Transfer of immunity against Trichuris muris in the mouse by serum and cells

Transfer of immunity against Trichuris muris in the mouse by serum and cells. Internationaljournal for Parasitology 3: 717–722. A protective immunity against the nematode Trichuris muris was transferred with antiserum and cells taken from immunized mice. Immunity was transferred most reliably by cells, especially mesenteric lymph node cells, but most effectively by serum. The protective capacity of serum and cells taken from the same mice was not always related. Multiple immunization of the donors did not markedly increase protection in the recipients.     

Studies on the transfer of protective immunity with lymphoid cells from mice immune to malaria sporozoites.

In an effort to understand the mechanisms involved in the protective immunity to malarial sporozoites, an A/J mouse/Plasmodium berghei model was studied. Protective immunity could consistently be adoptively transferred only by using sublethal irradiation of recipients (500 R); a spleen equivalent (100 X 10(6))of donor cells from immune syngeneic mice; and a small booster immunization (1 X 10(4)) of recipients with irradiation-attenuated sporozoites. Recipient animals treated in this manner were protected from lethal challenge with 1 X 10(4) nonattenuated sporozoites. Immune and nonimmune serum and spleen cells from nonimmune animals did not protect recipient mice. Fewer immune spleen cells (50 X 10(6)) protected some recipients. In vitro treatment of immune spleen cells with anti-theta sera and complement abolished their ability to transfer protection. This preliminary study suggests that protective sporozoite immunity can be transferred with cells, and that it is T cell dependent.     

The cellular and humoral immune response to Schistosoma mansoni infections in inbred rats: I. Mechanisms during initial exposure

Fischer rats were infected with Schistosoma mansoni by exposure to cercariae. The effects of animal age at exposure and the size of that exposure were determined by quantitation of subsequent worm burdens. Optimal conditions for assay of protection mediated by cells or serum transferred from exposed donors were ascertained. The major initial protective immune response to infection was mediated by thymusdependent lymphocytes as demonstrated by discrete subpopulation cell transfer experiments. Simultaneously harvested serum enhanced worm survival and obviated the protective effects of transferred cells when serum and cells were given concomitantly. Subsquently, host immunity became dependent on antibody formation. In the chronic phase of infection, a small number of surviving parasites coexisted with antibody which specifically interacted with schistosomal antigens but did not protect in transfer experiments. These studies suggest a form of immunologic enhancement with antibody modulation of cellular immunity as possible components of the immune response to both acute and chronic schistosomiasis.     

Investigations of 'transfer factor' activity in immunity to Ostertagia circumcincta and Trichostrongylus colubriformis infections in sheep.

Immunity was successfully transferred by ‘Transfer Factor’ prepared from leucocytes of two adult Scottish Blackface donor rams infected with O. circumcincta and T. colubriformis to 4-month-old susceptible Fin X Dorset lambs. The immunity was expressed by a significantly reduced faecal egg count and worm burden compared to challenged, untreated controls. The immunity was comparable to that produced in another group of lambs given an initial infection prior to challenge with both parasites.     

Influence of serum donor and recipient mouse genotype on the passive transfer of protective immunity with serum against Nematospiroides dubius

Dobson C., Brindley P. J. and Sitepu P. 1982. Influence of serum donor and recipient mouse genotype on the passive transfer of protective immunity with serum against Nematospiroides dubius. International Journal for Parasitology12: 567–572. Different strains of serum donor mice showed variations in innate immunity to primary infections with Nematospiroides dubius. Different levels of anti-N, dubius antibodies were detected in sera from these mouse strains; there was no correlation between antibody titre and numbers of worms recovered. Serum from donor wild and six laboratory strains of mice protected female Quackenbush (Q) recipients against N. dubius infections; donor mouse strain influenced the degree of protection conferred and donor serum antibody titre related to the degree of stunting of worm growth in recipient mice. Five laboratory strains of mice developed different levels of protective immunity following multiple experimental infections with N. dubius. Antibody titres in these mice were strongly correlated with the percentage protection observed after 1–4 infections: Q and CBA mice produced more anti-N. dubius antibody and were better protected than DBA/2, BALB/c and C3H mice. However BALB/c, C3H and CBA mice attained similar anti-N. dubius antibody titres after a single infection with N. dubius but serum from BALB/c gave better protection when transferred to female Q recipients than that from the other two strains. This suggested qualitative differences in the protective antibodies in sera between mouse strains. Five mouse strains were passively immunized with a uniform dose of serum from female Q donors: DBA/2 female recipients showed the least, BALB/c and C3H females were intermediate, and Q and CBA female mice attained the greatest level of passive protection against N. dubius. A close positive correlation existed between the degree of actively acquired and the level of passively acquired protection between the five strains of mice.     

