Preimmune Control of the Variance of TCR CDR-B3: Insights Gained From Germline Replacement of a TCR Dß Gene Segment With an Ig D H Gene Segment.

We have previously shown that the sequence of the immunoglobulin diversity gene segment (D H ) helps dictate the structure and composition of complementarity determining region 3 of the immunoglobulin heavy chain (CDR-H3). In order to test the role of germline D sequence on the diversity of the preimmune TCRß repertoire of T cells, we generated a mouse with a mutant TCRß DJC locus wherein the Dß2-Jß2 gene segment cluster was deleted and the remaining diversity gene segment, Dß1 (IMGT:TRDB1), was replaced with DSP2.3 (IMGT:IGHD2-02), a commonly used B cell immunoglobulin D H gene segment. Crystallographic studies have shown that the length and thus structure of TCR CDR-B3 places amino acids at the tip of CDR-B3 in a position to directly interact with peptide bound to an MHC molecule. The length distribution of complementarity determining region 3 of the T cell receptor beta chain (CDR-B3) has been proposed to be restricted largely by MHC-specific selection, disfavoring CDR-B3 that are too long or too short. Here we show that the mechanism of control of CDR-B3 length depends on the Dß sequence, which in turn dictates exonucleolytic nibbling. By contrast, the extent of N addition and the variance of created CDR3 lengths are regulated by the cell of origin, the thymocyte. We found that the sequence of the D and control of N addition collaborate to bias the distribution of CDR-B3 lengths in the pre-immune TCR repertoire and to focus the diversity provided by N addition and the sequence of the D on that portion of CDR-B3 that is most likely to interact with the peptide that is bound to the presenting MHC.

Evaluation of Anthelmintic Resistance and Exhaust Air Dust PCR as a Diagnostic Tool in Mice Enzootically Infected with Aspiculuris tetraptera.

The entry of infectious agents in rodent colonies occurs despite robust sentinel monitoring programs, strict quarantine measures, and stringent biosecurity practices. In light of several outbreaks with Aspiculuris tetraptera in our facilities, we investigated the presence of anthelmintic resistance and the use of exhaust air dust (EAD) PCR for early detection of A. tetraptera infection. To determine anthelmintic resistance, C57BL/6, DBA/2, and NCr nude mice were experimentally inoculated with embryonated A. tetraptera ova harvested from enzootically infected mice, followed by treatment with 150 ppm fenbendazole in feed, 150 ppm fenbendazole plus 5 ppm piperazine in feed, or 2.1 mg/mL piperazine in water for 4 or 8 wk. Regardless of the mouse strain or treatment, no A. tetraptera were recovered at necropsy, indicating the lack of resistance in the worms to anthelmintic treatment. In addition, 10 of 12 DBA/2 positive-control mice cleared the A. tetraptera infection without treatment. To evaluate the feasibility of EAD PCR for A. tetraptera, 69 cages of breeder mice enzootically infected with A. tetraptera were housed on a Tecniplast IVC rack as a field study. On day 0, 56% to 58% of the cages on this rack tested positive for A. tetraptera by PCR and fecal centrifugation flotation (FCF). PCR from EAD swabs became positive for A. tetraptera DNA within 1 wk of placing the above cages on the rack. When these mice were treated with 150 ppm fenbendazole in feed, EAD PCR reverted to pinworm-negative after 1 mo of treatment and remained negative for an additional 8 wk. The ability of EAD PCR to detect few A. tetraptera positive mice was investigated by housing only 6 infected mice on another IVC rack as a field study. The EAD PCR from this rack was positive for A. tetraptera DNA within 1 wk of placing the positive mice on it. These findings demonstrate that fenbendazole is still an effective anthelmintic and that EAD PCR is a rapid, noninvasive assay that may be a useful diagnostic tool for antemortem detection of A. tetraptera infection, in conjunction with fecal PCR and FCF.

HIV-1 gp140 epitope recognition is influenced by immunoglobulin DH gene segment sequence.

