Fatty acid acylated peroxidase as a model for the study of interactions of hydrophobically-modified proteins with mammalian cells.

Artificial fatty acylation of proteins has attracted significant attention during the last decade as a method for modification of protein specificity and efficacy of action on mammalian cells (A. V. Kabanov and V. Yu. Alakhov (1994) J. Contr. Release 28, 15-35). Horse radish peroxidase (HRP) is used in this work to study the interaction of a fatty acylated protein with various mammalian cells. The HRP is modified with the chloranhydride of the stearic acid in the reversed micelles of sodium bis-(2-ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate (Aerosol OT) in octane, a convenient protocol allowing production of protein molecules with a controlled, low modification degree (A.V. Kabanov et al. (1987) Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci. 501, 63-66). The influence of the hydrophobic group on the binding and internalization of HRP in MDCK, P3-X63-Ag8, CHO, and HepG2 cells is examined. The major results are as follows: (i) the fatty acylation of a protein significantly enhances its binding to all tested mammalian cell lines, with a line-specific efficiency; (ii) the binding efficiency can be modified by changing growth conditions in a defined medium; (iii) along with the enhancement of protein adsorption on the plasma membrane, fatty acylation increases internalization of the protein during incubations at 37 degrees C; (iv) internalized protein was observed in endocytic vesicles; no evidence was obtained for a cytoplasmic distribution. These results are discussed in connection with previously observed effects of the fatty acylated proteins on cell activity.

The splenic pool of mouse stem cells: in vitro differentiation and expression of the BP-1 alloantigen on cells of the lymphoid and myeloid lineages.

The relative paucity of data about the development of the stem cell pool present in the spleen prompted this study. During in vitro cultures of B-enriched lymphocytes from mouse spleens and in the presence of a culture supernatant of WEHI-3 cells (WEHI-SUP), a population of cells expressing the BP-1 antigen appears progressively, reaches an optimal size 8 days after initiation of the culture, and disappears on day 28. In 8-day-old cultures, a minor population of cells bearing both BP-1 and B220 can be detected. The growth of this cell population, with characteristics of the B lymphoid lineage (pro-B), is strictly dependent on the presence of WEHI-SUP in the medium. After 2 weeks of culture, the BP-1 antigen is expressed on a cell population, which is essentially constituted of B220-, polynuclear cells. The BP-1 antigen, which is considered as characteristic of early cells of the B lymphoid lineage, can therefore also be expressed on cells of the myeloid lineage. The injection of BP-1+ or B220+ cells in irradiated mice can hardly reconstitute their B cell pool, whereas BP-1- and B220- cells are much more efficient in vivo progenitors of this cell lineage.

Comparison of two GM1-erythrocyte assays to detect heat-labile Escherichia coli enterotoxin in stool specimens.

Two erythrocyte immunoassay techniques to detect the presence of Escherichia coli heat-labile enterotoxin (LTh) in stool supernatants and cell-free culture supernatants were compared. In the competitive assay, GM1 ganglioside was coated onto V-shaped-well microdilution plates and enterotoxin was coupled to sheep erythrocytes. As little as 0.8 ng of LTh per ml was detected by this method, which was based on the competition between the LTh of the test sample and the sensitized erythrocytes. The second assay made use of chimera antibody prepared by coupling polyclonal anti-LTh antibody to a monoclonal antibody specific for sheep erythrocytes. In this case, LTh, which was specifically bound to a GM1 ganglioside-coated plate, was detected by successively adding the chimera antibody and sheep erythrocytes. The limit of detection of the chimera antibody erythrocyte immunoassay was 0.2 ng/ml. Stool samples were collected from 167 infants hospitalized for diarrhea in the hospital of Noumea, New Caledonia. False-negative reactions due to proteases present in the stool samples were avoided by the addition of phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride.

Analysis of the vaccinating group specificity a of HBsAg with monoclonal antibodies. Identification of continuous and discontinuous epitopes.