Involvement of suppressor cells in active enhancement of allografted tumors. In vivo (adoptive transfer) and in vitro (MLR) evaluation. Synergy with enhancing antibodies

Specific enhancement of allografted A/J mouse tumor Sa 1 can be transferred not only passively by serum but also adoptively by lymphoid cells from syngeneic donors actively treated for enhancement. This can be done mainly by thymocytes in untreated recipients and by splenocytes in irradiated recipients, the transfer being more efficient in the latter. Results are more striking when the donors' treatment has led to a successful enhancement (AE⁺) demonstrated by an allografted tumor test. The responsible cells, studied in the donors' spleens, were found to be nonadherent to nylon wool, sensitive to specific anti-IJ serum and complement, and sensitive to anti-specific recognition structure serum with complement. Inactive doses of passively transferred serum added to subactive doses of adoptively transferred spleen cells, both from AE⁺ donors, lead to a substantial enhancement of allografted tumors, indicating a synergistic action of enhancing antibodies and suppressor cells. Similar results were obtained in vitro in a MLR system. MLC reactivity of AE⁺ donor cells is impaired. Furthermore, when mitomycin-treated, these cells have a regulatory (suppressor) effect on a MLR of syngeneic spleen cells directed against grafted tumor strain mitomycin-treated spleen cells. This suppressor effect is impaired by pretreating the regulatory cells with anti-IJ serum and complement or with anti-cell recognition structure serum (which has an opposite effect on AE^? cells).     

Transfer of immunity to Babesia microti of human origin using T lymphocytes in mice

Lymph node and spleen cells from mice infected with Babesia microti of human origin developed the ability to transfer adoptive immunity to naive mice within 25 days after infection. This protective activity was greater in cells obtained at 32 days than in cells obtained at 25 days postinfection and remained stable up to 52 days postinfection. Recipients of lymph node cells and spleen cells displayed similar peak parasitemias although 2 days after peak parasitemia, immune spleen cell recipients had significantly lower parasitemias than immune lymph node cell recipients. Strong protective activity was demonstrated when cells were transferred 1 day postinfection, while equal numbers of cells, transferred 3 days postinfection did not confer significant protection over nonimmune cells. There was also a suggestion that the number of immune spleen cells necessary for significant protection was directly related to the number of parasites inoculated. The subpopulation of lymphocytes responsible for the transfer of adoptive immunity to B. microti of human origin was then studied in BALB/c mice depleted of T lymphocytes by thymectomy and lethal irradiation. One day after infection with B. microti, T-cell-depleted mice were given complement-treated immune spleen cells, anti-θ serum-treated immune spleen cells, nonimmune spleen cells, or no cells. Similar experiments were performed comparing the effects of anti-immunoglobulin serum-treated and unfractionated immune spleen cells on B. microti parasitemia. Treatment with anti-θ serum abrogated the protective activity of immune spleen cells while anti-immunoglobulin serum treatment had no effect. These results suggest that immunologic memory of B. microti in BALB/c mice is modulated by T rather than B lymphocytes.     

Biological characterization of T and B lymphocytes separated from normal mouse spleen by a physical adherence column method

The capacity of spleen cell populations enriched for T and B lymphocytes by a physical adherence column method to respond in vitro to phytomitogens and allogeneic lymphocytes was determined. Column filtrate cells (T lymphocytes) responded well to phytohaemagglutinin- and mitomycin-C-treated allogeneic spleen cells, but poorly to pokeweed mitogen. Adherent cell populations from the column (B and some T lymphocytes) responded well to pokeweed mitogen, but poorly to phytohaemagglutinin- and mitomycin-C-treated allogeneic cells.Purified peripheral T lymphocytes prepared from normal mouse spleen by the column method reconstituted the depleted in vitro antibody response to the thymic-dependent SRBC antigen of all B lymphocyte sources tested, namely, spleen cells from congenitally athymic mice, neonatally thymectomized mice, and adult thymectomized mice which had been reconstituted with bone marrow, and a lymphocyte population prepared by incubating spleen cells with anti-θ serum and complement. When transferred with sheep erythrocytes to congenitally athymic mice, purified peripheral T cells restored the in vivo IgM and IgG responses of these animals. These results confirm that the column filtrate is a thymus derived subpopulation of cells capable of cell-mediated immunity and cooperation with B lymphocytes in humoral immunity both in vitro and in vivo.     

Taenia crassiceps in the rat: transfer of immunity and immunocompetence with lymph node cells.