Complementarity Determining Region 3 of the immunoglobulin (Ig) H chain (CDR-H3) lies at the center of the antigen-binding site where it often plays a decisive role in antigen recognition and binding. Amino acids encoded by the diversity (DH) gene segment are the main component of CDR-H3. Each DH has the potential to rearrange into one of six DH reading frames (RFs), each of which exhibits a characteristic amino acid hydrophobicity signature that has been conserved among jawed vertebrates by natural selection. A preference for use of RF1 promotes the incorporation of tyrosine into CDR-H3 while suppressing the inclusion of hydrophobic or charged amino acids. To test the hypothesis that these evolutionary constraints on DH sequence influence epitope recognition, we used mice with a single DH that has been altered to preferentially use RF2 or inverted RF1. B cells in these mice produce a CDR-H3 repertoire that is enriched for valine or arginine in place of tyrosine. We serially immunized this panel of mice with gp140 from HIV-1 JR-FL isolate and then used enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) or peptide microarray to assess antibody binding to key or overlapping HIV-1 envelope epitopes. By ELISA, serum reactivity to key epitopes varied by DH sequence. By microarray, sera with Ig CDR-H3s enriched for arginine bound to linear peptides with a greater range of hydrophobicity but had a lower intensity of binding than sera containing Ig CDR-H3s enriched for tyrosine or valine. We conclude that patterns of epitope recognition and binding can be heavily influenced by DH germ line sequence. This may help explain why antibodies in HIV-infected patients must undergo extensive somatic mutation in order to bind to specific viral epitopes and achieve neutralization.

Violation of an evolutionarily conserved immunoglobulin diversity gene sequence preference promotes production of dsDNA-specific IgG antibodies.

Variability in the developing antibody repertoire is focused on the third complementarity determining region of the H chain (CDR-H3), which lies at the center of the antigen binding site where it often plays a decisive role in antigen binding. The power of VDJ recombination and N nucleotide addition has led to the common conception that the sequence of CDR-H3 is unrestricted in its variability and random in its composition. Under this view, the immune response is solely controlled by somatic positive and negative clonal selection mechanisms that act on individual B cells to promote production of protective antibodies and prevent the production of self-reactive antibodies. This concept of a repertoire of random antigen binding sites is inconsistent with the observation that diversity (DH) gene segment sequence content by reading frame (RF) is evolutionarily conserved, creating biases in the prevalence and distribution of individual amino acids in CDR-H3. For example, arginine, which is often found in the CDR-H3 of dsDNA binding autoantibodies, is under-represented in the commonly used DH RFs rearranged by deletion, but is a frequent component of rarely used inverted RF1 (iRF1), which is rearranged by inversion. To determine the effect of altering this germline bias in DH gene segment sequence on autoantibody production, we generated mice that by genetic manipulation are forced to utilize an iRF1 sequence encoding two arginines. Over a one year period we collected serial serum samples from these unimmunized, specific pathogen-free mice and found that more than one-fifth of them contained elevated levels of dsDNA-binding IgG, but not IgM; whereas mice with a wild type DH sequence did not. Thus, germline bias against the use of arginine enriched DH sequence helps to reduce the likelihood of producing self-reactive antibodies.

The link between antibodies to OxLDL and natural protection against pneumococci depends on D(H) gene conservation.

Selection and physiological production of protective natural antibodies (NAbs) have been associated with exposure to endogenous antigens. The extent to which this association depends on germline NAb sequence is uncertain. Here we show that alterations in germline D(H) sequence can sever the association between the production of self-reactive NAbs and NAbs that afford protection against a pathogen. In unmanipulated hosts, the availability of the evolutionarily conserved DFL16.1 gene segment sequence profoundly affected the serum levels of NAbs against bacterial phosphorylcholine but not oxidized low-density lipoprotein. Mice with partially altered DFL16.1 sequence could use N nucleotides to recreate the amino acid sequence associated with the classical protective T15 idiotype­positive NAbs, whereas those without DFL16.1 could not. DFL16.1 gene-deficient mice proved more susceptible to challenge with live Streptococcus pneumoniae. Our findings indicate that although production of self-reactive NAbs can be independent of germline D(H) sequence, their capacity to provide protection against pathogens cannot. The potential relevance of these findings for the rational design of vaccines is discussed.

Recirculating bone marrow B cells in C57BL/6 mice are more tolerant of highly hydrophobic and highly charged CDR-H3s than those in BALB/c mice.

