHV unmutated patients. The mean relative CLL cell viability after Toso stimulation was 154.2 ± 23.6% compared to unstimulated controls for 2A5 and 140.9 ± 17.3% after hToso-Fc treatment (n=6, p<0.05). Toso triggering induced very high levels of CCL3 and CCL4 secretion using 2A5 (3901 ± 464% of controls) or hToso-FC (6712 ± 1717% of controls, n=6, p<0.05)(Figure 1). Conclusions: These studies demonstrate that ibrutinib therapy downregulates Toso (FAIM3) gene expression, as well as cell surface and soluble Toso expression. IgHV unmutated patients have higher levels of soluble Toso and the effect on Toso activation on viability and CCL3 and CCL4 secretion is more pronounced in this group of patients. These findings corroborate the close relation between BCR signaling and Toso in CLL. Disclosures Wierda: Cyclcel: Research Funding; Miragen: Research Funding; Oncternal Therapeutics Inc.: Research Funding; Loxo Oncology Inc.: Research Funding; Janssen: Research Funding; Xencor: Research Funding; Acerta Pharma Inc: Research Funding; Pharmacyclics LLC: Research Funding; Genentech: Research Funding; AbbVie: Research Funding; GSK/Novartis: Research Funding; Gilead Sciences: Research Funding; Juno Therapeutics: Research Funding; KITE pharma: Research Funding; Sunesis: Research Funding. Burger:Janssen Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy, Honoraria; Aptose Biosciences, Inc: Research Funding; Gilead Sciences: Research Funding; Pharmacyclics, an AbbVie company: Research Funding; AstraZeneca: Honoraria; BeiGene: Research Funding.

Modulation of Nerve Cell Differentiation: Role of Polyphenols and of Contactin Family Components.

In this study the mechanisms are explored, which modulate expression and function of cell surface adhesive glycoproteins of the Immunoglobulin Supergene Family (IgSF), and in particular of its Contactin subset, during neuronal precursor developmental events. In this context, a specific topic concerns the significance of the expression profile of such molecules and their ability to modulate signaling pathways activated through nutraceuticals, in particular polyphenols, administration. Both in vitro and in vivo approaches are chosen. As for the former, by using as a model the human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma line, the effects of grape seed polyphenols are evaluated on proliferation and commitment/differentiation events along the neuronal lineage. In SH-SY5Y cell cultures, polyphenols were found to counteract precursor proliferation while promoting their differentiation, as deduced by studying their developmental parameters through the expression of cell cycle and neuronal commitment/differentiation markers as well as by measuring neurite growth. In such cultures, Cyclin E expression and BrdU incorporation were downregulated, indicating reduced precursor proliferation while increased neuronal differentiation was inferred from upregulation of cell cycle exit (p27–Kip) and neuronal commitment (NeuN) markers as well as by measuring neurite length through morphometric analysis. The polyphenol effects on developmental parameters were also explored in vivo, in cerebellar cortex, by using as a model the TAG/F3 transgenic line, which undergoes delayed neural development as a consequence of Contactin1 adhesive glycoprotein upregulation and premature expression under control of the Contactin2 gene (Cntn-2) promoter. In this transgenic line, a Notch pathway activation is known to occur and polyphenol treatment was found to counteract such an effect, demonstrated through downregulation of the Hes-1 transcription factor. Polyphenols also downregulated the expression of adhesive glycoproteins of the Contactin family themselves, demonstrated for both Contactin1 and Contactin2, indicating the involvement of changes in the expression of the underlying genes in the observed phenotype. These data support the hypothesis that the complex control exerted by polyphenols on neural development involves modulation of expression and function of the genes encoding cell adhesion molecules of the Contactin family and of the associated signaling pathways, indicating potential mechanisms whereby such compounds may control neurogenesis.

The expression and purification of a new complement inhibitor complement receptor of the immunoglobulin superfamily

Objective To construct the prokaryotic expression plasmid pSmartI-SUMO-complement receptor of the immunoglobulin superfamily (CRIg) of the CRIg, next express and purify it by E. coli expression system, finally detect the activity of the expressed product. Methods Total RNA was extracted from human liver cell HHMa, and the gene sequence encoding the extracellular domain of human CRIg was cloned onto the pSmart-I vector by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Seamless cloning. Positive colonies were selected for plasmid extraction and sequencing, and the expressed products were detected by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electropheresis (SDS-PAGE) and Western blotting. Finally, the activity was detected by alternative pathway hemolysis assay. The experiment was repeated three times and averaged to plot the hemolysis curve. Results The PCR product amplified from human CRIg was 819 bp in length. The sequencing result was aligned with the extracellular segment of human CRIg. After the plasmid was transformed into Rosetta strain, it was found by IPTG that CRIg could be stably expressed in the supernatant. Hemolysis experiments demonstrated that a 25 μm protein concentration could almost completely inhibit hemolysis. Conclusion CRIg can achieve soluble expression in prokaryotic expression system. Key words: Complement receptor of the immunoglobulin superfamily gene; Complement; Immune inhibitor; Seamless cloning; Prokaryotic expression plasmid