Using T. crassiceps infections of young AS₂ rats as a model system, it was shown that immunity can be transferred adoptively with lymph node cells, whereas serum from the same donors was ineffective. Normal adult rat lymph node cells also conferred immunocompetence on neonatal recipients. There was no correlation between antibody and elimination or persistence of metacestodes in infected rats. It is suggested that susceptibility of neonates to infection with this parasite is the result of functional immaturity of thymus-derived cells involved in cell-mediated immune responses rather than T-cell facilitation of antibody production.     

Role of thymus-derived lymphocytes in acquired immunity to salmonellosis in mice

The relative role of thymus-derived (T-) lymphocytes and bone marrow-derived (B-) cells in acquired immunity to salmonellosis was examined in mice. The results demonstrate that the protective capacity of the donor immunized mice could be passively transferred to the recipient mice by spleen cells but not with peritoneal exudate cells or sera. A high cell number of spleen cells (2 X 10(8)/mouse) were required before passive transfer of immunity could be obtained. Of the T-lymphocytes and B-cell populations of spleen cells, T-cells from immune mice were effective in conferring protection to the recipient mice.     

Polyclonal activation of the murine immune system by an antibody to IgD. X. Evidence that the precursors of IgG1-secreting cells are newly generated membrane IgD+B cells rather than the B cells that are initially activated by anti-IgD antibody

Injection of BALB/c mice with an affinity-purified goat antibody to mouse IgD (GaM delta) stimulates T cell-independent B cell activation as well as later T cell activation. Activated T cells then induce polyclonal differentiation of B cells into IgG1-secreting cells, which results in an approximately 100-fold increase in serum IgG1 level. It is not known whether the same B cells that are initially activated by GaM delta are the progenitors of the IgG1-secreting cells. To investigate this issue a system was developed in which CB20 mice, which are congenic to BALB/c mice but express Ig of the beta allotype rather than the BALB/c alpha allotype, were injected with GaM delta and simultaneously or subsequently also received BALB/c B cells. The IgG1 response generated by the donor BALB/c B cells was quantitated by an assay specific for IgG1 of the alpha allotype. Our experiments with this system indicate that: 1) BALB/c B cells transferred 2 days after CB20 mice were injected with GaM delta generate a much larger IgG1 response than do BALB/c B cells transferred simultaneously with GaM delta antibody; 2) B cells that express membrane IgD generate the great majority of this response; 3) differences in the magnitudes of the responses of BALB/c B cells transferred at different times after CB20 mice were injected with GaM delta antibody cannot be explained by differences in homing of the donor B cells to the host spleen or by short survival of donor BALB/c B cells after their transfer; and 4) the response made by donor BALB/c B cells transferred 2 days after CB20 mice were injected with GaM delta is proportionate to donor cell representation in the host spleen 1 day after their transfer, whereas the response made by donor cells transferred simultaneously with GaM delta is disproportionately small. These observations suggest that most of the IgG1 antibody made by GaM delta-injected mice is generated by newly produced, mIgD+ B cells that appear approximately 2 days after GaM delta injection, rather than by those B cells that are present in the spleen at the time of GaM delta injection, and support the view that signals that induce B cell secretion of Ig require an interaction with at least partially activated Th cells.     

Hymenolepis nana: passive transfer of mouse immunity by T-cell subset of phenotype Lyt-1

Mesenteric lymph node cells obtained from donor mice (BALB/c strain) actively immunized by oral inoculation with Hymenolepis nana eggs were syngeneically transferred by intravenous injection into athymic nude mice previously uninfected. The adoptively immunized recipients were then challenged with 1000 H. nana eggs 2 days after cell transfer. The degree of immunity transferred was assessed by examining cysticercoids developed in the intestinal villi of the recipients on Day 4 of challenge infection. The criterion for success in cell transfer of immunity was the complete rejection of cysticercoids as was generally expected in mice infected previously. The transfer of 1.5 X 10(8) immune mesenteric lymph node cells obtained from donors immunized 4 days before cell collection resulted invariably in the complete rejection of cysticercoids, though not less than this cell dosage. The immunity was passively transferable to recipients by T cells, especially by T-cell subset of phenotype Lyt-1 but not those of phenotype Lyt-2.3 and Lyt-1.2.3. However, 1.5 X 10(8) immune mesenteric lymph node cells obtained from donors immunized 21 days before cell transfer and 1.5 X 10(8) immune spleen cells obtained from donors immunized 4 days before cell transfer had little or no effect on the rejection of cysticercoids.     