To test whether mechanisms controlling the range of diversity of the developing antibody repertoire in C57BL/6 mice (IgH(b)) operate similarly to those identified in BALB/c mice (IgH(a)), we compared the sequences of VH 7183-containing H-chain transcripts from sorted adult bone marrow C57BL/6 B-cell subsets with those previously obtained from BALB/c mice. Patterns of VDJ gene segment utilization and CDR-H3 amino acid composition, charge, and average length in C57BL/6 pro-B cells were similar, although not identical, to BALB/c pro-B cells. However, C57BL/6 mature, recirculating B cells failed to demonstrate the reduction in the use of VH81X and the narrowing in the range of variance of CDR-H3 hydrophobicity that characterizes B-cell maturation in BALB/c mice. To further test the ability of the C57BL/6 strain to discard B cells expressing highly charged CDR-H3s, we introduced a mutant IgH(a) DH allele that forces use of arginine, asparagine, and histidine. Unlike BALB/c mice, C57BL/6 mice congenic for the charged DH maintained normal numbers of mature, recirculating B cells that were enriched for charged CDR-H3s. Together these findings indicate that the mature C57BL/6 B-cell pool permits expression of immunoglobulins with antigen-binding sites that are typically discarded during late-stage bone marrow B-cell development in BALB/c mice.

Magneto-structural studies of two new cobalt(II)-N,N-diisobutylisonicotinamide compounds: [CoLCl2]n and [Co(L)2(H2O)4][CoLBr3]2·2H2O.

Two similar synthetic pathways using the ligand N,N-diisobutylisonicotinamide (L) with anhydrous CoX(2) salts (being X = Cl(-), Br(-)) led to different species: a one-dimensional system, [CoLCl(2)](n), 1, and an ionic product [Co(L)(2)(H(2)O)(4)][CoLBr(3)](2)·2H(2)O, 2, respectively. Compound 1 is a polymer in which ligand L coordinates to tetrahedral Co(II) ions in a bidentate bridging fashion using the pyridine nitrogen and carbonyl oxygen atoms. Compound 2 consists of one octahedral cationic [Co(L)(2)(H(2)O)(4)](2+) entity and two tetrahedral anionic [CoLBr(3)](-) units. In this system, the ligand molecules coordinate only through the pyridine nitrogen atoms. The magnetic properties of 1 and 2 were investigated in the temperature range of 2.0 to 300.0 K and correlations between both (due to the existence of similar features) examined. The study of the magnetic properties of 1 was carried out by considering each Co(II) ion as a perfectly isolated system, hence, J = 0, but taking into account a significant zero-field splitting contribution due to distortions on the tetrahedral environment of the cobalt atoms. The fit of the magnetic susceptibility data together with reduced magnetization vs H/T measurements provided similar parameters (|D| = 10.8 cm(-1), g(⊥) = 1.92, g(‖) = 2.92 for the former and |D| = 11.04 cm(-1)and g = 2.05 for the latter, respectively). On the other hand, the magnetic response of compound 2 has been analyzed using a model which considers the presence of two tetrahedral and one octahedral Co(ii) ions (Co(Td) and Co(Oh)). The study was carried out in two separated blocks, above and below 80 K, where only the most significant effects at each interval of temperature were considered. As a result, the analysis of the magnetic data shows weak antiferromagnetic interactions between the Co(Oh)and the two Co(Td) ions (J = -0.41 cm(-1)) in 2. The best fit parameters were g(Co(Td)) = 2.89, g(Co(Oh)) = 3.50, |D(Co(Td))| = 10.62 cm(-1), |E(Co(Td))| = 2.95 cm(-1), Δ = 240.9 cm(-1) and J(L-S) = -107.1 cm(-1), from where λ was calculated with a final value of -144.8 cm(-1) (J(L-S) = Aκλ). The approximations performed to obtain these values provide reasonable results in agreement with compound 1 and also to other systems in the literature.

First report on N,N'-diisoalkylisonicotinamide 1D coordination network containing linear trinuclear [Co3L4Cl6] units with mixed Co(II)(Td)-Co(II)(Oh)-Co(II)(Td) geometries: structure and magnetic properties.