The group specificity a of HBsAg is responsible for the induction of protective antibodies. Several synthetic peptides for vaccination are in preparation. It is not known if the structure of the epitope(s) implied in specificity a is continuous or discontinuous. For this analysis, we have prepared six monoclonal anti-a antibodies (all belonging to the IgG1 subclass) which precipitated native HBsAg and agglutinated sensitized red blood cells. The antibody affinities ranged from 1.2 X 10(9) to 10 X 10(10) 1/M. These monoclonal antibodies were comparatively tested against native radioiodinated HBsAg and polypeptides obtained from HBsAg after reduction and alkylation. Two antibodies with low affinity continued to bind about 40% of polypeptides (compared to 94% retained by polyclonal antibodies). Three antibodies with higher affinity did not bind any polypeptide under the same conditions. When an inhibition technique was used, the two antibodies binding the polypeptides could be inhibited by polypeptides in their reaction with HBsAg. For the other antibodies, polypeptides did not inhibit the reaction with HBsAg. These results show that continuous and discontinuous epitopes are implied in specificity a of HBsAg. Therefore, for effective synthetic vaccines, mere synthesis of peptides corresponding to selected sequences of the primary structure of the protein may not be sufficient and a sophisticated mimicking of a conformational epitope might also be necessary.

Specificity and idiotypic analysis of monoclonal antibodies directed against the MOPC460 idiotype.

Eight syngeneic anti-idiotypic hybridomas (IDMs) have been obtained against the BALB/c myeloma protein MOPC460 which displays anti-TNP activity. The study of their anti-idiotype specificity allowed us to distinguish them into two groups which define the presence of at least two idiotypic determinants or idiotopes in the MOPC460 idiotype. The biochemical analysis of the monoclonal antibodies is consistent with this dichotomy. This analysis, in fact, showed a striking correlation between anti-idiotypic specificity and biochemical characteristics of the monoclonal antibodies. Consequently, the idiotypic specificities of three of these hybridomas were studied. In accordance with what is expected, our results clearly indicate a strong idiotypic similarity for hybridomas belonging to the same group and a lack of idiotypic cross-reactivity.

Probing yeast RNA polymerase A subunits with monospecific antibodies.

Monoclonal antibodies were raised in mouse against native RNA polymerase A from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. After screening with the spot-immunodetection technique, 14 hybridomas were selected and the antibodies produced in mice. Their specificity, analyzed by blot-immunodetection, was found to be markedly biased towards a few RNA polymerase subunits: A135 , A49 , A43 , and A14.5. A different monoclonal antibody directed against the largest subunit, A190 , was obtained by immunizing a mouse with RNA polymerase A dissociated into its subunits with SDS. Two antibodies, which probably recognized the same antigenic determinant on subunit A135 , inhibited in vitro RNA synthesis. Inhibition was prevented by preincubation of the enzyme with DNA, suggesting a role for the A135 subunit in template binding. The antibody directed against A14.5 interacted with the A14.5 kd subunit present in all three forms of the yeast nuclear RNA polymerases but did not interfere with RNA polymerase activity. These antibody probes will be useful to study subunit function in reconstituted transcription systems.

Differential staining and segregation of parental chromosomes in mouse-rabbit hybridomas.

Hoechst 33258 fluorescent staining can be coupled with G-banding to identify the chromosomal contribution of each parent in mouse-rabbit hybridomas. A fast and essentially complete segregation of rabbit chromosomes is obtained in these cells. The rabbit X chromosome is preferentially maintained in media imposing HGPRT activity for cell growth. Mouse-rabbit hybridomas, some of which secrete rabbit immunoglobulin chains, should be a convenient material for the identification of chromosomes governing rabbit Ig chain synthesis.

Anti-peroxidase antibody-secreting hybrid lines. I. Identification, cloning and cell characterization.

Anti-peroxidase antibody (Ab)-secreting hybrids have been produced by fusion of peroxidase (PO)-immunized mouse lymph node cells and immunoglobulin (Ig)-secreting P3-X63-Ag8 (X63) myeloma cells. Identification of Ab-secreting hybrids can be performed as early as day 5 after cell fusion by the hemolytic plaque assay. Immediately after identification, hybrids were directly isolated, by means of a micropipette, into Terasaki microchambers containing nutrient medium and a thymocyte filler layer. The yield of secreting hybrids is improved by using this procedure. All the cells of the PO 772 C2 clone show the same ultrastructural pattern and immunocytological properties; they are proplasmocytes, as are the parental X63 cells; they present intracisternae Ab and show no Ig or Fc receptors at the cell surface. Over 90% of viable PO 772 C2 cells form specific plaques. Isoelectric focusing and sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis show that the cells of this clone secrete Ab; the secreted Ig are formed with chi and gamma 1 chains from the parental X63 cells and specific L and H chains from the lymphoid parent. These biological investigations demonstrate the relative stability of the PO 772 C2 clone secreting anti-peroxidase antibody.