Antigen-specific augmentation of delayed-type hypersensitivity by immune serum factor in mice

The serum from C3H/He mice immunized with chicken erythrocytes (CRBC) in complete Freund's adjuvant contained a factor able to augment delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) antigen specifically, when transferred into naive syngeneic recipient mice before their sensitization with CRBC. This activity in immune serum appeared on Day 4 and reached a peak on Day 8 after immunization, and was enhanced when donor mice were treated with cyclophosphamide (CY) 2 days before immunization. The ability of recipient mice to respond to this factor was enhanced by CY treatment of these mice 4 days before being transferred. This factor could be discriminated from conventional antibodies. Production of this factor in the serum donor and the expression of its activity in transferred recipient was mediated by a T-cell subset which showed a low degree of thymus dependency in ontogenic development.     

The mode of passive protection against Hymenolepis nana induced by serum transfer

A protective immunity against the cestode Hymenolepis nana was transferred with serum taken from actively immunized mice. All of 17 pooled sera examined, which were taken from mice immunized for 3 or more weeks, were strongly effective. Intraperitoneal injection of a total of 3·0 ml serum made the recipient mice (4–5 weeks old) almost completely immune. In almost all the mice given immune serum no cysticercoids were found on day 4. In mice receiving immune serum, oncospheres hatched, invaded the intestinal villi and differentiated to stage II or III larvae, but failed to develop to fully developed cysticercoids. The degree of protection conferred by serum transfer was similar to, but slightly weaker than that stimulated by active immunization. The major effect of immune serum was damaging hatched oncospheres in both the intestinal lumen and the villi within 1 day post infection.     

Characterization of cellular and molecular immune effectors against Trichinella spiralis newborn larvae in vivo.

The cellular and molecular immune effectors that participated in host immunity against Trichinella spiralis newborn larvae were characterized in vivo using AO rats. Donor rats were immunized with 2,000 muscle larvae orally or 11,400 newborn larvae i.v. Immune serum and cells from spleen, peripheral lymph nodes, mesenteric lymph node, thoracic duct lymph and the peritoneal cavity were obtained from donor rats 10-21 days after infection and transferred into normal recipient rats. The control recipients received either no cells and serum or normal cells and normal serum obtained from normal donors. Newborn larvae (20,000-50,000) were injected either i.v. or ip into these recipients and immunity against newborn larvae was measured either by muscle larvae burden of the recipients three weeks later or by direct recovery of newborn larvae from the peritoneal cavity of the recipients. The experiments demonstrated that immune lymphocytes conferred no protection in the recipients but that immune serum and immune peritoneal cells were protective and these effects were synergistic. Cell adherence to the cuticle and killing of newborn larvae were observed in the peritoneal cavity of immune rats. Positive fluorescence was observed on newborn larvae incubated with fractionated IgM and IgG(E) antibody isotypes. Massive deposition of antibody molecules on newborn larvae was demonstrated by scanning electron microscopy. Studies using transmission electron microscopy revealed that the larval adherent cells were stimulated macrophages, neutrophils and eosinophils.     

In vivo and in vitro effects of monoclonal antibody to Ly antigens on immunity to infection

Injection of CBA mice with Brucella abortus strain 19 leads to chronic infection during which both cell-mediated immunity (delayed hypersensitivity and macrophage activation) and antibody production occur. Protection was efficiently transferred to naive mice using spleen cells from mice infected 5 or 12 weeks earlier. Selective lysis in vitro of these cells by antibody to cell surface antigens showed that Thy-1⁺ Ly-1⁺2⁺ T lymphocytes were required for transfer. Treatment with anti-Ia serum neither suppressed nor enhanced adoptive transfer. Thus Ia⁺ B lymphocytes were not required, and Ia⁺ suppressor T cells were not active in the response. Three injections per week of anti-Ly-1 monoclonal antibody beginning 5 days before infection led to a 10-fold increase in bacterial numbers 25 days after infection when acquired immunity was well established in untreated mice. The delayed hypersensitivity response was unaffected. In addition cells from these in vivo treated mice were unable to transfer resistance. Beginning the treatment on the day of infection abolished the IgG antibody response without affecting bacterial numbers. The studies emphasize the unique role of Ly-1⁺2⁺ T cells in immunity to Brucella and indicate the usefulness of these techniques in dissecting out those components of the immune response which contribute to recovery from infection.     