Reaction of anhydrous CoCl(2) with N,N'-diisopropylisonicotinamide (L) has yielded a coordination polymer containing linear trinuclear [Co(3)L(4)Cl(6)] units with a rare, mixed Co(T(d))-Co(O(h))-Co(T(d)) assembly (compound 1). The central Co(II) ion, of each trinuclear entity, exhibits a distorted octahedral geometry, with two ligand molecules coordinating through their carbonyl oxygen atoms along with two bridging Cl(-) ions and two pyridine N atoms from the neighboring molecules. Also, in each unit, two outer Co(II) ions display distorted tetrahedral geometry, coordinating to one ligand molecule through the pyridine N atom and to three Cl(-) ions (one of them bridged to the central Co(II) and the two acting as a terminal ligands). The magnetic properties of this compound were investigated in the temperature range of 2.0 to 300.0 K. Owing to the complexity of the system and the weak interactions among trinuclear aggregates, the magnetic response has been analyzed using a model which considers these units as isolated systems. In addition, magnetic data has been examined in two separated blocks, above and below 50 K, applying programs VPMAG FORTRAN and MAGPACK-fit, respectively. This way, only the most significant effects at each interval of temperature were considered: spin-orbit coupling of the Co(O(h)), at high temperatures and zero-field splitting parameters of the Co(T(d)) at the low. Spin-spin magnetic interaction has been taken into account for the whole range of temperatures. As a result, the analysis of the magnetic data shows that, within every trinuclear unit, the central position matches well with a high-spin Co(II) (S = 3/2) and also reveals weak ferromagnetic interactions between the Co(O(h)) and the two terminal Co(T(d)) ions (J = +0.34 cm(-1)).

New tetranuclear Cu(II) complexes: synthesis, structure, and magnetic properties.

The synthesis, structure, and magnetic properties of two new tetranuclear Cu(II) complexes containing N,N,N',N'-tetraethylpyridine-2,6-dithiocarboxamide (S-dept) of formula [Cu(2)Cl(2)(mu-S-dept)(2)][Cu(2)Cl(4)(mu-Cl)(2)] (1) and [Cu(2)(mu-Cl)(2)(S-dept)(2)][CuCl(3)(EtOH)](2) (2) are reported. Their X-ray crystal structures reveal that the complexes are composed of anionic and cationic dimers, that in both cases contain the metal centers which interact via Coulombic and/or hydrogen bonding interactions. In both cases, the Cu centers in the anionic moieties adopt a slightly distorted tetrahedral geometry whereas for the cationic moieties they adopt a square-pyramidal type of geometry. Magnetic susceptibility data show that compounds 1 and 2 present an overall antiferromagnetic behavior arising from the contribution of both anionic and cationic moieties. For 1, the best fit obtained gave J(1) = -2.62 +/- 0.19 cm(-1), J(2) = -19.54 +/- 0.47 cm(-1), and g(2) = 2.164 +/- 0.004 cm(-1) (R = 8.28 x 10(-5)) whereas for 2 it gave J(1) = 4.48 +/- 2.73 cm(-1), g(1) = 2.20 +/- 0.03, J(2) = -11.26 +/- 2.01 cm(-1), and g(2) = 2.10 +/- 0.03 (R = 1.15 x 10(-4)). The nature of the superexchange pathways in 1 and 2 is discussed on the basis of structural, magnetic, and molecular orbital considerations. Theoretical calculations are performed at the extended Huckel level in order to obtain their molecular orbitals and energies using their crystallographic data.

Structural, electronic, and magnetic consequences of O-carbonyl vs O-alkoxy ester coordination in new dicopper complexes containing the Cu2(mu-Cl)2 core.

The complexes [Cu2(mu-Cl)2(Cl)2(L)2] (L = dialkylpyridine-2,6-dicarboxylate; R = Et, L = depc, 1; R = i-Pr, L = dppc, 2) have been prepared and their magnetic properties studied. The crystal structures of complexes 1 and 2 have been solved. Compound 1 belongs to the P space group with Z = 2, a = 8.3020(10) A, b = 9.2050(10) A, c = 10.065(2) A, alpha = 99.040(10), beta = 100.810(10), and gamma = 106.502(10) whereas 2 belongs to the C2/c space group with Z = 8, a = 11.6360(10) A, b = 25.906(3) A, c = 11.76579(10) A, and beta = 107.900(10). The different alkyl ester substitutes produce substantial structural and electronic differences. The Cu2Cl2 core geometry is planar for 1 whereas it adopts a butterfly shape in the case of 2. Furthermore, in 2 the dppc ligand coordinates only by the carbonyl oxygen atoms whereas in 1 the depc ligand coordinates through carbonyl and alkoxy oxygen atoms. Magnetic susceptibility data show a ferromagnetic coupling between the two Cu(II) centers in both cases (J = 39.9(6) cm(-1) for 1, and J = 51.3(5) cm(-1) for 2) with very weak antiferromagnetic interactions (J ' = -0.59 cm(-1) and -0.57 cm(-1) for 1 and 2, respectively). Theoretical calculations at the extended Hückel level have also been carried out to further understand the electronic nature of complexes 1 and 2.