Dogs cloned from fetal fibroblasts by nuclear transfer

Fetal fibroblasts have been considered as the prime candidate donor cells for the canine reproductive cloning by somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) in regard to the future production of transgenic dogs, mainly due to their higher developmental competence and handling advantage in gene targeting. In this study, the cloning efficiency with canine fetal fibroblasts as donor cells was determined. A total of 50 presumptive cloned embryos were reconstructed, activated and transferred into the oviducts of naturally synchronous recipient bitches. While the fusion rate (76.9%) was similar to those of our earlier studies with adult fibroblasts as donor cells (73.9–77.1%), a high cloning efficiency (4.0%; 2 births/50 embryos transferred) was found compared to the previous success rate with adult fibroblasts (0.2–1.8%). The cloned beagles were healthy and genotypically identical to the donor fibroblast cells. This study shows that a fetal fibroblast cell would be an excellent donor for future production of transgenic dogs via gene targeting in this cell followed cloning using SCNT technology.     

In vitro development of yak (Bos grunniens) embryos generated by interspecies nuclear transfer

Interspecies cloning may be used as an effective method to conserve highly endangered species, but at present it suffers from relatively low levels of efficiency. In order to find a technique that could be used in conservation of the wild yak (Bos grunniens), we designed in six separate experiments to investigate the following factors that might influence the efficiency of interspecies cloning: (1) maturation rates of the recipient bovine oocytes; (2) nuclear donor cell types; (3) age of the yak from which the yak ear skin fibroblast cell line originated; (4) donor cells treated with or without serum starvation; (5) nuclear donor gained from fresh cells or frozen-thawed cells; (6) effect of 0.5 or 1.5 h from fusion to activation. The results of experiment 1 showed that when recipient oocytes in a replicate had a maturation rate of <40% (34+/-3.0%; three replicates) the proportion of nuclear transferred oocytes that developed to blastocyst was 2+/-1.1%, which was significantly lower (P<0.01) than the 25+/-3.2% achieved when the recipient oocyte maturation rate was 71+/-3.7% (three replicates). The efficiency of blastocyst production was increased substantially (P<0.05) when the time from fusion to activation increased from 0.5 h (21+/-2.3%; three replicates) to 1.5 h (35+/-3.5%; five replicates; experiment 6). There was no significant effect of the source of the donor nuclei (ear skin fibroblast or cumulus cells), the age of the animal (3 months or 4 years) from which the donor cells were derived, serum deprivation of the donor cells, or the use of fresh or frozen-thawed donor cells (experiments 2-5). Transfer of three interspecies cloned blastocysts to each of 108 bovine recipients resulted in two pregnancies being established that did not survive to day 120 of gestation.     

A novel tumour model system for the study of long-term protective immunity and immune T cell memory

We present a novel non-transgenic system to be used for studies on anti-tumour adoptive immunotherapy (ADI) and long-term T cell memory. Tumour-reactive donor immune cells against lacZ-transfected syngeneic tumour cells (ESbL-Gal) were generated from a naíve T cell repertoire in DBA/2 mice by a well-established priming/restimulation protocol, and transferred to tumour-inoculated athymic nu/nu mice. The donor immune cells efficiently mediated protective anti-tumour immunity involving both CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells, and anti-metastatic effects were stronger in 4.5 Gy pre-irradiated than in non-irradiated tumour-inoculated hosts. Long-term persistence of beta-galactosidase (Gal)-specific T cells was shown ex vivo by tetramer staining of CD8(+) T cells specific for an immunodominant Gal epitope. Resistance of treated nu/nu mice against tumour rechallenge revealed the existence of long-term protective immune memory.     

Cell donor influences success of producing cattle by somatic cell nuclear transfer

To assess sources of variation in nuclear transfer efficiency, bovine fetal fibroblasts (BFF), harvested from six Jersey fetuses, were cultured under various conditions. After transfection, frozen-thawed lung or muscle BFF donor cells were initially cultured in DMEM in 5% CO(2) and air and some were transferred to MEM, with 5% or 20% O(2) or 0.5% or 10% serum and G418 for 2-3 wk. Selected clonal transfected fibroblasts were fused to enucleated oocytes. Fused couplets (n = 4007), activated with ionomycin and 6-dimethylaminopurine, yielded 927 blastocysts, and 650 were transferred to 330 recipients. Fusion rate was influenced by oxygen tension in a fetus-dependent manner (P < 0.001). Blastocyst development was influenced in a number of ways. Hip fibroblast generated more blastocysts when cultured in MEM (P < 0.001). The influence of serum concentration was fetus dependent (P < 0.001) and exposing fibroblast to low oxygen was detrimental to blastocyst development (P < 0.001). Cells from two of the six fetuses produced embryos that maintained pregnancies to term, resulting in eight viable calves. Pregnancy rates 56 days after transfer for the two productive donor fetuses, was at least double that of other recipients and may provide a fitness indicator of BFF cell sources for nuclear transfer. We conclude that a significant component in determining somatic cell nuclear transfer success is the source of the nuclear donor cells.